Charlie and Eve recently purchased an old house they intend to repair and flip. One evening, a family knocks on their door, and a man states he used to live in the house many years ago, and asks if he and his family can come inside to take a look around. Eve lets them in, and her life will never be the same. We Used To Live Here is one creepy ride from start to finish. This is a classic haunted house thriller, with some added wrinkles that will have you dizzy and I think that’s fully intended by the author, who keeps you off-balanced and confused throughout this mind-bending story. Keep the lights on! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“It’s like quicksand…the more you fight it, the worse it gets…”

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Marcus Kliewer for the ARC!

Eve and her wife Charlie are house flippers and can’t believe the deal they got on an old home in a beautiful neighborhood. As Eve is working in the house one night, there’s a knock at the door. She finds a man standing there with his family, claiming he grew up in that house and could he come in for just a moment to show his children? At risk Eve is put off, but as people-pleaser, she decides to let them in for a quick visit. But as soon as they enter the home, strange things start happening. Their daughter disappears in the house, there is a strange presence in the basement and the family can’t take the hint to leave. But when Charlie disappears, Eve knows something is terribly wrong. Is something going on with this house and these people or has Charlie completely lost her grip on reality?

I love unreliable narrators and haunted houses so I knew I was going to love this book! I could relate a lot to Eve, having trouble saying “no” to anyone, though I doubt I would let strangers into my home! Even though everyone (including Charlie), seemed pretty relaxed with the strange situation, there was a constant, eerie feeling that something wasn’t right - but what? Told from Eve’s point of view, I felt like I was a fly on the wall watching this spookiness unfold. Interspersed throughout the story were interesting news articles and chat forums about the history of the house itself. All together, the picture they painted was quite terrifying. I can’t believe this is a debut, but I am very much looking forward to whatever this author comes up with next!

”We Used to Live Here” release June 18, 2024.This review will be shared to my instagram log (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

3.5 stars, rounded down

Marcus Kliewer's debut, "We Used to Live Here", is an engrossing mix of paranormal horror and tense thriller that had me completely hooked from the first pages.

The story centers on Charlie and Eve, a house-flipping couple who find themselves in a nightmare when the previous occupants show up unannounced. The drama is further complicated when a storm strands the family at the home, and the tension ramps up with every new strange occurrence. As the activity increases, Eve begins to wonder if these things are actually happening or if she's losing her grip on reality.

The narrative is intense and filled with moments that had me on the edge of my seat, piecing together the clues alongside the protagonists (especially the fun ones hidden inside each "document" chapter). But as I raced toward the ending, expecting some grand revelation that would tie all the pieces together, I hit a wall of disappointment instead. The climax, while dramatic and moderately satisfying, left WAY too many threads hanging, making me echo the frustration of an unsatisfying series finale — think along the lines of "Lost" where major plot elements are left unresolved and unexplained.

The ride was thrilling, the setting eerie, and the plot pulled me in like a riptide. But the unresolved questions and open-ended finale left me feeling a bit let down. I don't see any mention of this becoming a series, but if there's a sequel on the horizon that ties up some of these loose ends, you bet I'll be first in line, hoping for some much-needed closure!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and Marcus Kliewer for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are true and my own.

Craving chills and unsettling mysteries? Look no further. This book will make you feel like you’re imagining things, make you think twice about the people you’ve encountered and know in your own life.

Imagine a secluded life disrupted by a peculiar family. The father, claiming childhood ties to your newly purchased house, begs for a tour. Reluctantly, you say “sure, 15 minutes”. Now queue a sporadic game of hide and seek in your basement followed by a terrible storm that blocks the only way out. Now they’re forced to stay the night, and nothing will be the same after…

Undeniably creepy, I struggled to read this book at night. I found myself reading it on the couch before bed and not touching it again until morning. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, but I desperately wanted to. So I devoured this book in just a few days. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page, literally.

The book cleverly weaves seemingly irrelevant web articles throughout the narrative. While initially frustrating, their significance becomes clear later.

My only reservation lies with the abundance of loose ends, particularly the last few pages. Initial closure felt within reach, a straightforward and simple explanation was offered. However, the last few pages threw everything into question all over again and left me completely shook. Despite the ambiguity, the author’s talent shines through, leaving me eager to devour more of his work.

A chilling tale brimming with intrigue, this book is a must-read for those seeking a suspense-packed thriller!

You live in the middle of nowhere and a strange family comes knocking at your door in the middle of a winter storm, you open the door, you let them in and nothing will ever be the same, ever again!

Oh the creepy vibes! I was on the edge of my seat, heart pounding the whole time I was reading this.

I had no idea what was going on and I could not, for the life of me, put this book down cause when I tried, it was there, in the back of my mind, begging me to pick it up. I needed to know what was going on and the more I read, the more confused I got, in a good way, no, in the best way possible. The suspense kept me coming back for more and it just kept on building up till the very last word.

What the heck was going on?! I still don’t know and I love it!

I will read every book this author will ever write because ugh, this was nothing short of a masterpiece, 5 shining and well-deserved stars🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I have a rule that I write my book review immediately after I finish. It might just be a rough draft, but I’ve been sticking to that rule for over a year. Until I finished this book. It’s been three days, and I keep thinking about what I want to say. The only thing I keep coming up with, is, if you enjoy this genre, read this book. But I know that that’s not quite enough, so I’ll try and do a little better.
Eve is the main character. She and her partner, Charlie have purchased an old house that they are trying to decide whether to fix it up or tear it down and start over. Eve is home alone when a family knocks on the door. The father, Thomas, says he grew up here and would like to show his family around. Eve's initial reaction is to say no, but something makes her reconsider, and she lets them in. You know how they say you should always go with your gut feelings, well, Eve definitely should’ve said no.
I cannot possibly describe all the strange things that occurred without wading deep into spoiler territory. Let’s just say that I must’ve changed my mind 50 times between covering my eyes and taking deep breaths before I continued with this book. I’m still not sure what was reality, and I doubt I ever will know,unless I get the chance to ask the author directly, and he spills the dirt. It’s creepy throughout and made me constantly question what was reality and what was an illusion. I’ll be thinking about and talking about this book for quite a while.
Did I read that this was a debut? I’ll be looking to get my hands on anything else the author decides to write.

Oh my goodness this book thoroughly creeped me out! I read before bed and to say I was on EDGE when I attempted to go to sleep afterwards 🤣🤣

I was trying to listen for noises in my apartment over the sound of my husband snoring and the dishwasher being ALL too loud making me even more of a nervous nelly because I couldn’t hear the monsters coming..

And then JUST after I managed to drift off to sleep my cat decided to have a battle to the death with a mouse and as a result crashed and banged around in our hallway closet and the way I almost FELL OUT OF BED in fright… so to say I had bare minimum, disturbed and spooked sleep last night is saying the least 🤣🤣🤣

So thank you Marcus Kliewer for your thought provoking writing seeping into my subconscious and giving me the creeps! If you are looking for a creepy book.. this is the one for you!!

The plot follows a couple of delightful women who just bought and moved into an old house with the intention of renovating and flipping it or bulldozing and rebuilding.

When a knock on the door brings the arrival of an odd family who claim the father grew up there and was hoping to show his family around everything starts to go from bad to worse.

“Once they get in they’ll never leave”

“The people in the house don’t look like they’re supposed to”

And many more horrifying quotes to be found in this mysterious suspenseful spookfest of a book.

Is it the house that’s the problem? Is it a living breathing demonic being? Or is there something inside the house? …. Or are the people you welcome into the home the problem?

From unnerving neighbours to abandoned cabins, this book has it all!

5000 stars, 10/10, an absolute must read!

Thank you to the author for going out of his way to ensure I received an EARC, thank you also to Atria books and NetGalley 🩵

Publish date: June 18th

If the amount of head shaking and rewind-reading is any indicator, this book is a complex puzzle that I didn’t quite work out. It was fun to decipher the hidden clues and try to keep up with changing details, but I still feel like I missed something along the way. Suddenly it was over and I actually gasped when I turned the last page only to realize it was the end. It was definitely creepy though.

Truly an unputdownable spooky story. This had me racing through to the end!
I loved the additions of the various articles throughout to add context and lore to what was happening. I can’t wait to see this as a movie!

House flippers Eve Palmer and Charlie Bastion just got a great deal in an old house out in the back of beyond. While Eve is home alone, working on the house a family of five stops by, the father says he used to live in the home and he asks if he can show his family around. Eve is hesitant but agrees. Then things start to get weird. The family’s youngest child hides away and a possible ghost is seen in the basement. And the family just won’t leave: Then Charlie is missing. Eve fears she is losing her mind. Is she, or is it something about this family, or this house?

Nice sense of menace throughout this whole story, very high tension. I kept thinking throughout the first part that this could happen to me, as I’m the same sort of people pleaser that Eve is. As things got odder I liked the story less, but overall still a nice little weird tale.

This was an intriguing story, unique. It teetered on quirky and spooky, slowly slipping further and further into spooky. I had some issues with this though. While I realize thus was an early prerelease copy, it was riddled with errors from proofreading to formatting and they continually yanked me out of the story which told me this was given to early readers prematurely. And although I had fun reading this it had no closure, no point.

