4.5 stars rounded down to 4!

This book was an absolute horrifying mind-fuck and I couldn’t get enough of it. Super glad that I ended up pre-ordering this one. Highly recommend going into this one blind with an open mind, and can’t wait to see it adapted on Netflix. Huge thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for my early review copy!

Thank you Netgalley & Atria Books Publishing for an eARC 🔥🔥🔥


As a huge horror fan, I'm always on the lookout for a book that will push me to the edge and keep me up all night. And let me tell you, this book delivers🔥🔥🔥!

The story expertly crafts a sense of unease and dread that will leave you questioning everything. Eve and Charlie's dream renovation project turns into a nightmare when a family claiming to be former occupants refuses to leave. As strange events unfold, Eve's grip on reality begins to slip, and the lines between truth and paranoia blur.

Marcus Kliewer’s expert storytelling weaves a web of tension, making the unthinkable seem plausible. The family's "normalcy" is eerily unsettling, and the details are meticulously crafted to freak you out.

I couldn't put this book down, even when it was too close to bedtime! It's a true page-turner that will keep you up all night, racing to the finish.

As a horror fan, I appreciate how this book gets under your skin and stays there. It's a slow-burning build of tension and suspense, with a payoff that's both terrifying and satisfying.

This is my top read of the year, and I'm thrilled it's being adapted into a series. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers and horror, do yourself a favor and grab a copy,but be warned: this book will haunt you, and you might not sleep afterwards 😵‍💫😲

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WHAT DID I JUST READ? Usually for ARC reviews, I try to give detail to explain why I felt the way I did. However, I believe this book should be one that readers go into as blindly as possible. With that being said, I’m intentionally leaving this review vague.

Here are a few things I think readers should know:
🏠 I would consider this a psychological horror.
🏠 I felt a sense of dread and unease the entire time I read this (even in broad daylight).
🏠 The author cleverly included breadcrumbs throughout that brought the reader in even more.
🏠 What even is reality?

I took off a star because I needed a bit more in terms of answers. I mean WHY??? I’m all for ambiguous endings, but I needed more explanation.

This book was an experience from start to finish. I think there will be tons of discussion around it. If you love haunted houses, psychological horror, or feeling a bit spooked while reading, check this one out! 👻

This was such a weird read. When I was at about 25%, I was super excited. I loved, loved it! The perfect queer FMC representation, yay, perfect for the pride month release! The story itself, wow, suspense, all the suspense! When I was at about 37%, I was messaging my book bestie telling her it seemed like she might enjoy this book, and she may have to get it when it’s out. When I was at 55%, I was messaging the same book bestie that it looked like I might have changed my mind and there is no way she (or anyone else) should ever be reading this, because I’m fairly certain the only twist is going to be a sneaky paranormal something. By 75% I was angry and hated the book. Because I hate sneaky paranormal surprise twists. it should have been stated somewhere, loud and clear, in bold and in huge print, that this HORROR here is all fake. Paranormal, fake, made up, not even far-fetched, just made up and stinky byproduct-of -a-bull’s-dinner.
By 85% I had given up on the story. I had zero expectations. I kept reading just to see how this bull’s dinner byproduct would end. And it didn’t disappoint. As I wasn’t expecting much, I didn’t get much. Nothing really happened.
I looked through all the other reviews of this book. And, it looks like this is just another (bad) case of Behind Her Eyes phenomenon. Different author, different story, wtf ending – some will call it the best twist ever, some (myself including) will say, oh, this was just dumb, extra dumb with a layer of extra crispy dumb sauce.
Also, the open ending. Yes, there is a sorta-kinda open ending. yeah.
It is really well-written, and it is an extremely well-told story. It would have been perfect, absolutely perfect, if not for the sneaky paranormal bull’s dinner byproduct twist. I loved, absolutely loved how it was multi-layered with tiny bonus texts between the chapters, and what I loved ABSOLUTELY THE MOST is… another layer. Which – and I’m really shocked here – seems like was missed by everyone else. I checked all the reviews people posted before me. No one mentions it. Weird.
I’m not spelling the EXTRA third layer out here. But I’m spelling it out on my thishumanreads.medium.com blog. Read it only if you have read the book. You are welcome. Thank me later.

p.s.
1 star for sneaky paranormal.
5 stars for writing.

p.p.s.
the book will be absolutely perfect for you if you tick BOTH boxes:
+ love horror
+ loved Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

“They’d rung the doorbell unannounced on a chilly Friday night. ”
Here are reasons to read the Horror book:

New House - Eve and Charlie have purchased a house with the intention of flipping it
Strangers - One day Eve opens the door to a family of strangers who wants a look around because the father used to live there
Bad Feeling - Despite the bad feeling she has about them, she lets them in
Missing - and the next morning, Charlie seems to have left without a word, but the family are still there.

If you read House of Leaves and were very overwhelmed by it, this book is the perfect replacement. It’s creepy, and off putting, and uncomfortable. The chapters alternate between found media that have things to do with the story, although that may not be clear at first what that is. I rushed through this to understand what was going on. Even though there are a lot of unanswered questions in the end, the impact this book left with me is very unnerving. The main theme is perception, and you will be questioning your own after reading this.

This book was deeply unsettling and I loved every second of it. I haven’t been so disturbed by a piece of media since watching The Babadook or The Taking Of Deborah Logan. Kliewer’s writing is incredible and carried such a sinister undertone, that I found myself looking over my shoulder as I read.

Even when nothing overtly scary was happening, the anticipation of creepiness to come had me on the edge of my seat. As little things stacked up to create the bigger picture, I found myself immersed in the terrifying journey alongside the main character. I cannot WAIT for the movie based on the short story that inspired this book to come out.

Check this one out if you like not being able to turn your lights off at night, haunted houses, and ~perfect~ families!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC of this creepy title!**

This was a really creepy, scary story. I didn’t realize that this was going to be a horror novel, and I really don’t like to read those. I do think this was well done, and that people who enjoy this type of novel will like it. Personally, it just wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How is this a debut novel?! It’s so freaking good!

We Used to Live Here is so incredibly atmospheric, I felt like I was isolated there with Eve and the creepy family was well. The house was complex, creepy, confusing and constantly evolving and for a long time I was questioning our main character’s sanity although if it was me I wouldn’t be sane anymore. The entire time I was reading this, and even after because I flew through it well into the early morning hours, I kept thinking how this would make such a good movie. Imagine my excitement when I saw that it IS going to be a movie on Netflix! 😍

If you enjoy psychological horror, creepy houses and even creepier families, you need to read this. We Used to Live Here will be published 6/18 and is one of my favorite books of the year! Thank you to Atria Books for my eARC.

What did I just read? You can’t end a book like that …I have so many questions! 4 stars instead of 5 because of that - LOL
I thought I was getting a normal thriller, a psychological thriller … and I got Horror with a total MindF*ck included 😂 I love horror, thriller, paranormal, etc - I’m not one who scares easily, and this book scared the hell out of me. I seriously thought I was losing my mind. If the synopsis of the book sounds interesting I suggest you read it … maybe during the day, with the doors locked, and your phone by your side, just in case.

Thank you to Netgalley, Marcus Kliewer and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Eve and Charlie have just purchased a fixer upper in the middle of nowhere where they live with their dog Shylo. One day, a knock on the door changes the course of Eve’s entire life. Thomas, his wife Paige, their two sons and young daughter Jenny are just standing on the porch asking to come inside. Thomas grew up in the home and wishes to show it to his family. Being the people pleaser that she is, Eve tries to say no but ultimately allows them in. What happens next is a series of unexplainable events, the family not leaving, and people going missing. Eve can’t explain these events or why she keeps seeing an unexplainable figure in the home. Is she overreacting and allowing her imagination to play tricks on her? Does Charlie really believe her? What is happening and why aren’t these people leaving?

This book is truly unsettling. I cannot believe it is the debut novel of Kliewer. True aspects of horror and psychological thrills, I read 60% of the book in one sitting and only put it down because it was 1am and I had to work at 8am. The imaginary is detailed, but simple. I feel like I could picture and hear everything as I read. 5 stars for this debut Marcus Kliewer, now I need more.

