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A House Like an Accordion
A woman searches for her missing father in order to reconcile the many strange and fantastical secrets of her past before she loses herself completely in this deeply profound and magical novel by Audrey Burges.
Keryth Miller is disappearing.
Between the growing distance between herself and her husband, the demands of two teenage daughters, and an all-encompassing burnout, she sometimes feels herself fading away. Actual translucence, though—that’s new. When Keryth wakes up one morning with her hand completely gone, she is frantic. But she quickly realizes two things: If she is disappearing, it’s because her father, an artist with the otherworldly ability to literally capture life in his art, is drawing her. And if he’s drawing her, that means he’s still alive.
But where has he been for the past twenty-five years, and why is he doing the one thing he always warned her not to? Never draw from life, Keryth. Every line exacts a cost. As Keryth continues to slowly fade away, she retraces what she believes to be her father's last steps through the many homes of her past, determined to find him before it’s too late and she disappears entirely.
Keryth Miller is disappearing.
Between the growing distance between herself and her husband, the demands of two teenage daughters, and an all-encompassing burnout, she sometimes feels herself fading away. Actual translucence, though—that’s new. When Keryth wakes up one morning with her hand completely gone, she is frantic. But she quickly realizes two things: If she is disappearing, it’s because her father, an artist with the otherworldly ability to literally capture life in his art, is drawing her. And if he’s drawing her, that means he’s still alive.
But where has he been for the past twenty-five years, and why is he doing the one thing he always warned her not to? Never draw from life, Keryth. Every line exacts a cost. As Keryth continues to slowly fade away, she retraces what she believes to be her father's last steps through the many homes of her past, determined to find him before it’s too late and she disappears entirely.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2024
36 people are currently reading
10410 people want to read
About the author
Audrey Burges
3 books196 followersAudrey Burges writes novels, humor, satire, and essays in Richmond, Virginia. Her stories have been published in McSweeney's, Pithead Chapel, Cease, Cows, HAD, Into the Void, and elsewhere.
Audrey was raised in Arizona by her linguist parents, which is a lot like being raised by wolves, but with better grammar. She moved to Virginia as an adult but still carries mountains and canyons in her heart, and sometimes, when she closes her eyes, she can still smell ponderosa pines in the sun.
Audrey was raised in Arizona by her linguist parents, which is a lot like being raised by wolves, but with better grammar. She moved to Virginia as an adult but still carries mountains and canyons in her heart, and sometimes, when she closes her eyes, she can still smell ponderosa pines in the sun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
May 28, 2024
3 "concept" stars for "A House Like an Accordion", author Audrey Burges’ second novel. I enjoyed her debut ("The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone”), but this one was a let-down - it’s a lot more in the magic realism, light fantasy genre. MC Keryth is an overwhelmed and burned out contemporary woman who finds herself literally disappearing and becoming translucent, which has to do with her long-lost father, an artist and her very, very complicated family of origin. As an older woman, this concept resonated with me - I often feel invisible. But it was just too wordy & slow, in spite of some very creative ideas (an A.I. father-in-law!). I’ll still be interested in future releases from the author.
December 23, 2023
What a strange, magical book to end a year of reading. A HOUSE LIKE AN ACCORDIAN captured my attention from title alone, and I'm delighted to confirm that the contents is exactly as quirky & expansive as you might expect.
It's the kind of book that benefits from knowing as little as possible before diving in, so I'll try not to give too much away. At the center is Keryth, a woman who must confront her surreal, ephemeral past after she finds herself literally (and figuratively) fading away--likely because of her absent father's mysterious powers.
Audrey Burges crafts an ambitiously imaginative exploration of complicated families and the deep-seated regrets that can haunt a person for decades; it's about regret, wonder, and what it really means to belong to someone/somewhere. Even when the logic seemed to grow fuzzy, I was 100% on board--we jump between timelines and places and I loved every single minute. I've never read a book quite like this, and I'm desperate for a bigger audience to find it after release day so I can discuss my thoughts!
HOUSE may have unraveled reality around me, but I'm certain of one thing: it won't be my last Audrey Burges book.
It's the kind of book that benefits from knowing as little as possible before diving in, so I'll try not to give too much away. At the center is Keryth, a woman who must confront her surreal, ephemeral past after she finds herself literally (and figuratively) fading away--likely because of her absent father's mysterious powers.
Audrey Burges crafts an ambitiously imaginative exploration of complicated families and the deep-seated regrets that can haunt a person for decades; it's about regret, wonder, and what it really means to belong to someone/somewhere. Even when the logic seemed to grow fuzzy, I was 100% on board--we jump between timelines and places and I loved every single minute. I've never read a book quite like this, and I'm desperate for a bigger audience to find it after release day so I can discuss my thoughts!
HOUSE may have unraveled reality around me, but I'm certain of one thing: it won't be my last Audrey Burges book.
June 3, 2024
4.5 stars
The nitty-gritty: A surreal, complex and magical journey through one family’s odd history, A House Like An Accordion captivated me with its unique ideas and emotional family connections.
“Be mindful of the act of creation, and of creating. It carries great beauty, but it exacts a cost.”
