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riepeje's review against another edition
5.0
The twist is great and the story of this blended family is so good.
akemiwald's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The author, the cover art, the premise… it felt to me almost like the opposite of how I felt when I read Monday’s Not Coming. With that book, it felt kinda slow but then the build up was totally paid off with the ending. In this one, there kept being moments when it felt like it was gaining momentum and was about to lead up to something but then the ending caught me off guard by being anticlimactic to me. Having said that, I felt echoes of other works like Octavia Butler with all the references to change and the whole underground reminded of movies like Us or Parasite. There were glimpses of trying to fit in deeper themes around anxiety and mental health, marijuana criminalization, gentrification, and more but it seemed like there was too much too squeeze into the story to do them justice.
sodrewrites's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. I’ll be back with a full review. Right now I’m reeling from the ending
year23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I’m working on finishing all of Jackson’s books.
This is the weakest by far. The pacing is horrendous, in part due to the repetition of creepy things without any real escalation until the very end. It’s rare for a horror or suspense book to be boring but this is exactly that.
I also just don’t get why this family never considers therapy. Not a single person is like, hey, maybe this teen who struggles with ocd and medicates that behavior needs help. The parents are the actual horror here.
The ending is ridiculous - it’s the second haunted house book I’ve read this year with this EXACT ending so it was both not surprising/twist and also Unearned - the foundation for this was not laid at all.
And characterization - the lack of character development is stark, making the ending less impactful and unsatisfying.
I love this genre so I know I have a high bar, but I beg of authors - you can have horror without all your characters acting completely stupidly and with no sense. Get out is scary precisely because characters are smart, catch on, and then work to outsmart others. I’m just so tired of this showing up in horror cause it’s not scary - it’s enraging/frustrating and honestly cuts against the bigger socio cultural political themes being teased out.
Anyway - if you want a great horror from this author, read The Weight of Blood or even Allegedly. This was a big miss for me and I am so glad i read it later cause I may have missed the many gems from this author.
Another great example of horror (plus comedy) where your characters aren’t stupid but still create real fear and also talk about social issues - The Blackening. I know this can be done so authors take note!
This is the weakest by far. The pacing is horrendous, in part due to the repetition of creepy things without any real escalation until the very end. It’s rare for a horror or suspense book to be boring but this is exactly that.
I also just don’t get why this family never considers therapy. Not a single person is like, hey, maybe this teen who struggles with ocd and medicates that behavior needs help. The parents are the actual horror here.
The ending is ridiculous - it’s the second haunted house book I’ve read this year with this EXACT ending so it was both not surprising/twist and also Unearned - the foundation for this was not laid at all.
And characterization - the lack of character development is stark, making the ending less impactful and unsatisfying.
I love this genre so I know I have a high bar, but I beg of authors - you can have horror without all your characters acting completely stupidly and with no sense. Get out is scary precisely because characters are smart, catch on, and then work to outsmart others. I’m just so tired of this showing up in horror cause it’s not scary - it’s enraging/frustrating and honestly cuts against the bigger socio cultural political themes being teased out.
Anyway - if you want a great horror from this author, read The Weight of Blood or even Allegedly. This was a big miss for me and I am so glad i read it later cause I may have missed the many gems from this author.
Another great example of horror (plus comedy) where your characters aren’t stupid but still create real fear and also talk about social issues - The Blackening. I know this can be done so authors take note!
phoenix_flails's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nettiepie's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty soon after moving into the new house on Maple Street in Cedarville, Marigold gets a vibe that there is a creepy presence. Cups are being found around the kitchen, lights are on after she for sure turned them off, doors opening on their own -- SPOOKY. And her little step-sister Piper talks to someone in her room that nobody else can see... yet. Per usual in all stories like this, the weird happenings aren't taken very seriously at first. And Marigold is trying to focus on her own healing/sobriety after her "incident", she doesn't have time for any spooky business. Her blended family just moved from California after her mom secured a residency with The Sterling Foundation. The foundation's namesake, Mr. Sterling and his family/colleagues, are hiding secrets, too. The happenings around the house, well, keep happening, and intensifying. And Marigold HAS to get to the bottom of it all; the house, Mr. Sterling's short and snippy answers to questions about Cedarville and the other houses on Maple Street, all of it.
This book gave off Halloween-y/spooky vibes for sure! I wish that there would have been more of a resolution at the end. A good YA read!
This book gave off Halloween-y/spooky vibes for sure! I wish that there would have been more of a resolution at the end. A good YA read!
manus_books's review against another edition
I love the setting but somehow I can't get warm. So I pause it for now. Not an actual dnf. Maybe it's just needs the right time.
marissarosee's review against another edition
4.0
Listened to the audiobook of this and had a great time! I dont read many spooky books and I wasnt expecting the twist that happened, so that was fun. I honestly just hated how abrupt the ending felt.
louloumac05's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty. Damn. Good.
I’m not going to lie…….I struggled to keep reading this book when I first started. But I’m so glad I stuck with it and kept going. This novel was so descriptive and well written. Once it got rolling, it was fast paced and unputdownable. The creep factor was off the chart. Not the ending I was expecting, though. Is there going to be a part 2? So many questions unanswered and loose ends that need to be tied up. I’ve come to care for the characters and I need to know what happens to all of them. Part 2 please!!!
I’m not going to lie…….I struggled to keep reading this book when I first started. But I’m so glad I stuck with it and kept going. This novel was so descriptive and well written. Once it got rolling, it was fast paced and unputdownable. The creep factor was off the chart. Not the ending I was expecting, though. Is there going to be a part 2? So many questions unanswered and loose ends that need to be tied up. I’ve come to care for the characters and I need to know what happens to all of them. Part 2 please!!!