The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
omair's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Which is my main contention with the book. The characters spend so much of it in a stubborn, hubris driven interpersonal conflict that it is hard to like any of them for me. To go so many years without seeing your family and to continuously only treat them as if they are the same people they were all those years ago with zero possibility of growing is not a problem with them, it is a problem with you.
I was interested early on, but
Maybe if you like either or both of the main characters, the book would become much more interesting. I did not, so instead,
For a title about a haunted house,
Which I can get over... if the puppet was actually memorable, or frightening, or in any way a strong villain in itself. It is not.
Honestly, I should've gone with the DNF about 2/3 of the way through when the first "ending" was reached. I would've missed
Like Mark's driving, I really feel Grady should just slow down and pick the right lane.
Those are huge departures from everything else in the story and make a complete mess of the rules of your world. To me, that's where most horror dies its fastest death. Ghosts, zombies, evil puppets, magic, whatever fantastical elements are part of your world - and they are totally valid to have - have to have developed and consistent co-existence with our real world. There has to be some guiding principles, laws, to abide by. Without that, your world will fall flat and lose me from the audience. For anyone else like me, walk away from this book and fast.
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death and Child abuse
saradoxical's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident
andyandnormski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Death, Gore, Death of parent, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Child death
Minor: Violence
sshpurple1's review against another edition
- 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: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Violence, Murder, and Death
Minor: Car accident
oktrouble1401213's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident, Child death, and Body horror
honeybeewitched87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Pregnancy, Grief, Medical content, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Alcohol, Death of parent, Violence, and Car accident
sarah984's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism, Car accident, Gore, Violence, Fatphobia, and Medical content
Minor: Vomit, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, and Self harm
echoes01's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent and Car accident
Moderate: Child death
hmetwade'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
4.75
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Violence, Medical content, Gore, Grief, and Medical trauma
pam_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Car accident, Gore, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death