The Family Upstairs - Lisa Jewell
I picked The Family Upstairs up this month as my Book of the Month choice - sadly, I wish I’d skipped the month.
The novel begins with Libby inheriting a house on the north bank of the River Thames, in London’s affluent Chelsea. Libby is an ambitious kitchen salesperson and can’t quite believe her luck when she learns her new house is worth millions of pounds. But, such luck must always come with a catch, which is where the story really begins.
I was so interested in The Family Upstairs because of a “cult” storyline, which was more a story of a commune at best. The “bone-chilling suspense” detailed in the blurb just never appeared for me. I felt the protagonist was one-dimensional and the antagonist, who I shan’t name, felt unrealized and lacking in purpose. The story just fizzled out and, despite there not being much promise or build-up to it whilst I was reading, it felt like a real let-down.
Thankfully The Family Upstairs was a quick read, at just over four hours of reading-time according to my Bookly stats. Nerd alert. If you like your fiction light on the tension and easy on the chills, with a dash of added family drama then this one is probably for you.
⭐️⭐️/5
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Buy The Family Upstairs from Apple Books or Amazon.
