Scan barcode
A review by ashevchenko
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
Do you like isolated environments? Yes? Hello, nice to meet you. We have that in common!
As you can guess from the title, the premise is six guests, one secluded cabin; a big storm is coming, and roads might become impassable. The premise is so right up my alley that I got a bit too excited with too high of expectations.
This book shouldn't be 400 pages. It is two books and a short story mixed. And in parts, it was a bit repetitive and overexplaining (like the whole Hannah's flashback chapter, we figured out what happened already).
Story one: the cabin. A family with dark secrets. Something should go wrong on this trip. The host is a creep; the chef is a creep; probably, there are more creeps in the woods. The haunted house (or not haunted?). But then it becomes a clichéd horror movie (in a "we should stay together, but let's split anyways" way).
Story two: Henry. First, you are a bit annoyed by the unrelated plot interrupting story one, but you hope it all will be connected most shockingly later, so you keep reading. Henry's line is a great journey on its own with deep topics of family, finding your roots, and yourself. I would enjoy it as a separate literary fiction with a dark side. It just doesn't fit well into this book. It all connects, of course, but did we need this many unrelated pages to add to "the main" plot?
A short story bonus: struggles and decisions of another character. It doesn't add anything; it is irrelevant. I didn't care.
Overall, it was entertaining. I like how some topics are explored. But the next time, can we please focus on one story and not try to go exploring everything remotely related in such great depth?
Thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press for the e-ARC of this book!
As you can guess from the title, the premise is six guests, one secluded cabin; a big storm is coming, and roads might become impassable. The premise is so right up my alley that I got a bit too excited with too high of expectations.
This book shouldn't be 400 pages. It is two books and a short story mixed. And in parts, it was a bit repetitive and overexplaining (like the whole Hannah's flashback chapter, we figured out what happened already).
Story one: the cabin. A family with dark secrets. Something should go wrong on this trip. The host is a creep; the chef is a creep; probably, there are more creeps in the woods. The haunted house (or not haunted?). But then it becomes a clichéd horror movie (in a "we should stay together, but let's split anyways" way).
Story two: Henry. First, you are a bit annoyed by the unrelated plot interrupting story one, but you hope it all will be connected most shockingly later, so you keep reading. Henry's line is a great journey on its own with deep topics of family, finding your roots, and yourself. I would enjoy it as a separate literary fiction with a dark side. It just doesn't fit well into this book. It all connects, of course, but did we need this many unrelated pages to add to "the main" plot?
A short story bonus: struggles and decisions of another character. It doesn't add anything; it is irrelevant. I didn't care.
Overall, it was entertaining. I like how some topics are explored. But the next time, can we please focus on one story and not try to go exploring everything remotely related in such great depth?
Thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press for the e-ARC of this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Toxic relationship and Vomit