what it says on the tin

Vivian Yin is dead. The first Chinese actress to win an Oscar, the trailblazing ingénue rose to fame in the eighties, only to disappear from the spotlight at the height of her career and live out the rest of her life as a recluse.

Now her remaining family members are gathered for the reading of her will and her daughters expect to inherit their childhood Vivian’s grand, sprawling Southern California garden estate. But due to a last-minute change to the will, the house is passed on to another family instead—one that has suddenly returned after decades of estrangement.

In hopes of staking their claim, both families move into the mansion. Amidst the grief and paranoia of the families’ unhappy reunion, Vivian’s daughters race to piece together what happened in the last weeks of their mother’s life, only to realize they are being haunted by something much more sinister and vengeful than their regrets. After so many years of silence, will the families finally confront the painful truth about the last fateful summer they spent in the house, or will they cling to their secrets until it’s too late?

Told in dual timelines, spanning three generations, and brimming with romance, betrayal, ambition and sacrifice, The Manor of Dreams is a thrilling family gothic that examines the true cost of the American dream—and what happens when the roots we set down in this country turn to rot.

A complex mystery that will keeping you guessing. — That’s the thing though, it’s a mystery. It’s not a horror and it’s not a thriller. It’s a dark literary fiction with a mystery wrapped in vines and a crumbling manor.

If you want a dark tale of abuse and grief and trauma with many threads being woven at once, this is for you. If you are looking for a scary horror novel, this is not it. It’s not scary, it’s depressing. 4 stars for the sads, 3 stars for the spookies.

The dream house as a metaphor for generational trauma and the ghosts chained to us (yes, there’s the bare bones of the story using the format of a chapter title from In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado - you’re welcome)

I think this book tried to carry too much. I was all in on the present day storyline right from the very beginning (apparitions vomiting dirt onto the table in the middle of the will reading?? Yes please!) but it took a long time to build up the past, and I found myself profoundly losing interest from 20-55% until things turned sinister (and gay!)

Since the story does focus heavily on generational trauma, I think we should have done more with Richard’s past and his family. Even though it’s thematically appropriate and gives us a great excuse for more ghosts, it wasn’t prevalent enough.

Loved the descriptions of the crumbling manse, though I think we saw a lot less of that in practice. Like we’d get the initial plan of the camera to drink it all in, but no one was stepping gingerly over cracked and sagging floorboards, only hallucinating vines and dirt and blood and ghosts.

I also had a really hard time buying into the Madeline/Nora dynamic with as little as they interacted and as sort of a time frame and their families’ complicated history.

this was definitely an interesting read, but the pace was too slow for me. i was expecting more of a thriller, but i think it fits better into the slow-burn mystery category. the characters were easy to mix-up, and i had a hard time keeping up with who was who in the different conversations. i also didn’t like how part of the ending was left unresolved. however, this book was beautifully written with the dual timelines, and the imagery was done really well. thank you to the author/netgalley for this ARC!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li is a third person multi-POV Queer Gothic following the lives of Yin-Lowell and Deng families in the 1980s to the early 90s and 2024 when the family matriarch, Vivian, has passed away. When the Yin-Lowell house is left to the Deng family, who had once been the caretakers of the home and friends of Vivian, the Yin-Lowells are not willing to accept the snub from their mother. But the house holds some dangerous secrets and they’re no longer willing to be hidden.

The house has seen a lot of violence in a variety of ways. Vivian’s husband, Richard, paints himself as a very kind understanding man who accepts that she was previously married and raises her children from her last relationship as if they were his own. He’s covering up a violent personality that finally shows when Vivian forgets to name him in her Oscar acceptance speech and he continues to escalate his behavior whenever Vivian doesn’t fall in line. It is, unfortunately, a situation that is all too common and will be familiar to some readers. The other type of violence is subtle homophobia directed towards the relationship between one of the daughters of the Yin-Lowell family and one of the daughters of the Deng family and this violence becomes intertwined with Vivian’s situation.

There is an exploration of the history of Chinese immigrants to America, particularly those who were involved in the construction of the railroads and the racism that they were met with. Vivian discovers that her home is contacted to someone who was racist towards Chinese people and it makes her uncomfortable, but she doesn’t tell her children about what she found. This plus the treatment of Vivian in Hollywood and the struggle for her to find roles even after an Oscar-winning performance, shows how racism towards Chinese-Americans has changed it’s shape but is still alive and well even if it’s more covert.

The supernatural Gothic elements are more subtle for most of the book and pop-up here and there while the majority is focused on the strained relationship between the two families that used to be quite close. The house is certainly haunted and the structure peels back who is haunting it and why as well as all of the layers that make it more complicated. I feel the most sorry for Ada and Sophie, but it’s hard not to sympathize with most of the characters even if you don’t like most of the decisions. Madeline and Nora are kind of caught in the middle as their families argue over who gets this house and don’t know the full history of what happened three decades ago while Elaine Deng butts heads with Lucille and Rennie, Vivian’s daughters.

