Reviews

The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville

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alabujak's review against another edition

I just don’t like the way either of the women are written sorry 🤷‍♀️

marcel's review

i read the first chapter and then put it down to start a different book which was so good and fun to read it made me realize that i shouldn't read stuff that isn't. sorry stuart

izziek's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

sorrel29's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

reads_eats_explores's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

kba76's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

The House of Ashes is a dark Gothic tale, exploring two very different stories but forcing us to confront the violence within.
We have two different time scales. In modern-day Ireland we have Sara, a young woman who has recently moved to the country with her husband. Increasingly controlled, Sara is a character who is abused and made to suffer. We know little about her and her situation, but it is clear that she is a victim.
The house they are renovating has a dark history. Sara’s determination to learn the truth of the house’s past makes for painful reading, though it offers Sara the strength needed to start preparing to move on.
Through the view of Mary, the woman who finds her way into Sara’s home, we learn the shocking truth of the home. Mary was once kept there as a child, enslaved and abused. Her ‘family’ was not at all ordinary, and the details we’re given are pretty horrific.
Though we can see the connection between the two stories, they don’t really merge until later. What I found off-putting was the rather odd way in which the story ended.