Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

103 reviews

elliebasta's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Self harm

fionamclary's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Never thought I'd say "puppet violence" when telling my friends about what I'm currently reading.

I have to say I guessed the twist very early on, which is extremely rare for me, so either I got super lucky or the twist wasn't as subtle as it should have been.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Self harm, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Vomit, and Abandonment

Major themes of children in peril

chaoticgobzy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

carbinara's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Such a fun halloween read! I was perhaps after a little more mystery and a little less on the nose, but to be honest that’s my own fault; I know Hendrix tends to write quite explicit on the page scares. Clearly not that much of an issue though, as I always finish his books having enjoyed reading them. 

Loved the relationship between Louise and her daughter,

especially how it effected how she treated Pupkin come the end of the story. I’m glad after all the horror we still have this little nugget of warmth to sign off on.

Also in general loved the extended family and Mark, although Mercy was a personal favourite. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Toxic friendship

allisonsmith120's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Self harm, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal death, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

fantomina's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, and Self harm

Minor: Vomit

popham05's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death and Car accident

Minor: Self harm, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and War

sheebsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

amy14's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

therewillbelight's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.25

The creepy puppet book made me cry. How. 

I’m not a huge thriller book fan, but this is one of the best I’ve read. It was creepy but the smaller elements of humor and the depth in the exploration of grief and who we leave behind and the relationships we have in our families really got me. It actually made me cry towards the end

(“that’s how you know you’re real”)

and I’m a sucker for horror/thriller that uses the genre to reflect back on human experience. It’s dark and creepy and sinister but somehow without losing its grounding in what it means to be a human.

Such an interesting read, this wasn’t what I expected at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury