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Anthony Conty
Not Tied Down to a Genre
"Model Home" by Rivers Solomon takes the standard haunted house novel and gives it a modern, woke twist. Imagine a neurodivergent family facing evil spirits on top of that inconvenience. When three very different siblings turn up at their loathed childhood home to find their parents dead, emotions come up for which they are unprepared. The house becomes the main suspect.
The multiple timelines serve a purpose. Ezri analyzes her childhood compared to the modern child-rearing they must do. Today, her siblings live genderless and explore veganism, allowing the family to examine how their upbringing influenced their contemporary existence. As a character, Ezri lacks direction from their past. A world of hookup apps introduces them to men who take advantage of their low self-esteem.
Goodreads lists this as an "LGBT" novel, and most of the characters qualify, but what stands out is the kind of universal humanity that they show to one another. You do not expect this in the horror genre, but the family drama is convincing and compelling. Novels about perfect people annoy the heck out of me.
Children faced with life after the death of both parents experience a broad spectrum of emotions. These adults know that their mother and father mistreated them and realize that they may never have closure. These elements of family drama make you forget that you are reading horror and allow you to enjoy the individuals. I think we all relate to holding a funeral for someone about whom you had mixed feelings.
When you receive answers, you will think it was right in front of your face the whole time. Since the lack of a specific genre limits cliches, you do not see it coming. Just be prepared for a late climax and empathize with the siblings' eeriness and pronounced wariness.