If you know me at all, then you’ll know that alongside my love of cosy, romantic fiction, I also hold a special place in my heart for horror. Anything to do with spirits, hauntings, demons, poltergeists, possessions… I am there for it. That’s not to say that I’m not a massive wimp though, because believe me when I say that I absolutely am, yet I still delight in scaring myself witless and reading books like this well into the early hours of the morning, in the darkness of my room. I’ll push myself on until the fear really becomes unbearable, and only then will I give in and turn off my Kindle.
So, when I stumbled upon ‘The Home’ by Mats Strandberg, I couldn’t help but to click the ‘request’ button on NetGalley, and I was delighted when I received an email not long afterwards informing me that I had been accepted. I started the novel pretty much immediately. I could not wait to see what Mats Strandberg had in store for me. After a swift read of the blurb, and a glance at the eerie cover image, I had a feeling it was going to be right up my street. Now that I’ve finished reading it, I’m pleased to inform you all that I was right.
Strandberg begins his novel with a rather emotionally striking opening chapter. It is here that readers are introduced to Joel, a troubled man with a dark and secretive past, who is currently in the difficult situation of moving his dear mother, Monika, to a nursing home for patients at differing stages of dementia. As the chapter picks up pace, we begin to learn of the troubles Noel has faced with trying to keep his mother safe in her own home. It becomes obvious that Monika is struggling to take care of herself, and her ability to continue with her life as normal is no longer an option. Putting herself at risk daily is more than enough to encourage Noel to make the decision to take his mother to Pineshade, a facility where other people like her reside, and although it’s not an easy decision for Noel to make, he knows that it is for the best, and that his mother will be cared for in a more appropriate, structured way.
Once Monika is settled within Pineshade, the novel really takes a hold of the reader and begins to take the pace up a notch. It is here where Nina is then introduced to the reader, who we find out is an old friend of Joel’s, and who will also be caring for Monika during her stay in the nursing home. As the story begins to take shape, and we begin to see the links forming between the characters, something darker comes into play, and suddenly, this novel becomes something else entirely.
Mats Strandberg is an author entirely new to me, but after reading ‘The Home’, I’m certain that this is an author who I’ll be keeping an eye on in the future. Although I love to read horror, it’s not my most-read genre, so I don’t have a lot of authors I can turn to when I fancy something a lot darker and more chilling, but now I can safely add Mats Strandberg to that list because this was such an enjoyable, addictive, unique and chilling novel, I already want more from this author.
Strandberg is excellent at creating an atmosphere that draws you in and holds you prisoner. There were numerous moments throughout this book where I felt like I could hardly breathe, the tension palpable, the mood heavy and suffocating. It was perfect, I felt, for the goings-on between the pages, and the author couldn’t have managed to get the balance of it anymore perfect. The eeriness was almost too much to handle at certain points throughout the novel. There were chapters where the characters did things that sent a chill down my spine, and I had to quickly busy myself with something to shake away the image that Strandberg had planted in my mind.
The plot itself was of a mysterious nature. I couldn’t quite tell in which direction I would be taken, although I was more than happy to sit back and allow the author to lead the way. I was always eager to know what would happen next, and I found myself looking forward to each forthcoming chapter titled ‘Pineshade’, possibly more so than the others, as this is where my nerves truly trembled and where my interest always piqued.
‘The Home’ by Mats Strandberg was a strange and satisfyingly creepy novel which unravelled in the most unique of settings. This story dug right beneath my skin and remained there long after I turned the final page. I’m certain that the characters from within will be the one thing that returns to my mind each time I turn the lights out.
The Book Babe is giving ‘The Home’ by Mats Strandberg a rating of four out of five. I’d like to thank Jo Fletcher Books (Quercus Books) for the advanced reading copy of this book, that of which has no reflection on my giving a fair and honest review.
Once inseparable, Joel and Nina haven’t spoken in twenty years. When Joel’s mother Monika develops dementia, he has no choice but to return to his home town. Monika needs specialist care, and that means Pineshade – which also means Joel is going to have to deal with his one-time best friend, for Nina works there. It’s not long before Monika’s health deteriorates – she starts having violent, terrifying outbursts, and worse, she appears to know things she couldn’t possibly know. It’s almost as if she isn’t herself any more… but of course, that’s true of most of the residents at Pineshade. Only Nina and Joel know Monika well enough to see the signs; only by working together can they try to find answers to the inexplicable…
You can grab your copy of ‘The Home’ by Mats Strandberg here.
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