Definitely an interesting read! Vera returns to her childhood home after years of being away to care for her ailing mother. From the beginning you can tell there is no relationship between them and she feels obligated.

Slowly things start coming out about her family and it's past, the reason she left and disturbing details of her home.

The ending took a turn I just wasn't into but I'm sure many will enjoy.

𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 🏠

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛: @gaileyfrey
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: July 19th (Today)
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Mystery/Thriller

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭:
This 📖 was basically a horror thriller - it literally oozed🩸 and suspense.

In other words, it is beautifully disturbing.

This book, at times, made me uncomfortable, yet it intrigued me until the very end!

After a famous true crime book was written about Vera’s family - Vera had no choice but to escape the horror (her dad was a serial killer). It’s been 12 years and now she’s back to her home town of Marion, New York.

Upon her return, she meets an artist named James Duvall, he is renting the shed of her family’s property. He also happens to be the son of the author who wrote the true crime book about her family. Why is he here?

What actually happened inside the house all those years ago? Vera must discover the house’s secrets in order to find a way to move on with her life. The house 🏠 quickly becomes a main character and the twists had me guessing until the very end. ⛓🩸🔪

WELCOME HOME!

𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩: 𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜

Thank you @netgalley @torbooks & @macmillan.audio for the advanced audio of #justlikehome #netgalley #torbooks

Happy Publication Day!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator annoyed me practically the whole time. She was very monotone and hard to listen to. That may be the reason it took 90% of the book for me to get into it. The last 10% was amazing. It was creepy and atmospheric. Maybe if I read the physical copy I would feel differently but it was just an ok read for me.

Vera Crowder hasn’t been home in twelve years, however, after receiving a call from her mother pleading her to return home, she goes. Vera goes home with a purpose; to clean out the house and watch her mother die.

Vera’s family is well known in their town thanks to Hammett Duvall’s true crime book. What’s so bad about that you ask? Her father was a serial killer.

Vera is shocked when she returns home to find that Duvall’s son James has rented the shed on her property. If that wasn’t creepy and weird itself, strange things begin happening at night in Vera’s bedroom. Monsters under the bed become all to real as Vera tries to decipher what happened in her home all those years ago.

Just Like Home is available now!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Vera is called home by her dying mother, and starts finding notes around her childhood home from her dead father, a man who went away for the things he buried in that house. She begins to suspect the artist living in the shed on the property who has latched himself onto the house as though he owns it. Then things start going bump in the night and Vera can no longer deny the truth of what happened all those years ago.
I won't lie, the audiobook took a while to get into the swing of, I kept putting it down and wasn't really sold on the narrator. She was too slow and sounded almost bored half the time. Thankfully I pushed through the first quarter and it paid off. But I would recommend the physical over the audio if you can.
As for the story, I kept getting so angry at so many characters. I wanted to see more retribution for some, and was happy with the comeuppance of others. I was also frustrated how so much was kept hidden, but in a good way. I kept wanting to read ahead or find spoilers because I was so intrigued by the things constantly left unsaid. It was like be9ing given a puzzle but not having the photo of what it should look like, except I loved every second.
I will admit the reveal at the end was a little... weird. But in the best way, It was like finally being able to make sense of everything that didn't seem to add up. I never would have expected it and that made even the final 20 minutes an exciting, edge of my seat read.
If you love stories about serial killers, ghosts, haunted houses, twisted neighbors, and family drama- this is for sure something you need to pick up,

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t really know how to rate this or what to even write as my review.

I’ll start with this — Gailey is a VERY talented writer. I actually read one of their books, Upright Women Wanted, and although I wouldn’t call it my favorite, I was generally impressed with how well written and creative Gailey is. I was even more impressed with how they can write different genres and make it seem effortless.

I was drawn into this book because of the description — the daughter of a serial killer coming home to watch their mother die? Add in something spooky under the bed and a menacing artist who works with the paranormal? That is just the amount of twistedness I love to read. Told in two different timelines, Gailey masterfully weaved a tale of suspense and dread. I was HOOKED.

Well, at least for the first 90%.

The last ten percent of the book seemed like a fever dream of what the actual f*ck. I can’t even describe what happens… I had to rewind it multiple times just to get a grip on what was happening. When I think back, the entire book gave some hints of the reveal at the end but I still found it to be shocking and just…WEIRD. it honestly made me knock a few stars off of my rating.

"This house, the house her father built, the house where her mother would die-this place was safe. This place knew her. This place was where she belonged."

Okay so the first 3/4 of this book is incredibly boring. I'm not sure if the twist was hidden so well that the rest of the book was a bit of a bore.

H O W E V E R....
That last 1/4 was absolutely CAPTIVATING. I have never read anything else quite like it and I am just astounded. What a wild ending. I loved it, which bumped my rating up to an overall 4 stars!!!

*INTERNALLY SCREAMING*
★★★★★
ARC Review:
Just Like Home by @gaileyfrey

This isn't a run-of-the-mill review. This is a seal of approval. I'm calling it now: this is the best horror novel of 2022. I've read Stephen King — this is better. Did you like Paranormal Activity? Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House? HBO's I'll Be Gone in the Dark? YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!

This is one of those books that forced me to reevaluate my rating metrics. I sincerely loved this book so much, and it was so clearly a five-star read, I was forced to go back and downgrade previous reads to four stars. I am willing to bet that this book will become a huge Hollywood horror movie in the next 5 years.

We get this first-person, single POV, dual timeline narrative, where the author has mastered this vivid prose that is stunningly, horrifically creepy.

Are you curating your autumn TBR? Add this book — you won't be disappointed!

DO NOT look under your bed 😱🏚☠️!! This book gave me chills. Just Like Home is a dark gothic thriller with a dollop of horror. It’s a disturbing creepy story with haunted house vibes and I’m 100% here for it 🖤.

Vera’s mother is dying and beckoning her home after a long estrangement. Vera returns to the house her father built, the house built over the bodies of those he murdered in their basement. But now there’s a stranger living in her home, a man who is trying to exploit the fame of the Crowder House for his “art.” Is he the one leaving old letters from Vera’s father around the house? And who is pulling off her covers and shifting things in the night?

This story is perfect for horror lovers, but it’s not your typical haunted house story. And Vera is not your typical “likable” MC. Gailey’s writing is addicting, dark, and lyrical. The story has this sort of unsettling out-of-body feeling to it. I could not put it down🖤.

I read and listened to this book. The narration by Xe Sands was 🤌 *chef’s kiss* and added to the eerie gritty feel of the story. Thank you to @macmillan.audio , @torbooks , and @netgalley for these digital ARCs in exchange for an honest review.

Just Like Home - Sarah Gailey
4/5⭐️
Pub Day: 7/19/2022

This book was haunting and really beautifully written. I have consistently enjoyed Gailey’s work, and this one was no exception. It was so atmospheric and creepy. I really enjoyed it - definitely more than “The Echo Wife.” It was tragic and sad, but also had all the fun horrific aspects you expect from a novel labeled “Gothic Horror.” Just a really good read.

Wow I was blown away by Just Like Home. Gothic horror at its finest.

I was hesitant going into this one because Upright Women Wanted was a disappointment for me.

Just Like Home is told in alternating timelines - Vera recounting her childhood and Vera in the present coming to terms with her mom's impending death and the history of the house she lived in.
The present timeline and flashbacks are woven together in a masterful way.

It is both an insidious story that makes your skin crawl while exploring themes surround fractured families, trauma, the cycle of violence, abuse, motherhood. It is a quiet, haunting book that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Just Like Home was my first book by Sarah Gailey. I have some questions and some thoughts. First, I feel very stupid for not "getting" how this book is at all categorized as LGBT or Queer. Not that it particularly matters, but so many reviews mention it, that I just wondered what the heck I was missing. That question alone probably means this book is way over my head. All my other questions would reveal spoilers, so I will have to keep those locked away in my head.

Thoughts: Wow, was this book slow! I thought it was a horror/thriller. It probably was a horror, but a very slow burning one. I didn't mind the graphic nature of it as you can't read horror and expect no gore. But I also expected for a book this slow, there should be more character development. I finished the book without understanding what motivated the actions of any but the leechy artist, and that feels like a big miss to me.

Overall, I did not have strong positive feelings or strong negative feelings for this book. There were sections of the book I was glued to and others I was bored by. The ending was interesting but reminded me a bit of one of M. Night Shayamalan's movies that was widely mocked. I couldn't decide if I thought the ending was smart or just weird, but it was definitely unexpected.

Tee hee hee! I thought that this was a delishiously twisty horror/thriller. Very high creep factor throughout and the ending was oh so satisfying. Can't say too much without giving away some of the best bits, but it was great. Xe Sands is a favorite narrator of mine and she is spot on here!

I was enjoying myself from the start, and then 50% in I was shocked and enraptured. And 90% in, I was horrified and DELIGHTED. I already guarantee that this book is getting one of my Hugo nomination votes, and it's going to be on ALL the horror shortlists next year. It's certainly going on my book club's rec list, as well!

There's definitely some parallel's to be drawn with "Kill Creek" by Scott Thomas, but "Just Like Home" is a tighter narrative. Not a character wasted, not a meandering section. Sarah Gailey definitely took the "kill your darlings" editorial advice to heart. The book isn't exactly "fast-paced," but it's purposeful.

True crime podcasters will sometimes remember to bring up a serial killer's other victims: their family, and especially their children. Vera Crowder, daughter of one prolific serial killer, who did his dirty work right under Vera's own bedroom, has avoided going home for years. But her father is dead, her mother is dying, and someone has to come back to take care of the house.

Vera's isolation is immediate. The townspeople have long memories, and no one wants the Crowder kid in their store. All Vera can do is prepare the house for sale, but cleaning soon turns to exploring, and there is much Vera has yet to discover.

The audiobook reader gets you in with her calm, even tone, but as the book delves deeper into the horror...that tone doesn't change. And that is an unnerving thing. A perfect reflection of the narrator's inner thoughts, and an alarm bell to anyone with a sense of self-preservation.

4.5

Vera is called back to her childhood home to care for her dying mother. Despite their estrangement, she obliges, moves back into her childhood bedroom. The home where her father killed has been turned into an attraction, complete with a leeching artist who lives in the back, stripping the house away bit by bit. It's true, the rot is settled deep into the house's bones. But Vera can't let it end like this, she has to protect it. There's just no place like home.

I was expecting a run of the mill haunted house book peppered with familial drama. Just Like Home dug far deeper, highlighting Vera’s relationships with her parents: why one was so full of life and love and the other tarnished with grease, rot. The coldness sucked me in immediately.

Gailey takes classic horror tropes and turns them on their head, mashing them together into a pulsing narrative that seems to take on life, feels real. I don’t think the story would feel this way if not for the visceral writing style, the pointed way in which the plot is presented. All of these pieces work in tandem, creating a harmonious nightmare: oozing, unsettling, sinister. Ready to gobble you up if you’re not careful, if you don’t respect the house.

Just Like Home
By Sarah Gailey
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Blurb]“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.
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.

[Review] WHAT THE BANANA BALLS HAPPENED!! But also yes. So much yes. This book is so incredibly good and so creepy. I was listening to it with my earbuds in while making dinner, and I kept having to stop and stare off into space to process what was happening. There is so much in this book that makes me feel seen. An emotionally abusive mom, whose jealous of your relationship with your dad. A dad who's attentive but absent where it counts. But also I feel wrong connecting so astonishingly deeply to a book as twisted as this. Man. This book. I just knew it was going to throw me for a loop. I mean, look at that freaking cover. But I honestly didn't think it was going to take me to church and read me my soul while the exorcist plays in the background. Good lord, I love it, but I was totally unprepared. Also, I now have an author crush on Sarah Gailey, and I'll read whatever she puts in front of me. Forever and ever, amen.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC audiobook. Thank you, Sarah Gailey for this haunting book that will stick with me for an especially long time. And a special thank you, Xe Sands, for bringing a unique voice to these characters and really bringing this book to life!

This one was a slow burn, but it picked up around 80% & didn’t slow down. I wasn’t in love with the ending, but I did like how Vera evolved throughout the novel!

*I received an ALC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Actual rating: 3.5

Sarah Gailey returns with a haunted house thriller that is perfect for summer. When Vera returns home to assist her dying mother, she must face the things that happened when she lived in the home with her serial killer father. There is an artist who is a boarder at the house and is taking advantage of the lore surrounding Crowder House to bolster the reception for his art. And there are still more mysteries to uncover.

I'm not entirely sure what I expected from this novel, but what I got was an entertaining Gothic thriller with explorations of a possible haunting. I liked the balance played between the potential for supernatural versus human causes for the odd things that Vera experiences in the home. I also think that it was beneficial to have the dual timelines of Vera's childhood in the house and her present.

Narrator Xe Sands did a perfectly respectable job with the audiobook. Her narration style is appropriately intimate considering the lens of the storytelling, and I think that her performance contributed to my enjoyment of this work. Even at my habitual 2x plus speed, Sands' narration was clear and seemed to really suit the thriller style.

Overall, I was surprised by the way the book ended and liked it all the more for the way that Gailey is not afraid to push further. I think this book is exactly what I would expect from a summer thriller and I am happy to have had the chance to read it early.

I don't read horror. Life is spooky enough for me as it is. But a good friend insisted I request "Just Like Home" by Sarah Gailey (Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC).
Lo and behold I get a bit spooked. Real uncomfortable when the body horror hits and the smells described were what I was drinking... And then it capitalized on one of my silliest fears 😭.

Xe Sands narrates the story and the intentional creepy hits hard. But the innocent "oh this is normal, wait no it isn't" is deeply unsettling.

Big thumbs up for folks who hate going to their childhood homes. Drops tomorrow!

Reasons to read:
-You want to be shook for a bit, but still want to sleep at night
-A good serial killer story every now and then
-Oh look it's some of my oddest fears
-The pacing was really well done, keep getting more of the background right when it was needed

Cons:
-Oh look it's some of my oddest fears

I had never before read a book by Sarah Gailey but I'm now going to read anything I can find prior to this book! 4.5 stars. This was creeptastic in the very best way! Vera Crowder gets a call from her dying mother to come home, home to house her serial killer father built and all the memories it holds. But it also holds a lot more than just Vera's loving memories of her father. It seems the house may be actually haunted and maybe Vera's mother was even worse than her father... I mean, Stephen King would be proud of this story!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio version of this novel.*

My freaking goodness! Wonderful gothic novel. Sarah Gailey is so freaking good! Their sense of space is so spooky. I had to stop listening at night because it was freaking me out. Ugh. So good!