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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
It was fun while I was reading it, but ultimately I found it just OK. Like, I think I can see what the book is trying to do, and it was quick enough that I just kept going from momentum even though it didn't actually succeed. The book starts off quite well, mostly because the premise is so gripping. But then it degenerates from there; the middle is kind of--soggy?--and it completely botches the landing so the overall effect for me was meh. YMMV.
3.5?
I dunno. I found this one predictable, and a bit too cringe-inducing.
I dunno. I found this one predictable, and a bit too cringe-inducing.
3.5 but rounded up because it’s a great idea. It dragged in a few places and was largely predictable but that ending!! Even though it’s kinda obvious what’s coming, it’s still got a kick.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I finished reading Our House over the weekend and I’m still feeling a number of the unsettling emotions it has left me with. Now don’t get me wrong, this is a GREAT book but flipping heck, it made me really quite uncomfortable at times. It’s a strange one (a good strange one). I struggled to put it down but at the same time, I didn’t want to pick it again once I had put it down. Isn’t that a weird thing to say?! I knew things were only going to get worse for the Lawson family and whilst I was seriously intrigued by their situation, at points, I wasn’t sure I wanted to witness them. It was like I wanted to postpone the inevitable for as long as possible. Gosh, I hope I’m making some sort of sense here. It felt a little like slowing down to gawp as you pass a road traffic accident, a little ghoulish…
Fi returns home after a romantic break with her new man to find a young couple moving into their family home. There is no mistake about it; the funds have been transferred and the names on the deeds have been changed. Fi’s beloved family home is no longer hers. But this is the first she’s heard about it. Fi would never even consider selling their house; it was meant to be passed down to her boys. It was their inheritance. To complicate matters Fi’s estranged husband, Bram is missing. He’s not picking up his phone. No one has seen hide nor hair of him. What’s going on? How could this happen? Are Fi and Bram the victims of some complex property fraud, or is the source of the crime much closer to home than anyone imagines…
The way Candlish has told the story is exceptional. We meet Fi as she discovers the horrible truth, her home is no longer her own. The reader watches from the shadows as she argues and debates with the new owners, urging them to understand what a terrible mistake this must all be. But it has to be true, the paperwork says so, as does the missing two million pounds. Which takes us to ‘The Victim‘, a Podcast that “tells the true story of a crime directly in the words of the victim. ‘The Victim’ is not an investigation, but a privileged insight into an innocent person’s suffering.” [taken from Louise Candlish’s website]. These sections are where we get to see the real Fi; her naivety, her good nature, her gullibility and her strong love and devotion to her two sons. The reader also gets to hear Bram’s side of the story which doesn’t make for a pleasant read. Bram is an idiot. He’s probably King Idiot actually! I wanted to thump him at times and, truth be told, I also wanted to give him a big cuddle and tell him it would be alright in the end (that really isn’t a spoiler by the way!). Bram’s devotion to his boys, if nothing else, melted my heart. The dawning realisation of what was happening to him and what the repercussions of that was tough going at times.
Before I turn this into the longest review I have ever written, I want to talk briefly about the end of this book. I was warned about a big twist and it really is quite devastating as books go. It wasn’t a WOW moment for me though, I found myself inhaling sharply and then slumping in a heap. If at any point in the book, you feel any kind of fondness or warmth for the characters, I expect you may feel the same. Several days later and I’m still turning over the story of Fi and Bram in my mind. I wish it had ended differently for them, but the ending was perfect.
Would I recommend this book? I would. It’s quite different to many other domestic suspense novels I have read over the years. It’s a triumphant step up for a genre that I often feel can be quite samey. Full of emotion, probably more than I could handle at times, and totally devastating in places. With characters that leap off the page at you and with situations you could easily find yourself in, Our House is a must read.
Four out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an ARC of Our House. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
Fi returns home after a romantic break with her new man to find a young couple moving into their family home. There is no mistake about it; the funds have been transferred and the names on the deeds have been changed. Fi’s beloved family home is no longer hers. But this is the first she’s heard about it. Fi would never even consider selling their house; it was meant to be passed down to her boys. It was their inheritance. To complicate matters Fi’s estranged husband, Bram is missing. He’s not picking up his phone. No one has seen hide nor hair of him. What’s going on? How could this happen? Are Fi and Bram the victims of some complex property fraud, or is the source of the crime much closer to home than anyone imagines…
The way Candlish has told the story is exceptional. We meet Fi as she discovers the horrible truth, her home is no longer her own. The reader watches from the shadows as she argues and debates with the new owners, urging them to understand what a terrible mistake this must all be. But it has to be true, the paperwork says so, as does the missing two million pounds. Which takes us to ‘The Victim‘, a Podcast that “tells the true story of a crime directly in the words of the victim. ‘The Victim’ is not an investigation, but a privileged insight into an innocent person’s suffering.” [taken from Louise Candlish’s website]. These sections are where we get to see the real Fi; her naivety, her good nature, her gullibility and her strong love and devotion to her two sons. The reader also gets to hear Bram’s side of the story which doesn’t make for a pleasant read. Bram is an idiot. He’s probably King Idiot actually! I wanted to thump him at times and, truth be told, I also wanted to give him a big cuddle and tell him it would be alright in the end (that really isn’t a spoiler by the way!). Bram’s devotion to his boys, if nothing else, melted my heart. The dawning realisation of what was happening to him and what the repercussions of that was tough going at times.
Before I turn this into the longest review I have ever written, I want to talk briefly about the end of this book. I was warned about a big twist and it really is quite devastating as books go. It wasn’t a WOW moment for me though, I found myself inhaling sharply and then slumping in a heap. If at any point in the book, you feel any kind of fondness or warmth for the characters, I expect you may feel the same. Several days later and I’m still turning over the story of Fi and Bram in my mind. I wish it had ended differently for them, but the ending was perfect.
Would I recommend this book? I would. It’s quite different to many other domestic suspense novels I have read over the years. It’s a triumphant step up for a genre that I often feel can be quite samey. Full of emotion, probably more than I could handle at times, and totally devastating in places. With characters that leap off the page at you and with situations you could easily find yourself in, Our House is a must read.
Four out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an ARC of Our House. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
For the most part, I was bored by this book. The premise was interesting, but the characters and pacing were both tedious. Without including spoilers, the characters’ final actions don’t seem to align with their motivations. However, the very last lines of the book were such a surprising twist, it raised my estimation of the whole work by an extra star in the rating.
I cannot explain how gripping this book is! I haven’t watched the TV adaptation but can imagine that some of the reveals are much more surprising when reading. I was hooked from page 1, will be looking out for more novels from this author
