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A review by andipants
The Apartment: A Horror Story (Blumhouse Books) by S. L. Grey
2.0
The teaser on the back cover describes this book as "a terrifying tour de force of supernatural horror, psychological tension, and haunting suspense." My reaction: Well...not really. It's a slow-burn psychological thriller. There's kind of a supernatural element to it, if you squint, but it's not scary. Occasionally gross or upsetting, in an ick-there's-an-image-I-didn't-want-in-my-head kind of way, but not leave-the-lights-on-I'm-freaked-out scary. There is some suspense, but honestly the ending is pretty predictable. Rather than creepy, the story felt more like a dreary, relentless slog through upsetting events leading to a depressing ending.
I did find the characters fairly well-drawn, if a bit one-notey at times, though it seemed pretty incredible that in their situation, they'd 1) agree to a house swap, and 2) agree to do it with a couple they know literally nothing about, with no ratings or reviews, and only one picture of the interior of the place they'd be staying. That's a serious lack of common sense in anybody, but especially outrageous from a couple just coming off a home invasion.
Overall, not the worst thing I've read, but not really my cup of tea. If you're seriously into psych-drama, you might like it, but if you're after thrills and scares, look elsewhere.
I did find the characters fairly well-drawn, if a bit one-notey at times, though it seemed pretty incredible that in their situation, they'd 1) agree to a house swap, and 2) agree to do it with a couple they know literally nothing about, with no ratings or reviews, and only one picture of the interior of the place they'd be staying. That's a serious lack of common sense in anybody, but especially outrageous from a couple just coming off a home invasion.
Overall, not the worst thing I've read, but not really my cup of tea. If you're seriously into psych-drama, you might like it, but if you're after thrills and scares, look elsewhere.