Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. The cover drew me in, and the blurb had me hooked. I loved Let the Right One in, an iconic Swedish horror novel, so was intrigued. Unfortunately for me The Home was a tedious, slog of a read.
This is narrated from two characters:
* Joel - 38-years old has moved back home, after failing as a musician, to take care off his mother, Matilde. His mother suffered a heart attack and died for a minute, but she came back from her short death and is struggling with her health. Diagnosed with dementia Joel moves her to Pineshade, a residential home for the elderly.
* Nina - also 38-years old works at Pineshade. She’s married to Murkus, and they have a 19-year old son, too. Her life is shaken though when she learns Joel, her old childhood best friend, whom she hadn’t spoken to for decades is back and his mother is moving to Pineshade.
Interspersed with POVs of other employees and residents of Pineshade the story kicks in when Joel and Nina notice Matilde knows other people’s secrets that she has no way of knowing and begins to have ‘episodes’. Could it be that when she died she didn’t come back alone?...

This had an intriguing premise. However, due to stacks of minutiae details regarding every little detail of working in a residential home, and tonnes of references to a resident wetting him or herself, and constantly needing to have their nappies changed, it’s takes literally the first 50% of the story for the plot to really commence, which felt too late. It isn’t until that last 30% that a story actually emerges, but by then I just wasn’t really invested in the characters, and the writing is so slow and on the nose with the writer spoon-feeding the reader until they can’t take anymore 🤢. Less is more in prose. Someone needs to remind the author to trust the reader. This reads likes a first draft. Honestly I’m surprised this managed to get published, when it needed so much editing. The relationship between Joel and Nina has zero tension, also Joel’s character really needed fleshing out. It wasn’t quite clear what he had been doing for the last twenty years. His character had potential - I liked the way he feels regret and guilt later, wishing he had been nicer to his mother and that they had a better relationship. Unfortunately the book is bogged down by tedious writing and showing the minutiae of a residential home, which wasn’t entertaining or illuminating, just dull like a CCTV camera had been placed into this Pineshade and the reader is just waiting for some semblance of a plot, which takes it sweet time appearing. 2/5.

Mat Strandberg takes his time to get under your skin and stay there with this emotive horror novel. An exploration of ageing, mental health and dementia with a supernatural twist it tells the story of Joel, a former drug addict dealing with his own trauma, who notices a massive personality change in his mother after she is admitted to the dementia ward at an aged care home. Is it just the normal throes of the disease? Or is there something more sinister going on?
It's an interesting exploration of this theme - as those with brain and memory disorders often do seem to become someone else - before taking it down a straighter horror narrative in the final half.
Strandberg creates rich characters, particularly with Joel, and they are needed to get you through an at times plodding first half. But stick with it for a powerful and satisfying pay off.

This is my first time reading Mats Strandberg, and wow! What an introduction!

The protagonist, Joel, returns to his home town after many years away to help his Mother, Monika move into a care home as her dementia worsens.

Monika’s health quickly deteriorates once in her new home - Pineshade, but is it her illness natural course or is something more sinister afoot?!

If you enjoy stories of family heartbreak, friendship, love and loss with a whole heap of eerie - this is the book for you.

I loved it!



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

We have all experienced that feeling where we are alone on a dark night and believe there is something or someone watching us, but when we look, there is nothing there except our paralysing fear. This sums up how I felt reading The Home, enjoying it so much that I finished it in just two sittings. Strandberg successfully delivers those moments of terror we experience when watching a perfectly executed horror film, and has woven together a creepy, yet simple, story that forces the reader to face the monsters hidden in the closet, much like the characters in the novel.

The majority of the The Home takes place inside Pineshade Nursing Home and provides a deep humanising insight into the tragic, harrowing, and touching moments of dementia, and the effect it has on the patients, their families, and those who care for them on a daily basis. I feel that all readers should be able to relate in some way, which ultimately makes the plot much more horrifying as it unfolds.

Without revealing any spoilers, exploring the impact of dementia really heightens the creepy and, often subtle elements, of horror throughout the story, leading the patients, the carers, and even the reader to question the reality of the situation they are facing given the nature of the disease. You will find yourself rooting for the characters as Strandberg does an excellent job of playing with the mind and building a lot on what cannot be seen. There is a looming sense of dread that continues to crescendo (much like the patients' outbursts) until it reaches a satisfying climax.

We follow most of the story in Joel and Nina's points of view, who have equally been given a lot of thought and development. There is some rich backstory to sink your teeth into which feeds well into the main arc of the story. Furthermore, it is nice to see how representation of different communities, such as LGBTQ+, was part of the narrative but in no way forced, or an integral part of the story.

The Home is certainly a welcome addition to a genre which often lacks suspense and originality. i would therefore very much like to thank Jo Fletcher Books (Quercus Books) for granting me access to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great horror novel. It was thrilling, shocking and had me on the edge of my seat. It was a terrifying story that I recommend to those who love this genre.

If this book were corporeal I'd be writing it poetry & proposing in Highgate cemetery.

I challenge you to read this in more than 2 sittings because I guarantee it will be impossible. An absolute blinder of a thriller. Dark, juicy, menacing with a poetic narrative that is unusual in commercial books. Strandberg details the heartbreak of a retirement home but uniquely manages to humanise dementia & the experiences of family and the sufferer. I think the author must have some experience with this subject and my heart goes out to him if he has. But to write such an extraordinary book that entwines thriller, horror and (possibly) elements of memoir is genre-busting at it's finest. Finally, it explores the agony of grieving twice when a person you love suffers from dementia and how the pressure of that grief can blindside us and allow our demons to take hold.again.
5 stars all the way. Thank you to Mats, Jo Fletcher Books & Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Its been 20 years since Joel left home, but now he's returned to look after his mother, moving her to Pineshade, a facility for those suffering from dementia.

Upon moving to Pineshade, his mother becomes increasingly violent towards others, and even herself. Is this a result of her dementia progressing? Or something more sinister?

'The Home' was my first introduction to Swedish horror novels and it did not disappoint. Well written and captivating, the author tells a story of a paranormal happenings, whilst seamlessly incorporating side-stories of the characters pasts, forcing them to address their regrets and fears.

A little slow off the starting line, but with just enough subtle hints to keep you interested and guessing. By the time I got halfway through, I couldn't put it down.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's been a while since I read a horror novel, I missed it. And this one did not disappoint.

First of all, it was very refreshing to read a novel taking place in Sweden. I actually didn't know that beforehand and it was a pleasant surprise.

Our main character Joel is a flawed 38-year-old man who has many regrets. Being back home, seeing his mother in that state, and having to commit her while his brother completely brushes off any responsibility is bad enough, but realizing his former best friend Nina is working in the place where he had to place his mother brings things to a whole new level of "I don't want to deal with this shit" and you can somehow relate to his struggles to do the right thing but knowing he is ultimately too weak to do it.

I really appreciated how things like homosexuality were dropped in the narrative as only one other detail, not making a big deal out of it. I enjoyed how the author spooled a story of regrets, of "what if's", of forcing the characters to confront themselves, their part in what happened the past, and if they could really get beyond it. All this while a parallel supernatural story was also being weaved.

Subtlety is definitely one of my favourite things about this novel. The story took time to develop but I was always interested. And small hints were left here and there making the reader slowly more and more certain that something suspicious is definitely going on.

There were times when I wished the characters would catch up already and I think that last chapter stretched on for longer than necessary but, overall, I really enjoyed this book, I think it was well achieved and definitely recommend it!

<i>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.</i>

If you know me at all, then you'll know that alongside my love of cosy, romantic fiction, I also hold a special place in my heart for horror. Anything to do with spirits, hauntings, demons, poltergeists, possessions... I am there for it. That's not to say that I'm not a massive wimp though, because believe me when I say that I absolutely am, yet I still delight in scaring myself witless and reading books like this well into the early hours of the morning, in the darkness of my room. I'll push myself on until the fear really becomes unbearable, and only then will I give in and turn off my Kindle.

So, when I stumbled upon 'The Home' by Mats Strandberg, I couldn't help but to click the 'request' button on NetGalley, and I was delighted when I received an email not long afterwards informing me that I had been accepted. I started the novel pretty much immediately. I could not wait to see what Mats Strandberg had in store for me. After a swift read of the blurb, and a glance at the eerie cover image, I had a feeling it was going to be right up my street. Now that I've finished reading it, I'm pleased to inform you all that I was right.

Strandberg begins his novel with a rather emotionally striking opening chapter. It is here that readers are introduced to Joel, a troubled man with a dark and secretive past, who is currently in the difficult situation of moving his dear mother, Monika, to a nursing home for patients at differing stages of dementia. As the chapter picks up pace, we begin to learn of the troubles Noel has faced with trying to keep his mother safe in her own home. It becomes obvious that Monika is struggling to take care of herself, and her ability to continue with her life as normal is no longer an option. Putting herself at risk daily is more than enough to encourage Noel to make the decision to take his mother to Pineshade, a facility where other people like her reside, and although it's not an easy decision for Noel to make, he knows that it is for the best, and that his mother will be cared for in a more appropriate, structured and professional way.

Once Monika is settled within Pineshade, the novel really takes a hold of the reader and begins to take the pace up a notch. It is here where Nina is then introduced to the reader, who we find out is an old friend of Joel's, and who will also be caring for Monika during her stay in the nursing home. As the story begins to take shape, and we begin to see the links forming between the characters, something darker comes into play, and suddenly, this novel becomes something else entirely.

Mats Strandberg is an author entirely new to me, but after reading 'The Home', I'm certain that this is an author who I'll be keeping an eye on in the future. Although I love to read horror, it's not my most-read genre, so I don't have a lot of authors I can turn to when I fancy something a lot darker and more chilling, but now I can safely add Mats Strandberg to that list because this was such an enjoyable, addictive, unique and chilling novel, I already want more from this author.

Strandberg is excellent at creating an atmosphere that draws you in and holds you prisoner. There were numerous moments throughout this book where I felt like I could hardly breathe, the tension palpable, the mood heavy and suffocating. It was perfect, I felt, for the goings-on between the pages, and the author couldn't have managed to get the balance of it anymore perfect. The eeriness was almost too much to handle at certain points throughout the novel. There were chapters where the characters did things that sent a chill down my spine, and I had to quickly busy myself with something to shake away the image that Strandberg had planted in my mind.

The plot itself was of a mysterious nature. I couldn't quite tell in which direction I would be taken, although I was more than happy to sit back and allow the author to lead the way. I was always eager to know what would happen next, and I found myself looking forward to each forthcoming chapter titled 'Pineshade', possibly more so than the others, as this is where my nerves truly trembled and where my interest always piqued.

'The Home' by Mats Strandberg was a strange and satisfyingly creepy novel which unravelled in the most unique of settings. This story dug right beneath my skin and remained there long after I turned the final page. I'm certain that the characters from within will be the one thing that returns to my mind each time I turn the lights out.

The Book Babe is giving 'The Home' by Mats Strandberg a rating of four out of five. I'd like to thank Jo Fletcher Books (Quercus Books) for the advanced reading copy of this book, that of which has no reflection on my giving a fair and honest review.