Reviewed by Quirky Cat on
In the Shadows of Spindrift House is the latest novella from Mira Grant (AKA Seanan McGuire). It’s heavily influenced by Lovecraftian lore, so if you’re a fan of that tone and style of writing, then you’re surely going to love this one.
As you can probably surmise from the title, the plot of In the Shadows of Spindrift House circles around a house. It’s a disturbing tale, with creepy tones and foreshadowing elements strewn all over the place.
This novella is perfect if you’ve read any of Lovecraft’s works, and felt like it needed more human emotions and reactions in the tale. Mira Grant perfectly captures the nature of both the house and the people in this chilling tale.
In the Shadows of Spindrift House is without a doubt one of my favorite reads for the year. It may be early to say that, since it is only March, but that is how much I loved this novella. It’s dark and eerie and captured the curiosity that is human nature so eloquently. It shook me to my core, and I know it’ll stick with me for quite some time.
I was sold just upon reading the introduction to this story. Having the first chapter being about, and by, the house itself was a brilliant, if disturbing choice. It started the novella off with a poetic feel to it, but also went a long way in establishing the world.
From there it cuts to a team of four near adults, whom together form a team that can only be described as rookie mystery hunters. The juxtaposition is quirky, but it also sort of suits the world. The two extremes are intentionally jarring, I believe. In one location we have a dark house with strong intents and a hidden purpose. In the other location we have four kids with varying degrees of issues, who just want to do one last job (haven’t they learned never to say ‘one last job?’).
The story unfolds at a perfect pace from there. Every few pages it felt like another hint was dropped as to the true nature of the tale. Eventually hoping to feed us enough information to put it all together ourselves. I know I had more than one theory before the story concluded.
Never once did I feel like the plot rushed itself along. There was plenty of time to take a break and disturb us with another set of details, like an accurate description of a room or reminding us of a character’s particular issues. Together these elements just heightened the tension of the tale, slowly building it up…
I loved every moment of this novella. I honestly couldn’t put it down, and read it all in one sitting. I then promptly turned back to the first page and read it all over again. This tale got under my skin in ways I hadn’t expected.
The best part? I can see where this tale would connect to some of Mira Grant’s other novels and worlds…it’s a disturbing thought actually, but I like it. I can’t wait to see if any formal connection is ever drawn between them or not.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 22 March, 2019: Finished reading
- 22 March, 2019: Reviewed