Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. Life has happened. Things have changed. This blog remains. That’s my quick summary of how events have unfolded for me recently. I’m doing fine and have a lot to look forward to, but transitions are rarely easy. Thankfully, I have books as my steadfast coping mechanism. There are plenty of spooky books to read this October. It’s time the newest addition, We Used to Live Here.

Content Warning: Violence, Some Gore, Disturbing Imagery, Some Strong Language

Eve and her girlfriend Charlie bought an old house to renovate and resell. Eve finds the old house unsettling, but reminds herself that this is only temporary. One night, when Eve is alone in the house, she finds her dealing with some unexpected guests. A man who claims to have once lived in the house wants to give his family a tour. Despite her worry, Eve decides it wouldn’t be so bad to let this man take a trip down memory lane. Once the family sets foot in the house, everything goes wrong. The youngest child goes missing. The layout of the house changes. A ghostly figure appears. Terrified, Eve tries to get the family to leave the house but they don’t seem to want to leave. Worst of all, Charlie goes missing. Eve fears that she is going insane as her reality begins to change and the house won’t let her go.

We Used to Live Here is such an interesting take on the classic “the house is wrong” trope. It’s part liminal space horror, part supernatural horror, and part internet mystery all wrapped up in a dynamic narrative. Marcus Kliewer does a great job toying with ambiguity throughout this novel. That, to me, is what makes a story truly scary, or unsettling, at least. There is just enough in the material to give you a good idea of what’s happening, but there is not enough to give you any certaintly as to what is actually happening. There’s also these random little mysteries planted throughout the book, like Morse code lines, that make it all the more intriguing. It combines a lot of the things I like about online “creepypastas” without being obnoxious or heavy handed. It’s safe to say that I truly enjoyed We Used to Live Here and think you should add it to your TBR pile ASAP.