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We Used to Live Here
Get Out meets Parasite in this eerily haunting debut and Reddit hit—soon to be a Netflix original movie starring Blake Lively—about two homeowners whose lives are turned upside down when the house’s previous residents unexpectedly visit.
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?
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?
312 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2024
About the author
Marcus Kliewer
1 book607 followersMarcus Kliewer is a writer and stop-motion animator. His debut novel We Used to Live Here began life as a serialized short story on Reddit, where it won the Scariest Story of 2021 award on the NoSleep forum (eighteen million members). Film rights were snapped up by Netflix, and it acquired by Simon & Schuster for publication even before it had been extended into a full-length novel. He lives in Vancouver, Canada.
Follow him on Instagram @marcus_kliewer for exclusive book updates / writing things / stop motion animation & a lot of pet videos.
Follow him on Instagram @marcus_kliewer for exclusive book updates / writing things / stop motion animation & a lot of pet videos.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,355 reviews
March 19, 2024
Once they’re in, they never leave . . .
3 1/2 stars. There is a part of me that wants to give this book five stars for being one of the most terrifying horror stories I've ever read, and another part that wants to remove more stars for the thousand unanswered questions I have. Can we please get a sequel just to explain some shit?
I love a good scare and these days they're hard to come by. I've been reading/watching horror since I picked up the Goosebumps books when I was six, so I find I'm tough to really frighten. But, my god, THIS BOOK. Don't be fooled by that domestic thriller style cover-- this is pure horror.
It scared me in the middle of the day. And at night? I lay awake listening to every bump and creak in my house. It's certainly not conducive to a good night's sleep. That one scene in the attic was portrayed so vividly that I can still see it burned onto my eyelids every time I close my eyes.
The story is about young couple Eve and Charlie who flip houses. They've just bought a dilapidated old house (in the middle of nowhere, next to woods, with an attic AND a basement, because of course) with plans to renovate and sell. Then one night a family turn up at the front door. The father claims he lived in the house when he was a boy and asks if he might be able to look around. Just 15 minutes, then they'll be on their way.
Except, one thing after another keeps happening to extend their visit. And weird things start to happen around the house. Eve starts to see things, question reality. Is it her overactive imagination? Or do the family have no real intention of leaving?
Kliewer plays on many common thoughts that sit very close to reality. You misread something, misplace something, misremember. Nothing actually changed. Your phone didn't move; you just forgot you put it there... right?
The story also incorporates several very real phenomena that I can't think about for too long without feeling deeply unsettled. Sleep paralysis demons. Capgras syndrome (believing someone you know has been replaced by a doppelgänger.) Pareidolia (seeing meaningful things in abstract images - e.g. Rorschach tests.) The Mandela effect.
I think great horror writers do this-- weave their horror with truth, with the mundane, so it feels grounded in reality and therefore believable.
That being said, I cannot ignore the fact that I'm left with so many "What about...?" questions. The fact that I'm rounding up to 4 stars despite this should tell you just how gripping and scary I found the book.
Here are just a few of the questions I have (MAJOR SPOILERS):
It's actually really disappointing that so many loose threads were left hanging because I would genuinely like to rate this higher. I feel some of this could easily be taken care of with another quick edit. Though the book doesn't publish for another three months so perhaps changes will be made between now and then.
July 24, 2024
4.5* This was SO good, it genuinely scared me, but I have SO MANY QUESTIONS. Literally got to the end and said WHERE’S THE REST???
June 25, 2024
I don’t feel like I read the same book as everyone else. Reminded me so much of how I felt reading House of Leaves.
This book had such an intriguing premise and I was really intrigued to see what might be happening. And for the first half, I was captivated and reading quickly. Eve and her partner Charlie flip houses and they have purchased an older property. They have recently moved in and when Charlie is out running an errand, Eve answers a knock at the door. Thomas, his wife, and their three children stand there. Thomas says he used to live in the house as a child and wants to know if he can show his family around as they are on their way to move across the country. Reluctantly, Eve allows them in, and what happens next gets more and more bizarre and frightening.
I don't mind horror fiction, but I want it to at least make a semblance of sense. There are some intriguing documents scattered throughout and I kept waiting for it all to come together. For me, it really didn't. It just kept getting stranger and stranger after the first half, and it never coalesced to make a coherent narrative for me.
This is definitely a creepy book with a very unsettling vibe throughout. I see that it's being made into a movie and I definitely got an American Horror story feel, so hopefully it will translate well to the screen.
This is billed as being like Parasite, and while I loved that move, this book is nothing like it. That movie made sense to me and this book just did not. I wanted my questions answered in a satisfactory way and they weren't. I was left with too many threads and not enough explanations.
Overall, this wasn't a very successful book for me, but it has a high average rating and lots of people loved it, so it may appeal to you, especially if you were a fan of House of Leaves.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
This book had such an intriguing premise and I was really intrigued to see what might be happening. And for the first half, I was captivated and reading quickly. Eve and her partner Charlie flip houses and they have purchased an older property. They have recently moved in and when Charlie is out running an errand, Eve answers a knock at the door. Thomas, his wife, and their three children stand there. Thomas says he used to live in the house as a child and wants to know if he can show his family around as they are on their way to move across the country. Reluctantly, Eve allows them in, and what happens next gets more and more bizarre and frightening.
I don't mind horror fiction, but I want it to at least make a semblance of sense. There are some intriguing documents scattered throughout and I kept waiting for it all to come together. For me, it really didn't. It just kept getting stranger and stranger after the first half, and it never coalesced to make a coherent narrative for me.
This is definitely a creepy book with a very unsettling vibe throughout. I see that it's being made into a movie and I definitely got an American Horror story feel, so hopefully it will translate well to the screen.
This is billed as being like Parasite, and while I loved that move, this book is nothing like it. That movie made sense to me and this book just did not. I wanted my questions answered in a satisfactory way and they weren't. I was left with too many threads and not enough explanations.
Overall, this wasn't a very successful book for me, but it has a high average rating and lots of people loved it, so it may appeal to you, especially if you were a fan of House of Leaves.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
June 21, 2024
WE USED TO LIVE HERE by Marcus Kliewer
..
Well this is now one of the scariest books I’ve read. If this was a movie I would not watch it. 👀
AVOID REVIEWS! People will definitely ruin a really fun element of this book that you will want to discover for yourself.
.
Read this book if you:
-LOVE HAUNTED HOUSES
-Found footage & mixed media
-Short chapters
-Creepy stuff you can’t read at night
-Nightmare fuel
-Queer representation
-Fast pace and high tension throughout
-Reddit/NoSleep turned into novels
-Book hangovers (cuz now I have one)
-House of Leaves (but better)
..
A MUST READ 5⭐️
..
Well this is now one of the scariest books I’ve read. If this was a movie I would not watch it. 👀
AVOID REVIEWS! People will definitely ruin a really fun element of this book that you will want to discover for yourself.
.
Read this book if you:
-LOVE HAUNTED HOUSES
-Found footage & mixed media
-Short chapters
-Creepy stuff you can’t read at night
-Nightmare fuel
-Queer representation
-Fast pace and high tension throughout
-Reddit/NoSleep turned into novels
-Book hangovers (cuz now I have one)
-House of Leaves (but better)
..
A MUST READ 5⭐️
July 31, 2024
SO CREEPY
We Used To Live Here is definitely one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read!! Seriously, one scene gave me full body chills.
It’s about a woman who just moved into a very old house with her partner, intent on flipping it or possibly even tearing it down and building new. One snowy night, our main character is home alone when a man and his family knock at the door. The man claims that he grew up in the house, and wanted to show his family around before they finish their trek cross country. She hesitantly invites them in, and some strange things start to happen.
I know this kinda seems like every standard home invasion/haunted house setup, but this one *really* caught me by surprise! It’s very weird and a slow burn, but man is it creepy 😂
I had a few issues with the story in that I didn’t understand a few things, and some of the characters actions just drove me up the fkn wall, but overall it was solid and I definitely recommend!!
We Used To Live Here is definitely one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read!! Seriously, one scene gave me full body chills.
It’s about a woman who just moved into a very old house with her partner, intent on flipping it or possibly even tearing it down and building new. One snowy night, our main character is home alone when a man and his family knock at the door. The man claims that he grew up in the house, and wanted to show his family around before they finish their trek cross country. She hesitantly invites them in, and some strange things start to happen.
I know this kinda seems like every standard home invasion/haunted house setup, but this one *really* caught me by surprise! It’s very weird and a slow burn, but man is it creepy 😂
I had a few issues with the story in that I didn’t understand a few things, and some of the characters actions just drove me up the fkn wall, but overall it was solid and I definitely recommend!!
April 2, 2024
I DID NOT EXPECT TO LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! Wow, Marcus Kliewer's debut horror / psychological suspense novel, WE USED TO LIVE HERE, may be the best debut of the year. I said what I f'n said.
The story is centered around Eve and her partner Charlie and their move to an old house to fix-up. The house is in a small town, with properties not so close, but the house has good bones and they want to renovate it for themselves. As the couple begins to work on renovations, they are greeted by a man and his family at their front door. The father tells Eve that he used to live in this house as a child and wanted to know if he could show his kids around. Eve reluctantly lets them view the home. As soon as Eve lets this family in, you'll be in for a wild ride! That's my synopsis review and I'm not going to divulge anymore.
Less is more when knowing what is detailed in this book. Holy cow was this such an incredible read. WE USED TO LIVE HERE is the modern horror novel story that I absolutely love. I was supposed to go to bed early, but I ended up reading this book in one sitting. You will question everything. Everything. This book is for sure in my top 10 reads of the year and I will question your judgement if you don't absolutely love this book. Hearing that they are making this book into a Netflix film has me all excited because it's absolutely deserving of a film adaptation. Ugh, I can't say more, but I loved it and Marcus Kliewer is a genius and I am now a superfan. That is all.
The story is centered around Eve and her partner Charlie and their move to an old house to fix-up. The house is in a small town, with properties not so close, but the house has good bones and they want to renovate it for themselves. As the couple begins to work on renovations, they are greeted by a man and his family at their front door. The father tells Eve that he used to live in this house as a child and wanted to know if he could show his kids around. Eve reluctantly lets them view the home. As soon as Eve lets this family in, you'll be in for a wild ride! That's my synopsis review and I'm not going to divulge anymore.
Less is more when knowing what is detailed in this book. Holy cow was this such an incredible read. WE USED TO LIVE HERE is the modern horror novel story that I absolutely love. I was supposed to go to bed early, but I ended up reading this book in one sitting. You will question everything. Everything. This book is for sure in my top 10 reads of the year and I will question your judgement if you don't absolutely love this book. Hearing that they are making this book into a Netflix film has me all excited because it's absolutely deserving of a film adaptation. Ugh, I can't say more, but I loved it and Marcus Kliewer is a genius and I am now a superfan. That is all.
July 3, 2024
This book is a journey worth taking, and a book worth reading, in print form or through its audiobook, as it brings us back to the best places we remember.
The experience of the audiobook version of "We Used to Live Here" is also enriched through the act of listening. The narrator masterfully captures the mood and tone of Kliewer’s writing, conveying through their voice a deep sense of longing and nostalgia. We are taken through each of the book’s chapters with rhythm and poise, mirroring the act of remembering itself, and propelled to the heart of the story, the heart of the shared memories of the characters.
At the heart of this book is the relationship between home and its people, and the message of the lasting connection between them. Kliewer tells this story with the quiet urgency that a small town runs on, and asks the listener to consider time and remembrance. There is a shared humanity in Kliewer’s narrative, and a shared beauty in the moment one can reflect upon: something beautiful, whether the directions of memory or nostalgia, or feeling the weight of our remembered best days.
The experience of the audiobook version of "We Used to Live Here" is also enriched through the act of listening. The narrator masterfully captures the mood and tone of Kliewer’s writing, conveying through their voice a deep sense of longing and nostalgia. We are taken through each of the book’s chapters with rhythm and poise, mirroring the act of remembering itself, and propelled to the heart of the story, the heart of the shared memories of the characters.
At the heart of this book is the relationship between home and its people, and the message of the lasting connection between them. Kliewer tells this story with the quiet urgency that a small town runs on, and asks the listener to consider time and remembrance. There is a shared humanity in Kliewer’s narrative, and a shared beauty in the moment one can reflect upon: something beautiful, whether the directions of memory or nostalgia, or feeling the weight of our remembered best days.
April 9, 2024
A 30-something couple, Eva and Charlie, along with their dog, Shylo, just moved into an enormous dilapidated home in the middle-of-nowhere Oregon. The goal is to flip the home but it's going to take a lot of time, money, and patience before that pay day comes. Eva worries that they may have bitten off more than they can chew but the ever confident Charlie thinks this was too great an opportunity to pass up.
Just two weeks after moving in Eva finds herself waiting for Charlie to come home from work. A night of wine and scrabble ahead of them. A perfectly peaceful evening.
Knock, knock, knock....
Who in the world would be knocking at their door this evening? Being off the beaten path and new to the area they definitely aren't expecting visitors. Eva debates not opening the door but after peaking out of the window she see's a family of five. Father, mother, two boys, and a little girl. Okay, so it's not the axe wielding murderer she feared, just a family. What harm can they do? With an abundance of caution she opens the door.
Father, Tom, claims to have grown up in the house. They're moving out of state and he was hoping he could give his family a little tour. Let them see where he grew up as a boy. Fifteen minutes, tops, and they'll be out of her hair. She really doesn't want to let them in but the people pleaser in her says one word she'll soon regret.... Okay .....
"Once they're in, they never leave...."
Holy shit, you guys, THIS BOOK is freaking amazing. I'm not kidding. I can't even believe this is a debut novel.
This book managed to do something other horror books don't do. It scared me. Real deal frightening. The dread is literally dripping from the pages and it never lets up. From the first page to the last I was a in a shiver-inducing trance absorbing every chilling word put forth in front of me. The atmosphere of menace, of what the fuck is happening here, had my heart racing. This book is absolutely MY KIND of horror. All the boxes were checked. ✔✔✔
Some readers have been disappointed with the denouement due to many unanswered questions. That wasn't my experience at all. I loved the ending. I love that I still have questions to ponder.
Honestly, I loved EVERYTHING about this book and wouldn't change a thing. I can not wait to see what Kliewer treats us to next. I will be first in line. ALL. THE. STARS !!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my complimentary copy.
Just two weeks after moving in Eva finds herself waiting for Charlie to come home from work. A night of wine and scrabble ahead of them. A perfectly peaceful evening.
Knock, knock, knock....
Who in the world would be knocking at their door this evening? Being off the beaten path and new to the area they definitely aren't expecting visitors. Eva debates not opening the door but after peaking out of the window she see's a family of five. Father, mother, two boys, and a little girl. Okay, so it's not the axe wielding murderer she feared, just a family. What harm can they do? With an abundance of caution she opens the door.
Father, Tom, claims to have grown up in the house. They're moving out of state and he was hoping he could give his family a little tour. Let them see where he grew up as a boy. Fifteen minutes, tops, and they'll be out of her hair. She really doesn't want to let them in but the people pleaser in her says one word she'll soon regret.... Okay .....
"Once they're in, they never leave...."
Holy shit, you guys, THIS BOOK is freaking amazing. I'm not kidding. I can't even believe this is a debut novel.
This book managed to do something other horror books don't do. It scared me. Real deal frightening. The dread is literally dripping from the pages and it never lets up. From the first page to the last I was a in a shiver-inducing trance absorbing every chilling word put forth in front of me. The atmosphere of menace, of what the fuck is happening here, had my heart racing. This book is absolutely MY KIND of horror. All the boxes were checked. ✔✔✔
Some readers have been disappointed with the denouement due to many unanswered questions. That wasn't my experience at all. I loved the ending. I love that I still have questions to ponder.
Honestly, I loved EVERYTHING about this book and wouldn't change a thing. I can not wait to see what Kliewer treats us to next. I will be first in line. ALL. THE. STARS !!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my complimentary copy.
September 2, 2024
4.5 🌟 SO CREEPY, so scary…Literally freaked the entire time BUT I STILL HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!!! The audiobook was absolutely fantastic too…A must-read for spooky season!! 👻🍂
March 23, 2024
Creepy, atmospheric, eerie, and unsettling. Imagine someone coming to your door and telling you that they used to live there. Would you let them in to look around?
Eve is home alone when Thomas and his family knock on her front door. Thomas explains that he grew up in the home she and her partner, Charlie, had just purchased. Initially she hesitates, but then relents and lets the family in to look around.......
I loved the eerie feel of this book. Plus, it has that trapped feeling that I love in books. We Used to Live Here is oozing with atmosphere, dread, and tension. It has that something-isn't-quite-right feeling throughout the book, mainly because something-isn't-quite-right! As eerie and strange things began to happen, I was glued to the pages.
This is going to be a Netflix original movie and I can understand why. It's unsettling and there were times I wondered if things were really happening or was this all in Eve's mind. I thought the author did a great job with this. The author also did a great job with the what-is-happening and what-is-going-to happen-next feel of the book.
I finished the book with many unanswered questions. I feel Eve had many unanswered questions as well. I wonder if this was deliberately done to have readers feel what Eve felt. hmmm...
Atmospheric, eerie, sinister, and well written.
* This was a buddy read with Nikki Lee and Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill. ❤️📖 Please read their wonderful reviews as well to get their impressions of We Used to Live Here!
Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
Eve is home alone when Thomas and his family knock on her front door. Thomas explains that he grew up in the home she and her partner, Charlie, had just purchased. Initially she hesitates, but then relents and lets the family in to look around.......
I loved the eerie feel of this book. Plus, it has that trapped feeling that I love in books. We Used to Live Here is oozing with atmosphere, dread, and tension. It has that something-isn't-quite-right feeling throughout the book, mainly because something-isn't-quite-right! As eerie and strange things began to happen, I was glued to the pages.
This is going to be a Netflix original movie and I can understand why. It's unsettling and there were times I wondered if things were really happening or was this all in Eve's mind. I thought the author did a great job with this. The author also did a great job with the what-is-happening and what-is-going-to happen-next feel of the book.
I finished the book with many unanswered questions. I feel Eve had many unanswered questions as well. I wonder if this was deliberately done to have readers feel what Eve felt. hmmm...
Atmospheric, eerie, sinister, and well written.
* This was a buddy read with Nikki Lee and Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill. ❤️📖 Please read their wonderful reviews as well to get their impressions of We Used to Live Here!
Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
February 28, 2024
This book has totally unlocked a new fear for me, so thank you for that, Marcus Kliewer. Luckily we're only the second owners of our house and it's not old enough for anyone to have grown up here, so I'll be rightfully suspicious of anyone knocking on our door wanting to see their “childhood home.” And after having read We Used to Live Here, there is no way I'm letting a stranger into my house. Ever.
But, yeah, this is a creepy and suspenseful read, and you can sense the wrongness of the situation from the very beginning. The dread slowly builds and builds, although it's hard to really put your finger on why. I mean, by all appearances the Fausts are just a perfectly normal family, so why do they feel so … diabolical?
Eve is an okay main character, not particularly likeable but also not exactly unlikeable – she's just kind of neurotic and overly anxious (with good reason, as it turns out). Shylo the dog is a perfectly adorable good girl, of course, and I spent the entire book fretting over whether or not she was going to survive. (And does she? )
The first part of this book is mostly a “creepy things are happening in an old house” sort of thing (the unsettling Faust family aside), but the final pages are a total mind-bender. I'm honestly not sure if I loved the ending or semi-hated it? Let's just say that it's kind of … open to interpretation and leave it at that, I suppose? I'm looking forward to the future movie and to seeing where the director goes with this one.
My overall rating: 3.65 stars, rounded up. If you enjoy suspenseful psychological thrillers mixed with a heaping dose of horror, you should probably consider giving We Used to Live Here a read. You'll never want to open your door to a stranger again.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
But, yeah, this is a creepy and suspenseful read, and you can sense the wrongness of the situation from the very beginning. The dread slowly builds and builds, although it's hard to really put your finger on why. I mean, by all appearances the Fausts are just a perfectly normal family, so why do they feel so … diabolical?
Eve is an okay main character, not particularly likeable but also not exactly unlikeable – she's just kind of neurotic and overly anxious (with good reason, as it turns out). Shylo the dog is a perfectly adorable good girl, of course, and I spent the entire book fretting over whether or not she was going to survive. (And does she? )
The first part of this book is mostly a “creepy things are happening in an old house” sort of thing (the unsettling Faust family aside), but the final pages are a total mind-bender. I'm honestly not sure if I loved the ending or semi-hated it? Let's just say that it's kind of … open to interpretation and leave it at that, I suppose? I'm looking forward to the future movie and to seeing where the director goes with this one.
My overall rating: 3.65 stars, rounded up. If you enjoy suspenseful psychological thrillers mixed with a heaping dose of horror, you should probably consider giving We Used to Live Here a read. You'll never want to open your door to a stranger again.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
August 31, 2024
**Many thanks to Edelweiss, Atria, and Marcus Kliewer for a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review! Now available as of 6.18!**
There is something truly fascinating about the art of stop motion animation when you view the finished product.
Sometimes it's hard to remember that at first look, everything that appears so fluid (and in movies such as the Nightmare Before Christmas, so creepy!) was once a bunch of still puppets sitting on a miniature set...who were moved one painstaking moment at a time, and that one frame of film can take hours and even DAYS of filming to get just right.
But in the case of stop motion animator turned author Marcus Kliewer, the finished product that is We Used to Live Here not only was missing this sort of eerie fluidity...but lacked the sort of cohesion to make it make any ACTUAL sense.
The premise starts off simply enough: Charlie and Eve are two house flippers who also happen to be a loving couple...and their latest find seems too good to be true. The giant house has all sorts of promise, and they can't believe their good fortune at being the lucky two who are able to snatch it up. One day, Eve is home alone when she hears a knock at the door...and it is none other than a family of former occupants, led by Thomas, who want to take a quick jaunt down memory lane and poke around his old stomping grounds. Although Eve finds this slightly off-putting, she figures they seem harmless, and even though the snow is falling, they won't stay too long...right?
Everything takes a quick and dramatic turn, however, when Thomas' daughter manages to go missing in this short amount of time...and refuses to come out. Eve begins to panic, but Thomas assures her this behavior is normal and that she will soon emerge. However, as time goes on, Eve starts to notice frightening, unexplained noises she has never experienced before...and the winter storm raging outside means that the family is seemingly here to stay. But have they brought something other than their memories with them...something unseen, mysterious...and evil? And why does everybody have such a hard time believing Eve when she reaches out for help? Why hasn't Charlie returned...or could there be a doppelganger hanging around? Can Eve figure out what the house wants from her...before she gets 'lost' for good?
I was 100% on board to jump at the chance to read an early copy of this one after a few rave reviews AND after reading the rights to this book have already been snapped up by Netflix and a movie staring Blake Lively is in the works. A good creepy house tale is the sort of horror I can usually jump into quickly, with a few recent examples (like Sager's The Only One Left and the Due's eerie The Reformatory) coming instantly to mind. A well-written house with a vendetta normally screams Halloween BUT at the same time, seemed like a welcome break from the standard fare of summer thriller season, so I was chomping at the bit to dive into this tale.
But to be honest...I think I sort of tripped on the doormat and never quite recovered.
Finding out this story STARTED as a series on Reddit makes a whole lot of sense: it has a certain disjointed, piecemeal feeling that may read foreboding to some, but just left me unsettled and sort of confused for the entire read. There are random bits of news clippings, interviews, home listings, and the like sprinkled throughout the book which is normally a device I LOVE because I honestly find nothing more enticing in a horror story than some solid backstory, but let's just say you can't go into this book expecting ANYTHING to be fully explained...at all.
Some readers will LOVE this (and have, evidenced by so many early 5 star reviews!) and there are certain aspects I enjoyed too: the atmosphere was foreboding, there was a mystery afoot almost immediately (although you're going to have to parse out exactly what that mystery IS in your mind!) and there is plenty of fodder for creepiness, speculation, and a slow build to a crescendo of craziness. I'm not so much a fan of a slow burn, however, so I kept wanting to SEE this book rather than reading it: the novel almost reads more like a screenplay at times, or like one that was first imagined in a visual sense and THEN translated to the page.
I can't tell you how many times I've watched a movie with a twisty ending and then thought...NOW I need a second watch to catch all of the details I missed the first time, and this is absolutely THAT in bookish form. This is no disrespect to Kliewer as a writer: in fact, it's sort of a compliment in that he could add so much extraneous detail that seems important but isn't easy to piece together from the off. At the same time, though, as much as I had a thousand questions upon finishing...I really had no desire to tromp through it again. The sort of unhinged nature of the last 20% was enough to make up for earlier inconsistencies...or at the least, enough to convince me I NEED to watch the Netflix adaptation to see if this was simply a case of right story, wrong medium.
But if it turns out that Blake Lively can't save it?💃
... I'm not sure anyone can.
3 stars
There is something truly fascinating about the art of stop motion animation when you view the finished product.
Sometimes it's hard to remember that at first look, everything that appears so fluid (and in movies such as the Nightmare Before Christmas, so creepy!) was once a bunch of still puppets sitting on a miniature set...who were moved one painstaking moment at a time, and that one frame of film can take hours and even DAYS of filming to get just right.
But in the case of stop motion animator turned author Marcus Kliewer, the finished product that is We Used to Live Here not only was missing this sort of eerie fluidity...but lacked the sort of cohesion to make it make any ACTUAL sense.
The premise starts off simply enough: Charlie and Eve are two house flippers who also happen to be a loving couple...and their latest find seems too good to be true. The giant house has all sorts of promise, and they can't believe their good fortune at being the lucky two who are able to snatch it up. One day, Eve is home alone when she hears a knock at the door...and it is none other than a family of former occupants, led by Thomas, who want to take a quick jaunt down memory lane and poke around his old stomping grounds. Although Eve finds this slightly off-putting, she figures they seem harmless, and even though the snow is falling, they won't stay too long...right?
Everything takes a quick and dramatic turn, however, when Thomas' daughter manages to go missing in this short amount of time...and refuses to come out. Eve begins to panic, but Thomas assures her this behavior is normal and that she will soon emerge. However, as time goes on, Eve starts to notice frightening, unexplained noises she has never experienced before...and the winter storm raging outside means that the family is seemingly here to stay. But have they brought something other than their memories with them...something unseen, mysterious...and evil? And why does everybody have such a hard time believing Eve when she reaches out for help? Why hasn't Charlie returned...or could there be a doppelganger hanging around? Can Eve figure out what the house wants from her...before she gets 'lost' for good?
I was 100% on board to jump at the chance to read an early copy of this one after a few rave reviews AND after reading the rights to this book have already been snapped up by Netflix and a movie staring Blake Lively is in the works. A good creepy house tale is the sort of horror I can usually jump into quickly, with a few recent examples (like Sager's The Only One Left and the Due's eerie The Reformatory) coming instantly to mind. A well-written house with a vendetta normally screams Halloween BUT at the same time, seemed like a welcome break from the standard fare of summer thriller season, so I was chomping at the bit to dive into this tale.
But to be honest...I think I sort of tripped on the doormat and never quite recovered.
Finding out this story STARTED as a series on Reddit makes a whole lot of sense: it has a certain disjointed, piecemeal feeling that may read foreboding to some, but just left me unsettled and sort of confused for the entire read. There are random bits of news clippings, interviews, home listings, and the like sprinkled throughout the book which is normally a device I LOVE because I honestly find nothing more enticing in a horror story than some solid backstory, but let's just say you can't go into this book expecting ANYTHING to be fully explained...at all.
Some readers will LOVE this (and have, evidenced by so many early 5 star reviews!) and there are certain aspects I enjoyed too: the atmosphere was foreboding, there was a mystery afoot almost immediately (although you're going to have to parse out exactly what that mystery IS in your mind!) and there is plenty of fodder for creepiness, speculation, and a slow build to a crescendo of craziness. I'm not so much a fan of a slow burn, however, so I kept wanting to SEE this book rather than reading it: the novel almost reads more like a screenplay at times, or like one that was first imagined in a visual sense and THEN translated to the page.
I can't tell you how many times I've watched a movie with a twisty ending and then thought...NOW I need a second watch to catch all of the details I missed the first time, and this is absolutely THAT in bookish form. This is no disrespect to Kliewer as a writer: in fact, it's sort of a compliment in that he could add so much extraneous detail that seems important but isn't easy to piece together from the off. At the same time, though, as much as I had a thousand questions upon finishing...I really had no desire to tromp through it again. The sort of unhinged nature of the last 20% was enough to make up for earlier inconsistencies...or at the least, enough to convince me I NEED to watch the Netflix adaptation to see if this was simply a case of right story, wrong medium.
But if it turns out that Blake Lively can't save it?💃
... I'm not sure anyone can.
3 stars
March 28, 2024
OMG this book!! 😳 I have a love/hate relationship with horror… meaning I am VERY picky about what I read. I absolutely loved this book!!! 😱❤️ Thank you soo much to @atriabooks @atriathrillers for sending me this fantastic gifted copy!! 🥰🥰🥰
Pub date is June18th!! 🥳🥳🥳 Trust me.. you don’t want to miss this one!! 😉
Guys… I can’t stop thinking about this book!! It’s absolutely creeptastic!! Five terrifying stars!! 🖤
So… you are home alone… and there’s a knock ✊ on the door… you just moved here so you aren’t sure who it could be..🤔… You open the door… and there is a family… 🤔… Guess what?? They want in YOUR house. Ummm 🤨… they claim they used to live here. They would love to look 👀 around… 😬… Ummm ackward..🤷♀️… THIS is precisely what happened to our girl Eve… What would you do???
✅ Step aside.. fling open the door and say WELCOME
✅ Scream 😱 Stranger Danger ⚠️ and slam the 🚪 door
✅ You wouldn’t have this problem because you would NEVER answer the door! 😂🤷♀️
I opt for the third choice… just saying..🤷♀️ … However… Eve let them in… Nooo girl… just No! 😳 That is when things got… REALLY creepy… 😉
This is the kind of book that you ABSOLUTELY can’t put down!! It’s so atmospheric…creepy…and crazy…I seriously couldn’t wait to see what would happen next… 😳
OMG that ending!! 😳🤯🤯🤯 I never saw that coming… I literally read it three times.. JUST to make sure.. 😳 Be prepared to have this book occupy your mind… for a VERY long time…😉🤫🤐🤐
Guys… this is going to be on Netflix… and I absolutely can’t wait!! Who else is excited??? 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️ @marcus_kliewer absolutely killed it with this book!! 👏👏
Thank you Debra @openbookpostblog and Nikki @niksbooksntrix for a fantastic buddy read!! There definitely was alot to talk about!! 😳😱
🖤🖤🖤 Is this on your TBR??
