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A review by mrsrccockrell
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
4.0
I'm trying to write this review while the book is still fresh in my mind (I just put it down), but that's difficult because I'm still in shock from the ending. This is a suspense novel that has everything you want it to have: a spunky protagonist with an unclear backstory, switching points of view so that you get every character's perspective on the situation, an unreliable narrator, family drama, childhood desperation, dangerous obsession, and possibly my favorite element, a cult!
This novel doesn't quite pack the same punch as The Silent Patient, The Woman in the Window, or a thriller by Stephen King, but it does have all the subtle psychological aspects that you'd want a true suspense novel to have. The way the plot is structured ensures that you'll be hooked up until the very end, and just when you think everything is coming to a succinct close, there's just a bit more to surprise you. It's a great story with an eclectic and interesting cast of characters worth investing in.
This novel doesn't quite pack the same punch as The Silent Patient, The Woman in the Window, or a thriller by Stephen King, but it does have all the subtle psychological aspects that you'd want a true suspense novel to have. The way the plot is structured ensures that you'll be hooked up until the very end, and just when you think everything is coming to a succinct close, there's just a bit more to surprise you. It's a great story with an eclectic and interesting cast of characters worth investing in.