The Grip of It by Jac Jemc- Book Review

I tried a book box for the first time and did their horror box. Within the box was a copy of The Grip of It. This book had been on my radar a little bit, so I was glad to receive it. I don't often talk about the cover of the book, but if you are interested in this one, definitely get the paper copy. The cover has spooky "hand drawn" faces on the cover that show when the light hits it just right. It was a great little touch.

Julie and James look for a new home in a small town. The couple are looking to start their lives over again. We don't know why in the beginning of the book, but hints begin to show that there has been some stress in their marriage including a gambling problem for James.

The house they find seems perfect, except it has some strange creaks and groans. James decides to research the house a bit to see the history of the house. Julie stays home as some strange bruises appear on her body.

As one can imagine, the horrors of the house begin to ramp up a bit with strange drawings, a secret journal, and a neighbor who stares at them at seemingly all hours of the day. When the neighbor goes missing, the police become involved with James and Julie as things begin to unravel. The house seeks to consume them and their marriage problems begin to amplify. Will they survive the house?

There are many haunted house novels out there, but I enjoyed Jac Jemc's take on it. It is a slow unraveling of both the characters and the house with enough doubt about whether or not the characters are losing their minds or is it really the house. Jemc adds in a troubled marriage and the doubts begins to grow a little more. Even though we are being told the story through the eyes of James and Julie, we know they are a bit unreliable.

This way an incredibly quick read and made a great weekend read. I highly recommend the paper version. I gave this one 4 stars.