We Used to Live Here Summary

What happens when your dream home becomes your worst nightmare?
Marcus Kliewer’s We Used to Live Here delivers a skin-crawling blend of psychological horror and supernatural suspense that makes readers question the boundaries between the living and the dead. Shortlisted for the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards in two categories—Readers’ Favorite Horror and Debut Novel—the book has already gained massive traction, bolstered by its upcoming Netflix adaptation.

Set in a seemingly perfect neighborhood, the novel introduces Charlie and Eve, a young queer couple passionate about flipping homes. But when a stranger knocks on their door claiming to be the house’s former resident, the couple’s lives spiral into a chilling tale of dread, hallucinations, and unspeakable horror.

This We Used to Live Here book summary unpacks the haunting plot, characters, themes, and why it’s become a breakout success. Let’s dive deep into this unsettling debut that refuses to be forgotten.

What Is We Used to Live Here About?

The nightmare begins with a knock.
The novel opens with Charlie and Eve excitedly settling into their newly purchased fixer-upper. The couple has a shared passion for flipping houses and turning old properties into beautiful homes. But their dream quickly turns into a nightmare.

Plot catalyst: A man named Aaron shows up, claiming he used to live in the house.
He asks if his family can walk through it “for old times’ sake.”
Eve, being overly polite, agrees.
That’s when everything begins to unravel.

Strange occurrences follow:

The family overstays their welcome.
A child goes missing.
Charlie disappears.
Eve’s sense of reality begins to collapse.

Kliewer cleverly leaves readers questioning whether the horror is supernatural or psychological. Is Eve hallucinating? Is something truly wrong with the house—or is it the visitors who brought the darkness with them?

What Makes This Book Unique?

A Psychological Descent into Madness

Kliewer masterfully blurs the line between reality and delusion. Readers see events unfold through Eve’s eyes, and as her sanity frays, so does our trust in the narrative.

“The further you delve into its pages, the more immobilized you become by a spiral of terror.”

This quote from Agustina Bazterrica perfectly encapsulates the psychological weight of the book.

Haunting Supernatural Elements

While We Used to Live Here toys with psychological themes, it also embraces classic horror tropes:

Mysterious past occupants
Ghostly presence in the basement
A house that seems to remember

These elements add layers to the story, deepening the tension and leaving readers unsettled long after they finish.

️‍ Queer Representation in Horror

Charlie and Eve’s relationship adds a fresh, inclusive layer to horror storytelling. It’s rare to see queer couples portrayed with depth and normalcy in mainstream horror. Their dynamic grounds the story in emotional realism before the horror takes over.

Key Themes in We Used to Live Here

1. Home as a False Sanctuary

The novel turns the traditional “home = safe space” concept on its head. In Kliewer’s hands, the home becomes a site of paranoia, terror, and disintegration.

2. The Past Haunting the Present

Aaron and his family symbolize unresolved history. Their presence triggers a metaphysical chain reaction, implying that trauma can linger and resurface in terrifying forms.

3. Gaslighting and Mental Decline

As Eve questions what’s real, the novel explores how easily one’s mind can betray them. The strangers’ manipulation and her isolation heighten the suspense.

Character Breakdown

Character	Role	Description
Eve	Protagonist	Sensitive and polite to a fault, she becomes the emotional core of the novel.
Charlie	Partner	Practical and protective, but mysteriously disappears.
Aaron	Antagonist	Former resident of the house with cryptic intentions.
Aaron’s Family	Unknown	Unnerving and possibly

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer Quotes

Unease & Supernatural Hints

“Y-you’re not supposed to be here…” Its timbre was weak and raspy, the voice of an old man just about ready for the grave.
“Earlier, when I went to the h-house, I never—I’m still here. Whoever’s with you, she isn’t me— And the dog, it isn’t Shylo. Shylo is…” She trailed off.
“There was an unusual heaviness to the dark down here, as if it were soaking up the light, hoarding it away for some unknown purpose.”
“It’s the mark of a death cult, Mo, the cymbal monkey, chimed in. This family is part of a demonic death cult and they’re coming back here to finish some kind of ritual and—”
“Don’t understand something? Witchcraft.”

Fear & Anxiety

“Fortunately, over time, that childhood anxiety had faded away, like a brightly colored toy discarded in a sun-bleached desert. Yet, like all childhood monsters, it was only replaced by the mundane, and arguably worse, terrors of adulthood…”
“Eve was the type to blame a bump in the night on the Zodiac Killer.”
“Voluntary exposure is the best way to overcome fear.”
“the simplest explanation was usually correct.”

Character Insights: Eve

“She had a crippling fear of disappointing anyone, even complete strangers—even people she disliked.”
“Of course, a well-adjusted individual would’ve simply told him no. But self-destructive people-pleasing was another of Eve’s plentiful idiosyncrasies.”
“Somehow, she felt responsible for the whole ordeal—her default reaction to most conflict… as if her very existence was a violation of some stone-etched decree.”
“Charlie often joked that there were ‘less than zero photos’ of her in existence… Eve had somehow managed to avoid most cameras since her early twenties.”

Domestic Tension

“Hey, Charlie, you know that house we just put a huge down payment on? Let’s sell it. She needed to strategize more before broaching that…”
“Thomas meandered closer, taking one last look around. ‘Must be nice, huh?’ Eve looked up. ‘Hm?’ He stopped at the threshold… ‘Moving into a new place, fixing it up, settling in.'”

Dark Humor & Sarcasm

“please, kindly, shut the fuck up,”
“Charlie had this uncanny ability to doze off in seconds… Girlfriend freaking out about a shadow person on the basement stairs? Good fucking night.”

Mysterious Encounters

“Wait,” she called out, almost reflexively. The father stopped in his tracks and looked back over his shoulder. Eve cleared her throat. “Fifteen minutes?” He nodded. “Tops.”
“This is Thomas,” Eve said. “He grew up here, was just showing his family around, and—” “And now our daughter is playing spontaneous hide-and-seek in the basement,”
“The woman scratched Shylo behind the ears. ‘Who’s a good girl? Yes you are.’ Shylo’s tail started wagging.”
“Shylo followed too, but at a safe distance. Stranger danger.”

We Used to Live Here Table of Contents

Page Title

Map – House Old

Dedication

Chapters

Outsiders
Lane Memory
Hide-and-Seek
Communion
Refuge
House Old
Run
Shut-Eye
Wake
Stray
Heritage 3707
Friends Old
Stranger (corrected from “er Stran”)
Relic
Light
Thief
Reunion
Getaway
Chase
Spiral
Labyrinth
Home
Family Trouble (corrected from “Trouble Famity”)
Old Wounds

Back Matter

Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright

About the Author: Marcus Kliewer

A rising star in horror fiction.
Marcus Kliewer is a Canadian author known for his dark, psychological storytelling. We Used to Live Here is his debut novel, but he previously gained online fame through Reddit’s “NoSleep” community, where his serialized horror stories attracted millions of readers. His distinctive voice—rooted in psychological tension and human vulnerability—has already earned praise from acclaimed authors like Erin A. Craig and Agustina Bazterrica.

With a Netflix adaptation in development, Kliewer is poised to become a major force in contemporary horror literature.