Rivers Solomon is so good at writing such visceral and real stories. They are hard for me to rate because I wouldn't call them enjoyable reads, but I don't think they are meant to be. Solomon really illustrates the true horrors that human perpetrate against one another so well, and this book was no different. Don't come to this looking for a popcorn and cotton candy type of horror story, but if you want something a little sharper around the edges, than this one's for you!

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Model Home by Rivers Solomon from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux/MCD via NetGalley. It should be available to the public on October 1, 2024.

Rivers Solomon was in the process of writing Model Home when they read a teeny excerpt at WisCon last year. I wrote down the title and have been obsessively waiting for its release ever since. I almost lost my mind when I received an Advanced Reader's Copy because I couldn't wait to read this before Halloween. You see, Model Home is a ghost/haunted house story, and it will haunt the hell out of you. When you have to deal with the death of close family members, like your parents, it brings up all sorts of skeletons from your past. How one deals with it varies greatly. Rivers has a way of writing that really puts my senses through a workout. I swear I could taste the late night diner pancakes. I really wanted those pancakes. Don't let the pancakes distract you! This is some deeply dark stuff we are dealing with, but wow, was it worth it.

This was a hard one to rate. I never felt truly connected to the characters involved. The dialogue and structure were a bit discombobulated, making it hard to really emerge myself into this. However, the plot and thought-provoking content made its mark. This ran deep and still somehow managed to convey emotions and explored trauma and identity. Although this is technically horror, it is so much more than that, and any literary fans will devour this. Overall, although this is not my particular taste, the writing and content alone deserve no less than four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

This book is awful.

Don't get me wrong, this is a brilliant novel, but I found the reading experience to be really difficult. Not that I struggled to keep reading; I couldn't put it down. This book took a toll on me mentally as it went to some pretty dark places, some of which I did not see coming.

The writing is in the typical sort of litfic style, which I am usually not a fan of, but it really works to cultivate the overall mood/atmosphere of the book. The prose flows well, and strikes a fine balance between being complex but still readable.

The author uses the haunted house novel as a vehicle to explore themes of white supremacy, generational trauma, and cisheteronormativity. I am not smart enough to get everything, but the author does an excellent job of conveying the themes in the narrative.

There are time jumps, switching between the present day and scenes from Ezri's childhood, as well as dialogue without quotation marks, which were disorienting to read, but served the narrative well, as it conveyed their current mindset well.

I really resonated with Ezri's relationship with their mother, as well as the themes of generational trauma; while my relationship to my mother is much better than their's, there were certain moments between them that I found quite relatable.

I read some reviews that didn't like the plot, or the ending; while there is definitely a large tonal shift at the end, due to the plot, I think that it makes sense thematically.

Overall, a book that is definitely going to be staying with me for some time.

I'm including the content warnings at the bottom of this review, as it contains spoilers; however, if you struggle with dark themes and difficult subject matter, I would advice that you check the content warnings before reading this book.
Keep in mind that I may have missed out certain warnings.
- Death, suicide
- Child abuse, emotional abuse
- Homophobia, transphobia, slurs
- Child sexual assault, grooming
- Explicit sexual content
- Animal death
- Mental illness, depression, dissociation, suicidal thoughts
- Chronic illness
- Threat of gun violence
- Racism, classism
- Vomit
- Disordered eating
- Gaslighting

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my early copy to read and review.

This was not at all what I was expecting. The cover and synopsis suggested a more standard horror novel, but in the end this was something much more powerful, poignant and important. There's a lot to unpack here, with several very heavy themes including race, gender, sexuality, class, trauma, grief, abuse... the list goes on. I almost feel that labelling this as "horror" is inaccurate, and that "literary" would be more appropriate... but some topics here are truly horrific and uncomfortable to read. It's a difficult book to sum up, but one which is written beautifully with lyrical prose and raw emotion bleeding through on the page. These characters are flawed, damaged, sometimes unlikeable, but most importantly they feel real, with painfully honest inner dialogues and personalities shaped by circumstances.

A+ for representation. I'm not sure I can think of another book which handled this so well. I definitely think this will be a much-loved favorite for the right audience.

