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A review by awebofstories
Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer
adventurous
dark
funny
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
4.0
You know a book will be good when you start madly texting your friends to tell them to read this before you've even finished it!
This is Scream meets Desperate Housewives, and that is the pairing I never knew I needed in my life. I live in the suburbs, I'm navigating adult friendships. This book is me, except for the She Shed, which serves as a portal for demonic forces. I loved the friendships in this book and the fact Kilmer doesn't shy away from shining a light on each woman's vulnerabilities.
I think it is hard to categorize this book. If you are fine with horror, this will read as satire. If you are not a fan of horror novels, this is a gentle entry to some scary reads. I probably fall into the former--I didn't find this particularly creepy, but I cackled at several points in this story. The writing is easily digestible--this is the sort of book you can read at 7 am in the waiting room of an orthodontist's office with a Disney movie playing on the TV and the soundtrack to another Disney movie playing over the sound system. Yes, I'm speaking from personal experience.
I did have a few issues with this book. I would have preferred stronger creepy vibes. I was also distracted by the hole at Liz's house. I'm not talking about the actual hole in her backyard, which unleashed the powers of hell on the neighborhood, but the gaping plot hole in her house. It seems like her husband and kids are strangely unbothered by what is happening with Liz.
All in all, though, this was a fun entry to spooky season reading. It will encourage you to value your friendships and prompt you to think twice about getting a Roomba.
This is Scream meets Desperate Housewives, and that is the pairing I never knew I needed in my life. I live in the suburbs, I'm navigating adult friendships. This book is me, except for the She Shed, which serves as a portal for demonic forces. I loved the friendships in this book and the fact Kilmer doesn't shy away from shining a light on each woman's vulnerabilities.
I think it is hard to categorize this book. If you are fine with horror, this will read as satire. If you are not a fan of horror novels, this is a gentle entry to some scary reads. I probably fall into the former--I didn't find this particularly creepy, but I cackled at several points in this story. The writing is easily digestible--this is the sort of book you can read at 7 am in the waiting room of an orthodontist's office with a Disney movie playing on the TV and the soundtrack to another Disney movie playing over the sound system. Yes, I'm speaking from personal experience.
I did have a few issues with this book. I would have preferred stronger creepy vibes. I was also distracted by the hole at Liz's house. I'm not talking about the actual hole in her backyard, which unleashed the powers of hell on the neighborhood, but the gaping plot hole in her house. It seems like her husband and kids are strangely unbothered by what is happening with Liz.
All in all, though, this was a fun entry to spooky season reading. It will encourage you to value your friendships and prompt you to think twice about getting a Roomba.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, and Alcohol