This is a don't read after dark book, and I loved every single page. As soon as I got to the end, I wanted to go back and start from the beginning. If I only knew then what I know now, would I catch more of the clues along the way? I already can't wait to see this as a Netflix adaptation, and I will be recommending We Used to Live Here to all my thriller-loving friends. In the days of a plethora of popcorn thrillers, this is what a true thriller should be!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC of We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer. I really enjoyed this one and I'm giving it 4/5 stars. We Used to Live Here focuses on a queer couple who move into a mysterious house they plan to renovate. Upon meeting a family that claims to have lived there previously, a storyline of suspense, fear, and seemingly supernatural ensues.

What I liked most about this book was the aspect of suspenseful writing- I really couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Categorizing We Used to Live Here as a Mystery/Thriller is definitely the appropriate category, but I would also add there is a hint of sci-fi/paranormal within the storyline. The only thing that kept me from rating this book a full 5 stars is some minor plot holes that were hard to miss, along with some dialogue that didn't feel rooted in reality and lacked depth. I definitely recommend this one!

Ah yes, my worst nightmare…strangers coming into my home and refusing to leave. This alone is scary enough for me, but it does get worse. This book is spooky, ominous, and will mess with your mind. I don’t want to say too much because I feel like it’s best to go into this one blind. There has been a lot of hype for this book and I will say the hype is real. I loved it! If you want to question your reality, definitely pick this one up. I look forward to the Netflix adaptation.

5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a great, creepy read. I wasn’t familiar with the Reddit story at all, so I had no idea where this book was going. Tbh I’ll probably be thinking about it for a while due to all the mind-bending twists and potential Easter has eggs from earlier in the book. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

This book had me reaching for Holy Water to douse it in. I’ve read plenty of creepy and horror books, but this is the first book to make me sleep with my light on! The writing style is quite different; there are tidbits of documents, interviews, and online chats that are interspersed throughout. I enjoyed that for the most part, but sometimes it became more confusing than anything. The ending will be one that I will think about for a while.
Huge thanks to Atria Books for the ARC via NetGalley.

This was so good! It had me questioning my sanity & thinking about different details to see if everything was measuring up. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a thriller/horror that kept 100% of my attention.

I don’t want to give too many details away but a queer couple buys a house & the previous owner of the house comes to visit & show his family where he used to live - well, they never leave.

I was not going into this with very high expectations. The last few books I've read have not been scary or creepy. This one really delivered on the creepy. Also, on the scary. And had a bonus of the twisted. We Use to Live Here takes so many turns and does so much with its few characters that it's a powerful little book. I would recommend to anyone who likes creepy horror that makes you think about how real the world really is.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: thriller/horror📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
The first third was a little slow but wowza the rest of the book was wild! This is my kind of thriller!

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Creepy thrillers
Unique reads
Mixed media
Unsettling and terrifying reads
Atmospheric and sinister setting
Great writing
Weird characters
Horror stories
Gripping reads

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
I can’t wait to see the movie!
The ending blew my mind
I couldn’t put this one down!

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I will saw I was left with so many questions but I love/hate an open ending book

oh myyyy was this super creepy and unsettling. When I requested this arc, I wasn't necessarily expecting a horror (my bad) but I was able to make it through even though it genuinely frightened me. This is a heebie jeebie, unsettling, creepy, atmospheric read (I kinda wished I read it in autumn). It was claustrophobic but in the best way. I finished this story with so many questions but I can't help if that was deliberate by the author. Very well written and worth the read, even if horror isn't your thing. I can't wait to watch this on Netflix.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review :)

This was such a strange read for me. The whole book was just bizarre and I really don’t know how to feel. I didn’t like it. The writing wasn’t bad at all but the story itself is weird. I would never buy this book but if it were made into a movie I’d definitely watch it. As a book it didn’t do anything for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In the realm of psychological horror, Marcus Kliewer’s debut novel, “We Used to Live Here,” emerges as a chilling tapestry woven with threads of domestic tranquility and sinister undercurrents. 

Charlie and Eve, a loveable gay couple, find their dream of home ownership quickly unravel into a nightmare when the house’s previous residents appear at their doorstep, requesting a tour to relive old memories. Eve, ever the people pleaser, acquiesces, setting off a chain of events that blur the lines between reality and paranoia.

Kliewer masterfully crafts an atmosphere of creeping dread that ensnares you from the first page. 

The narrative is a slow burn, with tension building at a deliberate pace.  The prose is tight and evocative, with descriptions that are both beautiful and haunting, leaving readers with a lingering sense of unease.

“We Used to Live Here” is a reflection on the nature of home and the ghosts of the past that we carry with us. It challenges the reader to consider the thin veil between hospitality and invasion, and the price one pays for ignoring the instincts that scream against unnatural generosity.

Kliewer’s novel is a commendable addition to the horror genre, offering a fresh perspective and a story that stays with you long after the last page is turn. It is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and those who find pleasure in the chill that runs down your spine when the line between guest and intruder becomes terrifyingly thin.

As a book reviewer, I find “We Used to Live Here” to be a hauntingly original piece that deftly combines the domestic with the demonic, ensuring that readers will think twice before opening their doors to strangers. Netflix has purchased the right to this - it should make a great show.

