Just Like Home

Name: Just Like Home
Rating: 6.14 (200 reviews)
ISBN: 9781250174710

A Best Horror Novel of All Time (Cosmopolitan) • WINNER of the 2023 British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel • One of the Best Horror Novels of 2022 (Vulture, Paste, NPR, and Teen Vogue) • A Belletrist Book Club pick!

Just Like Home is a darkly gothic thriller from bestselling author Sarah Gailey, perfect for fans of The Haunting of Hill House as well as true crime masterpiece I'll Be Gone in the Dark.

“Come home.” Vera’s mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of the memories — she's come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father and the bodies he buried there, beneath the house he'd built for his family.

Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren’t alone. A parasitic artist has moved into the guest house out back and is slowly stripping Vera’s childhood for spare parts. He insists that he isn’t the one leaving notes around the house in her father’s handwriting… but who else could it possibly be?

There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes.

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Published May 30, 2023

352 pages

Average rating: 6.14

200 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Just Like Home* by Sarah Gailey offers a spooky, mysterious atmosphere with a gripping premise and strong tension. Many praise the effect...

Karla

Apr 10, 2026

4/10 stars

I feel like this book had sooo much potential, it was so spooky and mysterious in the beginning. And I kept going because the story was actually good, but around 70% I was like….mmmm what’s going on …..then 90% I was like girl what the hell.

It’s a book about a serial killer’s daughter…and the house protects the daughter from the bad things her dad does…but then the house is also a real life creature that’s haunted her since she was little? And the girl (now an adult) may also be a serial killer because she keeps saying she’s hungry, idk for what girl.

And the mom was such a bitch for no good reason, the reason they gave us murky. The mom was jealous the dad loved his daughter???
And then the house said something along the lines of “I’ve actually been wearing ur mom’s skin, she died forever ago. And I was trying to protect you from your mean mom but I was also mean to you so you wouldn’t suspect.”

So yeah. I’m not sure what I read and it wasn’t all that good.

ajhughes19

Dec 11, 2022

4/10 stars

This story elicited a lot of intrigue and curiosity initially but seemed not very well executed. It never really gained any sort of fluidity or momentum and notably had ideas that were not followed through with or appeared forced. The story wasn't over all bad it just could have been better written and the conclusion was quite lackluster leaving more questions than answers.

Anne Phillips

Jan 03, 2026

10/10 stars

Wowza! Breezed thought this because The story really sucked me in. My favorite Gailey book yet!

siemelle900

Nov 28, 2025

4/10 stars

I think there is a hidden meaning in some of these books and I’m just not intelligent enough to understand what those meanings are!

VicMor

Oct 26, 2025

7/10 stars

Book club liked read but felt there were so many unanswered questions. Enely: 8/10 bad ending Olga: 8/10 bad ending, unfinished business Nerea: 9/10 bad ending, confused on paranormal being Yaya: 6.5 bad ending, too goosebumps Ashley: 5.5 was engaging but the ending wasn’t expected and disappointing Victoria: 7 bad ending, too many unanswered questions