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sagireadinglist's review against another edition
3.5
Despite the book's attempt to answer the question, "What happens when you build a haunted house instead of moving into one," the story veers toward mystery and thriller more than horror. But I'm not mad about it, because it fits into the kind of story it wants to tell, that of the lost history of women and the violence that is so present in those histories.
I'm also just glad that Nate stepped up in the end.
I'm also just glad that Nate stepped up in the end.
highitsanais's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
mcfarlse195's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.5
rthmchgs's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
purstiltski's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Vomit, and Child death
Minor: Grief, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Drug use
xchickadee's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story follows Hellen, who just moved to Vermont with her husband Nate and has started to build their own Saltbox house in the woods near a bog. It also follows her neighbor, Olive. A girl whose mother went missing the year before.
When Helen and Nate are looking at the property that only has a beat-up trailer on it, the retail agent tells them that the land is haunted By Hattie Breckenridge. And that there is a buried treasure somewhere on this land, near Hattie's old home. But Nate, being a man of science, doesn't believe that. And Helen being a history teacher just thinks it is a fun story. Hattie was a real woman, but her ghost? That isn't possible. Is it? Through in a treasure, that there is no proof of ever being real, they don't believe it.
Olive lives just down the road with her father. Their home a constant construction site. After her mother vanished, Olive's father started to redo the whole house, hoping when his wife came home she would be happy. Olive thought that if she found Hattie's treasure, her mother would head about it and come back to them.
Not long after starting on the house things start to go missing. Tools, nails, food, some money here and there that they just think they did spend. And then Nate's phone goes missing from the trailer they are staying in while they build that house.
One night Helen wakes up in the middle of the night as sees what looks to be a fire at the house. Nate isn't in the bed next to her. She runs up to the house to see Hattie dancing in the middle of the foundation. But once she is closer she sees that it is just a girl. And she wasn't dancing, she was trapped with a rope that Nate was holding. They learn their ghost is their neighbor Olive. Who admits to stealing everything. But says she will return it all. All but the pie, she and her father ate it, and she will work off the money she stole by helping them with their house.
Without giving any more away, this story was amazing. From the start, I just felt this connection with the world Jennifer built and with the characters. I loved it. I was always thinking about it. Trying to figure it out. I loved that the book has different POV's. Always makes it so much more enjoyable.
I thought I had it all figured out. And in a way I did. I had one part correct. The other was, just not all the way. Jennifer wrote such a great world. I can't wait to read more of her work. If you love mysteries and the supernatural I think you will enjoy this book.
This story follows Hellen, who just moved to Vermont with her husband Nate and has started to build their own Saltbox house in the woods near a bog. It also follows her neighbor, Olive. A girl whose mother went missing the year before.
When Helen and Nate are looking at the property that only has a beat-up trailer on it, the retail agent tells them that the land is haunted By Hattie Breckenridge. And that there is a buried treasure somewhere on this land, near Hattie's old home. But Nate, being a man of science, doesn't believe that. And Helen being a history teacher just thinks it is a fun story. Hattie was a real woman, but her ghost? That isn't possible. Is it? Through in a treasure, that there is no proof of ever being real, they don't believe it.
Olive lives just down the road with her father. Their home a constant construction site. After her mother vanished, Olive's father started to redo the whole house, hoping when his wife came home she would be happy. Olive thought that if she found Hattie's treasure, her mother would head about it and come back to them.
Not long after starting on the house things start to go missing. Tools, nails, food, some money here and there that they just think they did spend. And then Nate's phone goes missing from the trailer they are staying in while they build that house.
One night Helen wakes up in the middle of the night as sees what looks to be a fire at the house. Nate isn't in the bed next to her. She runs up to the house to see Hattie dancing in the middle of the foundation. But once she is closer she sees that it is just a girl. And she wasn't dancing, she was trapped with a rope that Nate was holding. They learn their ghost is their neighbor Olive. Who admits to stealing everything. But says she will return it all. All but the pie, she and her father ate it, and she will work off the money she stole by helping them with their house.
Without giving any more away, this story was amazing. From the start, I just felt this connection with the world Jennifer built and with the characters. I loved it. I was always thinking about it. Trying to figure it out. I loved that the book has different POV's. Always makes it so much more enjoyable.
I thought I had it all figured out. And in a way I did. I had one part correct. The other was, just not all the way. Jennifer wrote such a great world. I can't wait to read more of her work. If you love mysteries and the supernatural I think you will enjoy this book.
garweilee's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
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? No
4.0
the_sunken_library's review against another edition
3.0
Well written but a bit meh. I find the idea of building a haunted house original and intriguing but the plot turned out to be fairly predictable and the main characters of Helen and Nate thoroughly unlikeable. Also, may I never read the word "mama" again.
trin's review against another edition
2.0
Some fun and pulpy embrace of tropes doesn't quite make up for the fact that so much of the plot hinges on characters asking like stupid or crazy people, or that I knew who the villain was from the get-go, or that honestly it's quite slowly paced. But a few moments of tropey indulgence do make the read enjoyable at times.