Creepy haunted house and old family secrets. Was her dad really as awful as everyone made him out to be? This book was interesting and had you questioning everything you’d been told.

Thank you to Sarah, Tor Books, and Netgalley for an advance copy of Just Like Home.

After a long period of estrangement Vera has returned home at her mother’s request. Vera has tried to avoid the house and the past that it gave her - a serial killer for a father. On top of her past haunting her, there’s a new tenant in her house giving Vera all the wrong vibes. She’s convinced that he is messing with her by leaving notes in her father’s handwriting despite his claims of innocence. Vera is forced to confront her past and determine if it is the tenant or something more sinister at work in her house.

What a beautiful cover. Even if I wasn’t a fan of horror I think I would’ve picked this up based on that cover. I also was a huge fan of The Echo Wife so I knew I wanted to read the next Sarah Gailey release. It just didn’t work for me. I wanted to love this. I thought I would. But I’m stuck at 2 stars and can’t go any higher.

It was boring. It was so slow, there were pages of wasted breath, and it felt like maximum work with minimal output in the end.

A couple of positives - it was gruesome and it was creepy. There was an unsettling feeling throughout, which is a testament to a slower paced book…if only the pacing wasn’t SO off for me this could’ve been something much more. The questioning of my own sanity while reading - is it supernatural or is it the work of an evil human being? I like when books tow that line and make readers wonder if the end result will be paranormal or not.

Despite this one missing the mark for me, I will definitely read another Sarah Gailey book, because seriously The Echo Wife blew me away and I’ll continue chasing that high, but maybe sci-fi is more her realm than horror. So to end on a positive note: whether or not Just Like Home was the book for you, if you haven’t read The Echo Wife be sure to check that out ASAP.

Really enjoyed this. Found it very creepy and atmospheric. Loved the plot twist and the writing style

This was not my cup of tea. While it had its creepy moments, the story felt disjointed and confusing at times, making it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the plot. The characters were also underdeveloped and lacked depth, which made it hard for me to connect with them or care about their fate. While the author had some interesting ideas, the execution fell short of my expectations. Overall, I found this book to be underwhelming and it did not live up to the hype surrounding it in my opinion.

I really wanted to like this book but feel that it fell flat for me. I couldn't figure out if the main character hated her house or loved it, or vice versa. Not something that I would read again.

This was absolutely amazing. Gailey has a touch about their writing that no one else has ever managed.

Another hit for Sarah Gailey -- they know how to frighten me and leave me thinking long after I've finished their books. I'm such a homebody that the thought of home being a frightening place is scary enough for me, but the sense of dread in their books is impressive and unsettling. Loved it.

What a fantastically weird little book, Sarah Gailey has done it again! It definitely won't be for everyone but it was almost perfect for me.

I was so excited to read this book but unfortunately I didn’t connect with it when I picked it up. I may give it another try in the future as I’ve heard such amazing things about it.

I loved this clever thriller! It has something more to offer than the typical suspense book, and I really enjoyed the characters & storyline.

I love a good haunting and also anything involving serial killers so I was so ready going into it. But it didn't scratch that itch for me at all. The story never grabbed me enough to feel one way or another about the characters.

How sweet home, but not all childhood homes are welcoming or have warm memories attached. Just like home examines the way a physical location can keep memories we want to hide and how even touch, smell and taste play into memories. The plot was a little slow moving for most of the book but did pick up near the end. I would have liked a more faster movement, the slower pace made some areas feel stagnant. But overall this was a creepy tail of childhood and the connection between a parent.

Sarah Gailey is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Their premises always make me feel like I’m in for something comedic, but then end up being wildly thought-provoking and traumatic. Like The Echo Wife, the characters in Just Like Home are supremely unreliable narrators and resist easy categorization. There is no moral superiority in these pages, only messy circumstances and even messier reactions.

The beginning of the book is fairly slow, but ramps up in the second half, and the twist in the third act actually dropped my jaw. Fantastic!

Just an okay read with a really weird twist. I just wanted something scarier when it's supposed to be a haunted house.

I love Sarah Gailey. I think they're an incredible writer. I have no idea how to review this book.
Without spoiling, I did not see the twist coming and, without trying to sound pretentious, I often see twists coming. All I knew is that I should keep going, even if at points I felt like I shouldn't - this was the correct choice.
To sum up: I am flabbergasted by this book.
Full review on YouTube.

Oh, this is CREEPY creepy.

I'm behind on writing my reviews, but I read this around Halloween, which is absolutely the best time to read it. Fair warning -- the first part of this book is slow -- but the payoff is worth it.

This was such an intriguing read and I thought it was very well written. The book had many aspects that made it definitely worth the read, but I was disappointed by the ending and the way the storyline pans out. I didn’t exactly enjoy the supernatural parts to the story which makes me sad because I love the supernatural. I think it would have been far better if it had focused more upon the psychological thriller aspects. However as a thriller and potential supernatural horror it was an exciting read. I would recommend this for someone who enjoys creepy and surreal psychological thrillers.

3.5 rounded up.

A great read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This story focuses around a young woman Vera, who comes back to her childhood home that her father built to take care of her dying mother. The only way I can describe what happens after is ensuing chaos! I really liked all the characters and when Vera’s story is told in the past, it really gives insight into what’s happening to her now. I really enjoyed the originality of the story and the ending wrapped everything up perfectly! I would definitely recommend to anyone into domestic horror stories!

I ended up dnfing this one because it was so incredibly slow. I ended up being spoiled in the twist and I’m glad I stopped out on this one. Normally I love Sarah Hailey but this one was a miss for me