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Eerie
From newcomer Jordan Crouch and Blake Crouch, author of the runaway bestseller Run, comes Eerie, a chilling, gothic thriller in the classic tradition of The Shining and The Sixth Sense. TRAPPED INSIDE A HOUSE On a crisp autumn evening in 1980, seven-year-old Grant Moreton and his five-year-old sister Paige were nearly killed in a mysterious accident in the Cascade Mountains that left them orphans. WITH A FRIGHTENING POWER It's been thirty years since that night. Grant is now a detective with the Seattle Police Department and long estranged from his sister. But his investigation into the bloody past of a high-class prostitute has led right to Paige's door, and what awaits inside is beyond his wildest imagining. OVER ANYONE WHO ENTERS His only hope of survival and saving his sister will be to confront the terror that inhabits its walls, but he is completely unprepared to face the truth of what haunts his sister's brownstone.
284 pages, Paperback
First published May 9, 2012
609 people are currently reading
2639 people want to read
About the author
Blake Crouch
79 books59.2k followersBlake Crouch is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the forthcoming novel, Dark Matter, for which he is writing the screenplay for Sony Pictures. His international-bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy was adapted into a television series for FOX, executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, that was Summer 2015’s #1 show. With Chad Hodge, Crouch also created Good Behavior, the TNT television show starring Michelle Dockery based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He has written more than a dozen novels that have been translated into over thirty languages and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications including Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Crouch lives in Colorado with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
August 25, 2015
Fast paced supernatural thriller that was just okay for me. I have read nearly everything Blake Crouch has put out there, but this is the first by him and his brother.
Eerie has a lot going for it, but I really disliked the ending. If I were to have stopped reading thirty pages from the end it would have been a four star read, but alas, I finished it, and felt it was contrived and unsatisfying at the very least, over all.
Eerie has a lot going for it, but I really disliked the ending. If I were to have stopped reading thirty pages from the end it would have been a four star read, but alas, I finished it, and felt it was contrived and unsatisfying at the very least, over all.
September 21, 2018
well written and interesting right up to the point where what has been going on is revealed... lost a star for that. oh well...
September 26, 2025
3.5 stars.
I liked the story, especially the first half. The twist was pretty cool at the end. The middle of the story kind of dragged a little.
I liked the story, especially the first half. The twist was pretty cool at the end. The middle of the story kind of dragged a little.
May 30, 2012
LOVED 3/4 of this book but the end just was too much. Cant go into it too much but it was really creepy and twisted and I was really enjoying it until.....
The last chunk of the book just didnt sit well with me but I would read something from these authors again.
The last chunk of the book just didnt sit well with me but I would read something from these authors again.
July 29, 2012
EERIE kept me riveted to the page until the very end. I honestly haven’t been this “chilled” or “goose bumped” by a novel since rereading Stephen King’s SALEM’S LOT after moving to Maine. I finished EERIE in a twenty-four hour period, constantly sneaking fifteen minutes here and there to get to the next scene.
I won’t retell the story in detail, though it is important to pay attention from the beginning. I love stories like this…where I often search back through the book to reread a scene for clues and hints. At one point in the book, I guarantee you will reread the first chapter. This may sound like a spoiler, but the book is so engrossing that you won’t think about it until the time has come. When it does, you’ll have that “Sixth Sense” moment, when everything falls into place.
Before that reveal, I was spellbound by the horror and darkness wrapped into the two main characters’ world. Grant and Page Moreton are estranged brother and sister, perpetual victims of tragic curveball thrown at them as children. No better off as adults, they are reunited through a menacing coincidence, which binds them together and forces them to confront an unspeakable presence.
The descriptions of the house and the presence they experience are unforgettable…and trust me…you’ll want to forget before you walk into any dark parts of your house. Many of the scenes were exponentially frightening, brought to life by Crouch’s prose and ratcheting suspense. I highly recommend that you read this book in as few sittings as possible. The imagery evoked will surface your most intimate fears. If you’ve recently come to terms with basements…get ready for some more therapy.
I rather enjoyed the ending to this book, in relation to the main reveal, however, I could have used a little more explanation of why the “original” event occurred. Why “he” was chosen for the experience. I won’t say more than that. It didn’t in the least bit diminish the experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed Crouch’s first offering of the summer.
I won’t retell the story in detail, though it is important to pay attention from the beginning. I love stories like this…where I often search back through the book to reread a scene for clues and hints. At one point in the book, I guarantee you will reread the first chapter. This may sound like a spoiler, but the book is so engrossing that you won’t think about it until the time has come. When it does, you’ll have that “Sixth Sense” moment, when everything falls into place.
