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ws_bookclub's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Subterranean Press for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available to buy June 30th.
Edgar Cantero’s Meddling Kids meets The Haunting of Hill House (the Netflix show) in this eerie tale about a grown-up Scobby-esque group wanting to solve one more mystery. Told from the perspective of Harlowe, the orphaned “brains” of the group, this book was more ghost story than mystery.
Harlowe, who isn’t ready to stop being a teen-sleuth and start paying for things like insurance, convinces the rest of the mystery solvers (Andy, Addison, and Kevin) to join her in a “haunted” house, to discover who actually owns it: two of three families are offering a pretty penny to anyone who can find proof of ownership (each hoping it’s theirs). The catch? The whole “haunted” thing. It seems no one has been able to last in the house long enough to discover who owns it.
Mira Grant did a wonderful job of setting an eerie tone, making the house feel like a separate, malevolent character in its own right. Her choice of wording, especially in the first couple of chapters, was perfect. She chose atmospheric horror over gobs of gore, which was fantastic for this sort of book.
I actually felt that the house was a more developed character than any of the actual people in this book- including Harlowe, unfortunately. I liked Kevin, but I felt that none of the characters were fully realized or grew at all.
The reason for this could be that this book wasn’t all that long. It could have benefited from an extra hundred pages or so. That’s not the say I didn’t enjoy this book- I did. I liked it a lot. The setup was fantastic, and the ending was creative. But..it wasn’t amazing.
It’s worth reading, but if you want a good representation of the “grown up Scooby gang”, grab Meddling Kids as well.
Edgar Cantero’s Meddling Kids meets The Haunting of Hill House (the Netflix show) in this eerie tale about a grown-up Scobby-esque group wanting to solve one more mystery. Told from the perspective of Harlowe, the orphaned “brains” of the group, this book was more ghost story than mystery.
Harlowe, who isn’t ready to stop being a teen-sleuth and start paying for things like insurance, convinces the rest of the mystery solvers (Andy, Addison, and Kevin) to join her in a “haunted” house, to discover who actually owns it: two of three families are offering a pretty penny to anyone who can find proof of ownership (each hoping it’s theirs). The catch? The whole “haunted” thing. It seems no one has been able to last in the house long enough to discover who owns it.
Mira Grant did a wonderful job of setting an eerie tone, making the house feel like a separate, malevolent character in its own right. Her choice of wording, especially in the first couple of chapters, was perfect. She chose atmospheric horror over gobs of gore, which was fantastic for this sort of book.
I actually felt that the house was a more developed character than any of the actual people in this book- including Harlowe, unfortunately. I liked Kevin, but I felt that none of the characters were fully realized or grew at all.
The reason for this could be that this book wasn’t all that long. It could have benefited from an extra hundred pages or so. That’s not the say I didn’t enjoy this book- I did. I liked it a lot. The setup was fantastic, and the ending was creative. But..it wasn’t amazing.
It’s worth reading, but if you want a good representation of the “grown up Scooby gang”, grab Meddling Kids as well.
neencohen's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
What do you get when you miss the house on haunted hill with a modern day scooby-doo mystery, a sapphic main character and beautiful riveting language?
This, you get this!
In the Shadow of Spindrift House is a pure masterpiece with such an intense gothic feel.
Highly recommend if any of this makes you go, oooh I like that idea.
This, you get this!
In the Shadow of Spindrift House is a pure masterpiece with such an intense gothic feel.
Highly recommend if any of this makes you go, oooh I like that idea.
jnn_sin's review against another edition
3.5
This is my 4th Mira Grant novel.
She really likes the ocean.
A lot.
She really likes the ocean.
A lot.
rewomer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
readinginhouston's review against another edition
3.0
I’m a huge Mira Grant fan. I have liked everything she’s ever written - until now. This haunted house mystery was a very slow build. The actual mystery-solving didn’t begin until 45% into the story. The characters didn’t feel fully developed, and neither did the story. There were creepy-ish parts, but overall, it lacked the makings of a successful mystery. I’m so sad to not be able to give it more stars. Thank you to Subterranean Press And Netgalley for the advanced copy.
readinginhouston's review against another edition
3.0
I’m a huge Mira Grant fan. I have liked everything she’s ever written - until now. This haunted house mystery was a very slow build. The actual mystery-solving didn’t begin until 45% into the story. The characters did not feel fully developed, and neither did the story. There were creepy-ish parts, but overall, it lacked the makings of a successful mystery. I’m so sad to not be able to give it more stars. Thank you to Subterranean Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2862830470
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2862830470
elmarie_bassage's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A fun Scooby Doo meets Chtulhu horror. I wish that this story had fifty extra pages to ramp the unease up a bit more. I felt like it went from zero to a hundred a little too quickly.
hb_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
It's not what I suspected going in, but I really, really enjoyed this. Lovecraftian (explicitly so), without the pitfalls of Lovecraft, with some Scooby-Doo in the mix and Mira Grant's typically diverse cast. I love how she feels out different ideas in her novellas, and I found this one satisfying, with a nice build and little clues along the way. I had a few little nitpicky issues with some elements of the story, but overall another lovely novella from one of my favorite authors!
cosymilko's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoy Lovecraftian books. I find the darkness that seeps to be very compelling reading.
This was like an after school special tried to get dark and almost got there. Like Homer and his leather jacket with the tweed elbow patches - it manages to ruin two perfectly good genres in one go.
It’s a short so, it’s weird to say this, but it was too short. I didn’t like any of the characters enough to care and they were Mira’s standard stock of queer strong girl who doesn’t say what she wants, and loves deeply, but is surprisingly Strong and Resilient when out under pressure.
It didn’t mesh for me. By the time the book was getting in the groove it was 3/4 through and winding down - a little sad since the potential was good.
I nearly put it down in the first chapter as the struggle to be Vague and Menacing just felt like someone sitting around with a thesaurus.
This was like an after school special tried to get dark and almost got there. Like Homer and his leather jacket with the tweed elbow patches - it manages to ruin two perfectly good genres in one go.
It’s a short so, it’s weird to say this, but it was too short. I didn’t like any of the characters enough to care and they were Mira’s standard stock of queer strong girl who doesn’t say what she wants, and loves deeply, but is surprisingly Strong and Resilient when out under pressure.
It didn’t mesh for me. By the time the book was getting in the groove it was 3/4 through and winding down - a little sad since the potential was good.
I nearly put it down in the first chapter as the struggle to be Vague and Menacing just felt like someone sitting around with a thesaurus.