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Book Review of Slade House

Slade House
Slade House
Author: David Mitchell
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Horror
Book Type: Hardcover
virago avatar reviewed on + 267 more book reviews


Wow! This was a pretty creepy and twisted tale. This book was beautifully written and very interesting. The whole time I read it, Hotel California was playing on a loop inside my head.

But what to say about it? It's kinda of the age-old tale of a man being too stupid or stubborn--or both-- to listen to the woman in his life. If Jonah had just listened to his sister Nora, things could have turned out so, so differently for both of them.

This is basically a Hotel California type situation. A person with the right type of...psychic energy I guess, is lured into Slade House by the Grayer siblings, where they are treated to all sorts of fantasies--or hallucinations--and once they succumb, they are never seen again. But each victim is warned by the previous victim until finally one of them is strong enough to fight back, which is the beginning of the end for the Slade House.

It was pretty spooky and kind of sad. Enough of he victims' backgrounds were revealed that you felt real sympathy for most of them. Anger, even, at siblings for what they were doing to innocent people. It was a very good series of interconnected vignettes and while it wasn't completely an 'open ending', I feel like there is a door left open for a sequel. I'd be very interested in reading.