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Anybody Home?
What came first, the home or the desire to invade?
A seasoned invader with multiple home invasions under their belt recounts their dark victories while offering tutelage to a new generation of ambitious home invaders eager to make their mark on the annals of criminal history. From initial canvasing to home entry, the reader is complicit in every strangling and shattered window. The fear is inescapable.
Examining the sanctuary of the home and one of the horror genre's most frightening tropes, Anybody Home? points the camera lens onto the quiet suburbs and its unsuspecting abodes, any of which are potential stages for an invader ambitious enough to make it the scene of the next big crime sensation. Who knows? Their performance just might make it to the silver screen.
A seasoned invader with multiple home invasions under their belt recounts their dark victories while offering tutelage to a new generation of ambitious home invaders eager to make their mark on the annals of criminal history. From initial canvasing to home entry, the reader is complicit in every strangling and shattered window. The fear is inescapable.
Examining the sanctuary of the home and one of the horror genre's most frightening tropes, Anybody Home? points the camera lens onto the quiet suburbs and its unsuspecting abodes, any of which are potential stages for an invader ambitious enough to make it the scene of the next big crime sensation. Who knows? Their performance just might make it to the silver screen.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2022
85 people are currently reading
4383 people want to read
About the author
Michael J. Seidlinger
32 books458 followersMICHAEL J. SEIDLINGER is the Filipino American author of The Body Harvest, Anybody Home?, and other books. He has written for, among others, Wired, Buzzfeed, Thrillist, Goodreads, The Observer, Polygon, The Believer, and Publishers Weekly. He teaches at Portland State University and has led workshops at Catapult, Kettle Pond Writer's Conference, and Sarah Lawrence. You can find him at michaeljseidlinger.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews
January 27, 2022
Harrowing and tremendously upsetting, Anybody Home? flips the home invasion genre on its head for a new generation of readers. I felt like I was reading something I shouldn’t have been reading. You’ll be checking your locks regularly after reading this nasty little morsel.
September 22, 2022
Real Rating: 4.5* of five, rounded down for the mildness of the horror element...not a jump scare to be seen!
I am on record as loathing the chest-pokey, accusatory second-person narrative voice. Looking at the rating above, you're entitled to wonder what happened to that vat of extra-thick contumely I keep simmering away on the Stove of Rage firing my soul.
Author Seidlinger (MOTHER OF A MACHINE GUN, the ineffable six-stars-of-five THE FUN WE'VE HAD) pulls it off better than I have seen it done elsewhere. This post-apocalyptic Clockwork-Orange level story of the inevitable end of surveillance capitalism's seemingly unstoppable rise...Siri, Alexa, Ring, Google's absolute right to track your every move to earn more profits ring bells?...by poking your chest to remind you of who it is, exactly, who's consuming these "conveniences." The second-person feels accusatory because it is an accusation, a Zola-level J'accuse...! to our corrupt, passively complicit consumer ethos.
The joke here, it's no spoiler to say, is an "unscripted reality show" based around a home invasion. No one would watch that for real, would they, a group of people being terrorized for our amusement? I present In Cold Blood, book and film, as countervailing evidence for the antiquity of this trope being used for entertainment...there are other, older, examples of hostage-taking entertainments like Key Largo but they moved the action to a slightly less personal sphere...so no one's got any sound footing to tut and scoff at the premise. Not even me, the maharajah of TutAndScoff.
So what happens? You know already what happens, there's a family of sorts that gets home-invaded and different things happen to them. Nothing, in keeping with the reality-TV format, is personal. It's all done for the viewers, the audience (note that these words are from different senses and this should be very closely attended to), the dramatis personæ having only designations like "Invader #1" or "Victim #4". In his usual "you didn't imagine this would all be on the surface, did you?" style, Author Seidlinger slings his arrows into the tiniest cracks in the jaded consumer's armor, making this a book far better delectated than consumed. It is, in fact, horror in the sense it's really quite horrifying in what it says, but a supernatural-horror fan will leave the read unhappy, while a revenge-driven horror fan won't get far into it before discovering their needs are not being met. This is more existential horror, a horror that eases the bathroom door open inch by inch before ripping open the shower curtain and flinging cold water on you in order to elicit the screech of terror, outrage, and angry embarrassment at Being Caught.
Make no mistake: You're caught.
You're the one watching; you're the one there's a meta-home-invader to explain to, and to coach "Invader #3" and cohorts. You're the reason this story exists, is being enacted before your "horrified" eyes. You, consumer of the fear and anguish of others.
Which is why I will now say something I have never said before, and never expect to say again:
Second-person narration rocks.
I am on record as loathing the chest-pokey, accusatory second-person narrative voice. Looking at the rating above, you're entitled to wonder what happened to that vat of extra-thick contumely I keep simmering away on the Stove of Rage firing my soul.
Author Seidlinger (MOTHER OF A MACHINE GUN, the ineffable six-stars-of-five THE FUN WE'VE HAD) pulls it off better than I have seen it done elsewhere. This post-apocalyptic Clockwork-Orange level story of the inevitable end of surveillance capitalism's seemingly unstoppable rise...Siri, Alexa, Ring, Google's absolute right to track your every move to earn more profits ring bells?...by poking your chest to remind you of who it is, exactly, who's consuming these "conveniences." The second-person feels accusatory because it is an accusation, a Zola-level J'accuse...! to our corrupt, passively complicit consumer ethos.
The joke here, it's no spoiler to say, is an "unscripted reality show" based around a home invasion. No one would watch that for real, would they, a group of people being terrorized for our amusement? I present In Cold Blood, book and film, as countervailing evidence for the antiquity of this trope being used for entertainment...there are other, older, examples of hostage-taking entertainments like Key Largo but they moved the action to a slightly less personal sphere...so no one's got any sound footing to tut and scoff at the premise. Not even me, the maharajah of TutAndScoff.
So what happens? You know already what happens, there's a family of sorts that gets home-invaded and different things happen to them. Nothing, in keeping with the reality-TV format, is personal. It's all done for the viewers, the audience (note that these words are from different senses and this should be very closely attended to), the dramatis personæ having only designations like "Invader #1" or "Victim #4". In his usual "you didn't imagine this would all be on the surface, did you?" style, Author Seidlinger slings his arrows into the tiniest cracks in the jaded consumer's armor, making this a book far better delectated than consumed. It is, in fact, horror in the sense it's really quite horrifying in what it says, but a supernatural-horror fan will leave the read unhappy, while a revenge-driven horror fan won't get far into it before discovering their needs are not being met. This is more existential horror, a horror that eases the bathroom door open inch by inch before ripping open the shower curtain and flinging cold water on you in order to elicit the screech of terror, outrage, and angry embarrassment at Being Caught.
Make no mistake: You're caught.
You're the one watching; you're the one there's a meta-home-invader to explain to, and to coach "Invader #3" and cohorts. You're the reason this story exists, is being enacted before your "horrified" eyes. You, consumer of the fear and anguish of others.
Which is why I will now say something I have never said before, and never expect to say again:
Second-person narration rocks.
July 23, 2022
4.0 Stars
Wow this was a tough read. Based off the author's real life home invasion experience made this book feel so grim. I cannot call this book "fun" or "entertaining"... it's not. It's dark. It's disturbing. This book is nightmare fuel.
The first thing you must know is that this book has a very unique narrative. It's written in a second person voice from the perspective of the home invaders. I found the narrative style a bit jarring but eventually I was pulled into the rhythm. I love stories written from the "bad guy's perspective" so I was definitely excited by this narrative choice. The book primarily reads like one long running monologue, which made the book feel more literary than the page turner thriller I expected. The book muses over the psychological motivations behind a senseless random invasion.
Given the subject matter, I found this story to be quite terrifying. Real life horror always appeals to me because it's hard for supernatural horror to scare me. I think it would be hard to read this one and not feel unsettled.
I would certainly recommend this one. This is one of the most unique horror books that has been released recently. I would definitely like to reread this one because it was so much to process in a single pass. I would certainly recommend to horror readers who are looking for an intense read.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Wow this was a tough read. Based off the author's real life home invasion experience made this book feel so grim. I cannot call this book "fun" or "entertaining"... it's not. It's dark. It's disturbing. This book is nightmare fuel.
The first thing you must know is that this book has a very unique narrative. It's written in a second person voice from the perspective of the home invaders. I found the narrative style a bit jarring but eventually I was pulled into the rhythm. I love stories written from the "bad guy's perspective" so I was definitely excited by this narrative choice. The book primarily reads like one long running monologue, which made the book feel more literary than the page turner thriller I expected. The book muses over the psychological motivations behind a senseless random invasion.
Given the subject matter, I found this story to be quite terrifying. Real life horror always appeals to me because it's hard for supernatural horror to scare me. I think it would be hard to read this one and not feel unsettled.
I would certainly recommend this one. This is one of the most unique horror books that has been released recently. I would definitely like to reread this one because it was so much to process in a single pass. I would certainly recommend to horror readers who are looking for an intense read.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
August 15, 2022
Anybody Home? Hello? Anyone here?
Who am I kidding? The "invaders" in this book already know you're home. They know how many people live in your home. They know how many pets you have and what kind. They. Know. Everything.
ANYBODY HOME? is the tale of a home invasion, and is told from a previously successful home invader's point of view. He's busy training others and is supposedly only directing this time around. That is all I'm going to say about the plot because one of the things I did like about this is that it was a fresh and uniquely told story.
I say "one of the things I liked" because this tale has me experiencing mixed feelings. I can only partially tell you why. I liked how the story was related and I thought the writing was good. I also enjoyed the thinking I was forced to endure while reading this because it made me examine my own feelings, especially those regarding a genre that I love, true crime.
Here I am going to hide my thoughts, because they give too much away that you need to discover for yourself. Please don't click if you're planning to read this tale. (If you do read it, come talk to me when you're done!)
In the end, I didn't care for any of the characters, but this is one of the few books where I realized I didn't need to. It was compelling reading whether I knew their names or not. I will admit that the pacing slowed way down at a certain point, maybe around 3/4 of the way through, but then it picked up again and shot through the finish line like an Indy Car.
My rating comes in at 3.5 stars, but I rounded it up to 4 for the originality of the storytelling and the unique ideas behind it. I am looking forward to seeing what the author does next!
Recommended!
*Thank you to Clash Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Who am I kidding? The "invaders" in this book already know you're home. They know how many people live in your home. They know how many pets you have and what kind. They. Know. Everything.
ANYBODY HOME? is the tale of a home invasion, and is told from a previously successful home invader's point of view. He's busy training others and is supposedly only directing this time around. That is all I'm going to say about the plot because one of the things I did like about this is that it was a fresh and uniquely told story.
I say "one of the things I liked" because this tale has me experiencing mixed feelings. I can only partially tell you why. I liked how the story was related and I thought the writing was good. I also enjoyed the thinking I was forced to endure while reading this because it made me examine my own feelings, especially those regarding a genre that I love, true crime.
Here I am going to hide my thoughts, because they give too much away that you need to discover for yourself. Please don't click if you're planning to read this tale. (If you do read it, come talk to me when you're done!)
In the end, I didn't care for any of the characters, but this is one of the few books where I realized I didn't need to. It was compelling reading whether I knew their names or not. I will admit that the pacing slowed way down at a certain point, maybe around 3/4 of the way through, but then it picked up again and shot through the finish line like an Indy Car.
My rating comes in at 3.5 stars, but I rounded it up to 4 for the originality of the storytelling and the unique ideas behind it. I am looking forward to seeing what the author does next!
Recommended!
*Thank you to Clash Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Read
February 27, 2022I hate how scary this book is 😂
June 17, 2023
I have to admit, I was not entertained by this book. Parts of it were confusing, partially due to editing. I thought that the concept was great, about the real-life filming of a home invasion, but instead of feeling chilled by the experience, I was often bored and impatient. I didn't have feelings for any of those involved, either the victims or the predators. I am disappointed, as I have really enjoyed the author's previous work, but this one left me wanting more.
February 15, 2023
"Just because those shrubs grow high, and the vines cover your windows, it doesn't mean that in the depths of the silence there isn't someone watching."
What an utterly terrifying, traumatizing, and visceral literary experience this was. Easily a one sitting read, Seidlinger's Anybody Home? is told in second person with an unknown narrator. In spite of none of the characters having names, you feel like you've been present with them for a very long uncomfortable 200+ pages. The narrator who we assume is a talented and seasoned home invader is instructing "you", or rather rookie home invaders, on how to stake out, break in, and violate prominent homes and the families living within them. Why? Not for the money, but for entertainment and to appease the "cults" which I assumed was the audience, horror lovers, true-crime enthusiasts, etc.
This novella felt reminiscent of horror films like Bryan Bertino's The Strangers and James Wan's SAW. This is a book that will leave you feeling complicit in the torture and murder of innocent victims. The body horror is unpleasant, the atmosphere is tense, and you can't help but feel like you've participated in this heinous crime. Because, as terrible as the story is, you keep reading, similarly to staring at a car-wreck on the side of the highway.
To quote the book: "So you were here, and you were watching, so what do you think?...If it was too much, what kept you from looking away? Why did you watch the rest of it? What must that imply? As yet another of the cults, do you find yourself against it, yet captivated? Or against it and curious?"
Lovers of psychological horror, true-crime inspired fiction, unconventional storytelling, and messed up plots will love this book. You might also be left paranoid and probably never want to be home alone again.
**TRIGGER WARNINGS: animal death, child death
What an utterly terrifying, traumatizing, and visceral literary experience this was. Easily a one sitting read, Seidlinger's Anybody Home? is told in second person with an unknown narrator. In spite of none of the characters having names, you feel like you've been present with them for a very long uncomfortable 200+ pages. The narrator who we assume is a talented and seasoned home invader is instructing "you", or rather rookie home invaders, on how to stake out, break in, and violate prominent homes and the families living within them. Why? Not for the money, but for entertainment and to appease the "cults" which I assumed was the audience, horror lovers, true-crime enthusiasts, etc.
