This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno | Book Review

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This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: MCD x FSG Originals

Publication date: 12th October 2021

Blurb:

It was Vera’s idea to buy the Itza. The “world’s most advanced smart speaker!” didn’t interest Thiago, but Vera thought it would be a bit of fun for them amidst all the strange occurrences happening in the condo. It made things worse. The cold spots and scratching in the walls were weird enough, but peculiar packages started showing up at the house—who ordered industrial lye? Then there was the eerie music at odd hours, Thiago waking up to Itza projecting light shows in an empty room.

It was funny and strange right up until Vera was killed, and Thiago’s world became unbearable. Pundits and politicians all looking to turn his wife’s death into a symbol for their own agendas. A barrage of texts from her well-meaning friends about letting go and moving on. Waking to the sound of Itza talking softly to someone in the living room...

The only thing left to do was get far away from Chicago. Away from everything and everyone. A secluded cabin in Colorado seemed like the perfect place to hole up with his crushing grief. But soon Thiago realizes there is no escape—not from his guilt, not from his simmering rage, and not from the evil hunting him, feeding on his grief, determined to make its way into this world.

Review:

I have been waiting for a book like this. I am a massive psychological thriller reader but wanted to branch more into horror. I'd heard about This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno a lot and I was initially intrigued by the synopsis. A seemingly possessed smart home speaker? I'm in. But it is so much more.

The story is written as though it is being told by Thiago to his late wife Vera. We learn that Vera was "accidentally" killed and Thiago is retelling the story of her funeral, their life before she died and what happened following her death.

To me, it feels like two different stories but works so well. I absolutely loved the description of their relationship. Vera decides to purchase a smart home device called Itza and strange things start happening. They hear scratching in the walls, odd packages arrive that haven't been ordered. Following Vera's death, Thiago moves to Colorado, of course leaving the Itza behind, but the supernatural instances keep occurring.

This book is graphic and there are a lot of gruesome scenes. I listened to this on audio and had to go back and listen to the end twice. Damn near perfect.