"We Came to Welcome You" by Vincent Tirado is a masterclass in psychological horror that blends the creeping dread of Midsommar with the sharp social commentary of The Other Black Girl. Tirado expertly unravels the unsettling reality of Sol Reyes’s life in Maneless Grove, turning the idyllic suburban dream into a claustrophobic nightmare. The way the book tackles systemic racism, microaggressions, and the pressure to conform is both chilling and eerily relatable. Sol’s descent into paranoia—or is it clarity?—is captured with such intensity that you can’t help but feel her fear crawling under your skin. The uncanny elements, like disappearing doors and invasive roots, add a surreal layer that amplifies the terror, making you question what’s real and what’s not. This is the kind of book that sticks with you, making you side-eye your own neighbors and reconsider what it means to truly belong. A must-read for fans of horror that doesn’t just scare—it makes you think.

Vincent Tirado’s adult debut novel, WE CAME TO WELCOME YOU, masterfully intertwines psychological horror with social commentary, captivating readers from the very first page.

Described as "The Other Black Girl meets Midsommar," WE CAME TO WELCOME YOU centers on Sol Reyes and her wife, Alice Song, as they move into the seemingly perfect gated community of Maneless Grove. Tirado expertly crafts an atmosphere of growing unease, where the neighborhood's outward charm conceals a dark, lurking threat. By blending elements reminiscent of classics like The Stepford Wives and Get Out, Tirado infuses the story with a sense of familiarity while keeping the narrative fresh and engaging.

The novel’s true strength lies in its rich character development and exploration of complex, relevant themes. Sol, a Black woman grappling with professional and personal challenges, emerges as a compelling protagonist whose struggles with identity and belonging are deeply resonant. Her relationship with her wife Alice, a Korean American woman eager to fit in, adds another layer of depth, illustrating the pressures of assimilation and the pervasive impact of systemic racism. Tirado’s nuanced portrayal of their relationship dynamic and the unsettling events in their new home create a multi-layered narrative that keeps readers hooked.

Tirado’s writing is both sharp and evocative, drawing readers into the unsettling world of Maneless Grove. The novel’s pacing is expertly handled, with each chapter escalating the tension and deepening the mystery. Supernatural elements are seamlessly woven into the story, amplifying the psychological horror without overshadowing the real-world issues at its core. We Came to Welcome You is a thought-provoking, chilling read that will resonate with fans of slow-burn horror and those who appreciate stories that explore society's darker aspects.

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado was a unique and interesting story.
Vincent Tirado deftly weaves an engaging storyline. I didn’t know what to expect going into this book but it surprised me in the best way possible.
The story unfolds with masterful pacing and the characters are well developed and keep the book engaging throughout.
And the plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end.
We Came to Welcome You is an atmospheric read that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Thank you Netgalley & William Morrow for an eARC 🔥

The book is about a queer couple, Sol and Alice, who move into a fancy gated community that seems like the perfect place to start their new life together. But things quickly take a dark turn when Sol starts hearing voices and seeing weird stuff that can't be explained. And the neighbors? They're just plain strange.

At first, I thought it was just Sol being paranoid, but as the story goes on, you realize that something really sinister is going on in this community. Vincent Tirado does a great job of building tension and making you feel like something's off, even when you're not quite sure what it is.

I also loved how the book mixed psychological horror with commentary on real-life issues like discrimination, prejudice,systemic oppression. It's uncomfortable to read at times, but it's so important to confront these issues and think about how they affect people's lives.

My only gripe is that the ending felt a bit rushed and didn't quite add up. I wanted more answers and a more satisfying conclusion, but maybe that's just me.

3 ⭐️. Am I the only one that remembers the X-files episode where Mulder and Scully move to the "perfect" neighborhood and investigate a HOA monster who k*lls people who don't abide by the HOA rules? well, this story gave me similar vibes (just not as well executed).

this book needed a lotttttt of editing. at its core, this story was really interesting but there were a lot of plot lines that went nowhere, never got wrapped up and it left me feeling overall unfulfilled. I feel like it would have been a stronger read had it of been 150 pages less.

TY to William Morrow and NetGalley for the Advance Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.

After Sol and her wife Alice move to a new community, Sol finds the neighborhood is not as ideal as it seems.

The "perfect neighborhood with a dark side" trope is evergreen for a reason--there are so many possibilities! We Came to Welcome You starts strong, but by the rushed ending leaves so many loose ends. I felt that there were some allusions to The House of Leaves, which would've been great when expanded to a full neighborhood! Suggesting the neighborhood and its residents might be part of a larger a living entity? Yes, I'm in. But none of these ideas are ever fully realized. Plus, Sol, our main character, doesn't seem to trust her wife Alice, or anyone else (except for, maybe, a neighbor, shortly after they meet).

Tirado's prose is creepy and fun to read, but the story, unfortunately, didn't work.

Sol was SO annoying and aggravating throughout the whole story. I truly don’t understand how Alice stayed with her because she was just a mess. I understand what happened to her over the years has caused trauma, but at some point you need time start the healing process. This is the second book I have read by this author and their style of writing isn’t for me. The story was very slow burn, twists were predictable and the ending left me wanting more as I felt it was rushed.

First off, thank you to @williammorrow for the eARC!

For fans of Grady Hendrix, this book by Vincent Tirado is for you! I didn’t know what to expect from this eerie HOA entering the home of Sol and Alice, but I couldn’t put the book down. Things just kept getting weirder and weirder.

Perfect for the upcoming spooky season or anytime you want some creepy vibes.

Read this book if you like…
💀third person POV
☠️creepy vibes
💀psychological thriller

Release date: September 3rd

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado is a disturbing novel with horror-ish elements.

Sol Reyes and Alice Song are a multi-ethnic couple whose move into a gated community is not exactly what they expected. Sol is on leave from her job and she is attempting to keep her promise to stop drinking. Alice is on an upward trajectory at her marketing job and she is working long hours to reach her goal. Sol is a solitary person who finds it difficult to trust anyone. But Alice is outgoing and enjoys social events. Neither is thrilled with the HOA board’s attempt to push them into joining the association but Sol is the most resistant to their efforts. With Alice gone from their house most of the day, Sol becomes convinced there is something very wrong with their neighborhood. But will she find out the truth about what is happening?

Sol is worried about her job as a researcher at Yale University. She is stunned at the turn of events but is at a loss to figure out how to prove the allegations against her are false. Sol distracts herself by trying to understand what is wrong within their gated community. None of what she observes in the neighbor initially makes sense but she slowly but surely solves the mystery. But what will Sol do with the answers she has unearthed?

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado is an intriguing novel that is quite suspenseful. Sol and Alice are wonderfully drawn, multi-faceted characters. The storyline is clever and the horror elements are unique and interesting. The gated community is a little creepy with a Stepford Wives vibe. Although the overall story is very enjoyable, the conclusion is a bit of a letdown.

We Came To Welcome You by Vincent Torrado, The Book begins with Soul, a molecular biologist and her wife Alice who works in publishing move to their own home in a gated community. From the first day went three ambassadors from the HMO come to welcome them and inform the couple about the HMO Soul starts to think there may be something wrong with their new neighborhood. Suffering from depression and also a binge drinker Soul is standoffish at the best of times but what she finds out about her new home and neighbors will change her life and not for the better. First off I want to say I did not like the ending I really thought it was going to end differently but having said that I also was put off by all the racism I mean when they thought Alice was the doctor they couldn’t even figure out who they thought they were being racist to because Seoul is from the Dominican republic and Alice is Asian I believe from China I apologize for not knowing. Whenever I read a book about someone who’s whole personality is wrapped up in their heritage in place of birth I am always weary because I know pride and prejudice has a thin line when it comes to our race or what we perceive our race to be. I mean in the book despite the fact the black psychiatrist couldn’t get over her being a lesbian but still he was black so when given the choice to infect one of them she goes to see the nice white Doctor Who excepted her for who she was. There’s other instances in the book what I will say about the book is I was not expecting it to go where it did and what a brilliant intelligent plot and for the most part I enjoyed it but I don’t think pushing racism from any persons viewpoint is a good thing there is enough hate in this world without adding to it but I am not reviewing the racist aspect I am reviewing the book and if you love horror especially well thought out horror with a great plot then you’ll definitely like this book. And despite what I said about the main character you would have to be heartless not to root for her.#NetGalley, #WilliamMorrow, #VincentTirado, #WeCameToWelcomeYou,

Sol and her wife, Alice, move into Maneless Grove, which seems like the perfect community. While Alice enjoys it, Sol can’t help but feel something is not right.

This one is definitely creepy and brings the spook factor but it was really slowly paced for me. At times it was a chore to read it but I was invested in the main character, Sol, and really wanted to find out what was going on. It’s one of those thrillers where you’re not sure if there’s a supernatural twist, or something else.

“You think everyone is being so friendly, so neighborly, but the truth is they’re picking you apart. Figuring out what part of you fits and what doesn’t.”

We Came to Welcome You comes out 9/3.

If Jordan peele had directed stepford wives and made it about the HOA that’s what this book is. It was funny, eerie, weird, and WILDLY entertaining. I couldn’t put this book down.

I want to first thank NetGalley and William Morrow for the Advanced Readers Copy of “We Came To Welcome You”

I was hooked when I saw this marketed as “The Other Black Girl” meets “Midsommar”. Also, when I saw the book’s dedication “To anyone who has ever regretted joining a Homeowners Association: consider engaging in malicious compliance” I was intrigued! Social horror and suburban horror are subgenres I’ve always enjoyed.

Out of fear of spoiling- I’ll keep the summary and review short. While some aspects and quotes that I liked might not be spoilers - I don’t want to take away from the impact of first reading them in the context of the story.

This book follows Sol and Alice as they move into a gated community and are being pressured to join the HOA. It’s pretty cultish, at times repetitive, BUT so creepy in all the fun ways. This went somewhere I did not expect which is always fun when a story can keep you guessing. I felt the ending was abrupt, I did want an epic final scene/showdown between our lead and the antagonist that I felt I did not really get- but the point was made. I do wish we had followed some other characters longer like Veronica and her family as well as Corinne. This is not to say what was written for them was bad, but that they were written so well I was intrigued and wanted more!

Culture plays a big part of the story, I really enjoyed our main character Sol who is Afro-Dominican and all the ways her culture worked into the story. The author describes themselves as Afro-Latine Bronx native so I imagine bits of themselves were worked into the story. I appreciate that they researched and created a Korean character named Alice then had a sensitivity reader to make sure they got Alice right. There were bits of each of these characters that I related to which helped connect me to the story.

I would absolutely recommend this for people who enjoy social horror and suburban horror. I can’t wait to see how the final product turns out when it’s published September 3 this year!

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado is a sapphic psychologically thriller about a married couple moving into a gated community. The HOA of the community is pushy and strange. Sol struggles to fit in with the neighbors and has a deep distrust of them, where her wife Alice seems to have 'drank the Kool-Aid'. Sol questions if there is something strange going on or if she is losing her mind. Alice just wants her to try to fit in, causing issues with their marriage.
This story is slow paced and slightly repetitive in parts. The ending is a bit rushed and doesn't really explain anything satisfactorily. I was also annoyed by the fact that Sol was described as a PHD scientist and a genius, yet she couldn't logically analysis what was happening. The only excuse for this was that she was a drunk with mental health issues but that seemed to0 cliche for me. The whole story about her job seemed out of place with the plot as well. The story wasn't awful but it just didn't sit right with me because I think if someone is as smart as Sol, or even Alice, then they would have done a lot more investigating of their weird symptoms when they moved in. I am not fond of writer's ,writing strong women then making them act crazy so this wasn't for me. It also lacked in suspense and creepiness for being a horror.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

If something is too good to be true, then it probably is.

Maneless Grove seems like the perfect place to live. A gated community full of charming homes and friendly neighbors.
But there's something unsettling Sol about her new home. While it looks like the perfect community on rhe outside, Sol can't help but feel like something sinister is lurking underneath the facade. The children act odd, the adults keep pushing her and her wife to join the HOA, and the snarled old tree in the backyard is freaking her out.
Maybe it's just her paranoia getting the best of her. But what if it's not? What if something nefarious is happening, and how will she ever convince her wife than there is?

I loved this story. It had that ominous, creepy feel that I was looking for. There was a real Stepford Wives vibe going on, and being in Sol's headspace the whole time made my paranoia peak.
This is a great book to read during the spooky season, and I'll be getting rhe Audiobook when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We Came to Welcome You was an interesting premise for a novel but one that just fell flat for me. I loved the concept of an insidious Stepford Wives style neighborhood but it felt repetive and as if it never really moved forward. It was compulsively readable and I wanted to know what happened to Sol and Alice in the end. Unfortunately the ending felt rushed and I never really got a clear explanation of what was happening and why it ended up the way it did. This book was fun and I would still suggest picking it up but it just wasn't the best of its kind.

I couldn't make up my mind about "We Came to Welcome You." I both liked it & didn't like it.

If you read horror or thrillers, then the moving to a new neighborhood and something's wrong with the house or neighbors plot may be familiar to you. This one isn't too different other than it's got an evil environmental factor to it. I like all that and couldn't wait to find out how it all got resolved.

Then the ending...It didn't really make sense given what I knew about the main character, and the explanation for all that was happening wasn't clear.

I'd say there was about 25-30% of the book that fell flat for me. I don't think I can recommend it based on the amount that worked for me.

Thank you to @netgalley & @williammorrowbooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#wecametowelcomeyou #netgalley #horrorreads #horrorread #thrillerreads #badneighbors #arcreview #cantrecommend

I loved the creep factor in this novel. It definitely was a psychological thriller. The descriptions of the gated community and HOA members made this a super eerie book. Enjoyed the buildup of the two main characters, Sol and Alice and their family life. The background story of Sol's family life definitely explained the level of anxiety that she felt throughout the book. This book made me stop and think, not everything is as it looks.

Thank you NetGalley and Wiliam Morrow for the ARC.

I loved this book. This is a unique story about a queer, interracial couple, with an Afro-Latine, butch main character. The author does a great job with balancing the supernatural horror elements with the everyday horrors of racism, homophobia, and trauma. While I had questions about the ending, I believe it fits wells within the context of the story.

I hate to say it, but I had to stop at the 35% mark. Slow paced, not much going on, and I'm not a fan of slow burn thrillers. Something has to grab me from the begining and with unlikeable characters, I didn't feel that happening nor was I compelled to continue picking it up.

**Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**