Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

25 reviews

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

mrsm_lovesbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Honestly, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book. I knew it was a thriller and supernatural combo, but I worried it was going to lean more on the spooky.

Boy, was I wrong! Maggie's journey of uncovering the truth and learning about the metaphorical ghosts in her closet, kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending/epilogue did seem a bit haphazard in tying up the loose ends, but I wonder if anyone believes Elsa and Maggie about Martha. That was my only negative. Also I can't believe her parents covered up the body and didn't even try to find a more logical explanation. It does make me wonder if Martha killed her husband after finding her daughter's body. And the angle of the Bryan Prince seemed to leave things kinda open, like what happened with him and the news stories. Was there a connection?

Either way, I still enjoyed this book a great deal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Dementia, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol

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

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

saintmaud's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

unbelievable how this would have all been avoided if everyone learnt to mind their own business and before you get started about how tragedies look avoidable from the outside know that the writing isn't good enough to justify it. I read Sager's books (and others similar in genre + format) because I want something fast paced and twisty, writing quality aside, but this just felt too trite and derivative (a pet cemetery on the property?? wow) and I'm just more irritated now.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Suicide, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol

caityg22's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Murder

Minor: Alcohol

kirstyyreadsbooks's review

adventurous mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

chasingpages1's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol

meaghanelizabook's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Car accident