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A review by standingtreereads
The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L.V. Russell
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to receive an ARC (despite being published) in exchange for my honest thoughts. I am not being compensated for this review.
One of my favorite books is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, so when I saw this was a Regency era story with ghosts and a dash of romance, I was immediately intrigued.
Whew, I wish I could share with you guys what a wild ride I had with my highlights and notes without spoiling the story… Let me just say that I thought I had it all figured out early on. Little did I know that I was very, very wrong.
Let’s start breaking this down!
Characters « 9 »
••• Easily envisioned with great descriptions.
••• Each had their own, fleshed out personalities.
Atmosphere « 10 »
••• Hauntingly beautiful descriptions of locations and scenery alike.
Writing « 10 »
••• Easy to follow despite the older, more formal dialogue.
Plot « 9 »
••• A little slow at first, picks up quickly and evenly throughout the rest.
••• The misleads and ending were amazing.
••• One part at the end, I had to reread to make sure I understood.
Intrigue « 9 »
••• Again, a little slow at first but hooks you in quickly.
Logic « 10 »
••• A part at the end felt off, but made sense after a reread and some thinking.
••• Felt true to the time period.
Enjoyment « 10 »
••• A guy looked at me funny in the parking lot when the plot twist was revealed. I think that’s enough.
I’m starting to think the horror short stories might be my niche. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that 2 out of 4 of my 5-star books so far this year have been of this variety. I’m excited to read more and interested in trying out some of Russell's other works!
One of my favorite books is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, so when I saw this was a Regency era story with ghosts and a dash of romance, I was immediately intrigued.
Whew, I wish I could share with you guys what a wild ride I had with my highlights and notes without spoiling the story… Let me just say that I thought I had it all figured out early on. Little did I know that I was very, very wrong.
Let’s start breaking this down!
Characters « 9 »
••• Easily envisioned with great descriptions.
••• Each had their own, fleshed out personalities.
Atmosphere « 10 »
••• Hauntingly beautiful descriptions of locations and scenery alike.
Writing « 10 »
••• Easy to follow despite the older, more formal dialogue.
Plot « 9 »
••• A little slow at first, picks up quickly and evenly throughout the rest.
••• The misleads and ending were amazing.
••• One part at the end, I had to reread to make sure I understood.
Intrigue « 9 »
••• Again, a little slow at first but hooks you in quickly.
Logic « 10 »
••• A part at the end felt off, but made sense after a reread and some thinking.
••• Felt true to the time period.
Enjoyment « 10 »
••• A guy looked at me funny in the parking lot when the plot twist was revealed. I think that’s enough.
I’m starting to think the horror short stories might be my niche. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that 2 out of 4 of my 5-star books so far this year have been of this variety. I’m excited to read more and interested in trying out some of Russell's other works!