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The Sick House
The Sick House
Jeff Strand | 2018 | Horror
8
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gory fun with fun dialogue
The Sick House was a delight to read. I had just finished the first novel of Richard Fox’s Terra Nova series, so I was searching for a horror novel to flip to when I came across a friend’s review of this on Goodreads. Her review, along with the fact that it was on Kindle Unlimited, meant that it was an instant grab for me with little thought required. Especially because I’ve previously read Strand’s The Haunted Forest tour and loved it.

My favorite part of The Sick House was without a doubt the family’s dialogue and relationships. The bonds between them felt so real and the quips were exactly the type of thing you’re liable to hear at my house. It made me instantly get attached to all of the characters, and that carried me easily through the book. On the flip side, though, I didn’t like that Gina was also very mouthy. I felt like it would have made the family feel a bit more special if Strand had restrained the banter to just them.

I did like Gina, though. She reminded me very much of the character Gina Silvers from the Amazon series Just Add Magic. (Yes, that’s a kid show, but if you’ve ever watched Just Add Magic, you could totally see her pulling the stunts that happen in The Sick House.) I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil any of it for readers.

A family that I can root for, a house that’s got a serious ‘something’s fishy’ vibe, and the grossness that ensues almost as soon as they move in makes for a lovely read. Well, lovely in an aspect that horror fans will understand at least. Jeff Strand has a talent for descriptions that set the scene perfectly without going into unneeded oodles of detail. It also has perfect pacing, tons of violence, and reads so quickly and easily that it’s an afternoon treat.

Highly recommend horror fans check out The Sick House. Great, fun read.