My Book Reviews

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll be honest: I went into this book having great expectations, seeing as I've been hearing how supposedly terrifying the Netflix version was.
And well, you know I'm always up for a good scare... reading-wise.

So imagine my confusion when I only had about a quarter left of the book, and there was still nothing terrifying. Spooky, sure, but nothing remotely terrifying .

That isn't to say that this had been a total fluke, of course. The plot was very immersive, and on more than one occasion, I found myself reading further than I had planned.
When we were first introduced to Eleanor, we were told that she was 32 years old. However, her imagination seemed to be that of a child, almost - daydreaming about fairies and another world. She even seemed a bit immature, almost, in her way of thinking. But she reminded me a bit of myself in her shy, socially-awkward ways, so I suppose I sort of related to her in a way. Mrs Dudley, on the other hand, was a peculiar character. And for a while, I was sure she had something to do with the haunting and/or goings-on in Hill House. But then there was a scene where Mrs Dudley seemed to actually be talking properly, to another character I've grown a dislike for, instead of her usual monotonous patter. So apparently she's one for normal conversations too eh?


Upon finishing the book, I was even more confused.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a complete wuss when it comes to horror movies; I hate them, because I get scared so easily and it tends to stick with me for longer than it should. But the reaction people gave to the Netflix version and my reaction upon finishing the book was two completely different ones!
And then I searched it up and turns out that the Netflix version had been different; for one, it referred more to the Crain family (I had been wondering why people were saying they 'felt for Theodora' when the book plot never referenced anything that might suggest that), Luke, Elanor and Theo had also been made 'Crains', and Doctor Montague is not in the picture.

Overall the book was okay. There were parts that were... I'd say eerie/creepy. But definitely not scary.

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The Dead Ex: HE CHEATED. HE LIED. HE DIED. by Jane Corry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m not happy with how long it took me to finish this. In fact, I had half a mind to give it up; but the nagging in my brain told me to just finish it and be done with it... and in part because the stubborn side of me just hates ditching a book - and I only do so if/when I find that I just really, really can’t seem to latch on to the story.

For a good half of the book, it had trouble piquing my interest. I was disappointed, as the synopsis sounded promising. But it was emotionally heavy from the off - not in the sense that it makes you cry, but the story heaps on so many negative emotions that I felt mentally drained... and I mean that in the highest praise possible.

The story initially goes back and forth between the protagonist Vicki’s point of view and a little 8-year old girl called Scarlet. I knew that their stories would eventually coincide with each other (as they do), but when they’re first introduced, they couldn’t have been more different characters. And you soon learn that the little game that Scarlet and her mother plays is actually more sinister than Scarlet is aware of.

Halfway into the story, one character’s point of view ‘disappears’, and another takes its place out of the blue. That initially confused me too.

I mentioned earlier that I just couldn’t seem to latch on to the story. Fortunately, it eventually did rather later on.

And then came the punches.

Along the story, I kind of suspected what had happened and the whodunits. And I was proved right.

And then I was proved wrong.

Yes, the author messes with your mind and makes you think your assumptions were right... and then she throws a curveball.

Oh I’m sorry, I mean several curveballs.

Now you may wonder, why a 4-star rating then instead of a 5?
Well... as amazing a book as this was, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Corry is an amazing writer, as this book proves - no doubt about that. But plot-wise, it’s just not my thing.

I think this is the first book I’ve ever read that wasn’t my cup of tea, but I’m still able to appreciate the undeniable talent of the author.

A first for everything, eh?

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More Than This by Patrick Ness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is one hell of a ride. I started off not knowing anything, and I finished it knowing some things but having more questions.

I like how Ness left some things unexplained, so there’s that little bit of mystery left in the midst of the conclusion.

The story as a whole is a good thing to ponder; what if everything came to that? What would happen to us as a human race?

Long story short, there’s not much I can say about the book without spoiling it, other than what the synopsis says. But I can tell you that the story grabs your attention from the beginning right till the end.

Oh, and I’ll leave you with this little earworm: coffins. But not in the way you’d think though. 😉

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