Before that reveal, I was spellbound by the horror and darkness wrapped into the two main characters’ world. Grant and Page Moreton are estranged brother and sister, perpetual victims of tragic curveball thrown at them as children. No better off as adults, they are reunited through a menacing coincidence, which binds them together and forces them to confront an unspeakable presence.
The descriptions of the house and the presence they experience are unforgettable…and trust me…you’ll want to forget before you walk into any dark parts of your house. Many of the scenes were exponentially frightening, brought to life by Crouch’s prose and ratcheting suspense. I highly recommend that you read this book in as few sittings as possible. The imagery evoked will surface your most intimate fears. If you’ve recently come to terms with basements…get ready for some more therapy.
I rather enjoyed the ending to this book, in relation to the main reveal, however, I could have used a little more explanation of why the “original” event occurred. Why “he” was chosen for the experience. I won’t say more than that. It didn’t in the least bit diminish the experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed Crouch’s first offering of the summer.
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July 23, 2015This is the kind of book I read for the unravelling of a mystery, of finding out what is behind the set-up. I hesitated a little over this one, though, because of the "my-sister-is-a-prostitute" blurb, but decided to give it a try anyway.
Not a good plan, as we run head on into the hypocrisy of a man who uses prostitutes being all "this is the worst" about his sister's sex work (even though she was apparently making a heck of a lot of money with it). And, unfortunately, the resolution to the supernatural mystery ran head-long into logic issues.
Anyway, I found the resolution of this story not at all satisfying.
Not a good plan, as we run head on into the hypocrisy of a man who uses prostitutes being all "this is the worst" about his sister's sex work (even though she was apparently making a heck of a lot of money with it). And, unfortunately, the resolution to the supernatural mystery ran head-long into logic issues.
Anyway, I found the resolution of this story not at all satisfying.
August 29, 2012
I don't understand what all the hype is about. Usually, for a 2.99 Kindle book, I am pretty generous, but this was a waste of money. I am shocked at how high the ratings are...usually I find the ratings a fairly good guide to the quality of the book, but in this case, they missed the mark. Maybe it is just me. But for those of you who want a different perspective, here are my two cents. The characters are really clichéd and unbelievable, the dialogue is unrealistic, the creepy events promised never occur – while there are a few that may warrant a shudder, it is mostly because they make no sense, and the plot is rather silly and the ending ridiculous. So, for me, it fails on all counts even being generous given the price. Plus points: it is a quick read and despite all its flaws, relatively painless. Still, I would keep my 3 bucks.
October 18, 2012
Remember, the movie Contact with Jodi Foster?
Remember how the movie built suspense and kept you hooked?
Remember the ending?
Yeah, it's kind of like that.
Spooky....kept me reading....wanted to know what the hell was going on, this monster under the bed story was really great.
Then the end happened, and ruined the ENTIRE thing.
I love Blake Crouch novels....Desert Places, Locked Doors, Break You, Snowbound, Serial Killers, his stuff with JA Konrath....all top notch thrill a minute stuff!
This was not typical Blake Crouch, don't let this one keep you from reading his other works.
I give this 3 stars because it kept met turning the pages until the end...it's not a "let me think about this it's profound" ending...it's a...huh? Are you kidding me?
Remember how the movie built suspense and kept you hooked?
Remember the ending?
Yeah, it's kind of like that.
Spooky....kept me reading....wanted to know what the hell was going on, this monster under the bed story was really great.
Then the end happened, and ruined the ENTIRE thing.
I love Blake Crouch novels....Desert Places, Locked Doors, Break You, Snowbound, Serial Killers, his stuff with JA Konrath....all top notch thrill a minute stuff!
This was not typical Blake Crouch, don't let this one keep you from reading his other works.
I give this 3 stars because it kept met turning the pages until the end...it's not a "let me think about this it's profound" ending...it's a...huh? Are you kidding me?
May 25, 2014
Crouch and his brother are a real marvel to read, the guy is a genius in his own right but bring in family collaboration and boy it gets good! I'm really impressed by this joint effort and I sincerely hope that it continues to flourish.
I read this book 3 moths ago in February, I remember being all cozy in bed after reading Crouch's two installments of The Pines which will blow the socks of anyone with eyes, and here I am with this book in my lap, all warm and cozy, well it left me feeling goosebumps and shivers up to my eye balls. This was intense and beyond what I could have even imagined the resolution of being. These guys take you and your brain, and take a jump of a cliff with it, basically it takes your mind for one of the creepiest rides ever. It's subtle and not subtle, its real and unrealistic, it's amazing. It takes time to get I think, now days, many dayyys later I'm in awe of it's silky weiled intricacy.
