Ratings59
Average rating3.5
I loved the way this book handled true crime, trauma, and family relationships. And one main twists really threw me initially. I devoured this book. I think the main reason I didn't give it five stars was the sentient house consuming the mother/subsuming the protag's mother. Maybe I didn't realize fully what kind of horror book it was going in? For some reason that particular twist felt almost goofy to me. That being said, that particular twist was kinda inherent to the book, and I enjoyed the book quit a bit. I think Gailey just needs to keep writing, eventually her endings will get as good as the rest of the book. ( also I get more books that way.)
surprisingly i enjoyed a “haunted house” story! i loved the serial killer elements in this story and the complex parental relationships. the end also really really ate and the twist of it all had me gagged. it was so smart and clever. THE WRITING?! phenomenal. sarah gailey is just such a talented writer.
Ok the final act of this went to places I never in a TRILLION years would have expected. That final act alone, I would imagine, is going to be the thing that sways your opinion. For me, it took “Just Like Home” from a four star read to a five. For others I'd imagine it'll bring it down a star or two. Either way it's very much worth the ride.
The rating is not a reflection of the quality of the book but my personal feelings toward it. In terms of the plot and characters, objectively, the author did an excellent job. I just didn't really find it a very enjoyable read overall.
I really liked the first part of the book when the mystery was unfolding, but as we were finding out more about the past I kept feeling like some details were upon a reader to infer rather than actually showing it to us, and that just didn't work for me unfortunately. I didn't particularly love where the plot went in the last 15-20%. I felt like it went a bit abstract and I had some problems visualizing some scenes depicted in the end so my mind kept wandering off. I actually put my audiobook at a higher speed at that point and just tried to finish it quickly so that might have contributed.
I will definitely check out other books from this author because I really did find the book very well written, it just didn't really work for me in terms of plot.
Did I enjoy this? No.
Did it engross me? Yes. Did it disturb TF out of me? Also yes.
I think this did what it was supposed to but it was too creepy/disturbing for me to enjoy. I'm rating it high because otherwise this was a well structured and interesting story.
I loved the creepy house vibes. The mysterious relationship with the mom was good. The reason for the dad's absence was obvious, but there managed to be a twist with that. The ending and character development was disappointing, but that is just my preference.
I've been sitting on this review for a little while and mulling over it. The first half of this book was a solid 4 (even 4.5) star. It was dark, disturbing, made me feel uncomfortable (like a good horror is supposed to do). But THAT ENDING! WTF?!? I still feel a little sore about it.
Vera comes back to the house her father built to take care of her dying mother. The house holds complicated feelings for her as it was a place of great joy, but also great, disturbing pain. But something in the house will not leave Vera undisturbed - could it be the slightly creepy lodger living in the shed? A dark, unnatural evil under her bed? Or all the bodies buried in the basement?
Love the cover! Love the premise! Love the writing! Not happy with the end reveal. Would love to know your thoughts on it.
Genuinely weird and unsettling in ways I hadn't expected. Shades of Usher and Hill House but very much its own unique twisted jewel.
loved this book and it was just such a good read for me and i loved the horror in the book and how the ending came together.
While listening to this book, I came up with a really fun game:
Take a shot every time:
-Vera mentions something along the lines of “my father built this house”
-The words “grease” and “lemonade” is mentioned
-Vera snaps her fingers four times
-You find yourself saying “What the fuck?”
I really liked this book, until I didn't.
Pros:
Sarah Gailey is an amazing author. I loved Echo Wife.
I did not predict the ending, but that doesn't mean I liked it.
I loved Francis. IDGAF, he's dad of the year. Dad of the century, even.
Cons:
Fuck Daphne
The repetition of so many phrases and words
That stupid plot twist
Really did not like that it was the house ITSELF that was haunting Daphne and protecting Vera but I like that I had no idea what was gonna happen. I also hate James. Why is he here? To be a nuisance? Because it worked. There's also a lot of little plot points that we get no explanation to. I find myself wondering just exactly what happened to Francis, or even Brandon. I found myself speculating too much, and I wish I just told what happened.
3/5 stars, docked points for the repetition and goofy ending.
Rating: 3.75 leaves out of 5Characters: 4/5 Cover: 3/5Story: 3.5/5Writing: 4.5/5Genre: Horror/Mystery/ParanormalType: AudiobookWorth?: YesHated Disliked It Was Okay Liked Loved FavoritedWant to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to listen to this book. What a book. If you want a fast pace book with a twist then this is the book for you. There were some things I questioned about, like the house, Vera's friend, and her father. I felt like those were trails that just ended up no where. The story itself was really good but I would have liked it to be a bit longer and to have something more in depth. The concept was nice and I did enjoy it as a whole. I just thing there were some loose ends she didn't really tie up.
This book was such a mixed bag. It started of very promising and somewhere in the middle it kind of lost me. The atmosphere was great, but the character of Vera didn't really sork for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Fab cover on this one!
What a delightfully entertaining and creepy book this was. Perfect for spooky season! The writing was well done. The setting was atmospheric. The plot was an unnerving and disturbing slow burn descent into disquietude. The characters were intriguing, and that ending...oh my. Just Like Home definitely should be on your must read list!
4/5 stars
I was bamboozled by this book. I am unsure as to whether I loved or hated this book. This book nailed a lot of things, but it also failed in other aspects.
I was confused on what rating to give to this book. I really despised how slow I went for the first 150 pages. It still goes about slow after but at least it got more interesting. The first 150 pages focus on Vera going into her dying mother's room. If I had been reading it rather than listening to the audiobook this would have likely been a dnf and gone to the come back to later list.
I liked this more than I expected to.
I didn't know what it was going to be when I started because I was going into it pretty blindly and there were so many unexpected elements that really worked for me!
Sarah Gailey is a must-read author for me, and Just Like Home once again proves why - every genre they choose to tackle feels like the one they have been writing in forever. Their prose is gorgeous, their protagonists complicated and unforgettable, and their stories take me places I couldn't imagine.
This particular novel is fully gothic horror, with the creepy house, the potentially dangerous stranger, the mother near death - all the things the genre requires. But because it's Gailey, it's so much more - lonliness, anger, jealousy, and the core question, “Who is the monster”. This is a slow burn, so be prepared to be patient, soak in the atmosphere, and wait for the scares to start.