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A review by claudiaslibrarycard
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
A House With Good Bones is every bit as good as we've come to expect from T. Kingfisher. In short this book is about Sam Montgomery, an archeological entomologist who returns to the Southern home of her late grandmother to check on the health of her mother. Sam's mom is not doing well, and the first challenge she faces is trying to figure out what kind of situation her mother is in- is this dementia, garden variety eccentricity, or a different condition altogether?
As Sam is exploring this conundrum and sorting out her life with her contracted archeological dig on hold, strange things begin to happen. This book is horror, but it's horror light for scaredy cats like me. There is a beautiful but also creepy focus on Gran Mae's old rose garden and lots of ladybugs. And in T. Kingfisher fashion, there are lots of laughs.
I loved every bit of this book, from the Southern Gothic bones of the story to the rich details about entomology and roses. T. Kingfisher is quick with the subtle humor, lots of anti-fat bias, and takedowns of stereotypical Southern racism and toxic communication styles. As usual, I cannot believe what she accomplishes in a short book and I can't fit it all into a concise review. If you love a dark Southern story, a little bit of humor, a dash of romance, poignant symbolism, and can suspend your disbelief for the horror aspects- this book is truly, truly special.
As Sam is exploring this conundrum and sorting out her life with her contracted archeological dig on hold, strange things begin to happen. This book is horror, but it's horror light for scaredy cats like me. There is a beautiful but also creepy focus on Gran Mae's old rose garden and lots of ladybugs. And in T. Kingfisher fashion, there are lots of laughs.
I loved every bit of this book, from the Southern Gothic bones of the story to the rich details about entomology and roses. T. Kingfisher is quick with the subtle humor, lots of anti-fat bias, and takedowns of stereotypical Southern racism and toxic communication styles. As usual, I cannot believe what she accomplishes in a short book and I can't fit it all into a concise review. If you love a dark Southern story, a little bit of humor, a dash of romance, poignant symbolism, and can suspend your disbelief for the horror aspects- this book is truly, truly special.