We Used to Live Here
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
We Used to Live Here is a highly polarizing horror novel that excels at building an eerie, unsettling atmosphere but frequently divides readers with its execution. While many praise it as a gripping "mind f" with a terrifying premise centered on gaslighting, a significant number of readers found the plot convoluted, the characters' decisions frustratingly illogical, and the ending deeply disappointing or nonsensical.
Pros
- Strong, creepy premise that builds tension effectively in the first half.
- Highly unsettling and eerie atmosphere that some readers 'devoured.'
- Effective use of gaslighting as a primary horror element.
- Engaging for readers who enjoy stories that leave them with lingering questions and a desire to reread.
Cons
- Polarizing ending that many found convoluted, disappointing, or nonsensical.
- Protagonists often make 'unfathomably stupid decisions' that can break immersion.
- Some readers found the prose boring and lacking a unique artistic voice.
- Feels disjointed to some, as if too many r/nosleep concepts were crammed into a single novel without cohesive editing.
Caveats
- The book relies heavily on the 'gaslit/unreliable female protagonist' trope, which some readers find stale.
- Originally a r/nosleep post; some feel the transition to a full-length novel resulted in a loss of momentum and a 'mish-mash' of random moments.
- The ending is a major point of contention—you will likely either love the ambiguity or be 'genuinely pissed off' by it.
Best for
- Fans of psychological horror and gaslighting themes.
- Readers who enjoy 'mind f' stories and eerie, unsettling vibes.
- Those looking for a quick, high-tension horror read.
Avoid if
- You require a cohesive, logical plot and a clear resolution.
- You are tired of the 'woman mistaken for crazy' trope in horror.
- You are easily frustrated by horror movie characters making illogical choices.
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 122-month half-life. The evidence is drawn from a selection of 30 mentions with a median age of 123 days, reflecting a mix of recent and established opinions.
Sentiment
103 positive (57%) · 23 mixed (13%) · 54 negative (30%)
Trust + time weighted score: +22% · raw score 27%
What redditors said (10 of 180)
I hated it. Honestly the author did a decent job of building tension multiple times, but it got to the point where there were too many different instances but with too much disconnection.
I think it had such potential but needed an honest editor and more drafts. It felt like the author had so many ideas but only one chance to publish them, so crammed 4-5 novels worth of concepts into one confusing, non cohesive jumble.
I didn't enjoy it. I finished it because everyone else loved, but it wasn't anything I'd recommend.
Parent context: I did not like it to be honest. It sets up some interesting lore and I was with it for about the first half, but it spirals into way too many directions, gets too big for its own britches to the point where I began feeling uninvested. It completely lost momentum for me. Also, I thought the prose was really boring. It just didn’t have much of a unique artistic voice coming from the author. Reply: Same. I feel like there was a lot of potential there, but it just didn't live up to it for me.
Parent context: We Used to Live Here did not redeem itself in the end. Reply: Worst thing my eyes have ever laid eyes on. Badly written, made literally no sense. Also, weirdly fetish.
Honestly, one of the worst written books I’ve read in the last ten years. I wish I stopped when I wasn’t enjoying it. After reading it, I could not believe the credit it gets from some people.
I honestly wasn’t impressed with We Used To Live Here. I don’t think I even finished it.
I hated it, definitely would not recommend. It's the kind of book that you'll enjoy if you love watching unlikable people in horror movies making unfathomably stupid decisions for no reason.
I just finished We Used to Live Here. I really enjoyed it. Creepy and well-written.
I loved we used to live here, but I see a lot of posts where people didn’t like it.
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