This novella felt reminiscent of horror films like Bryan Bertino's The Strangers and James Wan's SAW. This is a book that will leave you feeling complicit in the torture and murder of innocent victims. The body horror is unpleasant, the atmosphere is tense, and you can't help but feel like you've participated in this heinous crime. Because, as terrible as the story is, you keep reading, similarly to staring at a car-wreck on the side of the highway.
To quote the book: "So you were here, and you were watching, so what do you think?...If it was too much, what kept you from looking away? Why did you watch the rest of it? What must that imply? As yet another of the cults, do you find yourself against it, yet captivated? Or against it and curious?"
Lovers of psychological horror, true-crime inspired fiction, unconventional storytelling, and messed up plots will love this book. You might also be left paranoid and probably never want to be home alone again.
**TRIGGER WARNINGS: animal death, child death
November 2, 2022
4.5
Home invasion has to be one of the most terrifying tropes within horror. Anybody Home? not only makes the reader witness the brutality of the invasion, but makes them a participant complicit in the action. There's so many unnerving parts to the story it's hard to pinpoint which scared me the most. Was it the level of preparedness the group had for the "performance"? Or was it the constant reference to the "cult" that had their preferences for how they like things to unfold? Will definitely be thinking about this one for a while.
Home invasion has to be one of the most terrifying tropes within horror. Anybody Home? not only makes the reader witness the brutality of the invasion, but makes them a participant complicit in the action. There's so many unnerving parts to the story it's hard to pinpoint which scared me the most. Was it the level of preparedness the group had for the "performance"? Or was it the constant reference to the "cult" that had their preferences for how they like things to unfold? Will definitely be thinking about this one for a while.
June 23, 2022
2.5 stars
Home invasion is one of the horror subgenres I find the scariest. This book has been compared to Funny Games so I was very intrigued to pick it up. Sadly I found it was lacking any kind of dread or tension let alone anything more disturbing or frightening. None of the characters have names - I get it, they are meant to be nameless and faceless...they could be you! - but it also meant that I didn't care about any of them or what happened to them. There were some interesting ideas here about what we do and watch for entertainment but I found the execution fell flat. Personally it didn't work for me but looking at other reviews here it seems other readers had a more positive experience with it.
The publisher sent me a copy for review.
Home invasion is one of the horror subgenres I find the scariest. This book has been compared to Funny Games so I was very intrigued to pick it up. Sadly I found it was lacking any kind of dread or tension let alone anything more disturbing or frightening. None of the characters have names - I get it, they are meant to be nameless and faceless...they could be you! - but it also meant that I didn't care about any of them or what happened to them. There were some interesting ideas here about what we do and watch for entertainment but I found the execution fell flat. Personally it didn't work for me but looking at other reviews here it seems other readers had a more positive experience with it.
The publisher sent me a copy for review.
dnf
December 1, 2023I can't continue. I really tried. I dreaded whenever I felt like picking it back up. Life's short and I don't wanna waste my time reading what I'm not enjoying for sure. 2 things irked me-the second person narrative and no names for any of the characters. I understand the intention of choosing this, but it didn't work for me
February 22, 2022
Always worth remembering that "Home Alone" was about a home invasion.
October 8, 2022
I'm really sad to have not liked this more. I found it to be poorly edited and confusing.
November 14, 2023
I listened to this as an audiobook and it was both an unique reading experience as well as creepy. Its told like the narrator is talking to you and teaching about how to do an home invasion, like some very odd "how to guide". It's not very gory or extreme but it was very unsettling. To me the way the book was told was different from any other story I've read or listen to before.
May 5, 2025
Review to come.
May 3, 2022
Read this if you want to upend your belief that your home is your sanctuary. Home invasion is a subgenre of horror that gets under my skin, and this book examines why it’s a uniquely personal and paranoiac fear (the film “The Strangers” is one of my all-time favorite movies, and this book is an ode to it and many others in the canon). It also makes the reader question their complicity in consuming this content as entertainment, putting you in the seat of the orchestrator of a home invasion, getting advice from a seasoned veteran of the “sport.” Why are we entertained by this, while fearing it ourselves? Why do we keep watching/turning the pages? Profound psychological terror, and I truly don’t say that lightly!
September 28, 2022
It's been a long time since I truly hated the whole experience of reading!
This starts with four pages of "This is the scariest book I've ever read. It makes 'Bloody Stump Blows Up' look like 'Piggy Takes A Holiday.' I pissed my pants seven times in the first three pages. Don't read this one with a single light off!" And I thought "How funny would it be if this sucked?"
Welp!
It's relentlessly corny, over the top edgy and grim and pessimistic with its "Everyone's so involved in their own lives they can't see the killer waving from their yard." It's so corny. And referring to victim and perpetrator by a number system, while dehumanizing, is a pain in the ass to follow. It sucks, top to bottom.
This starts with four pages of "This is the scariest book I've ever read. It makes 'Bloody Stump Blows Up' look like 'Piggy Takes A Holiday.' I pissed my pants seven times in the first three pages. Don't read this one with a single light off!" And I thought "How funny would it be if this sucked?"
Welp!
It's relentlessly corny, over the top edgy and grim and pessimistic with its "Everyone's so involved in their own lives they can't see the killer waving from their yard." It's so corny. And referring to victim and perpetrator by a number system, while dehumanizing, is a pain in the ass to follow. It sucks, top to bottom.
October 13, 2024
I love that this went into the psyche of invaders as well as humans in general and their subtle tendencies of everyday life that outsiders are able to observe in order to perform a perfect crime. this book is fucking scary because it can actually happen, the "director" is just so nonchalant about everything, & their sole motivation for it all is entertainment.
I've never read anything like this before & I loved the 2nd person & how-to guide style the author chose.
I've never read anything like this before & I loved the 2nd person & how-to guide style the author chose.
September 4, 2022
Book Review
Anybody Home?
Michael J. Seidlinger
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
Who’s going to pull off the next great Home Invasion? Is it you?
A chilling and unsettling look into the mind of a serial home invader, with a blueprint provided for the reader. Told in the second person perspective, this story makes the reader complicit in these highly orchestrated invasions motivated by gratuitous entertainment. Fame appears to be a motivating factor: to see one’s name written in the hallowed annals of FBI records. The director—or rather main Invader #1—provides a detailed account of the necessary elements to pull off an outstanding “performance” that will not only baffle the authorities, but enthrall “the cults” watching the events on the silver screen. You see, the most important part is to capture the grisly, ongoing events with “the camera.” It is as important to capture the stalking and planning, as well as the kills.
Perhaps a commentary on our society’s voyeuristic pleasure in capturing the ongoing tragedies of life through the news, true crime documentaries, and even horror films. Try to deny the morbid fascination of the havoc created on a “scary” horror flick, in a similar fashion tension is successfully ratcheted up as the events unravel in progressively hideous and gruesome fashion, upon an unexpecting suburban family of four.
