Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa Matlin releases on September 11th, 2023.
Sarah Slade and her husband have just bought a new house, but this new house is special. This new house was once home to a murderer who killed his wife and attempted to kill his daughter. Their intent is to renovate the house sell it with the hope of making a generous profit — and the neighbors are not happy about it. They want the home to be demolished. It doesn’t take long for weird things to begin happening and it doesn’t take long until Sarah is driven to madness.
Okay, I’m going to start out by saying this book is creepy. It was one of those books that I couldn’t read while home alone because I felt like I was starting to hear things. It’s a fun story and Lisa seamlessly makes you feel like you are losing your mind as our main character, Sarah Slade, does. It is truly interesting in how immersed I became in this book.
The writing can be a little choppy at times, but I think that has more to do with it being set in Australia and me not being used to the language they use. It doesn’t take away from the book, it is still a relatively fast-paced story and one I foresee myself recommending for anyone who wants to read something that will give them goosebumps.
This book is definitely going to be a good one for spooky season. I recommend going in blind - it is so much fun to watch all the mysteries unravel.
Sarah Slade and her husband have just bought a new house, but this new house is special. This new house was once home to a murderer who killed his wife and attempted to kill his daughter. Their intent is to renovate the house sell it with the hope of making a generous profit — and the neighbors are not happy about it. They want the home to be demolished. It doesn’t take long for weird things to begin happening and it doesn’t take long until Sarah is driven to madness.
Okay, I’m going to start out by saying this book is creepy. It was one of those books that I couldn’t read while home alone because I felt like I was starting to hear things. It’s a fun story and Lisa seamlessly makes you feel like you are losing your mind as our main character, Sarah Slade, does. It is truly interesting in how immersed I became in this book.
The writing can be a little choppy at times, but I think that has more to do with it being set in Australia and me not being used to the language they use. It doesn’t take away from the book, it is still a relatively fast-paced story and one I foresee myself recommending for anyone who wants to read something that will give them goosebumps.
This book is definitely going to be a good one for spooky season. I recommend going in blind - it is so much fun to watch all the mysteries unravel.
dark
mysterious
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
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the deeply flawed and somewhat villainous main character in this book. I also liked the pacing of the story and the way the drama unfolded. I never quite knew what was really going on and there were multiple twists in the plot. I appreciated the authors note about mental health at the end of the book and the small excerpt about her own life and road to writing this book. I love a good twisty thriller :)
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Damn, did not expect that ending at all! Damn attics!
It took a while for me to get into this book. I thought it was going to be a DNF.
It picked up as the book went on, but the characters aren't super likeable. I want to root for someone when I read books and I struggled here.
2.5 rounded up to 3
It picked up as the book went on, but the characters aren't super likeable. I want to root for someone when I read books and I struggled here.
2.5 rounded up to 3
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Confusing epilogue left me with more questions
I felt this book had a lot going on. It was a unique story but felt rushed towards the end.