hmm overall I think this was cute! But I found myself not really caring about Chloe & Shara. I think the execution of this with having the mystery for a good deal of the book led to me not feeling that invested in their relationship. I would’ve rather had more flashbacks or focus on their prior interactions. I actually really liked Smith though and some of the side characters, it may have been more interesting tbh & I cared more about their development. Still a cute summer read tho.

I really enjoyed this! The author’s writing is great, and all of the characters felt real to me. I liked the character development with Cora, even though it took awhile, and some of the writing became repetitive. I loved the hungry ghosts and how they were incorporated. While it was really dark, there was still some humor which I appreciated. As a heads up tho, this book is incredibly graphic- even way more than what I was expecting. The plot felt a little derailed at around 80%, but I think things were tied up alright at the end, and I enjoyed how it ended. . “For me, no needle-neck ghost can compare to the way the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world- the way we sacrificed the elderly and disabled on the altar of capitalism, the way trust in the government and the CDC dissolved, and the way we proved we as a country still haven’t learned not to scapegoat an entire race of people in times of fear.”

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and writing overall, but I was hoping for a stronger plot and more character development. The plot meandered, and I couldn’t really tell what the book was going for. The first 10-15% felt strong with the setting and world building, but it fell flat once we were in the House. I wanted to know more about the other girls too. Marion’s feelings towards Lisavet felt one-dimensional, imo I liked the last 20%, but it would’ve been made better by having a stronger plot and character development with the girls and their relationships. The gory bits and eerie atmosphere was great though & I loved the queer gothic premise. I also liked the commentary on class, race and wealth, I would’ve loved for that to have been explored even more.