al_owl's review
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
blackcatkai's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
this was a ridiculously atmospheric slow burn novel that went from sad to weird to a bit horrifying. i loved every moment of it.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Murder
gellyreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Spoiler
I enjoyed Vera's descent into madness and violence, and I love the concept of the monster, but I feel like I would LOVE this book instead of like it if the existence of the monster wasn't clear. IDK, felt too clear to me.Spoiler
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, Torture, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Chronic illness, Cancer, Gore, Violence, Vomit, and Mental illness
mbmayo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I can see why some people may not have resonated with the book. We spent a lot of time inside of Vera's head, rather than on plot or action. Personally, I really enjoyed this close introspection and the slow unfolding of the events that caused Vera's father to leave and the rift between Vera and her mother to be set in stone.
Spoiler
I do wonder if the book would be scarier without the physical embodiment of the monster. If instead Vera stepped right into her father's legacy to take care of James Duvall.Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Confinement, Vomit, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Torture
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Vomit, and Alcoholism
Minor: Pregnancy, Excrement, and Sexual harassment
Spoiler
The gore and torture totally made me lose my appetite until I finished the book, so beware, my sensitive-to-words friends!curiouslylem's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This gothic thriller is a slow burn filled with beautiful, detailed descriptions and suspense galore. The plot follows Vera, daughter of serial killer Francis Crowder. Vera’s relationship with her parents is complicated, but her relationship with the Crowder House is even more so.
If you pick up this book, get ready for some thrilling descriptions, tense situations, and a plot twist that’s unique & unexpected.
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
annir's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, and Vomit
Minor: Chronic illness, Abandonment, Cancer, and Child abuse
enchantressreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’ve loved everything Sarah Gailey has written, and when Just Like Home was released, I was so excited to get my hands on it. I mean, a horror book with a pink cover? With that description? Written by Sarah Gailey? Sign me up.
And it was everything I hoped for, and more.
Vera Crowder left her childhood home as soon as possible. She’s been gone for twelve years, but her mother Daphne has called because she’s dying. We know pretty quickly that there’s some tension between Daphne, but soon it’s shown that Vera isn’t popular around town, either. The only person that gives her the benefit of the doubt is artist James Duvall, who is staying in the guest house while he works on art inspired by the Crowder House.
What makes a house truly haunted? Is it the land, the house itself, or what happens within its walls?
While settling her mother’s affairs, Vera learns quickly that she will have to face not only her trauma, but the demons of the house. The house holds trauma just like human bodies do.
“Some things, Vera knew, were made to die.”
I related a lot to Vera, for various reasons I won’t explain here. Gailey seems to write characters that I can relate to in most of their works, and I’m really thankful for that. Their characters are not perfect, are easily flawed, but are determined to work through their trauma to break generational chains. There’s also a very satisfying ending that, while symbolic, feels like a breath of fresh air.
I highly recommend not just Just Like Home, but all of Sarah Gailey’s works. I’m so glad they’ve gone more into the horror genre, and I can’t wait to see what else they release.
Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
CW for blood, gore, body horror, emotional abuse, murder, death of a parent, grief, chronic illness/hospital/medical setting, and generational trauma
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Body horror
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Chronic illness
mybloodybookstagram's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Chronic illness and Terminal illness