I really really liked this audio book. When I first started listening I wasnt sure how this book was going to be but i was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't stop listening and with each twist i became more invested. Great summer horror story.

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey is a newly publisher horror-thriller flavored with human evil, supernatural horror, haunted houses and gothic scene-building.

We follow Vera Crowder, our complicated protagonist who is summoned home to take care of her estranged, dying mother. Home for Vera is a house with a dark, foreboding history; The Crowder House is the site of a series of murders committed by her father, Francis, that came to light when Vera was thirteen.

The secrets within the walls of the Crowder House are left for Vera to unearth.
How deep does the rot go?


This book has elements best experienced by the reader, so I’m going to keep this short and sweet.

Our protagonist is a woman built of the unhinged-girl vein: complicated, strong, disturbed, unable to escape her past, and maybe she doesn’t want to. The highlight of Just Like Home was Vera’s relationships with herself and those around her. With her mother: estranged, her father: beautiful, yet painfully complicated, her childhood home: well, you’ll have to read and find out!

The horror found in Just Like Home is not disturbing nor gorey, but is more of a cerebral experience. Gailey crafted a tense and cold atmosphere in The Crowder House, which is a staple akin to Gothic horror. The pacing was slower, which too is a staple of a Gothic tale.
There is something to be found for both the seasoned and inexperienced horror reader.

With all of that being said, my thoughts are complicated.

I suspect Sarah Gailey’s work is not for me. I start off by liking the premise, yet there is always something that doesn’t work for me.

Just Like Home had the most potential out of her work that I have consumed. The first 60% of Just Like Home gripped me. I was excited to continue, to unearth the details of the haunted house and haunted relationships. The second ~half fell flat for me.

In my opinion, this work combined too many horror tropes. The motivations of characters outside the focal point made no sense. But, I liked the setting and the parent-child dynamics. This was neutral for me.

3/5.

Brilliantly creepy!
I am not a big Horror or True Crime reader both are genres I usually stay away from but I have loved all of Sarah Gailey’s books through the last couple of years - Magic For Liars and Echo Wife were simply fantastic books that I have since given as gifts and recommended - so I knew I had to read their new one as well … The book is set at the house where a serial killer committed his torture and murders in the basement. His daughter who has moved far away from home after reaching adulthood needs to come home to care for her estranged dying mother - who turned the house into a destination for true crime/ serial killer aficionados and sold of bits and pieces. This is not easy for Vera, the daughter, because of the spectacle but also because despite clearly being a psychopath he was a loving and steady parent for her other than her mother who is not condemned by society but was clearly not a loving mother for Vera. The duality between the little evil of inner family psychological abuse against the big out in the open evil and the question of how to reconcile loving a person who has committed horrendous evil is explored.
Examining a serial killer’s legacy Just Like Home questions the bloodlust of the true crime genre alongside a good old-fashioned haunting.
This is horror writing and I am a wimp so some of the storytelling hit my tolerance level when it came to gross and unsettling but the book had me hooked and I was always intrigued enough to keep going.
I listened to parts of this on audio and the narration by Xe Sands was brilliant for this story the way it felt like someone whispering in your ear and made for an even more atmospheric experience.

"“Come home.” Vera’s mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of the memories — she's come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father and the bodies he buried there, beneath the house he'd built for his family."

When Vera returned home to the house that her father built, she wasn't sure what to expect. Upon her return she struggles to reconcile the relationship that she had with her parents - a harsh, unforgiving mother she grew up with that now lies in bed dying; and the loving, kind father that tortured and killed men in the basement right under her childhood bedroom.
The story jumps back and forth between present day and Vera as a child. With each flashback the story begins to form while simultaneously adding a layer of unexplained creepiness. What was, and is, really happening at the house that Vera's father built?
This story started a little slow but picked up pretty quickly. Throughout the entire story there was a level of mystery that left me with a feeling of unease. I was completely invested, wanting to figure out what was really happening - and it kept me guessing until the very end!
This story is a bit different, but so well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook.
Release Date scheduled for July 19, 2022.

Say what you will about Sarah Gailey, the lady doesn't tell the same story twice. Just Like Home is her take on the haunted house trope. It is dark, and it is creepy. She's populated the book with disquieting characters, and she kept me guessing with twists until the bitter, bitter end.

This was my first and last time reading this genre and I’m glad it was my first because I enjoyed it…for a while, anyways. I liked it until the 90% mark and then I just got bored and uninterested and I didn’t like the ending. It would be a two but I liked a majority of the book so it’s a three.

I can’t say enough about how successfully Sarah Gailey moves around to different genres and subjects in their writing. I haven’t loved every one of their novels, but the diversity of their subject matter (and how convincingly they move into the genre) is tremendous.

Just Like Home takes a while to draw in its reader (I was almost halfway through the book before I cared much about what was happening). I like slow builds, particularly in mysteries or horror novels, but the uneven pacing on this one was a little tough. Regardless, I pretty much forgot about that during the second half of the book as more information was revealed.

I tend to prefer my Horror to be more scary and less gross than this one was, though the grossness is manageable even for those of us who don’t love it. Credit to Gailey for getting their point across in this regard without being gratuitous or manipulative.

What really stood out to me about this book was the unique and wonderful spin on the “there’s something wrong with the house” trope. I absolutely loved what Gailey did with this and how they used it to create an unusual and strangely heartwarming situation for the protagonist.

The book is a good pick if you prefer your Horror to be slightly tempered like I do. The writing, as one would expect from Gailey, is a cut above much of what populates the genre, and the originality of the plot is quite noteworthy.

Audiobook Readers: This didn’t translate particularly well to the medium, though a lot of that may relate to the pacing. The narrator wasn’t bad, but the flatness of her tone doesn’t help with a book that reads a bit flatter than what you want out of the genre regardless of reading format.

That said, I appreciate the narrator’s restraint (always a particularly dicey thing in suspense or horror). Because the pacing is imbalanced in a way that doesn’t really match good quality slow build (which works just fine on audio), this one is better in print format.

After seeing this book all over, I was so looking forward to it and excited to receive an eARC in exchange for an honest review, so thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who made this happen!

Quick synopsis for you - Vera is asked by her mother, Daphne, to return to her childhood home as Daphne is on her death bed. Upon arriving, Vera is haunted by ghosts within herself and the house as memories from the past come flooding back. A past that she suppressed, with a father who would do dark, mysterious things in the basement of this home. Told in dual timelines, memories from the past are combined with revelations in the present in this slow burn thriller.

Overall this was an intriguing thriller that had me curious from beginning to end. I appreciated the duality of the present and hearing and knowing what horrible things Vera's father had done, all while combining this with the memories of the past and a father who loved and adored Vera. There seemed to be two sides to the story, each eager to be told and combined with the other half. This is what compelled me to read more - what was I missing, and what secrets had to be revealed?

Quite honestly, it felt slow. I listened to the audiobook and while the narrator seemed to fit perfectly with the story, the reading and pace was not capturing me. The story is what held me on, and knowing that there was a discovery yet to be had. And about 2/3 of the way through it happened, and made it totally worth the read. The missing pieces come together in an unexpected and twisty way, and I could not stop listening until I heard every last second.

Synopsis:
“Come home.” Vera’s mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of the memories -- she's come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father and the bodies he buried there.

Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren’t alone. A parasitic artist has moved into the guest house out back, and is slowly stripping Vera’s childhood for spare parts. He insists that he isn’t the one leaving notes around the house in her father’s handwriting… but who else could it possibly be?

There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them, and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes.
🏠
Thank you:
First I want to thank @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this e-alc of Just like home by @gaileyfrey
🏠
My thoughts:
What in the x files did I just listen to. This book was definitely different. It gave me a feel of Mexican Gothic and Dexter combined. Xe Sands did a amazing job Narrating it. Normally, I can't do thrillers because normally they drag out. This book was definitely different. It caught my attention and got better by the minute. Only thing because she had flashbacks frequently, you had to pay attention. The ending is what got me to go for a 5 🌟.
If your debating and not sure. I would definitely pick this one up.
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Rating:
Narration: 🐕🐕🐕🐕
Storyline:🐕🐕🐕🐕🐶
Overall: 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

Sadly, this was a total miss for me. The cover really drew me in - it’s fantastic! The story moved SO slowly that I almost gave up on it a few times. The vast majority of the story was disappointingly un-creepy. The only thing that kept me interested in the story was Vera’s father and the desire to learn more about him. The plot finally kicked into high gear towards the very end, but by that point everything just seemed thrown together in a creative - but strange - mess.

Wouldn’t recommend this on audio. The narrator was great but the story is so weird that I think I may have caught more detail and possibly connected to its creepiness more if I was actually holding it and reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for allowing me to review this audiobook!

I'm not normally a gothic novel or horror book reader, but I was drawn to this one maybe because of the colours of the cover and the description.

I can understand someone's reluctance to go back to their small home town because you know that everyone will be watching you and spreading gossip about you. I think the first 3/4 of this book were quite strong. I was intrigued, shocked, horrified and interested to see where the story was going to go.

I didn't really sympathize with the main characters and I was disappointed with the ending of the story. I think it was still a good read and as someone who doesn't normally read too many horror/gothic books it was just the right amount of scary/gore. I think a lot of people will like this one, and I probably would have appreciated it more had I read it in the fall/October. I'd rate it in between 3-4 stars.

I had never read a Sarah Gailey book before and Just LIke Home was absolutely amazing. It was addicting, I just wanted to know what made these characters tick. The dysfunctional family dynamic was interesting to read about, the serial killer was the good guy almost. I don't feel that the guest in the house added much but I can see why he was necessary to the end. I will definitely recommend this book. The narration was really good as well. The tone of the actress was perfect for a thriller.

This book is spooky, haunting, and dark dark dark! “Just Like Home” is a twisted story of the daughter of a serial killer - and Sarah Gailey mastered her craft!

I was really disappointed in this. Just Like Home was one of my most anticipated of 2022 and I was looking forward to listening to the ARC.

Unfortunately, I don't think this story was for me. The story just felt like it dragged on for way too long. I was waiting for any type of twist to happen, but after a certain point I just stopped caring. The world-building was weak and for a haunted house story, it wasn't atmospheric at all.

The main character was also uninteresting and flat. I DNFd this pretty fast.

I will give it 2/5 for the plot but unfortunately it didn't give what it needed to give.

Who doesn’t love a pink cover?!
Great narrator choice!
I tried to love this one but couldn’t find my stride reading it. Slow burn, For gothic horror, it could have been creepier. I think it needed something more gripping, or nail biting! When it takes me awhile to make my way through an audiobook, it’s just not for me. I really enjoyed The Echo Wife, but this book had a whole different vibe.

Review of Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

⭐️⭐️💫

I really enjoyed the Echo Wife and was really looking forward to this one. The synopsis sounded great but unfortunately it didn’t work for me overall. I read a review a week or two ago where a smart bookstagramer compared it to Mexican Gothic and I totally agree. What I liked about this book (and why I finished snd it is a 2.5 stars rather than 1-2) was the excellent writing and absolutely skin crawling creepy vibe the entire book. But the story was disjointed and I didn’t like the characters and the overall ending was just odd and didn’t love it. There was one part of the ending I thought was cool! I will definitely read more from her in the future though.

Quick synopsis: Vera has been bouncing from place to place since her traumatic childhood. Her father was a serial killer who buried bodies at their home. He is now deceased and her mom is currently dying. Her mom had asked her to return home and she does. The memories flood back and she begins finding creepy notes left for her in her dad’s handwriting..

Gailey says this one is for anyone who has ever loved a monster. Vera returns home at the behest of her dying mother. Vera’s father was a serial killer, and she loved him. Vera returns home to face her troubled past, her estranged mother, and the artist who is living in their guest house, combing through Vera’s childhood in the name of “art.” When Vera starts finding strange notes around the house and her things, the artist insists he didn’t leave them, but who else could it be? Her mother is dying and Vera isn’t writing them herself. Is there something else lurking in the house, in their past? Something sinister?

I flew through this book. I’m not normally one for serial killers/true crime stuff, but in addition to digging a little into the murders of Vera’s father, it’s about the legacy something like that leaves on a child, how it affects the grown woman, particularly when the killer was beloved. There’s mystery with the house guest, a study in a troubled mother-daughter relationship, and perhaps even a little paranormal happenings lurking in the shadows. Everything I need for the perfect, creepy story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it made me look forward to fall even more. I love creepy all year, and it always makes me long for crisp cool evenings, falling leaves, and of course, Halloween.

The book is out now wherever you get your books and audiobooks.

This book begins with Vera coming home to take care of her dying mother. And everything is just…off. Her mother is hostile towards her, there’s something living under her bed, and her father was a serial killer who may be haunting the house, so things are complicated! We get bits and pieces of their backstory revealed, combined with pieces of what’s currently going on; but there’s still so many questions as the story continues.

To be honest, I don’t know who was creepier – Vera’s dying mother who despises Vera and constantly says creepy things, or Vera’s father in her memories who fills her head with what seemed close to bizarre religious beliefs. Or maybe the creepiest was the family home. That is a whole third character looming in the background, feeling alive and threatening at almost every turn.

I listened to this book and it was creepy and haunting, which is exactly the tone the audiobook needed for this book. Xe Sands does a wonderful monotone in places that makes sense to the story and gives it an even more ominous tone. If you like creepy or horror, you would like this!

Content Notes: death on page, murder

God, this book is a triumph. After THE ECHO WIFE, my expectations were extremely high, and I'm pleased to say they were met and then some! This book was unsettling in the best way. I'll read anything Sarah Gailey writes, especially if the audiobook is narrated by Xe Sands.

I tried, but I'm starting to think gothic horror isn't for me. This was too slow-paced with not enough to keep me reading at the beginning.