I personally wish the story had ended a bit differently, but it is an entertaining tale that keeps the reader's interest!

<b><I>Once they’re in, they never leave….</b></I>

WHAT DID I JUST READ? Truly! That was a wild batshit ride; my head is going to be spinning for a long time.

We Used To Live Here shows us why we should just never answer the door when we’re home alone. The weird things that start happening in the house was reminding me a little of The Haunting of Hill House (TV show) but it spiraled into something completely different. 😵‍💫

While I loved the ride, I’m truly left so confused and there were SO MANY unanswered questions to the point I keep thinking he has to write a sequel. It almost felt like 3 stories going on at the same time but they never click together making it all make sense. I’m going to need someone to write me a guide. 😂 but regardless, it was so much fun.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This was such a creepy read and I loved it. It's a mix of suspense and horror and it will mess with your mind! 🤯😂 You will have this sense of dread while reading this one. Knowing as little as possible going into this one is the way to go in my opinion. The gist is, queer couple, Charlie and Eve, flip homes and are now fixing up a home in the middle of nowhere. A man, Thomas , shows up with his family claiming he used to live there and would it be ok if he came in real quick to show his kids the home. As soon as they enter, weird things start to happen. And there always seems to be some reason that the family isn't leaving quite yet. Charlie end up vanishing, and Eve feels like she's going insane. I love that you don't know whether or not you can trust Thomas. I was questioning so much. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I would've given this book 5⭐ but felt like I was left with some questions at the end. Still and excellent debut though. This is going to be a movie on Netflix staring Blake Lively. I can't wait to watch it.

🙏🏼 Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

BOOK: We Used to Live Here
AUTHOR: Marcus Kliewer
PUB DATE: 6/18/2024 by Atria Books
PAGES: 320
RATING: 4
GENRE: Mystery/Paranormal/Thriller

A BIG Thank you to NetGalley, Marcus Kliewer & Atria for my gifted advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!

AUTHOR ACCOLADES: Marcus Kliewer is a writer and stop-motion animator. This debut novel began life as a serialized short story on Reddit, where it won the Scariest Story of 2021 award on the NoSleep forum (18M members!). Film rights were snapped up by Netflix, and it was acquired by Simon & Schuster for publication even before it had been extended into a full-length novel.

SYNOPSIS: As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People-pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in. As soon as the strangers enter their home, uncanny and inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: This was a whirlwind & suspenseful story, and many times I felt like I was in an upside-down, paranormal world! It was intriguing, and I’ve never read a book quite like this. It held my attention and kept me guessing throughout. I enjoyed that it was unpredictable, and genuinely appreciated the back history/fictional articles the author provides in between chapters as it really helped tie everything together in the end. I know there was word of a movie in the making starring Blake Lively, and I am hopeful this will still be adapted to screen soon!

Happy Reading!

WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE!? This random “let’s go in blind and request this” book suddenly and swiftly has become one of the best books I’ll read all year.. outstanding pacing, assaulting to the imagination in all of the best ways, and leaves you wanting so much more…. Which I hope there will be because this author definitely sets up an entire labyrinth of delusions, realities, characters, etc that all hint at other stories within the same universe coming….again, here’s hoping! Bravo— wild, wild journey and I need a physical copy front and center on my bookshelf asap.

WE USED TO LIVE HERE was insane! This was the most unnerving book I have ever read. I was on edge the whole time reading this book. The tension was so thick. It made me wonder what I would do if I had been in their position. This was well written, with a great plot and great characters. This is one you’ll want to read with the light on.

We Used to Live Here is about Charlie and Eve, a couple who flip houses, and this they’ve just purchased a house to renovate in the middle of the woods in the PNW. Eve is home alone one night when a man and his family come to the door - he claims he grew up in the house. She eventually lets them in and almost immediately, strange things start happening.

This story definitely delivered on scares; it was creepy and at times so unnerving I had to put the book down even though I wanted to keep reading. It felt like no time was wasted - the plot picked up right away and kept building without piling too much on.

What I really liked was that Kliewer used the atmospheric setting to play on normal, everyday fears (like the dark or being lost in the woods). He also expanded on different phenomenon (like Pareidolia and Capgras Syndrome) in an interesting way. It’s unsettling because there’s just enough reality to make believable a plot that could easily seem somewhat out there.

If I had to say something negative, it would be that there were a few loose ends - but maybe that means a sequel of some sort is on the way? Regardless, I would highly recommend this to horror fans and I’m excited to see what comes next from Kliewer.

Thanks very much to Netgalley and Atria for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

A bit weird but a quick and thrilling read! The open ending will not be satisfactory for all readers.0

Thank you to NetGalley, Marcus Kliewer and Atria books for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I have seen so so much hype over this model and honestly I should have waited until it died down to read it. I did enjoy it and it’s a quick read, but I don’t think it’s as amazing as I was hoping. It’s creepy and dark and slow burn.

My official rating is 4.75 stars.

I loved this so much. I've never had a book make me question if I was the crazy one but this one had feeling a little off. My only issue is that there were a few things that were never fully explained. They don't detract from the story overall but it would have made the story even stronger had they not been forgotten. I will definitely read this author again.