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jennkei's review against another edition
3.0
Not sure why, but this seemed a little shorter than it apparently is..
justinkhchen's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars
Ripe with empathy but also fantastically deranged, This Thing Between Us is a worthwhile literary horror roller coaster, even if the final destination might leaves you a little baffled to what exactly has happened. I detect influence of Pet Sematary, 2001 A Space Odyssey, and even Drag Me to Hell (a 2009 movie from Sam Raimi).
Written as continuous monologue from the protagonist to his dead wife (with no chapter stop), I highly recommend experience this novel through its audiobook, as the performance heightens the intimacy and the corrosion of his mental state.
Even though the synopsis really doubles down on the B-movie level 'haunted smart speaker' plot point, it ultimately plays a minor role to a larger story centering on grief. I particularly appreciate the writing in This Thing Between Us, which is filled with a surprising amount of levity, considering the book deals with such a bleak subject matter. The humor also acts as a false sense of safety, and intensifies the harrowing terror when it strikes; at one point I had to pause my audiobook and take a break when a certain individual got 'half-sucked' into 'something'—not only was the visual gruesome, the fact this character just had such great banter with the protagonist right before made it even more devastating.
This Thing Between Us starts out as an eerie character-focused slow burn, then turns into a nightmare gone berserk in its second half. I'll admit the ending lost me, but it has been awhile since I was so emotionally attached to a horror novel protagonist, that getting a resolution regarding his state of being overtook my need for a comprehensible plot wrap-up. Highly recommend for readers who enjoy horror being used as a device to discuss human condition.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Ripe with empathy but also fantastically deranged, This Thing Between Us is a worthwhile literary horror roller coaster, even if the final destination might leaves you a little baffled to what exactly has happened. I detect influence of Pet Sematary, 2001 A Space Odyssey, and even Drag Me to Hell (a 2009 movie from Sam Raimi).
Written as continuous monologue from the protagonist to his dead wife (with no chapter stop), I highly recommend experience this novel through its audiobook, as the performance heightens the intimacy and the corrosion of his mental state.
Even though the synopsis really doubles down on the B-movie level 'haunted smart speaker' plot point, it ultimately plays a minor role to a larger story centering on grief. I particularly appreciate the writing in This Thing Between Us, which is filled with a surprising amount of levity, considering the book deals with such a bleak subject matter. The humor also acts as a false sense of safety, and intensifies the harrowing terror when it strikes; at one point I had to pause my audiobook and take a break when a certain individual got 'half-sucked' into 'something'—not only was the visual gruesome, the fact this character just had such great banter with the protagonist right before made it even more devastating.
This Thing Between Us starts out as an eerie character-focused slow burn, then turns into a nightmare gone berserk in its second half. I'll admit the ending lost me, but it has been awhile since I was so emotionally attached to a horror novel protagonist, that getting a resolution regarding his state of being overtook my need for a comprehensible plot wrap-up. Highly recommend for readers who enjoy horror being used as a device to discuss human condition.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
lit_laugh_luv's review against another edition
5.0
I debated between 4 and 5 stars for this but after sitting on the ending, I’ve decided I really enjoyed it. My major gripe with this book is how it is advertised - it is not at all a technological horror, and it does not delve into technological surveillance whatsoever. Ultimately this is a character study on grief, and I’d label this a cosmic horror. If you have the right expectations going in, I think it’s a lot more enjoyable since technology ends up playing a very minimal role in the plot. It is clear in its inspirations from folklore and common horror tropes like possession and physical isolation, but I really disagree with some of the Black Mirror comparisons being made.
The book has some of the best writing and reflection on grief I’ve ever read, and Thiago is such a layered character that constantly evolves all the way through to the last page. The novel is written in second person and addressed to his dead wife, and it's incredibly heartfelt and sad to see Thiago try to process his own grieving while feeling immense guilt. There’s definitely some disturbing and gross scenes in this, but the slow burn really paid off for me. The ending is certainly a bit wtf, but ultimately I think it works with what Moreno was trying to portray (given the writing in this book was directly inspired by his own grieving process). I particularly liked how this discussed the exploitation of the dead - how people insert themselves into the narrative and use their own perspective to rewrite the dead’s legacy.
Overall, there's some great folklore and religious references in here, an ambiguous but powerful ending that is perfect for discussion, and deeper philosophical questions about the afterlife that are difficult to muddle through. If this sounds like your type of book, I'd highly recommend - but certainly don't expect technology to be the starring theme here (despite what the synopsis may suggest).
