Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author S.J. King for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

It’s rare that a book ropes me in the way Where You Belong did. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the brilliant psychological thriller that I got. On the surface, it looks like just another smart woman making stupid choices, when in reality, it’s so much more. Part Stepford Wives and part dystopian thriller, I couldn’t wait to finish it.

Julia is a typical career woman in Boston. She’s overly preoccupied with her job, while her husband, who was laid off from his job, minds their two sons, Ollie and Milo. When he gets an offer that seems too good to be true, he jumps at it without consulting her. It means uprooting their lives and moving halfway across the world, but Julia goes along with it, believing it’s her turn to support her husband in his career. It feels like a fresh start for the two of them.

James goes on ahead of her while she wraps things up back home. Six weeks later, she’s traveling with their two sons to some third-world Asian country. The airport she finally lands at is a small one, and all around are guards with automatic rifles. James is there to meet her with a driver. Back in Boston, Julia didn’t drive, but she’s willing to learn. James states that there’s paperwork to be done in that regard, and meanwhile, they have the driver.

They enter a secluded compound where they are scanned in by more guards with guns. James brings her to an opulent house that is their new home. It’s very overwhelming to Julia. She also has a housekeeper. Katharine, a neighbor across the street, welcomes her. All of the people in the compound wear wristbands that sound something like Disney’s “Magic Band,” but it’s also so much more. They keep in touch by phone, and it seems to be sensing what Julia is thinking as the app on the phone sends Julia messages.

There are plenty of signs that something is off, but Julia talks herself out of pursuing them. What could she do anyway? She’s in a foreign country with her husband and two children, and no way to get out of the compound. At times, it’s almost like living in a video game where there are “gratitude points” neighbors collect from each other and levels they have to achieve for different areas of the compound to be available to them. It’s a paternal society where the men all work and the women stay home. With the boys at school and a housekeeper, Julia feels like there’s not much for her to do. What it leads to is her asking questions that no one else seems to be asking.

Where You Belong is a terrific thriller that kept me guessing. At times, I wondered if it was all in Julia’s head. It seemed like she was having a breakdown, and I wondered if her imagination was manifesting this or if she was lying in a coma somewhere. The reveal was slow, but it also grabbed me rather quickly. There were twists and turns I did not see coming.

Were there times Julia exasperated me? Sure. I’ve read books where I want to scream at the lead character as she’s overlooking the obvious and being stupid. Here, though, things are definitely “off,” but it’s hard to figure out exactly what’s going on. That kept me hooked.

I highly recommend Where You Belong. It’s a great thriller that you won’t want to put down. I don’t know if I would put it in the summer reading category, simply because I couldn’t wait to finish it and resented interruptions to my reading it.

Oh, and smash the patriarchy!

Wow….a great read I couldn’t put down! A mix of the firm and stepford wives…..a family move into a new house in a gated community and it all seems a bit strange……highly recommend !

A family moves to a planned community on a far away continent looking for a fresh start. When they arrive, things aren't what they seem. All aspects of your life are monitored down to your moods and emotions. The neighbors are creepy and guards at the gate keep you inside. The main character, Julia, will risk everything to escape the nightmare. This book would make a fantastic movie or TV series

What a great read! It was full of suspense & intrigue. I had a hard time putting it down. Definitely recommend reading!!!

This was a gripping read if a bit of a weird one. When James gets a wonderful new job abroad with housing, schools and childcare included Julia agrees to give it a try. On paper it seems perfect but when she arrives she feels as if she has landed in a giant theme park. The house is beautiful, the neighbours are friendly and she even has a housekeeper but Julia feels as though she is waiting for the bubble to burst. Her husband couldn't be happier but one man's utopia can be someone else's nightmare. And the nightmare has only just begun.
I couldn't put this down. Every time I thought things had got as sinister as possible there was a darker twist on the horizon. Very different but very good.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Sinister, claustrophobic and absolutely gripping!
I couldn’t put this book down! Read in just one weekend I thoroughly enjoyed this terrifying thriller.

A gripping read that kept me hooked from the very first page. A book I found very hard to put down.
Total rating 4.5 stars

I read this in a single day! Couldn't put it down and that ending - WOW! This thriller went in several directions I didn't expect. I really enjoyed the main character in this book, too.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Will definitely review in my upcoming reading wrap-up and future recommendation videos!

