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.