Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey - Book Review

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

Publication Date: 19th July 2022

Genre: Dark Fiction, Psychological Drama  

4 Stars 

One Liner: Hard to slot into a genre; Twisted  

Vera Crowder has to go home, and she does. Her mother, Daphne, is dying. It’s now Vera’s business to sort the house. But the house was built by her father, Francis. Every part of the house has a memory and is alive with emotions and stories. 

As if life with her mother is not bad enough, Vera has to deal with an artist, James Duvall. He is one of those artists who pay to stay in their ‘legendary’ home and get inspired. He continues to hound Vera for information about her past, especially the one that involves her father. Vera is determined to keep him at bay. But she also knows there are secrets that need to be unearthed and carefully wrapped up again. 

As strange things happen in the house, Vera has to decide how much she can handle. After all, buried secrets rot faster than infested wood. Can Vera deal with the past and present? What will happen to Crowder House once Daphne dies? 

My Observations:

The book is dark, twisty, and messed up, just like the main characters. However, slotting it into any single category will affect the outcome for the reader. I’m not sure why this was marked mystery/ thriller. Yeah, there’s some mystery (a slow burn), but it didn’t require figuring things out. The hints were more than enough to know the ‘mystery’ part.

This could work more as a dark psychological horror but will not fully appeal to hardcore horror readers. Newbies in horror will not like it either. It might be too much for them. It falls somewhere in the middle, and that is not a good sign for the book. 

The gothic part is done very well. The house is super creepy and claustrophobic. Some of it is gross and yucky, too (if you don’t like such stuff). Luckily, I was in the right frame of mind for the book and didn’t remember the genre it was supposed to be. 

The characterization of Vera, Daphne, Francis, and James was interesting. None of them are likable. Yep. Yet, I couldn’t help but root for Vera throughout. The family dynamics (between Francis, Daphne, and Vera) are crucial to the plot. In fact, the relationship between the characters felt like a tangible element throughout the book. 

I’m not a fan of repetitions or slow-paced plots. However, this one worked for me. The repetitions showed Vera’s current state of mind. A lot of things that seem boring or irrelevant are a part of the bigger picture and make sense towards the end. 

The book picks up pace after 80%. That was good because I was starting to feel a bit annoyed with the meanderings. The book could have been a bit shorter and just as effective. 

The twist and the subsequent ending were good to read. They suit the story, title, and cover (should I even mention just how fab that cover is!). However, that is not the ending a mystery book would usually have. It leaves the reader wanting more or wondering what happened when a wrong genre is attached to the book. 

Call this dark fiction and psychological drama instead. It’ll set the right tone and expectations. There are a few triggers, too, so sensitive readers beware. This isn’t a book you pick up lightly or for fun. 

To sum up, Just Like Home is a twisted dark drama with messed-up characters. Go for it when you are in the mood for something slow and creepy. 

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Tor Books, for the eARC. 

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