bennysbooks's Reviews (668)

Asked my kid what his rating was: "5/5 stars plus a silly face." Mine was 4/5. It's quite funny, and we can't wait to continue in the series. 

Ultimately couldn't get invested in anything going on. I found it a little on-the-nose at times, couldn't connect with Sophie, and wasn't ever frightened. Writing is fine - there are definitely some standout lines. I'm not sure it provided anything like a deeper understanding/new perspective on the source material(s), or interesting social commentary, though, which is I guess what I anticipated? It was very short though, and read through quickly. 

McFarlane is a comfort read for me. This book arrived exactly when I needed it to, and I loved every moment of it. It's one of my favourite of hers, up there with Just Last Night. 

(This cover makes me sad though. The saturated peach? Why? 😭)

The vibes were decent, but I didn't go into this book with the correct expectations. I thought it would be more literary than pulpy (not a value judgement, but the mood I'm in currently). The historical setting was fantastic, but otherwise I struggled to get invested. Might return to it one day, but at the very least it's sparked an interest in reading books set during the Mexican War of Independence. 

I would have dnf'd but this was my second attempt to read a book for the r/fantasy bingo superhero prompt, so I pushed through. I knew this prompt was going to be difficult for me...

I definitely understand why this book is beloved - it had an engaging beginning, fast pace, charming band of misfits with a morally grey lead, and solid writing. But ultimately, while I understand the appeal, it didn't work for me. At first I thought that jumping around in time was a smart way to tell this story, but as more perspectives were added, and the jumping became more erratic, I just found it muddled. And the characters were great, but there wasn't enough introspection for my taste. 

The last line...

I was not anticipating that I would love this book, yet here we are. I've read and enjoyed Sarah Waters before (Tipping the Velvet), but this was definitely superior. They're similar in that they're both historical, transportively atmospheric, slow-build character studies. But Tipping the Velvet had some pacing issues that I just didn't experience here. It was slow, but never once felt like a slog. 

In The Little Stranger, Waters uses the haunted house trope to explore the changing class and social structure of post-war England, and does so effectively. You feel for the family and their struggle to maintain their house, their status, and their heritage, even while you loathe their sense of superiority and stubborn denial of the realities of their crumbling world. You feel for Dr. Farraday and his inability to understand his role in the changing landscape of rural England and amongst his new friends, even while you want to smack him for being an overly involved and patronizing realist with a propensity for self-pity. I don't want to say too much more than this, but I cannot stop puzzling over the complex relationships and dynamics at play in this novel, and the way that the ending shifted my understanding of everything. And best of all, this was wrapped in a solid horror story that genuinely terrified me more than once. 

Anyway, I loved it. I'll be thinking about it for weeks, I'm sure. 

Genuinely thought I would enjoy this, but noooooooo. The writing style/characters/dialogue were basic, the tone far more twee than I expected, and the crux of the story rested on a baffling plot hole (and yes, I read spoilers - I know what the conclusion of that is, but it doesn't excuse the ridiculousness of the request at the beginning, and doesn't sound like a good ending imo). 

I can see why this would work for people; it's not one of those books whose success is completely baffling to me. I'm just disappointed because I wanted to be one of those people.