A brother and a sister, both with a dark and painful past are trapped in the girl's apartment, something is sucking people under her bed in the bedroom, her being a high paid call girl has little to do with what is needed to resurrect a certain something but it provides flesh, something so dark and maddening that no one who witnessed it can recall.
Many people didn't like the ending, it took me awhile to get set in it but when I look back it's perfect; it's not a slap you in the face obvious way to go, it happens and then you are left to think about it. It forms colorful layers in your head that feel like wallpaper and I like it even more now after all this time, I can't look at cover of Eerie and not emit a smile or a grin, this is what great kick ahhz reads are all about and this one certainly kicks you in the face and few other places :P
- Kasia S.
I read this book 3 moths ago in February, I remember being all cozy in bed after reading Crouch's two installments of The Pines which will blow the socks of anyone with eyes, and here I am with this book in my lap, all warm and cozy, well it left me feeling goosebumps and shivers up to my eye balls. This was intense and beyond what I could have even imagined the resolution of being. These guys take you and your brain, and take a jump of a cliff with it, basically it takes your mind for one of the creepiest rides ever. It's subtle and not subtle, its real and unrealistic, it's amazing. It takes time to get I think, now days, many dayyys later I'm in awe of it's silky weiled intricacy.
A brother and a sister, both with a dark and painful past are trapped in the girl's apartment, something is sucking people under her bed in the bedroom, her being a high paid call girl has little to do with what is needed to resurrect a certain something but it provides flesh, something so dark and maddening that no one who witnessed it can recall.
Many people didn't like the ending, it took me awhile to get set in it but when I look back it's perfect; it's not a slap you in the face obvious way to go, it happens and then you are left to think about it. It forms colorful layers in your head that feel like wallpaper and I like it even more now after all this time, I can't look at cover of Eerie and not emit a smile or a grin, this is what great kick ahhz reads are all about and this one certainly kicks you in the face and few other places :P
- Kasia S.
August 25, 2019
Mostly well written but ultimately unsatisfying. I know this is Jordan Crouch's first book, but Blake should know better. Plot needed work. Plus: The book seemed at first to be a horror novel, but then morphed into something else, I'm not sure what. Just a few things:
1) Having a character see and know something but not telling the reader is poor mechanism for raising suspense.
2) The explanation of
3) Bob.
4) Sophie's thoughts at the cabin:
5) The final ending was, to me, one of those
Almost all of the problems were in the last 15% of the book. Deadline? or got busy? I'm sure I'll never know.
Not horrible, but for Blake Crouch completists only.
1) Having a character see and know something but not telling the reader is poor mechanism for raising suspense.
2) The explanation of
3) Bob.
4) Sophie's thoughts at the cabin:
5) The final ending was, to me, one of those
Almost all of the problems were in the last 15% of the book. Deadline? or got busy? I'm sure I'll never know.
Not horrible, but for Blake Crouch completists only.
October 15, 2012
I was recommended this book from a Goodreads forum for good horror novels; so, after seeing how many stars it has on Goodreads and Amazon, I was excited to get my hands on a copy. I did my usual "Let's read a couple of chapters and see if it grabs me," and before I realized it, I was 1/3 done. (It's a fast read.) But by that point, I had to really think whether I wanted to even continue. I read that much in one evening, and so far there's only one book I've ever read that I've intentionally stopped reading, so I figured I'd shoot through this one just to see what happens.
I didn't realize it when I got it, but EERIE is a self-published novel. After the first couple of pages, I got a feeling and checked the publishing page and discovered that detail. It certainly could have used an editor! The writing was mediocre at best, and littered with illogical actions and embarrassing gaffes. For example (not a big spolier), a character's hands get soaked in blood. Then, he sits down with his head in his hands, thinking about what just happened. His head should be smeared with blood now, right? He talks to someone who takes a while to notice the blood on his hands--evidently no blood on his head. Gaffes like that that would have been caught by beta readers at least, if not an editor.
Then, the ending. It felt like the authors wrote without a plan until they got themselves stuck with how to end it. Then, came up with an ending that sort of explained everything that happened before... but very, very poorly. It's not that it's just a twist -- twists are OK. But this was pulled out of their...hat, and run through a deus ex machina machine. Nothing that happens in the last quarter of the novel matches up with what went on before. It was a cheat. And the final ending, the fate of some of the characters, make no logical sense at all regarding why what happened did. There's holes and questions abound. Not your standard, "Ooh, that's ambiguous--I need to think about that" way that's a good thought-provoking ending, but in a "WTF?!" sort of way.
(Here's what bugs me: As a self-published author myself, and huge supporter of independent publishing, I agree that what is vital to the legitimacy of independent publishing is good editing, quality control. Which is why I workshopped my novel, got beta readers, edited the heck out of it. But this EERIE book reads like it hadn't, and yet, has 4/5 stars! (Not to mention the success of the "50 Shades" books and Amanda Hocking.) Makes you wonder if the naysaying of the defenders of the status quo, the established system, is irrelevant when obviously poor novels like these can still be so popular.)
I didn't realize it when I got it, but EERIE is a self-published novel. After the first couple of pages, I got a feeling and checked the publishing page and discovered that detail. It certainly could have used an editor! The writing was mediocre at best, and littered with illogical actions and embarrassing gaffes. For example (not a big spolier), a character's hands get soaked in blood. Then, he sits down with his head in his hands, thinking about what just happened. His head should be smeared with blood now, right? He talks to someone who takes a while to notice the blood on his hands--evidently no blood on his head. Gaffes like that that would have been caught by beta readers at least, if not an editor.
Then, the ending. It felt like the authors wrote without a plan until they got themselves stuck with how to end it. Then, came up with an ending that sort of explained everything that happened before... but very, very poorly. It's not that it's just a twist -- twists are OK. But this was pulled out of their...hat, and run through a deus ex machina machine. Nothing that happens in the last quarter of the novel matches up with what went on before. It was a cheat. And the final ending, the fate of some of the characters, make no logical sense at all regarding why what happened did. There's holes and questions abound. Not your standard, "Ooh, that's ambiguous--I need to think about that" way that's a good thought-provoking ending, but in a "WTF?!" sort of way.
(Here's what bugs me: As a self-published author myself, and huge supporter of independent publishing, I agree that what is vital to the legitimacy of independent publishing is good editing, quality control. Which is why I workshopped my novel, got beta readers, edited the heck out of it. But this EERIE book reads like it hadn't, and yet, has 4/5 stars! (Not to mention the success of the "50 Shades" books and Amanda Hocking.) Makes you wonder if the naysaying of the defenders of the status quo, the established system, is irrelevant when obviously poor novels like these can still be so popular.)
October 25, 2014
I've read Abandon by Blake Crouch before, which was a solid read, definitely a good introduction to the author. This is Crouch's collaboration with his younger brother and it definitely had a different vibe. The story was very lean, sentence long paragraphs and tons of dialogue, made for a very dynamic almost play like read. The concept was actually worthy of the title, definitely eerie. What started off as an almost noir like detective story pretty quickly turned into something of a haunted house story and then...into a spiritual sort of journey. It's difficult to describe without giving away crucial plot points, but I suppose I'm just not sure what to make of the ending. Throughout the book the reader doesn't quite know what to expect, what's going on and the final reveal, while certainly unforeseen and unexpected, is just really not what I thought it'd be. It's interesting and merits more thought. Other than that, the writing and the characters were uniformly strong and compelling and it was a good entertaining read. Just really really not what comes to mind when thinking of monsters under the bed.
June 12, 2024
3.5 it started of good, but I didn’t care for the ending.
September 11, 2024
This is probably the first Crouch book where I was left a little disappointed. However, the 4 stars are for how good the book is until the reveal near the ending. Maybe last 15% or so. I just felt it could have been a much better ending, and I was a little caught off guard by what we got. I'm not used to thinking "this doesn't make sense" with Blake so I'm unsure of if it was him or his brother that came up with the reveal idea at the end. Great story, just poor ending to it. However, it kept me insanely hooked until that point, so I only knocked off one star.
July 30, 2012
I like Blake Crouch and I apparently like the way that his brother writes as well. This novel, however, while well written, just did not do it for me. The plot, which started out very promising, wound up becoming a mishmash of genres that left little or none of the emotional impact intact. I give it three stars because the writing was good and, based on that, my dissatisfaction may be my personal taste. I see some other reviews that are positive so consider my review just one person's (differing) opinion. I was wanting a ghost story and I didn't get it. I saw this billed as a gothic ghost story and it isn't. Reading the interview with the writers at the end, I saw that they originally thought of the story one way and then towards the end of the process went a different way with the plot that changed the whole book. I probably would have liked the simpler story that they describe as the "original idea" better.
June 25, 2017
I’ve read a bunch of Blake’s books so I was curious to read Eerie, since it’s a joint venture written with his brother Jordan.
A man reconnects with his sister and finds her trapped in her own house. An evil entity hiding under her bed won’t let her leave. And now he’s also trapped. It’s only a matter of time before they both meet a gristly end.
I was immediately sucked into this story. The characters caught my interest and for the most part I liked them. The suspense was nail biting as the scenarios got more and more precarious. What fell flat for me was the ending. It just didn’t work for me. It was a stretch for my imagination, but maybe it was just me wanting one thing and getting another.
Don’t let that deter you. You still get Blake’s quality writing and when Jordan ventures out to write on his own, I’ll be waiting.
A man reconnects with his sister and finds her trapped in her own house. An evil entity hiding under her bed won’t let her leave. And now he’s also trapped. It’s only a matter of time before they both meet a gristly end.
I was immediately sucked into this story. The characters caught my interest and for the most part I liked them. The suspense was nail biting as the scenarios got more and more precarious. What fell flat for me was the ending. It just didn’t work for me. It was a stretch for my imagination, but maybe it was just me wanting one thing and getting another.
Don’t let that deter you. You still get Blake’s quality writing and when Jordan ventures out to write on his own, I’ll be waiting.
May 14, 2012
Eerie has Blake's trademark suspense, blended with spine-tingling horror. While this one is a slight departure in genre, the writing is every bit as brilliant. The horror here isn't gory, but is high in creepiness!
One of my favorite things about Blake's writing is his ability to capture a character's essence. There are never any caricatures on his pages. The characters are unique, heroic and fallible, multi-dimensional, and always pull me right into the story with them.
Eerie is the product of the first collaboration between brothers Blake and Jordan Crouch. The writing is seamless, making it impossible to tell which brother wrote which parts. These are two gifted brothers and I hope to read many more collaborations between them!
One of my favorite things about Blake's writing is his ability to capture a character's essence. There are never any caricatures on his pages. The characters are unique, heroic and fallible, multi-dimensional, and always pull me right into the story with them.
Eerie is the product of the first collaboration between brothers Blake and Jordan Crouch. The writing is seamless, making it impossible to tell which brother wrote which parts. These are two gifted brothers and I hope to read many more collaborations between them!
May 11, 2012
LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this book!
Rousing debut for Jordan Crouch, paired up with his older brother Blake, the bestselling author of Run.
Jordan and Blake's Chiller, Thriller immediately engages you.
The small cast of likeable characters, a creepy brownstone house and loads of mystery, exert a magnetic hold on your life, until you reach the end of the story. In other words, "You can check out any time you want, but you can never leave. . ."
Whatever you do. . . "Don't look under the bed"
Congratulations to Jordan and Blake Crouch, for creating one of the best books I've read this year, it's right up there with my favs from Stephen King!
Rousing debut for Jordan Crouch, paired up with his older brother Blake, the bestselling author of Run.
Jordan and Blake's Chiller, Thriller immediately engages you.
The small cast of likeable characters, a creepy brownstone house and loads of mystery, exert a magnetic hold on your life, until you reach the end of the story. In other words, "You can check out any time you want, but you can never leave. . ."
Whatever you do. . . "Don't look under the bed"
Congratulations to Jordan and Blake Crouch, for creating one of the best books I've read this year, it's right up there with my favs from Stephen King!
March 19, 2017
Creepy, shocking and a total mystery----what the heck is under the bed upstairs? How does it involve these two orphans? You rack your brain trying to figure it out and start thinking maybe it is some kind of demon.....tons of suspense.....and then the ending. WTF? This is not okay to do to people who paid for this book and invested their time reading. It was a great read----up until the end. I know both of these men are capable of better. On the plus side, you do get a wee glimpse of his future story ideas.
July 15, 2012
I was...disappointed. the build up was great, but the ending...felt like a cop out. the only thing worse than the actual ending would have been for grant to wake up and find it was all a dream.
the book was creepy, eerie, wonderful, strange, building up to a horrifying ending that just...never came.
the book was creepy, eerie, wonderful, strange, building up to a horrifying ending that just...never came.
November 7, 2018
It starts of as a horror-mystery-thriller about a woman who is trapped in her own home by a monster under her bed.
A trail of dissapearing people leads her estranged brother -who is a detective- to her doorstep one day. By entering her premises, he too gets trapped inside the house by this entity.
So this was a very exciting read for me because throughout the story there are 2 main questions;
1: What is this creature and why is it there? And 2: How are they ever going to survive or leave the house?
To find the answers to these questions I just had to keep reading.
