Home Sick by Rhiannon Grist is an emotionally sharp, quietly devastating novel that captures the ache of longing and disconnection with striking clarity. Grist’s writing is intimate and unflinching, pulling the reader deep into the narrator’s inner world where nostalgia, regret, and desire constantly blur together.

What makes Home Sick so compelling is its honesty. The emotions feel raw and lived-in, never overexplained, and the story trusts the reader to sit with discomfort and contradiction. Grist has a remarkable ability to make small moments feel enormous—glances, memories, half-spoken thoughts all carry weight and resonance.

There’s a tenderness running beneath the ache, a sense of searching for belonging even when “home” feels fractured or out of reach. Thoughtful, resonant, and beautifully written, Home Sick is a powerful read for anyone drawn to introspective fiction that lingers in the heart long after it ends.

This book is… I don’t know what to say. I went into it hopeful for a good book and it just exceeded all expectations. I had a feeling the antagonist of the book would be (***) and I usually do not mess with those books because they often just come across as silly when they’re supposed to be scary, but Rhiannon Grist has a gift. One book and I am already determined that I will read anything she puts out.

The storyline gave me vibes of Adam Nevill’s “Cunning Folk.” Which I completely mean as a compliment, as Nevill is an auto-buy for me. I would even go so far as to say that Rhiannon Grist took the idea and made it even better. She completely pulled the floor out from under me.

The storyline is basic: MC (Tamsin) needs a fresh start. That means, of course, deciding in the middle of the night and on a complete whim to buy a residence out in the country, sight unseen. What the website and realtors failed to mention, though, is it is a duplex. Frankly, I admire Tamsin for following through it when she found out, because I would have thrown a fit and demanded my money back. There’s nothing worse than thinking you’re getting isolation and then—bam. You’ve got a neighbor. (Particularly when that neighbor is beyond strange, keeps you up at night and just makes things super weird in general…)

Before I get into the subject of Tamsin, I just want to say that I really appreciate the supporting cast in this book. Usually when it’s a book that involves someone moving to the countryside, they’re completely isolated and everyone acts like they’re trash. Which isn’t to say that there weren’t people that (at least initially) did not treat Tamsin well, but several grew to like her relatively quickly (and in their own ways, in a cranky man’s case.) There was also the immediate balm of Rowan, whose niceness made me suspicious, but I was glad that he was genuine. (Also, what a cute couple! When I found out, I said, “Delightful!” out loud.)

Now, Tamsin… I have so much to say about Tamsin and yet I reach for words and they’re all inadequate. Prior to reading this book, the character that I related to so much it hurt was the MC of “Rotten Tommy” by David Sodergren. (And don’t get me wrong; Becky is still my baby and always will be.) Tamsin, though… I spent so much of the book feeling like I was reading about myself. From her issues to her thoughts, her suspicions and insecurities… well, I don’t want to reveal too much of Tamsin’s character because that’s a journey in itself and I feel you should experience it on your own, but my god. I felt like Rhiannon Grist had somehow seen into my head, particularly concerning (emotion.) Not going to lie, if I think about it too much, I just want to cry. Thank you so much for letting me know, even in a fictional world, that I am not alone in some of my more private struggles.

I was certain there were only two endings to the book. Either Tamsin won against the enemy or she lost. Once again, Rhiannon Grist threw me for a loop. The way that the story actually ended… it’s probably one of my top five endings of any book ever. It was so beautiful and so accepting and just… I don’t think I’m ever gonna get over it, frankly. I think it’s going to stay with me forever.

(Also, the way that things got chaotic and even the reader couldn’t tell reality from hallucination? Perfect. No notes.)

I want to go on about this book in a lot more detail, but I am minding my spoilers and so I will just say… please, please read this book. I will say that the horror is more subtle and psychological than in your face, but I strongly feel that this is a book that any horror reader would enjoy. It is a book that should be read by everyone at least once. And, yes, I have already preordered my copy. I did it the minute I finished the ARC because I knew I absolutely had to have it in my collection.