🧠👁️ Psychological horror readers: What scares you more—a supernatural entity you can see, or a horror that slowly makes you question your own mind?
Name of Book: Home Sick
Author: Rhiannon Grist
Publisher: Solaris
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
No. of Pages: 288
Format: Netgalley DRC
“The symmetry should have tipped me off.”
After a violent incident at work, Tamsin goes looking for a fresh start in a remote cottage far away from her old life. Here she could make real friends, find a job she loves, become a whole new person, even.
But the solitary cottage is actually a semi-detached, with only a thin wall separating her from a total stranger. Her neighbour is an enigma. Dowdy one moment, vivacious the next, but always wearing an unnerving smile. Tamsin can’t shake the feeling that there’s something wrong with her, especially when she starts experiencing disturbances in her own home.
As the locals share strange stories about her house, and her barely contained paranoia spirals out of control, Tamsin begins to suspect that the past she was so desperate to escape might never let her go.
My Opinion
Home Sick by Rhiannon Grist is a psychological horror story centred around loneliness, isolation, and the lasting impact of childhood trauma.
Tamsin is a young woman who desperately wants to make friends, but her childhood has been deeply affected by her father’s actions. When she tries to leave the past behind by starting over in a new house and building a new life, those old fears inevitably find their way back to her.
The story moves at a slow pace, with much of the narrative focusing on Tamsin’s mental state and the psychological consequences of her past. If you’re expecting a traditional haunted-house horror, this might not be what you’re looking for. The house itself is less important than Tamsin’s internal struggles, and the story explores her trauma in much greater depth.
The author also introduces elements involving another entity, but I felt these additions were not particularly effective and failed to make much of an impact on the overall story.
For me, the *climax was easily the strongest part*. It felt like watching someone break out of a shell and emerge into an entirely new skin. There was something liberating and transformative about it that really resonated with me. As an introvert myself, I found this aspect of Tamsin’s journey particularly meaningful.
Overall, Home Sick is more of a *character-driven psychological horror about loneliness and trauma* than a conventional horror story. While the slow pacing and supernatural elements didn't always work for me, the climax gave the story the emotional impact I was looking for.
- Characters ------------------ ⭐⭐⭐
- Atmosphere ---------------- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Writing Style -------------- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Plot ------------------------- ⭐⭐⭐
- Intrigue -------------------- ⭐⭐⭐
- Logic ---------------------- ⭐⭐⭐
- Enjoyment ---------------- ⭐⭐⭐
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