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desiree930 's review for:
Home Before Dark
by Riley Sager
4.5 stars, rounded up because I can.
Absolutely my favorite Riley Sager. I've enjoyed his books in the past (I think the lowest rating I gave was to Final Girls, and that was still a 3-3.5) but this one feels like it was written just for me. I love stories about creepy houses that may or may not be haunted but definitely have a past. I liked the book within a book. And the ending, while not COMPLETELY blowing me away, was satisfying and plausible.
Usually I hate it when books are compared to other books, movies, or television shows. More often than not, the link is tenuous at best and I end up disappointed. This was being compared to the Netflix adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, which I was obsessed with when it came out and really want to rewatch soon. So I was immediately on my guard. That being said, Riley Sager has been my favorite thriller writer in the past few years, so I was willing to go in with an open mind.
The comparisons to THOHH are apt. This is VERY similar to THOHH, while still being its own story. I'm not sure how much, if any, of the inspiration for this book came from the show. It's entirely possible that this book was written before the show was even a thing. I love both of them and like I said, I think this book stands on its own merit.
I think that the way the author incorporated the trope of book-within-a-book and combined it with another tried and true thriller trope, dual timelines, was really well done. It felt like a clever way to get the backstory, especially since we know that there is a strong possibility that we are dealing with an unreliable narrator to get that part of the story.
The creepy atmosphere the author creates here is *chef's kiss*. I love the gothic, eerie setting, and I found myself becoming more and more unsettled throughout the course of the book.
This story unfolds in a way that is very satisfying. I was suspicious of everything and everyone, so when we find out the truth of what happened it wasn't a total shock to me, but I definitely had a lot of fun thinking about what might actually be the truth.
I read this book in one sitting today, minus the time it took to make lunch. I just didn't want to put it down. I'm so glad I picked this up when I did, because I was feeling a reading slump coming on, and this brought me right out of it and back to wanting to read everything in sight.
Absolutely my favorite Riley Sager. I've enjoyed his books in the past (I think the lowest rating I gave was to Final Girls, and that was still a 3-3.5) but this one feels like it was written just for me. I love stories about creepy houses that may or may not be haunted but definitely have a past. I liked the book within a book. And the ending, while not COMPLETELY blowing me away, was satisfying and plausible.
Usually I hate it when books are compared to other books, movies, or television shows. More often than not, the link is tenuous at best and I end up disappointed. This was being compared to the Netflix adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, which I was obsessed with when it came out and really want to rewatch soon. So I was immediately on my guard. That being said, Riley Sager has been my favorite thriller writer in the past few years, so I was willing to go in with an open mind.
The comparisons to THOHH are apt. This is VERY similar to THOHH, while still being its own story. I'm not sure how much, if any, of the inspiration for this book came from the show. It's entirely possible that this book was written before the show was even a thing. I love both of them and like I said, I think this book stands on its own merit.
I think that the way the author incorporated the trope of book-within-a-book and combined it with another tried and true thriller trope, dual timelines, was really well done. It felt like a clever way to get the backstory, especially since we know that there is a strong possibility that we are dealing with an unreliable narrator to get that part of the story.
The creepy atmosphere the author creates here is *chef's kiss*. I love the gothic, eerie setting, and I found myself becoming more and more unsettled throughout the course of the book.
This story unfolds in a way that is very satisfying. I was suspicious of everything and everyone, so when we find out the truth of what happened it wasn't a total shock to me, but I definitely had a lot of fun thinking about what might actually be the truth.
I read this book in one sitting today, minus the time it took to make lunch. I just didn't want to put it down. I'm so glad I picked this up when I did, because I was feeling a reading slump coming on, and this brought me right out of it and back to wanting to read everything in sight.