I was completely captivated from the premise, the first page and to the very last. Kliewer weaves a psychological thriller that took my breath away and had my heart thinking it raced a marathon.
When Eve, new co-owner of a house on Heritage Lane, number to be determined… opens the door to a sweet family looking to revisit the father’s family home, she desperately wants to say no and worked up the courage and fake use of her partner, to say it. Unfortunately, circumstances made them refuse and come in anyway, creating an anxiety driven and stressful situation for the homeowner.
Thomas, the father who revealed that he grew up there with his sister many years before, shows his young family around the property while winter weather worsens outside. The storm matches the internal storm of Eve as she eagerly anticipates the return of her partner, Charlie, who is running late. When she finally arrives, after the youngest of Thomas child goes missing, road closures are announced and the stay is prolonged.
With discoveries of the old house comes more intrigue and despair as the group of strangers twist their simple lives in knots, leaving Eve and Charlie mystified by the unravelling of what they thought was real.
With discoveries of the old house comes more intrigue and despair as the group of strangers twist their simple lives in knots, leaving Eve and Charlie mystified by the unravelling of what they thought was real. With references to the Mandela Effect, ancient toys we all remember so well and never really know where they went, and historical documents that add to the depth of the fictional tale, the pace and storytelling are masterful.
While every situation led to more questions, doubts and mistrust of my own sanity, I rooted for each character and, while knowing all the answers wouldn’t be discovered, still hoped for everything to just be OK. Captivated until the very last moment, this book will haunt me… and then I’ll watch the Netflix movie and reopen old wounds.
Captivated until the very last moment, this book will haunt me… and then I’ll watch the Netflix movie and reopen old wounds.
Marcus Kliewer is a writer and stop-motion animator. His debut novel We Used to Live Here began life as a serialized short story on Reddit, where it won the Scariest Story of 2021 award on the NoSleep forum (eighteen million members). Film rights were snapped up by Netflix, and it was acquired by Simon & Schuster in the US for publication even before it had been extended into a full-length novel. He lives in Vancouver, Canada.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (June 18, 2024)
Paperback 6″ x 9″ | 320 pages
ISBN: 9781982198787
I am a struggling artist, a challenging and challenged mother who always thinks she is failing, an emerging freelance writer and reporter, an author with my name on several books crossing genres and always hoping to find more readers who enjoy them.
I am also a successful artist, a wonderful and thriving mother of one, a reacher towards both people and dreams despite all of the turned backs and obstacles in my way. I am a thriving freelance writer and reporter, an author loved by enough readers to make it worthwhile and a discombobulated conundrum who loves to hear new music, tell new tales and meet new authors. And I’m doing something I always dreamed of doing – reviewing books to support others as well as myself and my family.