jensen1's reviews
428 reviews

Strange and Twisted Things was quite the ride of a horror story. The writing and story was fast-paced and engaging, and I finished this book quickly on a long-haul flight. Thanks for a few hours of entertainment! 

I enjoyed the overarching mystery of the maze and the house. The actions of the characters in both the present day and the times prior surprised me in a way that only a horror novel can! 

While I think the author had a great idea in this novel - it's unique in that it's about an elderly woman's inner thoughts about her (recently) failed marriage and the creepy goings-on at her new residence - I think there were aspects that were not cohesive and Greta made sweeping assumptions many times throughout. 

In addition, there were a few spots in the book that could've used a more critical eye. For example, Violet's diary, in 1847, mentioned a desire to go to America because there were opportunities for female nurses since the US Civil War. However, the US Civil War took place between 1860 and 1865.

The storyline with Mark felt completely unnecessary.

LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD-

There also needed to be some editing with the cat - one section says she can no longer take care of him and the neighbor takes on the responsibility of Delta. However, a short time later she's petting him on the head. Is this intentional? Is Greta losing her mind? Or is this something that was out of order in the book?

How does Greta somehow forget that she's deaf?

There were multiple times when Greta came to conclusions that made little sense to me - I did not follow her thought process at all:

Greta finally acknowledges what she suspected from the beginning: her house is the site of paranormal activity. She mused that it may be a demon, a ghost, a fairy, etc., but then ultimately decides that these odd occurrences are proof of the afterlife. Why? How is this proof?

Greta sees a ghost dancing in her home and she automatically assumes that it's Violet (she even questions this initially, but her doubt immediately fades afterward). 

Greta has been a victim of the house's malevolent being. She is buying copious amounts of salt, her cat and her best friend are attacked, and her leg is turning weird. She then assumes that she can receive power from the house/being. Why would she think she can wield anything this house/being has after it's only been violent and has not tempted Greta with anything?

Overall, I think it was a solid read, but this book could benefit from more fleshing out.

I feel weird rating someone’s memoir, especially one riddled with trauma like Britney’s. Her voice is so human and heartwrenching. You can tell she started out with pure intentions and love for dance and song, but eventually was beat down by the media, the paps, and her own family. Her stories really put perspective on how evil the world can be to a young girl trying to find her way. 

There were moments when I felt like stories or explanations were missing - it almost seemed like Britney glossed over her rise to fame and just said “now I’m the most popular pop star in the world,” but I suppose what was there was more important.