The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 13th August 2019
Purchase: Amazon
(release date: 8th August 2019)
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 14th August 2019
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42448034-the-family-upstairs
★★★★ 4.5 stars
UPDATED REVIEW!!
It's no secret that Lisa Jewell has gained notoriety within the thriller genre and most definitely within the publishing world in general. Her ability to mesmerise readers with intriguing plots and captivating storytelling makes her one of the most successful voices of the domestic thriller. So following the success of her previous bestsellers, she has set the bar pretty high with THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS and the hype leading up to its release. It was only natural that I anticipated a masterful tale complete with riddles and twists and complexities to keep me gripped right up to the end. So...what happened?
Imagine inheriting an eight bedroom property in the heart of Chelsea - an incredibly affluent area of London abundant with multi-million dollar homes. Would it change your life?
Libby has always known she was adopted and upon turning 25 she had always expected to receive a token of some kind from the trust of her biological parents. She did expect this. Upon receiving notification of her bequest she is shocked to discover that she has inherited the massive house - 16 Cheyne Walk in Chelsea - that once belonged to her parents. A house that is shrouded with a mysterious and tragic history. Libby had no idea just what she would discover when she opened the door to the dilapidated boarded up old house. Within its walls are the secrets it holds and has never told.
When Libby was 10 months old - known then as Serenity - she was found alone in her cot in the upstairs room of the Chelsea mansion. Her parents - Henry and Martina Lamb - were found dead and decomposing, an apparent suicide with apparent links to a cult. Her brother and sister, Henry and Lucy, were nowhere to be found. Nor were any other members of the household living there at the time.
Lucy is a single mother with two children to different fathers - Marco and Stella - and a dog, Fitz. She lives hand to mouth in the south of France, sleeping in doorways and under motorway bridges. But life hasn't always been this way. She was once the daughter of a wealthy family and lived in a beautiful mansion in Chelsea with her brother Henry and their parents - Henry and Martina Lamb.
Henry is a budding sociopath, somewhat quirky, and maybe a little crazy. But deep within him is something just a little off. Maybe his brain is wired differently because while he can appear charming and attractive at times there is a darker side of him that you don't want to mess with. And is everything as it appears? Was he a victim of circumstance? Or is there more to the story that he has neglected to share with us?
Between them - Libby, Lucy and Henry - they are the three voices of this somewhat twisted tale of complexities. In typical dual timeline fashion, the story unravels in the past and present, manipulating the reader in classic Jewell modus operandi.
Lucy's story is a painful one which she keeps locked firmly in the past but it is clear from the start, that whatever happened within those walls all those years ago, have made a huge impact on the woman she is today. And slowly but surely, through hand to mouth and perseverance, she finally makes it back to England with one goal in mind. The baby is 25.
Henry is a little different. From the moment David and Sally Thomsen took up residence with Birdie and Justin in their house, along with their children Phineas and Clemency, Henry has felt a burning attraction to Phin, despite being only 11 years old at the time. He is obsessed with him, watches him, emulates him; wants to be like him. And one night, he becomes Phin. But despite his odd tendancies, it is through Henry we see what is really happening at 16 Cheyne Walk. It is through Henry's eyes, you get a real sense of what life was like for the children within that house. And while you may not connect with him, you do feel for him and the others.
When Libby inherits 16 Cheyne Walk, she fully intends to sell it. What does she need with a huge mansion in Chelsea with all those rooms and no one to fill it? But before she does, she wants to know what happened there. She wants to uncover its secrets and learn what truly happened to her parents on that night 24 years ago and what happened to her brothers and sisters. She teams up with Miller Roe, who originally covered a story about the house and what happened within its walls, as they begin their search for the truth. Little did she know, that delving into such secrets would result in uncovering even worse secrets that had been buried even longer than she had been alive.
Now I had begun reading this book when I had heard it involved animal abuse, and while I can tolerate abuse of almost every other kind, I cannot stomach the abuse, torture or painful deaths of animals in graphic detail - especially dogs. I got five chapters in, had met Fitz the dog, and before long I was envisioning him meeting an untimely torturous end. When I posted my original review on Twitter, tagging and apologising Lisa Jewell, she contacted me and was saddened I felt I couldn't continue the book based on what I had been advised about animal abuse. She then went on to tell me the exact nature of the "animal's demise" and assured me that is as graphic as it was.
So feeling somewhat relieved after speaking with the author herself, I decided to give it another and picked it up from where I left off. I soon became completely encapsulated within the story and didn't want to leave. And when I did reach the point of the said animal's demise, I found it featured very very briefly in the story - no more than half a dozen lines - and that it wasn't graphic at all, as it was really only mentioned in passing. I was also relieved to discover that Fitz made the journey to England with Lucy and the children, and remained alive and well throughout. I don't believe I am giving away any spoilers when I say that.
Needless to say, I was so glad that I decided to give THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS another go, and boy, was I ever!! The entire tale was enthralling, psychological, twisted and creepy. There are many twisted characters in this book - some of whom you will love to hate! And one of which will remain with me for some time to come for his complete need for control of everyone, whilst reaping everything for himself. He so got under my skin and will remain there for some time to come.
THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS is a creepy and disturbing tale with that ominous and atmospheric feel that encompasses the reader completely. For me, I found that it was a completely different tale than one of which Jewell has delivered in the past.
Lisa Jewell is a master storyteller and her tales are always encapsulating - claustrophobically so - but intriguing. And THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS is no different...except that it feels even more claustrophobic given the direction of the storyline. But don't take my word for it - grab a copy yourself and jump right in! You won't be sorry...
I would like to thank #LisaJewell, #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK and #Cornerstone for an ARC of #TheFamilyUpstairs in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment