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Just Like Home
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
68 posts | 65 read | 76 to read
The twenty-year anniversary of Vera's serial killer father's arrest is approaching, and she is about to do something she hasn't done in a very long time. Vera is going home. Her childhood home is a notorious burial ground but also the heart of Vera's warm memories of her then-idolized and beloved father. Now it is a living tomb for her long-estranged, dying mother. It's hard enough for Vera to even be there, but to make things worse, someone (or something) is stalking her, leaving creepy notes in her father's handwriting and painting fake blood all over the porch. And that's not the only unwelcome guest - a parasitical artist with delusions of granduer has moved into her mother's guest house, oozing charm and stinking of his own plans. But there are more secrets in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House, and no one could have forseen how this last confrontation would end . . . PRAISE FOR THE ECHO WIFE: 'An edge-of-your-seat tale . . . a unique, thrilling adventure, with truly unexpected twists and turns the whole way through' Independent 'It's an unpredictable story . . . chilling . . . for an escape from our current stuck-at-home situation, The Echo Wife could be for you' Daily Record 'Looking for one of the best science fiction books wrapped up in a mystery? Look no further . . . Gloriously inventive and full of surprises' Woman & Home Online
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review
she.hearts.horror
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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It‘s easiest to love a monster when that love springs from familiarity. So many of us spend our lives learning and re-learning how love is supposed to look and feel, and our teachers are often, themselves, monsters. — Author

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Coueriamb
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Pickpick

Gailey is hit or miss for me- I loved Outlaw Librarian and was lukewarm on Echo Wife.

This was a hit! Just enough of foreshadowing to keep me listening until the truth of it all was revealed. And by then I was just as home as Vera.

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keithlafo
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Mehso-so

Loved the premise, but I found the execution a little dry and the ending didn‘t work for me. Still plenty to love here, but I was underwhelmed.

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Jari-chan
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Well, how could Sarah Gailey not be a pick? Even though I didn't quite like the narrator of the audio book, the story itself was as captivating as expected. I love the way Gailey writes her characters. Even more when those characters are suffering, she just knows how to do this. This book is an unusual take on the family topic. First I thought it would go the usual way - but not with Sarah Gailey. Nope, nope.

kyraleseberg Loved this one! They always deliver 🙌 2mo
34 likes1 stack add2 comments
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5feet.of.fury
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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For some reason a trope I have noticed in my readings recently is the MC being the child of a serial killer & how the notoriety shapes their lives. & usually I‘m like, why would that turn you against them, they were just kids etc.

but Vera gave me the creeps.

Everything is creepy. Multiple plots that would be a horror story on their own. It all works though.

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Reggie
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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If anyone tells you they saw the end coming, they‘re lying. Lol. Vera gets a call from her dying mother asking her to come home. Home to the house where her father killed all those people in the basement. The house that has a shed where an “artist” is trying to commune with the feel of the house for art‘s sake. The home that might be haunted. This was good. Gailey really does some creepy stuff coupled with intense familial relationships. Pick!

AmyG Nice to hear. I am on the waiting list at the library. (edited) 3mo
TrishB Ah Reggie, I said I ‘expected‘ the ending in my review. I did think it was telegraphed throughout really. I only gave this a so-so because I was expecting horror and was disappointed. 3mo
Reggie @AmyG I hope you like it! 3mo
See All 11 Comments
Reggie @TrishB I‘m ambivalent about that ending. I think it goes into fantasy territory but I still liked it cause everyone needs someone in their corner. Who cares if it‘s the house. Lol Also, I know a crazy parent who has put the love that their spouse has for THEIR child in competition with the love their spouse has for them. It‘s disgusting. I thought was interesting to read about. And that first sentence is just meant to be general and generic👇🏼 3mo
Reggie @TrishB I‘m not surprised you saw it because you‘re a genius reader who has thousands of books under your belt. We all see the different forks in the road. You see the forks of the forks of the forks way before the rest of us Im sure. 🖤🖤🖤 3mo
LeahBergen Dang, this sounds good! 3mo
TrishB The warped parent love is gross 😞 but happens as you say! I used to drive my daughter mad by saying I can see where this is going - she made me write it down a few times. I love a surprise and I don‘t generally guess murderers in detective series, why I read so many I think. ❤️ I think my expectations were v. high for this one. Probably unfairly on reflection. 3mo
batsy Creepy house plus intense familial relationships is always a draw! 3mo
BeeMagical Definitely moving up my list! 3mo
Twainy I liked the book too 😁🙌🏻 3mo
Michael_Gee Ooo this sounds good 3mo
67 likes4 stack adds11 comments
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Lauranahe
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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My favorite book for January is of course a mark up book! @magyklyXdelish @Bookish_AF @babyruth2510