I love how Solomon creatively deals with deep issues. This book is one that will stick with me for awhile. Using a haunted house to explore issues of trauma and marginality works incredibly well in this book. The atmosphere is creepy and the book goes to some very dark places. There is much disturbing in this book, but also much that is beautiful. Each of the Maxwell Washington siblings has dealt with the trauma of their childhoods in their own unique ways and they come together after years apart. This book really runs through so many emotions. I don't want to give anything away - so I'll just say that this book made an impact on me and I highly recommend.
I read the first half of the book with eyeballs and then switched halfway through to the audio. The audio narrator is fantastic!

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Macmillan audio for an advance copy of this book for review.

Rivers Solomon has absolutely mastered the kind of prose that punches you in the gut and I love it. This one is dark and haunting and twisting but so so so good. Really calls into question the definition of a haunted house and the history of ghosts and violence in the US especially. Check the trigger warnings before diving in but this would be a fantastic summerween read.

Compulsively readable, but ultimately not as satisfying as I hoped, this is a haunted house story that is truly unlike any other I have read.

I found Ezri, our main character, to be frustratingly difficult to follow. They aren't a reliable narrator, and being inside their head was disorienting much of the time. They also aren't a very likeable character, and unfortunately I just struggled with the experience of following them.

I would also be forewarned that this book does not involve the use of quotation marks, in case that is a pet peeve of yours.

The story is full of themes about hauntings and the limits of memory/trauma. It's very dark, and I highly recommend looking up trigger warnings.

I did enjoy the mystery itself, and unlike some readers I did like the ending. Overall a mixed bag for me, but I feel like this will really hit for the right audience.

i enjoyed the oddities that this had but it didn’t hit me like i would have liked, it felt a bit too surface level at times when the topic required a bit more depth

thank you to netgalley for an arc of this in exchange for my honest feedback!

When I picked up Model Home to read, I believed it was another haunted house novel, and that the differentiation would be how the protagonists dealt with the supernatural fallout. What I found was a richly crafted novel about family. It's a novel about belonging, and not belonging, in and outside the home - and the mind. It's about long, drawn out relationships that are rotten at both ends, about trauma and pain and family secrets. And yes, the house Rivers Solomon has created is haunted, but in no way readers will foresee or be ready for. Darkly beautiful and insistently honest, this is one of the best books of the year... possibly the best. I could not recommend it more highly.

This might be a love it or hate it novel but there's a lot to unpack within- so no spoilers. Ezri, Eve, and Emmanuelle must return to their parents house, a house which might or might not be haunted. There are a lot of metaphors here (which, to be honest, can be both confusing and tiresome). This hits hard on racism but also mental health. I liked the representation via Ezri as well as their sisters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

The writing in Model House is great, and the family relationships and trauma were handled really well. Three siblings are back home because their parents have died, and they're afraid of the house. What happened there? Is it still dangerous?
While I enjoyed most of it, I don't think the resolution made sense, so I took off one star. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

After their parents die tragically, three siblings must return to their childhood home: a beautiful house that they suspect is haunted in a gated community where they were the only Black family. I came for the horror, but this is so much more than a haunted house story. It’s a stunningly written, diverse book about family, memory and the real cost of fitting in. From the everyday uneasiness of existing in a body, to faceless creatures roaming the house, every type of terror is treated equally. I want to scream about this book to anyone who will listen. A new all time favorite.

Rivers Solomon's Model Home is a powerful and immersive story that deftly blends themes of identity, trauma, and belonging with speculative elements. Solomon’s prose is strikingly lyrical and deeply emotive, creating a richly layered narrative that challenges conventional boundaries. This work is a compelling exploration of personal and collective histories, offering a thought-provoking read for fans of speculative fiction with a profound emotional core.

This is one of those reads that gets under your skin. Lump in your throat, goosebumps on your arms when you think of certain pages or parts. It’s a sad, dark book. The writing in this book is top tier. It’s often a mixture of traditional prose and stream of consciousness and this is a combination I’ve really enjoyed reading. Model Home explores some of those creepy crawly things we don’t like talking about. Solomon is never vulgar or gory with their descriptions, but I would absolutely check tw if sensitive to some content.