Wow, the premise of this book is diabolical. I would hate to move into this type of neighborhood! Sinister happenings, controlled behavior, being trapped. Yikes. Kept my reading until the very last page, for sure.

This was a scary story of a development where families are controlled by a watch and not allowed to leave without permission. They are punished if they deviate from the expected. Very dramatic conclusion.

Julia, her husband James, and their two young sons move away to start a new life in the picture-perfect Haven – a residential community that at first glance seems idyllic. But Julia senses from the start that something is not right. The place is strangely sterile, the residents' behaviour seems forced, and there is some complex set of rules that seem to control the whole place.

The way you collect "gratitude points" to gain progress, the strange bracelet that changes colour based on your mood – these details only add to the tension. As Julia begins to question what's going on around her, the realisation becomes more and more distressing: this community is not only tightly controlled, but is actually a golden cage with no way out. Even when families literally disappear and a body is found in the pool – neighbours continue to behave as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

From the very first chapters, there is a gut-wrenching feeling that something is seriously wrong. This unease is with us all the way through, as Julia gradually loses her grip on reality, unable to decide whether it is her own guilt, perhaps paranoia, or a real threat hanging over her family. And what makes the book particularly powerful: you can never be sure who you can trust.

The story is gripping all the way through, keeping the suspense constant. Just when you think you've seen everything, another twist comes along that pulls you deeper and raises new questions. The chilling atmosphere, typical of the thriller genre, works brilliantly – the book really does feel like you're in a slowly unfolding nightmare.

S.J. King's novel is not only exciting and twisty, but also makes us think: what do we sacrifice for the illusion of safety? And how long do we allow others to control our lives – even if they claim it is 'for us'?

Thank you to Netgalley, it’s publishing house and author for the opportunity to read and give my thoughts.

I will start by saying that I enjoyed the ending a lot, a big twist I didn’t see coming. This book was relatable in the beginning, a wife that is successful at her career but recognizes that it’s her husbands time to shine and have a new opportunity to advance as well even if it means moving and leaving what you’ve grown to know.
At times through out this book I felt it was predictable and slow at times (had “filler” in it) and I wish character development was a little better but I did like this book. It definitely has a sense of things are not what they seem, it has an element of paranoia and self doubt which I found relatable- how many times have we all been left second/triple guessing and wondering if we read too much into it.
overall, check it out. I’m interested in what other books the author has.

I’m not sure about this book. I thought it was a bit predictable and all I wanted to do was rush through it to find out how it ended.
The characters weren’t very interesting and needed their personalities expanding on a bit. It was an ok read.

This is a hard one to rate. At first I wasn’t really into it and it didn’t seem like a psychological thriller like I thought. Then the story grabbed me so forcefully, I could not stop turning pages. I was dying to know what was going on and what Julia would uncover. The beginning of the end is really good and had me captivated but it slowed way down and took a strange turn. The twist is good but I didn’t like how the end was written or how Julia ended up where she did. Overall it was a unique book and worth the read.

A cleverly written book. I have some mixed feelings. I found it a little predictable and my main interest was in how it would finish! I could have believed it more if the characters were better developed. However there were some great ideas in there which could have been developed further and the high tech was very scary. Nevertheless it was a good read.

What a ride this one was!!! I absolutely enjoyed how the way the story unfolded!! It was twisty, it was creepy, it was so good!!! I loved how I did not see it coming at all!!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for my honest opinion!

This was a do not finish for me. It started out strong and then was too drawn out for my liking. The storyline seemed predictable and not as engaging as I originally thought it would be.

Creepy and Compelling

This book had serious Don’t Worry Darling energy—a seemingly perfect, gated community where nothing is quite as it seems. The main character moves in hoping for a fresh start, but quickly senses that something is off… especially after a neighbor is found dead during a party, and rumors swirl about a family that mysteriously vanished from her house.

The story builds slowly but keeps you hooked with all the secrets, tension, and growing paranoia. Some parts felt a little far-fetched, but overall it was a fast, fun read with a chilling atmosphere. Solid 4 stars!

I absolutely adored this book. I devoured it in one sitting, frantically rushing through the pages. And yet, I did not want it to end because it was just SO good. A wonderful read.

creepy, unsettling but I read it in one sitting, ending was underwhelming but I still enjoyed very much