Content warning for homophobia and intense depictions of domestic abuse

I would recommend this to fans of Gothic novels exploring themes of racism, homophobia, and domestic abuse and readers looking for a novel discussing Hollywood’s anti-Asian racism

This is an enjoyable book. From the haunting of the house to the back stories that explain the family “curse” this book draws you in from page one and keeps you invested till the final pages. I do wish that maybe there was a little bit more haunting during when the mother was explaining her experiences with the house, however it makes sense why the hauntings were so much more prevalent later in the book. I can’t wait to recommend this book and am sad I will have to wait so long before telling patrons to put it on their tbr list.
Thank you to Avid Reader Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this amazing book.

The best way to enjoy the Manor of Dreams is by ignoring its bleeding walls.

Most horror novels would absolutely lose me the moment someone gets attacked by moving vines. The fact that I kept reading after that and ended up giving this book four stars, shows how well everything outside horror elements works in it.

Intriguing story involving three generations of two uniquely connected families. The story was gripping till the very end. Author very skillfully leads the reader through current day and past events slowly uncovering the truth about the tragic history of the manor.

Great read for mystery/thriller enthusiasts, not so much for horror fans though. The supernatural elements were by far the weakest part of this novel. They were rather cliché, could have been cut completely and not much would be lost.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC of Christina Li’s The Manor of Dreams!

When Vivian Yin dies, Elaine is as surprised as anyone to learn that Vivian left her mansion to Elaine’s mother, especially since Elaine’s mother claims to have no connection to Vivian. Vivian’s daughters and niece are definitely not happy about the situation.

The two families stay at the mansion together while Vivian’s daughters gather her things and try to pursue legal action. But there’s something not quite right with the house, with some of the women having nightmares and seeing things that may or may not be real.

I enjoyed how the story alternates between this haunted house tale and the backstory of Vivian Yin, the first Chinese actress to win an Oscar. When we meet Vivian she is raising two young daughters by herself while trying to pursue a career in acting. We then follow her as she meets and marries a famous actor; a marriage that may not have been as picture perfect as it seemed.

These two storylines weave together until we discover what’s really going on with this house.

While I liked a lot of the revelations and resolutions of the ending, the end of the book didn’t wow me as much as I’d hoped. There seemed to be several story threads that were left unresolved (and a couple threads that were introduced shortly before the payoff).

But with that caveat in mind, there were a lot of things working well for this book and I would definitely recommend it. I’m interested to read other work by this author in the future.

Absolutely enjoyed this thriller! I loved the paranormal aspect, the relationships between Madeline and her mother, as well as with Nora. There was so much family drama, both past and present, it was hard to decide who was at fault. (Maybe all of them?) It just goes to show you that money can’t buy you happiness and that the thing that is truly important in life are your familial relationships. Fantastic read, check it out!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I felt like this was more of a slow paced thriller than horror. I did enjoy the legacy of the family. I didn’t find intrigue until 50 percent of the book. I can see a lot of people liking this story but I did not. I was wanting horror and I just didn’t get it.

Thank you to Net Galley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC. This started out interesting but slowly fizzled out. The book tried to tackle many different themes in a very unorganized and unsatisfying manner. The plot dragged, the characters were one dimensional, and the ending was super rushed. The only good part was the writing style.

1.75 rounded up

a captivating drama that vaults between timelines seamlessly

i enjoyed christina li's prior book, and was excited for her adult debut. this book follows two families as they compete over the inheritance of a beautiful manor passed down by a chinese actress who won the oscar. however, the manor is not what it appears to be. as we learn more about the history of vivian, the actress who passed down the manor, the horrors behind the manor are revealed.

i found one timelines stronger than the other; the timeline delving into vivian's character and her family. her relationship with richard was tragic and well-written, and the dynamics between her family and the other family on the grounds was compelling. i do think there was a bit lacking for me in the present timeline; i enjoyed reading about nora and madeleine, but their relationship seemed a bit rushed and at times i do think more scenes with the two of them would've helped established a stronger connection. the mothers were okay; i thought lucille was more interesting and more developed than elaine. again, i think some more scenes in the present with both families would've helped my enjoyment more. also tbh, i didn't see this as straight horror, it's more like a family drama with a bit of horror sprinkled in.

regardless, i liked this book! i read it in one day and i was pretty taken with the story. would recommend to people who enjoy reading contemporary fiction or light horror fiction.

thanks to netgalley and avid reader press for the book!

