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A review by booksbytheglass
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
hello creepy cult book!!!
this one is probably the most hyped out of all of lisa jewell’s books and I can see why wow this one has it all 🤌🏼 we’re talking cults, murder, poison, incest (ish), and of course the good ol fashioned who the heck is the good versus bad guys
when the story started, I literally had no clue what was going to happen. I went into it blind (highly recommend), and of course knew there would be some sort of creepy twisty fashion.
BUT THE NUMBER OF TWISTS HAD ME GASPING FOR AIR.
wow, I really thought I was a super sleuth putting the pieces together, but nope. just when I thought I had it figured out - lost again. (I did predict quite a few though, have faith 🤣.)
I really enjoyed the dual timeline aspect unfolding simultaneously with the current timeline as well. it was fun to try and put the pieces together on who was who and what happened to the family itself.
also can we talk about how perfectly the sequel is set up now? while the main story was pretty closed up, the little threads of the side plots were just waiting to be pulled. I cannot wait for the family remains!!!
overall, this wasn’t my favorite of LJ’s, but still up there in creepy thriller favorites of mine.
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: morgon bordeaux blend
this one is probably the most hyped out of all of lisa jewell’s books and I can see why wow this one has it all 🤌🏼 we’re talking cults, murder, poison, incest (ish), and of course the good ol fashioned who the heck is the good versus bad guys
when the story started, I literally had no clue what was going to happen. I went into it blind (highly recommend), and of course knew there would be some sort of creepy twisty fashion.
BUT THE NUMBER OF TWISTS HAD ME GASPING FOR AIR.
wow, I really thought I was a super sleuth putting the pieces together, but nope. just when I thought I had it figured out - lost again. (I did predict quite a few though, have faith 🤣.)
I really enjoyed the dual timeline aspect unfolding simultaneously with the current timeline as well. it was fun to try and put the pieces together on who was who and what happened to the family itself.
also can we talk about how perfectly the sequel is set up now? while the main story was pretty closed up, the little threads of the side plots were just waiting to be pulled. I cannot wait for the family remains!!!
overall, this wasn’t my favorite of LJ’s, but still up there in creepy thriller favorites of mine.
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: morgon bordeaux blend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death