Because of how the story is set up, I never expected it to end like this.
I quite like the ending (as opposed to alot of other people), because it could also be a simple monster/alien or whatever entity we've seen a dozen times before.
But instead it's something... different or should I say... Eerie.
One thing I didn't like as much is how one of the main characters (Grant) handles the entity when it's becoming more clear what this being is.
And after reading the book, I still have some questions about certain events that are sadly unanswered or I just simply overlooked.
June 6, 2023
A really quick supernatural thriller about a brother and a sister trapped in a creepy house that won’t let them leave. The atmosphere was really good, some scenes were pretty scary, but the ending… The ending was such a bummer, I really wish it would have been something else.
December 7, 2019
His books are never what I expect. Every one has a strange but compelling twist. This one is no different for sure.
August 4, 2020
Not my favourite BC book but still cooool.
February 11, 2022
SO CLOSE to four stars. So very close. But... that ending. It's a great example of the 'less is more' concept.
July 8, 2022
No!!!! You gave us a fascinating and eerie setting and ratcheted up the tension. You kept a breakneck pace. It was all coming together so well...
And then you defecated. Were you impatient to end the book? Did you lose a bet? What the fuck?
I won't spoil this for people other than to say the resolution and answers are absurd. Imagine a painting with a yellow dot and the dot doesn't belong---because it's the only yellow on the canvas. The ending falls flat because there's nothing tipping off the reader ahead of time. You don't switch genres in midstream.
This could have been a great novel and I'll read more of your work, but accept my feedback. You can't throw plot elements into a novel without paving the way and laying foundation.
And then you defecated. Were you impatient to end the book? Did you lose a bet? What the fuck?
I won't spoil this for people other than to say the resolution and answers are absurd. Imagine a painting with a yellow dot and the dot doesn't belong---because it's the only yellow on the canvas. The ending falls flat because there's nothing tipping off the reader ahead of time. You don't switch genres in midstream.
This could have been a great novel and I'll read more of your work, but accept my feedback. You can't throw plot elements into a novel without paving the way and laying foundation.
February 18, 2013
Eerie is a self-published horror/haunted house novel by the Crouch brothers Blake and Jake. The story starts with a father and two motherless siblings, Grant and Paige, in a harrowing car crash where they all survive, but gain mental scars in the process. Their father is reduced to a shell, living in a care home.
The story swiftly moves into their adulthood where the siblings are now estranged. Grant is a Seattle detective looking for two missing men. Searching reunites him with his sister, now living in a brownstone and making her living from high-class prostitution. He immediately sees that something, apart from her living, is not right with her. Her skin is sallow, her eyes sunken, and she fears his presence. Does she have anything to do with the men’s disappearance?
The book reminds me of Chris Allinotte’s Turn Around short story in his Gathering Darkness collection, where something you cannot directly see follows you everywhere, driving you to madness. Similarly, here something lurks in Paige’s bedroom, sitting in her peripheral vision without ever revealing itself. The authors do a great job of raising neck hairs with this thing, making you read on to find out what it is, and what it wants with the men she services in her room.
You would think the siblings should leave, but it induces intense pain in them if they try, thus trapping them in the house, and the reader with them for the most part. The claustrophobia doesn’t grate like you might expect, but you might find yourself wanting a bit of fresh air. The horror intensifies when Grant invites an old friend, Don, who specialises in allaying people’s fears. Outraged at the invitation, Paige nevertheless agrees to let the man go up to her room, hoping he’s right about her fears being groundless. A few alarming noises later Grant charges up the stairs to see his old friend slash his throat as a result of what he has just experienced. Must be some beast you’re thinking.
The horror contrasts nicely with the siblings’ dialogue, their present tension explained by snippets of information about their past – about how they evaded social services and lived by themselves as kids; how he wanted to protect her and how she resented every second of his care. Now they’re thrown together into this hell, they have to care for each other and deal with the moral issue of protecting themselves by inviting more of Paige’s clients, their pain reducing as the monster does what it needs to the men.
So, a cracking read… spoiled by an ending that might have most readers grinding their teeth in frustration. I guessed much of what the monster is about half way through, and that got me reading right through. I thought it could be interesting, like a riff on the Urscumug in Mythago Wood. However, what actually happens flaws the whole thing. This could depend on your perspective – it is sort of spiritual – but I couldn’t help think “Selfish, selfish, selfish.” It fails to give a satisfactory reason for Don killing himself. This, along with the undercooked romance between Grant and his police partner doesn’t help, undermining what could have been a little corker of a novel.
Overall, I enjoyed reading most of this, but that ending is so disappointing.
The story swiftly moves into their adulthood where the siblings are now estranged. Grant is a Seattle detective looking for two missing men. Searching reunites him with his sister, now living in a brownstone and making her living from high-class prostitution. He immediately sees that something, apart from her living, is not right with her. Her skin is sallow, her eyes sunken, and she fears his presence. Does she have anything to do with the men’s disappearance?
The book reminds me of Chris Allinotte’s Turn Around short story in his Gathering Darkness collection, where something you cannot directly see follows you everywhere, driving you to madness. Similarly, here something lurks in Paige’s bedroom, sitting in her peripheral vision without ever revealing itself. The authors do a great job of raising neck hairs with this thing, making you read on to find out what it is, and what it wants with the men she services in her room.
You would think the siblings should leave, but it induces intense pain in them if they try, thus trapping them in the house, and the reader with them for the most part. The claustrophobia doesn’t grate like you might expect, but you might find yourself wanting a bit of fresh air. The horror intensifies when Grant invites an old friend, Don, who specialises in allaying people’s fears. Outraged at the invitation, Paige nevertheless agrees to let the man go up to her room, hoping he’s right about her fears being groundless. A few alarming noises later Grant charges up the stairs to see his old friend slash his throat as a result of what he has just experienced. Must be some beast you’re thinking.
The horror contrasts nicely with the siblings’ dialogue, their present tension explained by snippets of information about their past – about how they evaded social services and lived by themselves as kids; how he wanted to protect her and how she resented every second of his care. Now they’re thrown together into this hell, they have to care for each other and deal with the moral issue of protecting themselves by inviting more of Paige’s clients, their pain reducing as the monster does what it needs to the men.
So, a cracking read… spoiled by an ending that might have most readers grinding their teeth in frustration. I guessed much of what the monster is about half way through, and that got me reading right through. I thought it could be interesting, like a riff on the Urscumug in Mythago Wood. However, what actually happens flaws the whole thing. This could depend on your perspective – it is sort of spiritual – but I couldn’t help think “Selfish, selfish, selfish.” It fails to give a satisfactory reason for Don killing himself. This, along with the undercooked romance between Grant and his police partner doesn’t help, undermining what could have been a little corker of a novel.
Overall, I enjoyed reading most of this, but that ending is so disappointing.
June 26, 2012
I was really thrilled to get this book. I am a huge Blake Crouch fan and I was looking forward to this first collaboration with his brother, Jordan Crouch. They certainly didn't disappoint me. I started reading this book late one night and couldn't put it down.
From the first chapter, I was captured by the story that started unfolding. At first, it seems like a conventional thriller. A car accident. A brother and sister left orphans. A promise to a sister from her brother to "always take care" of her. Jump to the present, 31 years after the accident. The brother, Grant, is now a detective with the local police department and locates his estranged sister, Paige, by happenstance through a police investigation lead he follows up on. Grant discovers she is now a high priced prostitute for wealthy business men. Grant arranges to meet her posing as a new client. Paige is taken completely by surprise as she opens her front door to find her brother standing on the threshold. She attempts to close the door and shut him out without success. And this is where the conventional part of this thriller ends, as Grant discovers there is something unnatural going on in Paige's bedroom. Something is under her bed...
Do you remember the stories you heard as a child about the monster under your bed? Or the Boogeyman? Well, this story did an outstanding job in transporting me back to that childhood. I was truly unnerved and I admit maybe just a little bit afraid to look under my bed. The progression of this story drew me in page after page with anticipation. I couldn't wait to reach the end to see what monster lay in wait under Paige's bed.
I really did enjoy this book. A lot. Not a typical horror/thriller/gory type story. But I found it creepy and, well, eerie. That was until I got to the end. The end wasn't bad. But it was definitely not what I was expecting and I was a tad bit disappointed. I won't say anymore then that so I don't spoil it for anyone.
Overall, I feel this book is definitely worth reading. The ending will appeal to some and for others, like me, it may not. If you haven't read any of Blake Crouch's books, you really should. He is a fabulous writer and story teller.
From the first chapter, I was captured by the story that started unfolding. At first, it seems like a conventional thriller. A car accident. A brother and sister left orphans. A promise to a sister from her brother to "always take care" of her. Jump to the present, 31 years after the accident. The brother, Grant, is now a detective with the local police department and locates his estranged sister, Paige, by happenstance through a police investigation lead he follows up on. Grant discovers she is now a high priced prostitute for wealthy business men. Grant arranges to meet her posing as a new client. Paige is taken completely by surprise as she opens her front door to find her brother standing on the threshold. She attempts to close the door and shut him out without success. And this is where the conventional part of this thriller ends, as Grant discovers there is something unnatural going on in Paige's bedroom. Something is under her bed...
