Unique book written in several different forms and formats. It becomes a bit fantastical at the end but is an intriguing story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Aiken Family have moved to a rural cottage after tiring of the London hustle and bustle. Their teenage son, Noah wandered into the forest and was lost for 3 days. When he was found, he was covered in cuts and smeared with clay, withdrawn and traumatized.
Noah has no recollection of what happened to him in the woods, but his personality has changed drastically. He used to be a shy, friendly and kind teenager, but this new version is unrecognizable. He is cruel and violent, and it is affecting the whole family.
His mother seeks help from a long time resident in the village whose husband went through the same ordeal.

Well, I can say that this book is not my normal genre. I was not expecting the supernatural tones, and when I saw the genre was classed as "Horror", it turned me off somewhat, as I spend a lot of time on my own and am easily frightened.
Surprisingly, I devoured this book, read it in one sitting and loved the way it was written from the points of view of Noah's family. The characters were beautifully fleshed out, I could practically visualize them in my mind's eye, the desperately worried mother, who was falling apart, desperate to find any way to help bring back the son that she once knew. The loving but helpless father who turned to the whisky bottle, and the little sister who was the strongest and wisest and most resilient of the entire family.

In short, I loved this book, well written and well plotted.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the format with the different diary entries, articles, therapy sessions, etc. It is told from different POV’s but you aren’t overwhelmed with a lot of characters, so I appreciated that! I absolutely loved that little twist at the end! It was a bizarre and different kind of read but near the end I was totally into it! Loved it!

We love hiking and being outdoors. I love cabins in the woods, and remote cottages even though I’ve read all those books! Woods are my happy place.

In the small town of Little Crake, Aaron and Meera hope to start anew with their two kids Noah and Uma. However shortly after, Noah gets lost in the woods for three days, and when he is found – he isn’t the same. As time goes on, it become abundantly clear that this is not their son. Will they be able to figure out what is wrong and get him back before he is lost forever?

This was such an entertaining read! I loved the setting of Little Crake. While this was a thriller, it was also a horror as it was seeped in folklore and scary. It was also a domestic thriller as well. The story was gripping and held my interest as it was quite fast paced. I loved a book that makes me think the lengths I would go to protect and save my family and this book did just that. I absolutely adored the writing style of this book. It was told from the perspective of journal entries, and newspaper articles – unique and fun.

If you’re looking for a solid thriller and horror book based on folklore than check this one out February 7th. Thank you so much to Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op, @victoryeditingngc and the author, Sarah Denzil, and @netgalley for my eARC in exchange for this honest review.

This book was fiction but more than fiction. Horror but not gory horror. Throw in a little mystery and some supernatural flair and you've got The Stranger in Our House. Who is the stranger in the house? Noah wandered into the forest as a teenage boy that recently moved to the village of Little Crake. After three days he returned as someone much different. What happened to Noah? And can his family save him from himself?

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC!

The Stranger in Our House by Sarah A. Denzil is unlike anything I've ever read. This was my first book by this author and i would totally pick up another one of her books! It had a very supernatural feel to it, which is not something that I would usually read. However, I was intrigued by the description so I decided to read it.

I really enjoyed the writing style of the author, and her use of diaries, news articles and text messages related to the Aiken family and what happened to Noah after he disappeared in the forest for three days. I feel like this style allowed the story to flow well and also made this book a fairly quick and enjoyable read.

There were illustrative pictures, which gave it a Hidden Pictures (Jason Rekulak) book vibe.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes horror and thriller. It was slightly out of my realm of interest but still a solid read!

“What would you do if your son became a stranger overnight?”

The Aiken family is looking for a fresh start in the small village of Little Crake. They purchase an idyllic cottage that backs up to miles of woods. Their hope of a new beginning is quickly shattered when their teenage son, Noah, goes missing in the woods for three days. He is found in a tree trunk, alive, but shaken and with cuts on his stomach. As the weeks after Noah’s return unfold, it is clear his experience in the woods has traumatized him more than his parents anticipated. So much so that they question if the boy who came home to them is really their son at all. As they interact with locals and learn more about the village history, it becomes clear they have invited something sinister into their lives.

I am a Sarah A. Denzil first timer and what a book to start on. It was eerie, horrifying, tense, and ultimately addictive. I read it in less than a day. In my opinion, it was more horror than thriller, but without being overly graphic or scary. I loved that it was told through mixed media (diary entries, therapist notes, voice memos, etc) and that local folklore was central to the story. It’s always fun to learn about local legends and tales.

Overall, I would recommend to both thriller and horror fans, especially if you liked Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak.

The forward of this book had me intrigued right from the start. Was this based on a true story? What did happen in Little Crake? I needed to read this to find out!
It is set out as a series of diary entries mainly from the father’s point of view, but it did have a few of the daughter’s in there and a few voice note diary entries from the mother. There was the odd newspaper clipping, but I felt these were too sparse, and a few more different items needed to be interspersed to round the story out a little.
It was undoubtedly a very bizarre read, and I had no idea where it was going. It starts off with the immediate aftereffects of Noah having been missing for three days. When he returns, his behaviour is very strange, and his parents and sister start worrying about what happened to him in the woods. As the story progresses, so does their paranoia and fear.
It has a very supernatural feel to the story, which isn’t my favourite genre, but it was done quite well that you could rationalise it if you needed to.
The ending was a bit bizarre and came out of nowhere. I felt a little cheated by the end as it didn’t explain Noah’s behaviour. He knew what had happened in the woods, but he acted as if that hadn’t happened and something else had instead. His creepy grin and strange behaviour were sort of accepted due to what had happened to him, but for me, it made no sense.
So, overall it was a gripping and thrilling book, but I was somewhat let down by the ending!

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for granting me access to this text.

It’s a true shame that I didn’t enjoy it. I enjoyed the use of illustration the few times within the story, which I haven’t seen used in a lot of adult books.
However, after a promising premise, I found it to be lacking in originality and intrigue. The only thing ‘different’ was the use of folklore; I haven’t found that in many books, but ofcourse that in itself isn’t original. It felt like any other mediocre story I’ve read, where there is a lack of real depth or development.
The characters felt very flat for me. There was no fleshing out. Perhaps this was mainly due to the narrative style. The author states in the afterword that they enjoyed using formats such as diary entries, voice clips, etc, which is fair enough and interesting when done right. The entries were just boring and fixated on the same things repetitively. It didn’t move forward as it should have. I get that all characters were supposedly crafted to be unreliable narrators, but we were given no solid information and there was no intrigue. There didn’t seem to be any meaningful communication between the characters; all moments were locked away from one another or just of little relevance.

Overall it was easy enough to get through, but it was by no means engaging. It just didn’t work for me.

My thoughts about this book while reading:
- LOVE the format of this novel- the different POVs and diary entries and different media the author uses
- All the characters are really well developed!
- The eerie pictures in the book added to the creepiness! I already had a picture in my head of what I thought Gytrash looked like but the pictures and Noah’s drawings were a nice touch.
- The ending really wrapped everything up, I had no questions that needed to be answered.
- I like how Noah’s dream at the end was kind of left open to interpretation.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend to people who like creepy, folklore books. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Aaron and Meera relocate to the little village of Little Crake with their two children, ready for a change from city living. Things go wrong when 15 year old Noah vanishes, but is found 3 days later in a tree hollow. It soon becomes clear that Noah is changed, however, and Meera is convinced that it isn't her son and that they are now living with a stranger. Can the family find the truth before it's too late?

This was a really unique and creepy book, I loved the format with the different diary entries, articles etc. A great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

The Stranger in Our House by Sarah A. Denzil was a twisty, intriguing and gripping story with a well written plot.
My first time reading her work and I've gotta say I'll definitely check her previous titles out.
The characters are well written and interesting.
The pace of this story was good.
I wished it was a bit more fast-paced but still kept me intrigued and flipping the pages.
I enjoyed The Stranger in Our House. I thought Denzil did a good job here.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fantastic quick read! The best way I can describe it is it's about a family who starts spiraling, after the son goes missing in the woods for 3 days, and then they find him and he comes back home. It really felt like I was descending a spiral staircase throughout reading it. I love how everything concluded including something I didn't see coming!

I absolutely loved how the book was written - from the different POV's using diary entries, journals, letters, etc. It was perfect!!

I wrote a review of the book "The Stranger in Our House" by Sarah A. Denzil immediately after reading it. My emotions haven't subsided yet. I can honestly tell you that it's a real horror. I was scared while reading this book. The author wrote it in so many different formats that it was great to read. This book drew me in. Every now and then I see a black dog with red eyes and an angry expression in front of me. Is it good or bad? If you like to be scared while reading, be sure to read this book. This novel is perfect for a movie script. Who knows, maybe someday there will be a movie based on this book. Here I came across strange local beliefs and legends. I was dealing with a beast. I didn't know who was good and who was really bad. A family of four moves to the countryside. After some time, their son disappears into the forest. He is found three days later. Unfortunately, he's not the same 15-year-old he was before he disappeared. What happened next was terrifying. You must read it. I leave you with the question: What are parents capable of to save their child? The end of the whole story is improbable. I didn't expect this turn of events. It's the bomb for me. Plus for the author because I believed her. Well done Sarah A. Denzil. In short, reading "The Stranger in Our House" will give you fear, terror, hysteria, strange beliefs and unbelievable beliefs. Are you afraid of the dark? Would you go into a forest at night where graves are hidden? I will add right away that I like the author's imagination. Three-quarters of the story is the diaries of the whole family plus other people's notes. I was very surprised by the drawings that I found in this book. They sparked my imagination even more. This book is very exciting. Thank you for making me sleepless now. Hahaha. I recommend reading it at night because the experience will be better. You will then put yourself in the shoes of Noah, his sister Uma and their parents.

I wholeheartedly recommend this story, mommy_and_books.

My rating 10/10

Not what I expected from this author and definitely not my favourite.

