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readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Medical content, Stalking, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, and Cultural appropriation
_david_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the logic used by the characters in the book. If they're acting irrational or making assumptions, they're aware of it and/or it's challenged later on. For a second I thought a cliché (key location hidden in plain sight) would be dragged out, but then a main character just plainly said "of course I already looked there, duh" a few pages later.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the house. It reminded me of Encanto's house but in a horror setting. You'll probably enjoy the characters if you like YA's. They have a lot of growth to do with big impacts of their lives. At certain moments, the main character's self-pity annoyed me and
The big lessons are a bit obvious in the book, but the main character actually points it out and sounds like she needs it, so I don't mind it as much.
A warning to people with trauma related to drowning or corruption (e.g. being blackmailed). Both are big themes in the book.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, and Slavery
Drowning, water Mines, claustrophobia Corruption: blackmailing, bribing, rich people fucking over local area/nature/people for the sake of earning more moneylivlamentloathe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I also wanted more of the book to touch on the racism Jasper faced in Eden. I wanted Jasper to better scold Opal for the way she ignored about that part of him. She made a comment later on that alluded to her getting it in part. But she also definitely was very forgetful of his race. The book itself barely even acknowledged his race. It took until the middle of the book for me to determine his ethnicity - maybe that's my bad and I missed an early tell. But I think overall, this book wanted to hide details and it didn't always handle that well. It would be evasive and add extra page time instead of being a bit more upfront about things. Maybe that was purposeful too with Opal's personality. But it felt like it was just trying too hard.
The premise felt like a cross between The Hazel Wood and Book of Night. I thought it was meant to be horror, but it wasn't horror so much as gothic. More of a magical realism/low fantasy romance. This book could've been great but I think it needed further editing and less evasive plot points. I get it. Most details were meant for "reveals" later but it became excessive when I got lost wondering what the point of the book was. Or what was going on period.
P.S. I'd have loved more of a violent ending for the Gravely family and Elizabeth Bane.
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
katievallin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Incest, Sexual content, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Outing
kris386's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Drug use, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Incest, Sexual content, Stalking, Lesbophobia, and Deportation
kimveach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
(On the topic of descriptions, I will say I got a bit annoyed at the sheer number of times we had to be reminded that the protagonists are like REALLY ugly, but, that’s not a super big deal I guess.)
Secondly, I just thought the premise was really interesting. I love stories that center around houses, and a creepy, almost-sentient, potentially cursed house? I’m all in.
What didn’t necessarily work for me: often I find that when I’m reading fantasy/fantasy-adjacent YA stories, I have to remind myself over and over “these are children,” because they’ll be like, crime bosses and speak like adults (*cough* six of crows *cough*), but this story I had the opposite experience: for some reason, I kept having to remind myself “this isn’t YA; these are adults” again and again.
I think it was the plot elements. An impoverished, smart-mouthed, scrappy young criminal that has to do what it takes to raise their sibling on account of dead/absent parents reads very YA to me. (And I feel like Opal speaks a lot like a teenager too.) It was just something that took me out of the story every time I was reminded “oh that’s right, they’re meant to be in their mid-late 20s!”
Overall, if I was rating the like, first 60-70% of the book, I’d give it a solid 4.25/4.5 stars. The pacing was admittedly really slow, but idk, I liked it (especially the slow-burn romance with the broody man alone in his old house; that’s my kryptonite).
But the last quarter of the book I’d probably only rate like a 2.75/3. The part that was meant to be the most thrilling/climactic moment seemed to stretch on for way longer than it needed to and I just kept thinking “is it really not over YET?” which was disappointing.
The big reveal is sort of just one long info-dump, but at the same time I also see WHY it was done that way given how everyone’s different partly-correct versions of the truth get peppered throughout the story. It was like at the end the actual truth had to be laid out in a similar manner. But it still felt a bit… idk, lazily tacked on?
So… mixed feelings! Lol.
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Vomit, and Stalking
Minor: Incest, Self harm, and Slavery
gondorgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition
- 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
Opal has always been gravitated towards the house and after winding up working there we see so much change and develop for better and for much worse. I can’t say much without spoiling this but this is one of those must read books which I can just tell is going to pop off!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
fivecatsinacoat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I cannot adequately put into words how much I loved this book. It's filled with complicated and detailed characters whose actions sometimes really make it hard to root for them, but you can't help loving (many) of them anyway.
It would be so easy to lean too far into the cheesy aspects of a House that's somehow alive and monsters made of mist, but Harrow's talent instead creates an intricate world that's the perfect amount of gothic with a sprinkling of light horror and fantasy. I find myself thinking about it in the days since I finished. I want to get lost in the House and fall asleep on the lawn listening to the starlings sing.
I also listened to the audio version and Natalie Naudus really does an amazing job. Her pacing and acting is so perfect that you really feel as if you're in Eden. I wouls listen to anything she narrates!
Fyi: the cat does not die.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Incest, Vomit, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Slavery and Toxic relationship