SYNOPSIS:
When David Caine, a celebrated skeptic of the supernatural, is invited by an old friend to spend a month in “the most haunted house in Virginia,” he believes the case will be like any other. But the Alexander House is different. Built by a 1700s land baron to contain the madness and depravity of his eldest son, the house is plagued by shadows of the past and the lingering taint of bloodshed. David is haunted, as well. For twenty-two years ago, he turned away the woman he loved, and she took her life in sorrow. And David suspects she’s followed him to the Alexander House. Long story short, I loved it. I'd decided with The Nightmare Girl that Janz was going onto my auto-buy list and this solidified my decision. David was a fascinating, frustrating main character (he reminded me of Steven from Haunting of Hill House- I alternated between wanting to keep him safe and wanting to shake him). Jessica is fantastic and badass, and the side characters are very memorable (both the good and the bad. Ughhhh, Honey. 😬) The notes I took: -- haunted house story HELL YES -- "I should probably get groceries." "You probably should," Ralph said. "Then again, maybe you shouldn't rest on ceremony and pass up free burgers and beer." I would like to live next to Ralph -- "The disappointment of a reader, not a believer. You wanna know the ride's been worthwhile. You want there to be a payoff." "So I should make one up?" He was aware of the edge in his voice but made no effort to soften it. Ralph's criticism was familiar. Why did people crave dishonesty? David, buddy, if you're sure you won't like the answer you may not want to ask the question. -- 'Two stories, brick, probably worth half a million. It was like a contracter had plopped the house here to strike back at a conservationist with whom he'd been feuding.' GREAT LINE. -- 'The kid put his hands on his hips. "You a retard or something?" "That's a lousy word." "Mom uses it." Oh I'm gonna hate the Shelbys sfm -- 'He'd be here a month. Even in a place this remote, he was bound to run into Mr. and Mrs. Shelby eventually. Why not get it out of the way?' No. Bad instinct. Just take your chances with the ghosts. -- Shelby forced a smile. "Children are a trial, Mr. Caine. You're blessed you never had any." Your daughter is Right There you asshole -- okay, so the ghosts eat the parents and the kids go to an actual caring home this is my dream -- that little carved canoe wtf that is not right -- "The part that keeps me up at night...the part I've never gotten over...it's that what happened to that family...those poor kids...it happened on my watch." **hugs Ralph** -- "That's Oxrun Park" Oxrun? Nice. <3 -- "I cared about her, too." "Would you stop the bullshit niceties?" David half-smiled. "It was almost a quarter of a century ago." Chris is gonna punch you and you're going to deserve it. -- "You don't belong in that house." Mike Jr. gave him a wry look. "Hell, I know that. Why you think I'm over here?" Oh sweetie -- I will never own a bed that doesn't rest on the floor ever again. -- "I didn't see anything," he said I stg if you get those babies killed because you're too stubborn to admit what was right in front of you... -- "I forgot there was a caretaker." She gave him a look. "Who do you think mows the lawn? The Bell Witch?" I like you, kid. -- "That," Anna said, an eyebrow arched, "would never happen because it would require you to change." YOW. -- "Don't look at me like that, Mr. Caine," the woman said. "You already knew I was a woman. Finding out I'm also black can't be that much of a shock." Sheriff Harkless is my new favorite -- "Honey's father. He's the Mayor of Lancaster." okay new plan, the ghosts eat the parents *and* the awful grandfather, and then the kids go to the Sheriff. -- David couldn't meet the older man's eyes. "Those are movies." "Did you listen to the shit you just told me?" RALPH. <3 -- "I'm not ready to embrace the irrational." "Of course you're not. You've gotta be a stubborn dipshit and have more proof shoved in your face." A mirthless chuckle. "Maybe get a couple of your friends killed." Ralph leveled a finger at him. "I'm not going over there with you, by the way, so I'll save you the trouble of asking." You say that now Ralph but please go stay in a motel or something before David changes your mind -- "It's like magic," Ralph said. "Just like that you've got it all explained." "It's easier to swallow than--" "Than the possibility you don't know everything?" just imagine I have posted every "BURN!!!" gif in existence right here -- "Was it you, Chris, or did you hire an actor?" You are gonna die from pure unadulterated stubborn dumbassery and I just hope you don't take anyone else with you -- "Trying to make me feel bad..." "...so manipulative" gaslighting ass -- 'The part he couldn't get over was that when Chris called to tell him she was dead, David wasn't surprised.' fuuuuuuck youuuuuu ((and that makes the earlier 'it was almost a quarter of a century ago' even WORSE because her little brother, her little sister, her dad already was fighting cancer and then he had to go through the worst grief imaginable and he's all 'well, it was a long time ago')) -- and I know he's not responsible for Anna's actions but for him to be so *dismissive* about it with another person who cared for her...RGH. -- "Why did you call Harkless on me?" "A woman lives alone, she has to be vigilant." "I seem dangerous to you?" wow you really don't spend any time around women do you -- I hope Jessica is Anna's little sister all grown up and she kicks your ass -- Ivyyyyyyyy no please be safe kidlet -- 'Harkless bent, retrieved the vodka bottle-- 'Grey Goose, the label read-- and without hesitation dumped its entire contents over Honey's head. marry me -- HOT DAMN I CALLED IT -- "You didn't even look into what happened to her, did you? That's how self-centered you are." oh mannnn i can understand not doing it immediately afterwards but over two decades you never even... DAVID. COME ON. -- ghosts. eat the mayor already. you are not doing your job. -- "Do you have any idea who I am?" "We know," the woman from CPS said. "Unfortunately." Heh. Get