What do you think?
If You Think You're Lonely Now
Not yet published
Expected 16 Feb 27The long-awaited, terrifying new novel from Gus Moreno, author of the cult classic This Thing Between Us
When Gabe and Espo buy the long-abandoned, three-flat apartment building in Chicago, it feels like their first real step toward freedom from the 9-to-5 grind. But their plan to renovate and rent out the other two units is immediately beset with challenges from all sides, and not just from inside the building. Gabe and Espo can handle the strange dreams, the oddities found within the walls, the music drifting down from empty attic. It's their families they really have to watch out for.
Gabe’s mother asks him to take in his troubled brother Ruben who is spiraling after his divorce. Espo’s estranged father, a recovering addict needs a place to stay. Now, with each floor of the building occupied, a dark presence begins to make itself known. And Gabe and Espo need to face not only what they’ve inherited—debt, grief, addiction, love—but the terrible possibility that some buildings don’t just hold the past. They feed on it.
Gus Moreno’s long-awaited new novel, If You Think You're Lonely Now, is a brilliant, bone-chilling exploration of love, intergenerational trauma, and the sometimes oppressive weight of filial duty.
When Gabe and Espo buy the long-abandoned, three-flat apartment building in Chicago, it feels like their first real step toward freedom from the 9-to-5 grind. But their plan to renovate and rent out the other two units is immediately beset with challenges from all sides, and not just from inside the building. Gabe and Espo can handle the strange dreams, the oddities found within the walls, the music drifting down from empty attic. It's their families they really have to watch out for.
Gabe’s mother asks him to take in his troubled brother Ruben who is spiraling after his divorce. Espo’s estranged father, a recovering addict needs a place to stay. Now, with each floor of the building occupied, a dark presence begins to make itself known. And Gabe and Espo need to face not only what they’ve inherited—debt, grief, addiction, love—but the terrible possibility that some buildings don’t just hold the past. They feed on it.
Gus Moreno’s long-awaited new novel, If You Think You're Lonely Now, is a brilliant, bone-chilling exploration of love, intergenerational trauma, and the sometimes oppressive weight of filial duty.
- GenresHorror
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 16, 2027
About the author
Gus Moreno
13 books917 followersGus Moreno is the author of This Thing Between Us, a "Best Book of 2021" pick by NPR and the New York Public Library. He's also the co-creator of When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee, a comic book series published by Boom! Studios. He lives in the suburbs with his wife and dog, but never think that he's not from Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 20, 2026
The real horror is ✨always✨ family dynamics, capitalism, and bad fathers. Loved every second of this book; what a follow up!!
Thanks to Edelweiss for the review copy!
Thanks to Edelweiss for the review copy!
Review of advance copy
I loved this! Highly recommend for fans of Gus Moreno's first book. The ending felt a bit rushed but it was ultimately a very good, very creepy haunted house novel
Review of advance copy
Rated 0.5 stars on Fable and Storygraph
A friend of mine was pleasantly surprised to randomly find this advanced reader copy at a bookstore during a recent book crawl. She let me borrow it after she completed it.
Unfortunately that is where my good fortune ends. The premise of the book held so much promise with it being a different take on haunted houses and that scary story. While this is categorized as a horror novel, there is absolutely nothing scary about this. I kept waiting and waiting for something, anything to happen. Then all of a sudden the conclusion is so rushed and the novel ends.
The family dynamics in this book are fucked. At first I thought the character development was done pretty well but when the plot never moves forward, it eventually just starts to feel insufferable, almost stereotypically so.
I wanted to like this ARC, but everything about it left me wanting more. I haven’t read the author’s other novel, This Thing Between Us, so I can’t compare the two.
A friend of mine was pleasantly surprised to randomly find this advanced reader copy at a bookstore during a recent book crawl. She let me borrow it after she completed it.
