HTSAHH – Chapter 4 Raw Reaction and Review

Oh, Chapter 4 is doing things. This is no longer “something feels off.” This is escalation.

Immediately starting the chapter off with the commercial advertising a doll is madness! This is after the TV turned on by itself!

And Louise, understandably, froze up. She tries justifying why it happened, which is totally human, and exactly what a tired, grieving, mom-guilt-ridden individual would jump to.

“She drew her head up, pretending to be annoyed so she didn’t feel scared…”

I’ve done this. Fear is uncomfortable, this, any other emotion must be easier, so default to that instead of fear!

The fake out with the dolls’ hair moving was awesome when it was just some giant truck driving up and parking.

Men in paper hazmat suits? That’s mildly upsetting like…is the house condemned??? Contaminated?

A hoarder type home situation? That doesn’t match the previous description of the house…is someone trying to cover something up by getting rid of everything?

Baby teeth and ‘technically human remains’ should not be in the same sentence together lol! It wasn’t a brow raised moment, my whole head jolted backwards.

Ooooh! The brother hired the cleaners…even more suspicious about him trying to cover something up.
Mark saying he googled it made me raise an eyebrow and blink in quick succession. Wow…the gall of this man. Something about him feels…preemptive. Like he’s managing fallout instead of mourning.

That sibling “squabble” was entertaining in a painful way. One of the hazmat guys casually pulling out his phone to film it? Perfect modern humiliation. Grief turned into spectacle.
Louise’s loss of control shows in the sentence structure. They run on and on, spiraling the way her thoughts do. I loved that choice.

I also rooted for Louise. I am trying to see things from Mark’s perspective. Maybe he does just want to get things over with, but he feels shady and slimy to me, so I don’t trust him like how Louise doesn’t trust him.

My rating so far:

•Rum & Coke

•Air

•Goosebumps

•Page Turner

•Nose Exhale

•Ouch

•Five Guys

•Cheese Curds

•Bruise

•Razzleberry Pie á la mode

•Semi-Sweet Chocolate

SnS 🌹💀📜🥤