Refusing to settle for the traditional haunted house story? Looking for an atmospheric, layered story heavy on the psychological horror and suspense? You may enjoy, This Cursed House by author Del Sandeen. This debut gothic horror novel, released in 2024, was one of the books for my Genre Jump series on YouTube. Today I’m sharing my This Cursed House review and why this book would make a great addition to the horror section of your library.
Summary for This Cursed House
When Jemma Barker finds herself at a crossroads following the end of her relationship and loss of her job, she leaps at the opportunity to work for the Duchon family in New Orleans, despite the eerily apt timing of the job offer. Upon Jemma’s arrival, she quickly realizes there is a far more sinister plan at play as she begins to unveil the deception and secrets the Duchon family hides beneath their glamour. The closer she gets to the truth, the more it becomes evident that Jemma’s fate has become intertwined with the Duchons, and she is the only one who can save them both.
Book Stats
Publish Date: October 8, 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Author: Del Sandeen
Genre: Horror, Southern Gothic
Themes: Generational Trauma, Identity & Belonging, Power, Family Secrets, Reckoning with History, Colorism, Internalized Racism, and anti-Blackness.
Content Warnings: Death, Grief, Emotional Abuse, Racial Trauma, Racial Violence, Light Body Horror, and Mental Health.
Representation: OWN voices story, Black Characters, Black Protagonist, Black cultural themes and topics, Black history and lived experiences, and mental health representation.
This Cursed House Review
Let’s start with the structure of This Cursed House which is a slow-burn horror drenched in suspense, atmosphere, and detailed plotting. I would argue that the synopsis gives too much of the story away taking away the intial surprise awaing Jemma at the Duchon residence but it was easy to get into the story as Sandeen provided relevant information immediately pulling you into the meat of the story. Next, her prose was wonderful. It was historically accurate providing each character a distinct voice accounting for various accents dependant on region and class creating a rich reading experience.
Furthermore, Sandeen’s style was straightforward without difficulty making it ideal for new readers or if you want a book that’s easy to get into simultaneously providing depth. There is exploration of heavy themes in this novel about racism, racialized violence and horror elements. Check your trigger warnings to make sure this is an appropriate novel for you.
The plot development was clever and delivered supernatural suspense, unsettiling family secrets and a generational curse serving as powerful metaphors for the novel’s themes. Although the middle did wane and become slowl it picks up at the 60% mark building to a powerful albeit poignant conclusion. Furthermore the story felt cohesive with key points and storyline’s supporting the novel’s themes. Lastly, experiencing the story through Jemma’s eyes created visceral emotions.
The characters of This Cursed House were mult-layered with Jemma and Mrs. Duchon, also known as Grandmeré, being the two that stood out the most and had the greatest impact on the story. Both the Duchon family and Jemma had clear discernable motivations shaping the character-driven elements of the novel.
Emotional Impact
This Cursed House explored topic of colorism revealed a new perspective on why many in the era were compelled to pass racial lines proving just how far they would go to do so. As Jemma’s friend Magdalene says “Think about how much pain somebody has to be in when every time they look in the mirror, they hate what they are?”
Addittionally I felt a wealth of emotions towards Jemma that oscillated between sorrow and frustration. Her need for belonging prevailed over her common sense sometimes . However her arc was a remarkable one forcing her to confront her inner demons and swallow some bitter truths.
Although the ending satisfyed all plot points and there were no loose ends I still had unaswered questions about certain characters which made the ending bittersweet.
Representation
This novel is Black gothic fiction at its finest and does a clever job of reclaiming gothic tropes and highlighting marginalized voices in horror. Sandeen did not ull her punches discussing the darker realities of Black history surrounding colorism and the generational impact on families and communities alike. Also, Sandeen captured the cultural elemets of the era through each character. I appreciated how they all represented different cultural diversity within Black culture revealing we’re not a monolith.
Notable Strengths
- Strong characterization
- Complex themes
- Atmospheric storytelling
Potential Hurdles
- More telling than showing
- Too much of the plot revealed in the synopsis
Recommendations
This Cured House is perfect for fans of horror novels like The Only Good Indians who enjoy when history blends with horror to create an ancestral reckoning.
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