him, Tina. -- "You punched me in the face." "You deserve worse." *heart eyes* -- "What I need from you is open-mindedness. Actual, authentic open-mindedness, not that condescending humoring attitude you usually have." I think she just turned David into a smoking cinder -- Alicia do not deliver candy to him he can get it his own damn self at least leave it on the porch pls do not go inside -- "I don't believe my sister committed suicide. I think she was murdered." ohhhhhhhh that makes SO much sense (esp considering that it took place in that house) but it still blindsided me. -- GAH alicia noooo -- "Not at all," Baldwin said, in that same maddeningly reasonable tone. "But I do find your anger interesting." go straight to hell do not pass go do not collect $200 -- "But..." "But there comes a point where disbelief turns into stupidity." "I'd say we got there quite a while ago." Have I told...you lately...that I love you -- "Five minutes. Ten tops." "That's what Alicia said. IF YOU GET RALPH KILLED I WILL-- -- "Isn't that reason to do this? For her?" ohhhh you little weasel -- "...made me promise to send him people every now and then." OH SHIT -- do not even bring up the possibility of Harkless being involved i am still mourning Ralph -- "How do we get started?" she asked, ignoring him. "Do y'all mutter some incantations? Sacrifice a llama?" I will start a riot if you die Harkless -- Charlie Templeton you BADASS -- "Oh, fuck this," Harkless said, and rose. **composing sonnets** -- 'The leering thing had left off Katherine's corpse, was staring at him. No, he amended. Not at *him*. At the blood on his forearm.' AHHHHH as if those things aren't creepy enough -- IVY. SOMEBODY CALL AN EXORCIST. -- oh god Chris is not only scum he's Nice Guy Incel scum. "When I was right in front of her!" fuck offffffffff ((Anna deserved better friends/boyfriend material darnit)) -- Jessica has remembered her Hatpin Panic and used the history lesson well -- "Do you believe yet?" she asked. I BELIEVE I AM TRAUMATIZED -- I love that David follows the 'out of bullets? gonna throw the gun at you' reflex -- ANNA. The young women! IVY. my heart cannot handle this -- "Oh, that. It's super-soldier serum. Like they give Captain America." Mike looked at him blankly. Then he scowled. "You're full of shit." I love this kid -- "I'm scared of myself." don't mind me i'm just over here sweeping up the shattered pieces of my heart -- Harkless has the kiddos yesssssssssssss -- "Run." Annnnnd a sweet, haunting (ha) scene turns terrifying with a single word And thus ends my longest review so far. ;) There's just so much to react to in these books! Up next is either Wolf Land or Savage Species (on the Janz front, there *is* a new Kealan Patrick Burke out...)
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SYNOPSIS:
It sounded like the perfect first date: canoeing across a chain of lakes, sandwiches and beer in the cooler. But teenagers Amelia and James discover something below the water’s surface that changes their lives forever. It’s got two stories. It’s got a garden. And the front door is open. It’s a house at the bottom of a lake. For the teens, there is only one rule: no questions. And yet, how could a place so spectacular come with no price tag? While the duo plays house beneath the waves, one reality remains: Just because a house is empty, doesn’t mean nobody’s home. Just finished this one last night, and I liked it a lot. It was a quiet, dreamlike read, no gutpunch horror but just a constant uneasiness. Notes I took while reading: (some spoilers below) -- 'Both seventeen. Both afraid. But both saying yes.' My HEART. I already love these kids. -- They are so awkward and I want to hug them. -- 'Amelia wished she'd brought a camera. Then she decided it was okay that she didn't have one. She could bring one next time. Then she realized she was already thinking of next time.' awwwwwww -- "It's a fucking house!" she said. Then she squealed because she was on a first date and they'd discovered something crazy enough to call magic.' It's all going to go terribly wrong somehow but this is so sweet and fun -- "Hi, Amelia," he said, thinking a pretend-communication with her might help. It didn't. And he wished he hadn't. It made him feel more alone. Made her seem far away. Or like he was leaving her name down here. Like he was delivering Amelia's name to the darkness.' THAT LAST LINE -- "Two dates underwater. One up above. Good for us. We're insane." *snerk* -- the floating dresses are creepy as helllllll -- I love the spiderweb and the indoor pool. Such great eerie details. -- 'They'd agreed never to ask how or why. But neither had thought to ask *who*.' AUGH -- 'It was an offering. A welcoming. A gift.' okay Amelia please gtfo now ..... you're not leaving are you. Haunted house novels are very prolific- and small wonder, it's a classic trope- so the challenge becomes doing something original with the concept.
Taylor hits on some traditional tropes: isolated cabin; creepy lake; emotionally fragile protagonist. But there's enough fresh stuff here to keep it interesting. (including a twist on one of my favorite scary tropes ever, the slowly-changing painting. I WILL NEVER LOOK AT PUZZLES THE SAME WAY AGAIN) This one is DARK. If you're looking for a happy ending or a more humorous take on the genre, look elsewhere. The subplot about Ben's mom is probably going to give me nightmares. I appreciate the "is he hallucinating or haunted" angle, but I felt like that aspect went on a bit too long. Nothing that made me regret reading it though, there's a lot to like here. (Cloud skeleton! Relocating bones! Dock monster! A MEOWING CAT SKULL AHHHH) Also! One of the main character's best friends is a gay man. I loved Doug, and I also love when queer people are acknowledged in modern horror/any fiction. 💗 (see also: The Hunger) |
A WORLD WITH A BLUER SUNMy reviews are set up a little like live-tweets: I write down lines I like/impressions as I read, and then transcribe. Reviews will contain spoilers, but I'll give a warning before they start. Archives
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