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rrrbkh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Mental illness, Death, Dementia, and Child death
chasingpages1's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Gaslighting, Stalking, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cancer, Cursing, and Religious bigotry
jessspeake's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Death of parent
Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Suicide, and Animal death
Minor: Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Alcohol
maryreadstoomuch27's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Child death, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Mental illness
kat_rowlen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Child death, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
seetaylorwriteandreview's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“Every house has a story to tell. Baneberry Hall is no different. Its story—the real one—might still be there. Why we left. Why my father felt compelled to lie about it. What I actually experienced there. All of it might be hiding within its walls, waiting for me to find it.”
It’s very rare that I read a horror book that genuinely spooks me. However, Riley Sager has managed to do just that with this book. And that twist at the ending. Phew. I truly didn't see that coming.
The entire book is spent with Maggie Holt trying to differentiate between the facts in the book her father wrote, The House of Horrors, and what truly happened to her family during the 20 days they lived at Baneberry Hall, named for the lethal baneberries that surround the estate. When strange things that Maggie cannot explain, even though she doesn’t believe in the supernatural or the events of her father’s tell-all, she starts to question what truly happened on the night of July 15th, 25 years ago.
What happens next is shocking and the perfect set up for this horror novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Death, Child death, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Violence, and Dementia
its_erin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I enjoyed the format Sager utilized, the "book" chapters juxtaposed with the current story. While I found the beginning to be a little slow, the pace quickly accelerated and the tension increases as we delved further into the mystery.
And I can't say I predicted the ending, that's for sure. All in all, solid writing, a great mystery, and just enough uncanny unsettling feelings to make you nervous.
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Death of parent
leebeeloves's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Death of parent, and Child death
Minor: Cursing, Car accident, and Grief
andrear's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
this was wild, sager had me in the palm of his hand throughout the whole thing. I believed all the twists and turns and fell into thinking I had figured it out exactly the ways I’m sure he wanted me to. & the twist got me. A good time!!
(Full disclosure the only reason I’m hesitant to give this a full 5 is bc I don’t have anything else of the genre to compare this to, but it was definitely fun)
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness
francesturpin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Chronic illness, Grief, and Mental illness