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A review by minimicropup
The September House by Carissa Orlando
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Pragmatic, energetic, optimistic
We follow our MC as they tell us a story about how they came to find their home, how it lead to their spouse calling it quits, and how they're going to handle their adult child insisting on a visit to find out what is going on with their parents.
πΊπΈ Set mostly at a Victorian home in Ohio (I think), USA.
π Set in autumn with all the vibes.
πΊπΈ Set mostly at a Victorian home in Ohio (I think), USA.
π Set in autumn with all the vibes.
πΊπ Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags:
π€© If I just described the entire story to you right now, it would probably sound a little cheesy. The sensory, atmospheric writing style is what gives it such depth. One minute I'm truly feeling a fear reaction alongside our MC (this story does not shy away from IRL horrors despite the supernatural presentation), the next I'm laughing and feeling a little choked up. Even the paranormal aspects and poltergeists have character development and back-stories to be explored.
𫨠I usually don't like action/fight scenes in books because I imagine them in weird slo-mo. The scenes here worked...creepy, descriptive, but (without spoiling anything) read fast-paced without having to be imagined as fast-paced...
π₯° I loved the exploration of unconditional love and why people stay in abusive relationships, without victim blaming.
π₯Ή Even the bond between Margaret and the house was giving me feels. I bonded with my home and feel protective of it, I can almost relate with Margaret's stance on just letting your home bleed and be creepy for a month!
π The suspense comes from the poltergeist and haunted elements, but also from the characters themselves. There was a bit of a yo-yo effect for me, where I would side with one character and get so frustrated with another, then flip as I found out more about what let to that dynamic, then flip back as we get more reveals.
π― Some of the mysteries are predictable, even obvious, but as mysteries are solved new ones are generated and that continues throughout the book. It reads snappy and well-paced because we aren't relying on villain monologues for reveals - we get answers through story telling, evidence, and interactions of different characters without it feeling long-winded or rushed.
π¨ The body horror is descriptive, on-page, and involves children in the past. However, despite the tough subject matter, it didn't feel too heavy or dismissive.
π€ The humour in this story is quick-witted without breaking the scares, and not overdone or cringey. I think it would make a unique horror movie if done right (so the depth of the story isn't lost in the dark comedy aspect).
𫨠I usually don't like action/fight scenes in books because I imagine them in weird slo-mo. The scenes here worked...creepy, descriptive, but (without spoiling anything) read fast-paced without having to be imagined as fast-paced...
π₯° I loved the exploration of unconditional love and why people stay in abusive relationships, without victim blaming.
π₯Ή Even the bond between Margaret and the house was giving me feels. I bonded with my home and feel protective of it, I can almost relate with Margaret's stance on just letting your home bleed and be creepy for a month!
π The suspense comes from the poltergeist and haunted elements, but also from the characters themselves. There was a bit of a yo-yo effect for me, where I would side with one character and get so frustrated with another, then flip as I found out more about what let to that dynamic, then flip back as we get more reveals.
π― Some of the mysteries are predictable, even obvious, but as mysteries are solved new ones are generated and that continues throughout the book. It reads snappy and well-paced because we aren't relying on villain monologues for reveals - we get answers through story telling, evidence, and interactions of different characters without it feeling long-winded or rushed.
π¨ The body horror is descriptive, on-page, and involves children in the past. However, despite the tough subject matter, it didn't feel too heavy or dismissive.
π€ The humour in this story is quick-witted without breaking the scares, and not overdone or cringey. I think it would make a unique horror movie if done right (so the depth of the story isn't lost in the dark comedy aspect).
Mood Reading Match Up:
- Grown up Goosebumps dark cozy horror + dark comedy
- Body horror and historical paranormal/poltergeist horror with fight-for-your-life elements
- Clever, witty, slightly unhinged, possibly unreliable narrators
- House-like-a-character with symbolism and themes about resilience, perfectionism, surviving, and thriving through trauma
Content Heads-Up: Murder. LGBTQ rep (good). Emotional and physical abuse (on page; relationship, domestic). Alcoholism. Mental health (anger, rage). Body horror (dismembering, injury, vomit, blood). Child abuse (kidnapping, violence). Forced institutionalization (threatened). Dementia. Suicide (off page, mentioned). Animal death (wild).
Format: Library Digital via LIbby
π₯° This was one of my Favourite Books of 2023
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Murder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, and Child abuse
Minor: Suicide, Dementia, and Animal death