Scan barcode
A review by librariangeorgia
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am a big fan of Sager’s books that I was so honoured to receive an advanced copy of his latest book.
And wow what a book it was!
I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had me enraptured from the opening chapter.
Though, I did think that Casey was an absolute weirdo - I mean, who sits watching inside peoples houses? Add to that the fact that she's an unreliable narrator, I would usually be put off by this. However, combine that with the atmospheric descriptions of the lake, it surprisingly went really well together.
It flickers between past and present day, all in Casey's perspective. The first half of the book has a more in depth past perspective, with a few pages for the present sandwiched inbetween at various points. As you find out more about what's happened in the past, it makes you think that you understand what's happening in the brief glimpses in the present. That's not actually the case. Being kept in the dark about the true present helps with the twists in the story. The twist that I did not see coming, it was completely unexpected, yet it fit in so well with the eeriness of the story.
Sager is well know for the horror elements in his books so keep that in mind when reading this one, expect the unexpected!
Though, I did think that Casey was an absolute weirdo - I mean, who sits watching inside peoples houses? Add to that the fact that she's an unreliable narrator, I would usually be put off by this. However, combine that with the atmospheric descriptions of the lake, it surprisingly went really well together.
It flickers between past and present day, all in Casey's perspective. The first half of the book has a more in depth past perspective, with a few pages for the present sandwiched inbetween at various points. As you find out more about what's happened in the past, it makes you think that you understand what's happening in the brief glimpses in the present. That's not actually the case. Being kept in the dark about the true present helps with the twists in the story. The twist that I did not see coming, it was completely unexpected, yet it fit in so well with the eeriness of the story.
Sager is well know for the horror elements in his books so keep that in mind when reading this one, expect the unexpected!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Confinement, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Addiction, Death, and Drug use