I thought The Echo Wife was one of the best books of the last few years, and this one surpasses it. It's maybe the best Shirley Jackson-esque book I've read, period.

Vera's been called home by her dying mother to help get their old house in order, but of course, there are a lot of family secrets. I'm going to avoid being too spoilery, though it's known from the beginning that they revolve at least partially around her late father, and made her and her family notorious..

The book does an amazing job of never going where you quite expect, while always being logical. It's a haunted house book, yes, but it's also just an incredibly dark character study. Gailey makes Vera and her mother's broken relationship into something unnerving in a wholly original way, and the mix of Southern gothic family drama and modern gothic horror, tied together with a great mix of flashbacks and contemporary settings, is fantastic.

Just read this book if you like horror or Gailey's other books. Period.

Thanks very much for the opportunity to read this one.

Unfortunately this was a DNF at the 25% mark. I just could not get in to the story and kept waiting for something to happen.

I thought the writing was well done however I didn't really know anything about the character or what was really going on.

I'd try something else from the author in the future but unfortunately this one wasn't for me

WOW!!!!! Hooked from the first page and read this book in one sitting… Full of tension and suspense. A real page turner, a domestic noir but OMG so much more!!!!!

Dark, eerie and spooky. It’s hard to say too much about this book without giving something away and ruining another readers experience. If you liked Rose Red and books of that sort this book is for you!

Incredibly spooky and creepy throughout the entirety of the book. This is a great read for those that don’t mind unrealistic outcomes. If spooky paranormal endings are your thing pick this book up!

For having an incredible premise, this book was slooooow. But not slow in a cool gothic way, but simply slow and filled with boring mundane things every little thing the protagonist did. And the protagonist wasn't even that interesting. I didn't like this one all that much.

A little bit scary and a LOT troubling, Just Like Home hits all the markers of chilling horror. With twists that were eerie and characters that were heartbreaking, this story had me reading well past bedtime.

There were moments, as a mom, that were a bit too intense for me, but the story was still wonderfully paced and so well done.

Okay, go with me here—you know how in The Exorcist movie, each time the camera pans up the staircase (the one in the living room where the spider walk happens, not the one outside that features in the end of the movie), stopping at the closed bedroom door Regan is ensconced behind? You know the overwhelming feeling of oppressive dread that accompanies that camera, not knowing what you’re about to see behind that bedroom door?

Yeah. Sarah Gailey absolutely nails that feeling with Just Like Home. This is an oppressive, claustrophobic, deeply unsettling gothic masterpiece that is unlike anything else I’ve read by Gailey, except of course in terms of writing excellence.

Vera’s mother is dying, and asks her to come home to the house she grew up in, the house her father built with his own two hands—the same hands he used to torture and murder men in the basement. Vera’s feelings about her father are deeply conflicted, as he may have been a notorious serial killer, but they shared a loving, close relationship. Her mother, on the other hand, was a cold, hard, unloving woman, and even now, near death, her heart has not thawed.

Vera has conflicted feelings about the house as well, a place where unspeakable atrocities happened. Her homecoming is haunted by the horrors that have seeped into the walls and foundation, by the hostile townspeople with long memories who still hate her for what her father did, and by the latest in a long line of artists living in the guesthouse, parasites looking for inspiration and leeching off the soul of the serial killer.

Gailey excels at putting us inside Vera’s troubled mind, a dark place, and forcefully keeping us there, never letting us look away. Vera’s childhood home is a prison of sorts to her, and her mind mirrors that, a malignant coffin box of memories and trauma. Just Like Home is unrelenting, sometimes punishing, but always mesmerizing.

I mentioned earlier that this is unlike anything else by Gailey, and that’s true. Their last novel, The Echo Wife, was a tour de force science fiction drama about cloning. Now, having read this, I hope they play in the gothic horror sandbox again. Just Like Home is absolutely brilliant.

Okay so thank you to the publishers for the arc of this!
I enjoyed this greatly. This is a horror book(didn’t realize from the cover tbh) I spent the first bit of the book trying to piece together the past and I spent the last half not being able to look away!
Vera has had to return to her family home which she was kicked out of at 17 or so and I honestly don’t want to give more details than that. I enjoyed trying to piece together what had happened and the story gives so many good gag worthy reveals and even if you piece all of the mystery together the writing is good so I think it’s super enjoyable.
Also I liked Vera, I was so on her side through the whole book and I loved the story from her perspective.
Definitely recommend this, it’s a perfect read if you’re ready to transition into spooky season.
Reviewed at, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4614053766

This was a wild ride that I would gladly take again. It perfectly balances classic horror with an exploration of family, trauma and returning home to face the demons of the past. I had no idea if this was really a true crime or haunted house story, but Gailey grabs both plots by the throat and binds them together in an unsettling, deliberate way that left me guessing till the very last page. Listening to the audiobook, also really enhanced the building dread of this story. I love the writing style and the pacing was perfect. I think a movie or mini series would really bring this story to live on screen. I would recommend to those who loved The Haunting of Hill House and Sharp Objects. Overall, a great horror addition.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This fell a little flat for me, which is a shame because the writing was gorgeous but the plot was too long winded and drawn out. I thought that there were some suitably creepy moments, but they were few and far between and I honestly think that this would have worked better as a novella. I loved the setting and the premise was interesting, with a particularly fascinating relationship between Vera and her mother. I thought that James Duvall was fairly one dimensional and didn't add a great deal to the story overall. As I say, had this been a novella focused on the toxic relationship between the two women, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but as it is, it just felt too long.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

this was crazy! i loved the echo wife and couldn't wait to read a horror by the same author. the first half was slow but built up the tension and left me extremely curious. the vivid imagery made me physically cringe but it was a satisfying ending. I like that Gailey's female leads win, in their own way. Can't wait to see what is next

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow, what a story. I had no idea what direction this was going in and I was NOT disappointed. The ending, while it could be perceived to be out of left field, if you paid attention it was telegraphed all through the story. Very good.

I went into Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey purposefully blind. I didn't read the description, I just knew it was a Gailey book and it would be dark based on the cover. I'm glad I went in blind even if it meant being a tiny bit confused at the beginning. This book unfolds slowly but with so much purpose and care that it's hard to stop reading. Just Like Home is unsettling, creepy, and should absolutely find its way into your spooky season TBR if you haven't read it yet! You can look up the book description, but going in blind was a lot of fun! There aren't any trigger warnings I can think of that wouldn't fall under the scope of many horror novels: violence, blood, and creepy happenings. There were no likeable characters in this book, but it's still utterly compelling and readable. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was very good!!

When you think of a book with the title "Just Like Home," if you're like me, you think of coziness, comfort, and stability. Then you look at the cover of this book and realize that what's inside will most likely contain none of those feelings.

This book was a wild ride from page one. From the first page, I definitely felt the eerie vibes, but the book continued to be pretty realistic until she arrived home and... strange things started happening. The premise of the book promises as much (having a serial killer father doesn't really scream "totally normal"), but as you read further, you realize that the happenings are often paranormal in nature.

The transitions from realistic fiction to thriller/suspense to straight-up horror was seamless! Overall, it was such a fun and spooky read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was quite thrilling and creepy. After finishing this, I had to sleep with a light on (despite what my partner wanted). I actually really enjoyed the pacing and think it added to the story.

3.5 Stars. I really enjoyed the second half of the book. It was super creepy and thrilling but the first half of the book was really slow. I’m glad I stuck with it because I did end up really enjoying it. You won’t regret reading it and I’m glad I did!

You know when a book is incredibly gripping and enticing until the very end, and then the whole plot just kind of falls apart?

Unfortunately, Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey falls squarely within that catagory. Even going in with the knowledge that our main protagonist Vera grew up with a serial killer for a father (it's in the description), I still enjoyed the slow building storyline of her disturbing childhood. With fun supernatural elements thrown in, I expected this story to go in a completely different direction than it did.

I really cannot divulge too much more without falling into a SPOILERS category, but this one definitely fell apart for me within the last 20 pages. Bit of a bummer.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor books for the opportunity to read and review this title.

How do I talk about this book without ruining it for potential readers?

If you're into serial killers, haunted houses, toxic and hurtful mother-daughter relationships and absolutely gorgeous writing, this is the book for you. Definitely one of the weirdest, loveliest things I've read this year.

4.5/5 bumped up. To be honest, this isn't something I would recommend to just anyone, but if you love twisted, slow-paced stories of what love and hate can make us do, I'm convinced you will enjoy this.