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A review by rorikae
A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
'A House With Good Bones' by T. Kingfisher is a creepy horror about familial expectations.
When Sam comes to stay with her mother in her grandmother's old house, she senses something is off. Her mother is a kind woman but suddenly she is starting to mimic Sam's grandmother, an overbearing woman with high expectations for her family. As more and more strange things start to happen around the house, Sam suspects that something more is going on.
Kingfisher does a great job of creating a creeping sense of unease that slowly permeates the story. We quickly come to understand Sam as a person as well as her mother and her grandmother. It's clear that their relationship with the grandmother was fraught and that same energy is returning to the house. The unease continues to increase throughout the book until we reach some more startlingly revelations. Ultimately, I think Kingfisher does a great job of exploring familial expectations and trauma through a horror lens but without getting too gory.
When Sam comes to stay with her mother in her grandmother's old house, she senses something is off. Her mother is a kind woman but suddenly she is starting to mimic Sam's grandmother, an overbearing woman with high expectations for her family. As more and more strange things start to happen around the house, Sam suspects that something more is going on.
Kingfisher does a great job of creating a creeping sense of unease that slowly permeates the story. We quickly come to understand Sam as a person as well as her mother and her grandmother. It's clear that their relationship with the grandmother was fraught and that same energy is returning to the house. The unease continues to increase throughout the book until we reach some more startlingly revelations. Ultimately, I think Kingfisher does a great job of exploring familial expectations and trauma through a horror lens but without getting too gory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Fatphobia
Moderate: Body horror and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury