Well, that was a scary book.

I had heard so many people talk about this book being really really good but I wasn’t exactly sure what it was about. So this was another one where I went in fairly blind. And from the little bit I thought I knew I didn’t really know.

And also, this is the kind of book that makes you want to read it twice. Back to back. Because I’m not absolutely sure exactly what happened at the end. I think I know but this would be a great book to discuss with other readers. Perfect book club book.

This book is horror but it’s not body horror. It’s not gory at all. It’s just super super creepy.

It built up excitement chapter by chapter.Until the end. It felt like the author had to finish it quick and took the easiest ending. So many unanswered questions about characters. It's been a while since I read a book and felt pissed off at the end

We Used to Live Here, was a wild ride. Charlie and Eve a young queer couple, flops homes. It’s their thing and they are good at it. They snag, what they think is the next best flip and boy are they in for it. It’s an old house in the perfect neighborhood and a knock in the door one day, will change their lives. A man knocks on the door and says his family used to live there, could he come in and show his family the hime. Once the strangers are in the home, they don’t seem to want to leave. Their youngest child goes missing, there seems to be a presence in the basement and the ladies are starting to lose their patience. Why won’t these people leave? How do they get them to leave? Then Charlie vanishes and Eve is beside herself. She has no idea what to do? Is she losing her mind? Is this real? How the heck is she in this spot? This was a a true thriller/mystery. There were twists and turns and guesses at every corner. At times, I did get a little confused but the story had me and I had to finish it. I want to thank Netgalley, Marcus Kliewer & Atria Books for my copy for an honest review. It was all the things I love in a Mystery/Thriller and what more can you ask for?

DNFed - I chose to DNF this book in the past. I am typing as a review so it doesn’t harm my %. I haven’t chose to pick the title back up.

I really don’t know whether to give this five stars for being so unbelievably creepy that I really regretted reading it at night, or a single, solitary star for the plethora of unfinished storylines and absolute ridiculousness of so much of the book. So three stars it is.

I hated Thomas and his family. I hated his children almost as much as I hated him and his terrible wife. CHILDREN! I hated the weird in-between chapters with the “background” material until almost the very end of the book. I wished Eve would stand up for herself…until she did and then I hated that she did.

I loved the setting. Old remotely-located house in what sounds like the Cascades? I’m here for it. Snowstorm? I’m also here for it. Creepy cabin in the woods as the closest neighbor? Again, all in.

I’m not sure why all of Bookstagram was raving about this one, but I imagine as polarizing as it was for me, many people are on the opposite side of that polarization.

Finished in ONE day. When’s the last time that happened?!

Thanks to trying to read as many of the books nominated for this year’s Goodreads awards as well as a recommendation from my friend Emily, I finally decided to try <i>We Used to Live Here</i>—a book that was on my radar when it released, but was never top priority.

Well, I’m glad I tried it!

I must admit, I almost DNF’d. For the first 20% or so I felt the prose was clunky and a bit try-hard, the characters paper-thin, the scenario a bit silly and unbelievable. I’ve noticed a few DNF reviews that mention these same problems. But I pushed through, and the story quickly improved. This one does what I love best in good horror: pulls off a total mind-twist (or two, or three!) while injecting me with anxiety. It’s rare a book has me so engrossed, especially lately .. and it’s rare for a book to truly scare me in such a way. I’m almost at a loss for words! Will I vote for this in Best Horror for the GR awards? Well, I still have a few titles to read…

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
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A couple who has recently bought an old house to renovate get a knock on the door one stormy evening. It’s a man who says he used to live there and would love to come in and show his family around. After letting the family in strange things start happening.
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This book really sucked me. It was eerie, it was creepy, it was ominous, and I just wanted this family to GET OUT. Things got crazy and wild and I was doing good following the plot.

However. I was not a fan of the ending. No more comments.
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3⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really good, but that ending was not cool. I have heard this is being made into a movie and I will probably want to watch it to see if they fix that ending.

This book is the exact reason why I never open the door for strangers, and definitely do not let them in! You never know what insanity will come from it all. The characters were riveting and the plot flowed so well, I was creeped out for days!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

4.5/5

This very unsettling novel centers around main character Eve, and her partner, Charlie. The two have just bought an old house in a remote area. One day, a family unexpectedly stops in, and asks for a tour of the house since the father, Thomas, used to live there. The book quickly snowballs from there.

I thought this book was definitely creepy. I liked in the interview snippets and reports that were in between the chapters. I also thought the Morse code clue was really interesting. I ended up Googling what the clue was, because I got impatient about halfway through, and had to know what it was.

We Used to Live Here” by Marcus Kliewer was a gripping psychological thriller that explores the haunting remnants of a past and what is reality. The book delves into themes of memory, trauma, and the dark secrets that lurk beneath the surface of a seemingly idyllic life. With a narrative that builds suspense through an eerie atmosphere and clever twists, Kliewer crafts a story that keeps readers on edge until the very and somewhat confusing end. The plot follows a young couple buying an old Victorian house to renovate when one evening a family comes knocking and the patriarch of said family says he grew up in the house. Which off sets the entire story, Kliewer masterfully blurs the line between reality and hallucination, creating a sense of disorientation that mirrors the protagonist’s gradual descent into paranoia. As they dig deeper into the house’s history, secrets emerge, unraveling the couple’s perception of each other and themselves. The writing style is taut and atmospheric, building tension through detailed descriptions and a slow-burn approach that adds to the sense of unease. The protagonist, who is portrayed with a mix of vulnerability and resilience is well developed. The author effectively captures the complexities of navigating a relationship strained by external forces, as well as the fear that arise along the way.
This book had me talking aloud to myself and I was definitely making some noises when some of the scary stuff goes down. What a chilling and spooky read just in time for halloween. Well I did enjoy reading it, there are some areas that I felt didn’t add to the story overall, and there’s a few areas I wish had more time spent on them as It left some unanswered questions.

I was confused after reading this book. I can’t wrap my head around what actually happened and how many loose ends this book had that were not brought to closure. This book was very captivating but I feel like it was very hard to follow, jumped all over the place and then just ended. I thought my e copy was missing chapters with the way it just stopped. Overall if you love creepy or scary books, you will enjoy this read.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I really enjoyed this book! It sucked me in from the beginning. I was suspicious of all the members of the family that showed up at the door. I wouldn’t have answered to them! Eve was too nice. I didn’t expect for it to take a supernatural turn, and didn’t like that part but it was still enjoyable. The ending made me so sad for Eve, and I need a book 2!

Ooo this one was really Spooky! I've seen this title in my bibliophile groups and decided hop aboard the FOMO train. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I found the author's writing to be Engaging and the setting Exciting. Haunted houses certainly aren't a new trope in the horror/thriller genre, but the author did a nice job of putting his own twist on it.

Read if you like:
Mixed realities
An unreliable narrator
Haunted house setting
Steady-pacing
Light horror

P.S. Shylo the dog does NOT die!

I am not much of a horror reader but I heard the hype on this book and had to check it out. This absolutely lives up to the hype. Scary, mind bending and unputdownable. The little codes and puzzles are an added bonus. Definitely a top read of the year

The creep factor is high from chapter one, which I applaud. But coming off the final pages... damn, what the eff did I just read?!

It's a very creative piece of psychological horror drawing on many elements without leaning too far into any one of them. We're talking haunted house, Mandela effect, gaslighting, and just plain ol' fashioned dread.

The main character's anxiety and paranoia ramp up continuously throughout the book. Genuine mental disorders play a large role, but I'm a little lost as to what (if anything) the author has to say about them.

I appreciate that the disjointed interstitial "evidence documents" do ultimately come together and I can see the value in leaving readers disturbed and unsatisfied. Still, I would have liked an ending that offered a more objective truth explaining everything.

3.5 stars, rounded up

This one wasn’t really my style, but I can see it being a favorite for lots of people. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, but in the best way possible. Basically, it was a mind f***. It’s the perfect book to read this spooky season. I was creeped out most of the time!

We Used to Live Here
Pub date: 6/18/2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
OMG!! What did I just read??? This was an absolutely horrifying psychological thriller! I don’t really read much “horror”, and this may not be super intense horror, but wow was I terrified!! This book is absolutely creepy and gave me chills. I read this while my husband and I were camping. He ran to pick up our food while I was reading this in the dark around a campfire and was totally freaked out!!! I haven’t read many books that scare me, but this one definitely did! I highly recommend this spooky book!!!

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

We Used to Live Here was one of my favorite books of the year, and it's the perfect read for spooky season. It had elements of haunted houses, bodysnatching, doppelgängers, alternate realities, and more that all melded together into one fun, frightening story.

I thought the author did a great job developing a complex main character and showing how her anxiety and mental health struggles could cause her to doubt even her own instincts. The entire book was tense and confusing, and even as a reader, we never knew which characters were reliable, who was being paranoid, who couldn't be trusted, who was being gaslit, etc., which made it feel like we were going through the experience with the character.

The story was slightly paranormal, just toeing the line of reality and conspiracy, which made it almost believable and all the more scary. Not every question was answered, and it left me wanting more – but in the best way.

I don’t believe 100% that the blurb is correct when it says that there’s going to be a Blake Lively movie about this, because why would they do that before the book even came out? However, I have thought about this book quite a lot since I’ve read it. I am trying to convince myself that being 4star into a novel is just as good as Blake Lively’s hair but I’m not even selling it to myself. Thank you for the ARC and the space to speak about books from dark roots to platinum tips,