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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Horror violence and disturbing events; deaths; children in danger
Language
Some
Some strong language in a horror register
Sexual Content
Barely any
Adult relationships in the backstory; nothing explicit
Substance Use
Barely any
Alcohol use in the mother's character
Emotional Intensity
A lot
A deeply disturbed maternal relationship; a woman whose grip on reality is being tested; children drawn toward something dangerous
What this book is about
Alison has built a careful life — a loving wife, two stepchildren, a home she controls. Then her estranged mother Evelyn, gravely ill, arrives to stay, and Alison's careful life begins to come apart. The children are fascinated by Evelyn in ways that terrify Alison. Strange things begin happening at night. Jennifer McMahon's horror novel is built on the specific terror of a maternal relationship that was always wrong — and the question of whether what Alison fears is supernatural, psychological, or something her mother actually brought into the house.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
horror violence and disturbing imagery
children in danger
psychological horror throughout
deeply dysfunctional family dynamics
Reader Verification
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