Rating 5/5
Happy Halloween all! Hope today has been a day filled with trick n treating and fancy dress. Or if you’re like me a marathon of scary movies, console games and of course books.
As before I decided to commemorate my favourite holiday with a horror themed review and luckily found just what I needed from Marcus Kliewer’s We Used to Live Here (2024)
Starting out as a serialised short story on Reddit, We Use to Live Here is a horror mystery novel that follows couple, Eve and Charlie, who are visited by the former owners of their new home, wishing one final tour before leaving for greener pastures. An innocent request. However, upon being let in, the family begins exhibiting odd behaviour, leading Eve to question whether her concerns are justifiable or down to simple paranoia.
Out of most of the horror books I’ve read this year, We Used to Live Here has proven to be the most gripping from beginning to end. If you are a fan of creepypasta stories you will enjoy this urban legend, SCP influenced story that isn’t shy to break writing style boundaries. Kliewer mixes traditional prose with online forums, articles and even Morse code to create this almost case like record on the house and the family that once lived within it. He also maintains a sense of unease with his ‘to the point’ description, slowly building a tension I found so alluring. For example, there is a moment in the story where the main lead, Eve attempts to contact her partner from a neighbour’s phone, which is located at the end of a hallway. When the phone rings and the neighbour urges her to answer it, she notices a door that had been closed previously is now slightly open and despite the neighbour claiming to live alone Eve is hesitant to answer the call. Ever had that moment in a horror film where you’re telling the protagonist not to do that thing you suspect they’ll do. Yeah. That was how intense that moment was for me. And with a character like Eve it certainly demonstrates the vibe Kliewer is creating.
For me, I found myself relating a lot to Eve and her issues with paranoia and social awkwardness. Her fears, uncertainties and determination towards the uncanny are authentic. Readers genuinely want to follow her down the rabbit hole but are also terrified to know what’s down there. They are kept guessing over her fate as the story progresses. Is there something strange going on in the house or is it all in Eve’s head? And by the end readers will be left gob-smacked.
In my opinion, We Use to Live Here is an intense, well crafted story that will be on readers minds throughout the night, wondering if their reality is truly ever their own.
Comments