This took a while to get my attention, but even from the beginning, I knew this would be a novel that I completed. I'm very glad I persevered as the narrative which, to begin with, is a little confusing eventually winds its way towards an ending that makes sense, but that I didn't see coming. The novel switches perspective throughout and this allows the reader to see the same characters from multiple points of view (including their own) and anyone who lives in an apartment building will know some of these characters! This isn't a beach read, but it's a good book for the weekend,

I received an advance review copy free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A wonderful novel of infrastructural insurrection, for lack of a better term. And when I say wonderful, I mean that the novel is a rather rare critique of the interrelationship between domesticity constructed according to a cisheteronormative image and the exploitation of the more-than-human mediated by a residential building and all that it presupposes. I loved how Shine pays particular attention to interior design and how it constitutes the everyday interiorities within which people live their little consumerist (and racist) lives. Up to a breaking point, that is. I was afraid that the novel would turn into a slap-stick comedy with all the disappearing objects and the ensuing confusion, but fortunately I was very wrong. The ending could have been better.

2 ⭐️. what an interesting premise. what a poor execution. this book was about 150 pages too long....and nothing happened.

thank you to The Lilliput Press and NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to be in love with this book but unfortunately it never happened. The blurb is absolutely right up my alley and I’m not sure why I didn’t connect with it, but it just fell a little flat for me. That being said I can see others loving this.

A singular work of literature- this book left me breathless. I am not quite aware of what actually happened, but the writing drew me in and I was taken by the incredible characters. Nothing like I’ve read before.

I found the plot of Habitat to be interesting, it follows different families and households living in an apartment complex, but I couldn't get into it personally. I definitely think I could like it but I would need to be in the mood for it. The synopsis hooked me and sounded really compelling but I got significantly into the story and nothing really happened, I didn't feel something really building either. I gave it a few tries but just wasn't satisfied whenever I picked it up. Unfortunately I couldn't get into it and didn't finish it. I might try to revisit again in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Independent Publishers Group | The Lilliput Press for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

~1.5~

I'll make this as short as possible. I had really high expectations for this book because the synopsis completely captivated me to read this. Clearly, from my rating, it did not meet said expectations. I do apologise for the delay.

I kept waiting and waiting for something grand to happen, some revelation, some explanation, SOMETHING. And yet I feel like the story just moved on and on and on and on...until the book ended. Sure, the ending was a little bit crazy, but was it really? I mean, it just felt imminent and not that big of a shock.

The writing was also not one of my favourite things because it made the reading experience so much slower for me. The long chapters were also not helpful at all. Though the little moments of writing in between parts were interesting, though I'm not sure what they were there for.

I feel like I missed something crucial, anything that would have made this better. I just have too many questions and a lot of dissatisfaction.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group | The Lilliput Press that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on November 5th, 2024)

A bit of "weird fiction" that's also so, so deeply touching and moving - took me longer than I'd have liked to read it, and I wish I'd picked it up sooner.

DNF - I tried reading it and picking it up again, but i think the resonance of characters was a bit hard for me to grasp.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Habitat follows seven people in an apartment building in Oslo who experience a series of strange events.

I'm always a fan of a weird little book, and Habitat was definitely a weird little book! I think it's weird enough that it won't be for everyone, but if you're the kind of reader who's in for a weird time, Habitat is definitely worth picking up. The story does move rapidly, and with a cast of seven characters, I did find it a bit confusing at first to keep everyone straight. However, by the end, I felt like I really had a grasp on what was happening, and the whirlwind journey of the characters left me feeling mesmerized. I think Shine has a lot of good thins to say this book, especially as the story relates to the building itself as an environment impacted both by and alongside our main characters. I don't really know what else to say except that this book, despite its difficult pace and occasionally haphazard storytelling, is one of the most compelling books I've read this year, and I will definitely be thinking about it for a long time.

I was very excited for this book but unfortunately as I read on I felt more and more distant from the book and the characters,

We follow seven residents as weird things start happening in their mid-century apartment complex set in Oslo. All of them, so absorbed in their own catastrophes, fail to acknowledge that this must be a collective scenario happening to all of their neighbours. The storyline of Habitat is unique and brilliant, different from anything else I have ever read. However, I think the execution of it was unfortunately confusing and repetitive.

The aspect of opening chapters by including the thoughts, POV of the building (?) felt confusing and I did not really care for those parts. But I did enjoy the characters and and how each of them had distinct personalities that made them memorable and easy to differentiate (Linda has my heart!). The story dragged a bit as more and more hazards happened - a ceiling happened to no longer be a ceiling, furniture moved from one apartment to another, animal feces, dirt covered entire apartment floors, branches forced themselves into apartments, etc. At some point, I was no longer interested to know what was happening as it became too repetitive.

All in all, I have heard some people say they adored this book, so I definitely recommend others to read it, you might have a better experience with it than I did!

I wanted to love this book so much. The concept attracted me at first because it was interesting and new, but unfortunately the execution wasn't very accessible for me and I had to stop reading about a third of the way in. This was mainly due to the lack of delimitation and punctuation between narration and conversations, which made it very difficult to read. This read like a stream of consciousness which for me didn't click very well with the large numbers of characters and story threads I needed to keep track of.

I'm sure some people may enjoy this book though, because the premise and weird occurrences definitely got my attention. In a different format I would have loved an odd story like this.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

I recently finished Habitat by Catriona Shine, and it was such an intriguing read. The first half of the book especially hooked me in with all the strange, almost otherworldly things happening inside that mysterious building. It read like a puzzle waiting to be solved, and I felt so immersed in it, as if I were one of the residents trying to piece everything together. Shine’s use of magical realism kept me on edge, never quite knowing what to expect, which made the whole experience even more fascinating.

What I really loved about Habitat was the way it brought together such a variety of characters, each with their own background and story. I’m a sucker for books with multiple perspectives and people from different walks of life coming together, and this hit the mark perfectly for me. The way their lives intertwined within the context of this unusual setting was captivating.

While the latter half of the book didn’t grab me quite as much, I still found the journey worthwhile, and I think fans of mystery with a dash of magical realism will really enjoy it. It’s a solid 4-star read for me—definitely one to check out if you’re into stories that are as weird as they are wonderful. 🌿

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I found it very hard to engage with the characters and what was happening around them. I picked it back up a few times but still struggled to continue. DNF

I’m settling on a 2.5 stars rating for now, but I admit I may ponder and reconsider. This feels like a book meant to be pondered and reconsidered. I just liked the idea of this book so much more than the execution. But what a concept!

A strange and somewhat creepy story. There are multi POVs that are a little confusing in the beginning, but then they all tie back together with the deterioration of the apartment building.

I did quite like the bits of poetry at the beginning of certain sections. They added needed context, although I think they maybe could have been placed a bit more strategically in the storyline.

And just to explain the creepy comment, that is 100% on me. The characters were actually pretty lackadaisical about what was happening around them. I probably identified most with Raj/Krishna/Pradeep, but never would have lasted as long as they did.

This one really wavered at the 5⭐ mark for me, right up until the end...which was beyond unsatisfactory! I immediately had to check other reviews to see if maybe I got a truncated version of the ARC. I did not. Minus 1⭐.

And I have to wonder if certain characters had a specific role in that ending to highlight the general complacency towards sustainability and environmentalism. If so, that was clever. If not, that was cruel.

A lot of reviewers also blasted the lack of quotation marks. I didn't mind so much, just a few passages that weren't directly clear who was speaking. But I think that was also a factor of the eARC formatting and will hopefully look better in the final release.

In any case, I think this is a perfect read for spooky season, for those who don't really care about spooky season.

DNF - I was interested in this book due to the synopsis & was very hopeful that it would be a hit but, unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.

7 people, 7 days - Habitat narrates the weird ongoings in an apartment complex in Oslo. The blurb and the premise were right up my alley, weird and unnatural? GIMME!

I actually enjoyed this book in the sense that it reads like a dream. As worried as I am about the environment, this dissociated line of events might as well happen to me in a dream. I loved the multiple (DIVERSE) POVs expertly used to drive the story forward. I appreciate when an author is able to maintain that balance rather than just repeating the events in different voices. I also enjoyed the building as a character in itself. Shine's architectural expertise shines through (haha, get it?), with a pertinent message underlying the bizarre happenings. The book drives home the point without being preachy and that's how I like my morals delivered to me, thank you very much.

What fell short for me though was sheer disconnect I felt from the story due to a lack of punctuation. There are absolutely ZERO quotation marks which made it so difficult to figure out who's talking, especially since there are 7 people to keep track of. Further, even though the pacing is fine, some narrative choices really put me off which distracted me from the book I had to make a genuine attempt to force myself back into it, rather than it being a seamless experience. Plus the ending, left a lot to be desired!

Ideally, this one should've been a 5 star read for me easily, but owing to minor issues, it's a 3 star read. Nevertheless, I had fun!

Publishing date: 17.09.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and The Lilliput Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: My meal disappeared??
The book left me: Deeply disturbed, unable to sleep

Negatives:
Hard to keep track of who is who
Needs some quotation marks for the dialogue (has none!)
Feels very samey even if the story is progressing
Unsatisfying ending

Positives:
Have never read or watched this concept before, really refreshing
Tense all the time
Situation gets worse and worse (endearing comment)

Features:
A deeply unsettling mystery that affects everyone in the story very differently, Norway setting, blaming everyone and no-one at all, no quotation marks for dialogue, a hidden "horror" tag

Why did I choose this one?
Honestly ... I saw that it was set in Oslo and thought I should read it because of that

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
In-between. I had both a hard time getting into it, and a hard time putting it down. It was fluctuating between both throughout my reading experience. Mostly due to the fact that it took a while for something "new" to happen, and when something "new" happened I was entranced.
I think the slow pacing might be tough for some readers.

What was the vibe and mood?
It was eerie. I felt unsafe at my own location. I felt like no one would believe me if something strange happened. I had sympathy for all the characters, but wondered if I would believe them myself. I wondered what I would do if I were in their shoes.
Very creepy, very tense. Have you felt like a house is haunted even if the house is modern? That is this book in essence.

Final ranking and star rating?
A tier, 4 stars. I enjoyed this a lot. The premise was great, the writing was good (but I wish you used quotation marks in dialogue). A bit up and down with wanting to read or not.
I have to retract a star because of the ending however. Let us just say that there are some loose ends that need attending to ... or at least a hint at the planned attendance.

I would recommend this to people who are tired of classic haunted house stories, and people who like when stuff hits the fan and blows back in everyone's faces.