This was a very eerie and creepy read that I highly enjoyed. For someone who has lived in an older home, I know what it's like to have someone knock on your door and say they grew up there and would like to look around. Before reading this book, I would have no issues letting that happen, but know I may give it a few extra thoughts. I heard this is going to be adapted to a movie on Netflix and I surely hope they do this book justice. Thank you NetGalley for this awesome and different read.

This book is simultaneously relaxing and creepy at the same time. The author is very descriptive and I feel like I’m in the house with Eve. But damn it’s creepy! Felt very much like the slow burn of Conjuring or Parasite (as the synopsis says). I love these types of stories. Has some found footage elements which were sometimes interesting and sometimes seemingly pointless. Also reminded me a bit of House of Leaves, if you’re a fan. Overall, great book!

Charlie and Eve have just moved into their newest house project, an older house they are working to flip. A family knocks on the front door, with the father asking to show his family his childhood home. Eve, currently home alone, doesn’t have the heart to tell them no and they promise to be out of her hair in no time. However, the family just keeps lingering as the weather worsens and strange things start happening. Eve starts to lose her grip on reality, what is really happening in this house?!

I loved this book! It was so creepy from the first page; I was hooked but also too scared to read this at night. The pacing was perfect, and I even really enjoyed the odd excerpts between each chapter, they really helped add to the mood of the book and kept you guessing if it was indeed a haunted house or maybe Eve is just losing it. Each new chapter had some new chilling aspect, and I love that even as the book ended, I’m still trying to figure out what really happened. Would be an amazing movie!

I'm blown away. Totally jaw dropping, blown through the wind, shocked to my core.

We follow Eve and her girlfriend, Charlie, a couple who flip houses. While staying in their newest flip while restoring it, a family stops by right before a huge snow storm. The dad, Thomas, says he grew up there and wants to reminisce with his 3 kids and wife. Not so bad right? Wrong.

The youngest, Jenny, disappears and when she returns a benevolent entity starts stalking and warping Eve's perception of reality. Is Eve going crazy or is something sinister and ancient after her?

I was thoroughly freaked out through the whole book. I was turning on lights and having a feeling of being watched 🥲 I loved the story and how it was laid out, alternating between Eve's chapters and forum posts about alternate realities and the like. It really took me back to my creepypasta days 😂

This is one of those books that will stick with me. It was so unique, creepy, and just terrifying to think about.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @atriabooks for the gifted copy!

PSA: Don’t read this before bed 😱
Thank you, Atria Books, for the gifted copy of We Used to Live Here {partner}

Genre: Horror
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 6.18.2024
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

When We Used to Live Here hooked me from the very first page. It had me speed-reading, holding my breath, and jumping at every little sound. It quickly became a book I knew I shouldn’t read before bed, but I also needed to understand what was happening.  And that last chapter? 🤯_

I have been so torn about how to rate We Used to Live Here. On the one hand, it is absolutely the creepiest, most unhinged book I’ve read since The Book of Accidents, but on the other hand, I STILL don’t know what I read because there were so many unanswered questions in the end. On some level, I think that’s how the author wanted us to feel. There’s an uneasiness to uncertainty, and that’s exactly how I felt while reading the book. 

One of my favorite aspects of the story is the extra details we get from emails, transcripts, and other very real phenomena, which give me goosebumps just revisiting them while writing the review.

💨 Fast paced
🫣 Unsettling
📝 Unique structure
😅 So many unanswered questions
🧐 Could there be a sequel?

I recommend reading We Used to Live Here if you have a good chunk of time to read during the day because once you start, you won’t want to put it down.

dripping with dread!!!

Eve and Charlie have just moved in to a new home, still unpacking the boxes, when a family of five comes knocking on the door with a request: the father had grown up in the house and would love to show his family around. Hesitant at first, Eve eventually gives way, steps aside, and allows the family in—what harm could it do? As it turns out… A lot.

This story alternates between a third person narrative and epistolary pieces. It bothered me at times that I couldn’t make sense of the latter—as they only sometimes seemed related to the present story or even coherent—but I greatly enjoyed the narrative timeline and grew to like the epistolary segments the further I got in to the book. I enjoyed the religious undertones, the exploration of madness, and the drab, gray, winter setting. Evenly paced with slow building suspense right from the start, it will have readers anxiously chewing on their nails in anticipation.

And don't let the cover fool you... It is definitely psychological thriller-y but there are elements of horror without a doubt; it's a healthy mix between the two. That said, I think thriller lovers and horror lovers alike will enjoy this one. An incredibly original debut from Kliewer—I really liked the direction this took; I will be looking out for future works.

We Used to Live Here is a mystery horror about a couple in their thirties who start to experience unexplainable things in their newly purchased Victorian home in the northwest United States. Eve is alone one night, waiting for her partner, Charlie, when she hears a knock on the door. The visitors are a family, and the father says he grew up in their house and asks if his family can have a look around. Though uncomfortable, Eve lets them in. Odd things start happening once they're in the house. Charlie comes home to find the family and offers them dinner. Due to a bad storm and closed roads, the family stays the night.

The story is told from Eve's perspective and we're not sure what's happening. Is she experiencing a psychotic break, dark supernatural forces, or hallucinating? Until the end, we don't really know. Even with some things revealed, I have so many questions and want to talk to someone about this book! The horror did get a little gross at points, but it was more psychological. Interspersed are excerpts from newspaper articles, web forums, and other documents. We're not sure until the end where these have come from. In this way, it reminded me of Night Film or The House of Leaves. Overall, a super quick and creepy read that will keep you up at night!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

If you are looking for a high concept, trippy psychological horror then you must read We Used to Live Here. The novel grabbed me from the first chapter and left me feeling unsettled and tense. I loved the idea of the maps and changing rooms plus the supernatural aspect. The eerie, haunted house setting and the sense of impending doom was 5 out of 5 for me. However I did take a star away because I felt the ending was too ambiguous and there needed more plot development and answers. I am excited to see the future adaptation of this story and how it translates to cinema.

My rating 4 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC that will be published June 18 2024.

This will without a doubt be one of the top horror books of 2024!

Eve and Charlie move into an old dilapidated mansion with the goal of renovating and selling. One evening while Charlie is at work, Eve answers a knock at the door to find a family requesting to view the house; it was the husband’s childhood home and, since the family was passing by, he thought they could take a quick look for memory’s sake. Eve, ever the people-pleaser, hesitantly invites them in.

This begins a wild, curious, and creepy story! I read it completely within 24 hours because I had to know what was going on. It’s refreshing to find new horror, not the same old haunted house tale we have read a hundred times. The documents that are included in the book add to the tension dripping off of every page because you know something horrible has happened. I can’t recommend this book enough and look forward to more from the author.

Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

We Used To Live Here is a wonderfully suspenseful and atmospheric horror/thriller that kept me up at night! The house on Heritage Lane is terrifying and Marcus Kliewer vividly brought it to life. Seriously, the basements and attics and nooks and hallways and the creepy events that happened in all of these places are forever seared in my mind. I absolutely loved the vibes, 10/10. It is creepy, horrific, disorienting. Your heart will race!

The book had me hooked early on and I couldn't put it down. But it landed at 3.5 stars for me because I felt a bit dissatisfied in the end. There was SO MUCH I wanted to know, to understand and a lot was left unanswered. I often enjoy ambiguous endings, but in this case I felt shorted. 

If you're a fan of horror stories, haunted houses and the paranormal...this book is for you!

Thank you Atria for a Netgalley!

Well this was creepy AF. Like no joke couldn’t read it at night in the bedroom if my husband wasn’t reading next to me.

This reminded me of the preview for The Strangers, which I’ve never watched. But the line when she asks why they’re doing this and they say “Because you were home”. The book is the same level of freakiness to me.

Love the premise and it took a hot minute for the interludes to really strike home.

My biggest qualm was the fact I have a few unanswered questions that made the plot feel like it had holes.

But overall, this was a great horror book and I cannot wait for the adaptation!

I love a good haunted house story, so how could I pass on this one? The plot follows a queer couple who flips houses for a living. One day a family knocks on their door and asks for a tour claiming that they used to live there. And then...they just never leave.

As a kid I adored horror movies, but I never understood why main characters would try to fight the paranormal presence VS leave the house and never look back. As an adult I get it now, they have something even scarier to be afraid of - the MORTGAGE 😀

When it comes to originality, I would be lying if I said that I have not seen a similar thing done in some movies, but I do have to agree this book has some twists that are unpredictable.

Overall, it is a smash. It is creepy, fast-paced and bingeable. Read this (it comes out on June 18th), have fun, move on! Can’t wait to see Netflix adaptation.

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.

