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A review by litwithleigh
Our House by Louise Candlish
3.0
Writing: 3.5/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: FFS!!!!!/5
SYNOPSIS
Fi and Bram have taken co-parenting to the next level with the bird nest: their kids stay in the family home full time, while Fi and Bram rotate days AND share an apt where they each spend their "off days." But when Fi goes to the family home she finds all her stuff is gone and a couple is moving in, claiming they bought the house. Meanwhile Bram is missing. What in the merciless hell is going on!?
MY OPINION
This is not a thriller. There are no thrills because Bram tells you what's really up and then you read about Fi finding out in her own time. I would classify this as a character-driven family drama with some light suspense. There is limited dialogue and a lot of retelling/internal rumination. If you don't want to explore the mindset of a compulsive liar and an uptight Stepford wife-esque character then this probably isn't for you.
Our House is written in an epistolary format composed of Fi's recording on The Victim podcast (not well done because what podcast just features 3 hours of one woman monologuing in fancy prose), Bram's suicide letter (not a spoiler), and then the classic third-person narration of Bram and Fi in present times from when Fi discovers her home has been sold without her consent. This can be a bit confusing as the podcast and Bram's letter provide background and then you jump to the present time already knowing what's happening just to witness the aftermath.
I gave this three stars because it fit what I was looking for. I had just DNFed the Chalk Man and was looking for something mindless and light that didn't center around murder, rape, etc. This book fit the bill. I wouldn't call it Honda Civic Reliable, because I can see why people don't really fk with this novel. I would call it an unrealized potential three stars.
As usual I wanted to fight the male MC, Bram (sorry but with a name like this you just know he's a little shit), but I won't lie, there's one scene with his kids that made a h0e (me) feel something other than hatred lol. I'm not sure if we were supposed to sympathize with Bram based on his childhood, but if he knew enough to go to the doc for meds, then he knew enough to get therapy to correct his destructive behaviour. Sympathize I will not!!!!
And then of course the ending. Goddammit!!! I won't say any more than that but I was ready to drop kick this book out the window.
Tbh I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It's just fine. If you have it, read it. But don't go out of your way to pick it up. It won't change your life.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: interesting format, learned what bird nesting is (would never do it), easy and mindless read
Cons: repetitive—Bram tells us what's up and then we hear Fi's side of the same events
SYNOPSIS
Fi and Bram have taken co-parenting to the next level with the bird nest: their kids stay in the family home full time, while Fi and Bram rotate days AND share an apt where they each spend their "off days." But when Fi goes to the family home she finds all her stuff is gone and a couple is moving in, claiming they bought the house. Meanwhile Bram is missing. What in the merciless hell is going on!?
MY OPINION
This is not a thriller. There are no thrills because Bram tells you what's really up and then you read about Fi finding out in her own time. I would classify this as a character-driven family drama with some light suspense. There is limited dialogue and a lot of retelling/internal rumination. If you don't want to explore the mindset of a compulsive liar and an uptight Stepford wife-esque character then this probably isn't for you.
Our House is written in an epistolary format composed of Fi's recording on The Victim podcast (not well done because what podcast just features 3 hours of one woman monologuing in fancy prose), Bram's suicide letter (not a spoiler), and then the classic third-person narration of Bram and Fi in present times from when Fi discovers her home has been sold without her consent. This can be a bit confusing as the podcast and Bram's letter provide background and then you jump to the present time already knowing what's happening just to witness the aftermath.
I gave this three stars because it fit what I was looking for. I had just DNFed the Chalk Man and was looking for something mindless and light that didn't center around murder, rape, etc. This book fit the bill. I wouldn't call it Honda Civic Reliable, because I can see why people don't really fk with this novel. I would call it an unrealized potential three stars.
As usual I wanted to fight the male MC, Bram (sorry but with a name like this you just know he's a little shit), but I won't lie, there's one scene with his kids that made a h0e (me) feel something other than hatred lol. I'm not sure if we were supposed to sympathize with Bram based on his childhood, but if he knew enough to go to the doc for meds, then he knew enough to get therapy to correct his destructive behaviour. Sympathize I will not!!!!
And then of course the ending. Goddammit!!! I won't say any more than that but I was ready to drop kick this book out the window.
Tbh I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It's just fine. If you have it, read it. But don't go out of your way to pick it up. It won't change your life.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: interesting format, learned what bird nesting is (would never do it), easy and mindless read
Cons: repetitive—Bram tells us what's up and then we hear Fi's side of the same events