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Ghoul School Book Club

Ghoul School Bookclub is an in person group in Elgin/St. Charles/Geneva IL that explores various subgenres of horror from classics to modern works.

This Thing Between Us

"A surreal excursion into heartache and horror narrated by a man undone by grief . . . Along with allusions to Rod Serling and The Exorcist, there are shades of H. P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, zombie literature and, at least once, A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy . . . You don't want to read this book right before bed." —Sarah Lyall, The New York Times Book Review

“This intense cosmic horror with a touch of Mexican American folklore is incredibly creepy and moving.” —Margaret Kingsbury, BuzzFeed

It was Vera’s idea to buy the Itza. The “world’s most advanced smart speaker!” didn’t interest Thiago, but Vera thought it would be a bit of fun for them amidst all the strange occurrences happening in the condo. It made things worse. The cold spots and scratching in the walls were weird enough, but peculiar packages started showing up at the house—who ordered industrial lye? Then there was the eerie music at odd hours, Thiago waking up to Itza projecting light shows in an empty room.

It was funny and strange right up until Vera was killed, and Thiago’s world became unbearable. Pundits and politicians all looking to turn his wife’s death into a symbol for their own agendas. A barrage of texts from her well-meaning friends about letting go and moving on. Waking to the sound of Itza talking softly to someone in the living room . . .

The only thing left to do was get far away from Chicago. Away from everything and everyone. A secluded cabin in Colorado seemed like the perfect place to hole up with his crushing grief. But soon Thiago realizes there is no escape—not from his guilt, not from his simmering rage, and not from the evil hunting him, feeding on his grief, determined to make its way into this world.

A bold, original horror novel about grief, loneliness and the oppressive intimacy of technology, This Thing Between Us marks the arrival of a spectacular new talent.

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Published Oct 12, 2021

272 pages

Average rating: 7.11

97 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

ediehas
Feb 28, 2025
8/10 stars
really enjoyed this one. loved the dread and creepiness. at times the second person story telling was either confusing or disjointed, and the story from the beginning fell away for a bit until the latter third of the book, but that might be a me-thing because i read it so sporadically and lost the thread. great depiction of the confusion of grief and how consuming it can be. overall a well-told horror story.
ire.ne
Feb 02, 2025
9/10 stars
A great book for me to delve into as I try getting back into reading -- couldn't put it down. Gus Moreno can WRITE. The end got a little choppy for me but everything up to that point was a solid ten.
SydneyBee
Jan 22, 2025
10/10 stars
Best book I’ve read of 2024 so far. Exorcist vibes for sure and a deep thinker.
I feel like the “wall” is a metaphor for a lot of different things. Grief? Death? Life itself?
Trippy can be hard to pull off without being confusing, and this book did a pretty darn good job of it. There were pages I’d have to re read a few times to get the idea of it, but I feel like that’s what makes it the thriller that it is.
Loved every twist and graphic eerie turn. I hate watching scary movies but I loveeee a scary book. If this ever gets turned into a movie I’ll be the first in line at the theater.
Chuckstafer
Feb 02, 2024
10/10 stars
So good! The premise of a possessed Alexa-type device intrigued me, but this story was a bit more than advertised (in a good way). It was at times graphic, tense, and also sad.
Erika
Oct 15, 2023
8/10 stars
A story about a young couple that moves into their very own home. Except that something disturbing occurred with the previous tenant that will upend their lives forever.

This was creepy, strange, chilling, confusing, unsettling, thought provoking, and incredibly gripping. It wasn't a straightforward plot, it had layers that really enriched the plot. This book was a great reminder that we have absolutely *no* idea about what lies beyond.

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