I found this book to be pretty average - it was a strange read and is actually really hard to rate. I can see how some people would LOVE this book (English literature buffs), but for me, it was like an amalgamation of short stories lumped together connected by a location, rather than a novel. That's fine, but as a complete work of fiction, I enjoyed some stories more than others, therefore affecting the overall rating. I found my mind wandering at times and many stories felt unresolved so I was left dissatisfied. 

Character narratives I enjoyed - Queen Bee, Agnes, Ivor and Dot. 
Character narratives that were okay - Jessie and Flora
Character narratives I did not enjoy - Levi and William
.......I almost completely forgot about Ivy's story which I think speaks volumes. 

It was fast-paced read despite the unusual writing style. The descriptions of Edinburgh were very atmospheric and I believe the author captured the haunting nature of Edinburgh very accurately (as an Edinburgh native and resident, I can confirm). The book also covers themes around sexuality, self acceptance and misogyny. 

This book is a really interesting one where the house is practically a main character itself, and we follow its multiple tenants across a century. I found some of the stories much more engaging than others, and almost wished that a couple of the stories had been cut to expand on the ones that really told an over-arching message which Fagan really wanted to get across. Also she did a lot of telling rather than showing, which I felt was a shame.