Every once in a while you read a book that feels completely new and fresh, and for me that book is A House Like an Accordion. This is a weird and wonderful story that's almost impossible to categorize, although the term “magical realism” seems to fit it best. Part mystery, part family drama, this is an emotional tale about family ties, losing loved ones and then finding them. And although that might not sound magical, the story is infused with a surreal quality that elevates it to the next level. Audrey Burges makes you believe that it’s possible to create reality through a drawing, or trap a bird in a sketch book by drawing it.
Keryth Miller wakes up one day with a big problem: she’s starting to disappear. Her left hand has vanished—well, it’s still there, it’s just invisible—which can only mean that her father Morrison, presumed dead, is still alive and is drawing her. He’s been missing for the past twenty years, but Keryth's vanishing hand is proof that he's out there somewhere. Leaving her husband and two children behind, she embarks on an epic quest, convinced that by revisiting all her childhood homes—homes her father literally created with a sketchbook and a piece of charcoal—she will eventually find the man himself. Joined by two high school friends from her past, as well as the Miller family attorney, Keryth dives headfirst into her odd, magical past, searching for answers than only her father can provide.
I’ve given you a very vague recap, since A House Like An Accordion is a hard book to describe. Burges tells her story from Keryth’s point of view, as we follow her on her journey to find her father. Her goal is to locate each house she lived in as a child, hoping that as she retraces her “footsteps,” she might find clues about her father’s location. Because of the unusual abilities of her father (which Keryth has as well), the family moved around a lot, simply because his creations drew unwanted attention. Keryth’s story moves between the past and present, and each family house from the past evokes its own memories. There’s her first house, Thorn House, covered in blackberry brambles. It was here that Morrison taught Keryth a harsh lesson about her abilities: he captured a Steller’s Jay in his book by drawing it from life, and now Keryth carries that sketchbook with her everywhere, as a reminder that her gift can be powerful and dangerous.
The House Where God Lived was created from the bones of an abandoned church, and it’s here that Keryth lived with her grandparents for a time. My favorite location, though, was The House in the Reeds, where Keryth lived as a teenager. During those years she met and befriended Erma and Tobias, who help her hunt for the houses in the present. It’s also the house where Keryth’s brother Neil was lost, an event that has haunted her ever since.
As the author dips in and out of the past, she slowly reveals the mysteries behind Keryth’s family, mysteries that stretch back to her grandparents. Why did Keryth’s mother disappear over and over again throughout her childhood, and what ultimately happened to her? Did Neil die that fateful day at The House in the Reeds, or is he simply lost somewhere? And will Keryth herself continue to disappear, or will finding her father cure her? Interspersed between chapters are epistolary fragments of letters, newspaper articles and announcements, which form a puzzle box of sorts and eventually answer many of these questions. This is a book for readers who love slow burn mysteries and enjoy piecing things together without much help from the author. In other words, Burges doesn’t hand feed you anything, which might frustrate some readers. I’ll admit I was confused at times, and for this reason I took a half star off my rating (otherwise this would have been a five star read). For me, the appeal was the journey and not necessarily the destination.
But wow, what a journey it was! In addition to Keryth’s search for her father, there’s a side plot involving Keryth’s rocky marriage with her husband Max. Keryth has become disconnected from Max and her daughters Ellory and Mindy, and leaving home to find her father certainly isn’t helping matters. But I loved the way the time away from her family ultimately puts her back on track, and she comes to realize how precious they are to her. The “imploding marriage” subplot isn’t the focus of the story, but it added a lovely emotional layer. Keryth’s feelings about her family are complex and hard to define, which resonated with me, as that’s how real life is sometimes.
There’s yet another fascinating layer to the story involving Max’s drive to create an AI called Harold, which is based off Max’s dead father. “Harold” the prototype lives with Max and his family, and he was the perfect comic relief to this rather serious story. I loved Harold’s funny quips and grandfatherly expressions, and just like Alexa, you can ask Harold to help you with anything. Harold is a stress point in their marriage, though, since Max wants to make his AI more complex and widespread, while Keryth wants to put the brakes on Max’s overly ambitious ideas.
And of course, the idea of being able to “draw from life” and capture something living on paper has so many possibilities. Both Keryth and her father can also draw objects into existence, which is how their many strange houses came to be.
Ultimately, it was the emotional connections between the characters that made this such a memorable read for me. Burges gets to the heart of how complicated relationships can be, between a mother and her children, husband and wife, father and daughter, siblings and many more. The last few chapters are full of both shocking reveals and tender-hearted moments. A House Like An Accordion is the strange and magical story I didn't know I needed, and I'm so glad I read it.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
The nitty-gritty: A surreal, complex and magical journey through one family’s odd history, A House Like An Accordion captivated me with its unique ideas and emotional family connections.
“Be mindful of the act of creation, and of creating. It carries great beauty, but it exacts a cost.”
Every once in a while you read a book that feels completely new and fresh, and for me that book is A House Like an Accordion. This is a weird and wonderful story that's almost impossible to categorize, although the term “magical realism” seems to fit it best. Part mystery, part family drama, this is an emotional tale about family ties, losing loved ones and then finding them. And although that might not sound magical, the story is infused with a surreal quality that elevates it to the next level. Audrey Burges makes you believe that it’s possible to create reality through a drawing, or trap a bird in a sketch book by drawing it.