Pub date is June18th!! 🥳🥳🥳 Trust me.. you don’t want to miss this one!! 😉
Guys… I can’t stop thinking about this book!! It’s absolutely creeptastic!! Five terrifying stars!! 🖤
So… you are home alone… and there’s a knock ✊ on the door… you just moved here so you aren’t sure who it could be..🤔… You open the door… and there is a family… 🤔… Guess what?? They want in YOUR house. Ummm 🤨… they claim they used to live here. They would love to look 👀 around… 😬… Ummm ackward..🤷♀️… THIS is precisely what happened to our girl Eve… What would you do???
✅ Step aside.. fling open the door and say WELCOME
✅ Scream 😱 Stranger Danger ⚠️ and slam the 🚪 door
✅ You wouldn’t have this problem because you would NEVER answer the door! 😂🤷♀️
I opt for the third choice… just saying..🤷♀️ … However… Eve let them in… Nooo girl… just No! 😳 That is when things got… REALLY creepy… 😉
This is the kind of book that you ABSOLUTELY can’t put down!! It’s so atmospheric…creepy…and crazy…I seriously couldn’t wait to see what would happen next… 😳
OMG that ending!! 😳🤯🤯🤯 I never saw that coming… I literally read it three times.. JUST to make sure.. 😳 Be prepared to have this book occupy your mind… for a VERY long time…😉🤫🤐🤐
Guys… this is going to be on Netflix… and I absolutely can’t wait!! Who else is excited??? 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️ @marcus_kliewer absolutely killed it with this book!! 👏👏
Thank you Debra @openbookpostblog and Nikki @niksbooksntrix for a fantastic buddy read!! There definitely was alot to talk about!! 😳😱
🖤🖤🖤 Is this on your TBR??
June 23, 2024
The author has a creative imagination, but I wasn’t sold on the way it was written!
Eve Palmer, and her partner Charlie Bastion fix up old houses with the intention of flipping them for a profit, and their current home – 3709 Heritage Lane – in the backcountry of Oregon is their most ambitious project to date. One Friday night, Eve and their dog Shylo (no harm comes to the dog btw) are alone in the house, waiting on Charlie’s return, when the doorbell sounds.
Eve reluctantly opens the door to a family of five – Thomas, his wife Paige, and their children, Kai, Newton, and Jenny. Turns out Thomas grew up in the house, and since they were passing, he was hoping to show his family the interior. They seem harmless, so Eve agrees. But the tour stretches on forever, and finally just when they’re about to leave, Jenny, their youngest, goes missing… And that’s just the start of the bizarreness…
Unhinged and mind-bending! I savoured the idea of this, the concept, the cleverly concealed clues and hints, the insertion of news articles, interviews, relevant articles, etc, the gothic setting, and best of all, the chilled-me-to-my-bone ending, and the place it ended. However, the way it was written just didn’t do it for me – it was all over the show – choppy, hard-to-keep-track of plot, some downright awful dialogue, and inconsistent character behaviour. I appreciate that given the trippy and strange plot, the writing needed to contain a certain amount of surrealism especially the further into the novel things got, but it was this way from the beginning, which made it hard to connect with any characters as they were all odd from the first meeting, therefore tough to care about. For me the most terrifying part of a horror novel is when your characters are living their lives as if everything is normal, only to be confronted with something supernatural or paranormal, and it would’ve worked with this exact plot and not lost anything. I’ve seen a similar plot work in a TV show, and another book, and the characters were 100% more realistic to life – can’t name either obviously due to spoilers.
It will be interesting to see if the Netflix movie will get it right (by me).
P.S. The title is all kinds of awesome.
Eve Palmer, and her partner Charlie Bastion fix up old houses with the intention of flipping them for a profit, and their current home – 3709 Heritage Lane – in the backcountry of Oregon is their most ambitious project to date. One Friday night, Eve and their dog Shylo (no harm comes to the dog btw) are alone in the house, waiting on Charlie’s return, when the doorbell sounds.
Eve reluctantly opens the door to a family of five – Thomas, his wife Paige, and their children, Kai, Newton, and Jenny. Turns out Thomas grew up in the house, and since they were passing, he was hoping to show his family the interior. They seem harmless, so Eve agrees. But the tour stretches on forever, and finally just when they’re about to leave, Jenny, their youngest, goes missing… And that’s just the start of the bizarreness…
Unhinged and mind-bending! I savoured the idea of this, the concept, the cleverly concealed clues and hints, the insertion of news articles, interviews, relevant articles, etc, the gothic setting, and best of all, the chilled-me-to-my-bone ending, and the place it ended. However, the way it was written just didn’t do it for me – it was all over the show – choppy, hard-to-keep-track of plot, some downright awful dialogue, and inconsistent character behaviour. I appreciate that given the trippy and strange plot, the writing needed to contain a certain amount of surrealism especially the further into the novel things got, but it was this way from the beginning, which made it hard to connect with any characters as they were all odd from the first meeting, therefore tough to care about. For me the most terrifying part of a horror novel is when your characters are living their lives as if everything is normal, only to be confronted with something supernatural or paranormal, and it would’ve worked with this exact plot and not lost anything. I’ve seen a similar plot work in a TV show, and another book, and the characters were 100% more realistic to life – can’t name either obviously due to spoilers.
It will be interesting to see if the Netflix movie will get it right (by me).
P.S. The title is all kinds of awesome.
August 27, 2024
“Don’t let them in!”
This was me screaming at the book. Alas, we wouldn’t have a horror novel without the gullible characters who make bad decisions with dire consequences!
Eve and Charlie receive an unbelievable deal on a house to flip in a great neighborhood. Once they begin renovations, Eve answers a knock on the front door. A couple and their three kids are standing on the stoop, the husband claims to have once lived in the house. Would she mind if he showed his family around for a 15 minute tour? Ignoring her better judgement, Eve agrees to let them in.
“No she didn’t!”
Once let in the house, the family does not leave. What happens from here is anyone’s guess. Seriously. I finished this book with so many unanswered questions! But, sometimes those are my favorite kinds of books.
I listened to the audiobook, which includes haunting music and beautifully captures the creepy atmosphere, sense of dread, and impending doom. I would say that I recommend this format, but in looking for answers to my questions from other reviewers, I found out that I missed MANY clues, simply because they only appear in the print version. I plan on reading the hard copy ASAP!
Did you love I’m Thinking of Ending Things or The Blair Witch Project? We Used to Live Here leaves you with the same determination to figure out what in the world you just read. The book will soon be made into a Netflix movie starring Blake Lively and I can’t wait to watch it!
Some reviewers claim this is the scariest book they have ever read. Personally, I was not frightened, but imagine it would be much scarier on the big screen!
4.5/5 stars rounded down for inability to decipher the clues in a coherent way
This was me screaming at the book. Alas, we wouldn’t have a horror novel without the gullible characters who make bad decisions with dire consequences!
Eve and Charlie receive an unbelievable deal on a house to flip in a great neighborhood. Once they begin renovations, Eve answers a knock on the front door. A couple and their three kids are standing on the stoop, the husband claims to have once lived in the house. Would she mind if he showed his family around for a 15 minute tour? Ignoring her better judgement, Eve agrees to let them in.
“No she didn’t!”
Once let in the house, the family does not leave. What happens from here is anyone’s guess. Seriously. I finished this book with so many unanswered questions! But, sometimes those are my favorite kinds of books.
I listened to the audiobook, which includes haunting music and beautifully captures the creepy atmosphere, sense of dread, and impending doom. I would say that I recommend this format, but in looking for answers to my questions from other reviewers, I found out that I missed MANY clues, simply because they only appear in the print version. I plan on reading the hard copy ASAP!
Did you love I’m Thinking of Ending Things or The Blair Witch Project? We Used to Live Here leaves you with the same determination to figure out what in the world you just read. The book will soon be made into a Netflix movie starring Blake Lively and I can’t wait to watch it!
