A review by jourdanicus
The September House by Carissa Orlando

dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is great allegory for
domestic abuse
and the kind of family relationships that follow the pattern of suppressing/repressing emotions with a satisfying, gory horror ending. I did feel the language could have been cleaned up a bit - I'm not offended by  swearing but I think there was more than necessary to get the point across. There were also some details that felt a bit more repetitive than necessary to get the point across.

Otherwise, this was almost a perfect 5 star read for me. I love horror that mixes psychological thrill with physical horror, and an unreliable narrator is one of my favorite tropes. In fact, this book made clever use of a few recognizable horror tropes without them being too obvious or heavy handed. I heard elements of The Shining, and several horror movies of which I can't think of the names.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological horror, mother/daughter relationship themes, stories with unreliable narrators, fans of classic horror, and Stephen King fans. Don't read while eating if you're sensitive or have a vivid visual imagination... Lol.

Mind the triggers, but everyone including the children get
justice and a happy ending
!
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