NEVER Let Strangers in Your Home!

 

TITLE: We Used to Live Here

AUTHOR: Marcus Kliewer

PUBLISHER: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

PUBLISHING DATE: June 18, 2024

PAGES: 320   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in. 

As soon as the strangers enter their home, uncanny and inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?

MY THOUGHTS: I was so excited to read this book and while I don't really regret reading it, I'm not going to lie and just say I'm a bit disappointed. 

Charlie and Eve have been together over eight years and have made careers out of house-flipping.  They purchase an ancient, secluded house and one evening while Charlie is in town (working, shopping, who knows why), Tom and his family come knocking on the door.  Tom claims to have grown up in the home and wants to show it to his family while they are passing through.  Eve is initially hesitant (trust you gut woman!) but she eventually relents. The visit starts out strange and just gets worse.  Just as the family is finally leaving, the little girl decides to play hide and seek in the basement.  Charlie finally arrives home just in time for everyone to get stranded in a snowstorm.

I will say something for this book.  It's been a long time since I felt such dread when reading and so early on.  By chapter two, the feeling was cemented and only got worse.  As the book went on, so did my confusion and I will say if you like open-ended books, this is definitely one for you.  Although I never really liked Eve as a MC, I was invested in what happened to her.  And to be truthful, even after having finished the book, I'd still like to know.  There is also an adorable dog named Shylo which I am pretty sure doesn't die in the book but maybe just disappears.  I remember commented to a friend that this book reminded me of reading House of Leaves, except I never read House of Leaves 😆.  

I can see why this book is getting lots of hype.  And I am very interested in seeing the Netflix adaptation when it releases.  I am sure many people will love all the twists and turns but at the end, I just wanted off the rollercoaster.

MY RATING: 3 Paws