This is a psychological thriller that just didn't work for me. Lots of twists and turns that all lead to nothing. Maybe it was written to be a movie or series rather than just a novel. I almost stopped reading several times, but hoped it would get better and there would be a big reveal....sorry, it just didn't deliver.

I wasn't prepared for We Used to Live Here. Marcus Kliewer's book genuinely made me feel like I was reading an actual nightmare, but in a good way. I LOVE surreal horror.

This book WILL be made into a movie. I'm calling it now, but in the meantime-- it will released in June. If you love a great thriller/horror, this book is a must read and you will be left wondering what the hell you just read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of "We Used to Live Here" in exchange for my honest and unbiased review

We Used to Live Here is a new twist on the classic 'this was my childhood home, mind if I take a look around?' tale. (If you haven't seen the Chicken Lady returns to her childhood home sketch on Kids in the Hall, please do.)

Eve and her partner Charlie recently purchased an old fixer upper with plans to fully renovate the home. One day, a man claiming to have lived in the home as a child stops by with his family during a cross-country move, wanting to show them where he grew up. Eve is rightfully reluctant, but ultimately lets them in. Enter the point of no return.

Full of twists and turns and plenty of tension, this was overall a good story with great potential. The writing was good at setting up moments and getting my heart racing. I appreciated seeing more queer characters in horror and will definitely watch the adaptation.

It did leave a lot to be desired, with my biggest question why? There was no explanation, no loose ends tied up, no closure. It just ended. Which is fine but I felt with so much buildup and what I thought were little clues planted here and there that there would be some kind of big reveal from someone about what was happening. I did enjoy the very end with Eve and Thomas - I love a little moment like that in any horror or thriller.

Thank you Atria Books for an advanced copy and the opportunity to provide feedback.

I was really excited for this book but it fell short for me. I felt like there was a lot of back and forth and it was hard to keep track of

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for my gifted copy!

Do you want to question your own sanity? Do you want to read something so gripping, that you'll be flying through the pages eager to find out what will happen next? READ THIS.
It takes a lot for a book to freak me out, and this one was so creepy and unsettling. I just couldn't get enough!
Eve reminded me a lot of myself. I'm a people pleaser to a fault, even with blinding red flags in front of me. So although it may seem ridiculous that she let these strangers into her home, it's probably something stupid I'd do, which makes this story seem so much more unnerving.

This would make a perfect horror film - and I'm hearing there will be a Netflix adaptation starring Blake Lively! 🤞 There wasn't extreme gore (I don't like graphic horror), but this was so well written!

This young woman Eve is living with her partner Charlie in an old Victorian house on a remote place. They just bought it and want to fix it up so they can sell it again when it’s finished. Eve is home alone when someone’s ringing the doorbell. A family of five, a father, a mother and three children are on the doorstep. They were passing through the area heading East. The father tells Eve he grew up in this house and wants to give his family a small tour around the house if it’s possible. Eve is not a fan of strangers and suspicious by nature, but decides to let them in after all. But once they’re in, things are starting to feel oddly off pretty soon..

Holy crap, this book gave me the most unsettling feelings I’ve ever experienced. I was sucked into the plot immediately and it kept me guessing untill the very end. Although the Faust family looks pretty normal in the beginning, strange things start to happen in the house you can’t put your finger on. It makes you question your sanity and gives you the heebie jeebies. It made me read untill very late last night so I could finish it. I loved the haunted vibe of it and the some sort of open ending. It leaves you questioning what you’ve actually read and what it could mean after all. I also appreciate the absence of excessive gore which is not necessary to write a masterfully horror as this author proves by We used to live here.

Thank you so much @MarcusKlieuwer @NetGalley and @Atriabooks for my advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Eve and her partner Charlie flip houses and their latest project is an old house in rural Oregon. One day, a family shows up wanting a tour of the house, which is understandable since the father had grown up there. Eve doesn’t want to let them in but she is a people pleaser and struggles with anxious thoughts, never quite sure of what she should or shouldn’t do. She decides to let them in.

You don’t need to know any more going in. This is a fast-paced, extremely well-written, mind-blowing, absolutely creepy story.

There are many horror tropes that I love and homages to other novels/films but to mention them would give too much away.

This book scared the living daylights out of me. Absolutely five stars if you are a horror fan. I can’t believe this is a debut! I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting. One of the best novels I’ve read in years. I cannot wait to read more by this author!

This took a little bit to get going, but once it did, it was consistently creepy throughout, especially towards the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.