*4.5 stars*

I cannot believe this book is a debut! The Homecoming has everything I love in a ghost story. The perfectly paced slow burn and creepy but beautiful atmosphere pulled me in from the first page, and reminded me of some of the classics of the genre. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I hope to see more stories from this author in the future! I would recommend The Homecoming for readers who enjoy slow burn gothic books with emotional depth.

Thank you to NetGalley & Salt Publishing for the arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Salt Publishing for the advanced read!

I really enjoyed this atmospheric horror, perfect for readers like me who prefer a slower pace, small cast, and a reveal that will leave you unsettled but still able to sleep at night (probably 😅) I actually did not figure out the twist ahead of time which made the ending more fun for sure. The imagery of the elvers and all the facts we learn about them were fascinating. The subplot with Ellen’s friend didn’t weave into the story naturally for me until the very end so I would have liked to draw a more obvious connection between those memories and Ellen’s experiences at Elver House. However, I think this is a fantastic debut novel and I’d love to read more from this author in the future!

A moody, damp, dark, gothic, feminist tale and with eels for flavor. (I kind of wish there had been more eels to be honest.)

The writing style is perfect for the tone of the book, descriptive and thoughtful. I will be thinking about this book for a while.

4.5 stars. I clocked what was going on about half way. I think it took me longer to figure out why we were getting the flashbacks about her friend than to figure out the main plot. Then it all weaves together. It isn’t going to be for everyone. If you are looking for a scary story to tell in the dark this isn’t for you. But it you are looking for an eerie brooding tale of the inner lives of women (one where there are eels), you will feel at home in this story.

'The Homecoming' by Zoë Apostolides messed up with my mind like no other book. I've read several haunting tales before but never have I been so startled by the discovery of the fulcrum of the narrative. Almost 80% of the story went on in such a lumbering sort of way that on several occasions I wished things would speed up a little. But now on retrospection, I see what a brilliant tactic it was on the part of the author to ultimately thrust you into the tumbling gyre of secrets and mystery once the layers around them started unraveling.

Ellen is a ghost-writer who has been sent to Elver House to record the past memories of Catherine Carey and ultimately write a memoir on her behalf. When she arrives on the estate, everything is a haze and honestly, I'd run for my life on the very first walk to the manor if I was her. But then I guess that's why I'm not the protagonist of the novel and she is.

Initially I wanted to know so much more, to see more, but towards the end I sort of leaned into the acceptance and understanding that this is exactly how life is. Not every secret is unearthed, not every question in answered. There're things beyond our comprehension that are as much a part of this world as us, and the only thing we can do is lay a hand gently on their presence, and keep living alongside them.

The novel is about a lot of things, but mostly it's about how hauntingly tender memories and love can be. It's about spindly, liberating, intertwining female friendships that span generations, and the loneliness that can grip you both at the centre of a hustling and bustling city and a deserted, dilapidated manor house. It's about eels and hunger and freedom, and the obfuscation and associated vulnerability that comes with age, especially in the case of women. But mostly it's about learning to care about the humans that we come in contact with, even when our stays in their life's journey might be only for a moment or so.

In the end we all become stories, and may be we write because every story deserves to be heard. I genuinely wish I could give a tight hug to Catherine.

A slow burn gothic setting in the style of M. Night Shyamalan. The setting is claustrophobic, forbidding, with an ever growing sense of wrongness. I mistakenly believed that the pace of this book was slow, only to realize that the plot was coiling around me the entire time.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC, this is one I will be thinking about for a while.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. I enjoyed the book a lot. It has a strong plot and great characters. This was a phenomenal read and very engaging. I enjoyed the stories pacing and outcome of the MC’s journey.

Can't believe this is a debut! It's atmospheric, twisty, unsettling and slippery, with beautiful imagery and a claustrophobic sense of foreboding. Struggled to put it down; it gets its hooks in you from the get go and turns up the narrative heat so subtly you don't realise til it bubbles over. Absolutely exceptional writing. So grateful to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC; can't wait to see this book be released into the world.

I really enjoyed reading The Homecoming by Zoë Apostolides. The book had a captivating storyline that kept me engaged from start to finish. The characters were well-developed and relatable, making it easy to connect with their experiences and emotions.
I appreciated the insightful exploration of family dynamics and the complexities of returning to one's roots. The writing style was descriptive and lyrical, painting vivid pictures of the landscapes and settings in which the story took place.
Overall, I would give this book 4 stars because while I found it engaging and thought-provoking, there were moments where the pacing felt a bit slow. Nonetheless, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a heartfelt and immersive read.