The House had quite a peculiar narrative style. Jack and Sydney, our main characters, are also our narrators. They write the story as a way of coping with the grisly events they have faced as well as figure out what to do next. It is almost a form of couple therapy too, since they end up writing as much to each other as to the one they want to read the manuscript. The narrative evolves at first as you would expect from someone who is not used to writing, gradually becoming more cohesive and culminating in a chilling diary for both parts.

The House was extremely enthralling. I could not bring myself to put it down and ended up reading it in two sittings, several hours past my usual time to turn in.

There were a few things I am still not sold on. (view spoiler)

Some things felt like plot devices to make the story move along a certain way, that the characters came across certain information only later on to cause the plot twists. For example, (view spoiler)

Other than those things, this was a superbly written book featuring very real, vulnerable characters struggling to find happiness. Even if at first I did not like Syd's voice (she came across as a wee bit bitchy and implicative), she grew on me and I felt all characters were pretty well developed, even the secondary ones.

The House is an utterly amazing read that will surely have you glued to the screen/pages, flipping them as fast as you can.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes you should look a gift horse in the mouth! Syd and Jack manage to secure their dream house against all their expectations. The seems a steal and it is as the true cost comes later. A w wonderful entertaining psychological thriller

Thanks to netgallery and the publishers for an advanced reading of The House.
After reading the description for this book I was expecting another story not to different from The Magpies ( which I loved).. this is nothing like the magpies and quite frankly I am still unsure as to why it is titled The House. The house itself has a very small part to play in the plot of this book. I found the story really quite fast paced ( not in a good way ) and a bit of a jumble . I think it would have run a lot smoother if the diary entries were dated maybe?
I don't feel like I've wasted my time reading the book however it could have been a lot better in my opinion.

I am not sure what I was expecting when I chose this title from Net Galley, but I am glad I did. I was in the mood for something creepy or suspenseful, and the cover is what drew me to this title right away. This book is written from two different perspectives, Jack and Sydney. At the beginning of the book we are brought to a snippet of a scene where it seems like something has happened that has caused the police to be watching their house; however, at this time no explanation is given because the author then brings us back to the beginning of Jack and Sydney’s story. They start off by deciding to house hunt in London and look for what they would like to be their ‘forever home.’ After finding what seems like could be their perfect place, they begin to move in only to find out that strange things are occurring in this house. Did the old owner of the home decide to up and move quickly because there was something eerie going on, is he guilty about something, or is Jack and Sydney’s past coming back to haunt them?

I really did enjoy this book, and it definitely left you guessing the entire time. I enjoyed reading from both Jack and Sydney’s perspectives, and I thought that reading from the perspectives as if it were written in a journal was a unique idea that I haven’t really seen done before. The author is obviously very talented at being able to create such an intricate detailed story with mind bending twists and turns; however, at times I almost felt there were too many plot twists. I started to get confused once I reached the halfway mark in the book, the story ended up going in a completely different direction than what I thought would happen, and then further on it turned about 3 more times. I really do enjoy a good book that messes with your mind, but if it is overdone, it could start to get confusing. I also thought some of the things that happened in this book were a little far fetched and unbelievable at times, but overall I did enjoy it.

I rated this 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, but if I could, I would give it a solid 3.5.

I am sorry but I found this book to be very irritating. I found the plot confusing and really rather stupid. I could not engage with the characters.
The plot outline gave the impression of a mystery surrounding a house, but it turned out to be a miasma of personal relationships that really began to bore. Sorry

A psychological thriller featuring a young couple - Syd and Jack.

Syd brings lots of baggage into the relationship from a trouble childhood, which is revealed in a diary style writing. Their lives become complicated when unnatural things start occurring in the house, in the streets around their house, and at Jack’s workplace.

While the plot is well developed, the characters, particularly Sydney comes off as cold and calculating.

The twists keep you interested, but I thought the ending was a bit of an anti-climax.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I give this book 3.5 stars, but will round up to 4.

I can see from other reviews that I'm in a minority to have not LOVED this book. I mean I liked it, but love is a strong word.

The House isn't a 'horror', although the title and cover suggest it is. But the House is central to the plot. Jack and Syd have just bought their first home, when they get wrapped up in a story of murder, and the past comes back to haunt them.

I'm a big fan of psychological thrillers, and this didn't disappoint! The reason I didn't love this book, is because I didn't like anyone in it. I get we're supposed to root for Jack and Sydney, but I just didn't like them enough.

The twist was good - but I did guess it, probably cause I knew there was a twist coming.

Worth a read! Definitely- and I can see it becoming a hit on release!

The House
By Simon Lelic
3 Stars
A psychological thriller featuring a young couple - Syd and Jack.

Syd brings lots of baggage into the relationship from a trouble childhood, which is revealed in a diary style writing. Their lives become complicated when unnatural things start occurring in the house, in the streets around their house, and at Jack’s workplace.

While the plot is well developed, the characters, particularly Sydney comes off as cold and calculating.

The twists keep you interested, but I thought the ending was a bit of an anti-climax.

I read this book in one day. I wouldn't say it's one of my favorites, but it was certainly very good and interesting. The unusual way it is written (I can't describe it better than a past double first-person testimony until the middle and then afterwards a present double first-person. Confusing.) could have gone totally against the narrative, but actually, I enjoyed it.

It's different, alright, but that adds to the story. All of the insights provided by the author create a real sense of closeness to both of the main characters - which, I gotta say, took me a while to like. I still dislike Sydney. But that doesn't interfere in the enjoyment of the mystery, even though it did took me a while to accept them as the leads of the story and stop judging. Once I did that, it became a really good novel.

The plot is very rich: it alternates between a confusing present and an abundant past, which was imperative throughout most of the book. All of the characters are well written and believable, although the bad guys felt a little stereotyped. Nevertheless, it actually scared me a lot, and the psychological aspect to the relationships between the characters is really well supported and juicy. There's plenty of Lelic's thoughts and opinions about life between the lines, and that makes a strong case for a recommendation of The House.

Although the pop culture references were a little annoying, sometimes they were fun. The genre may be mystery/crime, but there's a lot more behind this fun, dark and complex story. I greatly recommend it.

First book I have read by Simon Lelic and certainly won't be the last.
What starts out as a dream home for a young London couple soon becomes a nightmare.
All is not as it seems with the couple and certainly all isn't as it seems with their dream house.
Lots of twists and loved the way it was written, half from his side and half from hers.
Built nicely to a climax and had me gripped from begining to end.
Five stars and highly recommended.

A brilliant novel, with a thought provoking situation the characters find themselves in, I loved this book ,and just recently my wife suggested,we move and I point blank refused.
Highly recommend this novel

An enjoyable read, it did however drag a little at times. Towards the end it heated up and had me riveted!

Read this book in a week. Good storyline. I didn't really know where it was heading for the first half of the book then it all came together nicely. Well thought out and enjoyable that it divided into 2 seperate people telling each chapter. 4 ✨

This was an extremely difficult book to get through for me, basically because of the way in which it was told. The two main characters take turns writing first person accounts and it was jarring going from one to the other, especially since the story wasn't told in a linear fashion but through flashback tellings. The storyline was a good one, the characters fully formed and developed, but it was the actual telling of the story I found problematic.

A young couple move into a new house - however once in strange things start happening; a dead cat, an odd photograph and midnight footsteps to name a few.

The female character, Syd, is abrasive and hard to like, for a reason it turns out, but it does not make for an easy read. I am not sure quite why, but I found it all too unbelievable. The scheming involved seemed so involved from all of the parties that is seemed unlikly that any of it would actually have come off.

It is a thriller, although maybe a little slow at the beginning, and if you like thrillers with a bit of gritty reality then this is the book for you.

This is one of those books that gets under your skin, definitely something I could describe as "unputdownable." As Syd and Jack's story unfolds, I am drawn into an ever deeper, darker world, each scene vivid and alive in my mind as I read it. The plot is crafted with skill, manipulating me at every turn. There is no superfluous fluff, every detail counts and leads me towards the fantastic, unpredictable ending which makes me stop and re-evaluate everything I had read up until that point. A very satisfying read that will linger in my mind for some time!

This is the first book I have read by this author. I really liked the sound of it, and was quite pleased when I was approved on Netgalley to read to it. So thank you to the publishers for that.
Syd and Jack have been trying to buy a house in London, and they finally seem to have found what may just be their forever home. They couldn’t believe they got it after the amount of interest there seemed to be at the open day.
But here they are finally on their moving in day. The house needs so much work doing it, and also the last owners belongings need getting rid of, but that can be done over time, they are just eager to get in there.
It doesn’t seem long before mysterious things begin to happen. Jack is hearing noised in the middle of the night, is there something going on, or is it just a case of learning then noises of a new home?
Then a body is found in an alley way behind their home, it turns out to be someone they know. We soon start to see a strain on Jack and syd and is their relationship going to suffer with things that are out of their control.
This is one of those stories, that I feel if I say to much about it, it would give to much away so I’m going to stop mentioning what was going on, and say what I though about the book.
For me it was a good and enjoyable read for the most part. I don’t know what it was but I just felt like something was missing. As I said I don’t know what. Maybe it was the way the story was told from different points of view. I’m really not sure. It was a decent read, but it didn’t have me gasping and wanting more at any stage. I have seen some great reviews for this book, and I think many will like it, as I said I did enjoy the story but it didn’t grip me. So for me it’s a 3.5*

The psychological thriller of the life of Syd and Jack.
Syd has had a difficult childhood and Jack is at odds with his parents over his choice of Syd.
They find a house and quite suddenly their lives as they knew them unfurled and are ruled by an unseen force..
There were times when you think you know what is happening but this book is clever in that the twists and turns have you turn the pages quickly to understand what in fact is happening.
The book is a great read and keeps you interested.
The book is a narrative and gives you insight in to relationships which are functional and disfunctional, child abuse and it's consequence.
A real page turner

Great book. Excellent storyline and wonderful main characters. I would highly recommend this book.