Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my free digital ARC of this one! I read a lot of emotionally weighty ‘no plot just vibes’ fiction, so I do occasionally like to pick up a book which I know will be all plot, plenty of action, and I’m just here to be entertained. That’s exactly what I was looking for when I requested We Used to Live Here on Netgalley, a horror novel about a queer couple who flip old houses and get more than they bargained for with an isolated house in the mountains - and I’m glad to report that’s what I got! I’ve seen other reviews talk about plot holes and I’ll be fully honest, I wasn’t looking for any. I was reading to be scared (I was) and so in my view this book was a success!

I like it when horror novels incorporate documents, interviews, articles etc, something Marcus Kliewer does here to great effect. A few of the mixed media pieces included did leave me scratching my head at their relevance, but everything contributed to the creepy, otherworldly, unexplained mystery vibes that We Used to Live Here is Built around. In fact, me being confused may even have improved it, as it put me on similar footing to the MC Eve, who is constantly being gaslit and unsure of what’s real and what’s in her head.

A rollercoaster of a ride, quite a few genuinely creepy moments that made me very glad my girlfriend was at home with me while I was reading, and overall just atmospheric vibes which is all I really was looking for!