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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
‘Kitty,’ the word was slow, steady, the same cadence with which Jenna had spoken.
‘You invited it in,’ she said.
---x---
Wowie.
A haunted house and possession in a single book?! Call that a winning combo!
Sarah Jules woke up craving violence and so she wrote this terrifying and also incredibly sad story. All this done to ruin my day specifically.
This is true horror in all senses, lack of a happy ending included (Why Sarah...) and in such few pages there were so many packed punches that I think I'll need a few days to recover.
‘You invited it in,’ she said.
---x---
Wowie.
A haunted house and possession in a single book?! Call that a winning combo!
Sarah Jules woke up craving violence and so she wrote this terrifying and also incredibly sad story. All this done to ruin my day specifically.
This is true horror in all senses, lack of a happy ending included (Why Sarah...) and in such few pages there were so many packed punches that I think I'll need a few days to recover.
The third novel from Sarah Jules, following on from her twisty thriller debut Found You and brilliant slasher Don't Lie, is her first foray into full-length supernatural horror. The path of the paranormal, of possessions and hauntings, is a well-trodden one that many great authors struggle to stand out on - so often devolving into cliché. This makes it all the more impressive that not only does Jules manage this with You Invited It In, but that it may just be her best book to date.
The story focuses on Felix, a widower and father who has always been able to see spirits that have not yet passed over from our world. This gift is a benign presence in his life, until an advert for a fraudulent psychic boils his blood, and makes him determined to stop her from ripping off any more vulnerable people. Inviting her into his home to prove her services are a scam, Felix's plan to expose her may just have caused something else to be welcomed into his home as well...
You Invited It In is a masterclass in efficiency. At less than 200 pages long, every chapter either pushes us deeper into the story, or fleshes out the core characters in a necessary way. There's no padding or stalling here - shit hits the fan early, and once it does there's no going back. For an author who writes in such easy to read and addictive way, Sarah's previous stories have displayed a real mean streak, and that's cranked up to a whole new level this time around. There's some truly disturbing and chilling imagery on display as it reaches the climax, and no punches are pulled here. I found myself concerned for every one of the main cast of characters, never feeling like any of them are truly safe.
I absolutely flew through this book, sitting down to start it after work and finishing it the same evening. The perfect balance of readability, scares and characterisation, Jules manages to bring the whole Eastwood family to life and flesh out our charlatan Lilith's backstory without slowing down the pace. This is a very assured and confident story, feeling like an author that's very much hit their stride. I would recommend this without hesitation to any fans of the supernatural, as well as those who enjoyed her previous work.
The story focuses on Felix, a widower and father who has always been able to see spirits that have not yet passed over from our world. This gift is a benign presence in his life, until an advert for a fraudulent psychic boils his blood, and makes him determined to stop her from ripping off any more vulnerable people. Inviting her into his home to prove her services are a scam, Felix's plan to expose her may just have caused something else to be welcomed into his home as well...
You Invited It In is a masterclass in efficiency. At less than 200 pages long, every chapter either pushes us deeper into the story, or fleshes out the core characters in a necessary way. There's no padding or stalling here - shit hits the fan early, and once it does there's no going back. For an author who writes in such easy to read and addictive way, Sarah's previous stories have displayed a real mean streak, and that's cranked up to a whole new level this time around. There's some truly disturbing and chilling imagery on display as it reaches the climax, and no punches are pulled here. I found myself concerned for every one of the main cast of characters, never feeling like any of them are truly safe.
I absolutely flew through this book, sitting down to start it after work and finishing it the same evening. The perfect balance of readability, scares and characterisation, Jules manages to bring the whole Eastwood family to life and flesh out our charlatan Lilith's backstory without slowing down the pace. This is a very assured and confident story, feeling like an author that's very much hit their stride. I would recommend this without hesitation to any fans of the supernatural, as well as those who enjoyed her previous work.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wooo, this is a doozy of a horror.
It's somehow deadpan while delivering gutpunches.
Much more going on than I expected at the beginning, this delivers some really brutal scenes that will stay with me.
I look forward to re-listening during spooky season.
Don't want to describe the book too much to avoid giving anything away.
If you enjoy emotionally charged body horror, add this to your TBR.
It's somehow deadpan while delivering gutpunches.
Much more going on than I expected at the beginning, this delivers some really brutal scenes that will stay with me.
I look forward to re-listening during spooky season.
Don't want to describe the book too much to avoid giving anything away.
If you enjoy emotionally charged body horror, add this to your TBR.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was really enjoying the book but the ending felt super rushed and fell flat for me