A review by sannesbooks
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I think I might be into horror books? I normally don't read horror. The reason why I picked up this book is because I thought it was a thriller. I think the book cover and description were a little misleading. Because of this, I thought it would be more of a domestic thriller/mystery book. So, I did not expect this but I am really glad I picked it up because it was amazing. The first part of the book (the majority of the book) however is more thriller-ish. The last part is horror. I read this book so fast. I couldn't stop reading it.

Don't expect big revelations at the end, there will still be a lot of unanswered questions, and I really enjoyed that actually. I think answering these questions would not have changed this story for the better. In my opinion, the unanswered questions leave more to the imagination, and therefore make it more spooky.

I like the concept of the book. It gave me a little bit of a Coroline (by Neil Gaiman) vibe but for adults. Coraline already traumatised me as a kid. This book definitely scared me as well,. It also gave me new fears, highlighting some underrepresented mental illnesses and distortions. Also, psych wards and hospital already give me the creeps in real life.