The Family Upstairs: A Novel

It took me a bit to get interested as the story is complicated, jumping from different people. As an older person it was good brain work! I have read 3 other novels by Lisa Jewel ad will definitely look at the other books I haven't read yet,

This was just twisty enough for me! I can see why people give up on the story, the bread crumbs to the final reveals are doled out so slowly that it can become tiresome to continue but please continue till the end! The final sentence is so eerily good!

The multiple points of view pull you through the twist and turns of the story. The setting, especially the house, is like a character in its own right. Enjoyed it!

The Family UpstairsDisjointed storyline.It was a little tough for my neuro spicy brain to get into.Can anyone be trusted?I've enjoyed other Lisa Jewell books more.

Biased because I LOVE all her work. This book I am still gathering my full thoughts. It was good and felt predictable when it wasnt predictable. I do enjoy the complexity of lisa jewells work and you feel very connected to characters. This story felt way more character driven vs thriller wtf is going to happen aka “none of this is true”. I did enjoy it basically read half the book in one sitting so it was very engrossing because I needed to know what would happen next. I am not sure if I will read the sequel but I would recommend this to friends who want a character driven lisa jewell book.

I love Jewell’s writing style and how she weaves her stories and characters. I recommend every book by Jewell, always excellent.

I really enjoy this authors books! I’ve been buying a new book every week or two and can’t put them down! I like the style of writing and there is always a surprise near the ending that I didn’t figure out for myself! Always a great read!

This is a fascinating story. I'm not sure how to categorize it; it's not exactly a thriller, not exactly a family drama, not exactly what I think of as a contemporary fiction. Maybe a "famthrillemporary" fiction? Regardless, I loved it. Lisa Jewel's little "jewel," <i>The Family Upstairs,</i> easily earned <b>4.5 Stars</b> from me. What a fantastic companion while I was stuck home in bed with a nasty cough!<b>SUMMARY</b>On her 25th birthday, Libby Jones received a rather large inheritance; a huge house in Chelsea worth millions! Orphaned as an infant and raised solidly middle class by her adoptive family, Libby knew very little about her birth parents. She did know there may have been some money and that she may inherit something upon turning 25, but she had no idea it would be anywhere near that much.After meeting with the estate lawyer, she learned there was much more to her story than she could have ever imagined. Her parents had once been fabulously wealthy and quite social but somehow their lives took a major detour. When they died, it appeared as though they may have been cult members who entered into a suicide pact. The Chelsea mansion, once filled with the finest furnishings money could buy, was practically empty. They were emaciated and living in squalor. There had been children living in the house. In fact Libby had a brother and a sister, but when the bodies were discovered there was no sign of any children other than Libby. Libby was desperate to find out what happened to her family so she began an investigation, determined to find her missing siblings. What she found out unfolded into a fascinating story that kept me up late into the night, unable to tear myself away.<b>WHAT I LOVED</b>What must be happening in Lisa Jewel's imagination?!? This story was not at all what I was expecting. It had kind of a 1970's cult leader/commune vibe to it although the majority of the back story took place the late 1980's to the early 1990's. It was a fascinating story of manipulation and the slow progressive work of a very charming sociopath taking control over a vulnerable, lonely, aimless woman and working his way into the lives and pocketbooks of this woman and her family. It was amazing to watch him slowly chip away at them, insinuating himself more and more into their lives, one manipulation at a time until he unilaterally called all the shots.Brit-Lit! I love my brit-lit so much and this is my favorite kind; Rich People Brit -Lit! So darn intriguing! I was just picturing this gilded mansion inhabited by private school accented kids complete with their uniforms, a mum decked out in designer clothes with big hair and hot pink lipstick, and a fat cat, Jag driving dad just so pompous and proud of himself for snagging the young pretty wife. What an ideal backdrop for a tale of power struggles, desperation, greed and manipulation.I love these characters! They are so very well written and so interesting. I absolutely loved Lucy and Henry. Both were so multifaceted. Although I wish I had known more about the mums; Martina and Sally. I would have been interested in hearing the story from their point of view.The ever changing relationships and the tenuous control power was the probably the best part of the book. Then there was the ever present question of who was really <i>bad</i>, that kept me guessing throughout the book.There was a readers guide at the end which helped me sort through my many feeling after reading. It was the little but therapy that I definitely needed.<b>WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE</b>I loved most things about this book, but as mentioned above, I wish I'd see more of Sally and Martina's perspective. There are occasional glimpses into Martina's thoughts, when either she or her husband, try to explain the situation to Henry, but I feel like those were the watered down explanations one would use when talking to their child. I really want to know more about what they really felt about David and Birdie. That's really my only complaint.<b>OVERALL</b>This is a unique book that I truly enjoyed reading. I think it would make a great book club choice. There a many potential discussions.