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The Manor of Dreams: A Novel
AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR • “A true modern classic. The Manor of Dreams is beautiful, eerie, and woven with enough intrigue to hold all who enter captive. Christina Li remains unmatched in breathing characters to life—and the hauntings thereafter.” —Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings
Mexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Christina Li’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet, and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it.
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 to 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. As Vivian’s daughters race to piece together what happened in the last weeks of their mother’s life, disturbing visions and bizarre behaviors start to take hold of everyone in the house, forcing them to realize they are being haunted by something far more sinister and vengeful than their regrets. After so many years of silence, will the families finally confront the painful truth behind the house’s origins and the last, tragic summer they spent there—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.
Mexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Christina Li’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet, and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it.
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 to 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. As Vivian’s daughters race to piece together what happened in the last weeks of their mother’s life, disturbing visions and bizarre behaviors start to take hold of everyone in the house, forcing them to realize they are being haunted by something far more sinister and vengeful than their regrets. After so many years of silence, will the families finally confront the painful truth behind the house’s origins and the last, tragic summer they spent there—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.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 6, 2025
284 people are currently reading
50584 people want to read
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December 13, 2025
Christina Li's The Manor of Dreams is an absolute gem that brilliantly blends gothic suspense with family drama, creating a mesmerizing story that will completely captivate readers. Imagine the atmospheric tension of Mexican Gothic meets the Hollywood glamour of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - this novel is a rich, compelling exploration of secrets, identity, and inheritance.
The story centers on Vivian Yin, the first Chinese American actress to win an Oscar, and the complex legacy she leaves behind. When her will unexpectedly throws two different families together in a sprawling Southern California mansion, the stage is set for a gripping mystery that slowly unravels generations of hidden truths. Li's multigenerational narrative is nothing short of masterful, weaving between past and present with remarkable skill.
The mansion itself becomes a character as haunting as any of its inhabitants - a decaying Hollywood landmark that seems to breathe with unspoken stories. Li's exploration of Chinese American identity against the backdrop of Hollywood's golden age adds remarkable depth to what could have been a simple mystery. The cultural nuances are beautifully rendered, bringing an authenticity that elevates the entire narrative.
While the pacing occasionally slows, these moments feel intentional - like taking a deep breath before diving back into the mystery. The linguistic shifts and cultural details aren't complications; they're intricate threads that make the story's tapestry even more fascinating. Li has a remarkable ability to make you feel the weight of family history, the complexity of cultural identity, and the shadows of long-buried secrets.
Is it a perfect novel? Perhaps not. But it's a compelling, thoughtful, and absolutely engaging read that will keep you turning pages late into the night. The way Li navigates family dynamics, Hollywood's hidden corners, and generational trauma is nothing short of impressive.
For fans of atmospheric mysteries, family sagas, and stories that dig deep into cultural identity, The Manor of Dreams is an absolute must-read. Christina Li proves herself to be a powerful new voice in literary fiction, crafting a novel that's both a page-turner and a profound exploration of family, legacy, and the stories we inherit.
Four stars for this gothic thriller that announces Li as an author to watch closely! Highly recommended for anyone who loves mysteries with heart, depth, and just a touch of darkness.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for sharing this innovative gothic thriller's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.
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The story centers on Vivian Yin, the first Chinese American actress to win an Oscar, and the complex legacy she leaves behind. When her will unexpectedly throws two different families together in a sprawling Southern California mansion, the stage is set for a gripping mystery that slowly unravels generations of hidden truths. Li's multigenerational narrative is nothing short of masterful, weaving between past and present with remarkable skill.
The mansion itself becomes a character as haunting as any of its inhabitants - a decaying Hollywood landmark that seems to breathe with unspoken stories. Li's exploration of Chinese American identity against the backdrop of Hollywood's golden age adds remarkable depth to what could have been a simple mystery. The cultural nuances are beautifully rendered, bringing an authenticity that elevates the entire narrative.
While the pacing occasionally slows, these moments feel intentional - like taking a deep breath before diving back into the mystery. The linguistic shifts and cultural details aren't complications; they're intricate threads that make the story's tapestry even more fascinating. Li has a remarkable ability to make you feel the weight of family history, the complexity of cultural identity, and the shadows of long-buried secrets.
Is it a perfect novel? Perhaps not. But it's a compelling, thoughtful, and absolutely engaging read that will keep you turning pages late into the night. The way Li navigates family dynamics, Hollywood's hidden corners, and generational trauma is nothing short of impressive.
For fans of atmospheric mysteries, family sagas, and stories that dig deep into cultural identity, The Manor of Dreams is an absolute must-read. Christina Li proves herself to be a powerful new voice in literary fiction, crafting a novel that's both a page-turner and a profound exploration of family, legacy, and the stories we inherit.
Four stars for this gothic thriller that announces Li as an author to watch closely! Highly recommended for anyone who loves mysteries with heart, depth, and just a touch of darkness.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for sharing this innovative gothic thriller's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.
medium.com
May 6, 2025
જ⁀➴ 4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Update: Happy publishing day to The Manor of Dreams! It's getting published just in time for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Support Asian authors!
⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆
I'm going to be completely honest, I went into this book half-blind. I read the synopsis of the book, thought it sounded really good, and started reading. Nothing about the synopsis gave me horror vibes; it honestly made it sound like a thriller. Later on, I'd come to discover that the synopsis doesn't do the book justice. It wasn't until after I started reading that I found out, after a little quick and dirty research, that The Manor of Dreams is one of the most highly anticipated 2025 horror novels set to be published this year, at least according to Goodreads articles written by the Goodreads team themselves. After finishing the ARC, I can 100% say I can see that happening. I'm not sure I would go as far as to say that BookTok/Bookstagram/bookish socials will blow this book up (to be completely blunt, we need to do a better job at elevating BIPOC authors but that's a story for another day), but I hope it gets the recognition it deserves. This is also Christina Li's adult debut after writing a handful of middle-grade and YA novels I think she did a stellar job.
After the death of Chinese actress Vivian Yin, her two daughters, Lucille and Renata, along with Lucille's daughter, Madeline, arrive to Yin Manor for the reading of her will. Unexpectedly, Elaine Deng, daughter of Vivian's former gardener and nanny, and her daughter Nora, also show up to the hearing. When it's revealed by Vivian's lawyer that she made a last-minute change to the will that leaves Elaine and Nora the sprawling but decrepit estate instead of her daughters, a showdown happens between the two families as they fight over who should have ownership of the house. The story mainly alternates among the four women's POVS; Lucille, Renata, Madeline, and Nora as they take over Yin Manor and try to sort everything out over the course of about a week: cleaning the house, sorting through Vivian's belongings, Lucille trying to build a case to get the house back in her ownership, and most importantly, don't go into the backyard and try to take care of the garden.
The writing quickly sucked me into the story. I thought the alternating POVs were cool to read as we get to see how each woman handles Vivian's death. I found myself not being able to stop reading and I kept going because I didn't want to stop. Eventually, Vivian's POV shows up as we get a glimpse of her life as a rising Chinese actress and her personal life raising her family. I found hers to be the most interesting as we get to see why the house is the way it is now and everything that led up to her death. Vivian's POV gave it the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes I expected from a Hollywood starlet of a character. Although her life wasn't as crazy compared to Evelyn Hugo's per se, I can understand a lot of her parenting decisions and why she did what she did to protect her daughters and look out for them growing up. I support women's rights, but I also support women's wrongs.
My assumption on The Manor of Dreams being a thriller was quickly proven wrong when the horror aspect came into the story. I'm honestly not sure why I wasn't as creeped out over all of the elements of the story that made it a horror novel; maybe it's because I'm so desensitized to body horror and blood and gore as a pharmacist who went on clinical rotations in the ER and ICU during school? While I was admittedly unsettled, I never had that feeling of "I need to sleep with the lights on and one eye open" vibe from the story. I also predicted what was happening to the house a while before it was revealed, but I know that's just me being able to see it coming from a mile away after reading enough thrillers. None of this affected my enjoyment of the story overall, but I can see how someone who's never read a thriller or a horror novel before, or perhaps gets easily scared, could get creeped out over everything happening.
Overall, I loved reading this horror/thriller novel by a fresh new voice in the genre! I can't wait to see what Christina Li has in store next.
⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆
Trigger warnings: Death of a loved one, car accident, domestic abuse, body horror and gore, visions/hallucinations, descriptions of physical injuries, alcohol consumption, drug use/addiction, racism, emotional abuse, physical abuse, blood, murder, vomiting/emesis
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: ARC #2 of the week! They had me at The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets Mexican Gothic.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Update: Happy publishing day to The Manor of Dreams! It's getting published just in time for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Support Asian authors!
"Vivian Yin fought tooth and nail to survive in this country. To make sure her children survived. She would not die a good wife.”
⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆
I'm going to be completely honest, I went into this book half-blind. I read the synopsis of the book, thought it sounded really good, and started reading. Nothing about the synopsis gave me horror vibes; it honestly made it sound like a thriller. Later on, I'd come to discover that the synopsis doesn't do the book justice. It wasn't until after I started reading that I found out, after a little quick and dirty research, that The Manor of Dreams is one of the most highly anticipated 2025 horror novels set to be published this year, at least according to Goodreads articles written by the Goodreads team themselves. After finishing the ARC, I can 100% say I can see that happening. I'm not sure I would go as far as to say that BookTok/Bookstagram/bookish socials will blow this book up (to be completely blunt, we need to do a better job at elevating BIPOC authors but that's a story for another day), but I hope it gets the recognition it deserves. This is also Christina Li's adult debut after writing a handful of middle-grade and YA novels I think she did a stellar job.
After the death of Chinese actress Vivian Yin, her two daughters, Lucille and Renata, along with Lucille's daughter, Madeline, arrive to Yin Manor for the reading of her will. Unexpectedly, Elaine Deng, daughter of Vivian's former gardener and nanny, and her daughter Nora, also show up to the hearing. When it's revealed by Vivian's lawyer that she made a last-minute change to the will that leaves Elaine and Nora the sprawling but decrepit estate instead of her daughters, a showdown happens between the two families as they fight over who should have ownership of the house. The story mainly alternates among the four women's POVS; Lucille, Renata, Madeline, and Nora as they take over Yin Manor and try to sort everything out over the course of about a week: cleaning the house, sorting through Vivian's belongings, Lucille trying to build a case to get the house back in her ownership, and most importantly, don't go into the backyard and try to take care of the garden.
The writing quickly sucked me into the story. I thought the alternating POVs were cool to read as we get to see how each woman handles Vivian's death. I found myself not being able to stop reading and I kept going because I didn't want to stop. Eventually, Vivian's POV shows up as we get a glimpse of her life as a rising Chinese actress and her personal life raising her family. I found hers to be the most interesting as we get to see why the house is the way it is now and everything that led up to her death. Vivian's POV gave it the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes I expected from a Hollywood starlet of a character. Although her life wasn't as crazy compared to Evelyn Hugo's per se, I can understand a lot of her parenting decisions and why she did what she did to protect her daughters and look out for them growing up. I support women's rights, but I also support women's wrongs.
My assumption on The Manor of Dreams being a thriller was quickly proven wrong when the horror aspect came into the story. I'm honestly not sure why I wasn't as creeped out over all of the elements of the story that made it a horror novel; maybe it's because I'm so desensitized to body horror and blood and gore as a pharmacist who went on clinical rotations in the ER and ICU during school? While I was admittedly unsettled, I never had that feeling of "I need to sleep with the lights on and one eye open" vibe from the story. I also predicted what was happening to the house a while before it was revealed, but I know that's just me being able to see it coming from a mile away after reading enough thrillers. None of this affected my enjoyment of the story overall, but I can see how someone who's never read a thriller or a horror novel before, or perhaps gets easily scared, could get creeped out over everything happening.
Overall, I loved reading this horror/thriller novel by a fresh new voice in the genre! I can't wait to see what Christina Li has in store next.
⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆
Trigger warnings: Death of a loved one, car accident, domestic abuse, body horror and gore, visions/hallucinations, descriptions of physical injuries, alcohol consumption, drug use/addiction, racism, emotional abuse, physical abuse, blood, murder, vomiting/emesis
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: ARC #2 of the week! They had me at The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets Mexican Gothic.
December 16, 2024
Hey Netgalley - Thanks! Here's the honest review, just like I said I would! ;)
It appears I am in the minority for this book, but I have a lot of issues with it. The premise is right up my alley - a combination of Evelyn Hugo and Mexican Gothic? Sign me up. However, the problems with this book outweigh my enjoyment.
This story is told through the stories of three generations of a family, a matriarch who rose to fame through her acting in the 70s; her daughters, coming of age in the 90s; and the modern day storyline, partially told through her granddaughters, but through two of her daughters. None of these time periods are really represented in the novel. There's no touchstones, no remarks on the cultural, only the date stamped at the beginning of each chapter. I wanted to be immersed in these decades, but the timing was left ambiguous when it needn't be. Why put me in the 70s and then deny me feathered hair? Come on.
From here on out, things are going to have some spoilers, so read on at your own risk. Major spoilers will be hidden.
One relationship in this book features a lot of domestic abuse, and the scenes with this are very intense. There are also many of them. In fact, I would hazard that there are too many. I understood where they were at and what kind of a guy he was looong before those scenes were over. I was also able to see pretty clearly what she was going to do about it. Since this book tended to drag for me (until the final 15%, but I'll get to that), I think some of these scenes should have been cut. Each time it was brutal, and it hit a point where it wasn't adding to the story.
Speaking of relationships, there are two sapphic ones in this book. One feels organic, and the other does not. Unfortunately, the one that doesn't comes first. One girl kisses another without any of the build up or any idea that there was a sort of attraction there. At first, I thought the author didn't know how to handle this well, but she later featured another sapphic relationship where I could see the two girls were curious about one another and was not surprised when romance blossomed. It felt way more natural.
In fact, the first sapphic relationship was supposed to deliver a plotline where the two girls work together to solve the mystery that is at the crux of this story. (Was grandma killed, and if so, who did it?) Instead, that plotline goes to the side and they just dawdle into a storyline with sex and a vehicle for minor confrontations. I had been so interested in them working together to figure things out, and I was completely let down.
The book wraps itself up incredibly fast in the final 15 - 20%. In fact, it's too fast, and unfortunately, it leaves some loose ends and unanswered questions. Prepare for spoilers.
Overall, this was a very unsatisfying read for me, which is unfortunate.
It appears I am in the minority for this book, but I have a lot of issues with it. The premise is right up my alley - a combination of Evelyn Hugo and Mexican Gothic? Sign me up. However, the problems with this book outweigh my enjoyment.
This story is told through the stories of three generations of a family, a matriarch who rose to fame through her acting in the 70s; her daughters, coming of age in the 90s; and the modern day storyline, partially told through her granddaughters, but through two of her daughters. None of these time periods are really represented in the novel. There's no touchstones, no remarks on the cultural, only the date stamped at the beginning of each chapter. I wanted to be immersed in these decades, but the timing was left ambiguous when it needn't be. Why put me in the 70s and then deny me feathered hair? Come on.
From here on out, things are going to have some spoilers, so read on at your own risk. Major spoilers will be hidden.
One relationship in this book features a lot of domestic abuse, and the scenes with this are very intense. There are also many of them. In fact, I would hazard that there are too many. I understood where they were at and what kind of a guy he was looong before those scenes were over. I was also able to see pretty clearly what she was going to do about it. Since this book tended to drag for me (until the final 15%, but I'll get to that), I think some of these scenes should have been cut. Each time it was brutal, and it hit a point where it wasn't adding to the story.
Speaking of relationships, there are two sapphic ones in this book. One feels organic, and the other does not. Unfortunately, the one that doesn't comes first. One girl kisses another without any of the build up or any idea that there was a sort of attraction there. At first, I thought the author didn't know how to handle this well, but she later featured another sapphic relationship where I could see the two girls were curious about one another and was not surprised when romance blossomed. It felt way more natural.
In fact, the first sapphic relationship was supposed to deliver a plotline where the two girls work together to solve the mystery that is at the crux of this story. (Was grandma killed, and if so, who did it?) Instead, that plotline goes to the side and they just dawdle into a storyline with sex and a vehicle for minor confrontations. I had been so interested in them working together to figure things out, and I was completely let down.
The book wraps itself up incredibly fast in the final 15 - 20%. In fact, it's too fast, and unfortunately, it leaves some loose ends and unanswered questions. Prepare for spoilers.
Overall, this was a very unsatisfying read for me, which is unfortunate.
Want to read
October 2, 2024Sapphic gothic horror is literally my lifeblood, actually!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 5, 2025Kick May off with this gothic horror/mystery novel from Christina Li. Vivian Yin was the first Chinese actress to ever win an Oscar. Now she's dead, and her family members have gathered at her Southern California estate for the reading of her will. But as they start to learn the truth about Vivian's life and the last summer they all spent together in that crumbling mansion, the family comes to understand that they are all deeply haunted.
—Emily Martin, New Horror Books to Keep You Up At Night
—Emily Martin, New Horror Books to Keep You Up At Night
July 7, 2025
4.5 Stars
Oscar award winning Chinese actress Vivian Yin has died. Her immediate family, as well as another family have been brought together for the reading of the will. At her time of death, her estate was only worth a fraction of what it should have been but it also includes the derelict Yin Manor. Needless to say the family start fighting over who should’ve been given what with the Manor being the main point of contention. And of course, we all know this huge manor estate may have one or two ghosts or strange happenings occurring.
I went into this thinking this would be your run of the mill story that deals with an inherited haunted house. I most certainly was wrong. The novel takes us back and shows us Vivian’s rise to fame starting from the time she comes to America all the way through to her death. What we get is a mixture of genres ranging from domestic/family drama to the haunting of the manor. It was nearly impossible for me to put the book down. I loved how the author was able to mix the genres seamlessly.
I was set to give it five stars, but there were a few things that had me take it down a star . What seems to be a common occurrence for me is that the past timelines are done so well that the current timelines could be completely left out of the book and I would be just as happy. In this case, I felt very similar. I think the characters of Nora and Madeline gave nothing to the storyline and their insta-romance just didn’t work for me. There was also a bit about the Chinese Americans and the mining for gold that I thought was going to be more heavily incorporated into the story instead of a brief mention, unless of course, I completely missed the correlation. And finally, the ending. As with most Gothic horror novels, I’m usually disappointed because the buildup is so good that the ending feels anticlimactic. But that’s just a me thing.
For those who enjoy the Gothic horror atmospheric novels with a ton of character depth and family drama this would be it!
This was the author’s first adult novel, and I will be looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
Oscar award winning Chinese actress Vivian Yin has died. Her immediate family, as well as another family have been brought together for the reading of the will. At her time of death, her estate was only worth a fraction of what it should have been but it also includes the derelict Yin Manor. Needless to say the family start fighting over who should’ve been given what with the Manor being the main point of contention. And of course, we all know this huge manor estate may have one or two ghosts or strange happenings occurring.
I went into this thinking this would be your run of the mill story that deals with an inherited haunted house. I most certainly was wrong. The novel takes us back and shows us Vivian’s rise to fame starting from the time she comes to America all the way through to her death. What we get is a mixture of genres ranging from domestic/family drama to the haunting of the manor. It was nearly impossible for me to put the book down. I loved how the author was able to mix the genres seamlessly.
I was set to give it five stars, but there were a few things that had me take it down a star . What seems to be a common occurrence for me is that the past timelines are done so well that the current timelines could be completely left out of the book and I would be just as happy. In this case, I felt very similar. I think the characters of Nora and Madeline gave nothing to the storyline and their insta-romance just didn’t work for me. There was also a bit about the Chinese Americans and the mining for gold that I thought was going to be more heavily incorporated into the story instead of a brief mention, unless of course, I completely missed the correlation. And finally, the ending. As with most Gothic horror novels, I’m usually disappointed because the buildup is so good that the ending feels anticlimactic. But that’s just a me thing.
For those who enjoy the Gothic horror atmospheric novels with a ton of character depth and family drama this would be it!
This was the author’s first adult novel, and I will be looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
January 2, 2025
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/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 lots of 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 this Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) for review.
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/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 lots of 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 this Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) for review.
June 25, 2025
The Manor is a dark, atmospheric look into the glitzy, glamorous life and the dark undercurrent to the sparking veneer that was Vivian Yin-Lowell. The Manor is a gothic horror that is part ghost story and part family drama with sapphic love at the center.
In The Manor actress Vivian Yin leaves her crumbling estate to her ex housekeepers daughter instead of her own children sparking the ignition in a several decades long family feud between the two families as they war over the property.
I found this story compelling, well paced and equally romantic as well as tragic. It's a beautiful Gothic horror about family and love. If you like all things gothic and horror with sapphic love you will eat this book up like I did.
In The Manor actress Vivian Yin leaves her crumbling estate to her ex housekeepers daughter instead of her own children sparking the ignition in a several decades long family feud between the two families as they war over the property.
I found this story compelling, well paced and equally romantic as well as tragic. It's a beautiful Gothic horror about family and love. If you like all things gothic and horror with sapphic love you will eat this book up like I did.
Want to read
August 21, 2024The author described this on tiktok as a "sapphic gothic book for the queer girlies who never got over Jamie and Dani from the Haunting of Bly Manor" and I can't even begin to explain how targeted that is to me specifically. I've perhaps never been so seated in my life
March 4, 2025
Finished Reading
Pre-Read notes
I'm 30 pages in and so far it's excellent. The premiise is completely captivating to me, because I'm drawn to stories about sister's and big family drama as the backdrop for a really scary narrative. I love this formula and predict with hope, I will find that here!
Final Review
She nodded toward the door and took a deep breath. “Okay. She was involved in our mā’s death. I’m sure of it.” p21
Review summary and recommendations
Reading Notes
Seven things I loved:
1. But now Rennie was back, broke, sitting in her childhood bedroom with plans to pawn her late parents ’ valuables. A bit pathetic. She took a deep breath and drank. p24 This is right at the beginning, and this fmc is a handful!
2. Whatever it took, she would get her childhood home back. There was no way Mā had given the house willingly to Elaine, that scheming vulture. p45 I love when narrators get down in the muck with the characters. It always lives up the narrative.
3. I really love a good old-fashioned haunted family home for a setting, characters haunted by spirits and memories. I adore the descriptions of the architecture!)
4. I love the Chinese symbols scattered throughout the book. Like these tiny pearls that I can see but not touch!
5. The theme of the history of Chinese immigrants in the US seriously enriches this story. It's both fascinating and eerie in turns, depending on which era I'm reading about.
6. The plot is so twisty and unpredictable!
7. She was surrounded by so much blue on all sides. The sand was softer than silk. The sun touched everything: the wine , their shoulders, the water. Still, she felt so empty inside. She thought of what it would be like to float into the ocean; to sink into it and dissolve like seafoam. She closed her eyes. Light filtered through her eyelids and she saw only a muted shade of red. p185 Beautiful descriptions of emotion in this book.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. This story has a huge cast. The number of named characters is bewildering large. Some readers handle that better than others. Since I rely heavily on my ears to consume stories, I have trouble with large casts.
Rating: 🏰🏰🏰🏰 /5 / huge old creepy haunted mansions
yes
Finished: Feb 28 '25
Format: accessible digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🏚 scary houses
👤 psychological horror
👩🏼🤝👩🏾 sibling rivalry
🪢 family drama and mind games
Thank you to the author Chtistina Li, publishers Avid Reader Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of THE MANOR OF DREAMS. All views are mine.
---------------
Pre-Read notes
I'm 30 pages in and so far it's excellent. The premiise is completely captivating to me, because I'm drawn to stories about sister's and big family drama as the backdrop for a really scary narrative. I love this formula and predict with hope, I will find that here!
Final Review
She nodded toward the door and took a deep breath. “Okay. She was involved in our mā’s death. I’m sure of it.” p21
Review summary and recommendations
Reading Notes
Seven things I loved:
1. But now Rennie was back, broke, sitting in her childhood bedroom with plans to pawn her late parents ’ valuables. A bit pathetic. She took a deep breath and drank. p24 This is right at the beginning, and this fmc is a handful!
2. Whatever it took, she would get her childhood home back. There was no way Mā had given the house willingly to Elaine, that scheming vulture. p45 I love when narrators get down in the muck with the characters. It always lives up the narrative.
3. I really love a good old-fashioned haunted family home for a setting, characters haunted by spirits and memories. I adore the descriptions of the architecture!)
4. I love the Chinese symbols scattered throughout the book. Like these tiny pearls that I can see but not touch!
5. The theme of the history of Chinese immigrants in the US seriously enriches this story. It's both fascinating and eerie in turns, depending on which era I'm reading about.
6. The plot is so twisty and unpredictable!
7. She was surrounded by so much blue on all sides. The sand was softer than silk. The sun touched everything: the wine , their shoulders, the water. Still, she felt so empty inside. She thought of what it would be like to float into the ocean; to sink into it and dissolve like seafoam. She closed her eyes. Light filtered through her eyelids and she saw only a muted shade of red. p185 Beautiful descriptions of emotion in this book.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. This story has a huge cast. The number of named characters is bewildering large. Some readers handle that better than others. Since I rely heavily on my ears to consume stories, I have trouble with large casts.
Rating: 🏰🏰🏰🏰 /5 / huge old creepy haunted mansions
yes
Finished: Feb 28 '25
Format: accessible digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🏚 scary houses
👤 psychological horror
👩🏼🤝👩🏾 sibling rivalry
🪢 family drama and mind games
Thank you to the author Chtistina Li, publishers Avid Reader Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of THE MANOR OF DREAMS. All views are mine.
---------------
March 7, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon& Schuster Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
I cannot resist generational tales, strong female protagonists, familial conflicts and secrets, and creepy houses. The Manor of Dreams is all those things and more.
Our novel opens with the reading of the will of Hollywood starlet, Vivian Yin. Her daughters, Lucille and Rennie, along with her granddaughter, Madeline, attend. Also, in attendance are Nora and her mother, Elaine. At one time, Elaine's parents worked for Vivian and her husband, Richard, both accomplished in Hollywood. But it has been years since anyone has seen Elaine. Why is she at the will reading? Soon it is revealed that Vivian left money for her daughters and the house to Elaine. Angered by this, Lucille informs Elaine that no one from her family will leave until a further investigation is completed. But the greatest threat to all-just might be the house itself.
Wrapped in a gothic atmosphere with a whole of psychological tension, Christina Li weaves a slow burn of a tale as the narrative bounces from those present in the house to Vivian and Richard's tumultuous relationship. Once I began reading, I couldn't put this book down. As the vines from the garden began creeping towards the house, I was shaken by the growing fear of being claustrophobic and yet I couldn't look away.
A very chilling tale.
Expected Publication Date 06/05/25
Goodreads Review Date 06/03/25
I cannot resist generational tales, strong female protagonists, familial conflicts and secrets, and creepy houses. The Manor of Dreams is all those things and more.
Our novel opens with the reading of the will of Hollywood starlet, Vivian Yin. Her daughters, Lucille and Rennie, along with her granddaughter, Madeline, attend. Also, in attendance are Nora and her mother, Elaine. At one time, Elaine's parents worked for Vivian and her husband, Richard, both accomplished in Hollywood. But it has been years since anyone has seen Elaine. Why is she at the will reading? Soon it is revealed that Vivian left money for her daughters and the house to Elaine. Angered by this, Lucille informs Elaine that no one from her family will leave until a further investigation is completed. But the greatest threat to all-just might be the house itself.
Wrapped in a gothic atmosphere with a whole of psychological tension, Christina Li weaves a slow burn of a tale as the narrative bounces from those present in the house to Vivian and Richard's tumultuous relationship. Once I began reading, I couldn't put this book down. As the vines from the garden began creeping towards the house, I was shaken by the growing fear of being claustrophobic and yet I couldn't look away.
A very chilling tale.
Expected Publication Date 06/05/25
Goodreads Review Date 06/03/25
July 20, 2025
Audiobook (12 hours) narrated by Catherine Ho
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Catherine Ho is an award winning narrator, with awards including the Earphones awards, and best of 2021 AudioFile award. She is fantastic. I absolutely enjoyed everything about her narration of The Manor of Dreams.
The audio is flawless.
As I started reading this book I had a whispering of influences by Shirley Jackson.
While a completely different story, time, place, and characters, the style, the storytelling and the feel kept giving me lingering sensations of a cross between The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, with an old school back of the neck tingling sensations type of horror.
The characters here are impeccable written, with the atmosphere being it's own character, lurking in the shadows, stirring up all sorts of feelings.
The timing is on point, which is incredibly important with this type and style of writing.
Christina Li nails it. I will be looking out for more by her. 👌
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Catherine Ho is an award winning narrator, with awards including the Earphones awards, and best of 2021 AudioFile award. She is fantastic. I absolutely enjoyed everything about her narration of The Manor of Dreams.
The audio is flawless.
As I started reading this book I had a whispering of influences by Shirley Jackson.
While a completely different story, time, place, and characters, the style, the storytelling and the feel kept giving me lingering sensations of a cross between The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, with an old school back of the neck tingling sensations type of horror.
The characters here are impeccable written, with the atmosphere being it's own character, lurking in the shadows, stirring up all sorts of feelings.
The timing is on point, which is incredibly important with this type and style of writing.
Christina Li nails it. I will be looking out for more by her. 👌
Read
May 21, 2025Review soon!
December 28, 2024
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.
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.
June 23, 2025
3.5 stars.
Thanks for the buddy read, Christina!
This book was the definition of a modern Gothic novel. It was a lot heavier on the melodrama and complicated interpersonal dynamics than the actual horror elements, so definitely take that into consideration if you plan on reading this novel.
Christina liked this novel more than I did. It took me until the 40-50% mark to finally enjoy the story and appreciate it for what it was instead of expecting a straightforward Gothic horror.
There was a lot of relationship building (both past and present POVs), and it was a bit tricky to understand who was in love with whom, or how the employer/employee (specifically wealthy family/hired help) dynamics worked between the two families in the story. The novel does the slow reveal type of storytelling, so if you're into that, then this might be perfect for you.
I'm an impatient reader, and while slow reveals aren't my favorite, I did enjoy the second half of the novel when I was finally able to piece the relationships together and understand both family's histories. It became an intense roller coaster ride.
I think this would make a great Netflix movie. The modern Western Gothic visuals were great, especially set against the backdrop of Southern California.
Thank you to Avid Reader Press for the arc.
Thanks for the buddy read, Christina!
This book was the definition of a modern Gothic novel. It was a lot heavier on the melodrama and complicated interpersonal dynamics than the actual horror elements, so definitely take that into consideration if you plan on reading this novel.
Christina liked this novel more than I did. It took me until the 40-50% mark to finally enjoy the story and appreciate it for what it was instead of expecting a straightforward Gothic horror.
There was a lot of relationship building (both past and present POVs), and it was a bit tricky to understand who was in love with whom, or how the employer/employee (specifically wealthy family/hired help) dynamics worked between the two families in the story. The novel does the slow reveal type of storytelling, so if you're into that, then this might be perfect for you.
I'm an impatient reader, and while slow reveals aren't my favorite, I did enjoy the second half of the novel when I was finally able to piece the relationships together and understand both family's histories. It became an intense roller coaster ride.
I think this would make a great Netflix movie. The modern Western Gothic visuals were great, especially set against the backdrop of Southern California.
Thank you to Avid Reader Press for the arc.
February 10, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Marketed as a mix of Mexican Gothic and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this book had a lot of potential. I liked the beginning, and even a little further, as you learn more about how these two families are related. But I think that's where my praise stops.
First, this is not horror. There are some ghosts, a haunted house, and some creepy vines. Also, the writing here does not come anywhere close to Evelyn Hugo. The pace of the story is slow....really slow in some spots. You've got two timelines contained within the story. One is in the present day, and the other is in the 1970s/1980s in Hollywood. I would have loved for Li to develop the Hollywood timeline more to immerse the reader, but unfortunately, that didn't happen.
My biggest complaint is that this book is trying to do too much, and it shows. You finish reading to have so many unanswered questions because an issue would be introduced and then never mentioned again. What was the point of including these if they add nothing to the plot and just take up page space? Just off the top of my head, Li attempts to cover topics that include cultural traditions, domestic violence, the need for acceptance, prohibited same-sex relationships, complex family dynamics, and glitzy Hollywood life. I know I'm forgetting some, but there were just way too many topics all crammed into one story. The way they were incorporated was poorly done. Some of them are casually mentioned, others are more prominent. However, the writing feels chaotic, as if Li made a list of issues she wanted to cover and just inserted them at random points. The book would benefit from a serious edit.
The story is told slowly, it's boring and confusing. And the ending - I won't leave any spoilers but know that the overarching story is only half explained. A huge portion of the book is not incorporated into the ending AT ALL, to the point that I sat there staring at my Kindle, convinced that I must be missing the rest of the book. It just seemed unfinished. And how the ending was pulled together was extremely rushed, especially after the story was so slow until the last 15% of the book.
After finishing this story, I felt like I had wasted my time. I should have DNF'd it. I'm shocked by the high reviews for the book, but I'm fine with being in the minority on this one.
My final take: don't bother.
Marketed as a mix of Mexican Gothic and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this book had a lot of potential. I liked the beginning, and even a little further, as you learn more about how these two families are related. But I think that's where my praise stops.
First, this is not horror. There are some ghosts, a haunted house, and some creepy vines. Also, the writing here does not come anywhere close to Evelyn Hugo. The pace of the story is slow....really slow in some spots. You've got two timelines contained within the story. One is in the present day, and the other is in the 1970s/1980s in Hollywood. I would have loved for Li to develop the Hollywood timeline more to immerse the reader, but unfortunately, that didn't happen.
My biggest complaint is that this book is trying to do too much, and it shows. You finish reading to have so many unanswered questions because an issue would be introduced and then never mentioned again. What was the point of including these if they add nothing to the plot and just take up page space? Just off the top of my head, Li attempts to cover topics that include cultural traditions, domestic violence, the need for acceptance, prohibited same-sex relationships, complex family dynamics, and glitzy Hollywood life. I know I'm forgetting some, but there were just way too many topics all crammed into one story. The way they were incorporated was poorly done. Some of them are casually mentioned, others are more prominent. However, the writing feels chaotic, as if Li made a list of issues she wanted to cover and just inserted them at random points. The book would benefit from a serious edit.
The story is told slowly, it's boring and confusing. And the ending - I won't leave any spoilers but know that the overarching story is only half explained. A huge portion of the book is not incorporated into the ending AT ALL, to the point that I sat there staring at my Kindle, convinced that I must be missing the rest of the book. It just seemed unfinished. And how the ending was pulled together was extremely rushed, especially after the story was so slow until the last 15% of the book.
After finishing this story, I felt like I had wasted my time. I should have DNF'd it. I'm shocked by the high reviews for the book, but I'm fine with being in the minority on this one.
My final take: don't bother.
April 23, 2025
I wonder- did I get a different edition of this book than others did? So many other readers loved it, I am in the minority here!
Muddled
Disorganized
At times confusing
Overly drawn-out descriptions.
Sapphic sexual tension that added nothing to the story.
I don't know why I pushed myself so hard to finish this novel. But finish it I did! If it had been a little worse, I would not have finished it. Kudos to those who loved it! The last few chapters of this book made it somewhat worthwhile.
This book blends horror with family drama, or rather a saga, and so far, the family drama has won out over the horror, but it's as dull as all get out.
This would have been, in my opinion, a better book had the author stuck to the modern-day setting and explored what happened to Vivian by searching the possessed house and digging a little deeper to uncover the truth about the husband and the deceased daughter. Dealt less with the past and added more of the horror to it.
Finding out more about Vivian while searching this haunted house would have been ideal. It might also have been better if we hadn't had to learn so much about Vivian and her career and all the minutia that went with it.
*ARC supplied by the publisher Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, the author, and NetGalley.
Muddled
Disorganized
At times confusing
Overly drawn-out descriptions.
Sapphic sexual tension that added nothing to the story.
I don't know why I pushed myself so hard to finish this novel. But finish it I did! If it had been a little worse, I would not have finished it. Kudos to those who loved it! The last few chapters of this book made it somewhat worthwhile.
This book blends horror with family drama, or rather a saga, and so far, the family drama has won out over the horror, but it's as dull as all get out.
This would have been, in my opinion, a better book had the author stuck to the modern-day setting and explored what happened to Vivian by searching the possessed house and digging a little deeper to uncover the truth about the husband and the deceased daughter. Dealt less with the past and added more of the horror to it.
Finding out more about Vivian while searching this haunted house would have been ideal. It might also have been better if we hadn't had to learn so much about Vivian and her career and all the minutia that went with it.
*ARC supplied by the publisher Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, the author, and NetGalley.
November 12, 2025
Sorry, a bit of a messy review; brain not running on all thrusters.
This is Christina Li’s first foray into adult fiction and she does it with grace and aplomb. The silky smooth writing was a perfect introduction to three generations of two fascinating and distinguished Chinese-American families. These women bare their feelings, their histories, their very souls on each hungry-for-more page. The multiple time-lines only add to our voracious appetite for more history, more information, just more! These are extraordinary, memorable characters that are truly alive. And this fascinating drama leads us to an unexpected, misty little ghost story. We have a gothic, decaying mansion haunted by past successes, failures and in-betweens. The home is packed with mystery, intrigue, and death. There are ghostly visions, dream-filled spectres and waking nightmares fill their senses. It’s a hell of a ghost/haunted house tale that ends with most of its ‘i’s dotted and its ‘t’s crossed, but there is some ambiguity, rightly so. Christina Li is a talent to watch out for.
This is Christina Li’s first foray into adult fiction and she does it with grace and aplomb. The silky smooth writing was a perfect introduction to three generations of two fascinating and distinguished Chinese-American families. These women bare their feelings, their histories, their very souls on each hungry-for-more page. The multiple time-lines only add to our voracious appetite for more history, more information, just more! These are extraordinary, memorable characters that are truly alive. And this fascinating drama leads us to an unexpected, misty little ghost story. We have a gothic, decaying mansion haunted by past successes, failures and in-betweens. The home is packed with mystery, intrigue, and death. There are ghostly visions, dream-filled spectres and waking nightmares fill their senses. It’s a hell of a ghost/haunted house tale that ends with most of its ‘i’s dotted and its ‘t’s crossed, but there is some ambiguity, rightly so. Christina Li is a talent to watch out for.
May 7, 2025
3.5 rounded up! love when beautifully haunting stories centered around generations are intertwined with secrets and grief and nods to old hollywood & anna may wong 🤍
December 4, 2024
A gorgeous gothic novel about family and legacy, fervent hopes, buried secrets, and fractured bonds, THE MANOR OF DREAMS is Christina Li at her finest. Three generations of a Chinese American family must grapple with how well--and how little--they know each other in the wake of their matriarch's death, while a hungry garden outside their childhood home threatens to kill what their secrets don't. The writing is so lush, the characters are so well-realized, the sapphics are so cute, and I truly cannot wait to hold this book in my hands. The emotions you'll feel when you turn that last page will stay with you for a lifetime.
June 5, 2025
It appears I might be in the minority here. The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li had intriguing potential, but ultimately left me feeling confused and emotionally disconnected.
Rating breakdown:
Characters- 1.5/5
Setting- 2/5
Plot 1.5/5
Themes- 2/5
Emotions 1.5/5
Overall Enjoyment 2/5
Below I will discuss some themes in the book that could end up being a mini-spoiler, so please read at your own discretion.
The characters felt underdeveloped to me. They lacked clear arcs, and I struggled to emotionally connect with any of them. Their motivations were only vaguely explained, and the relationships never deepened in any meaningful ways.
The manor, while meant to symbolize inherited trauma, never felt fully explained. The haunting was unclear, and the setting failed to be as emotionally or atmospherically rich as it should have been. The vague descriptions of the manor (minus when it was being overrun by vines), left me filling gaps, and by the end, the manor's anger--whether it was from one generation or many--was still murky.
The dual timelines eventually connected, but the focus shifted too much to forced romantic relationships rather than the haunted house mystery. The central question of the haunting remained unclear, and the pacing dragged until about page 150. The ending felt underwhelming, filled with "what ifs" rather than providing a satisfying resolution.
The themes of generational trauma and how choices, while made in love, can haunt future generations had potential, but the book felt like two conflicting stories. One focused on romance, the other on trauma--and neither was explored with the depth or clarity it deserved. The lack of thematic focus ultimately diluted what could have been a more impactful message.
The emotional tone was inconsistent, and I found myself more frustrated and confused than moved. The only emotion that came through strongly was the chaotic nature of young love, but it felt more like an observation than an experience. My emotional engagement remained flat throughout the novel.
Lastly, while I appreciated the premise, The Manor of Dreams didn't deliver on its potential. The confusing plot, shallow characters, and inconsistent emotional tone made for a frustrating reading experience for me. I was left more relieved than satisfied by the end. I might recommend this to readers who are drawn to atmospheric mysteries or stories exploring family dynamics and unresolved emotional baggage, though it may not resonate with everyone.
Rating breakdown:
Characters- 1.5/5
Setting- 2/5
Plot 1.5/5
Themes- 2/5
Emotions 1.5/5
Overall Enjoyment 2/5
Below I will discuss some themes in the book that could end up being a mini-spoiler, so please read at your own discretion.
The characters felt underdeveloped to me. They lacked clear arcs, and I struggled to emotionally connect with any of them. Their motivations were only vaguely explained, and the relationships never deepened in any meaningful ways.
The manor, while meant to symbolize inherited trauma, never felt fully explained. The haunting was unclear, and the setting failed to be as emotionally or atmospherically rich as it should have been. The vague descriptions of the manor (minus when it was being overrun by vines), left me filling gaps, and by the end, the manor's anger--whether it was from one generation or many--was still murky.
The dual timelines eventually connected, but the focus shifted too much to forced romantic relationships rather than the haunted house mystery. The central question of the haunting remained unclear, and the pacing dragged until about page 150. The ending felt underwhelming, filled with "what ifs" rather than providing a satisfying resolution.
The themes of generational trauma and how choices, while made in love, can haunt future generations had potential, but the book felt like two conflicting stories. One focused on romance, the other on trauma--and neither was explored with the depth or clarity it deserved. The lack of thematic focus ultimately diluted what could have been a more impactful message.
The emotional tone was inconsistent, and I found myself more frustrated and confused than moved. The only emotion that came through strongly was the chaotic nature of young love, but it felt more like an observation than an experience. My emotional engagement remained flat throughout the novel.
Lastly, while I appreciated the premise, The Manor of Dreams didn't deliver on its potential. The confusing plot, shallow characters, and inconsistent emotional tone made for a frustrating reading experience for me. I was left more relieved than satisfied by the end. I might recommend this to readers who are drawn to atmospheric mysteries or stories exploring family dynamics and unresolved emotional baggage, though it may not resonate with everyone.
June 27, 2025
Nothing could pull me in as fast as a sapphic gothic horror, and Christina Li gave me what I was craving. This was a slow burn but by 40% it had consumed me as every eerie thread unraveled.
The writing is so casually creepy that I was on edge that even before the haunting showed up. I thought a jump scare was lurking at every turn of a page because there’s a quiet dread in every line.
This one’s a beautifully unnerving read for anyone who loves gothic horror.
The writing is so casually creepy that I was on edge that even before the haunting showed up. I thought a jump scare was lurking at every turn of a page because there’s a quiet dread in every line.
This one’s a beautifully unnerving read for anyone who loves gothic horror.
June 2, 2025
The Manor of Dreams was an atmospheric gothic horror with mystery, suspense and dual timelines. The first time line is that of young Vivian Yi as we follow her first marriage, acting career and new marriage that moves her into the Southern California garden estate. Then, the second is after her death when her children are shocked to learn that the home they shared has been left to another family instead; one they have been estranged from.
Twisted and slow building, I was drawn to both time-lines and the mansion itself became a character. The story is filled with domestic violence, romance, betrayal, and twists as the tension grew and truths were revealed. Li’s prose was chilling as the supernatural elements took hold. The characters’ despair, fear, and horror were palpable to me. Once we got into the meat of the storyline, I found I could not stop listening.
Catherine Ho narrates and did a wonderful job of capturing the voice and emotions of the characters, both young, old, male and female. The story has diversity, young forbidden love, second chances, family secrets and sheds light on dark secrets.
Both time lines were intense, especially when Vivian realizes what she must do. The final climatic scenes when things are revealed in the present day timeline were nail-biting and deliciously creepy.
For gothic horror enthusiasts, The Manor of Dreams is a worthwhile and suspenseful listen.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Twisted and slow building, I was drawn to both time-lines and the mansion itself became a character. The story is filled with domestic violence, romance, betrayal, and twists as the tension grew and truths were revealed. Li’s prose was chilling as the supernatural elements took hold. The characters’ despair, fear, and horror were palpable to me. Once we got into the meat of the storyline, I found I could not stop listening.
Catherine Ho narrates and did a wonderful job of capturing the voice and emotions of the characters, both young, old, male and female. The story has diversity, young forbidden love, second chances, family secrets and sheds light on dark secrets.
Both time lines were intense, especially when Vivian realizes what she must do. The final climatic scenes when things are revealed in the present day timeline were nail-biting and deliciously creepy.
For gothic horror enthusiasts, The Manor of Dreams is a worthwhile and suspenseful listen.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Want to read
May 31, 2024THE MANOR OF DREAMS is a saga that spans three generations of rival Chinese American families as they lock into a battle over the inheritance of a beautiful and enigmatic house with its own haunted, sinister history. It examines the things we inherit, the curse and continual hope of the American dream, and the inevitable ways in which families love and hurt each other through eras.
This sounds incredible
This sounds incredible
December 17, 2024
this is exactly why you should let the gays be
Read
March 14, 2025propulsive, gorgeous, and haunting, and i'm always a sucker for old hollywood and anna may wong references
February 27, 2025
Vivian Yin, the first Chinese actress to win an Oscar, is dead. And right before she died, she changed her will and left her manor to another family.
Now, her family is trying to figure out why and if there was a foul play behind this last minute change while the other family is trying to keep their new found home.
We follow three generations in dual timeline while the story unfolds and it was so fucking good! This is the kind of family drama horror I love! The writing was beautiful, the way multiple POV and dual timeline was used made the story flow so well that I could not put the book down, and the amount of horror vs family drama was just so perfect!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Now, her family is trying to figure out why and if there was a foul play behind this last minute change while the other family is trying to keep their new found home.
We follow three generations in dual timeline while the story unfolds and it was so fucking good! This is the kind of family drama horror I love! The writing was beautiful, the way multiple POV and dual timeline was used made the story flow so well that I could not put the book down, and the amount of horror vs family drama was just so perfect!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
June 22, 2025
Omg this was SO creepy!! Do not read at night while home alone.
This is horror/thriller with a bit of mystery. Terrifying haunted house, lots of family drama, generational trauma, secrets, lies, ☠️. THE GHOSTIES. 👻
This had me hooked from start to finish!
Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
This is horror/thriller with a bit of mystery. Terrifying haunted house, lots of family drama, generational trauma, secrets, lies, ☠️. THE GHOSTIES. 👻
This had me hooked from start to finish!
Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
June 21, 2025
Don‘t know if the horror was the generational trauma where nobody fucking talks to each other 😤😤😤🫠😐😵💫🤬😑
Or the other part :D
But I loved it and cried a lot and aaaaaaaah
Or the other part :D
But I loved it and cried a lot and aaaaaaaah
November 22, 2024
ARC review.
The good: Manor of Dreams is an atmospheric, suffocating novel in the tradition of all haunted house books. The world of the book feels small and enclosed, tight and choking, for both the reader and the characters involved. Christina Li paints an intriguing picture with the allure of old Dollywood combined with immigrant generational trauma. I was engaged from the first page and read the entire book in one sitting. It was compulsively readable.
However, the story has simply too many disparate threads. It feels like Li had so many ideas she wanted to combine into a haunting, when the best ghosts are simple. The book needs a focus. Even so, it may still have been effective if Li had been able to successfully foreshadow what was to come. As it was, there were plot elements that seemed to appear out of nowhere, revealing themselves to be critical pieces of the mystery far too late. There were also plot elements that simply...vanished. Proved inconsequential to the story in the end. What was the point of wasting page space on that? They served no purpose.
Li's characters were also a mixed bag. Some were far more successful and realized than others. Vivian and her daughters, Lucille and Rennie, were the most fleshed out. Elaine, Madeline, and Nora in comparison seemed painted in with the lightest of strokes (especially Madeline and Nora, who I found so forgettable that I consistently mixed them up).
There are other critiques I have, but they're chock full of spoilers, so I'll refrain. I think Li had all the bones of a great haunted story and it could have been masterful. But she tried to do too much all at once with too many characters. Still, I found a lot to enjoy and I look forward to further works from the author.
The good: Manor of Dreams is an atmospheric, suffocating novel in the tradition of all haunted house books. The world of the book feels small and enclosed, tight and choking, for both the reader and the characters involved. Christina Li paints an intriguing picture with the allure of old Dollywood combined with immigrant generational trauma. I was engaged from the first page and read the entire book in one sitting. It was compulsively readable.
However, the story has simply too many disparate threads. It feels like Li had so many ideas she wanted to combine into a haunting, when the best ghosts are simple. The book needs a focus. Even so, it may still have been effective if Li had been able to successfully foreshadow what was to come. As it was, there were plot elements that seemed to appear out of nowhere, revealing themselves to be critical pieces of the mystery far too late. There were also plot elements that simply...vanished. Proved inconsequential to the story in the end. What was the point of wasting page space on that? They served no purpose.
Li's characters were also a mixed bag. Some were far more successful and realized than others. Vivian and her daughters, Lucille and Rennie, were the most fleshed out. Elaine, Madeline, and Nora in comparison seemed painted in with the lightest of strokes (especially Madeline and Nora, who I found so forgettable that I consistently mixed them up).
There are other critiques I have, but they're chock full of spoilers, so I'll refrain. I think Li had all the bones of a great haunted story and it could have been masterful. But she tried to do too much all at once with too many characters. Still, I found a lot to enjoy and I look forward to further works from the author.
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