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Habitat
Habitat follows seven neighbours over the course of a surreal and life-changing week as their mid-century apartment building in Oslo begins to inexplicably break down around them. Connected by familial ties, long acquaintance, simmering feuds and longing glimpses, the residents of the building are bound to one another in more ways than they know.As each inhabitant is touched by strange and sinister phenomena, and their apartment-sized worlds begin to fray at the seams, they struggle to grasp that this is a shared crisis that cannot be borne alone.This remarkable debut novel from one of Ireland's most promising emerging talents is a startling parable of our uncertain age – a beautiful and inciteful examination of how we deal with seismic events beyond our comprehension and how we can only truly find meaning through shared understanding. Habitat is comparable to Kafka's Metamorphosis or Eugène Ionesco's Rhinoceros in how people respond to an uncanny situation.The building components give their own take on being used for the purposes of these people, their voices containing the longer perspective of materials that existed before the building, and which will survive in some form beyond its destruction.
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2024
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572 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 11, 2024
I’m settling on a 2.5 stars rating for now, but I admit I may ponder and reconsider. This feels like a book meant to be pondered and reconsidered. I just liked the idea of this book so much more than the execution. But what a concept!
September 14, 2024
We follow seven residents as weird things start happening in their mid-century apartment complex set in Oslo. All of them, so absorbed in their own catastrophes, fail to acknowledge that this must be a collective scenario happening to all of their neighbours. The storyline of Habitat is unique and brilliant, different from anything else I have ever read. However, I think the execution of it was unfortunately confusing and repetitive.
The aspect of opening chapters by including the thoughts, POV of the building (?) felt confusing and I did not really care for those parts. But I did enjoy the characters and and how each of them had distinct personalities that made them memorable and easy to differentiate (Linda has my heart!). The story dragged a bit as more and more hazards happened - a ceiling happened to no longer be a ceiling, furniture moved from one apartment to another, animal feces, dirt covered entire apartment floors, branches forced themselves into apartments, etc. At some point, I was no longer interested to know what was happening as it became too repetitive.
All in all, I have heard some people say they adored this book, so I definitely recommend others to read it, you might have a better experience with it than I did!
The aspect of opening chapters by including the thoughts, POV of the building (?) felt confusing and I did not really care for those parts. But I did enjoy the characters and and how each of them had distinct personalities that made them memorable and easy to differentiate (Linda has my heart!). The story dragged a bit as more and more hazards happened - a ceiling happened to no longer be a ceiling, furniture moved from one apartment to another, animal feces, dirt covered entire apartment floors, branches forced themselves into apartments, etc. At some point, I was no longer interested to know what was happening as it became too repetitive.
All in all, I have heard some people say they adored this book, so I definitely recommend others to read it, you might have a better experience with it than I did!
Read
April 23, 2025We settled slowly from bones and shells. Our particles pressed down on one another. There are deep troughs in coastal woods where our skeletal grains once lay. Descended from rock, we are also a careful proportion of clay. We were pulverized, heated to the point of vitrification, fused. We were then ground down once more. Part stone and part sand; water was once mixed into our dust. Poured into moulds, we set, gripping rods of steel. It is this clinging that keeps us in place, where you set us, far enough apart, one above the other, so that you can walk between us without knocking your skulls. We cling, but it is you who fear, who must be kept apart from members of your species who are not your family. We rest our edges on walls of bricks, transferring our load, the load of you and your possessions. You have no plan for us after this. Your thoughts will crumble with us.
A wonderful novel of infrastructural insurrection, for lack of a better term. And when I say wonderful, I mean that the novel is a rather rare critique of the interrelationship between domesticity constructed according to a cisheteronormative image and the exploitation of the more-than-human mediated by a residential building and all that it presupposes. I loved how Shine pays particular attention to interior design and how it constitutes the everyday interiorities within which people live their little consumerist (and racist) lives. Up to a breaking point, that is. I was afraid that the novel would turn into a slapstick comedy with all the disappearing objects and the ensuing confusion, but fortunately I was very wrong. The ending could have been better.
A wonderful novel of infrastructural insurrection, for lack of a better term. And when I say wonderful, I mean that the novel is a rather rare critique of the interrelationship between domesticity constructed according to a cisheteronormative image and the exploitation of the more-than-human mediated by a residential building and all that it presupposes. I loved how Shine pays particular attention to interior design and how it constitutes the everyday interiorities within which people live their little consumerist (and racist) lives. Up to a breaking point, that is. I was afraid that the novel would turn into a slapstick comedy with all the disappearing objects and the ensuing confusion, but fortunately I was very wrong. The ending could have been better.
May 28, 2024
Habitat by Catriona Shine published March 6th with The Lilliput Press and is described as ‘a remarkable debut novel from one of Ireland’s most promising emerging talents…a startling parable of our uncertain age, as well as a beautiful and inciteful examination of how we deal with seismic events beyond our comprehension and how we can only truly find meaning through shared understanding.’
Habitat is quite unlike ANY novel I have ever read before. Disturbing, yet strangely compelling, it is a novel about an apartment complex and a number of its inhabitants who all experience the most bizarre few days, as the building slowly and inexplicable starts to disintegrate. Catriona Shine is an Irish writer who works as an architect and lives in Oslo. Bringing her own knowledge of building materials and her skill as a writer together, she has created a very unsettling and imaginative tale that really is quite frightening in our current environmental crisis.
The apartment complex consists of two blocks built in the 1950s and would have been considered very much at the forefront of design at the time. Over the years a strong community has developed among the residents, with regular AGMs held to discuss any issues, under the stewardship of the able-handed Eva. The novel begins on a Monday, with the next AGM due to take place the following Friday. Over the course of the next few days, bizarre events happen within, and surrounding, the building but each resident is quite dismissive initially deciding to postpone any discussion on the matter until the Friday meeting.
One of the residents is Sonja, an Irish freelance illustrator who has just taken her first step on the property ladder. Sonja feels a strange breeze within her apartment. On checking the windows and doors, she comes to the conclusion that this cool air is coming through her walls. She requests a survey but first checks with an insurance man, who doesn’t pay too much heed to her concerns. As the week progresses, Sonja makes a rather worrying discovery.
Sonja is only one among many residents who start to experience some strange goings-on in their apartments and soon Eva is inundated with requests and queries. As the latter part of the week approaches, the reader is taken on an extremely disconcerting journey as nature starts to send a very strong message.
Habitat is a novel driven out of concern for our planet and the damage and destruction we impose upon it daily. As an architect, Catriona Shine is all too aware of the necessity to change our building habits with the materials we use and how we interact with nature. With the intermittent perspective of the building and its various components and materials, Catriona Shine provides a frightening insight, at a local level, of what is really happening on a global level, except in Habitat, nature fights back in a sense.
Habitat is an extremely original tale and, in the same vein at Rónán Hession’s latest release, Ghost Mountain, it is a fable-like story evoking introspective thoughts, deliberately shocking the reader into looking at themselves and how they interact with the world outside their own front door. Habitat is a penetrating and striking novel, intelligent and convincing in its message, a very relevant debut that will resonate with many readers.
‘There are deep troughs in coastal woods where our skeletal grains once lay … We were poured into moulds, and we set, gripping rods of steel … We cling, but it is you who fear, who must be kept apart from members of your species who are not your family. We rest our edges on walls of bricks, transferring our load, the load of you and your possessions. You have no plan for us after this. Your thoughts will crumble with us.'
– Habitat
Habitat is quite unlike ANY novel I have ever read before. Disturbing, yet strangely compelling, it is a novel about an apartment complex and a number of its inhabitants who all experience the most bizarre few days, as the building slowly and inexplicable starts to disintegrate. Catriona Shine is an Irish writer who works as an architect and lives in Oslo. Bringing her own knowledge of building materials and her skill as a writer together, she has created a very unsettling and imaginative tale that really is quite frightening in our current environmental crisis.
The apartment complex consists of two blocks built in the 1950s and would have been considered very much at the forefront of design at the time. Over the years a strong community has developed among the residents, with regular AGMs held to discuss any issues, under the stewardship of the able-handed Eva. The novel begins on a Monday, with the next AGM due to take place the following Friday. Over the course of the next few days, bizarre events happen within, and surrounding, the building but each resident is quite dismissive initially deciding to postpone any discussion on the matter until the Friday meeting.
One of the residents is Sonja, an Irish freelance illustrator who has just taken her first step on the property ladder. Sonja feels a strange breeze within her apartment. On checking the windows and doors, she comes to the conclusion that this cool air is coming through her walls. She requests a survey but first checks with an insurance man, who doesn’t pay too much heed to her concerns. As the week progresses, Sonja makes a rather worrying discovery.
Sonja is only one among many residents who start to experience some strange goings-on in their apartments and soon Eva is inundated with requests and queries. As the latter part of the week approaches, the reader is taken on an extremely disconcerting journey as nature starts to send a very strong message.
Habitat is a novel driven out of concern for our planet and the damage and destruction we impose upon it daily. As an architect, Catriona Shine is all too aware of the necessity to change our building habits with the materials we use and how we interact with nature. With the intermittent perspective of the building and its various components and materials, Catriona Shine provides a frightening insight, at a local level, of what is really happening on a global level, except in Habitat, nature fights back in a sense.
Habitat is an extremely original tale and, in the same vein at Rónán Hession’s latest release, Ghost Mountain, it is a fable-like story evoking introspective thoughts, deliberately shocking the reader into looking at themselves and how they interact with the world outside their own front door. Habitat is a penetrating and striking novel, intelligent and convincing in its message, a very relevant debut that will resonate with many readers.
‘There are deep troughs in coastal woods where our skeletal grains once lay … We were poured into moulds, and we set, gripping rods of steel … We cling, but it is you who fear, who must be kept apart from members of your species who are not your family. We rest our edges on walls of bricks, transferring our load, the load of you and your possessions. You have no plan for us after this. Your thoughts will crumble with us.'
– Habitat
November 5, 2024
~1.5~
I'll make this as short as possible. I had really high expectations for this book because the synopsis completely captivated me to read this. Clearly, from my rating, it did not meet said expectations. I do apologise for the delay.
I kept waiting and waiting for something grand to happen, some revelation, some explanation, SOMETHING. And yet I feel like the story just moved on and on and on and on...until the book ended. Sure, the ending was a little bit crazy, but was it really? I mean, it just felt imminent and not that big of a shock.
The writing was also not one of my favourite things because it made the reading experience so much slower for me. The long chapters were also not helpful at all. Though the little moments of writing in between parts were interesting, though I'm not sure what they were there for.
I feel like I missed something crucial, anything that would have made this better. I just have too many questions and a lot of dissatisfaction.
(Free ARC from NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group | The Lilliput Press that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on November 5th, 2024)
I'll make this as short as possible. I had really high expectations for this book because the synopsis completely captivated me to read this. Clearly, from my rating, it did not meet said expectations. I do apologise for the delay.
I kept waiting and waiting for something grand to happen, some revelation, some explanation, SOMETHING. And yet I feel like the story just moved on and on and on and on...until the book ended. Sure, the ending was a little bit crazy, but was it really? I mean, it just felt imminent and not that big of a shock.
The writing was also not one of my favourite things because it made the reading experience so much slower for me. The long chapters were also not helpful at all. Though the little moments of writing in between parts were interesting, though I'm not sure what they were there for.
I feel like I missed something crucial, anything that would have made this better. I just have too many questions and a lot of dissatisfaction.
(Free ARC from NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group | The Lilliput Press that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on November 5th, 2024)
July 29, 2024
IF you want to read something very unique then go for this book
The beginning of the story was a bit confusing due to the rapid introduction of many characters. However, as the narrative progressed, their individual stories began to unfold, and it all made much more sense. The premise of the book is refreshing, and while the execution felt somewhat haphazard at times, I ultimately loved the unique concept and the eerie atmosphere; the progression felt very fitting. I would definitely be interested in reading more from the author in the future.
Thank you very much to Lilliput Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
The beginning of the story was a bit confusing due to the rapid introduction of many characters. However, as the narrative progressed, their individual stories began to unfold, and it all made much more sense. The premise of the book is refreshing, and while the execution felt somewhat haphazard at times, I ultimately loved the unique concept and the eerie atmosphere; the progression felt very fitting. I would definitely be interested in reading more from the author in the future.
Thank you very much to Lilliput Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
December 19, 2024
This book is like nothing you have read before.
Two apartment buildings stand in a complex in Oslo. It is spring, the week before Constitution Day, and various strange things are happening to the different tenants of the complex.
Things keep falling through the floor of Knut and Une's apartment. Hildegunn's furniture is disappearing, and her unpleasant nephew Gunnar is sure he can pin the blame on someone else. Raj's basement apartment smells horrible, and a series of vermin are tramping their way through it. Sonja's external wall has new drafts coming through it.
Nobody trusts or believes their neighbours, or even their own family members. They want the world to follow their own rules. But their apartment complex has other ideas.
This one is going to stay with me for a long time. It's an elegy about humanity vs nature, design vs natural form, and urban life. Brilliant.
Two apartment buildings stand in a complex in Oslo. It is spring, the week before Constitution Day, and various strange things are happening to the different tenants of the complex.
Things keep falling through the floor of Knut and Une's apartment. Hildegunn's furniture is disappearing, and her unpleasant nephew Gunnar is sure he can pin the blame on someone else. Raj's basement apartment smells horrible, and a series of vermin are tramping their way through it. Sonja's external wall has new drafts coming through it.
Nobody trusts or believes their neighbours, or even their own family members. They want the world to follow their own rules. But their apartment complex has other ideas.
This one is going to stay with me for a long time. It's an elegy about humanity vs nature, design vs natural form, and urban life. Brilliant.
February 19, 2024
Thanks so much to @lilliputpress for the advance copy of Habitat by catriona shine.
I liked this book, however I did find it was slow getting into it.
I did however love the different POV. How we can see what each person is thinking and witness their encounter in their apartment.
We also get to see how they see the building begin to deteriorate and how each persons experience was different.
It kept you guessing on what was going to happen next.
I did get frustrated with Gunnar as he seemed to not care about his tenants and what they were going through however many times they called him.l to complain about their apartment.
My favourite character was Teddy I thought he was just so cute and I absolutely loved his relationship with his grandfather Knut.
I felt on edge during certain parts and wanting to know what would happen next!!
I liked this book, however I did find it was slow getting into it.
I did however love the different POV. How we can see what each person is thinking and witness their encounter in their apartment.
We also get to see how they see the building begin to deteriorate and how each persons experience was different.
It kept you guessing on what was going to happen next.
I did get frustrated with Gunnar as he seemed to not care about his tenants and what they were going through however many times they called him.l to complain about their apartment.
My favourite character was Teddy I thought he was just so cute and I absolutely loved his relationship with his grandfather Knut.
I felt on edge during certain parts and wanting to know what would happen next!!
July 11, 2024
If you know me, then you should know that I love my weird little books where weird little things happen. Habitat by Catriona Shine fits the bill, and safe to say I enjoyed this book a lot. And if this short intro appeals to you, then you’d probably enjoy this book too.
Habitat is set in a mid-century apartment complex in Oslo. Most residents own their apartments and have lived there for years. Living in a small space with many people, it’s inevitable that you get to know your neighbors, albeit through a very limited perspective. Over the years, resentment and tensions build up, and it all comes to a head when strange things start happening to the building. Windows refuse to close. There are unexplained draughts. Bricks go missing. Walls seem to thin, to the point that sounds from the neighbors are amplified. The floors no longer remain solid. Things disappear and reappear in places they shouldn’t. The roof suddenly stops being a roof. And the earth reclaims the building, soil and roots taking over the lower levels. These things happen separately to different people and different apartments. And it’s just weird enough of an occurrence that they feel like they shouldn’t talk about it to anyone because it simply can’t be real.
But it is.
The book starts off slow, and we get chapters from different neighbors, giving us a glimpse into their lives, their apartments, their petty grievances, and their long-standing feuds. We also learn what home means to them.
The memorable cast of characters each had their own quirks and backstories. Eva, the very bossy and holier-than-thou head of the board of residents reminds me of someone my aunt has some ongoing beef with (a story for another time). Gunnar, the greedy nephew of a resident who is just itching to sell his aunt’s well-preserved apartment with all the original mid-century elements. Oh, he also owns a basement flat in the building and is renting it out to students. Unsurprisingly, Gunnar is a horrible landlord. And softspoken Sonja!!! With her determination to get to the bottom of things, despite not having anyone take her concerns seriously.
The writing in this book was compelling in an understated way. It’s not often that I get to indulge in being a little nosey, so this book about a bunch of neighbors dealing with a crisis scratched that itch. I loved how the absurdity and the horror slowly built up, with the characters shifting from mild curiosity to disbelief to the realization that something quite impossible and unbelievable has indeed happened. Things could have turned out better for them if only they talked to each other, and helped each other out. But despite living in a shared space, they have a surprising lack of community. They chose to put themselves first, hiding the truth so they can come out ahead in some way. Unfortunately for them, the building has other plans.
This debut novel by Catriona Shine was a joy to read, and a great book to start my July with. Thank you to NetGalley and The Lilliput Press for the eARC!
Habitat is set in a mid-century apartment complex in Oslo. Most residents own their apartments and have lived there for years. Living in a small space with many people, it’s inevitable that you get to know your neighbors, albeit through a very limited perspective. Over the years, resentment and tensions build up, and it all comes to a head when strange things start happening to the building. Windows refuse to close. There are unexplained draughts. Bricks go missing. Walls seem to thin, to the point that sounds from the neighbors are amplified. The floors no longer remain solid. Things disappear and reappear in places they shouldn’t. The roof suddenly stops being a roof. And the earth reclaims the building, soil and roots taking over the lower levels. These things happen separately to different people and different apartments. And it’s just weird enough of an occurrence that they feel like they shouldn’t talk about it to anyone because it simply can’t be real.
But it is.
The book starts off slow, and we get chapters from different neighbors, giving us a glimpse into their lives, their apartments, their petty grievances, and their long-standing feuds. We also learn what home means to them.
The memorable cast of characters each had their own quirks and backstories. Eva, the very bossy and holier-than-thou head of the board of residents reminds me of someone my aunt has some ongoing beef with (a story for another time). Gunnar, the greedy nephew of a resident who is just itching to sell his aunt’s well-preserved apartment with all the original mid-century elements. Oh, he also owns a basement flat in the building and is renting it out to students. Unsurprisingly, Gunnar is a horrible landlord. And softspoken Sonja!!! With her determination to get to the bottom of things, despite not having anyone take her concerns seriously.
The writing in this book was compelling in an understated way. It’s not often that I get to indulge in being a little nosey, so this book about a bunch of neighbors dealing with a crisis scratched that itch. I loved how the absurdity and the horror slowly built up, with the characters shifting from mild curiosity to disbelief to the realization that something quite impossible and unbelievable has indeed happened. Things could have turned out better for them if only they talked to each other, and helped each other out. But despite living in a shared space, they have a surprising lack of community. They chose to put themselves first, hiding the truth so they can come out ahead in some way. Unfortunately for them, the building has other plans.
This debut novel by Catriona Shine was a joy to read, and a great book to start my July with. Thank you to NetGalley and The Lilliput Press for the eARC!
September 5, 2024
Publishing date: 17.09.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and The Lilliput Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: My meal disappeared??
The book left me: Deeply disturbed, unable to sleep
Negatives:
Hard to keep track of who is who
Needs some quotation marks for the dialogue (has none!)
Feels very samey even if the story is progressing
Unsatisfying ending
Positives:
Have never read or watched this concept before, really refreshing
Tense all the time
Situation gets worse and worse (endearing comment)
Features:
A deeply unsettling mystery that affects everyone in the story very differently, Norway setting, blaming everyone and no-one at all, no quotation marks for dialogue, a hidden "horror" tag
Why did I choose this one?
Honestly ... I saw that it was set in Oslo and thought I should read it because of that
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
In-between. I had both a hard time getting into it, and a hard time putting it down. It was fluctuating between both throughout my reading experience. Mostly due to the fact that it took a while for something "new" to happen, and when something "new" happened I was entranced.
I think the slow pacing might be tough for some readers.
What was the vibe and mood?
It was eerie. I felt unsafe at my own location. I felt like no one would believe me if something strange happened. I had sympathy for all the characters, but wondered if I would believe them myself. I wondered what I would do if I were in their shoes.
Very creepy, very tense. Have you felt like a house is haunted even if the house is modern? That is this book in essence.
Final ranking and star rating?
A tier, 4 stars. I enjoyed this a lot. The premise was great, the writing was good (but I wish you used quotation marks in dialogue). A bit up and down with wanting to read or not.
I have to retract a star because of the ending however. Let us just say that there are some loose ends that need attending to ... or at least a hint at the planned attendance.
I would recommend this to people who are tired of classic haunted house stories, and people who like when stuff hits the fan and blows back in everyone's faces.
Thank you to Netgalley and The Lilliput Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: My meal disappeared??
The book left me: Deeply disturbed, unable to sleep
Negatives:
Hard to keep track of who is who
Needs some quotation marks for the dialogue (has none!)
Feels very samey even if the story is progressing
Unsatisfying ending
Positives:
Have never read or watched this concept before, really refreshing
Tense all the time
Situation gets worse and worse (endearing comment)
Features:
A deeply unsettling mystery that affects everyone in the story very differently, Norway setting, blaming everyone and no-one at all, no quotation marks for dialogue, a hidden "horror" tag
Why did I choose this one?
Honestly ... I saw that it was set in Oslo and thought I should read it because of that
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
In-between. I had both a hard time getting into it, and a hard time putting it down. It was fluctuating between both throughout my reading experience. Mostly due to the fact that it took a while for something "new" to happen, and when something "new" happened I was entranced.
I think the slow pacing might be tough for some readers.
What was the vibe and mood?
It was eerie. I felt unsafe at my own location. I felt like no one would believe me if something strange happened. I had sympathy for all the characters, but wondered if I would believe them myself. I wondered what I would do if I were in their shoes.
Very creepy, very tense. Have you felt like a house is haunted even if the house is modern? That is this book in essence.
Final ranking and star rating?
A tier, 4 stars. I enjoyed this a lot. The premise was great, the writing was good (but I wish you used quotation marks in dialogue). A bit up and down with wanting to read or not.
I have to retract a star because of the ending however. Let us just say that there are some loose ends that need attending to ... or at least a hint at the planned attendance.
I would recommend this to people who are tired of classic haunted house stories, and people who like when stuff hits the fan and blows back in everyone's faces.
July 18, 2024
Why do Irish authors hate quotation marks?!?!
Before I say anything else, thank you so much to NetGalley and Independent Publisher’s Group for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I really wanted to enjoy this but the formatting of this book consistently took me out of it to the point of completely ruining my enjoyment. Maybe it was the way it displayed on my ereader, but it felt erratic in the way it was organized, occasionally making it difficult to follow and connect with. Aside from that, I just cannot stand it when dialogue heavy books do not use quotation marks. I’m begging people to use them, please, it doesn’t make you cool or quirky to not, it just makes it so obnoxious to read
With that being said, the plot of this book was intriguing and well executed. Seemingly using the current global climate crisis as a backdrop for inspiration, Habitat examines the lives of people within the same apartment building as they experience strange shifts and events over the course of a week. The addition of the perspective of the building itself was an interesting choice which allowed for deeper insight into the impact of environmental changes. It is unsettling at times and will provoke thoughts of how reality will proceed as climate change progresses.
The formatting of this book truly made it almost intolerable for me. I’m not sure if this was intentional, adding to the chaotic undertone of climate change, or if it was simply my device setting out to sabotage, but regardless it made me really hesitate to continue reading this. With that being said, the content itself was good, if not incredibly slow at times. This is only a debut novel from this author and I’m interested to see how her works grow as the years, this story had such an interesting premise that I’m sure so many intriguing and impactful plots are rustling around in her brain!
3.5/5
Before I say anything else, thank you so much to NetGalley and Independent Publisher’s Group for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I really wanted to enjoy this but the formatting of this book consistently took me out of it to the point of completely ruining my enjoyment. Maybe it was the way it displayed on my ereader, but it felt erratic in the way it was organized, occasionally making it difficult to follow and connect with. Aside from that, I just cannot stand it when dialogue heavy books do not use quotation marks. I’m begging people to use them, please, it doesn’t make you cool or quirky to not, it just makes it so obnoxious to read
With that being said, the plot of this book was intriguing and well executed. Seemingly using the current global climate crisis as a backdrop for inspiration, Habitat examines the lives of people within the same apartment building as they experience strange shifts and events over the course of a week. The addition of the perspective of the building itself was an interesting choice which allowed for deeper insight into the impact of environmental changes. It is unsettling at times and will provoke thoughts of how reality will proceed as climate change progresses.
The formatting of this book truly made it almost intolerable for me. I’m not sure if this was intentional, adding to the chaotic undertone of climate change, or if it was simply my device setting out to sabotage, but regardless it made me really hesitate to continue reading this. With that being said, the content itself was good, if not incredibly slow at times. This is only a debut novel from this author and I’m interested to see how her works grow as the years, this story had such an interesting premise that I’m sure so many intriguing and impactful plots are rustling around in her brain!
3.5/5
July 28, 2024
3.5/3.75 ⭐️
Catriona Shine’s architectural nightmare sent me on a well-paced, captivating reading journey. We are witnessing a week in the life of the tenants of two apartment buildings as they notice odd happenings going on with the structural consistency of their apartments and the buildings.
The events are told in multiple POVs and we get a very extensive insight into each character’s prejudices and often unwarranted judgments of their neighbours. We meet several characters each day which are interluded with what seems like the thoughts (and warnings) from an unknown entity. (I’m making it sound much more mystical than it is!)
The story-telling is really, really good — the voices of the different characters are very distinct.
I do have to add a “however”. However, I was left somewhat dissatisfied with the where we’re leaving the tenants. We also never go too deep into the nature aspect of it all. I think the scales between human study — interpersonal relationships between neighbours — and the effect human living has on nature are heavily skewed towards the first. Until we are left with no real conclusion at the end.
Personally, I think the author could’ve pushed the architectural angle way more. She might not have wanted to do that to make the book more accessible but I think getting more into theories how some architects like to incorporate their buildings’ surroundings or draw inspiration from nature would’ve been really interesting in this context. But that’s a personal preference bc I’m a big old nerd.
This is definitely a book where you can draw your own conclusions at the end but I wished we would’ve been nudged into a direction a bit more forcefully. That’s another personal preference. 😇
As I said, overall this is a well-paced, well-told character study which I had a hella good time with. Would I be reading another novel by this author? For sure! I genuinely enjoyed the story-telling and the characters were just so well fleshed out.
Catriona Shine’s architectural nightmare sent me on a well-paced, captivating reading journey. We are witnessing a week in the life of the tenants of two apartment buildings as they notice odd happenings going on with the structural consistency of their apartments and the buildings.
The events are told in multiple POVs and we get a very extensive insight into each character’s prejudices and often unwarranted judgments of their neighbours. We meet several characters each day which are interluded with what seems like the thoughts (and warnings) from an unknown entity. (I’m making it sound much more mystical than it is!)
The story-telling is really, really good — the voices of the different characters are very distinct.
I do have to add a “however”. However, I was left somewhat dissatisfied with the where we’re leaving the tenants. We also never go too deep into the nature aspect of it all. I think the scales between human study — interpersonal relationships between neighbours — and the effect human living has on nature are heavily skewed towards the first. Until we are left with no real conclusion at the end.
Personally, I think the author could’ve pushed the architectural angle way more. She might not have wanted to do that to make the book more accessible but I think getting more into theories how some architects like to incorporate their buildings’ surroundings or draw inspiration from nature would’ve been really interesting in this context. But that’s a personal preference bc I’m a big old nerd.
This is definitely a book where you can draw your own conclusions at the end but I wished we would’ve been nudged into a direction a bit more forcefully. That’s another personal preference. 😇
As I said, overall this is a well-paced, well-told character study which I had a hella good time with. Would I be reading another novel by this author? For sure! I genuinely enjoyed the story-telling and the characters were just so well fleshed out.
January 6, 2025
“She crouched, eye level with the ladybirds. To live like that: to land on your home and eat your neighbours.” Catriona Shine’s outstanding debut novel Habitat marries its horribly compelling conceit — disparate tenants in a single housing complex that mysteriously disintegrates over the course of a week — with prose by turns taut and sumptuous, luminous and visceral. It starts slowly, with inexplicable draughts and leaks, objects stolen or swapped, soil coming up from the earth in the basement flat occupied by three student renters. Their story is perhaps the most devastating and the most damning, their lack of agency in their own home having tragic consequences. But there are others helpless in their own ways: elderly residents, weak, afraid of senility; the financially insecure, dismissed and sidelined; the young and vulnerable, overlooked. The way the narrative descends from a social novel into something stranger and more horrific mirrors the slow unfolding of its awful absurdity; I am always drawn to stories like this, about the slow creep of collapse, the centre holding but showing its cracks before the collapse. “There was no difference between real madness and the madness others decided you suffered. Madness meant that you were convinced of something and everyone else disagreed. There was no more to it.” Admittedly this may not be the book to read if, like me, you’re in the middle of moving to a new flat in a big development — you may find yourself filling with even more dread than the average reader. But maybe it’s a kind of warning — or maybe an inoculation? “All the words I would use in a report, they have no meaning now. It’s just a memory, a design.”
September 6, 2024
7 people, 7 days - Habitat narrates the weird ongoings in an apartment complex in Oslo. The blurb and the premise were right up my alley, weird and unnatural? GIMME!
I actually enjoyed this book in the sense that it reads like a dream. As worried as I am about the environment, this dissociated line of events might as well happen to me in a dream. I loved the multiple (DIVERSE) POVs expertly used to drive the story forward. I appreciate when an author is able to maintain that balance rather than just repeating the events in different voices. I also enjoyed the building as a character in itself. Shine's architectural expertise shines through (haha, get it?), with a pertinent message underlying the bizarre happenings. The book drives home the point without being preachy and that's how I like my morals delivered to me, thank you very much.
What fell short for me though was sheer disconnect I felt from the story due to a lack of punctuation. There are absolutely ZERO quotation marks which made it so difficult to figure out who's talking, especially since there are 7 people to keep track of. Further, even though the pacing is fine, some narrative choices really put me off which distracted me from the book I had to make a genuine attempt to force myself back into it, rather than it being a seamless experience. Plus the ending, left a lot to be desired!
Ideally, this one should've been a 5 star read for me easily, but owing to minor issues, it's a 3 star read. Nevertheless, I had fun!
I actually enjoyed this book in the sense that it reads like a dream. As worried as I am about the environment, this dissociated line of events might as well happen to me in a dream. I loved the multiple (DIVERSE) POVs expertly used to drive the story forward. I appreciate when an author is able to maintain that balance rather than just repeating the events in different voices. I also enjoyed the building as a character in itself. Shine's architectural expertise shines through (haha, get it?), with a pertinent message underlying the bizarre happenings. The book drives home the point without being preachy and that's how I like my morals delivered to me, thank you very much.
What fell short for me though was sheer disconnect I felt from the story due to a lack of punctuation. There are absolutely ZERO quotation marks which made it so difficult to figure out who's talking, especially since there are 7 people to keep track of. Further, even though the pacing is fine, some narrative choices really put me off which distracted me from the book I had to make a genuine attempt to force myself back into it, rather than it being a seamless experience. Plus the ending, left a lot to be desired!
Ideally, this one should've been a 5 star read for me easily, but owing to minor issues, it's a 3 star read. Nevertheless, I had fun!
September 8, 2024
A strange and somewhat creepy story. There are multi POVs that are a little confusing in the beginning, but then they all tie back together with the deterioration of the apartment building.
I did quite like the bits of poetry at the beginning of certain sections. They added needed context, although I think they maybe could have been placed a bit more strategically in the storyline.
And just to explain the creepy comment, that is 100% on me. The characters were actually pretty lackadaisical about what was happening around them. I probably identified most with Raj/Krishna/Pradeep, but never would have lasted as long as they did.
This one really wavered at the 5⭐ mark for me, right up until the end...which was beyond unsatisfactory! I immediately had to check other reviews to see if maybe I got a truncated version of the ARC. I did not. Minus 1⭐.
And I have to wonder if certain characters had a specific role in that ending to highlight the general complacency towards sustainability and environmentalism. If so, that was clever. If not, that was cruel.
A lot of reviewers also blasted the lack of quotation marks. I didn't mind so much, just a few passages that weren't directly clear who was speaking. But I think that was also a factor of the eARC formatting and will hopefully look better in the final release.
In any case, I think this is a perfect read for spooky season, for those who don't really care about spooky season.
Thanks to The Lilliput Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review.
I did quite like the bits of poetry at the beginning of certain sections. They added needed context, although I think they maybe could have been placed a bit more strategically in the storyline.
And just to explain the creepy comment, that is 100% on me. The characters were actually pretty lackadaisical about what was happening around them. I probably identified most with Raj/Krishna/Pradeep, but never would have lasted as long as they did.
This one really wavered at the 5⭐ mark for me, right up until the end...which was beyond unsatisfactory! I immediately had to check other reviews to see if maybe I got a truncated version of the ARC. I did not. Minus 1⭐.
And I have to wonder if certain characters had a specific role in that ending to highlight the general complacency towards sustainability and environmentalism. If so, that was clever. If not, that was cruel.
A lot of reviewers also blasted the lack of quotation marks. I didn't mind so much, just a few passages that weren't directly clear who was speaking. But I think that was also a factor of the eARC formatting and will hopefully look better in the final release.
In any case, I think this is a perfect read for spooky season, for those who don't really care about spooky season.
Thanks to The Lilliput Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review.
August 27, 2024
Original, unsettling and increasingly disturbing, this unusual novel from Catriona Shine is intriguing and thought-provoking. It follows the inhabitants of an apartment block in Oslo as strange things start to happen. At first it’s just an occasional missing item but as time goes on the events become more and more alarming and simply inexplicable, try as the inhabitants might to explain them away. They turn to each other, they blame each other, they mistrust each other, but never quite manage to come together to talk openly to deal with the situation as a group. Everything becomes increasingly surreal and strange as the building quite literally starts to disintegrate around them. Is there a message here? Is it a fable of some kind? I was never quite sure if the author is making a point or simply telling a weird tale. And it doesn’t really matter as each reader can take what he or she wants from the book. Certainly it’s tempting to see the disintegration of the building as a metaphor for our disintegrating world, for nature reclaiming its own. This is borne out by the short passages that interrupt the narrative told by the components of the building. If anything, I found the latter part of the novel dragged a little as more and more bizarre things happen and it all becomes a bit repetitive. But overall I enjoyed it and felt compelled to find out how it was all going to pan out.
September 13, 2024
I recently finished Habitat by Catriona Shine, and it was such an intriguing read. The first half of the book especially hooked me in with all the strange, almost otherworldly things happening inside that mysterious building. It read like a puzzle waiting to be solved, and I felt so immersed in it, as if I were one of the residents trying to piece everything together. Shine’s use of magical realism kept me on edge, never quite knowing what to expect, which made the whole experience even more fascinating.
What I really loved about Habitat was the way it brought together such a variety of characters, each with their own background and story. I’m a sucker for books with multiple perspectives and people from different walks of life coming together, and this hit the mark perfectly for me. The way their lives intertwined within the context of this unusual setting was captivating.
While the latter half of the book didn’t grab me quite as much, I still found the journey worthwhile, and I think fans of mystery with a dash of magical realism will really enjoy it. It’s a solid 4-star read for me—definitely one to check out if you’re into stories that are as weird as they are wonderful. 🌿
What I really loved about Habitat was the way it brought together such a variety of characters, each with their own background and story. I’m a sucker for books with multiple perspectives and people from different walks of life coming together, and this hit the mark perfectly for me. The way their lives intertwined within the context of this unusual setting was captivating.
While the latter half of the book didn’t grab me quite as much, I still found the journey worthwhile, and I think fans of mystery with a dash of magical realism will really enjoy it. It’s a solid 4-star read for me—definitely one to check out if you’re into stories that are as weird as they are wonderful. 🌿
August 14, 2024
I found this one to be fairly tough to get through, unfortunately.
I enjoy a cool, edgy concept. The setting? I mean, come on! A housing complex essentially collapsing onto itself for no apparent reason while all of its residents are in complete denial and only want to blame each other in increasingly hostile and absurd ways, highlighting perfectly the human condition and modern life? We have a ceiling that things fall through. Bricks just straight up disappearing in exterior walls. Animal feces and furniture sinking through floors and dirt driving itself up and through the floor. There's a lot happening in a week.
I enjoy a cool, edgy concept but I think this is a bit too niche for me to really settle in and get engrossed in the story. The writing kind of got in its own way to a certain extent, but the descriptions were absolutely vivid and rich. This might be one that after a period of reflection, I could like even more because even as I write this review I feel it growing on me (pun intended).
