Craig
I have to say I was really looking forward to reading this and felt super excited when I got the ARC from NETGALLEY.
The description basically telling me that a young wife is now haunted by the ghost of her mother in law. That premise sounds amazing and was why I requested the book.
In theory that's what this book is about, in execution it's actually trying to say a lot about grief, motherhood and depression. Our protagonist Abby and her husband Ralph are reeling from Ralph's mothers death and Ralph is slipping deep into a depression and is adamant that the ghost of his mother is haunting their basement.
Abby must do anything she can to bring Ralph out of it and she goes to some extreme measures for sure. I wouldn't classify this book as horror at all (except maybe one scene). This is more of a psychological meditation about the effects of grief on a marriage. It's also about the meaning of motherhood and what it means to be there for someone.
The writing is great and I'm glad this book exists. I'm giving it 3 stars because it wasn't exactly what I expected or wanted and that was disappointing. While I enjoyed the writing there are definitely parts that felt like a slog to get through for sure.
If you want a more literary take on the horror genre this might be for you.
What it's like:
Mother meets Hand that Rocks the Cradle
Men meets Ghost
Book Grades:
Plot Development and Pacing - 90/100
Character Development - 90/100
Theme and Subject Matter - 90/100
Writing Style - 90/100
Reader Engagement - 75/100
Overal Grade: 87% - B OR 3/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Suburban Hell is for sure a mixture of Desperate Housewives, any Bravo reality show about moms and The Exorcist or Southern Bookclubs Guide to Slaying Vampires.
I enjoyed the experience of this book for sure. I enjoyed the plot as it unfolded and as the story grew more and more horrific.
I do find the classification as horror to be a little misleading...it's horror-lite. It's Andy Cohen does horror. It's like watching the Scary Island episode of RHONY where there is an exorcism at the end. When I say that this book is horror fluff, I don't necessarily mean that as a bad thing. If you are a die-hard horror fan this book will not be for you at all BUT...if you want to laugh a little and still experience some scary things (i.e. a vacuum attack, Barbie Dreamhouse of Terror or a school carnival gone awry) then you will enjoy this book.
As I am more of a traditional horror fan I was surprised by the tone of this book, though I guess I shouldn't have been given the title and the description. The writing is quick, quippy and fun. The plotting is dangerously fast and drops you right into the story. I almost never say this but I kind of wanted more exposition and table setting before dropping us right into this group of moms and friends.
I did love the exploration of the inner lives of suburban motherhood and what it means to be looked over or exhausted and what that can really do to someone. The fact that these women are really all they have and they have to do the work to save each other says a lot. I did find that very touching as the book progressed. I also really liked all of the characters which is a real testament to Kilmer's writing and world building.
Overall I enjoyed the experience of this book but it will not be a book that I re-visit in time and i would only recommend this to friends who just want to dip their toe into horror instead of being fully immersed.
Book Grades:
Plot Development and Pacing - 90/100
Character Development - 85/100
Theme and Subject Matter - 85/100
Writing Style - 90/100
Reader Engagement - 80/100
Overal Grade: 86% - B OR 3/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Expected to be unleashed on: 9/27/22.
I don't have enough words to say how much I loved this book.
This is such a clever and interesting exploration of grief and dealing with death. It's also totally accurate and you can't deny that. Even when it's speaking uncomfortable truths about what it's like it still engages you and makes you laugh.
The good the bad and the ugly all come to light here and I absolutely loved this one. From the illustrations to the content you can't get a better book.
Necessary reading if you are grieving the loss of a parent. This book made me cry and laugh and feel everything I was afraid to feel.
Pick it up.
This might be an example of buying a book mostly because of the cover and thinking the content was intriguing but not captivating.
I could tell this was a satire of a female founded and run social media app that was meant to provide self care engagement but instead was selling women very expensive product.
The two main characters are intensely unlikable and not all that interesting. The character who is the most intriguing maybe gets 2-3 chapters and is pushed aside for the sake of the two white women main characters.
I don't know if the author was trying to show something by doing that but it was evident and unsettling.
The last 1/3 redeemed some for me. There's the larger question of women believing women and victim hood and using victim hood to sell product or subscriptions. The ending kind of comes out of nowhere though I did enjoy the last chapter.
Kind of disappointed in this book honestly. Premise was promising but execution wasn't all there.
Thoroughly enjoyed this alternate history. It's almost a salve for the massive hurt that was 2016. I found that the author seemed to capture Hilary Rodham with grace and ease and made her feel tangible without being a caricature.
I do wish less of the book was spent on Bill and more about Hilary and her post Bill career. There are time jumps that make it confusing at times but I did enjoy. Especially the second half where things take a much more interesting turn.
Great writing and easy to follow. At times felt pretentious and lacking direction as to the stories it wanted to tell.
This book is being marketed in confusing and deceiving ways. Initially described as a gay ‘Get Out' it is most certainly not that and in fact has a clear agenda perpetrated by the author that comes out in the later half of the book.
The first half of the book were compelling and hard to read. It flails in the second half where the protagonist is reckoning with trauma and how to deal with it. The end was disappointing for sure given the promise of the front half.
What a great book about some very prescient issues we are facing right now.
Felix is figuring out his identity and along the way he has to navigate so many road blocks to finding love of himself and love of someone else.
I loved how quickly you are dropped into the action of this book. You get to know the characters instantly and there's no hand wringing about how it introduce the supporting cast. It's a fully explored and vibrant world of these teenage artists.
I also really loved the conversations about art and how it's important to them and they want to create something meaningful and interesting while balancing their own personal interests.
These characters are intensely worried about their future while also trying to live and love in the now. This is a book I wish I had as a teenager.
So many wonderful characters and a mystery at the center that's engaging and interesting. I love a coming of age novel and a queer novel. I hope trans kids can read this and find themselves in Felix.
Tense and taut and twisty. This book was perfect. Finished most of it in the course of a day because you just want it to keep going. I loved every minute of the ride. Well worth it.
I found this book interesting in concept, and I understand it's a series and this is the beginning but I don't like how NOTHING was wrapped up AT ALL.
The conclusion came so fast and it seemed so causal and nonchalant. I wanted more from it I suppose. The writing is great and characters were interesting but I had higher hopes for the plotting.
I'm still not sure what exactly this books wants to say. There is a set up of a crime and a wink at Agatha Christie, but nothing gets resolved in a way that feels murder mystery lover at all.
This is an important story and an important viewpoint considering the AIDS story. Though I was engaged throughout the beginning and middle of the book. You know that this is building to an inevitable conclusion. The execution of the ending feels very rushed. The detail and the truthfulness that Sickels writes with towards the end is vital and getting to hear fro each family member as they process what's going to happen is so refreshing.
While I certainly love horror and this book packs in some of the best chilling scenes and descriptions. I have realized that maybe body horror isn't my thing after reading this. I was constantly plagued by itchiness and creeped out the whole time.
Much of this book I just found to be gross. Mostly because Cutter describes everything so vividly that I found myself having to put the book down a lot. Also maybe not the best choice of books to read during a pandemic.
I don't have enough words to say all the things I loved.
How quickly I fell in love with the two leads. How quickly I fell in love with the whole book. Such fun and heartfelt writing. Fully realized and interesting characters that avoid a lot of stereotypes.
A love story that is both so affirming and lovely but also so felt and deeply explored. Made me fall deeper in love with both characters.
Engrossing and so well plotted. Loved reading a “fictional” story about someone we all know.
WTF is this book supposed to be about? I find myself reaching for any sort of meaning at all.