Anybody Home? - Home Invasion Horror!
I was able to snag an ARC of this from Clash Books. I saw the cover, learned about the topic, and felt instantly compelled to read it.
I am kind of squeamish when it comes to violent movies like The Strangers and Funny Games, but I thought reading a book about home invasion might feel different, and it did! I could take my time and put it down when I started feeling too anxious. But make no mistake, this is a story much like those films; psychological attacks, violence, torture, and of course, home invasion.
I loved the way this book was written. It INVOLVES you. It makes you an ACCOMPLICE to the viciousness taking place. When I first started it, I had a nightmare about someone invading my home and all my mind could conjure was, 'Why shouldn't it be me who gets invaded? It could happen to anyone, after all. No one is safe.' I also found myself looking at homes on my way to work and assessing them like I was a home invader myself. That made me stop in my tracks and realize how well-immersed I was in this novel because of cs gravitational writing - AND it made me feel disgusted with myself at the same time.
I was totally invested in this story, in the coldness that the invaders portrayed and the 'cults' that they were performing for. The Stasi-esque way the invaders changed things for the family to upend their lives, making them subconsciously question their own actions and safety long before the invasion really began. I felt for the family. I felt frightened for my own family and my own false sense of security that comes from a small lock on a door.
This is an excellent book, and not for the faint of heart. If you want another reason to check that your windows and doors are locked, that your alarms are set and there's no one lurking outside, pick this book up - it's available now!
