After seeing We Live Here Now on a lot of “creepy” book recommendation lists and videos, I will admit I had pretty high expectations (and also because it’s officially spooky season 👻). This book follows our female main character Emily who wakes from a coma after a near fatal accident and finds herself moved from London to a remote country house. Her husband Freddie believes this fresh start will help their marriage and her recovery, but unfortunately the house has other plans. Sadly though, this book left me feeling underwhelmed and questioning what all the buzz was about.
The “Post-Sepsis Syndrome” Drinking Game Nobody Asked For
One of my biggest frustrations with this book was the relentless repetition of how unreliable we are supposed to find the narrator to be due to her accident. I lost track of how many times post-sepsis syndrome was mentioned. While I understand the author wanted to establish Emily’s somewhat faulty memory and account of things, the constant reminders felt more like HEY REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN’T TRUST HER more than purposeful storytelling. A truly effective unreliable narrator should make readers question subtly, not hit them over the head.
Spoon Fed Explanations vs Actual Answers
I was also frustrated with the inconsistent approach to reader intelligence. Throughout the story, explanations and things are literally spelled out to you or told to the reader as if we are completely unable to come to our own conclusions for basic things. Yet things we actually want or would even need answers to are never explained.
This creates a reading experience where you feel both patronized and cheated out of something. We don’t need every minor detail explained, but we do need resolution for the major plot threads you’ve spent 300+ pages developing.
A Thriller That Fails to Thrill
For a book marketed as a gripping psychological thriller with haunted house elements, I was underwhelmed and bored. The pacing drags, the revelations feel thrown at you, and the emotional stakes never quite land.
Abandoned Plot Threads
Without spoiling anything, I felt that the ending was particularly disappointing. I’m also not a big fan of books that end with the characters falling into the same exact trap they JUST learned about. After watching characters navigate these situations and learn important lessons, seeing them make the identical mistakes feels… dumb.
Throughout the book, there were a lot of plot points that were mentioned only to be kind of written off in the end. This leaves the narrative feeling unfocused and unfinished, as if the author lost track of their own story threads or decided they weren’t important after all.
Final Thoughts
We Live Here Now had an interesting premise, but the repetitive writing, condescending explanations, and ultimately unsatisfying conclusion make it a disappointing read.
If you’re considering this book because of the hype, I’d recommend adjusting your expectations or perhaps exploring other psychological thrillers.