oof. what a read.

immediately one of those books that i will keep so, so close to my heart. there is always something so profoundly comforting/raw about being seen so clearly in places so dark, and in return seeing back. i'm sure this will be a very polarizing story, that many will not get (lucky!) and others will be horrified by. for me a lot of it felt like a revelation, like realizing there are words for these things and a way to tell them and the bravery to put them all together.

i don't have a lot of things to say about the book itself separated from those personal feelings on abuse, family, mental illness and queerness, as i think that is the book and carries it all lol but i will say it's a phenomenal addition to the haunted house trope, has so much more range (it also talks of religion, race, class, etc) than meets the eye and it is my favorite out of all the rivers solomon!

thank you netgalley and fsg for the e-arc, and endless thank you rivers solomon for the book itself!!

"Welcome to Rivers Solomon's dark and wondrous Model Home, a new kind of haunted-house novel.

The three Maxwell siblings keep their distance from the lily-white gated enclave outside Dallas where they grew up. When their family moved there, they were the only Black family in the neighborhood. The neighbors acted nice enough, but right away bad things, scary things - the strange and the unexplainable - began to happen in their house. Maybe it was some cosmic trial, a demonic rite of passage into the upper-middle class. Whatever it was, the Maxwells, steered by their formidable mother, stayed put, unwilling to abandon their home, terrors and trauma be damned.

As adults, the siblings could finally get away from the horrors of home, leaving their parents all alone in the house. But when news of their parents' death arrives, Ezri is forced to return to Texas with their sisters, Eve and Emanuelle, to reckon with their family's past and present, and to find out what happened while they were away. It was not a "natural" death for their parents...but was it supernatural?

Rivers Solomon turns the haunted-house story on its head, unearthing the dark legacies of segregation and racism in the suburban American South. Unbridled, raw, and daring, Model Home is the story of secret histories uncovered, and of a queer family battling for their right to live, grieve, and heal amid the terrors of contemporary American life."

Definitely a different kind of haunted house. I'm in.

A haunted house novel with a dash of Them[TV series] and just a little pinch of Tell Me I’m Worthless.

Honestly, I think my only complaint with this book is that I wanted more. Rivers Solomon has a way with words… and with stories. This is one uniquely messed-up little horror novel. To set expectations- it is not the scary or creepy kind, but rather of the relentlessly-delving-into-deep-dark-acid-baths-of-interrelated-trauma variety.

Bizarre, engaging, and complex- this one will keep you reading, searching for answers alongside the characters looking to unlock the secrets of their shared past. Just know that this will take you places you aren’t expecting and had no desire to go to in the first place. Pick this up and give it a read, lest you disappoint Nightmare Mother.

2.5 ⭐

The write-up of this book had so excited to be chosen for this ARC, but it turned out to be more than I bargained for. 😫

⚠️ "Model Home" covers A LOT of topics, such as racism, sexism, classism, rape, mental & physical abuse, death, childhood trauma, animal cruelty, whewwww the list goes on & on! It is a lot to digest & is rather dark. The format of no quotation marks now vs quotation marks later does give the book an eerie feel. But definitely not your average horror story, but it is heavily based on the topics mentioned.

This was my first book by Rivers Solomon so I'm not sure if all books are written the same. A lot of metaphors, lots of historical, cultural & biblical references, which tie in with the story being told. I did find myself looking up certain things just to know what exactly was being referenced to. If I were to everrrr reread (ehh...probably not) I would dig even deeper.

I felt like I didn't know what was going on through most of the book. A lot didn't make sense inside of Ezri's mind, but then there's the ending...wow. What a way to tie it all together! It is horrific.

Overall, the book wasn't for me! It was a bit overwhelming for my taste. BUT it was intriguing & makes you think outside the box.

Thank you to NetGalley & Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.❤️

As a lover of haunted house stories, *Model Home* by Rivers Solomon was a fresh, eerie take on the genre. The book is less about ghosts and more about the horrors of racism, trauma, and family secrets. It follows siblings Ezri, Eve, and Emmanuel, who return to their childhood home after their parents' deaths, forced to confront both literal and emotional ghosts.

Solomon’s prose is powerful, blending social commentary with supernatural elements, and the emotional complexity between the siblings is captivating. While the tension builds beautifully, the ending felt a bit rushed. Still, the novel offers a haunting reflection on systemic trauma and survival

It's hard to put my thoughts about this into words, but this powerful story is extremely well written, and it will stay with me for awhile. I'm a huge fan of the author, so I was excited to pick up this book and it didn't disappoint. The prose and lyrical feel to the narrative flows well and I found it to be a quick read. If you're a fan of Rivers Solomon I definitely recommend this book! A huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my thoughts.

This book has some intense themes and scenes and at times is difficult to read. Some content notes include: Death of a parent, pedophilia, assault, abuse, violence, animal death, and racism.

