We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer Published by Transworld Digital on 18th June 2024
Genres: Horror
Pages: 312
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.
As soon as the strangers enter their home, inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?
I reread We Used to Live Here recently and I realised that I didn’t previously take the time to write a review, so I’m correcting that now because I need to gush about how fun this book is.
Right from the start, We Used to Live Here is creepy and eerie. I was immediately on the edge of my seat from the moment the weirdo family knocked on Eve’s door and asked to look around. Eve was nice enough to let them in because she felt a bit pressured without her partner there but let me tell you, that could NOT be me. I wouldn’t have even answered the door, like the true millennial that I am.
The book has a fiery pace which builds and builds, and by the end the entire thing is completely unhinged and I love it. I had so much fun trying to figure out the codes the first time, and then when I checked out the subreddit dedicated to this universe, I realised that I had missed a lot and I paid even more attention the second time around.
I haven’t really dug into the subreddit community yet but I can see that people are having loads of fun trying to figure out all the mysteries. I don’t think you need to join the subreddit to have fun, either. I think it’s just as enjoyable trying to figure out the clues by yourself, or even ignoring the clues and just having a great time with the main text.
One thing that I had forgotten about after reading the book the first time was how awful I felt for Eve and Charlie. Please just let them be happy, Marcus!
We Used to Live Here is very scary in places but the main draw of the book, for me, is the eerie feeling that’s present from the start. I recently said to friends that this was 5/5 on the eerie scale but only a 4/5 on the scary scale. Do with that what you will.
Read We Used to Live Here for a chaotic, eerie, creepy, and wild time.
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