Keryth Miller wakes up one day with a big problem: she’s starting to disappear. Her left hand has vanished—well, it’s still there, it’s just invisible—which can only mean that her father Morrison, presumed dead, is still alive and is drawing her. He’s been missing for the past twenty years, but Keryth's vanishing hand is proof that he's out there somewhere. Leaving her husband and two children behind, she embarks on an epic quest, convinced that by revisiting all her childhood homes—homes her father literally created with a sketchbook and a piece of charcoal—she will eventually find the man himself. Joined by two high school friends from her past, as well as the Miller family attorney, Keryth dives headfirst into her odd, magical past, searching for answers than only her father can provide.
I’ve given you a very vague recap, since A House Like An Accordion is a hard book to describe. Burges tells her story from Keryth’s point of view, as we follow her on her journey to find her father. Her goal is to locate each house she lived in as a child, hoping that as she retraces her “footsteps,” she might find clues about her father’s location. Because of the unusual abilities of her father (which Keryth has as well), the family moved around a lot, simply because his creations drew unwanted attention. Keryth’s story moves between the past and present, and each family house from the past evokes its own memories. There’s her first house, Thorn House, covered in blackberry brambles. It was here that Morrison taught Keryth a harsh lesson about her abilities: he captured a Steller’s Jay in his book by drawing it from life, and now Keryth carries that sketchbook with her everywhere, as a reminder that her gift can be powerful and dangerous.
The House Where God Lived was created from the bones of an abandoned church, and it’s here that Keryth lived with her grandparents for a time. My favorite location, though, was The House in the Reeds, where Keryth lived as a teenager. During those years she met and befriended Erma and Tobias, who help her hunt for the houses in the present. It’s also the house where Keryth’s brother Neil was lost, an event that has haunted her ever since.
As the author dips in and out of the past, she slowly reveals the mysteries behind Keryth’s family, mysteries that stretch back to her grandparents. Why did Keryth’s mother disappear over and over again throughout her childhood, and what ultimately happened to her? Did Neil die that fateful day at The House in the Reeds, or is he simply lost somewhere? And will Keryth herself continue to disappear, or will finding her father cure her? Interspersed between chapters are epistolary fragments of letters, newspaper articles and announcements, which form a puzzle box of sorts and eventually answer many of these questions. This is a book for readers who love slow burn mysteries and enjoy piecing things together without much help from the author. In other words, Burges doesn’t hand feed you anything, which might frustrate some readers. I’ll admit I was confused at times, and for this reason I took a half star off my rating (otherwise this would have been a five star read). For me, the appeal was the journey and not necessarily the destination.
But wow, what a journey it was! In addition to Keryth’s search for her father, there’s a side plot involving Keryth’s rocky marriage with her husband Max. Keryth has become disconnected from Max and her daughters Ellory and Mindy, and leaving home to find her father certainly isn’t helping matters. But I loved the way the time away from her family ultimately puts her back on track, and she comes to realize how precious they are to her. The “imploding marriage” subplot isn’t the focus of the story, but it added a lovely emotional layer. Keryth’s feelings about her family are complex and hard to define, which resonated with me, as that’s how real life is sometimes.
There’s yet another fascinating layer to the story involving Max’s drive to create an AI called Harold, which is based off Max’s dead father. “Harold” the prototype lives with Max and his family, and he was the perfect comic relief to this rather serious story. I loved Harold’s funny quips and grandfatherly expressions, and just like Alexa, you can ask Harold to help you with anything. Harold is a stress point in their marriage, though, since Max wants to make his AI more complex and widespread, while Keryth wants to put the brakes on Max’s overly ambitious ideas.
And of course, the idea of being able to “draw from life” and capture something living on paper has so many possibilities. Both Keryth and her father can also draw objects into existence, which is how their many strange houses came to be.
Ultimately, it was the emotional connections between the characters that made this such a memorable read for me. Burges gets to the heart of how complicated relationships can be, between a mother and her children, husband and wife, father and daughter, siblings and many more. The last few chapters are full of both shocking reveals and tender-hearted moments. A House Like An Accordion is the strange and magical story I didn't know I needed, and I'm so glad I read it.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
May 28, 2024
*Thank you to Ace and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*
This book started out so good - a woman whose arm is slowly disappearing and a magical art ability? Yeah sounds great. Then it started to get away from the magic of it all and into some biblical stuff? It just was really weird but not the kind of weird that I like. It may be more for lit fic people than fantasy people.
This book started out so good - a woman whose arm is slowly disappearing and a magical art ability? Yeah sounds great. Then it started to get away from the magic of it all and into some biblical stuff? It just was really weird but not the kind of weird that I like. It may be more for lit fic people than fantasy people.
May 22, 2024
Synopsis: I think you should go into this one mostly blind so keeping this super short. Keryth is slowly disappearing, and she must go on a journey to find her long-lost father to stop it.
Thoughts: I have truly never read anything quite like this book before! A unique and whimsical read, A House Like an Accordion will take you on a magical adventure. I was really engrossed in the story and the characters. The magical element was a little difficult to understand, as the main character was discovering its intricacies along with the reader. I recommend just going in blind, suspending disbelief and enjoying the ride! A note on the audio: I thought the narrators (Rebecca Lowman and Mark Bramhall) were SO good. I was very entertained by their performance. For me personally, I preferred reading this one in print due to the format of some letters and things mixed in throughout.
Read this if you like:
🗝️ magical realism
🗝️ self-discovery
🗝️ art
🗝️ complicated families
🗝️ lush, atmospheric settings
🗝️ freaking gorgeous covers 😍
May 17, 2024
Thank you, Berkley Pub and Ace Books, for my free book for review.
"I was brushing my teeth when my hand disappeared." Talk about an attention-grabber! So naturally, I took the plunge into the world of Keryth Miller, a girl with a disappearing hand and a whole lot of family drama.
This tale is not just about hand disappearances and magical realism; it's a deep dive into the life of a girl and her quirky family, hopping from one place to another, grappling with strained relationships, and trying to make sense of it all.
And let's not forget the ticking time that keeps us on the edge of our seats. Keryth's quest to find her father and unravel the mysteries surrounding her predicament is a rollercoaster of emotions, impossible desires, and the search for belonging.
As I turned the pages, I found myself savoring the complex web of past and present, getting to know the characters and their intricate relationships, and eagerly anticipating how it would all conclude. And you know what? This book delivered a satisfying, happy ending. Who doesn't love a good happy ending, right?
In a nutshell, this story is a wild ride filled with magic, heart, and a whole lot of "what ifs." It's the kind of book that stays with you long after you've turned the last page.
"I was brushing my teeth when my hand disappeared." Talk about an attention-grabber! So naturally, I took the plunge into the world of Keryth Miller, a girl with a disappearing hand and a whole lot of family drama.
This tale is not just about hand disappearances and magical realism; it's a deep dive into the life of a girl and her quirky family, hopping from one place to another, grappling with strained relationships, and trying to make sense of it all.
And let's not forget the ticking time that keeps us on the edge of our seats. Keryth's quest to find her father and unravel the mysteries surrounding her predicament is a rollercoaster of emotions, impossible desires, and the search for belonging.
As I turned the pages, I found myself savoring the complex web of past and present, getting to know the characters and their intricate relationships, and eagerly anticipating how it would all conclude. And you know what? This book delivered a satisfying, happy ending. Who doesn't love a good happy ending, right?
In a nutshell, this story is a wild ride filled with magic, heart, and a whole lot of "what ifs." It's the kind of book that stays with you long after you've turned the last page.
May 26, 2024
3 stars. I had a really hard time with this book. While I do enjoy magical realism this was on a whole different level. It felt abstract and I kept feeling the threads of the story slip out of my hands each time I thought I finally had it. It’s clearly a beautifully written book and I’m sure most will enjoy it, I just don’t think I’m whimsical enough to appreciate it.
Keryth Miller wakes up one morning and realizes her hand has disappeared. While most would be horrified by a missing limb, Keryth is used to odd things happening in her life and in her family. She realizes that if she is disappearing it’s because her elusive father is still alive and decides to go in search of him.
This is a very slow book as it flips between past and present and sprinkles in letters from generations before. It’s not much of a mystery as you get the “reveal” pretty early on. I never really connected with the main character or her journey and I got lost in the ending but it’s clearly a creative book that I’m just not the right audience for.
Keryth Miller wakes up one morning and realizes her hand has disappeared. While most would be horrified by a missing limb, Keryth is used to odd things happening in her life and in her family. She realizes that if she is disappearing it’s because her elusive father is still alive and decides to go in search of him.
This is a very slow book as it flips between past and present and sprinkles in letters from generations before. It’s not much of a mystery as you get the “reveal” pretty early on. I never really connected with the main character or her journey and I got lost in the ending but it’s clearly a creative book that I’m just not the right audience for.
March 29, 2025
While this story had a lot of really cool ideas and a very intriguing premise, I felt like the reader was kept at the fringes of the story. I wanted to feel more connected to the characters. I wanted to better understand the magic/scifi elements. Ultimately, this was unsatisfying.
June 18, 2024
This book was weird but in an interesting way. I was entertained and constantly wondering exactly what was going on.
The idea that AI could be used to replicate the personality of a deceased loved one was an intriguing thought. It brought some sci-fi into what was mostly a magical realism story.
I enjoyed all the time spent as Keryth unravels the mystery of her childhood and to why she is disappearing. If you’re looking for a book to take you on a strange magical journey, then this is the book for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The idea that AI could be used to replicate the personality of a deceased loved one was an intriguing thought. It brought some sci-fi into what was mostly a magical realism story.
I enjoyed all the time spent as Keryth unravels the mystery of her childhood and to why she is disappearing. If you’re looking for a book to take you on a strange magical journey, then this is the book for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
September 12, 2024
After reading The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone last year, I knew I had to read A House Like an Accordion as soon as I had a chance. Audrey Burges has a powerful imagination and she creates original and captivating stories!
I honestly didn't know what to expect from this story or how everything was going to fold out (excuse the pun). There was a lot happening between Keryth starting to disappear, trying to find houses from her past (and encountering people from that time period), and then us seeing flashbacks. There were also letters and news articles that could potentially contain clues as to what was going on. I was definitely curious to get some answers!
While this story had an interesting concept, sometimes descriptions were hard to visualize and too much detail was given at once. Especially when things became more abstract.
Fans of Erin Morgenstern will definitely appreciate what Audrey has in store for them. Now that my husband is an avid reader, I am giving this one to him to read soon. Give this one a try for something clever and unique!
(Trigger warning below.)
Movie casting suggestions:
Keryth: Mary Elizabeth Winstead
I honestly didn't know what to expect from this story or how everything was going to fold out (excuse the pun). There was a lot happening between Keryth starting to disappear, trying to find houses from her past (and encountering people from that time period), and then us seeing flashbacks. There were also letters and news articles that could potentially contain clues as to what was going on. I was definitely curious to get some answers!
While this story had an interesting concept, sometimes descriptions were hard to visualize and too much detail was given at once. Especially when things became more abstract.
Fans of Erin Morgenstern will definitely appreciate what Audrey has in store for them. Now that my husband is an avid reader, I am giving this one to him to read soon. Give this one a try for something clever and unique!
(Trigger warning below.)
Movie casting suggestions:
Keryth: Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Max: Dave Annable
Tobias: Luke Grimes
Morrison (past): Matt Long
May 15, 2024
I don’t know if it is a “me” problem, but I had a hard time getting invested in this story. On paper, it is very much a book I’d enjoy. Add in the rave reviews, and I was certain it would be a winner. Sadly, there was just something about it that made me struggle to connect with the characters.
Thank you to Berkley and PRH audio for my gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Berkley and PRH audio for my gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.
May 20, 2024
I received a gifted galley of A HOUSE LIKE AN ACCORDION by Audrey Burges for an honest review. Thank you to PRH Audio, Berkley Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!
A HOUSE LIKE AN ACCORDION begins with Keryth, a woman who is slowly disappearing. Literally. She’s used to feeling a bit lost in her life with strained relationships with her husband and her teenage daughters, but the fact that she can’t see her hand is new. She knows her father has the ability to draw things that actually take from life, so she makes the connection to her new issue and realizes that her father must be alive out there for her to find. She heads out in search of answers to questions from her past with a hope to save herself from disappearing.
Magical realism can be very hit or miss for me, but I wound up really enjoying the way the author played with the concept of art drawing from life throughout this book. I thought it wound up being a beautifully atmospheric story.
I think this is a book where you need to go in with a pretty open mind because it takes some very weird turns. There were a few places where the story lost me a little bit as the characters shifted directions, but it kept drawing me back in. I appreciated the symbolism of losing oneself literally as one beings to drift in the real world as well.
A HOUSE LIKE AN ACCORDION is out today!
A HOUSE LIKE AN ACCORDION begins with Keryth, a woman who is slowly disappearing. Literally. She’s used to feeling a bit lost in her life with strained relationships with her husband and her teenage daughters, but the fact that she can’t see her hand is new. She knows her father has the ability to draw things that actually take from life, so she makes the connection to her new issue and realizes that her father must be alive out there for her to find. She heads out in search of answers to questions from her past with a hope to save herself from disappearing.
Magical realism can be very hit or miss for me, but I wound up really enjoying the way the author played with the concept of art drawing from life throughout this book. I thought it wound up being a beautifully atmospheric story.
I think this is a book where you need to go in with a pretty open mind because it takes some very weird turns. There were a few places where the story lost me a little bit as the characters shifted directions, but it kept drawing me back in. I appreciated the symbolism of losing oneself literally as one beings to drift in the real world as well.
A HOUSE LIKE AN ACCORDION is out today!
July 22, 2025
Complicated story complicatedly told
The very first sentence of Audrey Burges's A House Like an Accordion is
Keryth lives with her husband Max and their two daughters Ellory and Mindy in a glass mansion on the beach in Mailbu called The House on the Waves. (By the way, each chapter of aHLaA begins with a location -- always the name of a house, and a date. Pay attention to these -- the story jumps around a lot in place and time, and you'll find it easier to follow if you know where and when you are.) You'd probably guess that a family living in a mansion on the beach in Malibu is not hurting for cash, and you'd be right -- Max and Keryth lead a Silicon Valley startup called EternAI, whose main product is Harold -- an AI emulation of Max's dead father Harold Miller.
Keryth has not had an easy life. She has no memories before the age of eight. After that she and her family moved from house to house throughout the southwestern USA. She lost her father, mother, and little brother. ("Lost" is a conveniently vague verb.) Now disappearing, Keryth goes looking for the houses in which she grew up, hoping to locate her father. We see these broken down, abandoned houses in 2016 as disappearing Keryth finds them on her search. The stories of Keryth and her family are told in flashback chapters. All of this from Keryth's first-person point of view, except that each chapter ends with a document written by someone else. These may be newspaper or magazine stories, or letters from or to a member of Keryth's extended family. These oblique insights cast essential light on the complicated story of Keryth's family.
If I have one complaint, it would be Max. Keryth's husband seems poorly thought out, little more than a caricature of a self-involved Silicon Valley billionaire. We sort of need him to explain Keryth's fabulous wealth and her two daughters, but aside from these instrumental purposes, he seemed just annoying and incomplete to me. I suspect Max (and his AI creation Harold) are meant to mirror the creative process by which Keryth's family came to be. But I wish, all the same, Burges could have made him more convincingly human.
It's a good story, not easy to follow, but worth the effort.
Blog review.
The very first sentence of Audrey Burges's A House Like an Accordion is
I was brushing my teeth when my hand disappearedThis from our first-person narrator, Keryth Miller. Keryth is startled -- myself less so. After all, I had an advantage. I, unlike Keryth, knew that she was a character in a fantasy novel. Disappearing limbs are all in a day's work. But I really sat up and took notice when, near the end of the first chapter, the following thoughts passed through Keryth's mind
Two thoughts of equal volume, equal urgency, careened through my head at the same time.So! Keryth knows, too.
One: my father must be alive...
Two: wherever he was, however he was drawing breath, Papa must also have been drawing me.
Keryth lives with her husband Max and their two daughters Ellory and Mindy in a glass mansion on the beach in Mailbu called The House on the Waves. (By the way, each chapter of aHLaA begins with a location -- always the name of a house, and a date. Pay attention to these -- the story jumps around a lot in place and time, and you'll find it easier to follow if you know where and when you are.) You'd probably guess that a family living in a mansion on the beach in Malibu is not hurting for cash, and you'd be right -- Max and Keryth lead a Silicon Valley startup called EternAI, whose main product is Harold -- an AI emulation of Max's dead father Harold Miller.
Keryth has not had an easy life. She has no memories before the age of eight. After that she and her family moved from house to house throughout the southwestern USA. She lost her father, mother, and little brother. ("Lost" is a conveniently vague verb.) Now disappearing, Keryth goes looking for the houses in which she grew up, hoping to locate her father. We see these broken down, abandoned houses in 2016 as disappearing Keryth finds them on her search. The stories of Keryth and her family are told in flashback chapters. All of this from Keryth's first-person point of view, except that each chapter ends with a document written by someone else. These may be newspaper or magazine stories, or letters from or to a member of Keryth's extended family. These oblique insights cast essential light on the complicated story of Keryth's family.
If I have one complaint, it would be Max. Keryth's husband seems poorly thought out, little more than a caricature of a self-involved Silicon Valley billionaire. We sort of need him to explain Keryth's fabulous wealth and her two daughters, but aside from these instrumental purposes, he seemed just annoying and incomplete to me. I suspect Max (and his AI creation Harold) are meant to mirror the creative process by which Keryth's family came to be. But I wish, all the same, Burges could have made him more convincingly human.
It's a good story, not easy to follow, but worth the effort.
Blog review.
July 22, 2024
Audrey Burges makes absolute magic in this second standalone book about a woman who is literally disappearing and must unravel the mysteries of her strange and magical past in order to stop it. Burges weaves contemporary life with magical realism in a gripping and poetic way that will keep you turning pages. There was one line in this book that I had to read multiple times just to process the emotions associated with it, and then I wept. On a plane. Yeah, I didn't even care. I love all of Audrey Burges' work, and this book is no different.
August 19, 2024
The best part of this book is the title. It has an interesting premise, which is then bludgeoned to death by the mediocre writing.
July 2, 2024
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC!
This was an incredibly interesting story with a premise I have never encountered before! Keryth wakes up one morning to find her arm missing. She knows this to mean that her father, an artist with the ability to literally capture life in his sketchbook, is alive, and is drawing her. What follows is a story that goes back and forth between the present day, as Keryth tries to trace her past and find her father, as well as stories from her childhood. It's also interspersed with letters, news articles, etc. that paint a picture of her father and grandparents' lives before she was born.
The premise drew me in immediately, and I was even more engrossed when we discover early on that Keryth is a bit of an artist herself. As we start to get glimpses into her and her family's histories, it turns into a bit of a mystery that I, as the reader, was trying to solve. We are given small nuggets of information that start to point us in the direction of where Papa is, where Keryth has come from, and what is happening to her. The end is also extremely satisfying, and seeing everything come together felt like an "a-ha!" moment for both myself, and for the characters. Parts were a little predictable, but as a whole, I felt like I was putting the pieces together at the same time Keryth was.
Not to mention, this book is absolutely BEAUTIFULLY written. All of the descriptions of places Keryth lived and of the circumstances she had to live through as a child painted a very clear picture in my head. And, again, having snippets of newspapers, blogs, and letters kept things interesting and allowed the plot to move on in a really interesting way. Also, this being magical realism/science fiction, I found the technologies and capabilities Burges created for this story felt so real.