It is quite evident that the sanctity of the home is an illusion. The Invaders can spend weeks and even months in planning. Home security is only an inconvenient obstacle, but easily overcome. The victims are studied, their personalities, routines and proclivities are studied, which will form the basis of the later torture. This apparently is an important part of the entertainment, for both invader and viewer (or reader). The greater the level of fear instilled, the more successful will be the performance. Improvisation and creativity of the invaders in the face of unexpected events heighten the enjoyment of the voyeurs and invaders. Never forget the importance of entertainment. The more unsettling and gruesome, the better.
Seidlinger weaves a masterful and unsettling account of home invasion for sport, that places it in a deserved pedestal of nasty horror tropes, rivaling serial killer totems. It reaches gestalt status, his performances become more than the sum of its individual parts. Rather than gore, unbridled tension creates the distaste and chilling nature of these heinous crimes. No longer can we believe this could never happen to us. Is waiting for violence to occur a guilty pleasure? The capture of these invasions on film rivals the revulsion felt with the “snuff films” of yore.
Thanks to NetGalley and Clash Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this immersive novel in exchange for an honest review.
Anybody Home?
Michael J. Seidlinger
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
Who’s going to pull off the next great Home Invasion? Is it you?
A chilling and unsettling look into the mind of a serial home invader, with a blueprint provided for the reader. Told in the second person perspective, this story makes the reader complicit in these highly orchestrated invasions motivated by gratuitous entertainment. Fame appears to be a motivating factor: to see one’s name written in the hallowed annals of FBI records. The director—or rather main Invader #1—provides a detailed account of the necessary elements to pull off an outstanding “performance” that will not only baffle the authorities, but enthrall “the cults” watching the events on the silver screen. You see, the most important part is to capture the grisly, ongoing events with “the camera.” It is as important to capture the stalking and planning, as well as the kills.
Perhaps a commentary on our society’s voyeuristic pleasure in capturing the ongoing tragedies of life through the news, true crime documentaries, and even horror films. Try to deny the morbid fascination of the havoc created on a “scary” horror flick, in a similar fashion tension is successfully ratcheted up as the events unravel in progressively hideous and gruesome fashion, upon an unexpecting suburban family of four.
It is quite evident that the sanctity of the home is an illusion. The Invaders can spend weeks and even months in planning. Home security is only an inconvenient obstacle, but easily overcome. The victims are studied, their personalities, routines and proclivities are studied, which will form the basis of the later torture. This apparently is an important part of the entertainment, for both invader and viewer (or reader). The greater the level of fear instilled, the more successful will be the performance. Improvisation and creativity of the invaders in the face of unexpected events heighten the enjoyment of the voyeurs and invaders. Never forget the importance of entertainment. The more unsettling and gruesome, the better.
Seidlinger weaves a masterful and unsettling account of home invasion for sport, that places it in a deserved pedestal of nasty horror tropes, rivaling serial killer totems. It reaches gestalt status, his performances become more than the sum of its individual parts. Rather than gore, unbridled tension creates the distaste and chilling nature of these heinous crimes. No longer can we believe this could never happen to us. Is waiting for violence to occur a guilty pleasure? The capture of these invasions on film rivals the revulsion felt with the “snuff films” of yore.
Thanks to NetGalley and Clash Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this immersive novel in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2022
•I think I need a xanax. The literary equivalent to watching a movie while your hands are covering your eyes while peeking out the thinnest sliver of space.
.
•Home invasion is a sub genre of horror that truly terrifies me to my core. Mostly because there’s no paranormal elements to it and that the probability of events transpiring like this are higher than that of a ghost or demon trying to kill me.
.
•Although not a lengthy novel, only 245 pages, I had to take some breaks with it. Some of the scenes and descriptions written in this book were honestly anxiety inducing. The physical violence here wasn’t all that crazy for me, but the psychological trauma is what really put me over the edge.
.
•All I have to say is lock your doors, hide your kids, hide your wives and hide your husbands. There’s some intruders up in here.
.
•Home invasion is a sub genre of horror that truly terrifies me to my core. Mostly because there’s no paranormal elements to it and that the probability of events transpiring like this are higher than that of a ghost or demon trying to kill me.
.
•Although not a lengthy novel, only 245 pages, I had to take some breaks with it. Some of the scenes and descriptions written in this book were honestly anxiety inducing. The physical violence here wasn’t all that crazy for me, but the psychological trauma is what really put me over the edge.
.
•All I have to say is lock your doors, hide your kids, hide your wives and hide your husbands. There’s some intruders up in here.
September 4, 2022
I am most definitely in the minority for this book so please take this review with a drop of blood.
The concept of home invasion and the terrifying reasoning of "because it's fun" or "because you were home" is not only very real but beyond frightening. The fact that the movie Strangers was based on a true story and the Manson murders happenrf really make people start to think that the one place they should feel the safest, their own home, is no longer that haven.
The concept of this book is brilliant and I was extremely excited to read it because of how creepy it sounded. And for the reasons mentioned above, to be inside this process CAN be creepy. Unfortunately the writing style just did not work for me. It was like reading a one sided conversation in a handbook of serial home invasions and the torture of humans for their own entertainment.
You don't know how much I truly wanted this to work for me, but it happens. Please go take a look at the plethora of 4 and 5 star reviews if this book intrigues you.
The concept of home invasion and the terrifying reasoning of "because it's fun" or "because you were home" is not only very real but beyond frightening. The fact that the movie Strangers was based on a true story and the Manson murders happenrf really make people start to think that the one place they should feel the safest, their own home, is no longer that haven.
The concept of this book is brilliant and I was extremely excited to read it because of how creepy it sounded. And for the reasons mentioned above, to be inside this process CAN be creepy. Unfortunately the writing style just did not work for me. It was like reading a one sided conversation in a handbook of serial home invasions and the torture of humans for their own entertainment.
You don't know how much I truly wanted this to work for me, but it happens. Please go take a look at the plethora of 4 and 5 star reviews if this book intrigues you.
December 7, 2022
Thank you to Clash Books for a copy to review!
The idea of this book is extremely unique and I think the author wrote a completely original and different take on a home invasion horror novel.
However, the writing style is just so hard to follow and it just doesn’t flow. It’s written in second person and no one has any names or faces.
The way this story is told is basically a how to for home invasion. That should make this story extremely scary. You’re being given knowledge that regular people just don’t have.
Instead of being utterly creepy and scary, it just becomes boring and tedious to read.
I feel like a shorter format (novella) might have been better for this story, it just seemed to drag when it shouldn’t have.
I love that the author tried something new and different, but it just didn’t work for me.
The idea of this book is extremely unique and I think the author wrote a completely original and different take on a home invasion horror novel.
However, the writing style is just so hard to follow and it just doesn’t flow. It’s written in second person and no one has any names or faces.
The way this story is told is basically a how to for home invasion. That should make this story extremely scary. You’re being given knowledge that regular people just don’t have.