Do you remember the stories you heard as a child about the monster under your bed? Or the Boogeyman? Well, this story did an outstanding job in transporting me back to that childhood. I was truly unnerved and I admit maybe just a little bit afraid to look under my bed. The progression of this story drew me in page after page with anticipation. I couldn't wait to reach the end to see what monster lay in wait under Paige's bed.
I really did enjoy this book. A lot. Not a typical horror/thriller/gory type story. But I found it creepy and, well, eerie. That was until I got to the end. The end wasn't bad. But it was definitely not what I was expecting and I was a tad bit disappointed. I won't say anymore then that so I don't spoil it for anyone.
Overall, I feel this book is definitely worth reading. The ending will appeal to some and for others, like me, it may not. If you haven't read any of Blake Crouch's books, you really should. He is a fabulous writer and story teller.
July 31, 2012
First of all....I just need to say that this book should not have been named "Eerie" for I felt it was never close to being 'eerie spooky'....just basically a strange 'what is under the bed' story that had some intriguing ideas but fell short with a totally bizarre ending that left me a little cold and disappointed.
I was really looking forward to a good ghost story and this one turned into a something far from that. I did like the characters but they were not fleshed out enough to really care about them. The 'sick' house was a good story line to follow but somehow it just went downhill towards the end.
There was almost a good romance that wanted to blossom but it never got anywhere and that was a bit disappointing also. Overall....the story had some great ideas.....creepy car crash with children (I think that was probably the most haunting part of the book)....something under the bed (that is always a scary thing).....trapped in a house (another claustrophobic intense story line)...BUT....the last quarter of the book became just a bit too bizarre and confusing to really understand what happens and it hurts the book rather than help it. I think if the brothers write another book they should really work on the ending....make it more clean and to the point and not so lost on the reader.
I was really looking forward to a good ghost story and this one turned into a something far from that. I did like the characters but they were not fleshed out enough to really care about them. The 'sick' house was a good story line to follow but somehow it just went downhill towards the end.
There was almost a good romance that wanted to blossom but it never got anywhere and that was a bit disappointing also. Overall....the story had some great ideas.....creepy car crash with children (I think that was probably the most haunting part of the book)....something under the bed (that is always a scary thing).....trapped in a house (another claustrophobic intense story line)...BUT....the last quarter of the book became just a bit too bizarre and confusing to really understand what happens and it hurts the book rather than help it. I think if the brothers write another book they should really work on the ending....make it more clean and to the point and not so lost on the reader.
June 20, 2012
Brother author team Blake and Jordan Crouch hit an on-key scary thriller horror note with EERIE!
The story starts innocuously enough with the Moreton family of 8 year old Grant, his young sister Paige, and their father Jim. They are traveling up to the family cabin in the woods. A car accident changes their lives forever.
Jump forward 30 years..Grant is a police detective with Seattle Police, working a missing person's case. Clues lead him to what looks like a series of missing men and a mysterious call-girl working out of her home in a fancy neighborhood.
Much to his dismay, the mysterious call-girl is his long-lost sister, Paige. She doesn't want to let him into the house, she knows he's there to 'fix her' as she calls it, but there's more to the reason why she doesn't want him in her house.
Paige is involved with the disappearances of Grant's missing men, but she doesn't know what happens to them. The house wants the men for some unknown reason.
And...anything else would be spoilers. Just know that this is a super horror/thriller/mystery. It's a definite read-with-the-lights-on-check-under-the-bed kind of book.
The story starts innocuously enough with the Moreton family of 8 year old Grant, his young sister Paige, and their father Jim. They are traveling up to the family cabin in the woods. A car accident changes their lives forever.
Jump forward 30 years..Grant is a police detective with Seattle Police, working a missing person's case. Clues lead him to what looks like a series of missing men and a mysterious call-girl working out of her home in a fancy neighborhood.
Much to his dismay, the mysterious call-girl is his long-lost sister, Paige. She doesn't want to let him into the house, she knows he's there to 'fix her' as she calls it, but there's more to the reason why she doesn't want him in her house.
Paige is involved with the disappearances of Grant's missing men, but she doesn't know what happens to them. The house wants the men for some unknown reason.
And...anything else would be spoilers. Just know that this is a super horror/thriller/mystery. It's a definite read-with-the-lights-on-check-under-the-bed kind of book.
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