This moderately engaging storyline was at best wildly unbelievable and at worst poorly executed. Written as diary entries from each family member, the plot belly flops between each person’s point of view. None of the characters appear to actually talk to one another during this traumatic period and the diaries record the characters inner monologue and actually divide the family more than bring them together.

I’ve read a couple of books where different media is applied to embellish the story and in most cases it really gives the reader a wider view of the situation and characters at play. These entries however don’t feel like real diaries the language is too complex and putting expressions in or writing ‘there’s someone at the door so I’ll write later’ felt a bit weird. Surely you’d just put the pen down and recall afterwards someone visited? If anything the most articulate person was Noah and he didn’t get an entry.

The whole possession element was odd. At the start it appeared to be headed towards some kind of ghost story or horror but by the time you get to the end you’re told there was no possession? All very strange.

The plot twists and turns are few and far between, most of which are obvious and don’t serve the plot other than to carry forward this ‘sense’ of fear. As I mentioned above this book is not what I was expecting and I think that it takes a lot of skill to branch off into horror/thrillers. For me Denzil is not this author, she’s best when she sticks to Fam-Dram and crime fiction.

All in all a very disappointing read that just won’t end! I skimmed the last chapters because I felt like it was just getting dragged out for no reason.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC! I loved how it was told via diary and voice messages because it truly allowed an in-depth experience because you got this story from everyone’s perspective and not just one MC! It definitely kept me hooked. And I’ll for sure be recommending it!

Dnf at 41% for now, I will make sure update my thoughts when I go back to it. 3 stars given in fairness of not finishing this time around, will also update accordingly

This book was truly brilliant. The way it was written, the twists, the way Sarah A. Denzil is never afraid to take her stories down a dark path. It’s rare to have a male protagonists in this genre and she did it so well! I couldn’t put this down and feel it will stay with me for a while! What an eerie read. 5 stars!

Something quite different.

Aaron and Meera, and their children Noah and Urma move from East London to rural North Yorkshire. Noah goes missing for three days, the joy at his return is short lived as his behaviour is alarmingly different.

I was reminded of novels by Alex North, CJ Tudor, the novel is infused with that kind of creepy local folklore. The presentation in a mixed media format (diary entries, letters, text exchanges, psychiatrist interviews, newspaper articles, photos etc) was interesting, and worked well in changing the pace and perspectives.

It fell a little awkwardly for me between creepy child, folklore, possession and YA. I can enjoy each of those elements, but this wasn't quite the right combination for me.

I like the author's style of writing and will look out for her other novels, even though this one didn't fully work for me.

If you love C J Tudor, Alex North and Jason Rekulak's Hidden Pictures then you probably should have a look.

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op

The Aiken family moved to Little Crake to begin new lives. They thought moving from the city would be good for them. Instead Aaron realized his family will never be the same again. There’s a darkness that has settled over the Aiken family. It started after his son returned from the forest. Little Crake has driven a wedge between the Aidan family.
After missing for three days Noah is found inside the hollow of a tree covered in mud and cuts. They don’t know what happened to him in the woods, but he’s come home a troubled kid. They don’t recognize this strange behavior from him. He changed after his experience in the forest.

There’s a folklore dating back to 1665 about Gytrash a creature with an evil spirit said to redirect travellers, leading them to their doom. Noah’s behavior since returning home has been creepy with his spooky drawings, violent nature, and chanting mumblings.
The story is told from three points of view: From the pages of Aaron’s diary beginning on June 23rd when his teenage son Noah went missing in the forest. Uma’s diary after Noah returns home, and The notes of Meera as she expresses what it’s like living with Noah since he’s no longer the same teenager. They don’t talk about Noah to each other instead they write about it locking away the moments.

Meera meets Larissa a woman who has lived in Little Crake all her life and believes the legend and folklore of the plague. Meera desperately wanted to help her son, so she entrusted Larissa to help save him.

I enjoyed the different formats of writing: Aaron’s diary, Uma’s diary, and Meera’s notes. Getting three different perspectives on how Noah’s behavior affected each family member was helpful. I found Noah’s sketches to be beneficial in creating an illustrative vision.
Sarah A Denzil writes a compelling story about a teenage boy who was missing in the forest for three days and when he returned home his behavior had them questioning whether this is really there son.
Sarah did a great job creating a spooky story. The way she describes Little Crake with its legends and gory details adds to the atmospheric scenery.
The illustrative pictures was a great tool adding the necessary piece to the puzzle.

It’s an interesting concept one which held my interest for the most part. Although, the more I read the more that interest faded. I held on to a belief that this wasn’t real just some made up explanation of how easily a family falls apart by explaining it in this unusual metaphor. I’m not one to buy into folklore or myths.
I appreciate all the research that went into this book. It’s well written and well thought out. Unfortunately, I wasn’t invested in this book. I don’t spook easily. This might be scary or haunting for some. For me it came across as bizarre.
The ending was anti-climatic. It left me feeling discontented.
This book by no means will reflect poorly on my interest to seek other books by Sarah. Not every book is a match to the reader. I had a disconnect with the concept, but someone else might love it.