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Unknown things go bump in the night in Stephanie Perkins’ There’s Someone Inside Your House
United By Pop received a free copy of ‘There’s Someone Inside Your House’ in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are our own.
Title: There’s Someone Inside Your House
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Purchase: Available in the UK and the US
Overall rating: 3/5
Great for: Fans of Cat Clarke, Penny Joelson, and Mary G. Thompson
Themes: Young adult, horror, thriller, contemporary and romance
Review: So, when Stephanie Perkins, author of the bestselling romance series that began with ‘Anna and the French Kiss‘, announced that she was penning a YA slasher novel, I was intrigued. The premise sounded so outside of what was expected from this author, that I knew I had to find out how she would tackle some of the more sensitive subject matters that came with the territory of this new genre.
‘There’s Someone Inside Your House’ is a novel about just that. The teens of one small Texan town are terrorised by a mysterious murderer that is slashing the townsfolk inside of their own homes. Even more chillingly, this unknown serial killer seems to be playing psychological games with his victims, prior to their demise. These victims are seemingly random and are only aligned by their shared age range and the high-school they attend. With no parameters to define who the killer is and no clue on how they can stop him, the town is thrown into chaos.
Hawaiian Makani is still the new girl in town. She quickly formed a trio with best friends Darby and Alex and now has her sights set on the town’s other outsider, Ollie. His lip piercing and shocking pink hair mark him as distinctly other, just as Makani feels her skin colour makes her stand out in this bland and predictable town full of people who are all variations of the same. This unlikely pairing will prove to be the alternate perspective the town desires to end the disorder that has descended on their quiet shared existence. Even if they are not aware of it yet
What immediately struck me about this book was how commendable the degree of representation was. Each of the main cast of characters portrayed a diverse outlook that was integral to the impactfulness of the story. This was not just diversity for diversity’s sake, but an authentic collection of characters whose experiences combined to make this both an informative read and one whose many mysteries could not be solved without this alternative perspective to the accepted.
Perkins quite cleverly uses these perspectives to voice an acceptance of those who challenge the status quo and pays homage to the brave who do so in real life. This fictional community represents many small towns that see little change and where a celebration of individuality is sorely lacking. Each character here had their own unique story to tell and their voices combined to make this a truly enlightening experience for both readers and townsfolk alike.
This was also a truly exciting addition to the thriller genre. The novel opens with a chilling scene that sets up the tone for the events that are to follow. With scenes of romance to provided slower-paced intervals to the high-action main plot-line, this is also a book that holds its suspense until the final pages.
Although not suited to those of a sensitive nature, due to the themes of the book, this manages to be a somewhat tamer thriller than most, which was surprisingly refreshing to find. Whilst still providing scenes of bloodshed and gore, the romance and the high-school setting also worked towards allowing the tension to succumb to levels most readers could cope with. There were moments I found distressing but, for the most part, this was both an exciting amalgamation of suspenseful thriller and fun contemporary.
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