My spoiler-filled interpretation of the ending:
The book is essentially Thiago reflecting on the loss of Vera as her exists within the liminal space between life and death. The book constantly explores Thiago existing in the ‘in-between’ - he is Mexican-American, but constantly ostracized by each culture. He wants to move on from Vera’s death, but views this as the ultimate betrayal of her. He is perceived by Vera to be the ideal partner, but faced with hesitation from his in-laws (and later revealed that perhaps Vera was with him partially out of guilt). Even Esteban is simultaneously described as both innocent and guilty in his role in Vera’s death. This concept of purgatory is the defining theme of the book in terms of Vera’s existence (dead but clinging to life through grief), the man from the diner and Thiago’s curse. Even Brimley is a representation of this as for Thiago his existence means loving again which consumes him with guilt.
Thiago viewed himself as cursed and as the common thread in the death of Vera, Brimley, Dr. Jacobson, Diane and his parents. At the beginning of the novel, he wants to blame Vera’s death on their Itza due to its malfunctioning (which he is assured is common); this helps him take the blame off himself and put it on something tangible. Eventually it’s revealed the old man in the diner is possessing him (a process accelerated by the previous tenant refuting his Mexican heritage), and he cannot escape this even in death. The warning signs were there, but he desperately wanted to repress them. He mentions several times that the afterlife is what we decide it to be, but he rarely makes definitive conclusions of his own perception other than wanting to be with Vera. The dinner table metaphor is commonly used in folklore to describe death - for example, The Last Supper, and the allegory of the long spoons. In the allegory of long spoons, the only delineation between heaven and hell is the ability to cooperate with those at the table and eat - we see the dead offering this to Thiago, but ultimately we never see the outcome.
The title of the book quite literally alludes to this: This Thing Between Us represents the bridge between life (Thiago) and death (Vera) that Thiago struggles to grasp and define.
The book has some of the best writing and reflection on grief I’ve ever read, and Thiago is such a layered character that constantly evolves all the way through to the last page. The novel is written in second person and addressed to his dead wife, and it's incredibly heartfelt and sad to see Thiago try to process his own grieving while feeling immense guilt. There’s definitely some disturbing and gross scenes in this, but the slow burn really paid off for me. The ending is certainly a bit wtf, but ultimately I think it works with what Moreno was trying to portray (given the writing in this book was directly inspired by his own grieving process). I particularly liked how this discussed the exploitation of the dead - how people insert themselves into the narrative and use their own perspective to rewrite the dead’s legacy.
Overall, there's some great folklore and religious references in here, an ambiguous but powerful ending that is perfect for discussion, and deeper philosophical questions about the afterlife that are difficult to muddle through. If this sounds like your type of book, I'd highly recommend - but certainly don't expect technology to be the starring theme here (despite what the synopsis may suggest).
My spoiler-filled interpretation of the ending:
Spoiler
The book is essentially Thiago reflecting on the loss of Vera as her exists within the liminal space between life and death. The book constantly explores Thiago existing in the ‘in-between’ - he is Mexican-American, but constantly ostracized by each culture. He wants to move on from Vera’s death, but views this as the ultimate betrayal of her. He is perceived by Vera to be the ideal partner, but faced with hesitation from his in-laws (and later revealed that perhaps Vera was with him partially out of guilt). Even Esteban is simultaneously described as both innocent and guilty in his role in Vera’s death. This concept of purgatory is the defining theme of the book in terms of Vera’s existence (dead but clinging to life through grief), the man from the diner and Thiago’s curse. Even Brimley is a representation of this as for Thiago his existence means loving again which consumes him with guilt.
Thiago viewed himself as cursed and as the common thread in the death of Vera, Brimley, Dr. Jacobson, Diane and his parents. At the beginning of the novel, he wants to blame Vera’s death on their Itza due to its malfunctioning (which he is assured is common); this helps him take the blame off himself and put it on something tangible. Eventually it’s revealed the old man in the diner is possessing him (a process accelerated by the previous tenant refuting his Mexican heritage), and he cannot escape this even in death. The warning signs were there, but he desperately wanted to repress them. He mentions several times that the afterlife is what we decide it to be, but he rarely makes definitive conclusions of his own perception other than wanting to be with Vera. The dinner table metaphor is commonly used in folklore to describe death - for example, The Last Supper, and the allegory of the long spoons. In the allegory of long spoons, the only delineation between heaven and hell is the ability to cooperate with those at the table and eat - we see the dead offering this to Thiago, but ultimately we never see the outcome.
The title of the book quite literally alludes to this: This Thing Between Us represents the bridge between life (Thiago) and death (Vera) that Thiago struggles to grasp and define.
sunbeam_reader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
deereader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
kaleereads's review against another edition
4.0
a haunting, heartbreaking, visceral study of grief and how the choices we make haunt us. this is cosmic horror, not a straightforward ghost story so think outside the box when approaching this. overall, a beautiful read.
shelbywebb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0