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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
Scary and fun! A great horror novel with a capital H. Stephen King meets Shirley Jackson for the Instagram era.
I read this book SO FAST. It throughly gripped my attention after a span of struggling to get into books. The book was fun, dark, unsettling. It had me guessing the whole time. I really liked the atmospheric feeling of the house, and the way the house held such a strong presence throughout the book. Sarah’s character felt fun to read and a bit different than some other protagonists common to thriller novels.
I really enjoyed this book!!
I really enjoyed this book!!
4.5 stars
Holy moly! I did not see this ending coming. And that’s as much of a spoiler as you’ll get from me.
Sarah Slade is a published self-help author and therapist. When she finds a giant gothic house for sale in a very exclusive community, she can’t help but convince her husband Joe that they are going to buy it.
Buy it, fix it, sell it. After all, she has oodles of Instagram followers and the house has a history. A very dark history, but that only makes it more desirable, right? So what if it is a murder house. So what if the previous husband bludgeoned his wife to death in her bed, attempted to bludgeon their daughter, and then committed suicide. This is her turning point. A way to move forward.
But the house is very dark, and very unhappy to have new residents. As are the people in the town of Beacon. Something is wrong with the town and the house and it won’t be long before Sarah finds out that this wasn’t her best move.
I never ever expected this one to end up how it did. It was a read-in-a-day novel, because the only reason I put it down the night before was cause I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. Honestly, finished in fewer than 24 hours. This story kept me so entertained and wanting to know what was next. It was spectacular.
Congrats Ms Matlin on your debut novel. If this is just the start, you have great things ahead.
Holy moly! I did not see this ending coming. And that’s as much of a spoiler as you’ll get from me.
Sarah Slade is a published self-help author and therapist. When she finds a giant gothic house for sale in a very exclusive community, she can’t help but convince her husband Joe that they are going to buy it.
Buy it, fix it, sell it. After all, she has oodles of Instagram followers and the house has a history. A very dark history, but that only makes it more desirable, right? So what if it is a murder house. So what if the previous husband bludgeoned his wife to death in her bed, attempted to bludgeon their daughter, and then committed suicide. This is her turning point. A way to move forward.
But the house is very dark, and very unhappy to have new residents. As are the people in the town of Beacon. Something is wrong with the town and the house and it won’t be long before Sarah finds out that this wasn’t her best move.
I never ever expected this one to end up how it did. It was a read-in-a-day novel, because the only reason I put it down the night before was cause I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. Honestly, finished in fewer than 24 hours. This story kept me so entertained and wanting to know what was next. It was spectacular.
Congrats Ms Matlin on your debut novel. If this is just the start, you have great things ahead.
dark
mysterious
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
I’m conflicted with how to rate this. At times I enjoyed it and other times I was annoyed.
Make sure you have some time when you start this book… because you won’t be able to stop! This book drew me in with its beautiful cover and the inside was even better. This is one of those books that no matter how many times you’ve “figured it out” there is always more waiting for you in the next chapter.
This DEBUT novel for Lisa Matlin is a must read!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book release: Sep. 26.
This DEBUT novel for Lisa Matlin is a must read!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book release: Sep. 26.
The Stranger Upstairs committed an egregious crime. It bored me to tears.
A 4.5, really. Lisa, I'm so proud of you! This book is truly an excellent debut, and I'm so glad the world gets to read it! Sorry, it took me so long.
Overall, though, a great read. I loved the setting, the characters, and the slow descent into insanity. It had me on the edge of my seat!
Overall, though, a great read. I loved the setting, the characters, and the slow descent into insanity. It had me on the edge of my seat!
Social media influencer Sarah Slade and her husband buy an infamous murder house in the neighborhood of her dreams. They hope to renovate and flip the property for profit, but the unfriendly neighbors want the house to be bulldozed. When strange things begin to happen, is the house haunted? Or is it the bad neighbors? Could it be something more sinister? As this seems like any typical Hollywood horror movie and something sinister lives within the house this seems far from what I was expecting and actually had me shocked at the end.
The author did a great job with pacing and kept me on my toes until the end.
The author did a great job with pacing and kept me on my toes until the end.