Eleanor, Richard, their toddler daughter Rosie and baby Isobel move into a four-bedroomed Victorian townhouse in London Fields. The purchase has been quick and smooth - too quick for Eleanor. Whilst Richard is enthusiastic about this once-in-a-lifetime investment, she immediately feels uneasy about what should be their new home. She is particularly disturbed by an "upstairs room" whose walls are covered in the obsessive scribblings left by the enigmatic "Emily", the girl who used to live there. Soon the unease turns into actual physical malaise. Eleanor succumbs to a strange illness which seems to cast a shadow not only on the young family, but also on Zoe, the lodger who takes up residence in the house's basement. Will they escape the house's evil influence before it's too late?

Kate Murray-Browne's debut novel is, first and foremost, a "haunted house" tale which exploits many tropes of the genre. There are night-time terrors, doors with a character of their own, strange writings appearing on walls and mundane objects which take on a sinister significance when they turn up in the unlikeliest of places. Little children play a central role - their vulnerability heightens the sense of danger but, as most of the novel's readers would surely know, their very sensitiveness also makes them an ideal channel for evil presences. Or so would many horror films want us to believe.

As far as ghost stories go, The Upstairs Room is not particularly original or remarkable - though it is certainly well-written and I must say the scares are carefully orchestrated. Some scenes (such as Zoe's attempt to babysit Rosie) definitely creeped me out. I also enjoyed the book's deliberate ambiguity about the nature of the "hauntings" - a feature shared with the best "psychological" ghost stories from Oliver Onion's [b:The Beckoning Fair One|1450719|The Beckoning Fair One|Oliver Onions|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328864481s/1450719.jpg|440264] to Shirley Jackson's [b:The Haunting of Hill House|89717|The Haunting of Hill House|Shirley Jackson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327871336s/89717.jpg|3627] via James's [b:The Turn of the Screw|12948|The Turn of the Screw|Henry James|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443203592s/12948.jpg|990886]. The novel allows for a spectrum of readings - one may shrug off the weird events by giving them a rational, pscyhological explanation, treat them a straightforward "haunting" or seek an interpretation which combines the two.

Within the walls of this haunted house tale, however, resides a very different book - indeed, The Upstairs Room is also a hyper-realist novel which presents us with a slice of contemporary British life. It is inhabited by college and university graduates struggling to make the transition into the working world; young couples with empty bank accounts hunting for living spaces whilst undecided about "settling down"; men and women approaching middle-age who, as in Gabriele Muccino's early movies, keep rueing a youth which has just passed them by. The ghostly house becomes the unlikely symbol of the housing (and other) problems of the young and not-so-young and there are long passages (especially in the novel's third part) where the reader actually forgets that this is a supernatural yarn.

In this respect, The Upstairs Room "sister-novel" could well be Sarah Waters' [b:The Little Stranger|7234875|The Little Stranger|Sarah Waters|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407105269s/7234875.jpg|5769396] In that book, Waters used the "haunted house" tale as a pretext for a social novel set in the austerity of the post-war years. Murray-Browne's debut novel brings us closer to home. This is what makes it worth reading.
( )

I think my high expectation contributed a bit to my disappointment with this book. Also, I thought that this would be a modern ghost story, but it turned out to be a relationship drama with a hint of a ghost story. Now the book isn't badly written, but it was not what I was after. If I wanted to read about problems in a relationship or finding the right man to love would have chosen a book that dealt with that. I wanted a creepy ghost story. This book is neither creepy nor chilling.

Most of the books "haunting" are about Eleanor thinking the house making her sick. She tries to spend most of her time away from the house while trying to make Richard, her husband, believe her. But, he's busy sneaking down into the basement when their lodger Zoe isn't there. I kept on reading the book wanting for something to happen. But, it never did. There was a scene towards the end when I finally thought "this is it, now the story will get more intense," but it was just a false alarm.

The Upstairs Room is a ghost story for people that can't handle a book that really deals with ghosts. It showed promise in the beginning, but in the end, it was a letdown. I mean there was a moment in the book when Eleanor was thinking back to when Richard proposed to her in Venice and all I could think of is this all the book is about, recollections of the past?

I was not the right reader for this book. However, if this feels like a book for you go ahead, but don't expect to be frighted.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )

Eleanor, Richard, their toddler daughter Rosie and baby Isobel move into a four-bedroomed Victorian townhouse in London Fields. The purchase has been quick and smooth - too quick for Eleanor. Whilst Richard is enthusiastic about this once-in-a-lifetime investment, she immediately feels uneasy about what should be their new home. She is particularly disturbed by an "upstairs room" whose walls are covered in the obsessive scribblings left by the enigmatic "Emily", the girl who used to live there. Soon the unease turns into actual physical malaise. Eleanor succumbs to a strange illness which seems to cast a shadow not only on the young family, but also on Zoe, the lodger who takes up residence in the house's basement. Will they escape the house's evil influence before it's too late?