Some reviewers claim this is the scariest book they have ever read. Personally, I was not frightened, but imagine it would be much scarier on the big screen!
4.5/5 stars rounded down for inability to decipher the clues in a coherent way
July 8, 2024
My thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler books, Marcus Kliewer and Netgalley.
Good god, ya'll! This book was the bomb diggity!
I was totally expecting one thing, "because of the synopsis" but don't expect the usual once you start reading this book. I freaking loved it!
Honestly, if I were to give one piece of advice, it would be to go into this book with no expectations. Don't read lengthy reviews. Just go into it cold. I did, and I'll admit that if I had read some reviews then I'd probably have passed.
Don't let this happen to you, and please read no reviews. This book was kind of special.
The whole damned book was freaking awesome.
Good god, ya'll! This book was the bomb diggity!
I was totally expecting one thing, "because of the synopsis" but don't expect the usual once you start reading this book. I freaking loved it!
Honestly, if I were to give one piece of advice, it would be to go into this book with no expectations. Don't read lengthy reviews. Just go into it cold. I did, and I'll admit that if I had read some reviews then I'd probably have passed.
Don't let this happen to you, and please read no reviews. This book was kind of special.
The whole damned book was freaking awesome.
February 29, 2024
First off, I think the cover is misleading. I would never guess that this was a horror book based on the cover. Just my opinion.
Eve and Charlie have just bought an huge old house. The house is secluded in the forest on a mountain. They have hopes of fixing it up or demolishing it and starting from scratch.
One day while Eve is home alone, a family shows up at the door. The father, Thomas, claims he grew up in the home and really wants to show it to his family. He asks politely if they can just take a look around for 10-15 minutes tops. That’s it. No harm in that, right? Ha, so she thought. 😳
The father, wife, two sons and a young daughter take a tour of the old home. While looking around, the little girl goes missing. Just a little hide and seek. Only thing is, she won’t come out. This is just the start of the family’s lingering stay. Then, there is a snow storm that hits, keeping anyone from leaving the only way out.
From there we descend down an eerie path. Something is just not right with the family. Something feels oddly off to Eve. They just won’t leave. How can she get them out? Once her partner, Charlie, shows up, they have to come up with a plan.
We are taken down a spiral of madness. The house is not what it seems. Things start to change with the home’s settings. On top of that, Eve is hearing mysterious noises. She begins to see frightening things that can’t be explained.
The overall setting was tense. I liked the gothic tone of the story and the house in general was just straight up creepy as hell! I could see this playing out as a horror movie in my mind. Btw, there is a movie in the making starring Blake Lively.
What I didn’t like was all the unanswered questions I had. Why was this even happening? What was the cause of the evil force? I wasn’t really satisfied with the outcome of everything. I had questions damn it! I think if more would have been explained, I could make sense of it all.
The writing is great, setting creepy, weird characters, evil entities. Definitely a horror story and if you enjoy those, this might be one to check out.
I’d like to thank Atria, NetGalley and Marcus Kliewer for the opportunity. All opinions are my own. Publication date June 18, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ lowered to 3
Eve and Charlie have just bought an huge old house. The house is secluded in the forest on a mountain. They have hopes of fixing it up or demolishing it and starting from scratch.
One day while Eve is home alone, a family shows up at the door. The father, Thomas, claims he grew up in the home and really wants to show it to his family. He asks politely if they can just take a look around for 10-15 minutes tops. That’s it. No harm in that, right? Ha, so she thought. 😳
The father, wife, two sons and a young daughter take a tour of the old home. While looking around, the little girl goes missing. Just a little hide and seek. Only thing is, she won’t come out. This is just the start of the family’s lingering stay. Then, there is a snow storm that hits, keeping anyone from leaving the only way out.
From there we descend down an eerie path. Something is just not right with the family. Something feels oddly off to Eve. They just won’t leave. How can she get them out? Once her partner, Charlie, shows up, they have to come up with a plan.
We are taken down a spiral of madness. The house is not what it seems. Things start to change with the home’s settings. On top of that, Eve is hearing mysterious noises. She begins to see frightening things that can’t be explained.
The overall setting was tense. I liked the gothic tone of the story and the house in general was just straight up creepy as hell! I could see this playing out as a horror movie in my mind. Btw, there is a movie in the making starring Blake Lively.
What I didn’t like was all the unanswered questions I had. Why was this even happening? What was the cause of the evil force? I wasn’t really satisfied with the outcome of everything. I had questions damn it! I think if more would have been explained, I could make sense of it all.
The writing is great, setting creepy, weird characters, evil entities. Definitely a horror story and if you enjoy those, this might be one to check out.
I’d like to thank Atria, NetGalley and Marcus Kliewer for the opportunity. All opinions are my own. Publication date June 18, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ lowered to 3
August 21, 2024
I've been on a reading roll. We Used to Live Here is my third 5 star read in a row, and this one is going on the favorites list.
I love eldritch horror, liminal spaces, and parallel dimension stories. This book delivered in spades. I listened to the audiobook (the narrator is excellent) but learned I missed maps and Easter eggs in the Physical copy, so I've already ordered it and plan to do a second reading very soon.
I love eldritch horror, liminal spaces, and parallel dimension stories. This book delivered in spades. I listened to the audiobook (the narrator is excellent) but learned I missed maps and Easter eggs in the Physical copy, so I've already ordered it and plan to do a second reading very soon.
August 13, 2024
5 ⭐️s
What an absolute mind warp. Just when you think you have something figured out, the author pulls the rug from underneath you and it’s like you’re in a whole different novel. This effortlessly and seamlessly goes from home invasion thriller, to supernatural chiller, to psychological mind-bender, but does so in a way that isn’t jaunting to the reader. What an expertly crafted and terrifyingly resonant first novel. This is impressive
Why You Should Or Shouldn’t Read It
You should because nightmares are rarely born from books and this book will leave you staring at the ceiling all night to avoid slumber
Themes
The thinly veiled barrier between reality and complete lunacy is fragile and easily punctured
One Thing I’ll walk away with
Disturbed sleep
What an absolute mind warp. Just when you think you have something figured out, the author pulls the rug from underneath you and it’s like you’re in a whole different novel. This effortlessly and seamlessly goes from home invasion thriller, to supernatural chiller, to psychological mind-bender, but does so in a way that isn’t jaunting to the reader. What an expertly crafted and terrifyingly resonant first novel. This is impressive
Why You Should Or Shouldn’t Read It
You should because nightmares are rarely born from books and this book will leave you staring at the ceiling all night to avoid slumber
Themes
The thinly veiled barrier between reality and complete lunacy is fragile and easily punctured
One Thing I’ll walk away with
Disturbed sleep
July 12, 2024
What did I just read?! This is probably my favorite book of 2024, DEFINITELY my favorite horror novel, although it had a very heavy psychological thriller aspect to it as well, which added an overwhelming sense of dread throughout, and had me chewing on my poor nails up until the last sentence! Can't give this one any less than an amazing 5-STARS, it's a no-brainer!
Eve and Charlie are partners and have recently moved into an older house in a secluded area with few neighbors close by, with plans to flip and re-sell it. Eve is home alone one night during a snowstorm when a family of strangers appears at her front door, asking to come in and look at what was once the father’s childhood home one last time before moving across country. Despite her sense of unease, Eve decides to allow them in for a quick visit. It’s after the family is inside that everything quickly falls apart: the youngest child goes missing, followed not long after by her partner Charlie, yet the family seems to have no concerns, or plan of leaving anytime soon. As if this is not enough to juggle, peculiar and seemingly unexplainable events begin occurring that only Eve seems to notice, leading her to eventually begin questioning her sanity (the reader will as well). Is she losing her grasp on reality, or is something, perhaps supernatural, really happening? Does the family have anything to do with it?!
Will she and Charlie survive this never-ending nightmare alive?
This novel is told solely through Eve’s perspective, with alternating chapters including a variety of snippets from online forums discussing strange but real-life diagnosis, leading the reader to speculate that this entire event could all be happening in Eve’s head. These little red herring chapters were not only incredibly intriguing, but really helped break the simmering tension, keeping me on my toes and unsure what exactly was happening throughout – needless to say, I LOVED it!! Upon finishing, I was reeling, and it took some time to really digest this fantastic read. If I had to give even the slightest critique about this one it would simply be that there were several questions that were left unanswered, making me want even more of this intense story!!
We Used To Live Here was the fastest-paced, suspenseful and terrifying book I’ve read all year, and this is Kliewer’s debut! I’ve recently discovered that this will be adapted into a Netflix film, which I couldn’t be more excited about. If readers are craving an incredibly clever novel they truly cannot put down, and stay up reading late into the night, with an escalating sense of unease, this is THE novel for them!
Eve and Charlie are partners and have recently moved into an older house in a secluded area with few neighbors close by, with plans to flip and re-sell it. Eve is home alone one night during a snowstorm when a family of strangers appears at her front door, asking to come in and look at what was once the father’s childhood home one last time before moving across country. Despite her sense of unease, Eve decides to allow them in for a quick visit. It’s after the family is inside that everything quickly falls apart: the youngest child goes missing, followed not long after by her partner Charlie, yet the family seems to have no concerns, or plan of leaving anytime soon. As if this is not enough to juggle, peculiar and seemingly unexplainable events begin occurring that only Eve seems to notice, leading her to eventually begin questioning her sanity (the reader will as well). Is she losing her grasp on reality, or is something, perhaps supernatural, really happening? Does the family have anything to do with it?!
Will she and Charlie survive this never-ending nightmare alive?
This novel is told solely through Eve’s perspective, with alternating chapters including a variety of snippets from online forums discussing strange but real-life diagnosis, leading the reader to speculate that this entire event could all be happening in Eve’s head. These little red herring chapters were not only incredibly intriguing, but really helped break the simmering tension, keeping me on my toes and unsure what exactly was happening throughout – needless to say, I LOVED it!! Upon finishing, I was reeling, and it took some time to really digest this fantastic read. If I had to give even the slightest critique about this one it would simply be that there were several questions that were left unanswered, making me want even more of this intense story!!
We Used To Live Here was the fastest-paced, suspenseful and terrifying book I’ve read all year, and this is Kliewer’s debut! I’ve recently discovered that this will be adapted into a Netflix film, which I couldn’t be more excited about. If readers are craving an incredibly clever novel they truly cannot put down, and stay up reading late into the night, with an escalating sense of unease, this is THE novel for them!
August 15, 2024
Let’s get to the obvi – house cover. Duh. I’m going to read it. But truthfully this got put on my radar because a couple of friends said it was giving them “House of Leaves vibes” . . . a book which they both hated. So lesson to all y’all out there who want to argue with strangers on the internet about having a different opinion than yours about books – one person’s trash is another’s treasure. I loved House of Leaves (and TOTALLY understand those who don’t because that book is an UNDERTAKING!) so that comparison made me put in a request at the library for this one. Then I saw the cover blurb calling this “Parasite meets Get Out” – and yeah, the House of Leaves comparison is actually a lot more accurate – especially since the racial/socioeconomic themes of the other two that made them so brilliant are completely lacking here. Now I see that Blake Lively is set to star in the film and well what a week to be Blake Lively. Things are getting a little messy on her “flowers and girls’ night” problematic press tour.
This book is sort of a mess too. I mean really in the year of our lord 2024 I’m supposed to believe this chick is not only going to answer the door of her house way out in the boonies to a bunch of strangers, but also going to let them in for a trip down memory lane? I don’t even answer the door for the Amazon guy and he’s my best friend! It seemed like the author’s entire purpose was to create a “creepy” factor, but didn’t really have much of a plan for the actual plot. Everyone else seems to really be digging this, though, so chalk another L up on the board for me.
2.5 Stars
June 21, 2024
This book really took me by surprise by how quickly it went from "potential", conspiracy, and then the last 20% which made NO sense to me at all. To be fair, I honestly never connected to the MC, Eve, and found her being made out to be an "unreliable narrator", which is a troupe I rarely like to begin with--with some stand out exceptions.
The first few chapters had given me hope, and some of the "note additions" were an interesting sideline to keep you going. However, the surreal "fever dream" feeling intensified, and I couldn't connect/care about anything at that point. I was going to go with 2 stars, but the last 20% was so random, made things MORE confusing (I didn't think that possible), and when you don't care about the characters to begin with, there was nothing for me to look back on and appreciate. I DO normally enjoy ambiguous endings, but when combined with these other elements, and NO clue as to what really was going on to ponder, I just couldn't have cared less at that point.
Every reading experience is different, and if you like stories that constantly question the reality of ... everything ... you will likely have a much better reading experience with this one than I did.
The first few chapters had given me hope, and some of the "note additions" were an interesting sideline to keep you going. However, the surreal "fever dream" feeling intensified, and I couldn't connect/care about anything at that point. I was going to go with 2 stars, but the last 20% was so random, made things MORE confusing (I didn't think that possible), and when you don't care about the characters to begin with, there was nothing for me to look back on and appreciate. I DO normally enjoy ambiguous endings, but when combined with these other elements, and NO clue as to what really was going on to ponder, I just couldn't have cared less at that point.
Every reading experience is different, and if you like stories that constantly question the reality of ... everything ... you will likely have a much better reading experience with this one than I did.
August 8, 2024
Oh this scared the absolute SHIT out of me. What the fuck. What the fuck. I’m really regretting that edible I took about 100 pages ago.
July 7, 2024
This was a debut novel?!?! 🤯
I was in the beginnings of a reading slump and this yanked me out of that really quick!
I FLEW through this because it is so spoooky and creepy and more than a little strange, one of those books where at the end you’re not sure what was reality and what wasn’t. I was thoroughly scared throughout the entire books and the imagery was painted so well by the author, I can’t wait to see what else this author can do because this was just a fantastic debut. If you’re looking for a haunted house story in a similar vein to House of Leaves and The House at the Bottom of the Lake this might be for you.
Sidenote: there were a lot of loose threads at the end and I personally really liked that.. it leant to the uneasy feeling of not knowing what was reality and what wasn’t. (also if you translate the morse code it will answer one of those threads)
I was in the beginnings of a reading slump and this yanked me out of that really quick!
I FLEW through this because it is so spoooky and creepy and more than a little strange, one of those books where at the end you’re not sure what was reality and what wasn’t. I was thoroughly scared throughout the entire books and the imagery was painted so well by the author, I can’t wait to see what else this author can do because this was just a fantastic debut. If you’re looking for a haunted house story in a similar vein to House of Leaves and The House at the Bottom of the Lake this might be for you.
Sidenote: there were a lot of loose threads at the end and I personally really liked that.. it leant to the uneasy feeling of not knowing what was reality and what wasn’t. (also if you translate the morse code it will answer one of those threads)
August 3, 2024
WAIT.WHHAATT 😃 IS THERE A PART 2??
I have so many questions and feel a mix of excitement and sadness!!! I'll make peace with the puzzlement, but I have a couple of "buts and huhs". 😅😆 ! The last time I felt like this was after I read This Is Where We Talk Things Out. The stories aren't the same, but I still think about the MC, and I know I will think about E and C for a long while, too!
:-) Despite everything mentioned above, I enjoyed reading the book! The characters were odd and unpredictable, and I never knew what they were going to do next. The story itself was unique—I've never read anything like it.
The narrator was amazing, too. Her pronunciation of "marijuana" had me cracking up 🚼😂! But seriously, she nailed the bizarre and eerie vibe of the book (I am amazed that I've read this right before my bedtime. I get scared easily, but I never learn) hahaha... This also feels like a strong start to the paranormal genre. I am trying to build up momentum to read I Remember You 😁
Highly recommend!
