Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - The House across the Lake

Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The House across the Lake by Riley Sager

506 reviews

myoungin24's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

There was a lot about this book I loved. I loved the limited characters in a secluded location adding to the air of mystery. I loved the way Sager is able to keep the reader guessing until the very end of the book, and the little clues dropped along the way — the little details that make you flip back the pages when the lightbulb goes off. I loved the suspense created within the story. I loved Sager’s ability to write a believable FMC who was flawed, without making her insufferable.

After some time to think about it, I’m still on the fence about the ending. And as much as I’m a girl who loves spooky and paranormal, I’m not sure I love how it was tied in here.

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erinb1414's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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kaelizaco's review against another edition

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mysterious 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

possession

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tjmitrovic's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.25

ngl I thought I knew where this was going and I was semi-correct but nothing could have prepared me for that twist

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cocaworm1017's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

I've read some other books of Sager's so I knew he was talented with twist and turns in his thrillers; however, I was not expecting paranormal. While, I love paranormal movies, not expecting it, kind of turned me off of this book. Therefore, I want others to know that aspect before the read it. It's still a good and quick read though.

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kgronniger's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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alwayslol's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Mostly very good. Sudden left turn that violated the understanding of the universe of the story up until that point.

I understand the desperation of Mr. Sager and other writers in the genre at this point. They all need a twist, but with experienced readers, we see it coming. But this one didn't feel fair or right.

Other than that, I enjoyed the characters, setting, and general storyline.

I definitely saw it coming that the husband had killed the 3 girls, but not the part of a soul taking over. As I said above, that seemed unfair, and just didn't belong. All of a sudden there's this supernatural element that gets thrown in.

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