I feel like I'm missing whatever everyone else is seeing in The September House. I saw it recommended as having twists and turns, and maybe it's my fault for expecting that while reading, but everything felt really predictable. "He's down there" is said so often in a book about a missing husband that I don't really believe that the reveal was supposed to be a reveal. But then why drag it on for so long? The entire book has way too much repetition.
The concept is great; the haunted house as a parallel to Margaret's abusive relationship was a really good concept, but it was spoonfed with zero subtlety. I'm not a professional writer or anything but I kept thinking "this just isn't written very well." That unfortunately stopped me from finding it very charming or funny during the moments I could tell it was trying to be. The descriptions of all the spooky happenings also felt a little cheesy along with the ending, which was even cheesier, but that's a personal nitpick.
I dislike being contrarian for no reason so I'd love to know what about the book I'm missing that made so many people rate it 5 stars and say it's on par with The Haunting of Hill House? Is the writing actually subpar or am I reading it "wrong"? Or do Goodreads and Storygraph reviewers generally just hand out 5 stars like candy?
by campharos