Audiobook Review: A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

Author: T. Kingfisher

Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal

Title: A House With Good Bones

Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery

Format: Audiobook 

Published: March 28, 2023

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

"Mom seems off."

Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.

Review:

I picked this for book club! I've really been meaning to read more by this author. So far I've only read one a while back, so it was time. Seen this and it seemed like a nice pick. 

Sam is temporarily moving back in with her mother. Her brother's words scare her a bit, but it just can't be true that their mother is "off". Or is her brother being overdramatic? She'll have to see for herself. When she steps in, the house seems to be transported back in time. The once vibrant house, is now back to the sterile white walls and questionable decor that her grandmother used to have. Her mother is jumpy and way too skinny. Something is wrong and Sam will figure it out. 

Creepy. SOOO creepy. The last...quarter of the book had me glued! I couldn't stop listening and I kept mumbling, "WHAT THE F?" Wild. Loved it.

The "answer" seemed so simple. The answer was literally written on the wall, but the further you go the more complex and weird it gets. It was awesome. One scene? A thing of absolute nightmares and I loved every second of it.

I do wish we had more of a solid ending. Like....what? Sure, the unknown is scary and we are supposed to be a little scared for them, but I wanted to see more. Maybe a future book? 

The narrator was alright. Sometimes she was a little jovial for Sam. Sure, Sam is kind of jovial, but it seemed too much. Her guy voices were...eh. Poor Phil sounded so weird. 

Overall, I did like this. It makes me want more from the author. Wild story that got crazy good. I wanted more from the end and the narrator was just alright, but I ate up every second of this. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Gail (spell?) and our vulture buddy

Least Favorite Character(s): The grandmother

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #34

- Cloak & Dagger #19

- Library Love #20