so, whoopsie! i read this thinking it was a standalone book (inasmuch as any david mitchell books are standalones), but it actually takes place in the same world as The Bone Clocks, which i am already ashamed about not having read (yet) and am now re-shamed by this book's exposing me to creatures and situations without the context of The Bone Clocks under my belt. 
 dammit. 
 with this in mind, i can say that this holds its own as a self-contained supernatural/haunted house story. i didn't at any point feel lost or baffled. however, i suspect that those of you who have made better choices in life and have read The Bone Clocks will appreciate it on a whole other level. i have only read two other david mitchell books, but as a hardcore fan of both jonathan carroll and donald harington, i know that reading-shimmer that occurs when you encounter a character you did not expect to see, and how while their appearance might not impact the story in any crucial way, it's gratifying - a little nod to the fans who have been paying attention. so i missed out on that nod here, and i may have missed out on more. won't know until i finally read that book everybody's talking about...