The House That Horror Built

March 11, 2024
Henry (Good Girls Don’t Die) spins an eerie haunted house tale set in the home of a famous horror director. Having escaped an abusive upbringing and homelessness, single mother Harry Adams now lives paycheck to paycheck while raising her 14-year-old son, Gabriel. Her latest in a string of low-paying gigs is cleaning the mansion of Javier Castillo, who closely resembles Guillermo del Toro in his career trajectory, elaborate home, and frequent collaborators—but that’s where the comparison ends. Castillo has been a recluse since his wife and son vanished in the midst of a murder investigation in which their son was a suspect. He takes an unexpected interest in Gabriel, and Harry doesn’t know how she should feel about the attention the eccentric but renowned filmmaker is showing her son. Meanwhile, strange happenings occur in the house: props move, costumes reach for her, and a strange voice from a perpetually locked room calls out for help. Harry’s motivations are occasionally muddled, making it difficult to fully invest in her plight. Still, Henry captures the epic scale of the best horror movies and her passion for monstrosity comes through clearly. The results are familiar but fun. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency.

August 1, 2024

This haunted-house story for the pandemic era eschews subtlety for gothic bombast. Single mother and out-of-work waitress Harry Adams is stressed because of her dire financial situation. As no restaurants are hiring during the pandemic, she takes a job cleaning the home of reclusive horror-movie director Javier Castillo, who went into hiding after a family tragedy. As a fan of Castillo's work, Harry considers this a dream job, but her dream turns into a nightmare when she realizes that supernatural forces are haunting the mansion. To save herself and her family, Harry must figure out what has possessed the house. Though Castillo might call to mind horror director Guillermo del Toro, Henry (Good Girls Don't Die) seems to draw more of her inspiration from novels like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. She heavily evokes the gothic aesthetic, from the brooding castlelike Castillo home to the novel's gloriously melodramatic ending. Lisa Flanagan adds pop with her narration of the audiobook, especially in the dialogue between Harry and her teenage son Gabe. VERDICT Henry's novel draws readers in not by being terrifying but by being both fun and frightening. Perfect for horror fans who prefer playful eeriness over gore.--James Gardner

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.