Unfortunately that is where my good fortune ends. The premise of the book held so much promise with it being a different take on haunted houses and that scary story. While this is categorized as a horror novel, there is absolutely nothing scary about this. I kept waiting and waiting for something, anything to happen. Then all of a sudden the conclusion is so rushed and the novel ends.
The family dynamics in this book are fucked. At first I thought the character development was done pretty well but when the plot never moves forward, it eventually just starts to feel insufferable, almost stereotypically so.
I wanted to like this ARC, but everything about it left me wanting more. I haven’t read the author’s other novel, This Thing Between Us, so I can’t compare the two.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“A lot of times, when a loved one is going through a hard time, family members tend to turn their backs on them. It’s their problem, they think. When really it’s a family problem. The family’s a unit. When one part fails, the whole thing fails.”
I’ve been waiting for a new novel by Gus Moreno since reading 2021’s This Thing Between Us, a cosmic horror meditation on grief that was one of my favorite books that year. So If You Think You’re Lonely Now was easily one of my most anticipated books of 2027, and I was thrilled to receive an ARC of it (thank you, G.P. Putnam’s Sons!) and had to read it immediately.
It’s about Gabe and Espo, a couple in their 20s who buy a long-abandoned three-unit apartment building in Chicago. Finally taking the first step towards freedom from their 9-to-5s, they plan to renovate the building, living in the bottom unit and renting out the other two. But almost immediately, things don’t go as planned. They begin having frightening dreams, hearing unexplained sounds coming from the empty units, and finding strange things in the walls. And then their families get involved.
If You Think You’re Lonely Now shares some similar themes with This Thing Between Us – grief, loneliness, connection – and explores generational trauma and dysfunctional parent-child and sibling relationships. The focus of Moreno’s new novel is really on the complicated relationships Gabe and Espo have with members of their family. As a study of family dynamics, it’s nuanced. But as a horror novel, I felt it was lacking.
Aside from a couple of creepy scenes, the most unsettling events in the story are only alluded to and take place off page, and I was left wanting more. I can get behind horror novels that are mostly vibes, but in this case, I needed answers. There was such a missed opportunity to delve into the building’s past, to compare the events of the book more directly with what happened in the building’s history. Instead, there were just unexplained events peppered into a story about effed up families, and the book felt unfocused and incomplete. I can see the metaphor Moreno was trying to get to, but I don’t think he quite made it.
But about those vibes – they were there. Moreno did successfully create a moody, stifling sort of atmosphere that made everything in the book feel disquieting and dreamlike. I just wish he’d engaged more deeply and clearly with some of his plot lines.
August 24, 2026
If You Think You’re Lonely Now by Gus Moreno
When Gabe and Espo buy the long-abandoned, three-flat apartment building in Chicago, it feels like their first real step toward freedom from the 9-to-5 grind. But their plan to renovate and rent out the other two units is immediately beset with challenges from all sides, and not just from inside the building. Gabe and Espo can handle the strange dreams, the oddities found within the walls, the music drifting down from the empty attic. It's their families they really have to watch out for.
Dark, eerie and haunting are the three words that come to mind when thinking about this book. It actually gave me nightmares, and it’s been a minute since I could say that about a book! We follow a married couple Gabe and Espo (Esperanza) as they purchase a three story apartment building to fix up and then sell. Gabe wants to be his own boss and that drive leads him to quit his job and dive head first into renovations. We get a look at both Gabe and Espo’s background and family life. Gabe’s brother Ruben, who is recently divorced and not taking it well at all ends up living in one of the newly renovated apartments in Gabe’s building. Gabe isn’t happy about this, especially when very odd things start to happen. Eventually Espo’s father moves in as well. From there chaos ensues.
I would definitely classify this as grief horror, it was depressing at times but it was also very real.
I would highly recommend this when it comes out on February 16, 2027. Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
When Gabe and Espo buy the long-abandoned, three-flat apartment building in Chicago, it feels like their first real step toward freedom from the 9-to-5 grind. But their plan to renovate and rent out the other two units is immediately beset with challenges from all sides, and not just from inside the building. Gabe and Espo can handle the strange dreams, the oddities found within the walls, the music drifting down from the empty attic. It's their families they really have to watch out for.
Dark, eerie and haunting are the three words that come to mind when thinking about this book. It actually gave me nightmares, and it’s been a minute since I could say that about a book! We follow a married couple Gabe and Espo (Esperanza) as they purchase a three story apartment building to fix up and then sell. Gabe wants to be his own boss and that drive leads him to quit his job and dive head first into renovations. We get a look at both Gabe and Espo’s background and family life. Gabe’s brother Ruben, who is recently divorced and not taking it well at all ends up living in one of the newly renovated apartments in Gabe’s building. Gabe isn’t happy about this, especially when very odd things start to happen. Eventually Espo’s father moves in as well. From there chaos ensues.
I would definitely classify this as grief horror, it was depressing at times but it was also very real.
I would highly recommend this when it comes out on February 16, 2027. Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Putnam Books for the advanced reader copy of If You Think You’re Lonely Now by Gus Moreno!
After how much I loved Moreno’s first book, This Thing Between Us, and seeing the title of this one, I was expecting a dread-filled horror novel that would leave me feeling completely empty inside. Unfortunately, I was a bit let down by If You Think You’re Lonely Now.
This is an extreme slow-burn horror novel. For the first 75% of the book, the most terrifying thing was the main character’s manipulative family members and complicated family dynamics. And honestly, some of the characters frustrated me so much that I wanted to pull my hair out!
I kept holding out hope that the plot would eventually pick up and all that slow buildup would pay off, but unfortunately, that never really happened for me. The climax felt rushed, several plot points were introduced without being fully explored, and by the end, I felt more confused than horrified.
I did think Moreno’s take on the haunted house trope was interesting, and there were some genuinely creepy ideas throughout. I just wish the book had leaned more heavily into the horror and explored those ideas further instead of focusing so much on the character relationships and family dynamics.
Ultimately, this one just didn’t hit the same way This Thing Between Us did for me.
After how much I loved Moreno’s first book, This Thing Between Us, and seeing the title of this one, I was expecting a dread-filled horror novel that would leave me feeling completely empty inside. Unfortunately, I was a bit let down by If You Think You’re Lonely Now.
This is an extreme slow-burn horror novel. For the first 75% of the book, the most terrifying thing was the main character’s manipulative family members and complicated family dynamics. And honestly, some of the characters frustrated me so much that I wanted to pull my hair out!
I kept holding out hope that the plot would eventually pick up and all that slow buildup would pay off, but unfortunately, that never really happened for me. The climax felt rushed, several plot points were introduced without being fully explored, and by the end, I felt more confused than horrified.
I did think Moreno’s take on the haunted house trope was interesting, and there were some genuinely creepy ideas throughout. I just wish the book had leaned more heavily into the horror and explored those ideas further instead of focusing so much on the character relationships and family dynamics.
Ultimately, this one just didn’t hit the same way This Thing Between Us did for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow, having read and enjoyed This Thing Betwren Us, I was excited to see this announced and even more so when I was approved for an ARC.
I'm sorry to say, but this was a complete dud and feels like a step backwards from Moreno's first book. The characters are empty, the story is all over the place, and the writing leaves a lot to be desired.
This book does not show you anything, it tells you that something happens in the vaguest terms possible and then moves on quickly no matter how important the scene. At one point there is a huge argument between two characters, something that should have been very emotional and instead of reading the actual argument and digging into these characters, we get "They go back and forth a few times." Thats it, thats how an emotional, high stakes engagement between two characters takes place. There are so many scenes that are communicated this way, with the barest regard for engaging the reader.
I'm sorry to say, but this was a complete dud and feels like a step backwards from Moreno's first book. The characters are empty, the story is all over the place, and the writing leaves a lot to be desired.
This book does not show you anything, it tells you that something happens in the vaguest terms possible and then moves on quickly no matter how important the scene. At one point there is a huge argument between two characters, something that should have been very emotional and instead of reading the actual argument and digging into these characters, we get "They go back and forth a few times." Thats it, thats how an emotional, high stakes engagement between two characters takes place. There are so many scenes that are communicated this way, with the barest regard for engaging the reader.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5/5
After This Thing Between Us I had really high expectations for this. Unfortunately, it didn't quite meet them. I think part of that is my fault. I read this in spurts and in between read other things, so it didn't hit the way I think it was intended. I was expecting creeping dread and scares. Instead it had a lot of family dynamics. In fact, I would say that is the main focus of the book over anything creepy happening in the building Gabe and Esperanza (Espo) buy. I needed the anticipation to build, I needed the lore of the building and why things were happening. There are some unanswered questions that I am not diggin'. I need answers. But I would still suggest reading this, I know I would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't taken my time 😆.
Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
After This Thing Between Us I had really high expectations for this. Unfortunately, it didn't quite meet them. I think part of that is my fault. I read this in spurts and in between read other things, so it didn't hit the way I think it was intended. I was expecting creeping dread and scares. Instead it had a lot of family dynamics. In fact, I would say that is the main focus of the book over anything creepy happening in the building Gabe and Esperanza (Espo) buy. I needed the anticipation to build, I needed the lore of the building and why things were happening. There are some unanswered questions that I am not diggin'. I need answers. But I would still suggest reading this, I know I would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't taken my time 😆.
Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If You Think You’re Lonely Now by Gus Moreno is dark, unsettling, and completely absorbing. This is the kind of horror that gets under your skin, not just because of what’s happening, but because of the loneliness, grief, and emotional weight underneath it all.
Moreno does such a great job creating a sense of dread while still making the characters and their pain feel very real. There were moments when I wasn’t quite sure where the story was taking me, but that uncertainty actually made it even more disturbing. It’s strange, emotional, creepy, and unlike anything I’ve read recently.
This isn’t a straightforward horror novel. It’s the kind of book that makes you uncomfortable, makes you think, and stays in your head after you’ve finished. Definitely one for readers who like their horror weird, haunting, and with a lot more going on beneath the surface.
Moreno does such a great job creating a sense of dread while still making the characters and their pain feel very real. There were moments when I wasn’t quite sure where the story was taking me, but that uncertainty actually made it even more disturbing. It’s strange, emotional, creepy, and unlike anything I’ve read recently.
This isn’t a straightforward horror novel. It’s the kind of book that makes you uncomfortable, makes you think, and stays in your head after you’ve finished. Definitely one for readers who like their horror weird, haunting, and with a lot more going on beneath the surface.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC!
Appeal factors: families, trauma, atmosphere, implied horror, generational haunting
I enjoyed the writing and the general mood of this more than I really enjoyed the story I think. The ending felt like it was rushing towards a conclusion, and tried to push several final horror elements in at the end. I think the focus on generational trauma and the relationship between parents and their children, as well as siblings, is where it really shone. I wish the author dug in a little deeper on some of the plot lines, because several felt unfinished. All in all well done, just needed more of a clear direction.
Appeal factors: families, trauma, atmosphere, implied horror, generational haunting
I enjoyed the writing and the general mood of this more than I really enjoyed the story I think. The ending felt like it was rushing towards a conclusion, and tried to push several final horror elements in at the end. I think the focus on generational trauma and the relationship between parents and their children, as well as siblings, is where it really shone. I wish the author dug in a little deeper on some of the plot lines, because several felt unfinished. All in all well done, just needed more of a clear direction.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Putnam and Netgalley for an eARC of If You Think You're Lonely Now by Gus Moreno. I was very excited to read the follow-up to This Thing Between Us, and I have to say it does not disappoint. Gabe and Epso, the main characters, buy a fixer-upper in hopes of turning the complex into passive income. I loved how the novel centered around this likeable couple whose problems and issues were beautifully rendered on the page. The novel does a good job of connecting the issues with their family to the complex and building the tension in those familial relations to exacerbate the dread.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I did not see how this one was going to play out! From the start of the book, I was left with a creepy feeling. I couldn’t stop reading, as I had to know what was going to happen. Perfect for the start of Spooky Season!!
This one was an easy and quick read. Draws you in from the first page. I only gave 3 stars because I was expecting more after all the creepy lead up to the end. Overall an enjoyable read.
This one was an easy and quick read. Draws you in from the first page. I only gave 3 stars because I was expecting more after all the creepy lead up to the end. Overall an enjoyable read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks so much to the publisher for the e-ARC!
Moreno stunned me with his debut and this stunned me too. The horror is quiet until it's not and my god. I don't genuinely get scared by things and this had me seeing shit in the shadows. I just preordered my copy. I will be eagerly awaiting my trophy copy. I think if you liked The Haunting of Hill House, you'll enjoy this very much. I would read Gus Moreno's grocery list.
Moreno stunned me with his debut and this stunned me too. The horror is quiet until it's not and my god. I don't genuinely get scared by things and this had me seeing shit in the shadows. I just preordered my copy. I will be eagerly awaiting my trophy copy. I think if you liked The Haunting of Hill House, you'll enjoy this very much. I would read Gus Moreno's grocery list.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rounded up from 3.75 (ya ya I know). I was a big fan of This Thing Between Us and was not disappointed with Moreno’s newest book. Moreno has an unmatchable capability for writing unsettling, atmospheric horror with much deeper meaning below the surface.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A horror story about a Latino couple that purchased a small apartment building as an investment and learn the place is haunted. The story’s authenticity comes from the family dynamics. As soon as they buy the place every ne’er-do-well in their family decides to move in.
August 15, 2026
Having been thoroughly undone by Moreno's "This Thing Between Us," I spent the past several years refreshing NetGalley while awaiting his next novel. "If You Think You're Lonely Now" was well worth the wait. A quieter novel than TTBU, "If You Think You're Lonely Now" is haunted by siblings and the ways that these relationships can curdle.
Quiet, but cutting, this one struck home to me for multiple reasons. Much like Hereditary was especially stinging to those of us with mommy trauma, "If You Think You're Lonely Now" will hit you harder if you've got rot in the rings of your family tree. If you are not your family's golden child, beware. This one'll punch you in the stomach.
I had to check the page count several times because "If You Think You're Lonely Now" moves swiftly, steadily building its dread and dropping the kind of Jungian horrors that had me turning on lights more often while walking through my house at night. Moreno's latest isn't flashy. It doesn't drown the reader in blood, but offers a refreshingly modern approach to both the haunted house genre and "elevated horror" as a whole. Excepting TTBU, I've not encountered such a uniquely haunted house novel since Jac Jemc's "The Grip of It."
Quiet, but cutting, this one struck home to me for multiple reasons. Much like Hereditary was especially stinging to those of us with mommy trauma, "If You Think You're Lonely Now" will hit you harder if you've got rot in the rings of your family tree. If you are not your family's golden child, beware. This one'll punch you in the stomach.
I had to check the page count several times because "If You Think You're Lonely Now" moves swiftly, steadily building its dread and dropping the kind of Jungian horrors that had me turning on lights more often while walking through my house at night. Moreno's latest isn't flashy. It doesn't drown the reader in blood, but offers a refreshingly modern approach to both the haunted house genre and "elevated horror" as a whole. Excepting TTBU, I've not encountered such a uniquely haunted house novel since Jac Jemc's "The Grip of It."
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Really enjoyed this! More thoughts to come later on.
Also oh my goodness I still can't believe I got this early. Thank you to the publisher/NetGalley for the digital arc 🤍
Also oh my goodness I still can't believe I got this early. Thank you to the publisher/NetGalley for the digital arc 🤍
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.75 Stars
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