I cannot resist an innovative haunted house book. In recent years I’ve been so impressed by Alison Rumiftt, Clarissa Orlando, and Johnny Compton for their unique takes on a sometimes-oversubscribed genre. Now here comes Rivers Solomon, with an incredibly disturbing, intelligent interpretation of familial horrors in Model Home.
When the Maxwell siblings don’t hear from their parents for a while, they descend upon their Texas childhood home, expecting, and finding, the worst. The Maxwell family were the first black family to move into this white neighborhood, which was only part of the struggle. Reunited for the first time in years, siblings Ezri, Eve, and Emanuelle reflect upon the horrors they encountered in the house, and try to solve the mystery of their parents’ death.
Model Home is devastating on so many levels. Ezri, our protagonist, is such a raw character; a parent with mental health struggles, not to mention scars from their past. The siblings tear strips off each other while grieving their parents and processing their pain, but ultimately share so much love. And the novel deals abundantly with issues such as gender, sexuality, race, and class. This is not a light-hearted beach read, this is a deeply harrowing and rewarding book.
The ghostly parts of this book are terrifying, but it is the ending that provides the true horror. Just unfathomable. No spoilers, but I was not ready for the gut punch.
I was fortunate enough to listen to the audiobook, and hear Gabby Beans’ amazing performance. She handled this disturbing tale sensitively, and her energy was consistent with the story.
Model Home belongs right next to Beloved (Toni Morrison) and The Reformatory (Tananarive Due) on my horror shelf. Prepare yourself, then step inside…
California Reading 