A review by vampfang
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

5.0

i loved this book!!! when i read hill house i went in expecting something completely different and didn't really get to appreciate shirley jackson's writing, but i went into this with no expectations and really enjoyed it. the writing reminds me of stuff i would read as a kid, though i can't put my finger on why exactly. i think i read a lot of books about weird girls. anyway, this book was so beautifully written and i really connected with merricat. finding out that

Spoiler

merricat killed her family

was such a big plot twist, and while the thought had crossed my mind i definitely wasn't prepared for it. i thought the ending was really sweet + i loved how it connected back to merricat's dreams of living on the moon. i am kind of confused why people always list it as horror though since it was not scary at all nor did it intend to be , although i do see remnants of jackson's approach to hill house in the way merricat and constance often personify their house—or really, their castle (i was so confused about the title for a while). this book made me happier than a book has in a long time, and i'm so glad i finally got around to reading it after wanting to for at least five years (and even having the book for seven months). jonas my beloved <3