Reviews

The ending bumped it up a star. After reading What Moves the Dead and Nettle and Bone I was expecting this to be equal levels of weird. The first 2/3rds I found a bit boring and I found myself not caring. Then the ending hit and I felt like I was reading her other books again.

Kingfishers other books felt more well rounded and connected than this one. Vultures, bugs, roses, ladybugs; it felt a bit random to me.

i think I just wanted more from the characters and Gran Mae's backstory.

thebookishbitch's review against another edition

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dark funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

serryrae's review against another edition

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funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

imjustheretodayandtomorrow's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

3.75

pages_and_ash's review against another edition

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5.0

Special thanks to @netgalley and @tornightfire for the arc of this book.

Sam Montgomery is worried about her mother. Her mother is acting strange. She’s changing the decor in her house back to how their overbearing grandmother used to keep it. Sam decides to come stay with her mother until she can figure out what all is going on with her. But while she’s there, she soon finds that something strange is happening inside the house. Vultures are staring at the house. Jars filled with teeth are found in the garden. Mysterious figures are popping up in family pictures. Will Sam be able to get to the bottom of the mystery before it’s too late?

This book was an absolute blast. I have read several of T. Kingfisher’s books and have loved every single one of them. Like the others before it, this book expertly blends horror with humor, keeping readers on the edge of their seats while still letting out a laugh or two. I really enjoyed the haunted house aspect of the novel, while still having a unique twist to it. I also loved Sam’s job as an entomologist. It was fun seeing some insights on big species.

I gave this book 4.5 stars. It was a delight from beginning to end and highly recommend it.

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