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james1star's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this horror/thriller type book, it was very creepy and not the slasher or boo! type but more the slow moving, getting-under-your-skin type which I found unsettling but very intriguing too. I did read this as an audiobook which was very well narrated but I do feel like I lost some of the experience as the physical book is multi media.
It follows the Aiken family: interracial couple Meera and Aaron with their teenage children Noah and Uma who ditch the city for the small Yorkshire town of Little Crake. It seems to being going good here but then Noah goes missing in the forest for three days eventually being found in the hollow of a tree with a bloody wound on his chest. He claims not to have remembered what occurred and over the next few weeks/months (I forgot sorry) he slowly turns from a nice quiet kid to a troublemaker walking the house at night, drawing creepy pictures, acting out and very weirdly and basically becomes a ‘stranger in [their] house’.
The novel is presented in diary entries, messages, transcripts and other forms but is linear telling the story of this encounter from the different members of the family’s POV except Noah which I though was a very clever choice. They try to find answers as to what’s happening in the town/forest and to their son and we get to feel like we’re actually in their head using such forms. I also liked the talk surrounding local Yorkshire legends, namely the Gytrash, and on the whole was a very well written atmospheric book. I’d definitely recommend this and liked the way it all came together at the end, I’ll certainly be checking out Denzil again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Bullying, Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
thekissballad's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
"The boy I knew isn't there. He's not our son. He is a stranger to me."
The Stranger in Our House is a found media style that gave off Paranormal Entity vibes. I'm not typically into such things, however I enjoyed Denzil's take on the trend.
Positives: The lore is well researched & thought out. Keeping the book & characters relevant to current times is a nice touch. It's very immersive, which is important in found media style productions of any sort, and in terms of this book, it's done pretty well. That being said...
Negatives: Aaron's diary entries, the main way this story is being told, plus a few others, don't always read like a diary entry. They might start and end reading like one, but often times the middle chunks read just like a typical first person POV novel. I understand that a lot of the elements told during these moments are necessary to move along the plot, however, it often took me out of that found media style that this book is supposed to be, as stated in the foreword.
Neutral: The ending was not entirely what I expected. I don't know my feelings on it, even after having time to process it. I do think it wrapped everything up well, though.
Final Thoughts: I highly recommend The Stranger in Our House for anyone interested in the paranormal & folklore. If the found media style isn't your thing, like it usually isn't for me, I still recommend giving this book a try.
Thank you Sarah A. Denzil, NetGalley, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for allowing me to read The Stranger in Our House in exchange for an honest review.
The Stranger in Our House is a found media style that gave off Paranormal Entity vibes. I'm not typically into such things, however I enjoyed Denzil's take on the trend.
Positives: The lore is well researched & thought out. Keeping the book & characters relevant to current times is a nice touch. It's very immersive, which is important in found media style productions of any sort, and in terms of this book, it's done pretty well. That being said...
Negatives: Aaron's diary entries, the main way this story is being told, plus a few others, don't always read like a diary entry. They might start and end reading like one, but often times the middle chunks read just like a typical first person POV novel. I understand that a lot of the elements told during these moments are necessary to move along the plot, however, it often took me out of that found media style that this book is supposed to be, as stated in the foreword.
Neutral: The ending was not entirely what I expected. I don't know my feelings on it, even after having time to process it. I do think it wrapped everything up well, though.
Final Thoughts: I highly recommend The Stranger in Our House for anyone interested in the paranormal & folklore. If the found media style isn't your thing, like it usually isn't for me, I still recommend giving this book a try.
Thank you Sarah A. Denzil, NetGalley, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for allowing me to read The Stranger in Our House in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
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