This book was a wild ride! I read it in less than 24 hours and am left reeling now that I’ve finished. The idea of what Eve went through is so disturbing and therein lies the horror of this book. If you love mind bending, reality twisting, unexplained mysteries then you’ll absolutely love this book!

It’s very rare that I am impressed with a thriller or horror book but man am I impressed! It drives my husband crazy that I can guess the ending to pretty much any movie or book I read. I chalk it up to growing up being a horror movie enthusiast and a young reader. Have you ever seen Saw? I remember when I first watched it and the absolute shock at the end. I haven’t trusted anything since and became the “ending guesser” from that point on.

This book gave me that feeling all over again. When I swore I had figured it out, it turns out I didn’t. How I imagined the ending, was not what happened. The ending, honestly, is one of my worst fears. I really resonated with Eve and I would like to think that this wouldn’t happen to me. But my husband loves to point out that I’m a people pleaser so I’m taking a lesson from this book. Just don’t answer the door even if they look like a nice harmless family.

Thanks to Atria books and Netgalley for this eARC! I was excited to read this one as I learned this was adapted from a story on reddit and it was already optioned for a film. I love haunted house stories and this one definitely delivered.

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Thank you to @atriabooks, @marcus_kliewer, and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This is out June 18.

What in the worlddddddddd?! This was completely wild! A creepy, suspenseful, psychological thrill ride! I may legitimately not sleep after this. I wanted to throw my kindle at the end and I would devour a part two! This is so well done for a debut novel and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

TWs: g*slighting, paranoia, mental illness, religious extremism, violence, minor animal cruelty, more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5

Thank you to Netgalley, and the publisher for a copy to read, and review.

This was a fun thriller, it was really engaging, and creepy. I loved the idea too. The whole time I was reading I felt so unsettled, and uncomfortable, but I really think that's the whole point of the novel. Never knowing what direction it's going to take next. I kept wanting to scream at the characters to do this or that, or even the opposite...don't do this or that. It was really well put together. The cover is also extremely well done. It screams read me. I really think this will be a big hit. I can't wait for more.

WOW!!! That was amazing, I always hesitate Reading horror books. I am so particular because it’s a fine line with me. I tend to like ones that ride the psychological thriller edge.

I think you should go into this one not knowing the story. For me the writing just put me in the mood, I had that on the edge of my seat, creepy, dark, tense , vibe while reading.

Overall I really enjoyed the read j However, I still felt there were some unanswered questions.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC book I cannot wait to watch on Netflix

Okay, with this ending, I totally understand the hype. My problem is, I'm torn about the rest of the book. I will say for a debut, it's fantastic!
3.5 Stars

2.5 ⭐ rounding up to 3

At first this paranormal thriller seemed promising. Unfortunately it lost steam quickly and became a bit confusing. My biggest caveat were the passages in between chapters. I often wasn't sure what they were referencing, often just providing definitions of terms and acronyms. The excerpts broke up the actual plot and in my mind lent very little to the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC of this book for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely incredible! Total mindfuck, as this book will keep you guessing even after you finish it. I loved every minute of this read. It was super creepy and I didn't feel comfortable reading it in the dark. And that's coming from a horror film lover! This will make a great movie.

this one gave me some house of leaves vibes! thank you Atria for the genuine scare of a book, We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer.
sleeping with the lights on tonight... and not opening the door to strangers ever again (like I rarely do that now).

This book was so amazingly well done, suspense and tension so effectively executed that all I can say is just read this one if you like a serious haunted house sense of dread vibe. This pacing and building up of dread, the character driven experience of feeling in the moment and in the unease with Eve, and the drop in chapters of little snippets of history about the house and the area... this is solid storytelling.

What really works is that each little thing that feels wrong... in and of itself can be explained... and yet as the reader reading from Eve's anxious knowing something is wrong perspective, each little thing is a another sign that something is very wrong with the house, this family who won't leave...

Really great read, super grateful for the chance to have my nerves jangled, thank you Atria/Emily Bestler books for this early review copy (review is my own!).