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A review by thekissballad
The Stranger in Our House by Sarah A. Denzil
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
"The boy I knew isn't there. He's not our son. He is a stranger to me."
The Stranger in Our House is a found media style that gave off Paranormal Entity vibes. I'm not typically into such things, however I enjoyed Denzil's take on the trend.
Positives: The lore is well researched & thought out. Keeping the book & characters relevant to current times is a nice touch. It's very immersive, which is important in found media style productions of any sort, and in terms of this book, it's done pretty well. That being said...
Negatives: Aaron's diary entries, the main way this story is being told, plus a few others, don't always read like a diary entry. They might start and end reading like one, but often times the middle chunks read just like a typical first person POV novel. I understand that a lot of the elements told during these moments are necessary to move along the plot, however, it often took me out of that found media style that this book is supposed to be, as stated in the foreword.
Neutral: The ending was not entirely what I expected. I don't know my feelings on it, even after having time to process it. I do think it wrapped everything up well, though.
Final Thoughts: I highly recommend The Stranger in Our House for anyone interested in the paranormal & folklore. If the found media style isn't your thing, like it usually isn't for me, I still recommend giving this book a try.
Thank you Sarah A. Denzil, NetGalley, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for allowing me to read The Stranger in Our House in exchange for an honest review.
The Stranger in Our House is a found media style that gave off Paranormal Entity vibes. I'm not typically into such things, however I enjoyed Denzil's take on the trend.
Positives: The lore is well researched & thought out. Keeping the book & characters relevant to current times is a nice touch. It's very immersive, which is important in found media style productions of any sort, and in terms of this book, it's done pretty well. That being said...
Negatives: Aaron's diary entries, the main way this story is being told, plus a few others, don't always read like a diary entry. They might start and end reading like one, but often times the middle chunks read just like a typical first person POV novel. I understand that a lot of the elements told during these moments are necessary to move along the plot, however, it often took me out of that found media style that this book is supposed to be, as stated in the foreword.
Neutral: The ending was not entirely what I expected. I don't know my feelings on it, even after having time to process it. I do think it wrapped everything up well, though.
Final Thoughts: I highly recommend The Stranger in Our House for anyone interested in the paranormal & folklore. If the found media style isn't your thing, like it usually isn't for me, I still recommend giving this book a try.
Thank you Sarah A. Denzil, NetGalley, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for allowing me to read The Stranger in Our House in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail