DNF.
There has to be a sane reason for staying when EVERYONE knows something is wrong with the house. You’ve been given a financial out, nothing is holding you there except your pride. You’ve lost my empathy.

Reason read: haunted house challenge
I received this book in an Indiespensible box May 2017 and it was time to read it. It is the story of a husband and wife who buy a house which is haunted. The house nearly ruins their marriage and their health. It is told in back and forth very short chapters by her and then him.

The couple move from a city to a more rural location that is near a forest and a body of water. The house is large with a lot of secret rooms and strange noise. The forest is filled with children and/or birds. The water seems predatory. There's a cave. A lot of creepy things but none of it ever makes a unified connection at least to me. ( )

Psychologically chilling and had me creeped out more than I expected. I really liked these characters too. ( )

***Contains Spoilers***

I couldn't put this book down! Filled with the slow, creeping dread type of horror. You're never quite sure if the main characters are slowly going insane or if there really is something wrong with their house. You get just enough clues that you could make a compelling argument either way. I personally think that Rolf's sister was hiding in the walls and was the cause of all the strange happenings. ( )

I tried a book box for the first time and did their horror box. Within the box was a copy of The Grip of It. This book had been on my radar a little bit, so I was glad to receive it. I don't often talk about the cover of the book, but if you are interested in this one, definitely get the paper copy. The cover has spooky "hand drawn" faces on the cover that show when the light hits it just right. It was a great little touch.

Julie and James look for a new home in a small town. The couple are looking to start their lives over again. We don't know why in the beginning of the book, but hints begin to show that there has been some stress in their marriage including a gambling problem for James.

The house they find seems perfect, except it has some strange creaks and groans. James decides to research the house a bit to see the history of the house. Julie stays home as some strange bruises appear on her body.

As one can imagine, the horrors of the house begin to ramp up a bit with strange drawings, a secret journal, and a neighbor who stares at them at seemingly all hours of the day. When the neighbor goes missing, the police become involved with James and Julie as things begin to unravel. The house seeks to consume them and their marriage problems begin to amplify. Will they survive the house?

There are many haunted house novels out there, but I enjoyed Jac Jemc's take on it. It is a slow unraveling of both the characters and the house with enough doubt about whether or not the characters are losing their minds or is it really the house. Jemc adds in a troubled marriage and the doubts begins to grow a little more. Even though we are being told the story through the eyes of James and Julie, we know they are a bit unreliable.

This way an incredibly quick read and made a great weekend read. I highly recommend the paper version. I gave this one 4 stars. ( )