Interesting plot. Eve and her partner Charlie buys a house to fix up and flip. While Eve is alone at home one day, a family of five shows up at the front door. The father asked if they could come inside so that he could show his family the house that he grew up in. With trepidation, Eve finally allows them to tour the house. When it's time to leave, the young daughter disappears. Then other uncanny and inexplicable things start happening which makes Eve slowly lose her grip on reality.

Creepy house. Characters weren't really likable. Confusing second half.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Marcus Kliewer for an ARC of "We Used to Live Here".

Eve and Charlie recently bought an old house in a somewhat remote area and plan to fix it up. One day a family arrives at the house uninvited. The father says he used to live in the house and would love to show his family where he grew up. After some doubts, Eve decides to let the family in to look around. From that point on, strange things begin to happen at the house.

This book was scary and creepy and had me questioning things so many times. I don’t usually read horror, but I loved this.


Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I have such mixed emotions about this book so my review will be equally mixed. While the author gets points for a unique plot with incredible creep factor, the story runs in many different directions which makes it hard to follow. Separating fact from fiction is the whole dilemma but usually you can at lease figure things out at the end. Unfortunately, this one leaves you with too many unanswered questions. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

By asking the question, “What’s the worst that could happen?” and answering with a twisted, trippy encounter, Marcus Kliewer’s disturbing debut, “We Used to Live Here,” transforms the feel-good energy of HGTV home renovations into a sinister tale.

While alone in an old Pacific Northwest house Eve Palmer is flipping with her partner, Charlie, an unassuming knock on the door reveals a strange family hoping to take a short look around the house. The father of the group of five claims he grew up in the residence and wants to show the family his childhood home. Despite every instinct in Eve’s body telling her to refuse, she hesitantly invites the family inside, a horrible miscalculation leading to a series of chilling events.

“We Used to Live Here” isn’t your mother’s haunted house story; it’s a modern hair-raiser that pulses with uncertainty and uneasiness. Kliewer skillfully incorporates classic horror elements like delusions, an isolating storm and the paranormal with an alternative storyline written in Reddit-style posts — a nod to the novel’s origins, which began as a novella he posted on the social media site. This unusual approach presents a binge-able narrative that leaves readers with more questions than when they started.

This was the most unsettled I've been reading a book in a LONG TIME. The atmosphere and set up of this book was immaculate. I was excited to hear this had already been picked up for an adaption. Home invasion stories carry such a real-world horror because of how rooted in reality they can be. This set up, of the "I used to live here and would love to show my family the home I grew up in!" is such a thing we have heard people do (either in real life or in movies/tv). This book really takes that already unsettling premise but elevates it with the paranmoral elements that get stronger as the story progresses. The family in and of itself was unsettling, but add to that the odd and creepy sightings the MC kept experiencing really made a horror story.

As with any horror story, I found myself frustrated with the decisions of the MC and the surrounding characters--but I was. bothered so much because I was invested in the story and the characters.

My only complaint was that I wanted *more.*.I actually could have read 100 more pages of this story. The ending felt a little abrupt and it obviously left some things unfinished/open ended (which I understand was intentional). I cannot wait to see how this story is adapted and I can't wait to see what this author does next.

Marcus Kliewer's "We Used to Live Here" is a masterclass in late-night, frayed-nerve horror that'll definitely cause some brutally sleepless nights. It captures that skin-crawling dread of falling down a Reddit rabbit hole at 2 AM, leaving you feeling infected by the story like a case of literary Morgellons. At its core, it's a tale of boundaries - personal, physical, and psychological - and what happens when they start to blur in terrifying ways (think Aronofsky's "Mother!", but with a hefty dose of internet-age paranoia). When house-flipping couple Eve and Charlie let a strange family into their newly purchased home, reality begins to unravel in chilling ways. Kliewer's prose creeps up on you, lulling you into false security before plunging you into heart-pounding terror. While some might balk at unanswered questions, the lingering mysteries only amplify the novel's unsettling power, leaving you thoroughly shaken and deliciously unsettled.

I”m newish to horror/psychological suspense. This is a novel about a young couple Eve and Charlie who bought a house out in the middle of nowhere in the PNW and plan on renovating it. Then there is a knock on the door…. That is all you need to know going in. . This book filled me with dread and gave me some real shivers. There is a very unique “Reddit”-like aspect between chapters that really well done..

I can’t belive this is a debut and def a great read even if you are not a horror/fan.

This might have been the craziest book that I have ever read 🤯 If you are looking for a bone chilling, creepy, absolutely bonkers book, PLEASE read this (and go in blind!!!). I loved it but I also will not sleep for the next 5-7 business days.

Half a star knocked off because I wanted a bit more of an explanation but honestly I still loved it.

Went back and forth on 3 or 4 stars and decided to go with 4! It’s been awhile since I’ve read anything that actually scared me and this book does it well!!! Several times in fact! Definitely has the creepy, watch your back, don’t know what’s around the corner vibe down!!

So Eve allows the family to come in and look around the home she has just purchased since it was the father’s Thomas childhood home. Then things start to get weird and weirder.

Thoughts on why I’d choose 3 stars—-I’ve got questions!! So many things left undone!! So frustrating!! Don’t mention it if you aren’t going to explain some or resolve!! Like the old man at the cabin? Alison? Why did the house number change? The deal with circle symbol? The weird neighbor and not knowing both kids from long ago? Thomas’s screaming/hitting event? Were they all evil spirits or?

So many loose threads!!! Definitely left me disappointed in the ending. Had questions been answered could have been 5 stars for me.

Thanks to netgalley and Atria books for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. #netgalley #atriabooks #weusedtolivehere

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙊𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚’𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩.

Upon finishing this book I only had one question, WTF did I just read?!

This was one of the wildest and most confusing books I’ve read - in the best way possible. I’m glad I did the ebook and audio at the same time - this was a wild ride of a spooky read.

I knew instantly I wanted to read this with the premise, it sounded right up my alley. The paranoia and anxiety began almost immediately. I was so invested in the story, I couldn’t figure out what direction the book was going to take.

This is indeed a very strange story, but it’s also so intriguing and pulls you in right away. You’ll be flipping the pages until you reach the ending - which to be quite honest, I’m still not sure how to process wtf happened.

I highly recommend going into this blindly and not knowing much. It’s the best way to it!

If you’re looking for an eerie, spooky, and unputdownable read that makes you question what you just read then I’ll highly suggest picking this one up!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Atria, and Libro.fm for the review copies in exchange for my honest review!

Read if you:
- like going down rabbit holes on reddit, especially regarding conspiracy theories and unsolved mysteries
- enjoy horror movies that’ll have you questioning EVERYTHING
- find the basement to be the scariest place in the house
- ever wanted (or were scared of) those toy monkeys with cymbals 🤣

I LOVED this spine-tingling new horror book that just published! 🔥

This story was soooo good & absolutely freaked me out. This was so crazy that I legit chatted about it in depth with @jercarparvo (who narrated it 🤣 - small flex). We were both left with so many questions and were absolutely creeped out. Without any spoilers, just know that this will scare you, mess with your head, have you questioning reality, and leave you on the edge of your seat. I really suggest reading it via audio because it is so eery & perfectly narrated!!

Thank you NetGalley & Atria for this ARC!

I genuinely don’t know what I just read. I felt like it’s missing a whole section of the story.

Way too many questions and loose ends remained.

We Used to Live Here was a really solid scary read! Eve is home alone one day when a family shows up at her door - they let her know the father used to live in their house, could they just come in quickly so he could show his kids? She wants to say no but is a people pleaser and ends up saying okay, but just for 15 minutes. And the story takes off from there.

Most of what I want to say about why I loved this would be spoilers so I won’t - but if you’re looking for a scary read this summer, pick this one up!! I would also recommend reading this one with eyes instead of ears - I listened to a lot of it and felt like the narration was too overacted at points and it kept pulling me out of the story. When I switched to reading with my eyes I enjoyed it much more. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

I enjoyed the journey with this book, it was a slow burn that had me questioning what was happening. The final twist was fantastic and I didn't expect it. I do think there were some answered questions, at least to me, which is why it's not a five star read.