Kate Murray-Browne's debut novel is, first and foremost, a "haunted house" tale which exploits many tropes of the genre. There are night-time terrors, doors with a character of their own, strange writings appearing on walls and mundane objects which take on a sinister significance when they turn up in the unlikeliest of places. Little children play a central role - their vulnerability heightens the sense of danger but, as most of the novel's readers would surely know, their very sensitiveness also makes them an ideal channel for evil presences. Or so would many horror films want us to believe.

As far as ghost stories go, The Upstairs Room is not particularly original or remarkable - though it is certainly well-written and I must say the scares are carefully orchestrated. Some scenes (such as Zoe's attempt to babysit Rosie) definitely creeped me out. I also enjoyed the book's deliberate ambiguity about the nature of the "hauntings" - a feature shared with the best "psychological" ghost stories from Oliver Onion's [b:The Beckoning Fair One|1450719|The Beckoning Fair One|Oliver Onions|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328864481s/1450719.jpg|440264] to Shirley Jackson's [b:The Haunting of Hill House|89717|The Haunting of Hill House|Shirley Jackson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327871336s/89717.jpg|3627] via James's [b:The Turn of the Screw|12948|The Turn of the Screw|Henry James|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443203592s/12948.jpg|990886]. The novel allows for a spectrum of readings - one may shrug off the weird events by giving them a rational, pscyhological explanation, treat them a straightforward "haunting" or seek an interpretation which combines the two.

Within the walls of this haunted house tale, however, resides a very different book - indeed, The Upstairs Room is also a hyper-realist novel which presents us with a slice of contemporary British life. It is inhabited by college and university graduates struggling to make the transition into the working world; young couples with empty bank accounts hunting for living spaces whilst undecided about "settling down"; men and women approaching middle-age who, as in Gabriele Muccino's early movies, keep rueing a youth which has just passed them by. The ghostly house becomes the unlikely symbol of the housing (and other) problems of the young and not-so-young and there are long passages (especially in the novel's third part) where the reader actually forgets that this is a supernatural yarn.

In this respect, The Upstairs Room "sister-novel" could well be Sarah Waters' [b:The Little Stranger|7234875|The Little Stranger|Sarah Waters|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407105269s/7234875.jpg|5769396] In that book, Waters used the "haunted house" tale as a pretext for a social novel set in the austerity of the post-war years. Murray-Browne's debut novel brings us closer to home. This is what makes it worth reading.
( )

Moving house must be one of the most upsetting and unsettling experiences we have to go through at least once in our lives. Sometimes, it may be almost unbearable. Five years ago, my beloved grandma passed away and I moved in her house. It was always meant for me and I remember how she used to beam with ride that her granddaughter would fill the rooms she would leave behind. And yet, when I began to create my own space, I felt so guilty. I felt as if I had no right to alter her house and throw away her furniture. I started seeing weird, frightening dreams that continued for months. And then, I settled in and now I feel her comforting presence and my house became a cocoon that will always protect me. But how much worse can it be when your new house belonged to a complete stranger? Someone who abandoned it under mysterious circumstances?

Eleanor, Richard and their two daughters move to a Victorian four-bedroom house and the problems start almost immediately. The source of the trouble seems to be in an upstairs room whose walls are covered with the word ‘’Emily’’ written in childish letters. When Eleanor sees her eldest daughter changing into a wildling, she begins a fight with the house and the winner isn’t guaranteed.

The story is not original, and yet it is innovative in the sense that it focuses on the characters, the way the house influences them, changing their lives. The steps, the sounds, the things that seem to be moving without any logical explanation provide the background in front of which we see Eleanor's family turning upside down. This is where certain problems of the novel start, in my opinion.

