This book was very peculiar. Often times I felt as though there was no narrative structure at all--no plot there to decipher. Then I would be snapped back in with a strange occurrence, or a plot point that would reappear like a ghost of the past. The description leads me to believe that there will be more strange things happening, be it during renovation of house foreclosures or within tenants as their lives run tandem to the main family, however that wasn't exactly the case. It was very atmospheric. The title being Foreclosure Gothic was actually better as a descriptor of the book than the description was.

Taken as a whole, each chapter felt like it's own story in and of itself. The narrative structure was a bit confusing at times, walking me around in a circle more than once and rehashing information and topics I already knew, which made me question if it was the file or the way it was written that felt a bit off. I enjoyed it nonetheless for the offputting feel, the slice of life attitude, and how I questioned if these things really happened, if these people were real, or what was going on.

i haven't read a lot in the gothic genre, but i enjoyed this one! the pace was Intense, but i wish that some of the more classically 'horror' scenes went a little bit further than they did; i think people who don't typically read horror would like this for that reason exactly. vic was absolutely insufferable (to the point where he felt like a real-life Man) and i loved the inclusion of different pictures. thanks astra & netgalley!

Ah, gosh. I wanted to like this one, but I really just couldn't get into it.
I am still really thankful to the publisher, author, and Netgalley -- but this one just wasn't for me.

An interesting, atmospheric, and ambitious novel. The specificity of place and time and house flipping, combined with very compelling and occasionally surreal characters, made the sense of dread develop elegantly through the different vignettes. Loved the inclusion of photos!

Almost a fable about how land, money, and constant American Dream–style home improvement can degrade the self. Thought it was great.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
If you enjoy slow-burn horror with philosophical undercurrents and a touch of the surreal, Foreclosure Gothic is definitely worth the read. Harris Lahti is a new voice in gothic fiction, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting his next work. The atmospheric storytelling in Foreclosure Gothic is outstanding. Lahti paints vivid scenes of decaying houses and empty landscapes in a way that mirrors the emotional decay of the characters. The writing feels hypnotic and poetic. I do think that some readers may find the narrative frustrating, as there are some cases where it feels like horror is introduced and then never really followed up upon, but to be, it just amplified how uneased I felt. Overall, I felt like this was a bold and compelling debut and is perfect for readers who enjoy gothic fiction.

this is such a strange and derailed narrative. I didn’t like it. There’s sections where elements of horror are introduced within the forclosed homes that the Greener patriarch is working on... with a certain build up, I was interested in the suspense that was created, but then it’s snatched away with no explanation. it drove me nuts and made reading this really annoying. This is if blue balls was a book! Plus the main storyline had me snoozing a bit… it let me down! 1.5.

I mostly loved this book but it lacked a little when it came to the storys way of unravelling. Mostly the pace is good but sometimes it feels very rushed. Well written and the gothic elements are pure gold. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley for early access.

Full of peculiar pictures of an unquiet domesticity, Foreclosure Gothic is an ambitious impressionistic debut novel. Ambition, however, as it leaches off of "protagonist" Vic Greener, is equally the downfall of this sporadic tale of a single family across 30-odd years. Each chapter jumps forward in time as if all too eager to get started on the next project, thus leaving the previous work neglected. Perhaps, in time, the novel beyond the novel can show through the weeds.

I really enjoyed the Gothic element to this story and how it uses Hollywood in a way to tell the story. I enjoyed the multi-generational element to this story and was hooked with learning about each one. The overall story worked with the genre and was glad I got to read this. Harris Lahti has a strong writing style and thought the characters were everything that I wanted.