Do Not Go in That House – Ruth Anna Evans

4/5 stars

THANK YOU FOR NOT HURTING KITTY

Do Not Go in That House is wild! Maggie has a podcast where she talks about cold cases. She wants nothing more than to go viral, and her mania brought her to the last thing that she needs: an obsession with the Carlson house. Be careful what you wish for…

Ruth does such a great job of writing Maggie’s character. Maggie’s mania shows in obsession. She gets fixated on things and can’t stop herself from obsessing and making her life all about that one thing until the mania breaks into severe depression. She knows that the decisions that she’s making are not good for her and that things are going wrong, but she can’t stop herself. It’s horrifying to think about in all honesty; knowing you’re spiraling but having no way to stop.

I love the concept of an evil house. You’re not really given a reason for why things happen the way they do, but I’m not mad about it. I’m glad that it was left a bit more ambiguous so I could draw my own conclusions and thoughts about what was happening.

It was all very tragic in the end. Poetic, sure, but tragic. I really felt for Maggie despite all the poor decisions that she made. She was a lonely woman who just wanted to matter, even if it was just in a superficial way. Combined with her mental health struggles, she never stood a chance.

Another great story by Ruth Anna Evans! Thank you so much for the ARC, you never disappoint!