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kodi_rae's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
An engaging and sad tale about the complexities of trauma and how it shows up within family dynamics. While I personally found the “reveal” to be a bit questionable and slightly unsatisfying, I was still throughly intrigued with each character and what would happen with them next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, and Infidelity
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Body shaming, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit, Incest, and Rape
ljustin's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
This book was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once it got going I really enjoyed it. The pace remained slightly slow at times, but overall a good read.
Poor mental health, and how it impacts the sufferers and those around them, is discussed a lot more in books I've found (and about time too!) But I've never read one where the main mental health theme was hoarding. Jewell writes some sections of the book from Loralei's perspective via emails to a friend and its really interesting to read her own perspective of her hoarding and how she finally comes to terms with it being a central issue in her life.
There are many other themes discussed throughout the book; family, love, betrayal, guilt, and they all intertwine really well to make a coherent story. All the themes, and thr characters own problems, are linked back to the house they grew up in (hence the title 😉) and their mother's hoarding. Its a really well written book.
There is also an element of mystery, in that you don't truly find out what happened on the Easter Sunday until the end. This mystery elements adds another dimension to the story and kept me reading right until the end - I actually stayed up very late to finish it and regretted it the next day!!
Overall a 4 star read. I would recommend to lovers of family/drama style fiction.
Poor mental health, and how it impacts the sufferers and those around them, is discussed a lot more in books I've found (and about time too!) But I've never read one where the main mental health theme was hoarding. Jewell writes some sections of the book from Loralei's perspective via emails to a friend and its really interesting to read her own perspective of her hoarding and how she finally comes to terms with it being a central issue in her life.
There are many other themes discussed throughout the book; family, love, betrayal, guilt, and they all intertwine really well to make a coherent story. All the themes, and thr characters own problems, are linked back to the house they grew up in (hence the title 😉) and their mother's hoarding. Its a really well written book.
There is also an element of mystery, in that you don't truly find out what happened on the Easter Sunday until the end. This mystery elements adds another dimension to the story and kept me reading right until the end - I actually stayed up very late to finish it and regretted it the next day!!
Overall a 4 star read. I would recommend to lovers of family/drama style fiction.
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Suicide, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Death, and Rape
hollymich's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
4.5
Additional TW for hoarding
I’ve never been overly drawn to stories about families, but gave this book a try based on recommendation. I was immediately captured by the Bird family’s hidden dysfunctions. There were so many unexpected twists to the story that took me by surprise. The love this family shares is undeniable and I definitely got emotional come the end.
I highly recommend this book to anyone!
Audiobook Note: I enjoyed how the storyteller used different voices to differentiate characters. There are a few instances where she puts on an Asian accent that gave me a bit of an uneasy feeling, so consider this before listening.
I’ve never been overly drawn to stories about families, but gave this book a try based on recommendation. I was immediately captured by the Bird family’s hidden dysfunctions. There were so many unexpected twists to the story that took me by surprise. The love this family shares is undeniable and I definitely got emotional come the end.
I highly recommend this book to anyone!
Audiobook Note: I enjoyed how the storyteller used different voices to differentiate characters. There are a few instances where she puts on an Asian accent that gave me a bit of an uneasy feeling, so consider this before listening.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Death, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Infidelity
Minor: Cancer, Miscarriage, and Rape
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