This was scary as hell, what did I do to deserve this?!

What a deeply creepy novel! I genuinely lost sleep over it and I’m both in awe and irritated that that is the case. Haha! I know some people don’t care for ambiguous endings, but I actually really liked the ambiguity here. That last chapter?? Damn.

(Posting on Instagram at a later date)

OH MY GOD.
This book.
It terrified me in the best way possible.
The mixed media was such a great addition as well. (Bonus points for the author mentioning Rhode Island and Spirited Away!!!😍)
The BEST psychological thriller/horror book I have read, to date.
I was left questioning everything and that’s exactly what the author wanted for his readers.
Perfectly executed.

Thank you to @Atriabooks and NetGalley for the eARC!

What an absolutely stunning horror novel! This was so creepy, terrifying and vivid! My anxiety was induced and I was captivated by this novel. I absolutely loved the inserts of forum posts between chapters and the links between those and the story. I don’t want to get into spoiler territory as I think knowing nothing beyond the blurb really sets you up for an exciting read. I have so many questions and I’m so intrigued by the why behind some of this - I can’t wait for the Netflix film! This was so refreshing and very well done - I cannot believe this is a debut. If you want to viscerally feel the terror and dread, read this now!

OMG this book was INTENSE!!

I read We Used to Live Here in one sitting because I had to know what happened! You should go into this book only knowing the basic premise:
It's a winter storm and a family knocks on your front door. Your partner isn't home from work yet and the family claims that the Dad grew up in your house and really just wants to show his family around. It'll take 15 minutes tops he promises!
You feel bad, so you let them in and that's your first mistakes!

I don’t feel like I read the same book as everyone else. Reminded me so much of how I felt reading House of Leaves.

This book had such an intriguing premise and I was really intrigued to see what might be happening. And for the first half, I was captivated and reading quickly. Eve and her partner Charlie flip houses and they have purchased an older property. They have recently moved in and when Charlie is out running an errand, Eve answers a knock at the door. Thomas, his wife, and their three children stand there. Thomas says he used to live in the house as a child and wants to know if he can show his family around as they are on their way to move across the country. Reluctantly, Eve allows them in, and what happens next gets more and more bizarre and frightening.

I don't mind horror fiction, but I want it to at least make a semblance of sense. There are some intriguing documents scattered throughout and I kept waiting for it all to come together. For me, it really didn't. It just kept getting stranger and stranger after the first half, and it never coalesced to make a coherent narrative for me.

This is definitely a creepy book with a very unsettling vibe throughout. I see that it's being made into a movie and I definitely got an American Horror story feel, so hopefully it will translate well to the screen.

This is billed as being like Parasite, and while I loved that move, this book is nothing like it. That movie made sense to me and this book just did not. I wanted my questions answered in a satisfactory way and they weren't. I was left with too many threads and not enough explanations.

Overall, this wasn't a very successful book for me, but it has a high average rating and lots of people loved it, so it may appeal to you, especially if you were a fan of House of Leaves.

How is this a debut? Seriously. This is creepy horror at its finest and I’m still trying to figure out what’s real and what isn’t. 🤯

Charlie and Eve just got the deal of a lifetime on a house they intend to flip. As Eve is working in the house, there’s a knock at the door. A man and his family are there asking to come inside because the man used to live there. He just wants to show his family his childhood home, what’s the harm? 15 minutes and they’re gone. Eve is softhearted and lets them inside and that’s when things get super weird. Their youngest child goes missing inside, a ghostly presence materializes in the basement, and the family never gets the hint that it’s time to GO. Now, Charlie is missing and Eve is losing her grasp on reality. There is something seriously wrong with this house and the people inside but Eve can’t figure it out. Is everything changing or is Eve slowly losing her mind?

The audiobook for this one is fantastic! Jeremy and Corey are seasoned narrators and brought the creep factor to an all-time high. I’m so thankful I listened to this one during the day or I probably would have been sleeping with the light on!