In the Shadow of Spindrift House

Why did this fall flat for me, when it has so many elements I love? I guess maybe that's the reason it fell flat - it felt like someone dumped “The Shadow Over Innsmouth,” [b:The Haunting of Hill House 89717 The Haunting of Hill House Shirley Jackson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327871336l/89717.SY75.jpg 3627], and [b:Meddling Kids 32905343 Meddling Kids Edgar Cantero https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491342454l/32905343.SY75.jpg 53521810] into a bowl and unsuccessfully tried to mix them into a confection. It all struck me as shallow and derivative.I feel strange complaining that there wasn't enough of something I didn't like, but this might have been more successful as a full novel - the characters were really flat and would have benefited from being fleshed out and relatable. Also, the mystery was never very mysterious, so I got bored. Teasing out crumbs of information along the way might have worked better for me.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for my open and honest review.
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Mira Grant has written some of my favorite stories. Have you read The Newsflesh Series or Parasitology? If not, you should. Both are fantastic. Grant has a way of writing aspects of the horror genre that humanize it. For instance, in Newsflesh, the main antagonist is zombies. But, more than that, it is the yoke of our fears as a society. Instead of a typical zombie yarn, we have a story that is very human and one the reader can empathize. In Parasitology, we have science and technology run amok — again a story with horror aspects that can be empathized within our technology-driven world.

The ability to empathize or care about the main characters is entirely missing in The Shadow of The Spindrift House.

It doesn't make it a bad book — it's typical and humdrum. What could have been exciting and terrifying is boring and predictable. I still liked it; I gave it a three out of five stars. It is still a serviceable book. But, it is no way up to par with Grant's other books. It is a typical haunted house story, with slightly stupid characters that make predictable mistakes and choices and pay for their decisions with deadly consequences. If the book was longer and Grant had more of a chance for significant exposition on her characters and more worldbuilding with the house, it would have been much better. As it stands, though, it feels short and a bit choppy.

If you are looking for a haunted house book to whittle away at for an hour or two, it isn't bad. But only if you are hard up for something to read in that genre. Otherwise, pick up The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson or Room 1408 by Stephen King.