The blurb didn’t reveal much of what this book is really all about and there is so much more that will surely surprise you with this story. The plot for sure is unique and the mystery surrounding the house is intriguing. There is a paranormal feel to it at first that made the story a lot more interesting. That said, it was easy to get into at the beginning. It was told in both Jack and Syd’s perspective in a diary-like format, where they recounted the things that happened since they set foot in their new house. The characters are okay but there were times that I can’t find any sympathy towards them. It was just hard for me to engage with them. As I’ve said, there is so much more to it, more complex than expected. It took on a rather darker turn as the story progressed. The theme of abuse is very much present thus readers who get uneasy to such theme must approach this with caution. The twist is unexpected, surprising even. It is a twisted psychological thriller, not much suspense but still cleverly wrapped-up. In a whole, I find this one a decent read.

This was a very complex story with strong moral dilemmas. Some great characters and a believable storyline which raised lots of questions. The twists and turns in this story made it a real teaser and the conclusion was exceptional.

A gripping thriller with plenty of misdirection which kept me guessing - but ultimately all believably explained, so I didn’t end up feeling I had been cheated, as is so often the case. Simon Lelic has a tight grip of the plotline at all times and delivers a devastatingly clever twist at the end. Highly recommended, I really enjoyed it.

The House by Simon Lelic was not what I expected it to be but I enjoyed it. I thought the narrative was unique as the alternating perspectives were written in a journal style. There were some parts of the story that were creepy and had me turning the pages and a few twists along the way. While it wasn’t the most amazing psychological thriller I’ve read, I enjoyed The House and would be interested in reading more of the author’s work.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Books (UK), and Simon Lelic for the opportunity to read The House. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

When I first read the description of this book on Netgalley I thought this was going to be a supernatural thriller , however there is nothing supernatural about it.
This book is written from dual perspectives, from Jack and his live in girlfriend Sydney.
This is disconcerting to start with as the narrative does not flow naturally from one chapter to the next and it feels especially in the first part of the story extremely disjointed. However  as the story progresses and the plot is slowly revealed this actually works in the long run and the stories told by the two main characters meld in to one and become coherent.
 
The dual perspectives although hard to reconcile as one story and hard to get used to really shows the differences in the personalities of the two main characters and their outlook on the situation.
A s we learn about Sydney’s past, as really the plot is focused mostly on her, it seems that someone in her past is out to cause her and her relationship with Jack a great deal of harm. Sydney is a complex character with many hidden secrets that are slowly revealed throughout the book, well written strong and determined to help the little girl over the road without thinking of the consequences.
All the characters have depth and are believably written. The House has a cleverly constructed plot with some great twists and turns and as the story went on it became more and more gripping, however the slow start reduced my enjoyment of the book.

Did not finish and found the main characters and split narrative a bit wearing! Sorry!

Jack and Syd are a young couple who have just bought their first house in London. Surprised themselves that their lower than asked for offer was accepted, they move into their new home feeling like luck is on their side. However, as they sift through the possessions of previous owner, who has emigrated to Australia, they soon start to realise that they aren't as lucky as they thought.

The House intrigued me, at first. I wondered where it was going, whether it was attempting to venture into horror or the paranormal. It set itself up to be a sinister and thrilling read, and at times it was (there's that grisly discovery in the attic, a murder, a police investigation), but at its core this book is a story about abuse. Syd, who was abused as a young girl, begins to revisit her past when she meets a neighborhood girl, Elise. With some upsetting and vivd descriptions of her experiences, this book provides an in-depth look at abuse through the eyes of the sufferer.

While the characterisations were okay, I found it hard to warm to either Jack or Syd, both of whom take the reigns at narration through diary-like entries. And while the introduction held great promise and the plot seemed intersting at first, I didn't find myself eager to find out how the story all came together. What was originally set up as a dark and compelling page-turner, became an uninspiring tale that fizzled out a little for me.

Read it in one go, but ultimately disappointed. At times it felt very disconnected and unfinished...

An interesting book looking at the social interaction of a young couple not without their problems,, some mystery and suspense leading to a few twists in the tail before the conclusion. Enjoyed the development of the characters and the interesting format of the story as the characters write their own account of events.

Loved this , after a slow start I was completely gripped .

A really good thriller. When I started reading I thought it was a ghost story, but I was wrong. Finished up as a really good thriller and who done it. The book had a good twist to it, and quite sad for the people involved. Well done.

I did not expect this! I guess I just assumed it would be a murder-mystery book where odd things happen in the new house of a young couple. It went much deeper though without lacking any of the suspense. At first I thought the way it was written, from the perspective of the two protagonists in a kind of statement, was a bit unusual but it really worked. I could not put it down and once it all becomes clear you are even more on the edge of your seat. It keeps the tension until the very end. I very much enjoyed it!

*thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books (UK) for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2.5 stars.

I went into this thinking it was going to be AMAZING! I mean, read the book description! It clearly sounded like a hands down winner. But.....
Well THAT was a let down. I'll admit, the first approximately 65% of the book was really good! I was getting really excited to find out exactly what was about to happen, what the big mystery will be because the book leads you into that direction. Thinking that it's building up towards some big impressive shock factor. Unfortunately that didnt happen. Once I'd read the big twist (which was only just over the half way mark) made me feel like I was a balloon that had had the air let out of it. 

At first I didn't like Sydney. She swore an awful lot in just her first chapter which really put me off liking her. I can only stand the occasional swear word but 4 f-words, on one page was way over my tolerance level. But it eased up and she wasn't so bad after all. Where as Jack, I liked him throughout the whole story. But my favourite character is sweet little Elsie. I can't say much about her without giving things away but I really enjoyed reading about her. Which is why this was bumped up to 2.5 stars and also because the beginning was so good. Otherwise it would have been a right off at 1 or 2 stars. Guess this just wasn't for me. It wasn't what I had hoped or expected.

An interesting book with some good twists, however I don't think the style (written account by a couple) quite worked all of the time, leaving some 'facts' to be slightly jarring

This was the first book I have read from this author however I have just downloaded the rupture as I enjoyed this one so much.

A clever and twisted psychological thriller. I will be looking out for more books from this author.

Blimey I don't know where to start with this one! It was such a good book. Many many twists and turns, paranoia domestic violence, thrilling. Wow it's a bit of a head twister!

It gets you thinking and if like me I didn't know who or what to believe. The characters of Syd and Jack are very good. Well developed. The House will leave you a little scared. It's well worth a read.

This was so highly anticipated for me but in the end, the narrative style completely threw me off. I couldn't get behind their relaxed back and forth narrative and the bickering had me irritated instead of interested in what happened. Sadly, I wasn't the right reader for this one.

I was really looking forward to reading this. A young couple buy a house in London at a cheaper price than it should be, complete with the previous owners possessions, as the owner found love on the internet and took off to Australia. Once our couple, Jack and Syd, move in they make strange discoveries in the house and hear noises. You may think the book would then take a supernatural turn but it's not like that at all.
The story is told by both the main characters in alternating chapters and we hear more about their back story as the book continues. For me, this is where the book went wrong. The two lead characters just seemed to make completely unbelievable choices. Thankfully, the book picked up towards the end with an unexpected conclusion, but I never felt gripped. If the book is supposed to be a thriller, for me it has to grip my attention throughout. The beginning did, the ending did, but I found a lot of the middle boring and felt like giving up. Overall though, I'm glad I didn't.

This thriller is one that I will recommend to my customers at the store. Can't wait to read more by this author.