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singalana's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I accidentally picked two very similar books to read at the same time: this and the audiobook In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant. Both have young protagonists trying to figure out the mystery of a weird house. The main character of this story is a girl called Olivia - a girl with no voice. At the beginning of the story she lives in an orphanage, and the only thing she has from her family is her mother’s journal. She receives a letter from her uncle, inviting her to return to their family home - a house called Gallant. When Olivia arrives at the house, she realises there is much she doesn’t know about her family and the house.
The book has an interesting layout: spread throughout the book are illustrations and pages from her mother's journal. And the cover design and the end sheets are absolutely gorgeous. The content, however… I don’t know whether I was somehow distracted or if the writing style was not for me, but I noticed that I had to constantly reread pages and parts of the text because I realised my mind had just drifted and I hadn’t internalized anything I had read.
The reading experience felt heavy, I didn’t much care for the main character and the plot raised a lot of questions.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
helenbobelen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Murder
tik_pabaigsiu_skyriu's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Death, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
moonchild_cos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, and Religious bigotry
sabrinz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I don't really know who to sum up this story or how to rate it, suffice to say that I really enjoyed the story (the characters, the way the story unfolds, the little surprises along the way) and could hardly put down the books.
The story is on the shorter end without many side-stories that lead you down different paths, but that is not to say that the other characters save for our main character are one-dimensional. You do get to know them. It was nice, however, to read such a straigt-forward story. It's a perfect in-between book and a breath of fresh air between heavier stories.
The story is on the shorter end without many side-stories that lead you down different paths, but that is not to say that the other characters save for our main character are one-dimensional. You do get to know them. It was nice, however, to read such a straigt-forward story. It's a perfect in-between book and a breath of fresh air between heavier stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
alibrarymouse's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Beautifully written with gorgeous aesthetics, but the characters weren’t much and I have to admit I wasn’t too fond of any of them. We weren’t really given too much to be fond of, and with Olivia there was a lot of potential that doesn’t get fully realized. Everything I wanted, I didn’t get, but maybe my expectations were too high?
It’s modern gothic, catharsis in its own way, but—at the same time—fantasy offers a twist I think would have made for a better ending. Schwab has realism going for her at least.
It’s modern gothic, catharsis in its own way, but—at the same time—fantasy offers a twist I think would have made for a better ending. Schwab has realism going for her at least.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
a_alves00's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment
yrlaevelyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicide and Murder
diana_raquel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Home is a choice."
Talk about impulse buying! I was browsing the shelves of a bookshop when I noticed this book! I have read other books by V.E. Schwab but didn't know what to expect from this book. But it was a pleasant surprise, mainly because I actually liked a story with horror elements. Usually, horror isn't something that I tend to gravitate toward, but I really liked this book. Maybe because the horror elements are mixed with other elements that I like, such as mystery elements and a darker tone. The characters are well-developed and well-written. The story has good pacing and is well structured. I also liked the fact that the illustrations themselves are also part of the story and not only accessories, a means to show the scenes. To tell the truth, I think that V.E. Schwab was the potential to become a must-read author to me since I really liked every book that I read by her.
Talk about impulse buying! I was browsing the shelves of a bookshop when I noticed this book! I have read other books by V.E. Schwab but didn't know what to expect from this book. But it was a pleasant surprise, mainly because I actually liked a story with horror elements. Usually, horror isn't something that I tend to gravitate toward, but I really liked this book. Maybe because the horror elements are mixed with other elements that I like, such as mystery elements and a darker tone. The characters are well-developed and well-written. The story has good pacing and is well structured. I also liked the fact that the illustrations themselves are also part of the story and not only accessories, a means to show the scenes. To tell the truth, I think that V.E. Schwab was the potential to become a must-read author to me since I really liked every book that I read by her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Suicide, Violence, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
micallab's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent