"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒐𝒖𝒕?"

I sat on this review for a long time, wondering if I would change my initial rating. I'm holding at three stars because there were some things about this book that worked and others that just missed the mark.

A lot of emphasis was put on race, and while I understood what the author was trying to do, that aspect seemed to be in constant competition with the horror angle of the book. A queer couple, Sol and Alice, move into the exclusive neighborhood of Maneless Grove. Sol is described as a Black Latina who is depressed and anxious after being placed on leave from her job, and her wife Alice is Korean, and in my opinion, not as developed as Sol.

There is a lot of back story about Sol's homophobic parents and why she's on leave from her job that honestly felt like filler. I was hoping the horror aspect of the book would be more compelling, but it just never really drew me in. The neighbors were weird, no doubt about that, and the things that began to happen when the women resisted joining the HOA were bizarre and unsettling, but I just wanted more.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the early copy. At the time this review was written, this book was set to released September 3, 2024.

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado is a splendid mix of creepy thriller and unexpected horror. Truthfully, I was in it for the thrill and was pleasantly taken aback when page after page placed goosebumps on my arms. I soaked it all in like a sponge and couldn't put it down! As a thriller and horror lover, this book surpassed all my expectations by far!
I thoroughly enjoyed the eerie gated community and HOA aspects, and the doubt and uncertainty I felt towards every character I met. I could relate the most to Sol, having battled the symptoms of anxiety and navigating the world as a queer minority. I felt how uncomfortable, panic stricken, and hopeless Sol felt at times; while also experiencing her relief when things seemed to go her way. It's very rare for me to relate to a protagonist the way I did with Sol.
I also enjoyed the interweaving of different cultures and the use of language and food within those cultures. It tied this book together and made the story feel all the more real. I definitely recommend We Came to Welcome You as a must read!

A queer couple moves to a new town and finds the town less than welcoming. There was a lot about this that I liked. I thought the writing was strong, it was sufficiently creepy throughout giving wonderfully uncomfortable vibes, but I did find the ending sort of abrupt and would like to see a bit of a more intense conclusion. The style it is now may work for folks, but I wanted a bit more.

Overall, excited by Tirado's work and excited to see what they do next.

Also, special commendation to the dedication, that's HILARIOUS.

Sol and Alice feel lucky to have found a house in Maneless Grove, a perfect gated community. All of the houses are a little too similar, but membership in the HOA is voluntary and in the current housing market, they were having trouble finding anything at all within their budget. I loved this book. It reminded me of The Stepford Wives, but went in a completely different direction. Sol was already struggling, suspended from her university job amid accusations of plagarism. She wants nothing to do with her overbearing neighbors. Alice is losing patience and doesn't see any of the things that raise Sol's suspicions. Instead, the blames Sol's drinking. Watching the two of them forced apart by their circumstances was one of the most horrifying parts of the book.

“We Came To Welcome You” by Vincent Tirado

Thank you to the publishers at William Morrow for a chance to read “We Came To Welcome You” by Vincent Tirado.

A suburban horror story, “We Came to Welcome You” centers on scientist Sol Reyes adjusting to an eerily idyllic neighborhood with her wife, Alice. As two queer people of color in a neighborhood with white picket fences and 2.5 kids, it doesn’t take long for Sol and Alice to feel out of place as they uncover more rot below the surface of their new home.


On paper it sounds exactly like my kind of novel but for some reason, it didn’t come together for me. Some of it is because the choice to jump from right before the climax to the epilogue at the end of the book. Some of it is that I’m still not sure what happened at the end of the book.

Above all else, it’s an atmospheric fun read about the dangers of assimilation. Highly recommend for folks who are new to the horror genre , and looking forward to seeing more of Vincent Tirado’s work.

A sapphic suburban psychological thriller? Say no more. The reviews were not lying when they said that this book gives Jordan Peele vibes (compliment). We Came to Welcome You kept me hooked from the very first chapter. The level of intrigue and mystery stays at 100% throughout the entirety of the book - never letting up in the most encapsulating way possible.

This book was unsettling in the best way, not once making things feel safe. Tirado also impressively weaves the struggles of being a queer person of color (with anxiety) throughout, without making it feel forced. Highly recommend!
(Booktok review coming soon)

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading this book, but I was thoroughly surprised by how much I loved it. It had me hooked and I am normally not a fan of this genre (mainly because I'm like Chuckie Finster from Rugrats and scared of everything), but I absolutely loved this book. I can see my patrons loving it as well.

Sol Reyes is no shrinking violet. She is a Ph.D leading research at Yale University. When she is suddenly in trouble at work, she turns to the bottle. Her wife Alice, a high earning corporate exec networks and finds a new home for them in the gated community of Maneless Grove. She hopes this new start will help Sol and keep their relationship intact.

Right away Sol is wary. There are some very strange Stepford -type vibing community association members. Her neighbor and the kid down the street seem even stranger. What is going on in this place? Sol questions herself and is almost ready to blame the bottle when she finds a very curious journal that details much of what she experiences and warns of a looming danger.

Part horror, part science fiction and all contemporary issues, this is a truly suburban horror at it's finest! #vincetntirado #wecametowelcomeyou
#williammorrow

This is a good creepy vibe book! I sat down and was very invested until the end! It feels a lot like Get Out and Don't Worry Darling vibes-wise.

I hate being so harsh on an ARC read but my review is voluntary and opinions are truthful despite being thankful to
NetGalley’s and the publisher for the ARC.

The best way I can sum this up is that o felt like I should be Beta reading this or even Alpha. Yes this is an uncorrected e-proof but they are usually in much better shape. It reads like an early draft and not a finished manuscript.

The chapters are very long, repetitive and have so much going on it makes it hard to follow. Despite that there is a lot of creativity with the story. The major parts are there it’s just the execution that’s the problem. It touches on so many great tropes as well as needed diverse characters.

Another issue is I didn’t care for Sol. I didn’t care what happened to her which made it hard to connect to the story. Although I am recalling facets that were bright spots so I am going to round up. This is a 2.5 star book simply because it’s not ready to be published but in hopes that the editing process will do an overhaul, I’m going to round up to 3 stars.

I am glad I read it as if it wasnt an ARC I would have DNF’d at 17%.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Sol and her wife, Alice, move to what *looks* to be the perfect neighborhood. But soon, Sol realizes that her paranoid tendencies might be right. There's definitely something wrong with Maneless Grove.

The premise of this book was super intriguing and I was really curious to see what would happen. There are several spooky scenes from the book that I think will stick with me!
However, I didn't really like Sol, the main character, that much. She seemed very flat and one-dimensional at times. The ending wasn't bad but there's a lot of questions that didn't get thoroughly explained. I feel like an extra chapter detailing the history/lore of the town would have brought the book together more.

Tirado did a great job creating this slithering, unnerving sense of unease in the neighborhood from page one. The horror started slow and built really well throughout. It was less gore or slasher type horror and more that uncanny valley type, which I found so creepy and well-done. It was interesting seeing everything through Sol’s eyes, watching as she questioned her own mind and her relationship shifts with her wife, Alice.

I feel like evil HOA’s are in. I just read Neighborhood Watch, this, and saw on Netgalley a different HOA based book. Interestingly they’re all queer which I guess makes sense because communities focused on uniformity aren’t accepting of difference. This also addressed isolation from a racial standpoint, and kind of contrasted the neighborhood’s intolerance with Sol (the protagonist)‘s own family’s condemnation of her identity. I liked the plot and I think this is an interesting idea (that I have been overexposed too) but I am honestly just not a fantasy person. I also didn’t understand some of the details of what was going on. I did like the writing and again the invocation of something sinister through description and I always the perspective of someone who is the only sane person in a world of craziness but without that POV, would absolutely look insane.

We Came to Welcome You weaves systemic racism, cult ideology and the uncanny to create a suburban psychological horror novel that follows married couple Sol (Black Latina butch) and Alice (Korean) as they move into Maneless Grove, a predominantly white gated community. Very quickly Sol's guard is raised in response to overly-friendly neighbors (and their microaggressions), the pushy HOA and strange phenomena that begin to occur in the house/ neighborhood at large. Sol's anxiety and paranoia are already high having to deal with attacks on her research and now suspension after a false accusation, so a disappearing step, a neighbor who's appearance never remains the same, buzzing voices only heard by Sol, dead-eyed lifeless children eating tree bark and a burning corpse don't help make her feel safe/welcome. And on top of it all of that, her relationship with Alice quickly declines the further Sol digs into the dark and hidden past of their home and neighborhood.

I was sold immediately after reading the blurb for this one but despite everything being there in the characters, themes, symbolism, etc. it never fully found its footing in its execution. This honestly felt more like a first draft and could've used a bit more editing to make the story more succinct and have the tension built more effectively and consistently. Sol's anxiety and paranoia was introduced so early and were so constant that it became overemphasized and took away from other aspects of her character. I also struggled with the contention between Sol and Alice. Knowing what I know after finishing, I understand the reasons why Alice's behavior changed but at the same time, it happens so quickly leaving those initial moments between them, already tinged with some contention, a weak foundation for the reader to hold onto.

Alice and Sol have just moved in to their dream home but they soon discover that it comes at a price… Maneless Grove’s motto after all is “Invest in a neighborly spirit”, encouraging patrons to check in on their neighbors often. For Sol, anxious and wary, this isn’t ideal but she pushes away her qualms to appease her beautiful wife Alice.

This book is WEIRD suburban horror. The eeriness of the neighbors made my skin crawl and I wanted to scream at Alice and Sol to RUN even though I had no clue why.

Admittedly, Sol was fairly insufferable from the beginning. She’s mean, has the worst attitude about everything, and is convinced that everyone is out to get her. Regardless, there was a small thread that I was able to hold on to—maybe because I would act the same way if I had insufferable neighbors up my ass—feeling that she would redeem herself. I guess I will never find out because I won’t be finishing this.

I was enjoying the story overall to start. The writing was easy to read, it was a good plot, the neighbors’ behavior was seriously strange, and I was enjoying following Sol down in to her pit of madness.

This book explores the impact of childhood trauma on adulthood and well as the effects of racism, homophobia, and alcohol use disorder. The social commentary throughout this book was pretty substantial and it became exhausting; rather than using it to propel the story forward, it slowed it down. That, combined with some derogatory comments, I decided to call it quits at 55%.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vincent Tirado's debut novel is a humorous horror story centering around a lesbian couple moving to a predominantly white gated community. After marital problems and work drama, Sol and Alice buy a house in Maneless Grove. Besides being the only women of color in an endless labyrinth of identical houses, things just aren't quite right. When strange things start taking place, Sol is convinced there's something wrong with her neighbors, but nobody believes her. In her quest to prove her theories, her traumatic past and insecurities all come tumbling back and it's up to her to save herself and her marriage. Both creepy and snarky, We Came to Welcome You will entertain horror fans looking for a lighter read similar to The Stepford Wives.

It seems that the book primarily focused on themes of race, sexuality, mental health, and conformity. While these themes were important, they may have been overemphasized at times. Additionally, the supernatural or thriller aspect of the book fell short, and some elements could have been explored further. Despite this, readers who enjoy Stephen King's books or "The Stepford Wives" may appreciate this novel. However, it's worth noting that the pacing of the book felt slow and draining at times, particularly in the middle. Nevertheless, the beginning and end were engaging, and I particularly enjoyed learning about how Sol and Alice met.

This story starts with Sol, a depressed and anxious Black Latina who drinks too much, and her Korean wife, Alice, moving into the exclusive neighborhood of Maneless Grove. It’s very difficult to get a home there, but Alice’s friend Nadine, the president of the HOA, pulled some strings to get them in.

Being two queer women of color in an interracial relationship, they are worried about living in this mostly-white, blue-blooded area, and rightfully so. Almost immediately, neighbors are not only all up in their business, but the micro-aggressions are running rampant. There is also the persistence of the HOA, begging the wives to join (and lose all freedom over their property, including the right to privacy).

Then things become a bit more sinister. Creepy kids roam the streets, the identical trees in everyone’s yards start leaving roots and twigs everywhere (trust me, it’s not as cheesy as it sounds), Sol now has horrible seasonal allergies and Alice gets debilitating headaches, then finally, Sol starts seeing strange figures in the house, along with hearing voices - lots of voices.

This is listed as the author’s first adult psychological thriller, and it is, but there is also a large horror component to this book. Small parts of this reminded me of some great horror books, like Bentley Little’s “The Association” and Stephen King’s “Christine”. The synopsis tells us this is similar to the social horror of Jordan Peele, and while that’s a bold statement to make, it’s also true. This was unique and super creepy; it’s not a short book but I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it in one sitting. I definitely recommend this to both thriller and horror fans! 4.5 stars.

(Thank you to William Morrow, Vincent Tirado and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on September 3, 2024.)

This book kept my attention the whole time. I love books like this with the slightly stepford wives feel. I was suspicious of everyone and wanted to know what was the endgame by the end of the first chapter. I can’t wait for this book to come out I’m going to hype it everywhere .

Huh. I definitely didn't dislike this book but I'm also not sure what the heck I just read? It's very creepy, very psychological horror-y, kind of The Stepford Wives meets Midsommar. Vincent Tirado does an excellent job of building suspense and a sense of unease and dread, and you're left wondering where the story is headed right up until the very end.

And speaking of the end, let's just get this part of my review out of the way now: I have to admit that the end is the part of the book that I enjoyed least. I spent the entire novel expecting a massive showdown between Sol and the Big Bad, but it really just kind of fizzles out at the end. I can't say that there isn't a battle of sorts, but it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. Surprise is usually a good thing in a horror novel, but this one somehow manages to skip right over the climax of the story and goes straight to the epilogue? I don't know how to describe it without spoiling things, but be prepared for a buildup of suspense that just … abruptly ends.

But ending aside, this book is definitely creepy. Veronica is the thing of nightmares. Really, all of the children are straight out of a M. Night Shyamalan film. And now that I think about it, “straight out of a M. Night Shyamalan film” is probably a good way to describe this entire novel. It's unsettling and you know that things are just … wrong, but there's no outright terror involved. Even the twist at the end fits. If Shyamalan ever makes a film version of this book, you heard it here first. (And now I'm totally envisioning Shyamalan's inevitable cameo as the paramedic who threatens to have Sol arrested.)

There's a decent helping of social commentary in this book, particularly where racism and homophobia are concerned. It did feel a little heavy-handed at times, but ultimately I think it really helps to explain aspects of Sol's character and her way of interacting with the world. If you're sensitive to such things, however, be forewarned.

My overall rating: 3.75 stars, rounded up. This wasn't a perfect read, but it certainly kept me uneasy and guessing where things were headed. If you like suburban horror (and/or hate your HOA), definitely consider giving this one a read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 3, 2024.