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buckeyebreezey's review against another edition
4.0
I don't usually read horror anymore.
But I came across the Invited in a book store and was intrigued. It was (at the time) published by an indie press and hit one of the Book Riot challenges.
I finished it in two days - even had to put it down the first night I started reading it because it was too creepy.
Loved the ghost scenes. Loved the premise. But, I had both plot twists figured out before the big reveal. It's the only reason for four stars.
But I came across the Invited in a book store and was intrigued. It was (at the time) published by an indie press and hit one of the Book Riot challenges.
I finished it in two days - even had to put it down the first night I started reading it because it was too creepy.
Loved the ghost scenes. Loved the premise. But, I had both plot twists figured out before the big reveal. It's the only reason for four stars.
mily_fran78's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!! The suspense. Do creepy — but a beautiful plot! Though there were many creepy scenes, I loved the story & the families stories and how it all came together.
claudiareadsitall's review against another edition
4.0
When DIY goes terribly wrong . . .
Helen and Nate want the simpler life, a house in the country, living closer to the land, you know - The Dream. They end up building a home in an area where Hattie Breckenridge, the local witch, lived and was then murdered decades ago. Helen becomes obsessed with Hattie's story, and begins tracing her descendants as well as adding pieces of furniture and wood that belonged to Hattie and her family, to her new home.
Strange things start happening, but Helen is undeterred, much to her husband's annoyance. She believes there is a purpose for her, that she has some kind of mission that Hattie wants her to complete - but there are other forces at play. And let's not forget that many times, the worst monsters are human beings.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story - the various timelines and secrets were well seeded and I might have figured one out, but there were plenty more!
Helen and Nate want the simpler life, a house in the country, living closer to the land, you know - The Dream. They end up building a home in an area where Hattie Breckenridge, the local witch, lived and was then murdered decades ago. Helen becomes obsessed with Hattie's story, and begins tracing her descendants as well as adding pieces of furniture and wood that belonged to Hattie and her family, to her new home.
Strange things start happening, but Helen is undeterred, much to her husband's annoyance. She believes there is a purpose for her, that she has some kind of mission that Hattie wants her to complete - but there are other forces at play. And let's not forget that many times, the worst monsters are human beings.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story - the various timelines and secrets were well seeded and I might have figured one out, but there were plenty more!
jo_books_i_love4's review against another edition
5.0
Best Ghost story I’ve read! It had that eerie, creepiness to it that I just loved. It was very well written Jennifer McMahan did an outstanding job! I was taking my time with this one didn’t want it to end. 5 amazing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley
shereadsceaselessly's review against another edition
Not rating, because I didn't get far enough in the audiobook to do it fairly.
So, Audible, who hired this super irritating narrator? Why does she drag out the last syllable of every word, with this humming, nasal weirdness? It's so distracting, how does anyone actually hear the story?
This might have been an excellent horror novel, but the narrator totally killed it for me. I cranked up the speed as fast as I could, and while that helped, I still wanted nothing other than for this book to end. I gave up about 25% in and will not come back, at least not to the audio version. *shudders*
I purchased The Invited more than a year ago on Audible and sat on it, so I can't return it. However I believe this would be a highly justified use of Audible's return policy. No one would expect a narrator to be this annoying.
So, Audible, who hired this super irritating narrator? Why does she drag out the last syllable of every word, with this humming, nasal weirdness? It's so distracting, how does anyone actually hear the story?
This might have been an excellent horror novel, but the narrator totally killed it for me. I cranked up the speed as fast as I could, and while that helped, I still wanted nothing other than for this book to end. I gave up about 25% in and will not come back, at least not to the audio version. *shudders*
I purchased The Invited more than a year ago on Audible and sat on it, so I can't return it. However I believe this would be a highly justified use of Audible's return policy. No one would expect a narrator to be this annoying.
taylorraecic's review against another edition
4.0
I would give this 3.5 stars. The concept was definitely there, and I really enjoyed McMahon's style of writing. I'm not usually big on switching POV's, but that was on me, not the writer.
Building a haunted house instead of moving into one is a really neat, new concept. Unfortunately, there weren't many spooky hauntings. Everything was very face-value and straight forward. The twists were good, and the ending had me on the edge of my seat.
Overall, my least favorite part of this novel was Olive's POV. While she's fourteen, she reads anywhere between eighteen when talking to herself, and eight when talking out loud. It was difficult to follow her "shift" in age when she interacted and spoke aloud with others. The other difficult parts were Helen and Nate's obsessions that slowly drive them apart. They're not really assessed in the end, and they just kind of... move past them. I agree with Nate, though, to clarify.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it. I wouldn't classify it as horror- maybe a murder mystery/thriller. So expect going in that there isn't much scare!
Building a haunted house instead of moving into one is a really neat, new concept. Unfortunately, there weren't many spooky hauntings. Everything was very face-value and straight forward. The twists were good, and the ending had me on the edge of my seat.
Overall, my least favorite part of this novel was Olive's POV. While she's fourteen, she reads anywhere between eighteen when talking to herself, and eight when talking out loud. It was difficult to follow her "shift" in age when she interacted and spoke aloud with others. The other difficult parts were Helen and Nate's obsessions that slowly drive them apart. They're not really assessed in the end, and they just kind of... move past them. I agree with Nate, though, to clarify.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it. I wouldn't classify it as horror- maybe a murder mystery/thriller. So expect going in that there isn't much scare!
always_reading_ashley's review against another edition
4.0
This was an excellent slow-burn, multilayered mystery. Very atmospheric and a little creepy. I loved the dual timelines and the twist on the haunted house trope.
j_h_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A good mystery
lisat01's review against another edition
5.0
Another great read from Jennifer McMahon! I always love to read her books during October and this one didn't disappoint.
elizabethho's review against another edition
4.0
Fun twist on the haunted house trope. Instead of moving into a haunted house, let’s build one!