This book was strange. It’s not an easy one to review but the one thing I did really enjoy was how unique the plot was. This is a different kind of haunted house story that is created around a realistic family trauma and the horrors that the siblings had to endure growing up. Ezri is the definition of an unreliable narrator. She is quirky and weird in their own right. They are a mess and at times, hard to understand but I feel like I connected with them toward the end of the book. While this wasn’t my favorite, I could see the authenticity of the author’s mind and I would absolutely read more of their work in the future.

Creepy horror turned out in an incredibly unique way. In the 80's I was pretty sure there were no new ways to create horror. Maybe a unique twist or change of setting but the same themes and events. The 2020's however have been the advent of new and inspired stories and a great deal of them have been from African American writers and producers. I had never read Rivers Solomon before and am enchanted! This will not be my last Solomon book for sure!

In Model Home we meet the three Maxwell siblings who have ejected themselves from the very white and wealthy gated home (jail?) in Texas where they spent their childhoods. The three speak via text but rarely see one another and gather again in Dallas when their mother sends out
a communication that they cannot ignore. When the three arrive, what they find leaves them unmoored and speechless. What happened to their parents? Is the house haunted? How much of this has to do with the neighborhood, the community and the systematic racism of the United States? The voice of the story is narrated through Ezri, a non binary character who provides the needed perspective of those who have very little voice even now in contemporary literature. This is a work that will stay with you for a very, very long time. #farrargiroux #MCD #modelhome #riverssolomon

This story was something that I thought would intrigue my interest, enlighten me on areas of history I did not already know and just be overall entertaining.

This part of the description grabbed me:

Rivers Solomon turns the haunted-house story on its head, unearthing the dark legacies of segregation and racism in the suburban American South. Unbridled, raw, and daring,

Unfortunately reading this story, it was not for me which sucks because I've never read a book like this so I went into it with an open mind.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. It was definitely a deep dive into family and generational curses. There was such a fine line between Ezri and the house so you spent the whole book not knowing exactly where the darkness was coming from. There are some trigger warnings to take into consideration but all in all this is a solid read that I would recommend.

Solomon is a must read author for me and this one fell short. The depth and richness I expect in faer storytelling wasn't there for me. I appreciate the queerness of this novel, with the variety of characters and genders. As always, fae weave in a social commentary on race into their story and it felt more overt/forced than usual. The build up and haunting didn't happen for me.

Lol this is hilarious because as I was reading the book there was a model home being built around my house. Not the point I know but still funny to me. I loved the premise of this book it just didnt hit right for me. I dont know why it didnt. I may do a reread when it gets published because I love this cover.

Ezri and her two siblings drifted away from their childhood home, where they believed ghosts lurked, and from their parents, who were determined not to leave the house, and charted their own paths over time. As adults, they carved their own paths. Now adults, the siblings return home after the surprise death of their parents, which appears to be a murder-suicide. And they don't believe that.

I managed to read this 300-page book in 10 days. It's not that I didn't like it, it's just very intense. It touches on so many topics - family issues, racism, sexism, mental illness, police violence, abuse, grooming, you name it. But with 300 pages, it feels like there's a message hitting you on every page, which can be overwhelming. It's dark and trigger-heavy. Knowing that the author is Rivers Solomon, I expected to encounter a text like this, so it's not like I was expecting an action-packed adventure, but I think, by trying to cover all these issues, the book becomes quite heavy. Definitely not a bad book though. It is pretty good, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a heavy read. I can recommend it, but checking trigger warnings is a must.

Thank you NetGalley, Rivers Solomon and FSG for this ARC

the strangest little book i’ve read in a while. the first third of the book i spent confused, unsure of what was happening, but i was enjoying it while trying my hardest to see the shape of the story. i could definitely see helen oyeyemi’s. “white is for witching”, echoes of riley sager’s “home before dark” and obviously the lurking essence of hill house. the writing as always was excellent. wanted it to be more a little more spooky but was pleased with what i ended up getting. maybe for my next read i should invest in something ooky spooky.

many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for supplying me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to love this book because I loved the blur but the writing style just was not for me. I couldn't get into the story whatsoever. Such a bummer, and I seem to be the only one.

Model Home by Rivers Solomon was a beautifully written book that was hard to put down. It was a little hard to read in places and was a haunted house story like no other. Completely engaging and unique. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was an interesting book to begin with. We follow Ezri, who had received a text from their sister to come home and found out the horrifying incident that their parents had died in their childhood home. Police suspected it's been a murder-suicide case. But Ezri being unconvinced, it's the house to blame.
In this book, Ezri, as an unreliable narrator, brings readers back to the horror of their childhood, dispicable events that happened when they're young, between the house and the people within, and the horror of real life they had putting through. Racist neighborhood, dismissive parents, complex siblings relationship.

This was quite a dark, trigger-heavy for a short book. The unreliable narrative made me feel confused and want to know what really happened exactly. Resulting, I can't trust the narrator. Even the narrator started questioning everyone's sanity. I read it in nighttime, which wasn't really a good idea, I know. But then it means this book actually worked for me. I thought it was going to be predictable, and guess what? It's NOT.

I don't give it full five stars just because some events happened in this book, that I felt bored over it and couldn't comprehend what it was about or what for

! : Please do check trigger warnings before you read

Thank you, NetGalley, FSG, and Rivers Solomon, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for review!

