Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

23 reviews

giamarie's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

my_book_trolley's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Dementia and Injury/Injury detail

queerreaderchaos's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Dementia

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I LOVE a ghost story. Give me haunted houses or give me death… so I can haunt them myself! 

Home Before Dark tells the story of the Holt family and Baneberry Hall half through Maggie’s perspective in modern day, and half through the chapters of the book her father wrote. I loved that element - that I got to read a horror book (a horror memoir?) inside of a horror book. Each of the three Sager books I’ve read so far have jumped between timelines, but this was by far my favorite execution! The House of Horror chapters were actually my favorite part of the book, and I would’ve gladly read just that as a standalone; but it wouldn’t be a Riley Sager book without twists and turns and big reveals and UFF, these ones are good. No spoilers, but I definitely recommend you give this one a read if you like mysteries, haunted houses, complex family relationships, or like the feeling of being a little freaked out by every creek and groan your house makes. 

This is my third Riley Sager book of the year, and the second one that I’ve read in a single day. He has without a doubt become one of my favorites! Hoping I can read one or two more before the year is out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, and Alcohol

jaedia's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Dementia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Terminal illness, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Stalking, Car accident, and Alcohol

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

1.0

Started out strong but ultimately found it disappointing. The letter from Maggie’s father really rubbed me the wrong way. Who talks to their children about their intimate relationships like that??? The assumptions her parents made were truly awful. They should never have been parents in the first place. Where are Maggie’s critical thinking skills? Why has no one asked about her father’s motives for his annual ritual and his continuous relationship with the house? Ugh. Too many other stupid questions. Also, her father’s book was supposed to help lead the reader in a specific direction, but it felt unconvincing. What a waste of time!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

hannahpings's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

great construction. great case study (studies) in (un)reliable narration. whole lotta hill house references. maybe too many hill house references. who knew there was such a thing?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Dementia and Grief

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Stalking

bookishchaos's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I really liked it, but I didn't love it enough to rate it 5 stars. The plot twists were pretty good (and unpredictable). I can't recall a single thing that happened in Final Girls, but I am going to remember this. It had some very creepy moments, and gothic horror vibes. Almost like Haunting of Hill House. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Gaslighting

sam_gartley91's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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? No

4.5

Wasn’t sure at first if I would like this book bc I’m not usually a big horror and thriller person but I do like a good murder mystery! I ended up liking this way more than I thought I would! How everything was revealed and who ultimately did it was really well done. The back and forth between the present with Maggie trying to figure out what happened and the book of her father’s take on the events and moving towards the final plot twist and reveal were great! So sad but interesting and kind of a was there any supernatural or just all playing of the darkness and imagination. Excited to read more book by this author!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

melli29_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Body horror, Child death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail