I usually don’t like to give such a low rating but this really missed the mark for me. I don’t have a whole lot to say other than I liked the the beginning and middle ok but found the ending to be utterly absurd and finished feeling completely unsatisfied and disappointed. Apparently I am in the minority, as this book has many high ratings, so I urge readers to try it for themselves.

I lost interest in this one pretty quickly, but I held on out of anticipation/hope for something a bit more. Vera's story revolves around childhood trauma, and how memories resurface when she returns to her childhood home. But honestly way too much of the present-day storyline was focused on the (very annoying) house guest or very repetitive "spooky" happenings that I contemplated skipping all of the present-day chapters in favor of getting through the actual plot faster. However, the aforementioned "actual plot" had a whole bunch of holes and skips and leaps.

I was really looking forward to this one after loving The Echo Wife, but it was a miss from me.

I love a good serial killer themed horror novel. This one was wonderful. Just the right amount of creepiness and making you wonder what is going on.

Vera is a compelling character as well. I felt a lot of sympathy for her as a daughter of a known serial killer who obviously loves her father and has wonderful memories, while also having to reconcile with the deeds he did and the judgments from those around town.

She comes home due to her mother dying and has to also deal with a man who's father and him have built up this whole business side surrounding her fathers dealings. I think it was an interesting aspect as there really are people who make money like this and really capitalize on what is the murders of victims and instead sensationalize and make the killers infamous.

But, that's beside the point, I think this book also was full of surprises and took turns and twists I wasn't expecting, which is something I love when I am not able to guess right away what's going to happen.

If you're looking for a good spooky book to get you in the mood for Halloween, or just like to read these sort of books all the time, make sure to pick it up!

Unable to refuse her dying mother's request to return to her childhood home, Vera steps through the door, into a nightmare. I had to keep turning back pages to see what clues I missed when every unexpected event happened, and they happened alot. Holy cow was this a good read!!!!!

Creepy, a little icky, and very unexpected, this story of a daughter returning home to the house where her beloved father carried out serial killings goes in surprising directions, and is a totally engrossing read!

Another DNF this week!

I love Sarah Gailey but this book was way too creepy and slow paced for me!! I tried to stick it out hoping it would get better or at least marginally more interesting but after about 60% I couldn't waste my time any more. Gothic horror just isn't my thing. If you like stories full of creeptastic elements and toxic family relationships this might be for you. Recommended for fans of Catriona Ward's The last house on Needless Street. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was WAY too weird for me. I was just creeped out through most of it and it wasn't really something I enjoyed for as much I enjoy thrillers.

Vera comes home after over a decade of being away. Here is her hometown, everyone knows everything about her because her father was a serial killer. If that isn't a wonderful enough things to have. she starts seeing things in her bedrooms. Maybe monsters, maybe who knows? At this point I wasn't loving it and was already confused.

Sorry, would have loved to enjoy this as much as I did Echo Wife, but it just wasn't doing it for me.

WOW I really loved this one and was completely enthralled in it from start to finish! I've always been a big fan of haunted house horror and after seeing endless high reviews for this one I was anxious it wouldn't live up to the hype for me, but it definitely did.

Aside from possibly reading the synopsis, I recommend going into this one as blind as possible and just enjoy the very creepy ride. Sarah Gailey's descriptions of not only the atmosphere of the house itself but also the sinister things that occurred within it was chilling and had my imagination going wild throughout. This was my first book of hers but after loving this one so much I definitely plan to pick up more.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tor Books for my review copy!

What the f**k count: 100000000000

Just like home is perfectly eerie, creepy, dark and so very unexpected!
That blurb did not at all prepare me for what I just read! Honestly I love being totally blindsided. Gailey writing creates a deep unsettling atmosphere, that only intensifies as the story continues. I was always slightly uncomfortable while reading, I never felt true relief or safety until the last word, and to me that’s what makes a great horror.
I’ll be reading anything else Sarah Gailey writes!
Thank you Tor and NetGalley for this ARC

**4.5-stars**

Coming back to her childhood home is a very difficult decision for Vera Crowder. There's a lot of hurdles mentally to overcome. As she stands before it, ready to enter for the first time in 12-years, she's filled with doubts. Her mother, Daphne, is extremely ill and in her final days she seems to want Vera by her side; odd considering she never showed interest in Vera before.

In fact, their relationship has been hostile for years, not your typical mother-daughter relationship, but Vera's whole family history is complicated. That can happen when your father is an infamous serial killer. Making matters worse is the fact that Vera's mother has a tenant living on the property, some sort of artist whose interest in the house makes Vera very uncomfortable. Regardless of his annoying presence, being back in the home definitely stirs up a lot of unresolved issues for Vera. She feels things in the house, it's unsettling. She's remembering things she had forgotten.

Through past and present perspectives the Reader is filled in on the truth behind the Crowder house, Vera's family and unconventional upbringing. Just Like Home was a highly anticipated release for me. I knew with Sarah Gailey's impressive writing skills and imagination this would be a memorable story.

It absolutely was. I was drawn in from the very first paragraph. It feels morose, Vera is not necessarily a happy camper. There's not a lot to be happy about in this situation, but it was absolutely captivating in its quiet intensity. The way Gailey weaved this story together was so good. There's a lot of balls in the air, as the Reader you are learning so much in every moment. There are no chapters wasted.

I loved being in Vera's head as she reflected on her life and the past timeline was so gripping to watch play out. In some ways it felt like a simple story, like the way it unfolded, but when you take the time to think about it, there are so many layers.

Most interesting to me was the relationship that Vera had with her father. An assumption may be that because he was a killer, he would be a harsh and dominating force in her life, but that's not quite the case. Additionally, to see the tension between her and her mother, it almost seemed upside-down from what you would expect. And then there was the whole dynamic between the mother and father, which was equally as interesting.

One of the most important aspects for me in any story is atmosphere. I need a strong atmosphere to truly be swept up into a story. I want to feel it, smell it, taste it and generally, be unsettled by it. Gailey nailed the atmosphere here. This house, oh my word, make no mistake, the house has soul, the house has energy. I always love when the sense of place is this thick in a story. A great example would be The Overlook Hotel in The Shining; where the place is as impactful as any of the characters.

I really had to think about this one after I finished it in order to decide on a rating. Initially, I was thinking it started too slow, but looking back, I feel it was appropriately done. It is a bit of a slow burn, but the payoff is so over-the-top, vivid and immersive, that it just makes sense this way. Gailey crushed this. It was so freaking weird and creative in such an incredible way.

Thank you so very much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I will remember this one for a long time to come!

This was a solid horror thriller. If you liked Mexican Gothic -- the weirdness, the grossness, the scary house -- then check this one out too. I think what doesn't bump it up for me is there were several questions I still had at the end of the book that distracted me too much.

Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for the electronic copy.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advanced reading copy of Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey.

Vera comes back to the home she was raised in. A home where Vera hasn’t been welcome in years. A home haunted by the past decisions of her father. Now she has new challenges to face.

This is a story about scary basements, monsters under the bed, and haunted houses. It was griping and fast paced. I loved the ending. I would recommend this to all fans of horror.

I will be recommending this to my followers who are obsessed with horror and thrillers. Did not know where this book was going but it turned out amazing.

⭐⭐.5/5

• intriguing premise but fell flat
• sloooow paced

This book started off way too descriptive with not a ton of dialogue. I had a hard time getting into it. I did like how the house felt like a character... creepy and dark. Lots of family trauma here. Perhaps I just wasn't in the right mindset while reading!

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley @macmillanusa and @torbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

LOVED this creepy novel!!
Gailey does not disappoint with this one - I really loved Magic for Liars and the Echo Wife, and am impressed by the breadth of Gailey's imagination and writing.
Vera has returned home after her mother shut the door in her face over a decade ago. The mother, Daphne, now dying in the dining room, needs Vera to help close up the house. Through a slow-burn uncovering of Vera's childhood in alternating chapters, we learn of Vera's unusual (to say the least!) upbringing that led to the current relationship, or non-relationship, that she now has with Daphne.
It's an onion of a horror novel, with bone-chilling descriptions of nightmares and panic attacks that one can't really tell are real or in Vera's head. A very creepy and satisfying ending ties it all up nicely.
Absolutely loved this one.

Brilliantly creepy!
Vera returns to her childhood home at the request of her mother.. it’s clear there is no love lost between the two, but her mother is dying. Dear old moms behavior takes second place to the memories of Vera’s serial killer father.

Straight out, I will say I'm not sure what genre this book fits into. Having read it, I would classify it as horror/paranormal. But it seems to be marketed as a gothic thriller. Either way, just know this book definitely has a creep factor.

From the beginning, I wasn’t sure what was wrong with the Crowder House and the family that lived inside it. The main protagonist, Vera, returns to the home to care for her dying mother, Daphne. But her views on the house vary based on the timeline. In the present, she initially seems to dread returning and has some fear about what is contained within the walls of the home. In the past, while some of that fear is present, Vera is more curious about what goes on in this home that her father tries to hide from her. It is evident, evil has a home at Crowder House.

While I knew early on that the father was hiding something very dark, it’s hard to forgive Daphne and Vera for their own roles. And while I disliked both characters for their actions, their character arcs were intriguing.

The author is slow to reveal the truths of this house, but even the small details gave me goosebumps. Particularly with tar references (I won’t go into the details on that since some of you are more squeamish than me). Even with the lead up, nothing could have prepared me for what the full story would be about this home. It was wildly imaginative, fascinating and disgusting, all rolled into one. (The cover fits the storyline perfectly).

This book may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy gothic horror, this one is worth checking out.

Wow! What did I just read. This author is new to me. This book was out of my regular wheelhouse, but it was a fast paced page turner. It was a little out there for me, but it is original. Overall a good book.

Thanks to MacMillan for an electronic version of the book via NetGalley.

It’s a 3.5 from me. I never really connected with Vera, the main character, but I did keep reading because I wanted to know what would happen. This reminded me a bit of T Kingfisher’s horror, just minus the characters that she writes so well. Was NOT a fan of the body horror elements.

This is an odd book that won't be everyone's cup of tea but I realllllly liked it. I think what worked so well for me is that Gailey is such an evocative writer. There are passages that literally made me feel dizzy and disoriented, and there are passages that made me think:

"HOLY CRAP YES I remember feeling this exact same way when I was a kid!"

Gailey also inserts just......some really mundane things that become very creepy and I won't ever think of them the same ever again. Specifically here: grease and lemonade. And maybe bike locks.

I won't say more. Read this for the vibes and come prepared to suspend a lot of disbelief. Not all questions are answered, so you need to be okay with that going in as well. But really. The vibes are worth it in my opinion.

Thanks so much to Tor and NetGalley for the review copy!