The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer |Unsettling, Disturbing and Delightfully Confusing
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Please note this title was provided to me ahead of release by NetGalley
Synopsis
The Caretaker follows Macy Mullins, a woman who’s desperate enough for money to take a strange three-day caretaking job in an isolated house on the Oregon Coast. What looks like a quick fix turns into something far darker, where Macy may be standing between an incomprehensible evil and something much bigger than herself.
Main Character Info and Summary
Macy Mullins – broke, stressed, hates life and struggling to find work. She also supports her younger sister.
Jemma Mullins - Macy’s younger sister, has a case of kleptomania, a little bratty but is trying her best.hatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Review
This was great. Properly creepy, properly unsettling with the author intentionally writing in a way to lead you astray.
The atmosphere created was exceptional. Marcus Kliewer has a writing style that puts your on edge, has you second guessing everything and makes you want more after every scene. There’s this constant sense that something is deeply wrong, even when you have no idea what’s going on. I love it when horror is intentionally confusing! It’s not just “Oh no! I’m lost in this haunted house!” It feels quite…oppressive. It feels mean. It feels like the book is watching you back a bit, which I love!
I really enjoyed how unsettling this was and that it stayed that way, all the way through. I still don’t fully understand what the hell I had read! Even if I said “explain it to me like I’m five”, I still don’t think i’d fully understand. For this kind of story, the ambiguity worked in its favour. It made the whole thing feel stranger, darker and memorable. After I had finished I thought “what the hell was that?!”… but in a good way! In a “please sir I want some more” kind of way.
Macy also works really well as the lead because she feels hardened enough to carry all the weirdness around her. Her own personal and family situation makes the setup believable which in this brilliantly bizarre setup, is needed. You get why she says yes to the job. You understand why she stays longer than she definitely should. Infuriating to the reader at times…maybe. But vital to the story.
I also just really loved the writing throughout. Some novels have a good concept but don’t quite know how to build mood and atmosphere. Thats not the case here! The descriptive style that is used really paints a solid picture of where you are and what everyone one and thing is doing in that particular moment.
Who I’d Recommend This Book To
This would work really well for:
Horror readers who love atmosphere and dread
People who enjoy books that leave you with questions and plenty to theorise about
Readers who like isolated settings, unsettling house and a creeping sense of doom
Anyone who enjoys horror that feels weird and a bit existential
Verdict
This was a full five-star read for me. Creepy, unsettling, deeply weird and brilliantly written, The Caretaker absolutely nailed the atmosphere and left me with that rare horror novel feeling of being both confused and delighted at the same time. I still don’t entirely know what happened, but I had an excellent time having nightmares over it and it’s made me really want to read more from Marcus Kliewer.
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
You can buy this book on Amazon (Affiliate Links):
Paperback - https://amzn.to/4cXrNge
Hardcover - https://amzn.to/4mHhMqG
Kindle: https://amzn.to/4eA3FkW