I loved the book. I couldn’t put it down, thought about it in my off reading time (life, I guess?) and felt strongly for the characters. The Maxwell family is amazing. Each character is so complex but the family bonds are the kind I dream of. I don’t have a close relationship with much/any of my bio family and the connection the Maxwell siblings and their extended family have is the kind I hope my own children have one day.

The book features LGTBG+ Black characters and if this is something that could even marginally affect your review of an amazing book, please just skip it. It’s only within the past YEAR I’ve been seeing frequent non binary characters in my books and Solomon has done an excellent job at showing some of the cruelty those in the community face without it being a huge traumatic trope. I loved that Ezri’s family was unwavering in their support at all times. While this is a really dark book, I found quite a bit of joy in the love these characters both give and receive.

At first I was waffling on how I felt about the ending. But as Solomon went into more detail it was something I could envision. The pacing is mixed which may be a struggle for some readers, but the darker themes explored in the book are done expertly and it’s a fantastic book. Highly recommend. Not explicitly horror but deals with a haunted house and some horrific themes.

Will be reviewing this book as audio format now that I’ve been approved for that. Thanks so much for the approval of both formats, and I can’t wait to start this one this week!

Review contains light spoilers:

Ezri and their family never fit in at their gated Dallas neighborhood as the only Black people in their community.

Ezri's childhood is marred by strange events: the deaths of animals, headaches, mysterious accidents. The only conclusion: the house is haunted.

After the death of their parents brings them back to their childhood home, Ezri must reckon with the haunting itself if she wants to save their daughter Elijah from a similar fate.

Model Home was a HEAVY read with trigger warnings for just about every trauma including mental illness, suicide, drugging, acid attack, grooming, homophobia, transphobia, CSE, classism, racism, and I'm sure I'm missing some.

An immersive experience with elements of an unreliable narrator and vivid prose rich with metaphor, Model Home gives the traditional haunted house story a more literary treatment and asks the question, "who needs a haunting to explain this pain with what we are all capable of?"

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC via Netgalley

Definitely check the trigger warnings before diving in but also if you haven't, read the Omelas. It's a short story and will add to this reading experience.

"Model Home" is the story of 3 siblings who have to contend with their parents deaths in their childhood home and how much the house itself played into their untimely ends.

Shout-out to the cover, it perfectly conveys the unsettling narrative. There is a low level of suspense throughout that kept me reading and wanting to know more. Ezir and their sisters were both relatable as children and adult siblings which I appreciate more as I get older.

One detail I appreciated (not enjoyed) was how casually strangers would misgender Ezir dispute having the information to know better. This is a world with bigotry that also includes racism and ableism and it felt inline with how a real word counterpart of this character would experience life. Even though reading is seen as inher ntly escapist from the drudgery and harm from daily life, this book is about a home that doesn't keep you or anyone truly safe and secure.

Thank you to NetGalley & Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This review contains spoilers.

I do not enjoy when a haunted house turns out to be not haunted at all, but just kids' imaginations for real life scary situations. On top of that, I have to admit that the writing style was not for me at all.

The book covers a lot of hard topics, and I appreciate the way they were handled, but overall I did not like the book and especially the ending

Solomon’s newest novel tackles the haunted house trope, but in a new way. Siblings return to their childhood home after their parents commit suicide. Throughout their childhood, which was filled with intense parent-child dynamics, the house did some creepy and intense things, like burn the flesh off of one of the siblings when they took a bath. Our protagonist frequently found themselves in trouble because of things the house did. In the present day, the siblings discuss and recall how their childhood home haunted them as children and as adults as they navigate their grief-filled reunion..

Instead of the traditional ghost story, the metaphorical ghost of the novel is generational trauma. Solomon does a wonderful job integrating so many moving parts — generational trauma, sexuality, gender fluidity, racial issues, etc. — into one novel. The characters throughout feel very real and human. They are each developed very well and feel real, relatable, and vulnerable. Despite their flaws, Solomon beautifully crafts his characters in a way that makes one want to root for them and see them succeed.

Overall, the novel was enjoyable. I found the beginning parts to be a little slow, but after completing the novel, I can see that the extensive background was necessary to understand (1) why the characters operate the way that they do and (2) the ending. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Solomon’s other novels — Solomon employs their gorgeous prose and beautiful language throughout this novel.