Scan barcode
emkral22's review against another edition
3.0
Free eARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher for reviewing purposes!
This one was kind of tough. I was excited by the premise- an influencer buys a #murderhouse to renovate for content and sell for profit, but is it haunted? Did the house have something to do with why the previous owner killed his wife and then himself? But I didn't think it was executed very well. There were lots of threads that never seemed to really pan out, the main character is terribly unlikeable- from the first 10% I considered DNF-ing because I had no interest in hearing any more about what a bad person she was. And then when everything was said and done in the end, I was pretty disappointed with the explanation, I felt like with the epilogue the author tried to create more of a spooky ending, and it just didn't work for me. 2.5 stars rounded up (and it's only rounded up because it takes place in Australia so there was a little novelty of the foreign setting for me)
This one was kind of tough. I was excited by the premise- an influencer buys a #murderhouse to renovate for content and sell for profit, but is it haunted? Did the house have something to do with why the previous owner killed his wife and then himself? But I didn't think it was executed very well. There were lots of threads that never seemed to really pan out, the main character is terribly unlikeable- from the first 10% I considered DNF-ing because I had no interest in hearing any more about what a bad person she was. And then when everything was said and done in the end, I was pretty disappointed with the explanation, I felt like with the epilogue the author tried to create more of a spooky ending, and it just didn't work for me. 2.5 stars rounded up (and it's only rounded up because it takes place in Australia so there was a little novelty of the foreign setting for me)
mbpiersa's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Good story and twists. Wasn't a fan of the main character though.
readingoutdoors's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Murder
sfminhas1's review
4.0
This book is a bit more creepier than I expected but a great debut. I’m also happy the cat survived :)
wilsonkayla's review
The Stranger Upstairs: Therapist, self-help writer, and influencer Sarah Slade moves with her husband to Black Wood House, the scene of a grisly murder/suicide, hoping they can flip it and recover their dwindling savings. Her marriage is secretly crumbling, her drinking is out of control, and soon she feels a presence in the house. Between the secrets about the house and the secrets Sarah harbors, she is alone and adrift, wondering if she is losing her mind.
Important announcement: The cat lives!
There were some things that didn’t work for me. And I absolutely think the marketing is partly to blame. I had a way different expectation going in, and that is in no way the fault of the book. However. TSU had a lot going on and maybe I would have liked if it had picked maybe two of those things. At the end I was a little confused. Is the house haunted or not? Please make a choice and stick to it. But damn was I tense reading this book! The atmosphere was extremely foreboding and I was sufficiently freaked out. So I got what I wanted from the book. But the more I think back, the more I’m wondering “wtf even happened?” and I think my main issue is a lack of commitment to…anything. I don’t want to do spoilers, but the end was almost a choose your own adventure situation. I also didn’t love the sort of vilification of mental illness. IDK, this was just not for me.
Important announcement: The cat lives!
There were some things that didn’t work for me. And I absolutely think the marketing is partly to blame. I had a way different expectation going in, and that is in no way the fault of the book. However. TSU had a lot going on and maybe I would have liked if it had picked maybe two of those things. At the end I was a little confused. Is the house haunted or not? Please make a choice and stick to it. But damn was I tense reading this book! The atmosphere was extremely foreboding and I was sufficiently freaked out. So I got what I wanted from the book. But the more I think back, the more I’m wondering “wtf even happened?” and I think my main issue is a lack of commitment to…anything. I don’t want to do spoilers, but the end was almost a choose your own adventure situation. I also didn’t love the sort of vilification of mental illness. IDK, this was just not for me.
jraemo's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lindseyyj26's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookaholic_jasmine's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0