Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home, by Jeffrey Cranor, Joseph Fink
12 reviews
deckofdragons's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Suicide and Pregnancy
ippoteq's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book really didn't gel for me. I loved the original Welcome to Night Vale novel, and was lukewarm on the It Devours! follow-up, so it doesn't especially surprise me that this book was not really my cup of tea.
Personally, I think its cool that Cranor and Fink and trying to get away from the Night Vale concept as it exists within the podcast. I just wish they could do that entirely instead of partially. This book could have been a standalone novel in its own right without the weird references to keep it in theming with the Night Vale universe, for example, since these allusions just take away from the story that is being told.
I didn't particularly enjoy our protagonist either. I'm not sure if it is the way she's written, or the fact that the narrative constantly tries to justify her, but I found her behaviour incredibly frustrating.
If this book had been in no way related to the Night Vale universe, I think I would have enjoyed it more, and it would have given Cranor and Fink more freedom to write something at least a little more serious. I also think that, with the book being set in the 1800s, the language they chose to use felt quite odd. It was very typical American speech patterns and dialogue for the most part, which I get is for ease of reading, but some of the wording choices really pulled me out of the time period.
In all, I did manage to finish the book in a couple of days, but I found myself pretty dissatisfied, both with the ending and also looking at it as a Night Vale novel. I think if you've never listened to Night Vale and could ignore some of the weird references, you could possibly enjoy this book, but it really wasn't for me.
Personally, I think its cool that Cranor and Fink and trying to get away from the Night Vale concept as it exists within the podcast. I just wish they could do that entirely instead of partially. This book could have been a standalone novel in its own right without the weird references to keep it in theming with the Night Vale universe, for example
Spoiler
the country where no-one lives but which produces the best artI didn't particularly enjoy our protagonist either. I'm not sure if it is the way she's written, or the fact that the narrative constantly tries to justify her, but I found her behaviour incredibly frustrating.
Spoiler
When she discovers her uncle has been using her, rather than try and reconnect to her father by abandoning that life, and living out her days how he would have wanted, she again decides to trample his memory by going to out to kill again? Why?If this book had been in no way related to the Night Vale universe, I think I would have enjoyed it more, and it would have given Cranor and Fink more freedom to write something at least a little more serious. I also think that, with the book being set in the 1800s, the language they chose to use felt quite odd. It was very typical American speech patterns and dialogue for the most part, which I get is for ease of reading, but some of the wording choices really pulled me out of the time period.
In all, I did manage to finish the book in a couple of days, but I found myself pretty dissatisfied, both with the ending and also looking at it as a Night Vale novel. I think if you've never listened to Night Vale and could ignore some of the weird references, you could possibly enjoy this book, but it really wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Murder
librarymouse's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You don't need to listen to the podcast to understand this book, but if you listen to the podcast you should read this book. The length to which the narrator's life is systematically and fundamentally destroyed explains her idiosyncratic behaviors on the podcast in a way that makes them make sense in the context of Night Vale's weirdness. The writing is incredibly well done and immersive, and the narrator slow descent into the violent and creepy old woman from the sweet and curious young girl were first introduced to is fully believable in the narrative.
Spoiler
the lengths to which Edmond worked to completely destroy not only the narrator's father's legacy, but the narrator herself are impressive and obsessive in equal measure. The effort he put in, in making sure she would never have joy, have a future, or know her family is astounding, and the revelation about lady Nora is so heartbreaking. The authors did an incredible job making the reader love the narrator even as we watched her become what she becomes. She genuinely loves Edmund's heirs right up until the moment they have a son of their own. Her sense of reality is so twisted and her need for revenge so entrenched that the cyclical nature of her revenge is both astounding and understandable. I really enjoyed that we got to see little Josefina and her angels make the faceless old woman feel welcome for the first time in a long time. After everything, Night Vale is the only place where she could belong.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Injury/injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, Grief, and Suicide
voilajean's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Stalking, Death, Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Injury/injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Body horror
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Alcoholism, and Antisemitism
Minor: Slavery, Colonisation, and Acephobia/Arophobia
theoldestbennetsister's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Stalking
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abandonment, Animal death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and Alcoholism
syaluo's review
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Torture
cherryrose's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Violence
jupanuma's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I'm giving this a flat 3 stars, and the only reason I'm doing that is that it doesn't really fit into the Night Vale series. If it was just a story on its own and not connected to Night Vale, that I would give it a solid 4.5 stars. Yes, it is a story about The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your House, but more than 50% of the book is outside of Night Vale, and just going through her life. I want to say closer to 80 to 85% of the book is outside of Night Vale. And you wouldn't even need to know about Night Vale to pick up this book. You could have made it any town and it would have fit into the book just fine.
What I did not like was Like I understand that's your revenge, but it felt more like a mother who is
What I did like was most of the side characters that she was friends with. I really like the characters that and to find out that she is in a was just perfect. Breaking the law for love. Just great. But not just her, I really liked I thought his character was built well and you really got a sense of who he was, and why he was doing what he was doing.
So overall, if this book wasn't part of the Night Vale series, I would have liked it. I wouldn't have gone in with a hope of more randomness that you get from Night Vale and would have just read a book about this random Old Woman and her crazy and creepy life.
What I did not like was
Spoiler
how nothing was really solved by the end of the book. I was really hoping that she would kill Edmond herself too.</spoler> I also did not like how she pretty much <spoilers> forces each male of Edmond's line to have a family just so she can kill them off once they have a son to start the process all over again.Spoiler
despret for grandchildren and will do anything to make it happen</spoilers> than anything. And it just made me squeamish and kind of makes me not want to read the book ever again.What I did like was most of the side characters that she was friends with. I really like the characters that
Spoiler
can look like anyoneSpoiler
lesbian relationshipSpoiler
Vlad.So overall, if this book wasn't part of the Night Vale series, I would have liked it. I wouldn't have gone in with a hope of more randomness that you get from Night Vale and would have just read a book about this random Old Woman and her crazy and creepy life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Torture, Trafficking, and Car accident
hunkypunk_hardbacks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
lindseyrenee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
I knew nothing about this character or series before picking this book up. It grabbed me from the very beginning. I liked the flashbacks from the past to the modern day, getting to see the woman from her origin and how twisted her need for revenge made her. There were a few places where the flashbacks were a little dragging and the last two chapters of her past, I feel, could have been combined, but overall a fun and exciting story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence