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The Perfectly Fine House
In an alternate reality where ghosts are as commonplace as the weather, the most terrifying thing imaginable is a house not being haunted.
Donna Fitzpatrick runs a surrogacy agency, where ghosts can briefly possess volunteers in order to enjoy carnal pleasures. She’s also working herself into an early grave. But that’s no big deal because death is no worse than puberty. That’s particularly evident in Donna’s twin, Kyle, a self-absorbed roustabout who spends most of his time high on sage. Kyle’s been in arrested development since his motorcycle accident fifteen years ago.
When Donna has a panic attack, Kyle insists she take a vacation at an abandoned mansion. There’s just one small problem: there isn’t a single ghost in Jackson Manor. And while an unhaunted house seems no worse than an oddity at first, soon ghosts go missing, natural disasters consume entire cities, and every afterlife on earth is threatened by the terrible secret behind... The Perfectly Fine House.
Donna Fitzpatrick runs a surrogacy agency, where ghosts can briefly possess volunteers in order to enjoy carnal pleasures. She’s also working herself into an early grave. But that’s no big deal because death is no worse than puberty. That’s particularly evident in Donna’s twin, Kyle, a self-absorbed roustabout who spends most of his time high on sage. Kyle’s been in arrested development since his motorcycle accident fifteen years ago.
When Donna has a panic attack, Kyle insists she take a vacation at an abandoned mansion. There’s just one small problem: there isn’t a single ghost in Jackson Manor. And while an unhaunted house seems no worse than an oddity at first, soon ghosts go missing, natural disasters consume entire cities, and every afterlife on earth is threatened by the terrible secret behind... The Perfectly Fine House.
232 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2020
42 people are currently reading
1050 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Kozeniewski
46 books437 followersStephen Kozeniewski (pronounced "causin' ooze key") is a Splatterpunk Award-winning author and two-time World Horror Grossout Contest champion. His published work has also been nominated for the Voice Arts and Indie Horror Book Awards, among other honors. He lives in Pennsylvania with his fiancée and their two cats above a fanciful balloon studio.
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May 3, 2020Review coming soon!
April 4, 2020
A really fun twist on the haunted house trope. Kozeniewski and Young have created a world in which ghosts exist alongside the living and have all of the same rights as 'breathers'. Hell, the town even elected a dead man as its sheriff. It's all rainbow and roses until a brother/sister duo (the brother dead, the sister still living) discover a house that is unhauntable and a strange and sinister phenomenon that is threatening to devour all of the deceased and, of course, all hell starts breaking loose.
If you go into this expecting to get a good scare, you will be sorely disappointed. Think The Frighteners. Think Monster House. Go into this one expecting to be swept up in the unexpected!
If you go into this expecting to get a good scare, you will be sorely disappointed. Think The Frighteners. Think Monster House. Go into this one expecting to be swept up in the unexpected!
December 31, 2020
Imagine a world where the specter of your great-grandmother walks you home from school. A world where ghosts not only exist, but are elected as sheriffs and presidents. Where humans are called breathers and Christians are a fringe group called Crucians whose beliefs about resurrection befuddle the countless spirits moseying about. A world where a house that isn’t haunted, is far scarier than one that is. Why aren’t there any ghosts here? They’re everywhere else. What’s wrong with this house?
The premise of The Perfectly Fine House is so hilarious and delightful that its poor execution is especially aggravating. The worldbuilding makes sense. The initial source of conflict is intriguing. I think the main pitfall is poorly developed characters, especially women.
When a character feels fleshed out (dead or alive), you may not like them or agree with their decisions, but at least you know who they are. When characters feel flat, the plot falls flat, and you’re left with questions. Questions such as,
If you’re into other books authored by white dudes who don’t know how to sustain a cool premise, check out The Humans or Reincarnation Blues.
The premise of The Perfectly Fine House is so hilarious and delightful that its poor execution is especially aggravating. The worldbuilding makes sense. The initial source of conflict is intriguing. I think the main pitfall is poorly developed characters, especially women.
When a character feels fleshed out (dead or alive), you may not like them or agree with their decisions, but at least you know who they are. When characters feel flat, the plot falls flat, and you’re left with questions. Questions such as,
If you’re into other books authored by white dudes who don’t know how to sustain a cool premise, check out The Humans or Reincarnation Blues.
September 30, 2020
This is not your typical ghost story! If you're looking for traditional thrills and chills this is not the story for that...but if you're looking for an interesting twist on a popular trope with multi-layered dimensions and characters then you're in for a real treat!
A Perfectly Fine House took the oddity of haunting and kinda turned it on its head. Imagine a world where ghosts were common place, just an integral part of everyday existence. What I loved most is that these authors really delve into what that would look like in a practical way, including issues like prejudice and how the whole idea of death itself changes. You get whole new industries constructed around this idea (both legal and illegal), elected officials representing the very different wants/needs of their respective spectral and non-spectral citizens, and a whole slew of problems that arise from so clearly knowing exactly what awaits you after death. You have some people that seem to live as if they'll get a chance to work on that bucket-list in the afterlife so no need to worry about making the most of life now. Or you can even see the flip side of that where people seem to shirk their responsibilities, like raising their own children, why not have ghost Nana do that and we'll get the grandkids in the afterlife.
On top of all this intriguing material you have this building issue of this anomaly of a place completely devoid of haunting whatsoever and that's only the beginning. Soon this anomaly is spreading and it is threatening the ghost community far and wide. The really engrossing thing to me is also what it means for the living. When you've lived as if you know you have forever what could a sudden uncertainty about that mean to you? The very foundation of all their lives and afterlives combined are being called to question and it makes for a riveting read!
I can truly say I've never read a ghost story anything like this and it was refreshing and fascinating in so many non-paranormal ways, it was quite the surprise.
I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
A Perfectly Fine House took the oddity of haunting and kinda turned it on its head. Imagine a world where ghosts were common place, just an integral part of everyday existence. What I loved most is that these authors really delve into what that would look like in a practical way, including issues like prejudice and how the whole idea of death itself changes. You get whole new industries constructed around this idea (both legal and illegal), elected officials representing the very different wants/needs of their respective spectral and non-spectral citizens, and a whole slew of problems that arise from so clearly knowing exactly what awaits you after death. You have some people that seem to live as if they'll get a chance to work on that bucket-list in the afterlife so no need to worry about making the most of life now. Or you can even see the flip side of that where people seem to shirk their responsibilities, like raising their own children, why not have ghost Nana do that and we'll get the grandkids in the afterlife.
On top of all this intriguing material you have this building issue of this anomaly of a place completely devoid of haunting whatsoever and that's only the beginning. Soon this anomaly is spreading and it is threatening the ghost community far and wide. The really engrossing thing to me is also what it means for the living. When you've lived as if you know you have forever what could a sudden uncertainty about that mean to you? The very foundation of all their lives and afterlives combined are being called to question and it makes for a riveting read!
I can truly say I've never read a ghost story anything like this and it was refreshing and fascinating in so many non-paranormal ways, it was quite the surprise.
I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
March 27, 2020
Fun novel from two extremely talented writers. This was a different, fresh take on the old haunted house trope. Highly recommend it.
August 29, 2020
I love ghost stories. I love haunted house stories. I am always down for one, especially with an interesting twist. The Perfectly Fine House fits the bill. In most stories, the ghosts are the horror. In this story, ghosts are normal and an unhaunted house is terrifying. This story combines existential dread with a generous helping of speculation and a good sense of humor.
The protagonists of The Perfectly Fine House are a set of twins: a living woman named Donna and her dead brother Kyle. Kyle is a lovable fuck-up with a roguish charm who didn’t let death stop his fun. Donna is a responsible workaholic who struggles to clean up Kyle’s messes. Their relationship is the emotional core of the story. Thankfully, they have a genuinely endearing bond. They may argue and harass each other like little kid siblings, but it never reaches the point of annoyance. As much as they snipe at each other, they clearly care tremendously. These two inject a lot of emotional weight and personality into the story.
These two inhabit a very speculative world filled with ghosts. Most horror stories try to inhabit worlds as close to ours as possible, to make the story seem closer to home; the author wants the reader to feel like the story could happen to them too. However, this one builds a world from the ground up. Everything that dies becomes a ghost that still interacts with the living world, albeit in a limited way. This has completely shaped the world. Religions seem much less prominent, as the afterlife is no mystery. The majority of voters are ghosts, so the government is dominated by the dead. Children are mostly raised by their great-grandparents while their parents work and their grandparents enjoy years of living leisure. There are many other reasonable differences creating a complex and mostly coherent world. The amount of thought and detail that went into the worldbuilding is truly impressive.
That said, I still have plenty of questions. Do the ghosts last forever? It seems so, but then you would expect the entire surface of the Earth to be completely covered in ghosts. Just the insect ghosts alone would form a solid spectral carpet. Since ghosts own property and consume physical sage, how do they engage in the economy? Do ghosts have jobs? Are human lives shorter, because people don’t try as hard to extend life and even end it before they become elderly? How does the existence of ghosts affect history? Pop culture? Like I said, many questions of variable importance. I would love to discuss the world with the authors.
The book immerses you in the setting, which is absolutely necessary to understand the horror. Kyle convinces Donna to take a short vacation, and the house she rents is ghost-free. When they arrive, Kyle discovers a phenomenon that destroys ghosts. It seems like an interesting curiosity. Then it grows.
I cannot overstate the stakes in this story. Most horror stories are small, personal. This one is apocalyptic. Imagine going through life knowing you could never truly lose a loved one, and then potentially losing most of your loved ones forever. Imagine knowing for a fact what lay after death, and then having that certainty smashed. Imagine facing imminent oblivion, and desperately struggling to escape. This story may start with a lighthearted, fun tone but it dives into existential horror.
This is one of my favorite reads of 2020. It is not perfect, but it is tremendously fun. It combines some of my favorite parts of science fiction and horror. It has a fantastic concept, lovable characters, good humor, and genuinely disturbing horror. I definitely recommend The Perfectly Fine House.
CHARACTER LIST (abridged)
The protagonists of The Perfectly Fine House are a set of twins: a living woman named Donna and her dead brother Kyle. Kyle is a lovable fuck-up with a roguish charm who didn’t let death stop his fun. Donna is a responsible workaholic who struggles to clean up Kyle’s messes. Their relationship is the emotional core of the story. Thankfully, they have a genuinely endearing bond. They may argue and harass each other like little kid siblings, but it never reaches the point of annoyance. As much as they snipe at each other, they clearly care tremendously. These two inject a lot of emotional weight and personality into the story.
These two inhabit a very speculative world filled with ghosts. Most horror stories try to inhabit worlds as close to ours as possible, to make the story seem closer to home; the author wants the reader to feel like the story could happen to them too. However, this one builds a world from the ground up. Everything that dies becomes a ghost that still interacts with the living world, albeit in a limited way. This has completely shaped the world. Religions seem much less prominent, as the afterlife is no mystery. The majority of voters are ghosts, so the government is dominated by the dead. Children are mostly raised by their great-grandparents while their parents work and their grandparents enjoy years of living leisure. There are many other reasonable differences creating a complex and mostly coherent world. The amount of thought and detail that went into the worldbuilding is truly impressive.
That said, I still have plenty of questions. Do the ghosts last forever? It seems so, but then you would expect the entire surface of the Earth to be completely covered in ghosts. Just the insect ghosts alone would form a solid spectral carpet. Since ghosts own property and consume physical sage, how do they engage in the economy? Do ghosts have jobs? Are human lives shorter, because people don’t try as hard to extend life and even end it before they become elderly? How does the existence of ghosts affect history? Pop culture? Like I said, many questions of variable importance. I would love to discuss the world with the authors.
The book immerses you in the setting, which is absolutely necessary to understand the horror. Kyle convinces Donna to take a short vacation, and the house she rents is ghost-free. When they arrive, Kyle discovers a phenomenon that destroys ghosts. It seems like an interesting curiosity. Then it grows.
I cannot overstate the stakes in this story. Most horror stories are small, personal. This one is apocalyptic. Imagine going through life knowing you could never truly lose a loved one, and then potentially losing most of your loved ones forever. Imagine knowing for a fact what lay after death, and then having that certainty smashed. Imagine facing imminent oblivion, and desperately struggling to escape. This story may start with a lighthearted, fun tone but it dives into existential horror.
This is one of my favorite reads of 2020. It is not perfect, but it is tremendously fun. It combines some of my favorite parts of science fiction and horror. It has a fantastic concept, lovable characters, good humor, and genuinely disturbing horror. I definitely recommend The Perfectly Fine House.
CHARACTER LIST (abridged)
May 27, 2020
Review is in the June 2020 issue of Library Journal and on the blog:
https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detai...
Three Words That Describe This Book: twist on a trope, great world building, suspenseful
Draft Review:
Imagine a world where ghosts not only exist, but they live in tandem alongside the living and people like Donna run profitable [and stressful] businesses based on the ghost economy. But after Donna has a panic attack and her dead, twin brother finds her the perfect weekend getaway, a home that is so off the grid it isn’t even haunted, the siblings unknowingly unleash an unstoppable force, one that could consume the world as they have always known it, removing every ghost, forever. Drawing readers in with a gimmick premise, Kozeniewski and Young do not disappoint, delivering a thought-provoking tale, set in an expertly crafted world, featuring a suspenseful mystery, populated with great characters. A compelling and intriguing tale, one that is extremely unsettling if not outright terrifying; a story that will fill readers up with existential dread even as they are racing to find out what happens next.
Verdict: Both a fun and serious contemplation of how the world as we know it can change in the blink of an eye, published by a reliable small press, this is a not only a great read for those who love haunted house stories with detailed world building like The Good House by Due, but also other dark, speculative tales that employ a unique twist on established tropes like Ben H. Winters’ pre-apocalypse series, The Last Policeman trilogy.
https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detai...
Three Words That Describe This Book: twist on a trope, great world building, suspenseful
Draft Review:
Imagine a world where ghosts not only exist, but they live in tandem alongside the living and people like Donna run profitable [and stressful] businesses based on the ghost economy. But after Donna has a panic attack and her dead, twin brother finds her the perfect weekend getaway, a home that is so off the grid it isn’t even haunted, the siblings unknowingly unleash an unstoppable force, one that could consume the world as they have always known it, removing every ghost, forever. Drawing readers in with a gimmick premise, Kozeniewski and Young do not disappoint, delivering a thought-provoking tale, set in an expertly crafted world, featuring a suspenseful mystery, populated with great characters. A compelling and intriguing tale, one that is extremely unsettling if not outright terrifying; a story that will fill readers up with existential dread even as they are racing to find out what happens next.
Verdict: Both a fun and serious contemplation of how the world as we know it can change in the blink of an eye, published by a reliable small press, this is a not only a great read for those who love haunted house stories with detailed world building like The Good House by Due, but also other dark, speculative tales that employ a unique twist on established tropes like Ben H. Winters’ pre-apocalypse series, The Last Policeman trilogy.
November 10, 2020
I thought long and hard on how to approach this review without stumbling into spoiler territory. I decided that I’m going to give you the Diet Coke of spoilers. I’m not going to reveal anything that you can’t learn from simply looking up the book on Amazon. If that’s still too much information for you, my Dear Reader, then I suggest that you stop reading because this is a story that needs to be enjoyed as spoiler free as possible.
One of my favorite horror series is the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. She humanizes her monsters, which puts a great twist on the much-explored world of the vampire. They are mainstream existing among the living world and fighting for the same rights that they lost upon their deaths. What Harris did for vampires is exactly what authors Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young have done for ghosts.
You can read Jennifer's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
One of my favorite horror series is the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. She humanizes her monsters, which puts a great twist on the much-explored world of the vampire. They are mainstream existing among the living world and fighting for the same rights that they lost upon their deaths. What Harris did for vampires is exactly what authors Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young have done for ghosts.
You can read Jennifer's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
January 3, 2021
This book had an interesting premise that was executed poorly.
The characters were practically caricatures.
There was instant love.
The swearing felt forced.
There were errors all throughout this book.
Every single paragraph was over dramatic, like watching bad acting in a B movie.
I really wanted to like this.
Two stars.
The characters were practically caricatures.
There was instant love.
The swearing felt forced.
There were errors all throughout this book.
Every single paragraph was over dramatic, like watching bad acting in a B movie.
I really wanted to like this.
Two stars.
February 26, 2021
I LOVED this.
Picked it up on a whim, intrigued by the summary and title. What a fascinating read. What if ghosts always existed, what if the world was just okay with this and we lived our lives together? What would happen if that peace suddenly disappeared?
I got wrapped up in some serious thoughts while reading this, wondering how things would be different in my life if people I loved just...died, then stuck around anyway. What an interesting concept. I kind of wish this story was longer, but it tells a full story without rambling on too long, and I think it was really well written. Definitely recommend it.
Picked it up on a whim, intrigued by the summary and title. What a fascinating read. What if ghosts always existed, what if the world was just okay with this and we lived our lives together? What would happen if that peace suddenly disappeared?
I got wrapped up in some serious thoughts while reading this, wondering how things would be different in my life if people I loved just...died, then stuck around anyway. What an interesting concept. I kind of wish this story was longer, but it tells a full story without rambling on too long, and I think it was really well written. Definitely recommend it.
November 2, 2022
I went into this one completely cold and I'm glad I did. I remember thinking it must be about a haunted house, and I was so wrong. This story was so much more than that. Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young definitely crafted a fun, imaginative and clever read.
November 17, 2020
This book was nothing like I expected, I was imagining a spooky book full of hauntings and small scale mysteries rather than an incredibly thought provoking and sneakily poignant read about the relationships people have with the dead.
The main characters are written in a down to earth style, affected by such things as boredom, cowardice and dodgy digestive tracts.
Rather than being grand heroes, they're regular people doing what they can in exceptional circumstances.
The concept of haunting is that almost everybody has a sixth (ghost) sense so it's just accepted that the souls of the dearly departed are hanging around. The ghosts of great grandparents take care of the childcare and life is treated as pointless, knowing that everyone has an eternity ahead of them without the petty restrictions of needing to eat and sleep.
The mystery begins when Donna goes for a weekend stay at a house that has no ghosts; unheard of. The phenomenon grows and starts devouring ghosts, which leads to the dead having to quickly come to terms with the idea of finality to their afterlife.
For me, this was the point of the story rather than the discovery and explanation of the de-ghostifying phenomenon - considering the value of life and unlife when there's no guarantee of forever.
As a fan of Stephen Kozeniewski (his horror books are all bizarre, original and amazing), there was no way I was going to overlook this book and I'm gutted it took me so long to get round to reading it! Based on this story, I'm going to be checking out Wile E. Young's books and expanding my horror collection even further.
The main characters are written in a down to earth style, affected by such things as boredom, cowardice and dodgy digestive tracts.
Rather than being grand heroes, they're regular people doing what they can in exceptional circumstances.
The concept of haunting is that almost everybody has a sixth (ghost) sense so it's just accepted that the souls of the dearly departed are hanging around. The ghosts of great grandparents take care of the childcare and life is treated as pointless, knowing that everyone has an eternity ahead of them without the petty restrictions of needing to eat and sleep.
The mystery begins when Donna goes for a weekend stay at a house that has no ghosts; unheard of. The phenomenon grows and starts devouring ghosts, which leads to the dead having to quickly come to terms with the idea of finality to their afterlife.
For me, this was the point of the story rather than the discovery and explanation of the de-ghostifying phenomenon - considering the value of life and unlife when there's no guarantee of forever.
As a fan of Stephen Kozeniewski (his horror books are all bizarre, original and amazing), there was no way I was going to overlook this book and I'm gutted it took me so long to get round to reading it! Based on this story, I'm going to be checking out Wile E. Young's books and expanding my horror collection even further.
July 29, 2020
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I picked this up. It’s a bit hard to classify – a little horror, a little urban fantasy, a lot of fun.
The world the authors create is fascinating – it starts out so compelling and kind of delightful. It ends up much darker than I expected.
I loved our characters. Donna and her brother were wonderful. A bit damaged (like most of us), but so likable.
I ended up really enjoying this read. I finished it in about two sittings and, when done, wanted more!
The world the authors create is fascinating – it starts out so compelling and kind of delightful. It ends up much darker than I expected.
I loved our characters. Donna and her brother were wonderful. A bit damaged (like most of us), but so likable.
I ended up really enjoying this read. I finished it in about two sittings and, when done, wanted more!
April 15, 2023
I've read a lot of ghost stories and I have to say that this is the most original concept for one that I've had the pleasure of reading. I don't want to elaborate because I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say it's great, I loved the characters, and I recommend it :)
July 29, 2022
That house was NOT perfectly fine 😶🫥
October 26, 2020
I have to begin by saying that this book is quite original and I loved that! It's not often that something surprises me...but this book did! A Perfectly Fine House is a novel written by Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young.
The premise of this book is interesting! The story is set in a world in which ghosts are a part of everyday life. Most people have deceased grandparents to raise their children, say hi to the apparition of the sheriff, and have ghostly friends.
One of the main characters in the story, Donna Fitzpatrick runs an agency that provides bodies for ghosts to possess in order for them to have some physical time with a partner. While this makes sense, even as I was reading it I found myself wondering about the ethics of it! But that is part of the fun of this one - the way in which the authors subtly explore the ins and outs of this world.
The book is a treat, as the authors explore the politics of ghosts existing, ghosts having the ability to possess bodies, and even have a law enforcement system that is entirely paranormal in nature. There is an entire culture built around the existence of ghosts... and what of world religions? Well, I suggest you read this book!
In this world, the presence of ghosts/ spirits is firmly entrenched into the economy. There are spirit mediums, there are surrogate agencies, there are "sage" bars at which the spirits can go and get their buzz on. The world-building is great, and it's all quite fascinating. I found myself reading along and taking it all in stride because the world and its structure made a lot of sense.
When Donna suffers a panic attack, her deceased twin Kyle persuades her to take some time off. She escapes to a house... that has no ghostly presence. That may seem normal to us, but in the world of this novel, it is completely out of the ordinary. When Kyle approaches the house... he is nearly absorbed to his death. And thus begins the adventure.
It turns out that there is something "other" out there in this world that absorbs ghosts/ spirits. It isn't the theories for the "voids" that was interesting to me, it was the way in which the world was turned on its head by ghosts being threatened. Not only are spirits suddenly fearful which causes them their own particular kind of trauma, but the living are rattled by the idea that death may actually be something permanent. Would it change your life if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you would continue to exist after you died? Of course, it would! No faith has been required in this world because when you die, you simply come back as a ghost and continue to have a relationship with your family and friends.
As Kyle flees for his life, Donna frantically tries to figure out what she can do to save him.
This was an enjoyable read. It's packed with quirky characters - I mean, who would have thought that people from past centuries would have to learn to get along with modern-day people. I have to admit though, I did find myself wondering what happened to the spirits of people who lived before a certain point. Were there no ghosts of early man? Still... a very intriguing notion! I enjoyed the writing style. The plot was quite drawn out...but then, I felt the most important part was the exploration of what a confirmed afterlife would do to Society.
The premise of this book is interesting! The story is set in a world in which ghosts are a part of everyday life. Most people have deceased grandparents to raise their children, say hi to the apparition of the sheriff, and have ghostly friends.
One of the main characters in the story, Donna Fitzpatrick runs an agency that provides bodies for ghosts to possess in order for them to have some physical time with a partner. While this makes sense, even as I was reading it I found myself wondering about the ethics of it! But that is part of the fun of this one - the way in which the authors subtly explore the ins and outs of this world.
The book is a treat, as the authors explore the politics of ghosts existing, ghosts having the ability to possess bodies, and even have a law enforcement system that is entirely paranormal in nature. There is an entire culture built around the existence of ghosts... and what of world religions? Well, I suggest you read this book!
In this world, the presence of ghosts/ spirits is firmly entrenched into the economy. There are spirit mediums, there are surrogate agencies, there are "sage" bars at which the spirits can go and get their buzz on. The world-building is great, and it's all quite fascinating. I found myself reading along and taking it all in stride because the world and its structure made a lot of sense.
When Donna suffers a panic attack, her deceased twin Kyle persuades her to take some time off. She escapes to a house... that has no ghostly presence. That may seem normal to us, but in the world of this novel, it is completely out of the ordinary. When Kyle approaches the house... he is nearly absorbed to his death. And thus begins the adventure.
It turns out that there is something "other" out there in this world that absorbs ghosts/ spirits. It isn't the theories for the "voids" that was interesting to me, it was the way in which the world was turned on its head by ghosts being threatened. Not only are spirits suddenly fearful which causes them their own particular kind of trauma, but the living are rattled by the idea that death may actually be something permanent. Would it change your life if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you would continue to exist after you died? Of course, it would! No faith has been required in this world because when you die, you simply come back as a ghost and continue to have a relationship with your family and friends.
As Kyle flees for his life, Donna frantically tries to figure out what she can do to save him.
This was an enjoyable read. It's packed with quirky characters - I mean, who would have thought that people from past centuries would have to learn to get along with modern-day people. I have to admit though, I did find myself wondering what happened to the spirits of people who lived before a certain point. Were there no ghosts of early man? Still... a very intriguing notion! I enjoyed the writing style. The plot was quite drawn out...but then, I felt the most important part was the exploration of what a confirmed afterlife would do to Society.
June 3, 2023
Thank you to Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young for this copy in exchange for a honest review.
This had such potential and I feel it missed the horror mark and felt a little drawn on me. I did like it but felt it focused more on building the world around it than finding a whole story. It dragged a bit for me like a middle school dance that does a fast song then a slow song and didn't stay paced. The thought of an afterlife where the living and the non can connect on more than a talking level was neat. Donna was my favorite, she cracked me up. A very relatable character. Over all decent read with a very unique concept. But read it yourself and see if it hits better. 3.5 stars
This had such potential and I feel it missed the horror mark and felt a little drawn on me. I did like it but felt it focused more on building the world around it than finding a whole story. It dragged a bit for me like a middle school dance that does a fast song then a slow song and didn't stay paced. The thought of an afterlife where the living and the non can connect on more than a talking level was neat. Donna was my favorite, she cracked me up. A very relatable character. Over all decent read with a very unique concept. But read it yourself and see if it hits better. 3.5 stars
May 17, 2023
I was recommended this book when I walked up to a Grindhouse Press table at a flea market and asked for a "a haunted house on an acid trip" they both quickly pointed at this book and I am happy they did. This isn't a haunted house story though more of an anti haunted house. If that sounds interesting I'd check this out.
June 14, 2020
Beautiful storytelling. Original story line. Characters I both love and hate.
These are the things I love about Kozeniewski's writing and I'm excited to see him return to it.
No random gore and violence. No pandering to hungry readers. It's just pure experience.
These are the things I love about Kozeniewski's writing and I'm excited to see him return to it.
No random gore and violence. No pandering to hungry readers. It's just pure experience.
Read
June 29, 2022DNF at page 48.
I just am not clicking with this story at all. Nothing is intriguing me or making me want to keep reading.
This is definitely more comedy, or satire, than it is horror.
Just not a book for me.
I just am not clicking with this story at all. Nothing is intriguing me or making me want to keep reading.
This is definitely more comedy, or satire, than it is horror.
Just not a book for me.
April 20, 2020
A Perfectly Great Book!
I wish this could be the way things were IRL. Never really losing your loved ones, falling in love with someone who might have died centuries ago, and not fearing 'what comes next' all sound pretty good to me!
Then the 'phenomenon' crept up on everyone though, and things went from bad to worse PDQ!
I was sad when this ended. I can see a series of awesome stories taking place in this world (pre-phenom). Some good, some bad, and a couple of pretty horrific ones, too. Maybe it doesn't have to end...
I wish this could be the way things were IRL. Never really losing your loved ones, falling in love with someone who might have died centuries ago, and not fearing 'what comes next' all sound pretty good to me!
Then the 'phenomenon' crept up on everyone though, and things went from bad to worse PDQ!
I was sad when this ended. I can see a series of awesome stories taking place in this world (pre-phenom). Some good, some bad, and a couple of pretty horrific ones, too. Maybe it doesn't have to end...
May 15, 2020
A Spooktacular Fantasy-driven Romantic Thriller?
I’m really not sure how to classify this novel, accept to say that it is not a solid horror piece. However, that isn’t a fault, more just a clarification since it was touted to me as such.
I enjoy a good, other-world ghost story and this delivers, with some added human romance and end of the world drama too boot.
I’m really not sure how to classify this novel, accept to say that it is not a solid horror piece. However, that isn’t a fault, more just a clarification since it was touted to me as such.
I enjoy a good, other-world ghost story and this delivers, with some added human romance and end of the world drama too boot.
December 2, 2020
What if ghosts were commonplace and what scared us wasn’t a house that was haunted, but one that wasn’t?
If you are anything like me, then you won’t need to read on to sell you on this book. The concept on its own was enough to pique my interest. The fact the book is co-authored by two of the best new authors in horror is just a welcome bonus.
The Perfectly Fine House is a story of Donna Fitzpatrick and her twin brother Kyle. Donna is working herself into an early grave running her own business, and Kyle… well, Kyle is long since in his grave. Not one to let his death spoil his fun, Kyle is a constant source of concern for Donna, who spends his days high or generally wasting his afterlife. When Donna’s increasingly failing health forces her to take a long-overdue break, she takes a trip to a remote and deserted mansion. She soon notices something odd about the house. There isn’t a ghost to be found. When more ghosts begin to go missing, Donna and Kyle must discover the secret of the Perfectly Fine House to save (after)life as we know it.
Full disclosure, I was already a big Stephen Kozeniewski fan before picking this book up. His sci-fi horror book ‘The Hematophages’ (described as a cross between ‘Alien’ and ‘Office Space’) was easily my favourite book of 2017. I had also read Wile E. Youngs excellent debut novel ‘Catfish in the Cradle’ which had a unique mix of Southern Gothic and Lovecraftian monsters, so going into this book it’s fair to say I had some pretty high expectations.
The book is, as you’d expect, a clever twist on the classic haunted house story. While this may not be the book to read if you’re looking for scares, where the book excels is in its world-building. Both writers have a great knack in their solo fiction for fully realised and engaging characters and that shines through here. They then place their characters in a world familiar to us, yet very different in interesting ways. The authors take the notion of a world filled with ghosts and run with it, driving the idea to logical conclusions and creating fun concepts for the universe they have built (Donna’s business, a ‘surrogacy’ agency that allows ghosts to possess the living for, ahem, erotic purposes, is a particularly inspired example).
If ‘The Perfectly Fine House’ has anything that it could be compared to, it would probably be the movie ‘The Frighteners’. Those expecting a comedy book based on the premise will find that the book can be very funny at times, but it is not an easy book to pin down in terms of tone, and it does it a disservice to describe it solely as horror, or comedy. The book gets quite dark in places, and it moves seamlessly between huge scale action, family drama and tragedy.
Equal parts heartbreaking and heart-warming, with a great cast of characters, a blackly comedic undertone and enough horror cred to satisfy the genre crowd, I can safely say you have probably never read anything like this book before. Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E Young should be on any horror fans radars right now. 4 Stars
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
If you are anything like me, then you won’t need to read on to sell you on this book. The concept on its own was enough to pique my interest. The fact the book is co-authored by two of the best new authors in horror is just a welcome bonus.
The Perfectly Fine House is a story of Donna Fitzpatrick and her twin brother Kyle. Donna is working herself into an early grave running her own business, and Kyle… well, Kyle is long since in his grave. Not one to let his death spoil his fun, Kyle is a constant source of concern for Donna, who spends his days high or generally wasting his afterlife. When Donna’s increasingly failing health forces her to take a long-overdue break, she takes a trip to a remote and deserted mansion. She soon notices something odd about the house. There isn’t a ghost to be found. When more ghosts begin to go missing, Donna and Kyle must discover the secret of the Perfectly Fine House to save (after)life as we know it.
Full disclosure, I was already a big Stephen Kozeniewski fan before picking this book up. His sci-fi horror book ‘The Hematophages’ (described as a cross between ‘Alien’ and ‘Office Space’) was easily my favourite book of 2017. I had also read Wile E. Youngs excellent debut novel ‘Catfish in the Cradle’ which had a unique mix of Southern Gothic and Lovecraftian monsters, so going into this book it’s fair to say I had some pretty high expectations.
The book is, as you’d expect, a clever twist on the classic haunted house story. While this may not be the book to read if you’re looking for scares, where the book excels is in its world-building. Both writers have a great knack in their solo fiction for fully realised and engaging characters and that shines through here. They then place their characters in a world familiar to us, yet very different in interesting ways. The authors take the notion of a world filled with ghosts and run with it, driving the idea to logical conclusions and creating fun concepts for the universe they have built (Donna’s business, a ‘surrogacy’ agency that allows ghosts to possess the living for, ahem, erotic purposes, is a particularly inspired example).
If ‘The Perfectly Fine House’ has anything that it could be compared to, it would probably be the movie ‘The Frighteners’. Those expecting a comedy book based on the premise will find that the book can be very funny at times, but it is not an easy book to pin down in terms of tone, and it does it a disservice to describe it solely as horror, or comedy. The book gets quite dark in places, and it moves seamlessly between huge scale action, family drama and tragedy.
Equal parts heartbreaking and heart-warming, with a great cast of characters, a blackly comedic undertone and enough horror cred to satisfy the genre crowd, I can safely say you have probably never read anything like this book before. Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E Young should be on any horror fans radars right now. 4 Stars
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
May 14, 2020
The Perfectly Fine House by Stephen Kozeniewski & Wile E. Young is a wonderfully heartwarming (but also heartbreaking) tale about an alternate reality where the breathing and the ghosts live together in society.
Right from the very first page, I was hooked! This is another I highly recommend you pick up on a day off!
I had previously read and really enjoyed Skinwrapper by Stephen Kozeniewski, and while I hadn’t yet read anything from Wile E. Young, I could not wait to dive into this one based on the first paragraph of the premise. I mean…
In an alternate reality where ghosts are as commonplace as the weather, the most terrifying thing imaginable is a house not being haunted.
I was sold!
Very early on in this book, my husband asked me what I thought so far, and I shouted “I LOVE IT!” I’m so glad to say that my feeling didn’t change the further that I got into the book.
I was so excited to learn more about their world and how they lived together. I thought that whole premise was so interesting, and I loved all of the smaller elements that the two authors added in to really develop this world! (I’ll let you discover those fun bits for yourself though!)
I adored the main characters, Donna and Kyle, so much. I very quickly found myself feeling quite protective of them, especially with all of their quirks and struggles.
I also related a bit to one of the main characters, Donna, who was a major workaholic. Far too often, I let myself totally burn out because I have so much on my plate. Like Donna, I need to make more time for relaxing and doing the things that I enjoy!
The pacing was wonderful. I was hooked the entire time. When I had to put the book down briefly to do things around the house, I found myself rushing so I could get back to reading as soon as possible!
This is one of those books that I have such a hard time reviewing because I just want to gush about it, but I don’t want to spoil anything! So I will leave off here.
My Favorite Passage
I wrote down others, but they have spoilers in them! Instead, I will share just this one:
Kyle flashed a nonchalant grin as Donna gave him a look that would’ve made a corpse shiver.
My Final Thoughts
An amazing premise, a perfectly paced and thought-out plot, wonderful world-building and character development… This book was a slam dunk for me!
I absolutely cannot wait to read more from these two authors!
I highly recommend this book to you if you like lighter horror that is more heartwarming than anything else, with a heartbreaking and scary element that drives the plot.
Right from the very first page, I was hooked! This is another I highly recommend you pick up on a day off!
I had previously read and really enjoyed Skinwrapper by Stephen Kozeniewski, and while I hadn’t yet read anything from Wile E. Young, I could not wait to dive into this one based on the first paragraph of the premise. I mean…
In an alternate reality where ghosts are as commonplace as the weather, the most terrifying thing imaginable is a house not being haunted.
I was sold!
Very early on in this book, my husband asked me what I thought so far, and I shouted “I LOVE IT!” I’m so glad to say that my feeling didn’t change the further that I got into the book.
I was so excited to learn more about their world and how they lived together. I thought that whole premise was so interesting, and I loved all of the smaller elements that the two authors added in to really develop this world! (I’ll let you discover those fun bits for yourself though!)
I adored the main characters, Donna and Kyle, so much. I very quickly found myself feeling quite protective of them, especially with all of their quirks and struggles.
I also related a bit to one of the main characters, Donna, who was a major workaholic. Far too often, I let myself totally burn out because I have so much on my plate. Like Donna, I need to make more time for relaxing and doing the things that I enjoy!
The pacing was wonderful. I was hooked the entire time. When I had to put the book down briefly to do things around the house, I found myself rushing so I could get back to reading as soon as possible!
This is one of those books that I have such a hard time reviewing because I just want to gush about it, but I don’t want to spoil anything! So I will leave off here.
My Favorite Passage
I wrote down others, but they have spoilers in them! Instead, I will share just this one:
Kyle flashed a nonchalant grin as Donna gave him a look that would’ve made a corpse shiver.
My Final Thoughts
An amazing premise, a perfectly paced and thought-out plot, wonderful world-building and character development… This book was a slam dunk for me!
I absolutely cannot wait to read more from these two authors!
I highly recommend this book to you if you like lighter horror that is more heartwarming than anything else, with a heartbreaking and scary element that drives the plot.
November 6, 2020
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
The Perfectly Fine House is a story about a house with not one single ghostly entity in it - and that is utterly terrifying.
The Perfectly Fine House is set in a world where the scariest thing is an unhaunted house, but not only this, a house that actively swallows whole ghosts and doesn't spit them back out again. An interesting look at a parallel universe where death is indisputably not the end but only a small inconvenience to get to a much freer 'existence', this novel explores what death means to us, how we would treat our 'lives' if we knew for certain this wasn't the end of the line, and even the complexities of falling in love with a ghost.
Led by some engaging and undeniably likeable characters, The Perfectly Fine House takes an enticing concept and explores it through the lives of both the living and the dead alike. Donna and her twin brother Kyle live very different lives and have very different ideas about how they should be spending their 'existence', yet the fact that Kyle died years ago has done very little to dampen their sibling relationship. With time stretching into eternity, there is little to push parents to properly raise their children when they will always have more time, and myriad ghostly relatives to do much of the heavy lifting for them. Exorcists and ghosts experts are seen as your average tradesmen who get called around when any unruly ghost is acting a little too poltergeist for any living neighbours. And only the ultra rich feel the need to have graves and markers to their physical bodies.
While the universe set up in The Perfectly Fine House is unique and interesting, and the characters are rich and engaging, the conclusion of this story felt a little lack luster. Without revealing any spoilers; I was looking forward to a slightly more hopeful ending. The story moved along well and the motivations were set out strongly but the ending felt like a bit of a drag - even the story is mostly about the dead. In saying this though, it was enjoyable to explore this other world with Donna, Kyle, and their community and to think outside the box for a little while.
The Perfectly Fine House is a story about a house with not one single ghostly entity in it - and that is utterly terrifying.
The Perfectly Fine House is set in a world where the scariest thing is an unhaunted house, but not only this, a house that actively swallows whole ghosts and doesn't spit them back out again. An interesting look at a parallel universe where death is indisputably not the end but only a small inconvenience to get to a much freer 'existence', this novel explores what death means to us, how we would treat our 'lives' if we knew for certain this wasn't the end of the line, and even the complexities of falling in love with a ghost.