Thank you to Net galley and Avid Reader Press for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed about this book are my own.
I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book-it was not my typical genre. I was very pleasantly surprised! I really liked it! When a Chinese actress dies, two Chinese American families move into her mansion and fight for ownership. Both families have strong ties to Vivian Yin, the actress. I liked the way the author slowly revealed the details about what really happened in the house. Lots of secrets and some supernatural elements thrown in. I really liked all the action at the end. I recommend this book if you like stories with some surprises along the way!

This was an insanely cool and chilling book, it reminded me alot of Mexican Gothic with its themes- which I loved! Very well written, a tragic story and def a book I recommend!

Chaos, confusion, and conflict follow the sudden death of 1970s Hollywood actress Viviane Yin, the first Chinese American Oscar winner, when Vivian’s family gathers, along with the former maid’s daughter, at her stately yet largely neglected California mansion for the reading of the will in Christina Li’s dual-timeline multi-generational and multi-cultural novel that covers a wide range of emotionally searing topics.

Promoted as a Gothic fiction and Horror story, I find “The Manor of Dreams” more a metaphor for: crumbling aspirations for acceptance; hidden and forbidden loves; sibling rivalries and petty jealousies; parent-child relationships; as well as domestic violence.

Yes, there are mysteries to resolve and a few pesky ghosts lurking in corners; however, this isn't a horror story or the next “Mexican Gothic.”

It's a slow-start, slow-burn read, with many characters with similar Chinese names to assimilate, keeping the pace sluggish. The storyline, tone, and pacing also seem more YA, so this novel may find appeal there.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Christina Li, and Publisher Avid Reader Press | Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for reviewing this Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC).

www.goodreads.com/joyreadergirl1

This is book is not my normal read but I found I could not put it down. The story lines in the 2 time frames held me and I wanted to know how it all wrapped up. Thank you for letting me read this novel of intertwined families. Wonderful engaging read!

Okay, Mike Flanagan adaptation when???

I was utterly captivated by this novel. The pacing was impeccable and the web that Li wove kept drawing me back in. I did wonder a bit about where the train tycoon story line went but I was so absorbed in the rest of the narrative it didn't keep me too distracted. And I wasn't kidding, please get Flanagan working on this.

This book was so frustrating.

It felt like it was trying so hard to be so many different things:
a thriller with sprouts of horror,
a family drama, a lot of generational trauma,
a haunted house (or garden? Or both?),
a book about the issues of a Chinese woman in the US,
a book about how Chinese immigrants have been exploited during the Gold Rush,
a book about everything that is wrong in the film industry,
a romantic story, a queer romantic story, actually two queer love stories,
a book about domestic violence,
a book about revenge and therighteousness entitlement that comes with it,
a book about present and past in which, at the end of the day, nothing really happens. Besides sex.

I usually like the way a story jumps from past to present and viceversa. But in this book there were so many flashbacks that were so long that by the time the story was back in the present time, I nearly forgot what was happening. Or if anything was happening at all. I think this was also due to the fact that some characters were presented in a way so bland and boring that made them quite forgettable/irrelevant.

The author described this book as “a sapphic gothic book for the queer girlies who never got over Jamie and Dani from the tv show ‘the haunting of Bly Manor’ ”. I hope she was kidding. I would never compare this book with the majestic work of Mike Flanagan.

Honestly, this story was so underwhelming, pointless, confusing. There were many plot lines and plot holes. The point of views were messy. The way this books was written didn’t work for me at all. And at the end of it, nothing of substance remained with me.

Despite everything, it was still interesting enough to finish it, because I wanted to see where the story was going at least. But the last chapters and big reveal were a bit disappointing. And I am sorry for writing this review because I don’t like to speak badly of someone’s else work, but I just couldn’t like it.

Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the e-ARC.

So these sisters show up at their deceased mothers house to read the will. But someone else is there. Everything goes down hill fast as some unresolved spirits make themselves known.

The story was like Inheritance games but with horror added in. The first part of the book I had a hard time figureing out who was talking and was really confused. By the end I enjoyed the name of the POV being bolded once their paragraph started.

I really enjoyed Nora and Madeline. Seeing how their relationship developed. They got thrown into a situation they didn't ask for because of their parents.

The book was OK and I enjoyed the story. It was a little long for me but if you love horror you should check it out.

There was a point in the novel, maybe 90% in, when I got incredibly sad and teared up, and I was genuinely sorrowful. This doesn't happen much to me while reading, and I attribute this to the author's skill with the written word.

This multi-generational tale about Chinese American families was brilliantly woven together, and while it took me a little time to figure out all the familial relationships, once I did things made perfect sense. I was absorbed in the tale fully, and I cared about the characters.

My one complaint, albeit a major one, was the paranormal/spectral part of the novel, which became a rather large part of the story. It didn't really work for me, and made my rating 4 stars instead of 5 stars.

That aside, this is masterful. Will I read more from the author? Yes, absolutely.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.