Instead of being utterly creepy and scary, it just becomes boring and tedious to read.
I feel like a shorter format (novella) might have been better for this story, it just seemed to drag when it shouldn’t have.
I love that the author tried something new and different, but it just didn’t work for me.
August 19, 2022
4.5/5 Stars
This book is unlike ANY I've read before.
Home-Invasion stories are always the ones that scare me the most: from The Strangers to When A Stranger Calls; from The Last House on the Left to Hush; etc.
Seidlinger does such an incredible job at putting the reader IN the story. This novel is written in the 2nd-person perspective, so that, alone, puts the reader within the pages as the nameless "you." However, this is taken even further with the one-sided conversations of our "Director" that is guiding us through the home-invasion. Seidlinger uses the method to further put the reader in the mindset of the home-invader that is leading the charge on this specific night. When our "Director" asks a question of the lead invader, we, as the readers, have to fill in the gaps in the dialogue; therefore, WE are having this conversation... it's our own opinions, biases, beliefs, etc. that lead us to the inferred dialogue. This writing tactic was so MASTERFULLY done throughout the entire novel.
While reading Anybody Home?, I was reminded of another horror novel that I adored: Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. Now, this novel isn't about the supernatural/paranormal (which is odd because Amityville was the one claiming to be real); however, both of these books are written in a very cold, observational, and objective manner. There was no room for fantastical storytelling or beautiful prose... it was straight to the point. Even when describing the gore, it stated what happened clearly and didn't go into too much detail about the aesthetics of it. This is part of the reason I deducted half a star; I liked the cold, bystander type of storytelling because it is what best fits the story itself, but there were some aspects of it that I feel kept the story from being THAT MUCH BETTER!
One aspect of this writing that warranted my half-star deduction was the use of "filler names," so the characters were just called Invaders 1-5, The Voice, The Director, and Victims 1-4. Again, I understand the appeal of this because it further allows the reader to imagine themselves in ANY of these roles... they remain nameless for a reason; however, it slowed the pace of the novel for me. I feel like this is because, as readers, we see a word as a whole rather than ACTUALLY reading and sounding out that word each time we read it. In other novels, this works because the characters have names that are different, but, in this book, we couldn't just look at "Invader" and move on because there are 5 invaders... but we also couldn't just look at the number of that invader (1-5) because the victims were also numbered. I don't know... this might be nit-picky, but I continued to get frustrated at the pacing while reading the novel (because it is so short, and I felt like it was taking me FOREVER to get through it). Again, I 100% understand why Seidlinger did it this way... and, to an extent, it was successful in achieving what he wanted, but I felt that it was at the cost of other important elements of the story.
Another reason for the deducted star is the lack of description; however, again... I understand why it is this way! Seidlinger seems to want the reader to fill in the blanks throughout this novel in many different ways, the gore being one of those ways. He describes EXACTLY what happens... but there isn't much detail added for the reader to FULLY take in the scene being described. Though I understand wanting the audience to create their own descriptions within their mind to, again, put them in the shoes of the invaders, I still would've really liked to read Seidlinger's descriptions of these events taking place... creating a full atmosphere for the reader to take it all in.
Aside from those 2, very nit-picky reasons (behind which I can see the reasoning), this book is PHENOMENAL! It's an incredibly innovative and dark novel that uses masterful techniques to propel the gut-wrenching story of a family's night of horrors during a home invasion. DEFINITELY read this book at your earliest convenience; this would ESPECIALLY be a great October read. Also, if you enjoy The Strangers movie, then you will love this; I GUARANTEE IT!
This book is unlike ANY I've read before.
Home-Invasion stories are always the ones that scare me the most: from The Strangers to When A Stranger Calls; from The Last House on the Left to Hush; etc.
Seidlinger does such an incredible job at putting the reader IN the story. This novel is written in the 2nd-person perspective, so that, alone, puts the reader within the pages as the nameless "you." However, this is taken even further with the one-sided conversations of our "Director" that is guiding us through the home-invasion. Seidlinger uses the method to further put the reader in the mindset of the home-invader that is leading the charge on this specific night. When our "Director" asks a question of the lead invader, we, as the readers, have to fill in the gaps in the dialogue; therefore, WE are having this conversation... it's our own opinions, biases, beliefs, etc. that lead us to the inferred dialogue. This writing tactic was so MASTERFULLY done throughout the entire novel.
While reading Anybody Home?, I was reminded of another horror novel that I adored: Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. Now, this novel isn't about the supernatural/paranormal (which is odd because Amityville was the one claiming to be real); however, both of these books are written in a very cold, observational, and objective manner. There was no room for fantastical storytelling or beautiful prose... it was straight to the point. Even when describing the gore, it stated what happened clearly and didn't go into too much detail about the aesthetics of it. This is part of the reason I deducted half a star; I liked the cold, bystander type of storytelling because it is what best fits the story itself, but there were some aspects of it that I feel kept the story from being THAT MUCH BETTER!
One aspect of this writing that warranted my half-star deduction was the use of "filler names," so the characters were just called Invaders 1-5, The Voice, The Director, and Victims 1-4. Again, I understand the appeal of this because it further allows the reader to imagine themselves in ANY of these roles... they remain nameless for a reason; however, it slowed the pace of the novel for me. I feel like this is because, as readers, we see a word as a whole rather than ACTUALLY reading and sounding out that word each time we read it. In other novels, this works because the characters have names that are different, but, in this book, we couldn't just look at "Invader" and move on because there are 5 invaders... but we also couldn't just look at the number of that invader (1-5) because the victims were also numbered. I don't know... this might be nit-picky, but I continued to get frustrated at the pacing while reading the novel (because it is so short, and I felt like it was taking me FOREVER to get through it). Again, I 100% understand why Seidlinger did it this way... and, to an extent, it was successful in achieving what he wanted, but I felt that it was at the cost of other important elements of the story.
Another reason for the deducted star is the lack of description; however, again... I understand why it is this way! Seidlinger seems to want the reader to fill in the blanks throughout this novel in many different ways, the gore being one of those ways. He describes EXACTLY what happens... but there isn't much detail added for the reader to FULLY take in the scene being described. Though I understand wanting the audience to create their own descriptions within their mind to, again, put them in the shoes of the invaders, I still would've really liked to read Seidlinger's descriptions of these events taking place... creating a full atmosphere for the reader to take it all in.
Aside from those 2, very nit-picky reasons (behind which I can see the reasoning), this book is PHENOMENAL! It's an incredibly innovative and dark novel that uses masterful techniques to propel the gut-wrenching story of a family's night of horrors during a home invasion. DEFINITELY read this book at your earliest convenience; this would ESPECIALLY be a great October read. Also, if you enjoy The Strangers movie, then you will love this; I GUARANTEE IT!
Read
July 2, 2022DNF @ pg 70
I was so tremendously excited for this book, but unfortunately, after a few weeks of trying to slog through and making very little progress, I'm going to do us both a favor and call it quits. I adore home invasion stories because they're one of the very few horror themes that genuinely chill me to my core, and the idea behind this book was an incredibly unique take on that trope; however, that unfortunately meant that it wasn't what I hoped it would be and I couldn't connect.
