We Used to Live Here: A Novel

Had to look up forum threads to understand the plot, definitely requires a re-reading. Well-thought out and enjoyable!

As per the dedication, a very nostalgic read likely to resonate in the hearts of any one of my generation who voraciously consumed NoSleeps, back in the day when NoSleeps were still worth reading. The creep-factor is definitely there. I thought the author wrote horror very well. But the hidden messages and the little SCP-type bits in the interludes all made this a 4 star read for me! I really loved the craftsmanship. The Old House was also giving me strong throwbacks to Control in all the right ways, which makes sense as that game is also heavily inspired by SCPs (incredible video game!). The only reason I wouldn’t give this book 5 stars is because the story did drag at times, and even with a semi-definitive conclusion woven into the cliff-hanger, the ending still left me with lots of questions. To be fair, that’s very true to the nature of this genre!

"We Used to Live Here" left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. The plot and storyline were solid, showcasing good content and character development, which I appreciated. However, the presentation felt lacking and left me a bit confused about certain events. I can’t help but wonder if my attention span played a role in this, but several moments just didn't connect for me. Despite the hype surrounding it, I expected a more engaging experience. Overall, it was decent, but not the show-stopping experience I had hoped for.

Eve is home alone when a family turns up on her doorstep asking to come in and take a look around. The father used to live there and wants to show his family. Against her better judgement, Eve lets them in and thus begins a strange and seemingly never-ending visit that throws everything Eve knows, or things she knows, into question. It is the family that's strange or is it the house? Or maybe it's Eve. “Those people in your house… that’s not what they look like,” he said, talking more to the trees than to her. “W-what?” Eve wasn’t sure if she’d heard him right. He looked directly at her; his eyes were filled with a different type of dread now. Nothing like the manic anxiety from moments before. No, this was the kind of long-lived, substrate terror that digs in during childhood and gnaws at your bones and skin and keeps eating away until you’re rotting in the dirt. This was a very creepy, slow-burn. I was never quite sure what was going on and I felt like I was locked inside Eve's head as she was slowly-then-quickly losing her mind. I listened to most of it on a 4-hour drive and I was riveted.

That shit was wack, idek what to think/write. Even though the premise was pretty out there, the writing was strong and I was on the edge of my seat the whole book.