Led by some engaging and undeniably likeable characters, The Perfectly Fine House takes an enticing concept and explores it through the lives of both the living and the dead alike. Donna and her twin brother Kyle live very different lives and have very different ideas about how they should be spending their 'existence', yet the fact that Kyle died years ago has done very little to dampen their sibling relationship. With time stretching into eternity, there is little to push parents to properly raise their children when they will always have more time, and myriad ghostly relatives to do much of the heavy lifting for them. Exorcists and ghosts experts are seen as your average tradesmen who get called around when any unruly ghost is acting a little too poltergeist for any living neighbours. And only the ultra rich feel the need to have graves and markers to their physical bodies.
While the universe set up in The Perfectly Fine House is unique and interesting, and the characters are rich and engaging, the conclusion of this story felt a little lack luster. Without revealing any spoilers; I was looking forward to a slightly more hopeful ending. The story moved along well and the motivations were set out strongly but the ending felt like a bit of a drag - even the story is mostly about the dead. In saying this though, it was enjoyable to explore this other world with Donna, Kyle, and their community and to think outside the box for a little while.
March 31, 2020
Always excited to read anything by Kozeniewski, I picked this up in a flash. And I was rather surprised.
Maybe it's because this is co--written with Young, or maybe because it was a different kind of genre from the usual—but there was a different voice in this story than what I am used to reading from Kozeniewski. This was neither a bad thing or a good thing, just unexpected.
As far as the storyline goes, I never knew what to expect and the story was never predictable. It was a paranormal mystery with loveable and flawed characters. My only gripe being that sometimes the relationships felt forced and magnified when the storyline wasn't ready for them. And sometimes, I felt confused by several of the events lacking clarity.
Overall, it was an entertaining read that kept me engaged and curious. Every story Kozeniewski is part of is always original and imaginative. Young is a new author for me, so I have nothing to compare it to, maybe that will change now.
Maybe it's because this is co--written with Young, or maybe because it was a different kind of genre from the usual—but there was a different voice in this story than what I am used to reading from Kozeniewski. This was neither a bad thing or a good thing, just unexpected.
As far as the storyline goes, I never knew what to expect and the story was never predictable. It was a paranormal mystery with loveable and flawed characters. My only gripe being that sometimes the relationships felt forced and magnified when the storyline wasn't ready for them. And sometimes, I felt confused by several of the events lacking clarity.
Overall, it was an entertaining read that kept me engaged and curious. Every story Kozeniewski is part of is always original and imaginative. Young is a new author for me, so I have nothing to compare it to, maybe that will change now.
October 19, 2020
This review is housed on my blog at https://uponyourmarrowbones.wordpress... and copied below.
What if we lived in a world where ghosts were less a supernatural phenomena than they were just another mundane level of existence? What if those ghosts struggled with addiction, emotional baggage, and interpersonal relationships with the living? This is the premise of Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young’s The Perfectly Fine House, released earlier this year from Grindhouse Press. We open with a class learning about “all six senses,” which preps us for a horror novel that’s invested in a certain amount of speculative worldbuilding. I found Kozeniewski and Young’s world refreshing, a setting that eschewed the tried-and-true realist environment of most horror novels for something a bit stranger, though still instantly recognizable. There’s a lot of fun to be had as we become exposed to more and more of the world’s peculiarities, learning how ghosts manage their lives amongst the living, the various prejudices that such a culture might develop, how relationships evolve to account for an unending existence, etc. In many ways this is a concept-first novel: if ghosts are normal, what would a haunting look like in that world? Well, it might look like a perfectly fine house, free of any spectral presence at all (I may have missed something, but it’s actually an oxymoron to label the “haunted” house in this story as “perfectly fine,” because in this world it’s decidedly abnormal; a perfectly normal house, in this world, would be one that’s filled with ghosts — but you need a catchy title, and I digress), which introduces a host of existential and ontological crises that our characters must grapple with. Because the haunting is spreading, consuming any spectral presence it encounters, and suddenly this world is forced to consider: if all the ghosts disappear, what’s left? Is there an afterlife? How might that change how we live our lives? You get the idea.
The narrative jumps between Donna (alive) and her brother, Kyle (a ghost). Along the way we’re introduced to various minor characters, but in a lot of ways this is a story about these two siblings. I don’t want to get too bogged down in details, but ultimately Donna and Kyle get tangled up in a worldwide end-of-days scenario where pockets of “haunt free” sites begin sprouting up and spreading, threatening to overtake the globe (36). Ghostly characters like Kyle now face extinction, while the living are forced to contend with a world where, when someone dies, they’re gone for good. Thinking of the house, Donna reflects, “it was the start of a brand new and unfathomable life where death was the end and not a new beginning. What did that mean? Only your actions on Earth counted? Did even they? Would parents have to start paying attention to their children, not abandoning their lives to hedonism? Would mad cults like the Crucians [Christians, basically] hold sway, promising futures that could never be delivered or even confirmed?” (179-180). Though a bit on the nose, for our characters this is scary stuff, and Kozeniewski and Young do a good job of lacing dread throughout the book, allowing us to really feel and empathize with Donna and Kyle and their somewhat strained relationship. There’s a central mystery that generates a lot of the narrative momentum (where are these ghost-free zones coming from? How do we stop them? etc.), but the real drive here is the emotional weight we attach not only to Donna and Kyle, but also Donna and her budding romance with Leroy the exorcist. I’d say the real strength here is how Kozeniewski and Young ground these relationships in very real and felt moments, where those intimate and secret languages shared between lovers or siblings come out.
Despite all the character drama, however, it can be hard to fully embrace the stakes that are set out here. After all, the world that the novel is slowly becoming is basically our world, where we have to reckon with the finality of death all the time. So it can be difficult to truly identify with the existential apocalypse that’s happening. I think this might be why Kozeniewski and Young make the decision to tie Kyle’s fate so directly to the spreading non-spectral phenomena. For reasons that still don’t quite land with me, a mob mentality develops that assumes that, somehow, the global crisis is all Kyle’s fault, or he’s at least somewhat responsible. I only mention this because it actually occupies a significant amount of time and narrative energy, and it never really made sense to me, outside of trying to anchor our sympathies with a character who is directly impacted by the events. But he was already at risk, being a ghost, so we’re already associating his (un)livelihood with the novel’s main conflict. And why are people so convinced it’s all his fault? Because he noticed it? I don’t know, whatever.
I think you’ll enjoy this novel if you’re into stories about siblings and horror stories that consciously set out to twist a trope. This is a ghost story, but it’s not like your average ghost story, and as I mentioned at the top, it’s fun to spend some time in a world where the supernatural is just another humdrum element of daily life. I wish Kozeniewski and Young had spent more time actually wrestling with the implications of a ghost-free world, instead of having a few characters just throw out some deep-ish lines — “Maybe we can’t stop the world from ending, but we can make things right with our loved ones before it does” — or think to themselves about the paradigm shift that’s coming (192). I never felt like the actual implications on either side of that shift were truly explored, which I guess is my way of saying that I’d be down for some more stories set in this world.
