Goodreads’ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The House Mate is a psychological thriller that blew me away and caused me to rethink my perceptions of the entire story after the book came to an end.
What I Loved
I love that there are so many themes running through the plot. The most obvious of these themes is the overuse of social media and how people can’t distinguish between reality and the carefully filtered world of Instagram. The main character, Regi, is drawn into the world of #cleanstagram, and she quickly learns about trolls and tries to save her favorite Instagrammer from the mocking comments of one such person by locating that person and paying him/her a visit. Are you cringing yet? Well, you should be.
Along with the theme of the overuse of social media, there are more subtle related themes of perception versus reality and the ability to hide in plain sight while rewriting your own story. Regi changed her name as a reflection of wanting to change her story. The big mystery is why? What is she running from? There are many more themes I could identify, and I loved how each developed throughout the story. It provides lots to discuss long after I finished the book.
My favorite character is Sophia, one of Regi’s housemates. Genuine diagnosable OCD is a challenging disorder to live with as much for the person who has it as those who live with that person. It takes patience and understanding that are unusual to see in college-age young men and women. Still, in that sea of misunderstanding, Sophia, with her gentle ways and empathy, never wavered. She is an excellent reminder that mental health disorders are an illness, not a choice.
I especially love the ending of this story. I went along, keeping a pretty fast pace and glued to the book, though not understanding where the story was trying to go. And, then, the end happened, and I was blown away. I read so many psychological thrillers that surprises don’t happen as much as I’d like, but The House Mates not only surprised me with the ending, it made me realize that my whole perception of the story had been incorrect. I am in total awe of any novel that can blow my mind, and The House Mate not only blew my mind, but it shook it up and spat it back out.
To Read or Not to Read
If you are a psychological thriller-junkie like me, you won’t want to miss this shocking, fast-paced tale of misperceptions.
About the Book
The perfect life? …Or the perfect lie?
When Regi moves into her new house share, she’s ready for a clean slate. A new home. A new routine. A new identity…
Desperate to escape the shadow of her past that follows her everywhere she goes, Regi finds the ideal distraction in the perfect lives of others on social media.
But as innocent scrolling turns into an unhealthy obsession, Regi will soon learn that seeking perfection comes at a price…
A gripping psychological suspense from the international bestselling author of The Daughter In Law. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, K L Slater and Jackie Kabler.
Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3a12zLN
About the Author
Nina Manning studied psychology and was a restaurant-owner and private chef (including to members of the royal family). She is the founder and co-host of Sniffing The Pages, a book review podcast. Her debut psychological thriller, The Daughter in Law, was a bestseller in the UK, US, Australia and Canada. She lives in Dorset.
Social Media Links –
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YouTube: https://youtu.be/6-s3uIGpNUo
Podcast: Podcast: www.anchor.fm/ninamanning
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nina-manning
22 responses to “Book Review | The House Mate by Nina Manning”
It blew you away then I have got to read this. Mind blowing review. Made me want to ditch my present book
It’s just so shocking when you get to the end and realize that you read it all wrong! Loved that about it ❤️
This look.like a great read. Adding to the every growing TBR list. Great review Tessa!!
Thank you so much! I don’t get thoroughly surprised much but this book does just that.
Wow amazing review!
Thank you 🙏😊
I wouldn’t have thought of social media and OCD as going together. Interesting. Great review, Tessa.
It really works and social media definitely has the possibility of feeding the neurosis. Who knew that #cleanstagram is a thing but it is. 🤷🏻♀️
I’m liking the sound of this and will check it out! Excellent review, Tessa💜
It’s pretty wild. You just have to know that you read it wrong and be able to switch gears and think about the story as it actually was told. People who didn’t like it as much did not seem to appreciate that aspect of it but I loved the shockingness of it.
Well, you know I’m going to HAVE to read this after that review. I feel like Shalini.
As good as my current book is, I have been longing to dive into a really good psyche read again. This sounds totally awesome!
I think it is. You just have to be willing to let go of what you thought you were reading and embrace the genius of what you actually were reading. I like when books mess with my mind. The people who didn’t enjoy it as much weren’t as enamored with the messing with your mind aspect.
I actually like when that happens. I already hopped over to Amazon and grabbed a copy. Now it’s just a matter of finding the time to work it into my very messy TBR, LOL!
Tell me about it. It was a pretty quick read though and I know that helps.
Great review, thanks Tessa. It’s added to the list!
Thank you 🙏😊
What an endorsement – saying the ending changed your whole perception of the book, Tessa. Really makes me want to read this one.
It’s very surprising.
Awesome review Tessa. I second Shalini😊
It is quite good and thoroughly surprising!
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