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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Went back and forth between not being a me to put it down but also not understanding exactly what the plot line was. Characters felt a little underdeveloped
This book and I... we did not get along.
Thankfully, it was short.
Not enough creepy house shenanigans. Too much entitled, self-centered, lying "influencer" main character. The ending is kind of infuriating.
Thankfully, it was short.
Not enough creepy house shenanigans. Too much entitled, self-centered, lying "influencer" main character. The ending is kind of infuriating.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
🏚️ on social media, I tend to avoid the Sarah Slade types - the therapist/self-help writer/aspiring lifestyle influencer that just made me want to swipe past
🪠 the writing was too contemporary for me, with funny quips like looking at blood stains “maybe it’s maybelline”
🐈⬛ unlikeable MCs (also kinda hated her husband, and who names a cat Reaper?)
🐨 I did like the Australia Rep
💰someone who enjoys listening to true crime podcasts might enjoy this more than I did.
🪠 the writing was too contemporary for me, with funny quips like looking at blood stains “maybe it’s maybelline”
🐈⬛ unlikeable MCs (also kinda hated her husband, and who names a cat Reaper?)
🐨 I did like the Australia Rep
💰someone who enjoys listening to true crime podcasts might enjoy this more than I did.
"The Stranger Upstairs" by Lisa M Matlin falls short in several aspects. The writing feels amateurish, with a notable absence of character development. From the outset, the characters fail to resonate, lacking depth and a redeeming arc. Despite potential, the narrative lacks the spark needed to elevate it to greatness. Overall, it leaves readers wanting for more substance and engagement.
dark
mysterious
medium-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
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:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Murder
In The Stranger Upstairs, therapist/self-help writer/aspiring lifestyle influencer Sarah Slade buys the infamous Black Wood House to flip and renovate it, hoping that the content she creates will help launch the next stage of her career and put her life back on track. However, that proves hard, as the home was the site of a murder several decades prior, and the neighbors are skeptical about having the house occupied again. Quickly, things start to go wrong at the house: Sarah finds threatening notes, hears footsteps in the attic in the dead of night, and grows suspicious of her standoffish neighbors. The longer Sarah is in the house, the more dire the situation becomes.
This book is definitely spooky and grisly, if a bit unbelievably so (there's still a bloodstain from the aforementioned murder in the master bedroom, after nearly 40 years later??). I also think the book would've benefitted from more extensive use of the second POV, particularly as Sarah's deteriorating mental state makes her an increasingly unreliable narrator. I usually love an unreliable narrator, but this one simply didn't make sense to me. There were still remaining pieces that confused me, which seems at odds with how quickly/tidily the story was wrapped up. More grounding outside of Sarah's POV might have helped. An atmospheric, if unsatisfying, read.
This book is definitely spooky and grisly, if a bit unbelievably so (there's still a bloodstain from the aforementioned murder in the master bedroom, after nearly 40 years later??). I also think the book would've benefitted from more extensive use of the second POV, particularly as Sarah's deteriorating mental state makes her an increasingly unreliable narrator. I usually love an unreliable narrator, but this one simply didn't make sense to me. There were still remaining pieces that confused me, which seems at odds with how quickly/tidily the story was wrapped up. More grounding outside of Sarah's POV might have helped. An atmospheric, if unsatisfying, read.