The worst thing that could happen to me right now is the lights going off 🤣
I have so many questions and feel a mix of excitement and sadness!!! I'll make peace with the puzzlement, but I have a couple of "buts and huhs". 😅😆 ! The last time I felt like this was after I read This Is Where We Talk Things Out. The stories aren't the same, but I still think about the MC, and I know I will think about E and C for a long while, too!
:-) Despite everything mentioned above, I enjoyed reading the book! The characters were odd and unpredictable, and I never knew what they were going to do next. The story itself was unique—I've never read anything like it.
The narrator was amazing, too. Her pronunciation of "marijuana" had me cracking up 🚼😂! But seriously, she nailed the bizarre and eerie vibe of the book (I am amazed that I've read this right before my bedtime. I get scared easily, but I never learn) hahaha... This also feels like a strong start to the paranormal genre. I am trying to build up momentum to read I Remember You 😁
Highly recommend!
The worst thing that could happen to me right now is the lights going off 🤣
April 20, 2024
I've been reading Stephen King since I was nine years old. Horror is my favorite genre, and I watch scary movies to relax. I'm not easy to scare. And We Used to Live Here terrified me. I would have read it in one day, except that I wasn't brave enough to read it at night.
Don't let that domestic drama-ish cover mislead you: This book is pure cosmic horror. It centers on a young couple, Eve and Charlie, who have recently purchased an isolated, ramshackle home deep in the Oregon wilderness with the intention of flipping it. One night, a few weeks after they move in, Eve is waiting for Charlie to get home when there's a knock at the door. It's a perfectly harmless-looking family -- two parents, three children -- and the father says he grew up in the house, and would Eve mind terribly if he brought his family in to look around? Just for 15 minutes?
Even that brief summary sounds like the beginning of a domestic suspense novel, but trust me when I say that We Used to Live Here veers in completely unexpected, mind-bending directions. From the very first page, the atmosphere feels menacing and ominous, laced with a mounting sense of unease that quickly becomes all-out dread. The scene in the attic in particular was relayed so vividly, with so much tension and malignancy, that I could literally feel my heart racing. And the unease, the sense of wrongness, I felt during the scene in the neighbor's house...It still makes me shudder. This book is scary.
I actually found We Used to Live Here even scarier for the lack of explanation it provides; there's a lot left to interpretation, a lot that isn't overtly explained in the book's conclusion. That's not going to please every reader, but often the most frightening and unsettling things are the ones we can't explain -- just like many of the rooted-in-reality topics that Marcus Kliewer incorporates into the plot: the Mandela effect, doppelgängers, sleep paralysis demons. I think Kliewer gave us enough to fill in the blanks ourselves -- and there is even a hidden message embedded in the book that provides an additional nugget of information (read and observe closely!).
We Used to Live Here was a completely gripping, truly unsettling, and often downright horrifying reading experience for me. I see you, Marcus Kliewer, and I can't wait for more. Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the early reading opportunity.
Don't let that domestic drama-ish cover mislead you: This book is pure cosmic horror. It centers on a young couple, Eve and Charlie, who have recently purchased an isolated, ramshackle home deep in the Oregon wilderness with the intention of flipping it. One night, a few weeks after they move in, Eve is waiting for Charlie to get home when there's a knock at the door. It's a perfectly harmless-looking family -- two parents, three children -- and the father says he grew up in the house, and would Eve mind terribly if he brought his family in to look around? Just for 15 minutes?
Even that brief summary sounds like the beginning of a domestic suspense novel, but trust me when I say that We Used to Live Here veers in completely unexpected, mind-bending directions. From the very first page, the atmosphere feels menacing and ominous, laced with a mounting sense of unease that quickly becomes all-out dread. The scene in the attic in particular was relayed so vividly, with so much tension and malignancy, that I could literally feel my heart racing. And the unease, the sense of wrongness, I felt during the scene in the neighbor's house...It still makes me shudder. This book is scary.
I actually found We Used to Live Here even scarier for the lack of explanation it provides; there's a lot left to interpretation, a lot that isn't overtly explained in the book's conclusion. That's not going to please every reader, but often the most frightening and unsettling things are the ones we can't explain -- just like many of the rooted-in-reality topics that Marcus Kliewer incorporates into the plot: the Mandela effect, doppelgängers, sleep paralysis demons. I think Kliewer gave us enough to fill in the blanks ourselves -- and there is even a hidden message embedded in the book that provides an additional nugget of information (read and observe closely!).
We Used to Live Here was a completely gripping, truly unsettling, and often downright horrifying reading experience for me. I see you, Marcus Kliewer, and I can't wait for more. Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the early reading opportunity.
June 2, 2024
I'm sorry, but I thought this book was terrible. I don't know how it's getting published. The writing is amateurish, the story stretched the bounds of incredulity and overall it just wasn't very interesting.
I'm not such a highbrow reader than I can't appreciate a book like this. I've read many thriller/horror type books that I've really enjoyed. I truly found nothing to appreciate here.
I see that this started out as a novella. It should have stayed that way. Might have been bearable at that point.
I'm not such a highbrow reader than I can't appreciate a book like this. I've read many thriller/horror type books that I've really enjoyed. I truly found nothing to appreciate here.
I see that this started out as a novella. It should have stayed that way. Might have been bearable at that point.
July 19, 2024
Eve and her partner Charlie flip houses for a living. They can’t believe their luck when they secure a fantastic deal on a large old house in a picturesque, secluded neighborhood. One day, while Eve is home alone working on the house, a man comes to the door with his wife and three children, claiming he used to live there. He asks for permission to show his family around, 10-15 minutes tops. Eve, always eager to please, agrees to to the quick tour. That is when everything starts to go wrong.
First of all, there is NO WAY I would have let them into my house. But Eve did, and once she did, things got a lot creepier. As I read, I felt a constant sense of unease. Marcus Kliewer did an excellent job crafting a foreboding atmosphere in the house and the unsettling situation Eve found herself in. The story features documents, interviews, and news reports scattered throughout, which I paid extra close attention to, sensing they held crucial clues.
I enjoyed the first half of the book more because it was more cohesive than the second half for me. Some of Eve’s actions were very questionable and unrealistic making it hard to connect with her. The second half and the ending went a bit off the rails and left me with so many unanswered questions. Good debut - 3.5 stars overall. Honestly, I’ve gone back and forth on whether to round up or down, but the first half was quite good so I decided to round up. I will definitely watch the Netflix movie when it comes out since I’m curious to see if this will translate better in that format or to see if any of my unanswered questions get resolved.
My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
First of all, there is NO WAY I would have let them into my house. But Eve did, and once she did, things got a lot creepier. As I read, I felt a constant sense of unease. Marcus Kliewer did an excellent job crafting a foreboding atmosphere in the house and the unsettling situation Eve found herself in. The story features documents, interviews, and news reports scattered throughout, which I paid extra close attention to, sensing they held crucial clues.
I enjoyed the first half of the book more because it was more cohesive than the second half for me. Some of Eve’s actions were very questionable and unrealistic making it hard to connect with her. The second half and the ending went a bit off the rails and left me with so many unanswered questions. Good debut - 3.5 stars overall. Honestly, I’ve gone back and forth on whether to round up or down, but the first half was quite good so I decided to round up. I will definitely watch the Netflix movie when it comes out since I’m curious to see if this will translate better in that format or to see if any of my unanswered questions get resolved.
My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 18, 2024
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
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
July 11, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up to 5!
This book was an absolute horrifying mind-fuck and I couldn’t get enough of it. Highly recommend going into this one blind with an open mind, and can’t wait to see it adapted on Netflix!
This book was an absolute horrifying mind-fuck and I couldn’t get enough of it. Highly recommend going into this one blind with an open mind, and can’t wait to see it adapted on Netflix!
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