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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
Instagram influencer Sarah has recently bought Black Wood House. A house where a gruesome husband-wife murder-suicide took place. A house that is said to have been vacant ever since. Sarah and her husband move in with hopes to renovate the old house for likes, validation, and most importantly, a profit, although the townspeople would rather bulldoze it down.
The longer Sarah stays in Black Wood House, the worse things seem to get. Sarah is convinced the neighbours have it in for her, that the house is alive, and does not want to be repaired. And then the footsteps start. The notes appear. Someone seems to know an awful lot about Sarah, things that no one else should know, things that Sarah wants to keep hidden. It's not just the house that has a dark past, Sarah has a secret history of her own.
For a debut novel, this was a brilliant read. Part horror, part thriller. I could not put this book down. I really enjoyed the creepy setting and creepier goings-on in the house. Sarah became such an unreliable narrator as she spiralled out of control. I loved the blog posts and articles and how they were interspersed throughout, leading to a sense of foreboding and dread. And the ending? Didn't see that one coming at all!
Plus, what about that beautiful cover? I'd have bought the book for that alone!
The longer Sarah stays in Black Wood House, the worse things seem to get. Sarah is convinced the neighbours have it in for her, that the house is alive, and does not want to be repaired. And then the footsteps start. The notes appear. Someone seems to know an awful lot about Sarah, things that no one else should know, things that Sarah wants to keep hidden. It's not just the house that has a dark past, Sarah has a secret history of her own.
For a debut novel, this was a brilliant read. Part horror, part thriller. I could not put this book down. I really enjoyed the creepy setting and creepier goings-on in the house. Sarah became such an unreliable narrator as she spiralled out of control. I loved the blog posts and articles and how they were interspersed throughout, leading to a sense of foreboding and dread. And the ending? Didn't see that one coming at all!
Plus, what about that beautiful cover? I'd have bought the book for that alone!
When I said I DEVOURED this book!!!
Loved it. I LIVE for an unreliable, chaotic main character, and this one DELIVERED.
And the element of the unknown???? GIVE ME MORE.
I loved the authors note at the end, too. Brava, Lisa!!
Loved it. I LIVE for an unreliable, chaotic main character, and this one DELIVERED.
And the element of the unknown???? GIVE ME MORE.
I loved the authors note at the end, too. Brava, Lisa!!
this book was really good and also thoroughly scared me for the last 20%. i was so intrigued the entire time and desperately needed to understand the crime. literally only 1 out of ~10 predictions was right and that made it even more fun and shocking. unpacking every piece of this story and realizing just how much i was fooled made this such an enjoyable read. i may have been scared, but this plot unraveled in such a well done manner and had me on the edge of my seat.
p.s. everyone should be terrified of sarah slade she’s a psychopath (it’s giving none of this is true vibes)
p.p.s. JUSTICE FOR EMILY!!!!!!
p.s. everyone should be terrified of sarah slade she’s a psychopath (it’s giving none of this is true vibes)
p.p.s. JUSTICE FOR EMILY!!!!!!
This is Lisa Martin’s debut novel and it’s the perfect start to spooky season. What’s spookier than a haunted house. Don’t let the pretty cover fool you because it’s dark and twisty inside. This was a fast paced read for me. It gave me The Watcher vibes. There were a few times it felt like it drug out a little bit but the ending had me totally fooled. Thank you so much NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for this ARC
challenging
dark
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
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Haunted house on steroids'. This was good mystery with a little fantasy. The love story was lacking.
I liked the ending but did not love the e3pilogue.
I received this galley from NetGalley.
I liked the ending but did not love the e3pilogue.
I received this galley from NetGalley.
The Stranger Upstairs was a great psychological thriller debut. I loved the setting of this book which is a haunted house that had a gruesome murder in it 40 years ago. Sarah, the main character, is a social media influencer who goes into the house to fix it up. This book kept me guessing until the end and was a book that kept me up late into the night. I look forward to what Lisa writes next! I recommend reader's check this out in September once it is released!