vsenn's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
thelilfrog's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
aaron_j136's review against another edition
1.0
What even was this book...
I was interested at first but the lack of character development -which led to the characters feeling like card board cut outs- and the ending with literally no answers nor any attempt to explain what the heck happened led me to hate this book.
I was interested at first but the lack of character development -which led to the characters feeling like card board cut outs- and the ending with literally no answers nor any attempt to explain what the heck happened led me to hate this book.
read_byred's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
A very middle of the road haunted house story. The writing was beautiful though and the story eerie at times. More vibe than plot.
2kerrymehome's review
3.75
What I loved about this book was it merged the tangible and the fantastical in both horrifying occurrences and explanations.
There are bruises on Julie's body that have no source. There are marks on the walls and breathing noises that non-residents can see and hear too. But there's also lapses in time and space that can only be explained by the fantastic. The crescendo was well executed, even if the indulgent prose was doing a lot of extra work.
Its unclear whether what happened is caused by a stressed marriage, an intruder, medical complications, a ghost, or all of the above. And while I wish we had more answers, I think delivering them would have ruined the uncertain dread that gives this book its flavor.
There are bruises on Julie's body that have no source. There are marks on the walls and breathing noises that non-residents can see and hear too. But there's also lapses in time and space that can only be explained by the fantastic. The crescendo was well executed, even if the indulgent prose was doing a lot of extra work.
Its unclear whether what happened is caused by a stressed marriage, an intruder, medical complications, a ghost, or all of the above. And while I wish we had more answers, I think delivering them would have ruined the uncertain dread that gives this book its flavor.
pigolaus's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
3.0
rouge_red's review
mysterious
medium-paced
2.5
To be completely honest, I don't know what the purpose of this book is. And I don't mean in a grand way, such as "what life lessons are there to take away?" or anything like that. The only thing I can think of is that its about the messiness and hiccups we can have in relationships? This almost read like a slice-of-life novel, or a book where we have very short elaborations on bullet points made in an outline. I didn't hate the book because it was *vaguely* spooky/unsettling. But I don't know why this book is. I also didn't get why people thought this book was try-hard or pretentious...but I understood during those last 50-ish pages where we suddenly went from fairly normal, easy to read writing to metaphors and imagery abounding. Don't know why that choice, but I don't know why this book was written as a whole.
tonycomputer's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Genuinely scary in places, which I appreciated, but ultimately felt a little unsatisfying and aimless by the end. There was also a weird disconnect between really strong prose and really weak dialogue — I couldn't really imagine an actual human speaking most of the characters' lines, and it repeatedly broke my immersion. Enjoyed it overall, though. The real horror is homeownership.
ash_ton's review
2.75
similar to the haunting of hill house. i'm sure a lot of inspiration was pulled from there. i want more from this book. i feel like things weren't completely answered/thought through. too many loose ends/confusing things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Body horror
Moderate: Child death, Addiction, Gaslighting, and Medical content
Minor: Suicide attempt
blondkkyu's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0