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bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Self harm, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
nicoletiff's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
skersnick's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Medical content, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Fire/Fire injury
whatthegayle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“I’ll come right out and say it,” Mercy told them. “Strange noises, bad vibes, your mom and dad recently passed— Your house is haunted and I’m not selling it until you deal with that.”
Wow, I think this is my favorite out of all the books I’ve read by Grady Hendrix.
The only reason I went with a four and a half is because the slow bit near the middle.
Puppets have always sorta creeped me out since sloppy from the goosebumps series and this book only solidifies it.
I wasn’t expecting to tear up as much as I did at the end.
And Mark! I absolutely hated him at the beginning but started to like him a lot as we neared the ending.
Grady is so amazing at writing characters that feel like real people and this book is no exception.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
skyestorme's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
narbine'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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Self harm
wganas4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death
mairi99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Death and Fire/Fire injury
chezler24'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? It's complicated
4.5
Really enjoyed this Grady Hendrix novel. Going in I was not expecting the sheer amount of puppets involved but enjoyed the creepy yet familial feel they provided for the plot. Structuring the book around the stages of grief was a nice way of framing the family dealing with the death that opens the book along with the family secrets presented throughout. I almost wish the title reflected this aspect more than the real estate angle since selling the house seems secondary compared to other elements present. While I don't need to read another book about puppets anytime soon, reading about Mark's horrors during college with the Pupkin brigade was a totally unexpected, wild backstory and helped me understand this seemingly evil little puppet a bit better. Throughout the novel, I was constantly rooting for Louise and Poppy. I was also not expecting this book to deal with generational trauma to protect the next generation but hey that's what makes opening a book so interesting! Overall, Hendrix met my expectations for the book and I can't wait to add another of his books to my handselling rotation at the bookstore.
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident
mburnsides's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Self harm, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury