by Sarah Gailey

A Horror, 2022 by Tor Books, 344 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• The audiobook uses a whispering type voice for the mother. While it is appropriate for her condition, it makes it tough to hear her dialogue. You may find yourself setting this volume higher than normal. This won’t affect my rating as it is specific only to that format. 
• There’s a description of a creature that is lacking when compared to the rest of the vivid descriptions. I wanted more! 
• Content warning, of sorts: this is a horror book. It explores dark themes including death, torture, and other gruesome topics. I’ve never seen anyone wander into a horror book not expecting dark content though, so that seems like an unnecessary warning! 

What I Did Like:

• The darker nature of the book is captivating. Even before you know exactly what the dark subject material is, something about the way the story is written is gothic and dark in the best way. 
• The story spirals to deep and terrifying depths. Each small reveal feels like it takes you deeper into the dark world of this house and this family. There’s a layer of mystery surrounding the story early on and the reveals don’t disappoint. 
• The ending is BEAUTIFUL (in a dark way, obviously). The final line of chapter 36 (no spoilers) is PERFECTION. Simple and powerful. 
• The voice. This one does an excellent job of cycling through the main character’s emotions and struggles in the voice. You can see a difference in the voice at the beginning, middle, and end from sentence structure to word choice. It’s a journey and you take it with her in every aspect of this book. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Horror fans, specifically those who enjoy that gothic vibe permeating a story that gets perpetually darker. 
• Mystery/Thriller fans, while this one may not be your normal choice of book it definitely packs a punch in the mystery and thrills department because it keeps its secrets to the end. 

My Rating: 5 Stars

• Thanks to the person who recommended this one! You were right, this is a masterpiece. If you can handle dark fiction and like or want to dabble in horror, this is the one!