Anybody Home? is written in second-person perspective and is essentially a "guide" of a mentor teaching a mentee how to pull off the best possible home invasion ordeal. I thought the idea was really interesting, but it led to a surprising amount of repetition in the text and made it impossible for me to care about any of the characters, which by proxy made it impossible for me to feel scared or truly unsettled by the events therein. Maybe if I had finished the book, I would have felt differently, but I skimmed ahead to several later sections to see if anything piqued my interest, and it was more of the same.
Judging by most of the other ARC reviews I'm seeing for this book, I definitely feel like the odd one out in disliking Anybody Home?, so I think anyone who is interested should absolutely pick up a copy and give it a chance! That said, it didn't work for me and I'm quite disappointed to say so.
✨ Content warnings for:
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
I was so tremendously excited for this book, but unfortunately, after a few weeks of trying to slog through and making very little progress, I'm going to do us both a favor and call it quits. I adore home invasion stories because they're one of the very few horror themes that genuinely chill me to my core, and the idea behind this book was an incredibly unique take on that trope; however, that unfortunately meant that it wasn't what I hoped it would be and I couldn't connect.
Anybody Home? is written in second-person perspective and is essentially a "guide" of a mentor teaching a mentee how to pull off the best possible home invasion ordeal. I thought the idea was really interesting, but it led to a surprising amount of repetition in the text and made it impossible for me to care about any of the characters, which by proxy made it impossible for me to feel scared or truly unsettled by the events therein. Maybe if I had finished the book, I would have felt differently, but I skimmed ahead to several later sections to see if anything piqued my interest, and it was more of the same.
Judging by most of the other ARC reviews I'm seeing for this book, I definitely feel like the odd one out in disliking Anybody Home?, so I think anyone who is interested should absolutely pick up a copy and give it a chance! That said, it didn't work for me and I'm quite disappointed to say so.
✨ Content warnings for:
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
May 31, 2023
This is my second time reading this book and I found it even more unsettling than the first… I knew the way it was going to end, I knew the twists and turns of the performance, but still it got under my skin and made me squirm, made me panic and fear for our protagonists, whilst also making me fearful of our antagonists!
The way the book is written is also key to this anxiety inducing book. There are many unsettling undertones throughout, snatches of conversations of which the reader is forced to imagine, but it’s also in the unsaid where the true horror of this book reside… revealing that this type of home invasion is a deftly crafted dance, a performance for those watching, those yearning for more brutality and more vileness and Seidlinger doesn’t miss a beat!
It is a book which truly gets to the heart of the question: what would I do if I was in this situation? Whilst also preying on our worst fears… what if the place we’ve found comfort and sanctuary and security is invaded and torn apart by those meaning to do us harm!
Unsettling, unpleasant and unbelievably scary… Anybody Home delivers the scares by the bucketload!
The way the book is written is also key to this anxiety inducing book. There are many unsettling undertones throughout, snatches of conversations of which the reader is forced to imagine, but it’s also in the unsaid where the true horror of this book reside… revealing that this type of home invasion is a deftly crafted dance, a performance for those watching, those yearning for more brutality and more vileness and Seidlinger doesn’t miss a beat!
It is a book which truly gets to the heart of the question: what would I do if I was in this situation? Whilst also preying on our worst fears… what if the place we’ve found comfort and sanctuary and security is invaded and torn apart by those meaning to do us harm!
Unsettling, unpleasant and unbelievably scary… Anybody Home delivers the scares by the bucketload!
March 16, 2023
TW: Murder, gory scenes, child death, animal death, language, cheating
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:A seasoned invader with multiple home invasions under their belt recounts their dark victories while offering tutelage to a new generation of ambitious home invaders eager to make their mark on the annals of criminal history. From initial canvasing to home entry, the reader is complicit in every strangling and shattered window. The fear is inescapable.Examining the sanctuary of the home and one of the horror genre's most frightening tropes, Anybody Home? points the camera lens onto the quiet suburbs and its unsuspecting abodes, any of which are potential stages for an invader ambitious enough to make it the scene of the next big crime sensation. Who knows? Their performance just might make it to the silver screen.
Release Date: August 16th, 2022
Genre: Horror
Pages: 263
Rating: ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. The story sucks you in
What I Didn't Like:
1. The writing is scattered & ugly
2. Author repeats things over and over in an ocd kind of way
Overall Thoughts:
I think for me what really annoyed me was being told what was happening instead of reading what was happening. We have this narrator just telling us everything they had done instead of reading about what was going on - I just found it very exasperating. I read a book to read along as things happen not have a jackass character recount on different murders over different times. This is one step away from being a journal entry book.
A lot of sentences would repeat for a paragraph with the same words; "I could see", "Are you afraid of", "I'm afraid", and etc. It gets to be over the top for me.
I can't stop thinking of Funny Games while I read this book.....
I guess in this world doorbell cameras don't exist.
This book needed an editor really badly. There were a lot of sentences that made no sense;
"Oh, well you look at that".
I know I had the unedited ebook but I also got a printed copy from the library and errors were still throughout the book.
See! This is what I'm talking about!
"As invader #1, you can wear a ski mask or a ghoul mask or a fox mask or a pig mask or a tiger mask or a smiley mask or a cupid mask or a demon mask or a phantom mask or a grinning mask or a Reagan mask or a skull mask or a rabbit mask or a hockey mask or a ghostface mask or a dead celebrity mask or a dollface mask or a buccal mask or a luchador mask or a gas mask or a balaclava or a fencing mask or a welding mask or a ritualistic hood or a goblin mask or a faceless mask or a Venetian mask or a biker helmet or a clown mask or a zipper mask or a stocking or a surgical mask or a Noh mask or a death mask or a mask that is of your own design".
It's like listening to a 4-year-old ramble on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.
The sun doesn't set at 6pm in mid May. It's spring time - almost summer. It sets closer to 8pm as we set the clocks ahead an hour.
Final Thoughts:
I ended up dnfing this book. I really tried hard to love it but I just could not. The writing style is so odd. I gave this a book a long time to love it - seriously I've been this short novella since February.
Recommend For:
• Complex writing style
• Home Invasion stories
• Funny Games lovers
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:A seasoned invader with multiple home invasions under their belt recounts their dark victories while offering tutelage to a new generation of ambitious home invaders eager to make their mark on the annals of criminal history. From initial canvasing to home entry, the reader is complicit in every strangling and shattered window. The fear is inescapable.Examining the sanctuary of the home and one of the horror genre's most frightening tropes, Anybody Home? points the camera lens onto the quiet suburbs and its unsuspecting abodes, any of which are potential stages for an invader ambitious enough to make it the scene of the next big crime sensation. Who knows? Their performance just might make it to the silver screen.