I'm sure there are readers who will love this strange and unsettling story and unique take on the haunted house but it unfortunately just wasn't my cup of tea.

2.5 - The writing style was a big struggle for me - I had a hard time understanding what was actually happening vs what was a metaphor, and it distracted me from the plot significantly. The plot is what kept me engaged and curious to continue reading, but I feel like I didn't understand what was really going on until the 70% mark. I would have liked a lot more clarity and directness in the prose due to the complex themes and storyline. I did enjoy the sibling dynamics in the novel. The writing style was just a bit too confusing for me, but I enjoyed the solid plot.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus, and Giroux and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was, creepy, heartbreaking, and beautiful.
This does not read like my normal horror, the writing was more flowery if that makes sense.

My heart broke for the siblings, having to come back after all that time. After you escaped, and to come back under such dark terms..

Pick this up to feel something..

I was really excited for this one; however, it just did not hold my interest. Prose was beautiful but I felt like the story was just try to accomplish too much. Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

The three Maxwell sibling have been staying away from the house they grew up in for years. Something unexplainable took place there. Is the house itself evil? Now they are forced to come back and face their past.
I found parts of the story interesting, but overall it didn’t quiet work for me. It was not a book I was eager to get back to.

This book took me by surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect when reading the premise but I was pleasantly surprised with the direction Solomon decided to go. I enjoyed reading the family dynamics, the gender and sexuality explorations, and the exploration of trauma and it's consequences.

This is a very interesting and unique novel, but mainly I had a problem with the writing style. The prose is very flowery which made for a frustrating read. The overall story is what saved this book from being a DNF. The story has this cool southern gothic feel to it. This is not a traditional haunted house story, but I enjoyed the family's dynamic. This family is very dysfunctional and chaotic which added to the excitement factor for me. Good book, but I wish the writing wasn't so flowery and overwrought.

Lately, most of what I read is good, but just not hitting that five star feel. Over and over its like, this is a good book, but there is something missing... this book comes out of nowhere and releases me from my literary edging.

Gripping from the start, Solomon truly paints this morbid picture of a beautiful house, housing a beautiful black family, but there is rot inside. Growing up with sisters, Eve and Emanuelle inside of that house, Ezri knows of its horrors. Inside a gated community, the Maxwells were the only black family. After the trial of growing up in that house, each of the Maxwell siblings moved away as soon as they could. Their parents stayed... in that house... in that neighborhood...

Now, Ezri, Eve, and Emanuelle must go back to 677 Acacia Drive. Their parents have died, and the manner in which, is haunting. The remaining Maxwells have to lay their parents to rest and come to terms with everything they endured in the house.

This was so brutal. I needed a book to make me FEEL something and Solomon has delivered. This cut as deep as I was hoping it would, touching on some really intense topics. This was such a devastating and horrifying take on the haunted house trope and I thought it was done masterfully.

Wow, what a journey this book was.
Model Home was a beautifully written novel with interesting characters, dynamics, and plot twists.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the poetic mechanisms used especially in the beginning of the book, but I was able to tolerate it. The chapter lengths were perfect for me and always kept me wondering what was going to happen next.

The book wasn't scary to me per se, I was more so disturbed by the main character's personality and their inner thoughts. However, it made more sense to me towards the end of the book.

The ending ruined it for me, to be honest. I think it was a bold choice that will definitely be thought-provoking for many. However, for me, I have no interest in immersing much more into that kind of trauma. I have too much experience of that in my personal life. This is also why I will not be leaving a more detailed review.

Overall, it was an interesting tale of familial grief and trauma, I wouldn't classify it as horror, but more-so a soft thriller with psychological manifestations.

Creepy, eerie, heart-wrenching, bleak, dark, and extremely thought-provoking! These are the first adjectives that come to mind after finishing the final page of the book and exhaling after holding my breath for so long. The last chapters are definitely a punch to the face, and the situations the characters go through are almost impossible to digest.

The story revolves around Ezri (they/them pronouns) and sisters Eve and Emmanuelle, the Maxwell siblings, who have grown estranged from their parents. They lived in a lily-white, gated enclave in Dallas, running away from a tragic childhood that affected them in different ways.

Ezri, raising their fourteen-year-old daughter Elijah alone, suffers from depression, haunted by ghosts from the past that won’t let them live in peace. Meanwhile, their disciplined, controlled, high-achiever sister Eve is raising her twins alone in Texas, and their youngest sister Emmanuelle is shining as a rising star on social media.

The unexplainable events from their childhood home left both invisible and physically painful scars. They thought the house was haunted, but no one believed them when they tried to speak up. As the only Black family in a wealthy, white, privileged neighborhood, they always felt like outsiders.

Now, as they approach middle age, the siblings are forced to return to their nightmare home after their parents die under suspicious circumstances, presumed to be a suicide pact. But why did they take their lives when there were no signs of mental health issues or any other concrete reason—besides the house itself?

The Maxwell siblings must confront decades-long secrets buried within the house. Were they haunted by something supernatural that damaged their psychological well-being, or was it something more sinister, like monsters in human clothing?

Ezri has been dealing with guilt for years, struggling with their gender identity, being on the spectrum, and expressing their emotions through art. But they also wonder if something is wrong with them. Have they been carrying the ghosts of the house as vessels, harming their own family? Was the faceless lady just a figment of their imagination, or was she real and responsible for harming their sisters? Most importantly, who killed their parents? Could Ezri have had something to do with their deaths? Is that why they keep their daughter at a distance, afraid of what they’re capable of?

Overall, this is a dark, bleak, and highly thought-provoking thriller, intertwined with a dysfunctional family drama that touches on triggering subjects like rape, emotional and physical abuse, and mental health issues. It’s a story that may divide readers into two camps—those who love it and those who don’t. I’m definitely in the camp of likers! I found this intense, emotionally exhausting, and smartly twisted story about siblings deeply gripping. It’s one of the most attention-grabbing books of the year, and I highly recommend you don’t miss it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sharing this mind-blowing digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Described as a new kind of haunted house story, this book promised a spooky tale but delivered something different.

I don't read a lot of horror, with the exception of Stephen King, because I don't really like it! I like a spooky, creepy story but I also want a good plot and strong characters, which can be hard to find in genre fiction. In Model Home I found the opposite, the story (disappointingly, for me) skewed to family dynamics rather than having a real focus on the haunted house. I think the balance was intended but not fully achieved - I keep thinking: but let's get to the house! Tell me scary stuff!

This book is hyper-representative and inclusive to a point where I thought I knew a lot about the characters, without actually knowing the characters. I became convinced that diabetes would become significant to the plot somehow.

If you're looking for strong representation of Black families and identities, this book is for you. However, it's not the horror story I expected to read.

Thanks, NetGalley and FSG for the chance to read this.

***Caution Spoilers Follow***

"A family hurts. It does. We are born in its noose."

"Many unalive things move the world. Fire. Sickness. Is that how you see the inside of yourself? As fire? As sickness? In a way. Like, the ghosts, they’re these wild, harmful things that can’t be controlled."

4.5 stars: This is one that will stick with me. The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is because I can't see myself ever wanting to reread it. Family dramas aren't my thing but I do enjoy books that make me feel. The writing is exceptional, including characters with depth and an original perspective on mental illness (maybe). Solomon brings you right into the head of their main characters. Their pain, inner turmoil and attempted healing are on full display. The prose is unusual, intelligent and poetic. It reminds me of Sylvia Plath's Lady Lazarus, with its darkly depressing push/pull or Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts with the ambiguity. I love the way in which Solomon weaves a story that feels so personal and identifiable. Ezri's voice as a gender fluid, person of color is so strong and tragic. I felt every word of this book, magnificent masterpiece that it is. What a powerful ending.

TWs: pet deaths, child abuse, there is a racist debasing, though consensual, on page sex scene that may be disturbing to some. The reader can easily skip that part and still get the idea of what was happening.

"When we speak of a house that is haunted, all we are speaking of is a house that is violent, and many houses are violent. Mold-besmirched. Leaded water. Holes in the floor. Windows that let in cold. Heating that doesn’t work. Shitty cladding. In its end, Grenfell Tower was a haunted house. Every house in Flint, in so many cities, is a haunted house. So, 677 [Acacia Drive] was a shelter, a space , and everything so awful about it was not so different than many other houses."

An ambitious and innovative take on the haunted house tale that will have you asking yourself the question, "are these ghosts white supremacists or just assholes?" As breezy as that sentence was, this novel is not that. Horror fans could read it at a surface level and be engaged, but malevolence in a living space is small aside the capital T traumas that Ezri, a sympathetic but self-admittedly unreliable narrator, has had no choice but to endure. Not a light book, not an easy book to read, but a worthwhile one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was a really quite bizarre story. I found myself enjoying the writing style whilst also hating parts of it, and it was an uncomfortable and confusing presentation, but in the House of Leaves kind of way and not in the ‘I hate this’ kind of way.

I think more than anything this book is the horror of trauma. The things that we don’t see, or refuse to see, or refuse to admit to ourselves are the things that creep up on us in the middle of the night when things are quiet and thoughts are loud. This book encapsulates that exact feeling, and it’s so uncomfortable, which I took as the sign of a good horror book.

I think the question and the mystery of this one too could have been more overt, but I also acknowledge that it is meant to be cloudy. Hearing from the other two siblings that weren’t Ezri would have been great, but with that said, I appreciate the book is from that flawed perspective for a reason.

Without giving too much away, I feel this book is a brilliant piece of work with a lot to say- and deep unease touted over direct scares.