This book had been on my NetGalley list for far too long, and I'm so glad I finally picked it up. Having enjoyed this author's previous work, I had high hopes, and they were met with a truly unique and engaging story. The short, impactful chapters kept me turning the pages, and the distinct narrative style was a huge part of its appeal. The story unfolds through the private journal entries of Aaron, Meera, and their daughter, Uma. This personal perspective, combined with news clippings and notes from therapy sessions, creates a powerful sense of intimacy and mystery. It’s an innovative way to tell a story, and it pulls you deep into the heart of the family’s ordeal.

Aaron and Meera move their perfect family, including their teenagers Noah and Uma, from the city to the quiet town of Little Crake. But their idyllic new life shatters when Noah goes missing in the surrounding forest. He's found three days later, battered in a hollowed out tree, but alive. The boy who returns, however, is not the same person who left. His family is terrified by his new, unsettling identity, and the town's strange superstitions only deepen the mystery. The town's peculiar traditions and superstitions play a huge role in the story, almost feeling like a character itself.

The book is an excellent and fascinating read. If you're looking for a suspenseful story told in a truly unique way, I highly recommend it.

My first experience of this author, and it didn’t disappoint. A thoroughly gripping roller coaster ride of a thriller. Recommended.

I love a good Sarah Denzil book, and this was no exception. I was glued to the screen reading this, and had no idea what was going to happen or what had happened to Noah in those woods.

Rating: 4/5

Sarah A. Denzil’s “The Stranger in Our House” is a psychological thriller that captures the chilling transformation of a family’s life after their son goes missing and returns unrecognizable. The story’s atmospheric setting in the isolated village of Little Crake adds to its eerie and suspenseful vibe.

Pros:

• Atmospheric Setting: The descriptions of Little Crake and its legends enhance the spooky, unsettling mood of the story.
• Engaging Plot: The mystery surrounding Noah’s change keeps readers hooked, creating a tense and compelling narrative.

Cons:

• Pacing: Some readers found parts of the book slow and long-winded.
• Character Depth: A few characters, including Noah, could have been developed more fully to enhance the emotional impact.

Overall, “The Stranger in Our House” is a gripping read for fans of psychological thrillers, blending mystery and horror effectively. Its strengths in setting and suspense outweigh its minor flaws in pacing and character development

The Aiken family, wearying of life in the London area, moved to a small village in Yorkshire. It turned out to be a rather odd little place with a lot of folklore mainly to do with the creepy woodland backing onto their cottage garden. So when their teenage son disappeared they rather wish they’d stayed put. Takes a while to get into the format (as if it’s an actual event) of this with diary entries, reports, different points of view but that was ok and I liked it. I also liked the drawings and illustrations later on in the book. It was irritating though the way the family wouldn’t discuss anything and kept all their fears and feelings to themselves which resulted in quite a bit of repetition. Wish it had been scarier but sadly what should have felt menacing, didn’t - just tame and tepid.

The premise of this book sounded very interesting but, sadly, it just did not do it for me. I have read other books by Ms. Denzil and really enjoyed them. This one seems to be an outlier.

In general, the plot was all over the place. I am not sure if Ms. Denzil was trying to shove too much into the book or what, but it felt really confusing. Based on the synopsis, it sounded like this was going to be a super exciting and twisty read. However, it was quite dull and dragged out. I even found myself skimming at times. I kept waiting for something exiting to happen but nothing really did. The ending was really odd and very rushed.

The style of writing was also weird. The diary, news articles, etc made the book feel really disjointed and hard to follow.

This book is incredibly eerie, with its unsettling narrative conveyed through diary entries and therapist notes, offering a refreshing and distinct approach to storytelling. I’m relieved I didn’t dive into it after dark, yet I couldn’t help but devour it quickly, captivated by its strangeness and spine-chilling atmosphere. Huge thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing an early copy of this gripping read.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

A great thriller - I would recommend it!

This book gave me Changeling vibes! A 15 year old buy wanders into the woods but isn't the same when he returns. Just what is going on? I tried a few times to figure it out, I was wrong! A cracking, thrilling ride that I loved. Sarah is a great author.

When the family relocate to Little Crac the villagers tell them stories. When Aaron goes missing the person who returns is not the son who left. Lots of twists,a great story.

In this creepy story a young boy disappears and when he is found there is something wrong with him, he is not the same boy. This book will certainly give you the chills, it's dark and disturbing. I don't recommend reading this at night as you will have nightmares.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it.

This was a quick read and definitely outside of what I normally read. It was such a creepy book the whole folklore and possession gave it a more horror feel than thriller. The ending fell kind of flat for me but the book was interesting and a solid read. Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for the arc in exchange for my review.

Thank you for the ARC of this book.
I wasn't sure about this to start, but once I got into it I couldn't put it down.
It was well written and creepy with a compelling story line and good characters.
This had me on the edge of my seat with so many twists that it kept me guessing until the end - and what an end! .

After moving into the fresh air of idyllic Little Crake, Aaron and Meera’s 15-year-old son, Noah, wanders into the forest. Found three days later, the previously gentle Noah returns as a harsh, cruel boy — and his mother is convinced of one thing: The boy in her house is not her son.

This is a thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I loved this book. I love a book with a missing kid. Especially when that kid returns totally different. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written with a creepy and compelling story line and well developed characters.
This had me on the edge of my seat and had so many twists that it kept me guessing all the way through. That ending I mean wow.

A spooky and creepy thriller that kept me turning the pages 🙌🏻

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the gifted review copy!

Such a quick and thrilling read. I wasn't sure what I was getting into when starting this book, but it definitely had points where I couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed this read by this author and would look for future novels by her in the futur.

This started off quite creepy, but the writing seemed like more of a YA-style throughout the second half.