Oh this one had allllllll the creepy vibes!!!! 🙌 From the very first chapter I was on edge, my book peeps!!! 🫣

Was I yelling at the FMC to not do anything stupid?? Yes, yes I was!! 😂 But that didn’t detract from me enjoying every minute of this book!! I did not want to put this down at all!! 👏👏

I highly recommend this one!! I also think this would make a great book club read - lots to discuss with this one!!! ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria, and Marcus Kliewer for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️ I think I preordered this one, but if I didn’t then I’m definitely buying it so I can reread it!!! 🤓

💀💀💀💀💫

We Use To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!
Publish date: 6/18/24

Eve and her partner Charlie buy an antique of house with hopes and dreams of fixing it up and reselling. All of that comes to a halt when a man knocks on their door saying that he used to live here. The man, Thomas, asks for a quick tour of the house that he grew up in, but that quickly turns into a long stay with weird occurrences that don’t normally happen. Is Eve seeing things that aren’t real?

Y’all, this a book that you want to read during the day! It was creepy and unsettling! The supernatural tendencies had you shook! As soon as you open the book, you are on the edge of your seat and biting your nails because you are so anxious. You get a mix of home invasion with haunted house vibes. It almost reminded me of The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. I am still shook but so excited that they are going to make this a series on Netflix.

#weusedtolivehere #marcuskliewer #supernaturaltendencies #arc

what
in the actual
f u c k
😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫
complete fever dream.
This was such a trip of a read and I'm so uncomfortable after finishing it but, ya know.. IN A GOOD WAY. 😁🤣

This was a clever and super creepy read. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser and something you can read in one sitting, look no further. It’ll leave you guessing until the very last word.

I just wanted to start out by saying that I rarely read horror but I LOVED this book! This was definitely creepy, eerie, and unsettling. There was so much tension as well. I was left with a lot of unanswered questions though. Wonder if that was done on purpose.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher, #Atria, for a chance to review this ARC.
Wow. This was the type of psychological horror that stayed in my thoughts when I was reluctantly torn away from the story to go to work. I found myself jumping IN THE DAYTIME at imagined figures behind me. It thoroughly creeped me out! That is rare for me!

The premise gives away very little. Eve and her partner Charlie have just moved into a beautiful historic Victorian home that they were hoping to renovate or flip. It's in a desolate Oregon setting, tucked between the mountains and a forest. On a quiet evening, Eve is waiting for her partner to come home when there is an unexpected knock at her door. I could viscerally feel Eve's uneasiness and gut-filled dread as she ignores every instinct and allows a family inside her new home. They claim the father grew up there, and he just wants to give his wife and kids a short tour. Short it was not, as one of the kids goes missing while playing hide and seek. A severe storm comes and they are stuck together. The uneasiness builds and builds from there.
This is a book that will leave you guessing, and have you wanting to furiously talk to someone else about theories. There is mixed media, real psychological phenomenon, and huge mind-bending shifts to the narrative. The scenes in the creepy basement and attic were heart-poundingly scary. I loved the journey of exploring the unknown.

I would absolutely re-read this to see what new layers I can glean from it. #weusedtolivehere was so dang good! I am thrilled that it is being adapted to the screen.

This BOOK, how is it only a debut?! It was the most creepy, mind boggling yet addicting book I’ve read. I think I’ll be trying to wrap my brain around this book for the foreseeable future!

The author did an amazing job at creating unease, dread and tension from the very start. It had me avoiding my basement & overanalysing every tiny noise in my house.

Really enjoyed the use of mixed media to further add to the creepiness & confusion of the story. Look out for the morse code throughout the book for a cryptic message, too! Definitely recommend this to all my horror/psychological thriller fans.

Well, now I know what it takes to thoroughly creep me out and have me closing a book so I can finish reading it the next day. When it's bright and sunny and there aren't any shadowy corners.

Charlie and Eve buy 3709 Heritage Lane, a fixer upper in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest, with plans to renovate and flip it. One stormy night, a family shows up at their door, wanting to quickly tour the house. It's the childhood home of the father. They're only passing thru the area, and he wants to show his children the house in which he grew up. Eve is a people pleaser, so the situation quickly slips away from her, and she finds herself allowing them inside. What follows is a riveting nightmare of a story that headed in directions I could never have predicted.

The author quickly and efficiently establishes an atmosphere of wrongness and claustrophobia inside the house, and it was effortless for me to place myself in this strange, unbelievable situation alongside Eve. The sense of dread and menace built at a steady pace and had me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what happened next while also afraid to know what the next chapter held. This book had some chilling imagery that I'll be thinking about whenever I head into my dark basement.

We Used To Live Here is everything I love to see in a well-done, creepy house story. Mix mysterious, downright odd characters, a remote, snowy setting, a main character who's flawed but easy to identify with, a sinister atmosphere, and an unforgettable ending, and I'm in Horror Heaven. This book was an absolutely mind-bending, read-with-the-light-on journey, and I had a blast reading it. This author is going on my auto buy list!

Thank you, Atria Books and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.