Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

166 reviews

thisbookisbananas's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.25

Home Before Dark is the 2nd Riley Sager book I’ve read. Funny enough, it’s been on my physical TBR since 2020! This book started out as an interesting take on a haunted house story. However, the twists at the end though just didn’t really work for me. Maybe I just didn’t pick up the right book of his? I find his writing very engaging, atmospheric, and entertaining. I think I will pick up another book by this author. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Suicide, and Murder

rhgrimes's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Car accident and Injury/Injury detail

Snakes. So many snakes. If you have a thing about snakes, just skip this one.

kaneebli's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Suicide, and Gaslighting

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Animal cruelty

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

larareads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Suicide and Grief

Minor: Cancer

ashleyelizabeth's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

1.5

Sooooo boring. Twist reveal doesn’t happen until the last 26 minutes of the audiobook. Takes absolutely forever to get good. 

Pretty predictable up until the last twist. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

mrsm_lovesbooks's review

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

eerieehobbit's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Murder