A Guest in the House
Ratings26
Average rating4.1
As much as I love E.M. Carroll's art style, I've realized after reading my 3rd book by them that maybe their writing style just isn't really for me lol
A really nuanced horror with 3 unreliable narrators - it's a piece of work that I combed over a couple of times and always surprised by the very sudden end. Fantastic, no beats are missed by Emily Carroll's story telling and the ART is absolutely astounding. Great choices of fantasy colors vs. the black and white reality.
There is so much to unpack here. The mother & sister that the main character lost, misremembering stories, counterfeit money and unable to tell real from fake at her grocery store job, fantasy, grief, and maybe even some sexual repression. (and more!) There is a ton that is hard to miss, but you could spend an endless amount of time talking about each portion goes together and what that might mean to our character/story.
A guest in the house was a fascinating, thrilling graphic novel to read! I felt enveloped by the story and the stunning art. Though I must admit that once or twice I was a bit confused by the events. But was also very impressed by how mysterious and exciting it was. I always wanted to know what hidden mysteries were going to be revealed. The horror atmosphere is done incredibly well, which is very impressive because creating such tension through drawings is very hard to do!
In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this if you are a fan of the horror / paranormal genre!
I really liked this one. I think it's great at the balance of mundane, daily life and fantasy. And of course I love Carroll's art and style. She's also great at crafting a mood.
The ending: I finished the book, flipped back, and exclaimed. There had to be more...an explanation, something. But we don't always get clarity and, if done right, it can be fun to wonder. Was the ‘neighbor', who gives her name as Beth, Shelia? Did the ghost of Shelia possess the ‘neighbor' woman? Is the ghost confused — we've seen her be wrong before. I think Shelia is alive, and at the end she stabs Abby, perhaps because she is influenced by the ghost. As for the ghost I wonder if she was David's girlfriend, maybe high school or college (dentists go to college right?) and instead of getting married and having a baby David kills her? I don't think the ghost is Crystal's mother, mostly because we are never shown the ghost interacting with Crystal. Crystal says she's seen her mother and that she looks different, Abby (and likely the reader) assumes Crystal is referring to the spooky ghost, but really it's because Shelia has been posing as ‘Beth the neighbor' and has dyed her hair.
Other curiosity Why was the sliding glass door broken? Was David involved in the fraudulent money? Why was there a lock on the attic if it was empty — how does that even stop animals from ‘dripping down'?
