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thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
A richly atmospheric thriller set on an isolated Scottish island where nothing is as it seems and shocking twists lie around every corner.
A remote village. A deadly secret. An outsider who knows the truth.
Told in two timelines, 1994 and the present, Maggie and Robert piece together the real story of what happened to Andrew MacNeil.
I found it atmospheric, suspenseful and I just had to know the answers and what happens. I read almost in one sitting. I absolutely loved Maggie's character development throughout the story. I liked all of the shocking points and twists in the story. The ending... I totally did not expect it.
I highly recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries, thrillers or gothic spooky reads. I immediately went out and bought Mirrorland and can’t wait to read it.
A remote village. A deadly secret. An outsider who knows the truth.
Told in two timelines, 1994 and the present, Maggie and Robert piece together the real story of what happened to Andrew MacNeil.
I found it atmospheric, suspenseful and I just had to know the answers and what happens. I read almost in one sitting. I absolutely loved Maggie's character development throughout the story. I liked all of the shocking points and twists in the story. The ending... I totally did not expect it.
I highly recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries, thrillers or gothic spooky reads. I immediately went out and bought Mirrorland and can’t wait to read it.
Minor: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, and Death of parent
obstinateheadstrongcurl's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
2.25
The Blackhouse follows Maggie, a young woman who moves to a small community on an island in the Outer Hebrides. As a child she visited the island after becoming convinced that she was the reincarnation of a resident who she claimed was murdered. She and her mother were understandably not welcome, but she has returned as an adult after the death of her mother to try to find out the truth of what happened.
I picked this up because I’d enjoyed Johnstone’s previous book Mirrorland and I was intrigued by the premise of this one. It starts off strong, with a fast-paced plot and creepy vibes on the island. It does get a bit bogged down in the middle, and I found myself getting frustrated with the way Johnstone used mental health disorders as plot devices. The pace picks back up in the last third but the ending was a bit too bizarre for me and kind of ruined the whole story.
Overall not one I’d recommend but I would still give Johnstone’s other works a chance.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Transphobia
collinsd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Stalking, and Gaslighting
Minor: Dementia, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
Is lying a content warning? because by golly this book is filled with lies, people pretending to be other people, lying for no reason and people lying and saying this is a good book. The book is well written and the setting is great but jesus christ there's so many descriptions of fishing and farming and mythology and a fuck ton of characters that quite frankly weren't needed. All I can say is poor Robert, yes you did some questionable things, yes you didn't get along with anyone but that's not a crime. Also fuck Charlie with my whole heart, bro just kept lying and gaslighting and gatekeeping and just being an all around menace and for what, he doesn't deserve peace he deserves to suffer. This was such a slog to read.elizabethgreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Atmospheric modern day gothic, small town secrets, mystery mixed with Norse mythology.
The book was incredibly atmospheric. Set in a small island town in Scotland with about 20 residents. It feels chilling, dark, cold, and mysterious. The descriptions of the island, weather, and sea where wonderful and the town feels almost as if it is a character itself.
The characters were multi dimensional and flawed yet you couldn't help but be invested in their lives. Charlie was the most interesting character and I did like reading for Maggies perspective. The character development through out was lovely and getting to see the characters grow made up for some of the down falls in the book.
The book is told in two time lines one in the early 1990s and one in current day that meet together at the climax. This works well to build suspense. That being said the pacing of this book was bit too slow to keep the suspense and keep the reader hooked. The end came almost t0o quickly however I enjoyed the messaging at the end about mental illness and the power of community.
The book was incredibly atmospheric. Set in a small island town in Scotland with about 20 residents. It feels chilling, dark, cold, and mysterious. The descriptions of the island, weather, and sea where wonderful and the town feels almost as if it is a character itself.
The characters were multi dimensional and flawed yet you couldn't help but be invested in their lives. Charlie was the most interesting character and I did like reading for Maggies perspective. The character development through out was lovely and getting to see the characters grow made up for some of the down falls in the book.
The book is told in two time lines one in the early 1990s and one in current day that meet together at the climax. This works well to build suspense. That being said the pacing of this book was bit too slow to keep the suspense and keep the reader hooked. The end came almost t0o quickly however I enjoyed the messaging at the end about mental illness and the power of community.
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Dementia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder
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