**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Horrid
Katrina Leno
From the author of You Must Not Miss comes a haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie.
Following her father’s death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor’s doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone…and more tormented.
As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident “bad seed,” struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane’s mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won’t reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the “storage room” her mom has kept locked isn’t for storage at all–it’s a little girl’s bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears….
Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more…horrid?
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads
Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.
My Opinion
(3 / 5) Hmm. I’m left a bit underwhelmed. I truly enjoyed the first half and couldn’t wait for the second half. However, the more details that were revealed, the less I liked it.Â
I really enjoyed reading this with my book club. We found many holes and plot questions that were left unanswered. Pica was used as a coping skill, which once it was explained, I actually understood. However, that first line of the book about her cramming paper in her mouth really made it curious!
I liked the mild creepy vibe, and I liked the idea of the haunted house. So many unexplained things were going on that my attention never waned. I also liked Leno’s interpretation of grief and how it was brought up throughout. It’s not something that goes away quickly and her descriptions were well done.
This is a great book for October but I would’ve preferred the ending more definite.
Detailed Content Review
Language
F***- 35
H***- 6
S***- 20
A**- 4
B****- 1
D***- 3
Bas****-
Religious Cursing
J****- 6
Chr***-
G**- 5
L***-
Derogatory terms etc-
Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking
A mother reeks of cigarettes.
A mom drinks wine with dinner and gives half a glass to her teen daughter.
A few years ago, a young woman took multiple pills and has been in the hospital since. (suicide attempt?)
A teen daughter says her mom needs wine and pours her a generous amount. She steals a sip.
A young woman brings schnapps in a flask to a dance. Her friend drinks too. Then the young woman grabs a bottle of vodka from her bra. The other drinks too and she feels it go straight to her head.
Intimacy, Sex, Immodesty
*None
Violence, Weapons, Crime, Blood
Some teens throw a rock at a window and run.
A young woman bullies another. She knocks into her and is rude on a regular basis. The young woman also finds her books and jacket from her locker in shreds.
A young woman sees a shadow of someone in her house. The cops are called and knives from the kitchen are grabbed for weapons.
A young woman sees her room has been trashed, then she passes out.
A young woman punches a young woman.
Two teens break into a young woman’s house.
A young girl is said to have killed a litter of kittens by twisting their necks.
Potentially Intense Themes
A father has a heart attack and dies. His teen daughter struggles with grief often throughout the book.
Unexplainable sounds or events occur like doors opening, hearing footsteps, lights on, laughter, something rolling, a shadow, texts, calls, music, and more.
A young woman is found dead in her hospital bed with many cuts on her arms and hands. Her sister and cousin struggle with the grief.
**SPOILER** A young girl falls into a hole and when trying to dig out, gets buried and dies.
**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Â
I completely agree with your review!
Well thank you ma’am!
She did nail grief really well – there’s no guidebook for how it affects people. Loved reading with you gals 🥰
Thanks for making the chats fun!
Man I’m glad there’s no romance in horror but these YA books are getting awful cussy!
I’ve heard really mixed things about this one!