Release Date: August 16th, 2022
Genre: Horror
Pages: 263
Rating: ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. The story sucks you in
What I Didn't Like:
1. The writing is scattered & ugly
2. Author repeats things over and over in an ocd kind of way
Overall Thoughts:
I think for me what really annoyed me was being told what was happening instead of reading what was happening. We have this narrator just telling us everything they had done instead of reading about what was going on - I just found it very exasperating. I read a book to read along as things happen not have a jackass character recount on different murders over different times. This is one step away from being a journal entry book.
A lot of sentences would repeat for a paragraph with the same words; "I could see", "Are you afraid of", "I'm afraid", and etc. It gets to be over the top for me.
I can't stop thinking of Funny Games while I read this book.....
I guess in this world doorbell cameras don't exist.
This book needed an editor really badly. There were a lot of sentences that made no sense;
"Oh, well you look at that".
I know I had the unedited ebook but I also got a printed copy from the library and errors were still throughout the book.
See! This is what I'm talking about!
"As invader #1, you can wear a ski mask or a ghoul mask or a fox mask or a pig mask or a tiger mask or a smiley mask or a cupid mask or a demon mask or a phantom mask or a grinning mask or a Reagan mask or a skull mask or a rabbit mask or a hockey mask or a ghostface mask or a dead celebrity mask or a dollface mask or a buccal mask or a luchador mask or a gas mask or a balaclava or a fencing mask or a welding mask or a ritualistic hood or a goblin mask or a faceless mask or a Venetian mask or a biker helmet or a clown mask or a zipper mask or a stocking or a surgical mask or a Noh mask or a death mask or a mask that is of your own design".
It's like listening to a 4-year-old ramble on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.
The sun doesn't set at 6pm in mid May. It's spring time - almost summer. It sets closer to 8pm as we set the clocks ahead an hour.
Final Thoughts:
I ended up dnfing this book. I really tried hard to love it but I just could not. The writing style is so odd. I gave this a book a long time to love it - seriously I've been this short novella since February.
Recommend For:
• Complex writing style
• Home Invasion stories
• Funny Games lovers
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 17, 2022
Don’t answer the door. Don’t look out the windows. Don’t accept new messages. Don’t go into this novel thinking you know how the story is going to go down & PLEASE remember you might not be alone while reading it.
Anybody Home? Is my first novel by Seidlinger and it surely won’t be my last. This book has made a very lasting impression on me, and sure, yes, I only finished the novel around an hour ago, but I know this novel will leave a lasting impression.
Anybody Home? is a gods damn experience. It slowly drags you along on this harrowing & intensely disturbing planned attack on a family of four. The moments where I thought Okay, a small break- just makes you even more unsettled. It has such an interesting narrative, where the author puts you in the antagonists shoes and you have to mentally cope with reading what you’re doing to this family. There was moments throughout the novel where I was having to pause to answer the questions given to me, like I was genuinely taking part in the crime, like I had a voice and opinions to give. Seidlinger really manages to make the reader invested, in more ways than one, and I find that an incredible talent, as I’ve never had a book make me stop so I can gather my thoughts to go “what’s next?” in a literal sense of “I’m a part of this book and I need to make sure what I do next is right.”
Although the writing was a little jarring at first, mostly due to its distinctive perspective, it began to click quickly with how this novel is trying to portray itself and I fell head first into the intense fear and horror that awaited me.
This was unlike any other story I’ve read. I love feeling scared, creeped out, frightened by a book, but this book felt…different in terms of getting to me. The build up of dread, it reminded me of the intense paranoia I still get when going to the bathroom at night, knowing I’ll need to turn off the light and be surrounded by darkness, with the slight budding idea of “someone’s waiting on you out in the hall.” It’s a horrible feeling and this book encapsulated it so well.
If you’re looking for a book that really tests you, then I highly recommend this. It’s a disturbing, psychological horror that will surely get to you before you notice.
INSTA | TWITTER
Anybody Home? Is my first novel by Seidlinger and it surely won’t be my last. This book has made a very lasting impression on me, and sure, yes, I only finished the novel around an hour ago, but I know this novel will leave a lasting impression.
Anybody Home? is a gods damn experience. It slowly drags you along on this harrowing & intensely disturbing planned attack on a family of four. The moments where I thought Okay, a small break- just makes you even more unsettled. It has such an interesting narrative, where the author puts you in the antagonists shoes and you have to mentally cope with reading what you’re doing to this family. There was moments throughout the novel where I was having to pause to answer the questions given to me, like I was genuinely taking part in the crime, like I had a voice and opinions to give. Seidlinger really manages to make the reader invested, in more ways than one, and I find that an incredible talent, as I’ve never had a book make me stop so I can gather my thoughts to go “what’s next?” in a literal sense of “I’m a part of this book and I need to make sure what I do next is right.”
Although the writing was a little jarring at first, mostly due to its distinctive perspective, it began to click quickly with how this novel is trying to portray itself and I fell head first into the intense fear and horror that awaited me.
This was unlike any other story I’ve read. I love feeling scared, creeped out, frightened by a book, but this book felt…different in terms of getting to me. The build up of dread, it reminded me of the intense paranoia I still get when going to the bathroom at night, knowing I’ll need to turn off the light and be surrounded by darkness, with the slight budding idea of “someone’s waiting on you out in the hall.” It’s a horrible feeling and this book encapsulated it so well.
If you’re looking for a book that really tests you, then I highly recommend this. It’s a disturbing, psychological horror that will surely get to you before you notice.
INSTA | TWITTER
September 24, 2022
Home invasion stories are scariest to me because it’s my biggest fear. I was excited to read this because I heard it was terrifying, and it sounded terrifying; however, I didn’t think it was scary at all. Loved the concept, but I hated the execution. The writing style did not work for me. I wasn’t able to connect or feel for the family, and I was just bored.I’m sad I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted, but it seems like a lot of readers have connected with this one.
October 20, 2022
Yeeesh. This really got under my skin. Psychologically terrifying. I think the first half (the lead-in to the home invasion) was a lot more successful than the second half (actual home invasion), but damn, this book is one of a kind. No stone is left unturned…Seidlinger thought of everything. I was anxious the entire time. Mentally stressful.
Read
October 21, 2022So, I blame this for not trusting any of the work trucks on my block ever again.
May 30, 2022
Review in the June 2022 issue of Library Journal and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2022/05...
Three Words That Describe This Book: participatory, engaging narration, extreme-- nearly unbearable-- tension
Draft Review:
An engaging, nameless narrator bluntly presents the record of a family being terrorized by home invaders for 48 hours. This narrator, an expert home invader, speaks directly to the reader, or is it to the novice invader, one whom the narrator is directing through his first “performance?” That ambiguity is key to the appeal here as the reader is rapt, watching as nameless invaders plan, stalk, taunt, and torture the depersonalized victims. Invaders, motivated solely by the performance itself and the chance a big studio will turn it into a movie. The refreshingly awesome and yet extremely horrific fact at the heart of this tale is that it is exactly what it claims to be; there is no twist. It is a story that rises above its genre peers because of how it thoroughly manipulates the reader’s emotions, as they compulsively turn the page, squirm from the unbearable tension, and reel from both the gruesome violence and emerging paranoia, as they leave their sense of security in the dust.
