We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (2024)

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (2024)

An off-the-wall horror that goes from creeping dread to insanity.

Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars

Plot: Charlie and Eve flip houses together and have just moved into an old house to start renovating it. One day, Eve answers the door to find a man who claims to have lived in the house growing up. With his wife and children in tow, he asks if they can pop in for a quick tour. Hesitant at first, Eve lets them in expecting a quick visit. Hours later, Charlie still isn’t home and the family is still there. Unexplained things start happening that make Eve question her sanity.

Analysis: This book was super engaging and unsettling and I was totally invested. It kept me entertained for a 7 hour drive, but I actually wish I had read the physical book instead of listening to it because towards the end, it got suuuuper weird and trippy. There was a jump into a totally different tone and I’m not sure what was real and exactly what the message was supposed to be. This honestly felt like a way better version of House of Leaves with its surreal horror and uncertain conclusion.

I ended up not really loving the twist and the ending, which is unfortunate since I enjoyed the rest of the book quite a bit. There’s just so many unanswered questions and potential lore to unpack. I would love if this became a series so I could dig deeper into the conspiracy. I almost gave this a 3.5 because of the conclusion (or lack thereof) but I settled on a 4 because the rest of the book deserves high marks and this book lingered in my head for days after I finished it. I’d recommend it for fans of the bizarre, but this book isn’t for everyone.