A review by bookbelle5_17
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

Review of A House with Good Bones
By: T King Fisher
            Samantha receives a call from her brother asking her to visit their mom in North Carolina, because he is worried about her.  Sam learns her brother is right and their mom is acting weird. She seems to be worried about saying anything bad her grandmother and has made the house exactly how Sam’s grandmother had it, 5os and racist décor.  Also, unsettling things are happening like pictures falling, lady bugs, and weird images like ghostly hands appearing in pictures, but Sam is a rational explanation kind of person.
            This is my second T King Fisher I have read (I listened to the book on audio book via Libby app.) and I enjoyed it.  The setting got my attention first and the premise intrigued me.  A story about generational trauma also got me interested, especially with a southern family.  Most people would probably argue for rational explanations in a situation like this, like our man character does, but when I know there will be a supernatural angle, I get frustrated when the main character argues that every time something weird happens.   I liked that we had a main character that was considered fat, but in the present of the story, she accepts that and isn’t insecure about her weight.   It does come up when we learn that her grandmother would call her piggy and point out that’s why she was alone. The grandmother is racist and bully, who thinks she doesn’t owe anyone and that just because she’s the mother that automatically means she’s right all the time.  She’s also a perfectionist. We see the racist mentality of her generation through her and one of the other’s neighbors.  I liked Phil and Gale’s characters.  Phil is easy going and will be supportive, not dismissing things as crazy right away.  He goes with the flow and tries to help in whatever way he can.  This probably isn’t a fair of me to say, but the narrator’s voice for Phil made me think he was an old man, but there’s a funny moment when Sam notices how “ripped” he is, and I realized he’s supposed to be her age.  A couple of other funny moments were when she first meets Phil and threatens him, because she thinks he's a burglar.  I also thought the scene when she has to talk to his father/grandfather so she can talk to Phil. Gale is the grandmother Sam should have had.  She’s wise, nurturing, and supportive of Sam and her mother. I also stories that include a character that’s a Wiccan.    A lot of us can relate to generational differences causing us to have divides between children, parents, and grandparents.  It wouldn’t call this scary just suspenseful, creepy, and unsettling.  There are a creepy elements such as images of a hand in a photograph, voices whispering in Sam’s ear, and vultures.   There also bugs particularly lady bugs.  I like the moments when Sam is learning her family history about her grandfather.  I had a good time with listening to this story and I was good with the narrator, despite my petty quibble with her male voice.
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