What if we lived in a world where ghosts were less a supernatural phenomena than they were just another mundane level of existence? What if those ghosts struggled with addiction, emotional baggage, and interpersonal relationships with the living? This is the premise of Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young’s The Perfectly Fine House, released earlier this year from Grindhouse Press. We open with a class learning about “all six senses,” which preps us for a horror novel that’s invested in a certain amount of speculative worldbuilding. I found Kozeniewski and Young’s world refreshing, a setting that eschewed the tried-and-true realist environment of most horror novels for something a bit stranger, though still instantly recognizable. There’s a lot of fun to be had as we become exposed to more and more of the world’s peculiarities, learning how ghosts manage their lives amongst the living, the various prejudices that such a culture might develop, how relationships evolve to account for an unending existence, etc. In many ways this is a concept-first novel: if ghosts are normal, what would a haunting look like in that world? Well, it might look like a perfectly fine house, free of any spectral presence at all (I may have missed something, but it’s actually an oxymoron to label the “haunted” house in this story as “perfectly fine,” because in this world it’s decidedly abnormal; a perfectly normal house, in this world, would be one that’s filled with ghosts — but you need a catchy title, and I digress), which introduces a host of existential and ontological crises that our characters must grapple with. Because the haunting is spreading, consuming any spectral presence it encounters, and suddenly this world is forced to consider: if all the ghosts disappear, what’s left? Is there an afterlife? How might that change how we live our lives? You get the idea.
The narrative jumps between Donna (alive) and her brother, Kyle (a ghost). Along the way we’re introduced to various minor characters, but in a lot of ways this is a story about these two siblings. I don’t want to get too bogged down in details, but ultimately Donna and Kyle get tangled up in a worldwide end-of-days scenario where pockets of “haunt free” sites begin sprouting up and spreading, threatening to overtake the globe (36). Ghostly characters like Kyle now face extinction, while the living are forced to contend with a world where, when someone dies, they’re gone for good. Thinking of the house, Donna reflects, “it was the start of a brand new and unfathomable life where death was the end and not a new beginning. What did that mean? Only your actions on Earth counted? Did even they? Would parents have to start paying attention to their children, not abandoning their lives to hedonism? Would mad cults like the Crucians [Christians, basically] hold sway, promising futures that could never be delivered or even confirmed?” (179-180). Though a bit on the nose, for our characters this is scary stuff, and Kozeniewski and Young do a good job of lacing dread throughout the book, allowing us to really feel and empathize with Donna and Kyle and their somewhat strained relationship. There’s a central mystery that generates a lot of the narrative momentum (where are these ghost-free zones coming from? How do we stop them? etc.), but the real drive here is the emotional weight we attach not only to Donna and Kyle, but also Donna and her budding romance with Leroy the exorcist. I’d say the real strength here is how Kozeniewski and Young ground these relationships in very real and felt moments, where those intimate and secret languages shared between lovers or siblings come out.
Despite all the character drama, however, it can be hard to fully embrace the stakes that are set out here. After all, the world that the novel is slowly becoming is basically our world, where we have to reckon with the finality of death all the time. So it can be difficult to truly identify with the existential apocalypse that’s happening. I think this might be why Kozeniewski and Young make the decision to tie Kyle’s fate so directly to the spreading non-spectral phenomena. For reasons that still don’t quite land with me, a mob mentality develops that assumes that, somehow, the global crisis is all Kyle’s fault, or he’s at least somewhat responsible. I only mention this because it actually occupies a significant amount of time and narrative energy, and it never really made sense to me, outside of trying to anchor our sympathies with a character who is directly impacted by the events. But he was already at risk, being a ghost, so we’re already associating his (un)livelihood with the novel’s main conflict. And why are people so convinced it’s all his fault? Because he noticed it? I don’t know, whatever.
I think you’ll enjoy this novel if you’re into stories about siblings and horror stories that consciously set out to twist a trope. This is a ghost story, but it’s not like your average ghost story, and as I mentioned at the top, it’s fun to spend some time in a world where the supernatural is just another humdrum element of daily life. I wish Kozeniewski and Young had spent more time actually wrestling with the implications of a ghost-free world, instead of having a few characters just throw out some deep-ish lines — “Maybe we can’t stop the world from ending, but we can make things right with our loved ones before it does” — or think to themselves about the paradigm shift that’s coming (192). I never felt like the actual implications on either side of that shift were truly explored, which I guess is my way of saying that I’d be down for some more stories set in this world.
October 15, 2020
Liked the imaginative world created by these authors where “the end of life is just the beginning.” Where ghosts are an extended part of your family. But something has entered this world, expanding at an alarming rate. As this void expands ghosts are being sucked into it, disappearing. For those left behind, the living, “it was the start of a brand new and unfathomable life where death was the end and not a new beginning.” This one grew on me the further I read! This is one I’ll be thinking about days later!
dnf
April 6, 2021DNF at 50%. The premise is great and the writing is good. I see plenty of other people that loved it. Probably a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” and that’s okay.
June 1, 2020
The Perfectly Fine House by Wile E. Young and Stephen Kozeniewski
4-Stars
The Perfectly Fine House by Wile E. Young and Stephen Kozeniewski was a book I eagerly picked up. I love author Wile E. Young and his work. This novel, however, was not what I expected. I felt that the storyline was detailed but at times it seemed to lose its flow. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it didn’t keep my attention like this author’s books usually do. The characters were excellent and realistic even for being ghost. I had no issues visualizing them and the interactions between the twins were hilarious at times. Donna and Kyle were wonderful main characters and I had a hard time picking a favorite. They were complete opposites of each other and I was immediately drawn to Kyle’s personality. Donna was easy for me to relate to in that we share similar habits. Even though I felt that the storyline lost me at times, overall, this was a good book. I would recommend it and I look forward to reading more from these authors.
4-Stars
The Perfectly Fine House by Wile E. Young and Stephen Kozeniewski was a book I eagerly picked up. I love author Wile E. Young and his work. This novel, however, was not what I expected. I felt that the storyline was detailed but at times it seemed to lose its flow. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it didn’t keep my attention like this author’s books usually do. The characters were excellent and realistic even for being ghost. I had no issues visualizing them and the interactions between the twins were hilarious at times. Donna and Kyle were wonderful main characters and I had a hard time picking a favorite. They were complete opposites of each other and I was immediately drawn to Kyle’s personality. Donna was easy for me to relate to in that we share similar habits. Even though I felt that the storyline lost me at times, overall, this was a good book. I would recommend it and I look forward to reading more from these authors.
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