Haunted House

The Hacienda | Blog Post

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Years after her father’s execution, Beatriz marries Don Rodolfo Solórzano for the safety of his countryside estate, Hacienda San Isidro. However, the hacienda is far from a sanctuary, as eerie visions and unexplained events plague her. Rodolfo’s sister and the household staff’s odd behaviors deepen Beatriz’s unease. She seeks help from Padre Andrés, a priest with hidden powers, to confront the malevolent force haunting the estate. But the darkness within the hacienda may prove to be her downfall.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3SUy5Ty

My Rating

This book is often compared to Rebecca meets Mexican Gothic. While I haven’t read ‘Rebecca’, I did read ‘Mexican Gothic’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I love haunted house stories, so I had high hopes for this book, and for the most part, it didn’t disappoint.

The story is about Beatriz, a new bride who moves into her husband’s countryside estate, the Hacienda. But she quickly realizes things aren’t quite right at Hacienda San Isidro. She starts hearing voices and even sees a dead body. Honestly, she handled it way better than I would have.

Beatriz is an interesting character. She married a man she barely knew, hoping for a better life, but ended up in a situation that might be even worse than what she left behind. What I liked about the story is that it’s not just told from Beatriz’s point of view. We also get some chapters from Padre Andrés, the young priest she turns to for help. Even though his chapters are fewer, it was interesting to see things, especially the past, from his perspective.

“There is nothing more beautiful than the sound of match against paper, the sharp spark of amber and gold, the small crackle of a wick taking flame.”

You can tell from the description that there’s a bit of a magical element in the story, and the author blends it in really well. It gives the book something unique that makes it stand out among other Gothic haunted house stories. It even gave me *The Conjuring* movie vibes, which I really liked.

The writing is good, but sometimes it felt a bit slow, which made the story drag a little. But I never wanted to put it down, and once I started reading, I needed to know how it would end. Also, the book does mention some heavy and possibly triggering topics, which was a bit unexpected.

Overall, I enjoyed the historical setting, and I didn’t mind that the ending was a bit predictable. My only real complaint is how the romance part ended, though I’m not sure you’d even call it a romance. Still, I’m interested in reading more from this author, and I’d recommend this book to anyone just starting to explore the horror genre.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. If you liked this post, please give it a like and share it with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the blog for more book-related content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The September House // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee. Margaret is not most people.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/46QSe1K

My Rating

This book surprised me in a good way. The book follows Margaret, a woman who moves into a haunted house with her husband. However, when her husband goes missing, their daughter is determined to find out what happened to her father. Her mother is desperate to keep all the supernatural things that go on in the house a secret from her. Does that not sound like a recipe for a good haunted house mystery?

The book is told from Margaret’s perspective during her fourth September in the house. It is widely mentioned throughout the story that September is when shit hits the fan. We get chapters from previous years throughout Margaret’s life. Many of these chapters described what it was like when they first moved to the house. We also learn a lot about Margaret and her life with her husband and daughter.

Margaret is a very unreliable narrator, because there is a mention that her father had a mental illness. Her marriage was unhappy. She mentioned a lot about rules and rules to cope with many things, such as her husband’s drinking and anger and her deadly house.

“Thank you for coming but kindly remove your crazy asses from our holy ground.”

The writing was good, but it did not keep me engaged as much as I had hoped it would. I felt that there were many instances when I wanted the story to progress much faster than it did. I felt that it was just lacking something in the way the author told the story that kept them from becoming a new favorite thriller author.

This plot is interesting. I kept trying to guess what was going to happen. You think the author is going to take you in one direction, but then they do a complete 180, and take you in an entirely different direction. The last few chapters were not incredibly action-packed, but they were very intense.

Overall, it was a decent haunted house story. Will there probably be better options in the future? Sure, but is this one that I will remember? Definitely, yes. Please keep in mind that this book heavily dives into domestic violence and what it is like to be a woman in that situation, especially one with a child.

You can always check book trigger warnings on the StoryGraph app or at Book Trigger Warnings. Please leave me a comment letting me know if you are interested in this book. Do not forget to hit the follow button, so that you never miss any of my posts.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Gallant // Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

About The Book
Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source. New York Times–bestselling author V. E. Schwab crafts a vivid and lush novel that grapples with the demons that are often locked behind closed doors. An eerie, stand-alone saga about life, death, and the young woman beckoned by both.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3Ru38pj

My Rating

I did not know what to expect going into this book because I had not heard much about it. The only thing I knew was that it was supposedly a creepy-haunted house story. However, the first chapter had me immediately intrigued, which is not surprising since V.E. Schwab books are always well written. This is one author who knows how to capture readers’ attention in the first few chapters.

The book follows Olivia, who spent her whole life thinking that she was an orphan with no family. The only personal item she had and cherished was her mother’s journal. However, the journal warns Olivia that she should stay away from Gallant. However, there would not be much of a story if the main character listened to her mother’s warning, so, of course, she receives a letter saying she should return home to Gallant and her family.

As a main character, Olivia was very interesting because I have not read many books with nonverbal characters, let alone a nonverbal protagonist. However, this means that the story is told in a third person, which did not bother me or hinder my reading experience. Because she is mute, there is sign language representation and what I believe is dyslexia representation in one of the other characters.

“Home is a choice.”

Although the characters are the root of the story, we follow Olivia as she learns about her family and all the secrets of Gallant. I would actually say that the book was much more plot driven. Besides Olivia, the story did not dive too much into the background and personalities of the other characters. In addition, the book is not very heavy in terms of it side characters.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and it reminded me a lot of ‘Horrid’ by Katrina Leno. I would say that the book falls more into the middle grade category, for me, but I feel that way about most V.E. Schwab’s young adult work. However, it should be noted that this story might not be for everyone, since it is somewhat unique. Moreover, the plot was quite sad at certain times.

Before you go, hit the follow button to show your support for my blog. In addition, if you do not know, I have a Facebook page as well, where you can get blog updates, post links, and more fun bookish content. If you know any other book lovers, share this post with them.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny