This book will divide readers - some will love its unsettling atmosphere and weirdness, others will DNF it after the first chapter. You Let Me In is weird and confusing. It doesn’t offer straight answers. It doesn’t have an unambiguous ending. It deliberately misleads the reader.



I found it dark and compelling. Will I recommend it to everyone willing to listen to me? No way. You have to know what you're getting into.


You can approach it as a study of human trauma, a supernatural thriller, or a family drama with a horror undercurrent. Cassandra Tipp, an infamous and eccentric novelist, has vanished. She has left a letter. Her heirs need to read it to discover a password to her testament. Hopefully, they'll be able to claim her estate.

The letter recounts two disturbing stories - one of an abused little girl coping with trauma, second of magical gifts and husbands made from twigs and leaves and sticks and stones. Both stories might be true. Both end in murder. Both show the same events but in a different light. The boundaries between reality (as we know it) and the supernatural blur and shift as we follow the story.

Cassandra has a faerie friend she calls a Pepper-Man. He feeds on her blood and influences her behavior and thoughts. With his help and in his company, she explores the unsettling and dark faerie world inhabited by twisted and broken beings caught in between the worlds.

Just when the reader starts to immerse in the supernatural, the story introduces another perspective on the events. Cassandra's therapist Dr. Martin has written a book about her case called “Away with the fairies: A study in trauma-induced psychosis.” What if the faeries are only a sort of coping mechanism that allowed Cassandra to survive in a dysfunctional family?

I admit I loved the ambiguity and lack of clear answers. It made me question both storylines and wonder which told the truth. Whichever you choose to believe, don't expect a happy ending. Both are disturbing and devastating.

An impressive debut.

You Let Me In is a captivating read. Part dark fairytale, part mystery, it treads an intriguing line that lets the reader decide for themselves which version of the story to believe. The story and characters caught my interest right from the start and held it throughout. As I was reading I thought I would love to see Guillermo del Toro make a movie based on this story. It would look stunning! Prose-wise, this was easy reading with a hint of fairytale style about it. I would certainly read more from this author in the future, especially works in a similar vein. 4.5 stars from me.

This was a very intriguing book. I read it in one sitting - it's gloriously short - which in itself is a commendation. And I found myself thinking about it for several days afterwards. It's a strange story & unexpected and I'm not entirely sure how to classify it but all in all a very good read. I adore the cover!