My only issues with this book were, admittedly, pretty minor. Firstly, Max, Keryth's husband, was a little too unlikable. He had a pretty significant role in the story, and I felt like his character was not developed as well as the others were. Even their daughters, who only showed up in snippets, felt better developed than he was. There were also times that I did get a little confused about who was who and lost track of the timeline a little bit. Finally, this book took me a surprisingly long time to finish. I don't know if that's because the very beginning and very end were way more engrossing than the middle, or if it just was due to the fact that I had a busy month, but I didn't find myself picking this up as often as other books.
All said and done, this was a fantastic book. It's something I feel is so unique and can be enjoyed by any reader, even if they don't have much interest in fantasy/magical realism. I will definitely recommend this to friends!
This was an incredibly interesting story with a premise I have never encountered before! Keryth wakes up one morning to find her arm missing. She knows this to mean that her father, an artist with the ability to literally capture life in his sketchbook, is alive, and is drawing her. What follows is a story that goes back and forth between the present day, as Keryth tries to trace her past and find her father, as well as stories from her childhood. It's also interspersed with letters, news articles, etc. that paint a picture of her father and grandparents' lives before she was born.
The premise drew me in immediately, and I was even more engrossed when we discover early on that Keryth is a bit of an artist herself. As we start to get glimpses into her and her family's histories, it turns into a bit of a mystery that I, as the reader, was trying to solve. We are given small nuggets of information that start to point us in the direction of where Papa is, where Keryth has come from, and what is happening to her. The end is also extremely satisfying, and seeing everything come together felt like an "a-ha!" moment for both myself, and for the characters. Parts were a little predictable, but as a whole, I felt like I was putting the pieces together at the same time Keryth was.
Not to mention, this book is absolutely BEAUTIFULLY written. All of the descriptions of places Keryth lived and of the circumstances she had to live through as a child painted a very clear picture in my head. And, again, having snippets of newspapers, blogs, and letters kept things interesting and allowed the plot to move on in a really interesting way. Also, this being magical realism/science fiction, I found the technologies and capabilities Burges created for this story felt so real.
My only issues with this book were, admittedly, pretty minor. Firstly, Max, Keryth's husband, was a little too unlikable. He had a pretty significant role in the story, and I felt like his character was not developed as well as the others were. Even their daughters, who only showed up in snippets, felt better developed than he was. There were also times that I did get a little confused about who was who and lost track of the timeline a little bit. Finally, this book took me a surprisingly long time to finish. I don't know if that's because the very beginning and very end were way more engrossing than the middle, or if it just was due to the fact that I had a busy month, but I didn't find myself picking this up as often as other books.
All said and done, this was a fantastic book. It's something I feel is so unique and can be enjoyed by any reader, even if they don't have much interest in fantasy/magical realism. I will definitely recommend this to friends!
May 22, 2024
Thank you Berkley Pub and Ace Books Pub for the free book and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted listening copy of A House Like an Accordion! #PRHAInfluencer #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyBookstagram #berkleypub #BerkleyIG #berkley
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
I will be the first to admit that fantasy is not by go-to genre. With that said, I do enjoy elements of magical realism and was intrigued by the description for this book. From the very first line, I was drawn in, wondering what was happening to Keryth and why she was disappearing. Soon, I found myself so absorbed in this book as I tried to figure out what was really going on with Keryth and her father. This was a very interesting story. While I’ve read a handful of books with magical realism elements before, this wasn’t what I was used to. While I enjoyed it, I think it was a little heavier on the fantasy side than what I am used to. With that said, I think anyone who LOVES fantasy is going to absolutely love this book and I would highly recommend to any fantasy lover.
🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, and really enjoyed my time listening to Lowman and enjoyed how certain parts were read by Bramhall. Overall, I thought the audiobook was really well done and would highly recommend this format if that option is available to you!
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
I will be the first to admit that fantasy is not by go-to genre. With that said, I do enjoy elements of magical realism and was intrigued by the description for this book. From the very first line, I was drawn in, wondering what was happening to Keryth and why she was disappearing. Soon, I found myself so absorbed in this book as I tried to figure out what was really going on with Keryth and her father. This was a very interesting story. While I’ve read a handful of books with magical realism elements before, this wasn’t what I was used to. While I enjoyed it, I think it was a little heavier on the fantasy side than what I am used to. With that said, I think anyone who LOVES fantasy is going to absolutely love this book and I would highly recommend to any fantasy lover.
🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, and really enjoyed my time listening to Lowman and enjoyed how certain parts were read by Bramhall. Overall, I thought the audiobook was really well done and would highly recommend this format if that option is available to you!
August 30, 2024
What a lovely book. Though there’s a bit of a struggle keeping timelines and characters straight, at least at first, the concept keeps you going, trying (in my case) to tie it all together before the author does it for you.Also, there’s a loveliness to the descriptions of each place visited - a way of seeing them that is almost childlike, which is probably the point.
What I loved most of all probably appeals mostly to people who had a childhood like mine, filled with multiple moves and changes of schools, many of which were inexplicable; feeling lonely and “other” while surrounded by normal folks. Finding it impossible to explain the inner life one builds. Those of a similar experience might find this story as compelling as I did.
Four plus stars.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
What I loved most of all probably appeals mostly to people who had a childhood like mine, filled with multiple moves and changes of schools, many of which were inexplicable; feeling lonely and “other” while surrounded by normal folks. Finding it impossible to explain the inner life one builds. Those of a similar experience might find this story as compelling as I did.