DimeryRene Ooh! That may have been my fave January read too! 4mo
14 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Kappadeemom
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Vera goes home because her mom, Daphne, is dying. She is asked to clean out the home but Vera‘s dad was a famous serial killer and there may be secrets left behind. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

47 likes2 stack adds
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Kappadeemom
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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37 likes1 stack add
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suvata
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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• Upon a Book Club #OUABC Limited Edition - Trick & Treat 2022 Box

#StoryGraph: fiction horror thriller dark mysterious tense medium-paced horror psychological-thriller supernatural
344 pages • first pub 2022

Sarah Gailey is one of my favorite horror/thriller authors. It‘s really hard to put her in just one category, but I can say that I have rated all of her books very highly. This one was exceptional....ly creepy!

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DimeryRene
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Pickpick

This book was incredible. The slow reveal of Vera‘s past and the actions of her father and mother was a great structure choice and opposition to Vera‘s current day chapters. The narrator was great, even listening on 1.4x or 1.2x speed. Her voice for Daphne and James were perfect. This is exactly the haunted house, childhood trauma, horror, contemporary book I needed. Listening to the beginning again right after finishing just to hear more.

18 likes1 stack add
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Lauranahe
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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This was a wild ride! It had some turns I genuinely didn‘t see coming, and was super tense in several places. Vera is a woman who‘s father was a serial killer. When Vera‘s dying mother calls her to go home, she has to go and confront her past. Definitely not was I expected, but two enthusiastic thumbs up!

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DimeryRene
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Halfway done and this is a beautifully written book. Both thriller and horror vibes are here, but it hasn‘t leaned into one genre over the other too far yet. Nice mix. 🩸🩸

20 likes1 stack add
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GidgetsTreasures75
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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1-13-23: My 5th finished book of 2023! Wow, this book was deeply disturbing. Vera Crowder has been called back to her childhood home, the house her father built, by her dying mother. She is tasked with getting the house in order before her mother dies. In flashback, we learn that a young Vera saw things she shouldn‘t have, things her father did to others. We also learn that Vera‘s mother, Daphne, never loved her. Very creepy and uncomfortable.

GidgetsTreasures75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣5️⃣ 5mo
13 likes1 comment
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Hilary427
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Mehso-so

This was a slow burn…it was good but not great, and the ending was not what I wanted. I don‘t read horror often and this book reminds me why.
⭐️: 3/5

16 likes1 stack add
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Reading.w.Dee
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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For those who are fans of The Haunting of Hill House, then this book is for you!

This gripping story of Vera and her mother is so haunting and promises to give you the chills and the thrills. Digging up old wounds, full of family drama, while you follow the trail back and forth from past to present, it's full of twists and turns all throughout.

#thriller #gothic #horror #hauntedhouse

7 likes1 stack add
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magyklyXdelish
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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A book about monsters and how they can come in all shapes and sizes. I had a lot of fun with this one for #LMPBC - some things I kinda saw coming but I can say for sure I was not expecting that end.

21 likes1 stack add
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ImpliedNonsense
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Pickpick

I finished this so fast. Literally couldn‘t put it down. The prose is beautiful and the content is disturbing! Just how I like it!

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allureofbeauty
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Mehso-so

Just recently read this with my boyfriend and sadly it wasn‘t that great. I really want some kind of haunted house story that‘s creepy and I keep getting disappointed. Any suggestions?

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TrishB
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Mehso-so

Think my expectations were just way too high with this after reading all the reviews.
I so expected the ending and I wasn‘t creeped out at all 😞 so slightly disappointed, but probably my fault!

AshleyHoss820 I hate when this happens! I think it‘s what happened to me with Nothing But Blackened Teeth. I wish you better luck on your next read! ☺️ 7mo
Cinfhen This was just plain #weird and a little gross but not scary. I listened to audio which was done well. 7mo
97 likes1 stack add2 comments
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alecia3dixie
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Panpan

I didn't really like this one. I didn't like the writing style and it was sooo slow paced. Also I had a very hard time imagining a lot of what the book was trying to say. I was also left with sooo many unanswered questions. 1/5

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magyklyXdelish
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Reading buddy this morning is Fat Butt 🐾🐈‍⬛😻

IndoorDame 😻😻😻 7mo
RaeLovesToRead Nyawwww 😍😍 7mo
Moonprismpower Awww 😍😍😍 6mo
magyklyXdelish @Bookish_AF I will mail this out to you Monday! Sorry for the delay :( 6mo
32 likes4 comments
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SkeletonKey
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Currently reading. I feel like I haven‘t been enjoying what I‘m reading lately but this one is finally breaking the bad streak. So good.

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magyklyXdelish
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Going in!!