It is fortunate that Eleanor is such a complex, well-written and realistic character. The agony of the mother, the doubts and the persistence to fight through this horrible experience are depicted perfectly, flawlessly. This makes Richard and Zoe’s characters appear even worse than they are. Richard is one of the most irritating, frustrating characters I’ve recently come across. I couldn't fathom why Eleanor chose him as her husband and I cannot understand why she put up with him and his absolute lack of understanding. I mean, if I were a ghost, I would attack him on the spot as a service to mankind. Zoe, on the other hand, is completely indifferent. Like one of those acquaintances you forget they exist until you meet them again. She has the personality of a doormat, tries to convince herself that she’s an artist, but all she thinks about is how to fall in bed. Artistically, mind you…

Therefore, the writing confused me greatly. When the books was a mystery, the writing was top-notch, impeccable. The feeling of dread, the foreboding descriptions were some of the best I’ve ever read. But it went downhill, after the first 150 pages and rarely picked up again. In my opinion, it would be better if we had 15-20% less content. All these details about the main characters weren’t really vital to the story, and Richard, Zoe and Eleanor were not the most interesting people in the planet in terms of life choices.

This brings me to my main complaint about the focus of the story. After a point and following many repetitions, the book moved towards a weird combination of a mystery story and a chic-lit novel of the worst kind. Zoe’s affair was utterly ridiculous, badly written and added nothing to the plot. There was too much focus on sex and less on Zoe's development as a character. If the way she viewed sex had anything to offer to the book, I am sorry but I didn’t notice it. It’s a pity, actually. Modern writers create darkly beautiful Gothic stories and then try their best to destroy them by inserting cheap romance plotlines. Who has told hem that a story is incomplete without romance? Because of this, I skipped a few pages here and there, and I was less enthusiastic about reading further.

A story that could have been 4-5 star-worthy became a 2-3 star rating because of juvenile sex angst and chic-lit clichés. If the end hadn’t been so satisfying, I would have rated it lower than 3, because nothing angers me more as a reader than wasted opportunities. However, you should definitely read it. The mystery part is extremely good and Kate Murray-Browne is clearly talented both with descriptions and with dialogue. Just be aware that the ghost of chick-lit is lurking. Perhaps it will bother you less…

Many thanks to Picador and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I received a free advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

I don’t like horror, I don’t like ghost stories, not as books or films, I honestly chose this based purely on the beautiful cover, I don’t think I even read the blurb. It just goes to show you what a brilliant design can do, I would never have picked this up otherwise, so congratulations to Picador’s design department. Once I realised what sort of book it was I began preparing myself for disappointment but I was pleasantly surprised (or should that be unpleasantly?) by how effectively Murray-Browne's story got its hooks into me.

Eleanor and Richard have recently bought a new family home, a Victorian townhouse in East London. It's a fixer-upper but Richard is determined to make it their dream home. Eleanor is less convinced and the less-than-ideal decor and the fact that they will need a lodger (Zoe) for the basement flat to keep up with the mortgage are nothing compared to the uneasiness she feels inside the house, particularly when the upstairs room reveals the name "Emily" written hundreds of times in a childish hand. And why would anyone put a lock on the outside of a child's bedroom? From day one the house exerts an unpleasant influence over its inhabitants, most disturbingly of all on one of Richard and Eleanor's young daughters.

I found the creepy goings-on genuinely unsettling, leave-the-lights-on unsettling.
Murray-Browne manages to use even well-established ideas in fresh and unexpected way and to chilling effect. The slow build of tension as Eleanor investigates the former owners in an attempt to understand her own hatred of the house, Zoe develops sleep disorders and, most worryingly of all, little Rosie begins to act out in ways that may be a normal phase but may also be something far more sinister.

Where she really comes into her own is the clever way she enhances the (possible) supernatural by intertwining it with the real concerns and anxieties of her characters, their worries and neuroses about their careers, their families, and their life choices. The way that the otherworldly and the mundane all-too-real aspects of these lives feed into each other created believable, complex characters and a multi-layered atmosphere of tension and unease. All of characters are dealing with significant problems in their professional and personal lives, Eleanor and Richard have bought a home they can't really afford, both Richard and Zoe have quit their jobs in the hope of finding something more fulfilling. Neither is really succeeding, Zoe flitting from a temporary secretary position at Richard's old firm to a minimum-wage job in an art shop. Richard spends more time planning home repairs he can't afford and spying on his lodger than finishing the Master's intended to launch his academic career. Eleanor (poor Eleanor) is struggling to cope with being the sole wage-earner and balancing her work and her children and cannot shake the feeling that something in the house is a malign influence on her family. The melding of modern psychological drama with traditional Gothic spooky shows a fascinating insight into how belief in the supernatural can operate, latching onto anxieties and issues that haven't been resolved and projecting agency away from the self in times of uncertainty. It all worked seamlessly and it might have kept me up at night but it was as much about pondering the plights of modern existence as it was keeping an eye out for ghostly influence. (Maybe not quite.) ( )