Four plus stars.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
October 18, 2024
This book was like reading someone’s fever dream put on paper.
Every time I thought I was getting to a point of figuring it out, I was confused again. There were so many characters thrown in and sometimes only mentioned by signing a letter with their initials. And not to mention across to many timelines.
The ending pulled me in more as we were mostly in present time and dealing with present day characters.
Really creative concept, I’m just not sure I picked this up at the right time to really get into it. Almost DNF.
Every time I thought I was getting to a point of figuring it out, I was confused again. There were so many characters thrown in and sometimes only mentioned by signing a letter with their initials. And not to mention across to many timelines.
The ending pulled me in more as we were mostly in present time and dealing with present day characters.
Really creative concept, I’m just not sure I picked this up at the right time to really get into it. Almost DNF.
May 26, 2024
The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone was one of my favorite books of 2023. Excited to read Audrey Burges' second book, A House Like an Accordion, I was happy to find that Burges has once again exercised her formidable creative abilities. But although both books have a hefty dose of magical realism (which I really enjoy), this one has a MUCH darker tone.
Thirtyish Keryth has to wear gloves so no one will notice that her hand has disappeared (although she can still use it), and she fears for the rest of her body. She hopes that tracking down the many houses in which her family has lived will lead her to her long-absent father. He and Keryth, and possibly others in the family, share the ability to manifest what they draw, and he has always warned Keryth never to draw something living. But now she suspects that he is somehow drawing her.
This story requires the reader to keep track of the different time periods in which important events in the past are described. And, between chapters, there are letters or newspaper articles that highlight the effects of of these events.
I especially enjoyed reading about Harold, an audio artificial intelligence representation of Keryth's late father-in-law, which her husband Max's company has programmed to interact with the family from a disembodied voice. I also relished reading about Keryth's school friends from years earlier, who rally around her when she needs them the most. And Keryth and Max's teenage daughters are relatable and engaging characters.
There's no doubt about it--this story is STRANGE--but it's also absorbing and worth the effort to keep up with it as it unfolds. I found the ending particularly satisfying. But if you're looking for something as light and charming as Myra Malone, this is not the book for you.
Thirtyish Keryth has to wear gloves so no one will notice that her hand has disappeared (although she can still use it), and she fears for the rest of her body. She hopes that tracking down the many houses in which her family has lived will lead her to her long-absent father. He and Keryth, and possibly others in the family, share the ability to manifest what they draw, and he has always warned Keryth never to draw something living. But now she suspects that he is somehow drawing her.
This story requires the reader to keep track of the different time periods in which important events in the past are described. And, between chapters, there are letters or newspaper articles that highlight the effects of of these events.
I especially enjoyed reading about Harold, an audio artificial intelligence representation of Keryth's late father-in-law, which her husband Max's company has programmed to interact with the family from a disembodied voice. I also relished reading about Keryth's school friends from years earlier, who rally around her when she needs them the most. And Keryth and Max's teenage daughters are relatable and engaging characters.
There's no doubt about it--this story is STRANGE--but it's also absorbing and worth the effort to keep up with it as it unfolds. I found the ending particularly satisfying. But if you're looking for something as light and charming as Myra Malone, this is not the book for you.
June 29, 2024
The book started off beautifully for me, but then started to slow down. Pats of it were confusing, especially some of the letters, journal entries and newspaper entries that were interspersed. I’m not sure I completely understand how the end “happened”, but overall I really enjoyed this book. The story idea was so great I’ve and the descriptions were amazing,
June 13, 2024
I started reading, not knowing what I was getting myself into. By the end, I was smiling through tears.
July 27, 2024
While this was an interesting and unique book, I’m not sure I really understood it. But I keep thinking about it so there was something that kept my interest.
August 27, 2024
This is a fun story told that careens wildly thru the life of its narrator who is learning to create facets of her life with pen and ink in a magical sketchbook.
September 4, 2024
This was just ok for me. I never really felt fully sucked into the story or invested in the characters. I can't put my finger on exactly what was missing ..but this one just didn't work for me.
October 4, 2024
I was mostly confused. It started out with an interesting premise but it just felt clumsy and I had a hard time putting the pieces together.
July 8, 2024
I wouldn’t recommend this book to a friend. It honestly took me a bit to finish it. I was really struggling. What really drew me to the book was the concept. It sounded really interesting and not like any other book I’ve read. With that being said, it kinda fell flat for me. It didn’t feel like it lived up to the concept. Something about the story didn’t really hit with me.
July 28, 2024
I have no idea what I just read. No seriously... It's like the sensation you have when waking up from a dream and some parts and crystal clear and others are fading away at break neck speed. Whatever it is or was is magical, but also trippy.
March 3, 2024
A House Like an Accordion was a spell-binding, sweet, cozy fantasy. Family is the true heart of this book, and I loved the route the winding story took! This book is incredibly unique: we follow Keryth on her journey to find her father, and it’s a magical, heartwarming treasure hunt from start to finish. I’d recommend this to this who love the fantasy genre but might be looking for something less high-stakes.
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