House of Beth by Kerry Cullen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars rounded up**
After a rough break-up and an upsetting incident at her job, Cassie, an overworked assistant at a literary agency, decides to take a break. She needs some space from her life.
She retreats to her hometown in New Jersey, where she ends up running into her high school best friend, Eli, now a widowed father of two young children.
Their relationship quickly takes a turn, and before she knows it, Cassie is giving up her high-octane life in the city for homeschooling Eli’s children, exploring nature, and perhaps forming a new friendship with the eccentric next-door neighbor, Joan.
While on the outside, it may appear Cassie has truly moved on, on the inside she’s not so sure. She has misgivings about the whole situation, but it’s more than that.
Cassie suffers from harm OCD, where her thoughts are frequently plagued by graphic and gory images. Her thoughts scare her, but she can’t run from them. She’s constantly on edge.
Her violent thoughts aren’t the only thing haunting her though. There’s also the shadow of Eli’s deceased wife, Beth, looming over her every day.
As Cassie starts to hear the voice of the house, narrating the family’s secrets from before her arrival, Cassie can’t help but wonder what really happened to Beth?
House of Beth is an unsettling and unique little story. I enjoyed the overall tone. It felt ominous, even when I wasn’t sure why. It went in a direction I wasn’t expecting as well, and for that I give it extra props.
It came across as a bit of a toned-down version of Maeve Fly for me. There’s something in the delivery of Cassie’s narrative voice that reminded me so much of the way Maeve Fly would relay what was going on around her.
It also felt a bit Jayne Eyre but, obviously much more modern. The circumstances aren’t the same, just the overall feel. If that’s a tone you enjoy, you should definitely check this one out. I think it’s worth the read, just to see the new feel that the author has brought to that type of tale.
At the end of the day, I’m not quite sure I got out of this what the author intended though. I’m left with lingering questions on what kind of story this was truly trying to be.
I’m seeing some bigger picture things, but I don’t know if that is intentional, or if my mind is just trying to find logic amidst the greater puzzle. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the journey and am looking forward to more from Kerry Cullen.