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Side by Side Review: THE FOREVER HOUSE by Tim Waggoner

Here at Night Worms, we love to buddy read & review. Chandra, Janelle, Matt, and John offer their reading experience of THE FOREVER HOUSE by Tim Waggoner.

Thank you Flame Tree Press for early copies.

Chandra's review:

This was the horror book that I needed right now.  I remember reading the synopsis a WHILE back and then promptly forgot about it - I just knew I wanted to read it so I dove into this one, nose first, completely blind, and only hurt myself a little. 

Yes to the creepy family that moves into the house where previous murders have occurred.  Yes to the diverse families that live in this cul de sac and who are now curious about this new family and their unknown intentions.  (Honestly though, if a neighbor left an invite to a bbq on my trash can, I probably wouldn't be prone to go but hey, maybe I'd be compelled unknowingly like they were?)  

The opening chapter really piqued my interest but I was also a bit hesitant - is this gonna get a little *too weird* for me.  HAHAHA - oh who am I kidding?  Rarely is anything too weird for me.  Waggoner takes us on quite an interesting journey.. and I loved it.  Give me all the creepy feels,  creepy he gave me in spades.  Such vivid visuals from the insincere, toothy smiles, the white clovers, the face that just doesn't move and the pasts come to life again.  But then also give me feelings whether between the families themselves or new ones forged in the intimacy that comes from being in a life and death and death and death situation. Ahem.

I do think there were a couple of instances of wanting to teach the reader a lesson that while I understood why was in there, wasn't necessary for the sake of the story and I found a bit annoying rather than helpful.  I feel the character(s) this was pointed at didn't need it for their personality to come through.  That would be my only critique.  The whole of this story is very satisfying.  Certain instances may be a bit much for some readers but I thoroughly enjoyed that the author WENT THERE.  I'll hitch my horse to anything Waggoner writes.

4 out 5 stars

Chandra blogs over at:
John's Review:
The Forever House, by Tim Waggoner, is a book that I've been anticipating for some time now. You see, I'm guilty of cyberstalking the Flame Tree press website. The minute they put up a new listing for a horror novel, I put a new listing on my TBR. This is my second book by Waggoner and I found myself satisfied with what I read.
This book, simply put, is crazy. That's the easiest way for me to describe it. I thought I was getting a haunted house book, this is so much more. The characters all felt very real, including one character that I found to be completely disgusting, as I imagine most readers will. There are some parts of this book that might cause readers to tap out, all involving this particular character. But, unfortunately, people like this exist in real life, so they will exist in books as well. That being said, the cast of characters here are quite diverse, and for the most part, act as if they were real people and not cannon fodder in a horror story. You find yourself rooting for some, and rooting against others, as it should be.
The writing itself is well done, Waggoner's prose is easy to read and keeps the story flowing naturally. Once things start getting unveiled, the book just keeps getting weirder and weirder, but not in a way that would turn me off. Waggoner excels at telling a creepy story and keeping this train on the tracks, even when he throws everything but the kitchen sink at the reader. From start to finish, I enjoyed The Forever House, right down to a conclusion that I didn't see coming.
As I mentioned previously, this is my 2nd Waggoner, and I'm going to be reading much more by the author sooner rather than later. The Forever House is an especially distinct title that manages to exceed expectations and keep the reader entertained.
4/5 stars

John is a native of Cranston, Rhode Island. He served 4 years in the United States Marine Corps, deploying twice to Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s a lover of all things horror, pizza and cheeseburgers.  When he’s not reading or watching boxing he spends his time with his amazing wife and two beautiful sons.

Instagram: @SteelRainReviews

Twitter: @RainReviews

 

Andrew's Review:

Tim Waggoner is absolutely incredible at crafting bad people, awful people, EVIL people. THE FOREVER HOUSE is dark fiction with no boundaries.

"Reality is like ice cream. It comes in lots and lots of flavours. But what you really want to know is if the events which occur in the stalking ground - excuse me, the house - will have lasting consequences."

THIS BOOK IS DARK. There were scenes in this story that will stay with me forever. I didn't read the synopsis, I often don't. I simply jumped at the opportunity to read a new story by the Bram Stoker award-winning author Tim Waggoner. I have read many reviews on his work and the consensus is that he is the best at crafting bad people. It is absolutely true. This story and cast of characters within it are incredibly imaginative. It is impossible to predict scene-to-scene the awful circumstances that await its characters. I really enjoyed how this book was filled to the brim with ominous tension building suspense. At no point did my mind stray from the story, I couldn't help but stay fully committed. Ok, so I can tell you right now that there will be lots of negative reviews about certain disturbing scenes in this book. I'm here to tell you that although they were hard to read, they were important to the story. Once I got over the shock of what I had read, I actually appreciated what Tim Waggoner did with the story. High strung tension in an unbelievably imaginative read by an admirable author. I truly believe that horror readers will find a lot to enjoy in this book.

I rated THE FOREVER HOUSE by Tim Waggoner 4 / 5 stars. I found this read to be sinister, dark and disturbing, all in the best way possible. There are definitely scenes that were difficult to get through because of its content but it certainly didn't stop me from devouring this book. I'm anxious to read more by Tim Waggoner and his fiercely creative mind.


ABOUT ME: My name's Andrew. I'm a husband and father who loves to read all things dark, thrilling, mysterious, and suspenseful. I didn't always enjoy reading but have been nothing short of obsessed over the last five or so years. The obsession has lead to writing and so here I am fighting for time to read and write while trying to work a full-time job and satisfy my family’s needs (#1 priority). FOLLOW ME:

Book Blog, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest

 

Janelle's Review:

Thank you Smith Publicity and Flametree Press for my copy.
THE FOREVER HOUSE is a disturbingly dark story of a family and their wicked, macabre, and ravenous ways.
In the small town of Rockridge, Ohio the Eldred family moves into what is nicknamed the “House of Blood” at the bottom of a cul-de-sac. A mother who lived there before had gone insane and murdered her entire family. But that didn’t keep the Eldred's from purchasing the house. In fact, it was one of the reasons this house was so appealing. The very odd, unusual family of five has an insatiable appetite for human despair, negativity, deplorable behavior, and horrific acts. They are ageless, “other” beings that literally feed on horror to survive. The characters are quirky, disgusting, and downright evil so they are the perfect family to build a story around. Let’s just say, you don’t want to be neighborly to this bunch.
Waggoner writes a no-holds-barred type of story where there is absolutely nothing redeeming about its characters. There are some aspects that might be considered over-the-top, but they don’t take away from the enjoyment of this vicious novel. There are some scenes that might be difficult or uncomfortable for some readers - they didn’t bother me, but I should mention it. At the end of the day, THE FOREVER HOUSE is exactly what I needed to get my mind off things. Highly recommended if you are looking for sinister characters to devour.
Janelle is on Instagram @shereadswithcats

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