Verdict: With a last line that fully implicates the reader in the extreme horror they just willingly participated in, this is a story that will leave all terrorized and broken, but also surprsingly grateful for the unique experience much like the critically acclaimed Cabin at the End of the World by Tremblay and Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by LaRocca.
Notes: Holy Crap! What did I just read? It is an extreme, in your face description of the planning and recording of a violent home invasion. And it is participatory for the reader-- You are implicated in all of the violence which is awful and yet very impressive.
Here is the refreshing and awesome thing about this book-- it is exactly what it claims to be. There is no twist. From the first page it is terrifying and intense. This is sustained throughout. Extreme, unbearable tension... for all 250ish pages. It never lets up, it only gets worse. And yet, you will keep turning the pages.
The engaging narrator is an expert home invader. He is speaking to the reader who is actually the person planning the invasion that is the bulk of the book. The narrator is his "director," teaching and advising Invader #1 on the invasion that its the bulk of this book. But here is the first layer of extreme, participatory, unbearable dread-- the narrator is talking directly to the reader the entire book-- so is it you the reader doing this? Of course not but yet-- you are implicated.
The opening is all about one of the narrator's best "performances." Because that is what these invasions and murders are. Performances that are staged and filmed by the invaders but are very real to the victims. The motivation is not stealing anything-- it is being able to get in to these homes easily and torture and kill the victims, for the "cults" those online to whom the videos leak and then to a big studio to make a film based on it. You get paid from that. You get famous from that.
No one has names--the victims or invaders. There are numbers. Victims identified first as Wife, Husband, Son, Daughter but eventually turned into Victim #1, etc... This dehumanizes everyone. And it will make your skin crawl even more because you feel like you are reading about real people being tortured and killed and yet, you have dehumanized them along with the narrator and Invader #1 as you read. When you pause, you realize this and-- well the real feelings this completely fictional story stir up in you-- that is an expertly done Horror novel.
Do not read if you live alone-- maybe not at all-- especially if you live in the suburbs where you think you are safe. That is a huge theme of the books as well. And one that also raises it to a STAR review-- it is also a treatise on the false safety the upper middle class in the suburbs feel. How easy it is for them to "break in" without every breaking anything. How easy it is for the invaders to figure out everything about your house and your life and use it against you.
Paranoia will follow you for weeks after reading this. You might never shake it. Which may not be such a bad thing.
It is the last line that tipped the scales to make this a 5 star review. You will squirm the entire time you read this book. You will resist the awfulness and yet, the pages keep turning. You feel icky and you can barely keep going, but you do. And then, that last line seals it. 1 sentence and you know Seidlinger got you. It's a mic drop if there every was one and one that makes you feel even worse about the story and the fact that you read it and enjoyed the experience as a Horror reader. Bravo!
This book makes Cabin at the End of the World by Tremblay look like a cake walk. The reading experience is similar to the one from THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE by LaRocca but longer and more intense. This is THE MOST intense psychological horror you have ever read. Seriously. It makes Out by Natsuo Kirino look tame.
Three Words That Describe This Book: participatory, engaging narration, extreme-- nearly unbearable-- tension
Draft Review:
An engaging, nameless narrator bluntly presents the record of a family being terrorized by home invaders for 48 hours. This narrator, an expert home invader, speaks directly to the reader, or is it to the novice invader, one whom the narrator is directing through his first “performance?” That ambiguity is key to the appeal here as the reader is rapt, watching as nameless invaders plan, stalk, taunt, and torture the depersonalized victims. Invaders, motivated solely by the performance itself and the chance a big studio will turn it into a movie. The refreshingly awesome and yet extremely horrific fact at the heart of this tale is that it is exactly what it claims to be; there is no twist. It is a story that rises above its genre peers because of how it thoroughly manipulates the reader’s emotions, as they compulsively turn the page, squirm from the unbearable tension, and reel from both the gruesome violence and emerging paranoia, as they leave their sense of security in the dust.
Verdict: With a last line that fully implicates the reader in the extreme horror they just willingly participated in, this is a story that will leave all terrorized and broken, but also surprsingly grateful for the unique experience much like the critically acclaimed Cabin at the End of the World by Tremblay and Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by LaRocca.
Notes: Holy Crap! What did I just read? It is an extreme, in your face description of the planning and recording of a violent home invasion. And it is participatory for the reader-- You are implicated in all of the violence which is awful and yet very impressive.
Here is the refreshing and awesome thing about this book-- it is exactly what it claims to be. There is no twist. From the first page it is terrifying and intense. This is sustained throughout. Extreme, unbearable tension... for all 250ish pages. It never lets up, it only gets worse. And yet, you will keep turning the pages.
The engaging narrator is an expert home invader. He is speaking to the reader who is actually the person planning the invasion that is the bulk of the book. The narrator is his "director," teaching and advising Invader #1 on the invasion that its the bulk of this book. But here is the first layer of extreme, participatory, unbearable dread-- the narrator is talking directly to the reader the entire book-- so is it you the reader doing this? Of course not but yet-- you are implicated.
The opening is all about one of the narrator's best "performances." Because that is what these invasions and murders are. Performances that are staged and filmed by the invaders but are very real to the victims. The motivation is not stealing anything-- it is being able to get in to these homes easily and torture and kill the victims, for the "cults" those online to whom the videos leak and then to a big studio to make a film based on it. You get paid from that. You get famous from that.
No one has names--the victims or invaders. There are numbers. Victims identified first as Wife, Husband, Son, Daughter but eventually turned into Victim #1, etc... This dehumanizes everyone. And it will make your skin crawl even more because you feel like you are reading about real people being tortured and killed and yet, you have dehumanized them along with the narrator and Invader #1 as you read. When you pause, you realize this and-- well the real feelings this completely fictional story stir up in you-- that is an expertly done Horror novel.
Do not read if you live alone-- maybe not at all-- especially if you live in the suburbs where you think you are safe. That is a huge theme of the books as well. And one that also raises it to a STAR review-- it is also a treatise on the false safety the upper middle class in the suburbs feel. How easy it is for them to "break in" without every breaking anything. How easy it is for the invaders to figure out everything about your house and your life and use it against you.
Paranoia will follow you for weeks after reading this. You might never shake it. Which may not be such a bad thing.
It is the last line that tipped the scales to make this a 5 star review. You will squirm the entire time you read this book. You will resist the awfulness and yet, the pages keep turning. You feel icky and you can barely keep going, but you do. And then, that last line seals it. 1 sentence and you know Seidlinger got you. It's a mic drop if there every was one and one that makes you feel even worse about the story and the fact that you read it and enjoyed the experience as a Horror reader. Bravo!
This book makes Cabin at the End of the World by Tremblay look like a cake walk. The reading experience is similar to the one from THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE by LaRocca but longer and more intense. This is THE MOST intense psychological horror you have ever read. Seriously. It makes Out by Natsuo Kirino look tame.
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