I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoy a cool, edgy concept. The setting? I mean, come on! A housing complex essentially collapsing onto itself for no apparent reason while all of its residents are in complete denial and only want to blame each other in increasingly hostile and absurd ways, highlighting perfectly the human condition and modern life? We have a ceiling that things fall through. Bricks just straight up disappearing in exterior walls. Animal feces and furniture sinking through floors and dirt driving itself up and through the floor. There's a lot happening in a week.
I enjoy a cool, edgy concept but I think this is a bit too niche for me to really settle in and get engrossed in the story. The writing kind of got in its own way to a certain extent, but the descriptions were absolutely vivid and rich. This might be one that after a period of reflection, I could like even more because even as I write this review I feel it growing on me (pun intended).
I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2024
4.5 stars rounded down
Habitat is a strange and surreal story about several neighbors in two apartment buildings who begin to deal with troubling things in their homes. For instance, one family finds that their roof becomes porous while another finds their floor no longer holds their items up. People’s belongings go missing and even bricks from walls begin to disappear as the buildings deteriorate. Each neighbor deals with the changes in their own way and we follow as they cope and process their new situations.
I picked up this work on a whim because I was drawn into the concept and it did not disappoint! This was such a unique read and I thought the author did a superb job getting each character’s own voice shining through their chapters. POVs are switched often but I did not find it confusing. I do wish the ending was a bit more satisfying, but had a great time overall following these inhabitants.
I would definitely pick up more by this author. Her writing style was beautiful and engaging.
Thank you to NetGalley, Independent Publishers Group, and The Lilliput Press for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Habitat is a strange and surreal story about several neighbors in two apartment buildings who begin to deal with troubling things in their homes. For instance, one family finds that their roof becomes porous while another finds their floor no longer holds their items up. People’s belongings go missing and even bricks from walls begin to disappear as the buildings deteriorate. Each neighbor deals with the changes in their own way and we follow as they cope and process their new situations.
I picked up this work on a whim because I was drawn into the concept and it did not disappoint! This was such a unique read and I thought the author did a superb job getting each character’s own voice shining through their chapters. POVs are switched often but I did not find it confusing. I do wish the ending was a bit more satisfying, but had a great time overall following these inhabitants.
I would definitely pick up more by this author. Her writing style was beautiful and engaging.
Thank you to NetGalley, Independent Publishers Group, and The Lilliput Press for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 24, 2025
This took a while to get my attention, but even from the beginning, I knew this would be a novel that I completed. I'm very glad I persevered as the narrative which, to begin with, is a little confusing eventually winds its way towards an ending that makes sense, but that I didn't see coming. The novel switches perspective throughout and this allows the reader to see the same characters from multiple points of view (including their own) and anyone who lives in an apartment building will know some of these characters! This isn't a beach read, but it's a good book for the weekend,
I received an advance review copy free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 25, 2024
3.75 stars. this was interesting. although I have to admit that the second third of the book was kind of a drag, it didn’t do much. Still I enjoyed reading this. It’s a great analogy how we all live in a dying world, but we’re too occupied with our own position and issues to realize that we’re in this together. I liked the different perspectives; first it was difficult to connect to the older characters, but their inside world was well written and conveyed. Impressive that this was a debut, looking forward to future projects!
January 22, 2026
Dette var ei litt gøy overrasking og passer godt no som normal orden i verda rokkes ved. Ei bok på engelsk av ein irsk forfattar som også er arkitekt, men som handlar om ein bygard i Oslo og dei som bur i han. Små og store vennskap og uvennskap mellom naboar, styreleiaren, familierelasjoner og leigetakarar. Så byrjar bygget å endre seg. Surrealistiske naturfenomen og endringar i bygget med meir. Hjernen vert utfordra, relasjonane, den naturlege orden og folk har ulike strategiar. Tilrås
October 5, 2025
*3,5
Beautiful writing, uncanny atmosphere that lingers on the edge of unsettling, and an interesting mixture of characters. The premise is fresh and the theme (housing) universal.
The only thing missing from the book is a plot. Ironically (or appropriately), because the plot is the skeleton to a story, like walls are to a building.
Beautiful writing, uncanny atmosphere that lingers on the edge of unsettling, and an interesting mixture of characters. The premise is fresh and the theme (housing) universal.
The only thing missing from the book is a plot. Ironically (or appropriately), because the plot is the skeleton to a story, like walls are to a building.
July 15, 2024
A really clever and thought provoking concept for a novel but ultimately I didn’t connect with the characters or the story in the way I had hoped at the outset. That said, it will be interesting to see what this very talented author comes up with next.
November 24, 2024
Didn’t love it! The writing wasn’t bad at all, but the story itself… didn’t seem to go anywhere. But the concept—an odd cast of characters experiencing the supernatural vengeance of an apartment building—was really fun! And +1 star for being set in Oslo :)
December 1, 2024
most gorgeous book cover of the year and such an amazing little magic-realist thing! the author dissects norwegians and their relationships like only a foreigner could. also so fun for architecture/design nerds
December 10, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this, but ultimately the ending didn't pay off for me. I don't know if that's the fault of the book itself or if there was just something I missed. Would have been 5 stars otherwise.
April 22, 2025
2 ⭐️. what an interesting premise. what a poor execution. this book was about 150 pages too long....and nothing happened.
thank you to The Lilliput Press and NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
thank you to The Lilliput Press and NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2024
I enjoyed the concept. Was not into the execution.
February 21, 2025
3.75 stars
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