beehoule2's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kmoseman's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
fifi_marie_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
katevaliant's review
4.0
Franklin Pierce wins the US election for president. He, his wife, and 11 year-old-son Bennie leave for Washington D.C by train. However the train ends up off the rails and Bennie is the sole fatality. The Pierces struggle with their grief over losing their son while Franklin steps into the role of president and his wife is manipulated by a dark entity that has haunted her since she was a child.
While this is a horror book, it's also a story about grief and the pain of losing a loved one. I enjoyed how the horror elements entwined with real history. At times I found myself looking up the real history out of pure curiosity. The story of the Pierce's grief and struggling marriage was as absorbing as the spooky elements. The story is also pacey and doesn't drag, but at times it did feel a touch too fast.
While this is a horror book, it's also a story about grief and the pain of losing a loved one. I enjoyed how the horror elements entwined with real history. At times I found myself looking up the real history out of pure curiosity. The story of the Pierce's grief and struggling marriage was as absorbing as the spooky elements. The story is also pacey and doesn't drag, but at times it did feel a touch too fast.
thathorrorbish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
curiouslykatt's review against another edition
dark
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? N/A
2.0
pharmdad2007's review against another edition
4.0
Intense gothic horror novel featuring a first family bereft and searching for answers after a terrible tragedy. Very well written.
monikasbookblog's review
3.0
Andrew Pyper + a horror story based off a true incident is all I had to know before I delved into this story. Pyper is a good writer who easily keeps the readers engaged. With this supernatural thriller, I felt the same at the start, although my attention parted towards the middle I was able to enjoy the ending delight. This book is good, but not Pyper’s best.
Thank you for the arc Gallery & Netgalley. This is my voluntary honest review.
Thank you for the arc Gallery & Netgalley. This is my voluntary honest review.
4pawsandabook's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 Stars rounded up
When you tell me there are ghosts in the white house, I'm expecting suspense, terror and fear. I didn't get any of that until literally the last 10 pages of the book. I was not invested by the characters and I just don't think the author pushed the envelope hard enough in terms of the ghosts and that storyline.
I will say that I do not normally enjoy historical fiction. I was expecting more horror and less historical fiction but it was the opposite. So for the right audience, this might work better than what it did for me.
When you tell me there are ghosts in the white house, I'm expecting suspense, terror and fear. I didn't get any of that until literally the last 10 pages of the book. I was not invested by the characters and I just don't think the author pushed the envelope hard enough in terms of the ghosts and that storyline.
I will say that I do not normally enjoy historical fiction. I was expecting more horror and less historical fiction but it was the opposite. So for the right audience, this might work better than what it did for me.