Recently, the topic of horror novels came up when my wife and I were discussing our recent reads. When I was a boy, I read horror novels all the time: Stephen King and Dean Koontz mostly, with a smattering of other horror novels mixed in for variety. As an adult, my horror consumption has dropped a little bit. About ten years ago, I read the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft; More recently, I read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Apart from that I’ve mostly been reading weird esoteric books and nonfiction.

Last week, I checked out a copy of We Used to Live Here, by Marcus Kliewer, from my local public library’s eLibrary. This book sucked me in immediately. By the end of the first chapter, I was immersed in the world of the book; over the next two days, I found it difficult to put down, plowing through pages at every opportunity and constantly trying to figure out what was happening to the characters and what would come next.

I’m going to be vague about the plot because I don’t want to spoil anything. The main character of the book inhabits a reality that is shifting and uncertain even at baseline; the events of the book, the places she finds herself, further weaken her foundations and send her on a surreal and frightening journey through a world that dissolves the logic of continuity that we humans have come to expect from our lives.

This book reminded me why I like a good horror novel. The world that Kliewer creates is truly eerie. It’s reminiscent of our daily lives; as someone who grew up in the deeply weird and haunted woods of Maine, and as someone who has journeyed through some of the inscrutable Pacific Northwest, this book spoke to me. The plot unfolds suspensefully, building dramatic tension and keeping me engaged with the book. And the events of the story are pleasantly disorienting in the way that good horror should be.

The ending of this book neatly ties off the story arc. I have more to say about it, but I don’t want to spoil the ending in any way or color your opinion of it too much if you decide to read this book on your own.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed We Used to Live Here. If you’ve ever enjoyed a horror story before, go buy a copy on Bookshop (not an affiliate link) or check it out from your local public library. You’ll be glad you did.