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Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Model Home by Rivers Solomon

129 reviews

nouriareads's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

"It's suicidal to crave nourishment from a fruit known for its poison." Everything I find compelling about Solomon’s books is here: immersive prose that sets the unsettling and tense atmosphere well, raw explorations of trauma, race, gender and sexuality, and ending the book ready to fight. I loved the dive into the siblings’ dynamic, the impact of their upbringing, and how they process things. Gabby Bean’s stunning narration gives life to the story, it’s apparent that she’s an actor. It’s one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to in 2024!!

The haunted house element wasn’t exactly what I expected, but Rivers Solomon managed to use it to tackle trauma interestingly. The ending felt rushed, many of my questions remained unanswered, and a few moments took me out of the story.

Like with any of Solomon’s books, please check the TW (child SA is a main theme). Highly recommend it if you can stomach the TW!!
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pastryghost's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Sad, tense, and dark, with a hopeful light at the end.
An unusual and cerebral writing style.
This didn't click with me, and I have frustrations with the ending, but I think many people will feel this like a punch in the heartstrings.
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marisnocatpiss's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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hopetropes's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
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danielsakm's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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beastlybrooke's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

Read the trigger warnings dear lord. This is not a haunted house book. 
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growplantsreadbooks's review against another edition

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4.5

This is a hard book to read and a harder book to recommend. Usually I am not a fan of plots that
seem supernatural, but end up having logical explanations
. It didn't bother me this time though. Please Please Please look at the TWs even though some are spoilers. Thank you, Rivers, for giving these characters a happy ending. 
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atothesecond's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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knkoch's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

3.5

This was a blend of horror and social commentary on race in the same vein as Jordan Peele's movies. There were a lot of clever elements, particularly as the mystery of the horror house unfolds as a supernatural version of a Black family moving into a hostile White neighborhood. The thematic parallels to that very real historical (and sadly contemporary) experience are underlined especially in the long-term effects on the novel's three adult siblings who grew up in such a neighborhood. Generational trauma warps not only those directly impacted but also those born outside it, like Ezri's daughter Elijah, who has growth up in the gaps and silences in care her parent Ezri is able to provide. 

The complex protrait that Solomon paints of the formidable central family is interesting and subtle, highlighting both weakness and strength. Ultimately, the conclusion had a grotesque aspect I couldn't really get over. I'm not a regular horror reader, so perhaps that aspect bothered me more than it would some. I didn't really like the way
all the supernatural elements boiled down to elaborate but realistic deception by the White neighbors. While it makes sense historically that the White neighbors would be hateful and aggressive, it still took something out of the story for me for everything to be explainable.
Nevertheless, I appreciated the queer representation in several characters and thought the way the author explored the family's move into the neighborhood was compelling. 
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caidyn's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Hm. A complex book to rate. I wasn't quite sure where this was going, but I enjoyed the ride.
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