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mbmayo's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I know that a keystone of horror/thillers is characters making dumb decisions, but changing your identity and constantly reminding us that if anyone found out about your past you'd be ruined, while also being a social media influencer and having a best selling book? Like, those two things are at odds, right?
And then Emily,realizing its carbon monoxide poisoning and breaking into the house, instead of calling for a wellness check?
And the cat in the initial conversation with Jeff. She's like, how did he know I have a cat, I've only told Emily about Reaper? It's an indoor/outdoor cat that you literally took to the vet in the middle of town a few pages ago? It's not at all suspicious that your neighbor would know you had a cat.
And then Emily,
And the cat in the initial conversation with Jeff. She's like, how did he know I have a cat, I've only told Emily about Reaper? It's an indoor/outdoor cat that you literally took to the vet in the middle of town a few pages ago? It's not at all suspicious that your neighbor would know you had a cat.
carriegunns's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Murder, and Death
court14's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cassidyraereads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
csnurr's review
1.0
So sick of thrillers that hinge on the main (always female) character being drunk most of the time.
ksoks's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
justinkhchen's review
4.0
4 stars
A relentless page-turner, The Stranger Upstairs doesn't break new ground, but the packages as a whole offers countless deranged thriller fun, making it an excellent binge read—just remember to leave your thinking hat out of this one.
The female protagonist of The Stranger Upstairs is such a chaotic mess, author Lisa Matlin does an excellent job introducing this anti-heroine; the amount of red herrings revealed about her in the first couple chapters have me fully hooked—it is this character's nastiness that brings me majority of the reading dopamine—a train wreck one simply can't look away. If you're looking for twists, The Stranger Upstairs definitely packs them—certain sections give me The Last House on Needless Street vibe (but way less somber and more camp); even though my reaction to the ultimate reveal was an immediate 'WTF', and felt like it was a complete cop-out, the sinister epilogue did salvage the situation somewhat. I also don't think many of its narrative choices would hold up under scrutiny, so it is definitely one of those 'just live in the moment' type of storytelling.
The absence of expectation plays a critical role in elevating my experience with The Stranger Upstairs, I was pleasantly surprised by the emotionally-raw writing, and the onslaught of visceral moments in this debut (the author's notes proves it further—I can see how this was quite a cathartic project for her). The tropes and scenarios are by no means original, and I wouldn't label this as a story with depth, but the thrill is delivered with such a punch, that it remains a great time nevertheless.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
A relentless page-turner, The Stranger Upstairs doesn't break new ground, but the packages as a whole offers countless deranged thriller fun, making it an excellent binge read—just remember to leave your thinking hat out of this one.
The female protagonist of The Stranger Upstairs is such a chaotic mess, author Lisa Matlin does an excellent job introducing this anti-heroine; the amount of red herrings revealed about her in the first couple chapters have me fully hooked—it is this character's nastiness that brings me majority of the reading dopamine—a train wreck one simply can't look away. If you're looking for twists, The Stranger Upstairs definitely packs them—certain sections give me The Last House on Needless Street vibe (but way less somber and more camp); even though my reaction to the ultimate reveal was an immediate 'WTF', and felt like it was a complete cop-out, the sinister epilogue did salvage the situation somewhat. I also don't think many of its narrative choices would hold up under scrutiny, so it is definitely one of those 'just live in the moment' type of storytelling.
The absence of expectation plays a critical role in elevating my experience with The Stranger Upstairs, I was pleasantly surprised by the emotionally-raw writing, and the onslaught of visceral moments in this debut (the author's notes proves it further—I can see how this was quite a cathartic project for her). The tropes and scenarios are by no means original, and I wouldn't label this as a story with depth, but the thrill is delivered with such a punch, that it remains a great time nevertheless.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
redvelvetpenguins's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5