Soubhiville Ooo, this one is creepy! 7mo
magyklyXdelish @Soubhiville I‘m not super far into it but I‘m intrigued so far :) 7mo
Lauranahe The cover looks awesome! 7mo
magyklyXdelish @Lauranahe not gonna lie, that‘s what made me buy it lol 7mo
31 likes4 comments
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Linsy
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Truly TERRIFYING!!! You've been warned. ☠️

Soubhiville This was seriously creepy! 7mo
74 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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sebrittainclark
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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4/5

This is such an atmospheric, creepy haunted house book. There were some things I saw coming, but many surprises to. I did the audiobook, and wouldn't necessarily recommend that for anyone who finds slasher type horror particularly creepy, but other than two chapters that I listened to in 30 second increments, I enjoyed the book.

#scarathlon2022 #teammonstermash @staycurious

34 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Ooh! What a deliciously creepy book this is! It resists definition at every turn. Just when I thought I'd figured out what it was about, something---usually bizarre---would happen, and I'd have to regroup. It's filled with the thing I find scariest and love most about scary books: that moment I sit on the edge of my bed and put my foot on the floor and feel the cold anticipation that something is about to grasp my ankle from under the bed.

ImperfectCJ Side note: When I type in "just like home" to search it on reading apps, my phone suggests that I add "depot" to the end. That would be a different book, probably written by Grady Hendrix. 7mo
ImperfectCJ Oh, and 8 readathon hours, non-theme read, 86 points for #TeamSlaughter #scarathlon 7mo
MaureenMc 😆 7mo
BarkingMadRead Lol that Grady Hendrix part is spot on 🤣 I did love this book as well! So twisty turny 7mo
43 likes1 stack add4 comments
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TripleS
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Saturday afternoon beer and baths!! Very intriguing book so far!

Soubhiville This one creeped me out several times! 7mo
12 likes1 comment
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BarkingMadRead
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Clwojick Loved this one! 8mo
24 likes1 stack add1 comment
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KristiAhlers
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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This was part of my #scarthlon #TeamMonsterMash read. I loved the dual timelines but I‘m somewhat conflicted about the ending. This is a perfect October/spooky read @StayCurious

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BarkingMadRead
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Starting the second #ouabc Halloween box today! Should be perfect for #scarathlon2022 @Clwojick

Clwojick Fun! 8mo
35 likes1 comment
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Snaggy95
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
This post contains spoilers
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Mehso-so

Major spoilers ahead!!
I really enjoyed this book up to the point where you find out the house is a physical being. I feel like the author had done a great job of creating a story that could have been real life, but once you get to that point, it adds an unrealistic element that you‘d find in a horror film. I still enjoyed the book, but I was disappointed with the direction it went.

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DavidDiamond
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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A woman returns to pack up her childhood home while her estranged (and awful) dying mother is wasting away in the living room. Yeah, that's not creepy.
With flashbacks to her childhood, we learn why her Mom & Dad didn't win Parents of the Year.
And if the cover of the book wasn't any indication, there is something creepy AF going on in the house.
Loved the parallel timelines, but unsure how I feel about the twist at the end.
A good Halloween read

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Gnora
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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I could not have asked for a better book to kick off spooky season with! 🏠👻

#vacationreads #horror #hauntedhouse #fall #librarybook

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Hooked_on_books
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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I often don‘t find horror scary, but parts of this had me wondering if I‘d be able to sleep. And then the ending took me completely by surprise. I‘m sure Gailey moves from genre to genre to keep things fresh and man, they‘re the real deal, seemingly able to write just about anything. I‘m a fan!

Mirazzles I‘m about 80 pages into this book right now! So far I‘m liking it, I‘m not sure when it will get scary and I‘m sure I‘ll be surprised! 8mo
shanaqui Ooh, interesting. And yes, I've noticed this about Gailey -- I mean, The Echo Wife had some elements of horror, but it sounds like this one's the next step. 8mo
Hooked_on_books @shanaqui Plus, they‘ve done alternate history, YA, and a mystery/fantasy blend. Lots of good stuff! 8mo
45 likes3 comments
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Booknerd222
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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October pick for #TheBookTroop

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Bookboss
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Vera returns home to care for her dying mother. When Vera was a child, her father was imprisoned for killing a number of men. Her mother preserved the home as an attraction to true-crime fans. This is a slow haunted house story. Gailey is masterful at describing cold middle-of-the-night terror and complex relationship terror. She also explores the complex relationships between Vera and her parents. Slow, spooky, and gruesome, but well done.

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bookish_wookish
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Spooky Halloween book mail!!

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Mirazzles
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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I‘m the very first person to take this out of my library. It‘s so beautiful and brand new. I knew there were perks to being the librarian 📚

57 likes2 stack adds
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Read_By_Red
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Mehso-so

I really enjoyed the concept of the story, but it seemed to start very slowly. I like that Gailey used a nonlinear timeline, giving the reader little glimpses of Crowder House and Francis, as well as Vera‘s childhood. I wasn‘t a fan of the audiobook. The narrator is so monotone during her delivery. There was little inflection or change in pace, even during the more intense moments. I do not think that the audiobook did the novel justice.

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Soubhiville
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Whoa! I wasn‘t sure if I‘d finish this one, because it‘s quite creepy 😬😱. But I made it through.

I really like Sarah Gailey. They‘ve got a wide range of genres they‘ve tried, and I definitely think they nailed horror!

So many elements here, but the creepiest for me was the possible haunting unknown noises in the night vibe. Gave me goosebumps!

If you‘re looking for seasonal fall/ spooky reading, this is a good one to check out.

BookNAround I haven‘t read Gailey yet (and likely won‘t read this one because it‘s too creepy sounding) but as an FYI, they use they/them pronouns. 9mo
Soubhiville @BookNAround oh! I didn‘t know. Thanks for the correction. 😊 9mo
BookNAround @Soubhiville I didn‘t know either until a friend who‘s met them told me. 😊 9mo
Hooked_on_books I just started this one and, though I‘m rarely creeped out by horror, I‘m already glad I have been listening in broad daylight! Gailey is a truly gifted, genre-hopping author. 8mo
76 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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candc320
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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This was soooo creepy and bizarre in the best possible way! The family dynamics in this are beyond twisted and until the truly strange ending I couldn‘t quite figure out whether the house was haunted, or our main character was crazy, or something in between. I don‘t know how I could have ever guessed the ending and I love that! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

candc320 This was also my #bookspin for September so yay!! @TheAromaofBooks 9mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 9mo
22 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Nessavamusic
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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This is a horror book that is so creepy, I wish I had saved it for October. A woman returns to her childhood home that has very dark secrets. Though it meanders occasionally, I really enjoyed this book. All the scary vibes here! 4⭐️
#20in4 #4!

KristiAhlers And just like that I‘ve stacked it for October! 9mo
Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏 9mo
60 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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ErraticElle
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Creepy, fantastic Gothic horror with haunting, gloomy, disturbing atmosphere. Eerie, nail-biting setting. The character relations are super messed up & give off an immediate disjointed vibe. Though I really enjoyed the setup, this is definitely a slow burn. But hang on to your hats, because the last chunk is a crazy whirlwind. Worth the time to work through the initial slow pace. Not perfection, but a dang good time.

14 likes2 stack adds
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Megabooks
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Bailedbailed

Another bail. The particular horror in this book is not my thing. Listened to half then skipped and listened to the last chapter. Glad I bailed. Not a bad book, but not for me.

Cinfhen Yeah, this was not an easy listen. Very unnerving and completely off the rails 9mo
Megabooks @Cinfhen yeah, when I listened to the ending, I thought it was unhinged in a way I‘m not fond of. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 9mo
70 likes1 stack add2 comments
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bookish_wookish
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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This one seemed fitting since im back home from vacation!

Megabooks Currently reading! 9mo
45 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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AmandaBlaze
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Pickpick

Lots of creepiness and atmosphere in this haunted house novel. It starts out slow and then picks up the pace and tension. 4.5 stars

29 likes3 stack adds
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ShyBookOwl
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Idk how to talk about this one without spoilers so I'll just say... wtf did I just read ?! 😅 If u like weird and creepy and dark, buckle up, this one is for u!

ChaoticMissAdventures I read this! It was a total departure from her last one the Echo Wife. It was a bit dark and spooky. But it made me wonder how desensitized I am because I wasn't shaking in my boots or anything 😂 10mo
ShyBookOwl @ChaoticMissAdventures lol I found it creepy, not scary, which I distinguish by a similar measure: no heart pounding. But I found it so weird and, tbh, I was laughing at the end because I was so taken aback by the weirdness of the haunting. I bailed on the Echo Wife and wasn't overly impressed with When We Were Magic. I think Magic for Liars is the only Gailey I've loved 10mo
62 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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ShyBookOwl
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Today's #audiowalk and it already looks like autumn 🍂 😍
Listening to the tagged book. Very dark.

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Clwojick
Just Like Home | Sarah Gailey
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Pickpick

My first read for #TrappedOnAnIsland was a major success! A creepy gothic haunted house story that gripped me from the very first page. 4.5 ⭐️

Chosen by @Laughterhp

AmyG I just read her book The Echo Wife and enjoyed that. Stacked! 10mo
Clwojick @AmyG Yes! The Echo Wife was a five star for me! 💙 10mo
aperfectmjk This is on my bingo card this month. I hope I can get to it, I'm looking forward to it. 10mo
85 likes4 stack adds4 comments