"Instead, I'm a vessel of ghosts, the me's that died, the me's that never could be, unbound by time, by social graces."

9/10. Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year already. I can't wait to recommend this to all my family and friends.

This book felt like Haunting of Hill House meets Jordan Peele in the best way. It's a layered story with statements on mental illness, racism, gender, family dynamics, and so much more, told through the lens of an unreliable narrator who keeps you on your toes trying to figure out what's real and what's not.

Ezri is complex, confusing, and intriguing in a way that won't let you put this book down. And in a world where everything is predictable, this ending completely surprised me.

There were a few moments where I felt a bit confused because of just how confused Ezri was themself, which I think is par for the course with this type of narrator.

One of the things I most love about the horror genre is the commentary that can be woven into the horror - the real horrors and terrors of life told through the lens of make-believe. And this book not only meets but exceeds that expectation. I cannot wait to read more Rivers Solomon.

I’m excited about this one, but I couldn’t really get into the writing style. It was sparse and someways, but sort of like up hiring entry more than a book. I felt like it was hard to get into. I don’t know why people don’t use quotation marks-it makes it hard to read. They used them at some points in the book but not consistently and it was very distracting. There did not seem to have any reason for switching back and forth in style but they would not use them for one conversation but the next time she’s talking to someone on the same page there are quotation marks “have you been taking care of yourself? You look good.”. it’s a style choice but that’s what I meant by sometimes it felt like a diary and sometimes it didn’t. I just felt like I need to be tightened up. Maybe they fix it in later edits? Sometimes it went from using quotation marks to not using quotation marks in the same conversation. I think I first miss this on location 205 but it kept happening.

A book with the form of a haunted house story that delves into the trauma of sexual abuse and racism. Has a significant focus on family, mental health, and gender identity, all of which are topics that are treated with great nuance.

This was incredible. It has everything going on from assault, to trauma. It was an emotional read for me, and it was absolutely brilliant!

Model Home
A Novel
by Rivers Solomon
This book explores grief and childhood trauma, racism, sexual assault, and mental illness. It is done so well, I warn, you must set a time to read it in full as soon asap. It felt, hope, and anger, and felt this was the one I cried. and felt almost as if you could see this. A brilliantly written book

This book was haunting and brilliant. It left me guessing at every turn, I had no idea what was happening, an unreliable narrator? A haunted house? Could it be poison or an abusive parent? I had no idea.

This book explores grief and childhood trauma, racism, sexual assault, and mental illness. It is done so well, Rivers Solomon is so incredibly talented, I have read every single book of theirs, and this, by far, is their best work. I don't want to give any spoilers here, dive right in, and take this journey yourself. The horror unfolds in a way that will throw you for so many loops.

I look forward to having a physical copy in my hands to read again and annotate my every thought on every page. This book just wow...

Thank you NetGalley and FSG for the ARC of this fantastic book.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux | MCD for the ARC of Model Home by Rivers Solomon in exchange for an honest review.

I have read Sorrowland and an Unkindness of Ghosts - Solomon is a must buy for me whenever they release a new book. Their literary prowess continues to grow with each new novel, adding layers of complexity and nuance in portrayals of queer identity, racism, and marginalization (only a few themes of many). Solomon has showcased their understanding and excellence of multiple genres, from a sci-fi generational ship to gothic fiction to Model Home, a haunted house with elements of murder mystery and paranormal activity.

I don't feel I have the words/place to explain my perceptions of the novel and its themes, or I feel I cannot do it justice appropriately - what I can say is this is another must read Solomon novel. In ways it feels darker/deeper than their previous work, and the atmosphere of the novel reflects that feeling. I highly recommend this to other readers. It's a book you will think about long after finishing.

Twisty, turny, unsettling haunted house novel by the inimitable Rivers Solomon? You know I'm in! This book is deeply queer and deeply frightening, and the way the story unfurls is captivating. I'm a Rivers Solomon fan for life!

Ezri Maxwell, along with sisters Eve and Emanuelle grew up in Oak Creek Estates an all-white (except for their family) gated community in the suburbs of Dallas. They never really fit in, plus as soon as they moved in bad, unexplainable things began to happen. Despite it all the Maxwells, led by a tough, stubborn mother, persevered and remained in their home.

As adults all the children were more than ready to flee the house but their parents stayed…and were found dead there in what the police believe may have been a murder suicide. Ezri doesn’t buy it and knows the house finally killed them. Ezri, returns, with their own daughter to try determine, along with Eve and Emanuelle, what really happened at 677 Acacia Drive.

A really interesting book. Ezri is a well-thought out, mess of a character. They are not well and are totally accepting of that. They even accept that they may be the problem, “was it me all along, deluded and deranged who made [the house] into something sinister? It is me who haunts, me who is the ghost?”

And there is ambiguity throughout, if the reader chooses to see it that way. Filled with love of family, systemic racism, many, MANY statements on gender this is definitely a novel of today. The only false note for me was the interaction with the neighbor, Keith. I didn’t really buy him speaking the way he did to Ezri, who has just lost their parents. Maybe the interaction happens, but not with such foul hatred. It took me out of the scene a bit. Or maybe I’m just naive. Anyway, I liked this.