If this isn’t the most appropriate title for the insanity we’re currently experiencing throughout the world today, I don’t know what is.
Coronavirus is a very real concern currently, and it should be treated as such. Possible pandemics are always the catalyst for some of the best dystopia novels, so if you’re a true bibliophile you’re probably well-versed in the plethora of ways humans can/will meet their demise.
However, my (less hysterical) take away at this time is this: practice good hygiene, stay calm, spend some time with loved ones within your home, and read some freakin’ awesome books. I for one will be doing all of these things, and I encourage everyone else to be productive and relaxed as well. There’s only so much we as the general public can do during uncertain times of crisis. This isn’t the Hunger Games (yet), so WASH YOUR HANDS AND CHILL.
On to more fun/less apocalyptic topics:
Lock Every Door is every young person’s nightmare…Okay, the topic is less apocalyptic, but still pretty terrifyingly realistic.
Positive Note: It might just be enough to get the reader’s mind off of imminent illness and death, and since the plot’s only real cause for impending doom requires leaving home, reader’s (currently) have nothing to fear! Boom, you’re welcome.
Jules Larsen is young, family-less, jobless, and quite recently single. Life has dealt her hand after hand of raw deals, heartbreak, and loneliness. Finding herself beholden to the goodness of her only friend in the world as a couch surfing freeloader, she stumbles upon a job offer that seems too good to be true. But as desperate as she is to get back on her feet, Jules knows she can’t afford to pass it up.
One of Manhattan’s most prestigious historical apartment buildings, the Bartholomew, is currently seeking an apartment sitter for one of its vacant units. For three months, Jules will have the chance to bask in the elegant confines of one of the most well-known (and mysterious) buildings of NYC.
Of course, there’s a catch. There are rules to be followed upon accepting a position as an apartment sitter in this building. No guests allowed in the building at any time, no nights allowed to be spent away from the building, no talking to/bothering the residents, no mail to be sent to the building, and so on. If all the rules are followed and no further questions are asked, $12,000 is set to be made.
But as Jules gets to know the layout of the building and it’s residents, tantalizing questions begin to arise. Questions and disappearances from the past that Jules can’t ignore…because her own life may hang in the balance.
As Jules searches for answers, her time is ticking away. Will she make it out alive?
Yooooo, this book went in a direction I did not anticipate. My initial thought was this was going to be more spooky/ghost story-like because of the history surrounding the building. The reader will pick up fairly early on that this isn’t the case.
This story is a blend between classic thriller and millennial horror. There are lots of spins the reader might anticipate, but with an ending that is wholly original. The Bartholomew was the perfect setting for this story and the history of the building is spine-chilling, to say the least. The building was a character in itself and one of my favorite parts about the book. From the old-time cage elevator, to the creepy face/flower red wallpaper, to the archaic dumbwaiter, all of the details about the Bartholomew are intricate. In fact, I really think The Bartholomew would have been a much better title. Just saying.
I felt a lot of compassion for Jules, a character who has lost so much in her young life and finds herself financially and personally destitute. She feels like a younger sister the reader worries over and wants to warn about sketchy situations she might find herself in. Suffice it to say, Jules makes some not-so-wise choices, but all in the name of survival. Initially, Jules comes off as a young woman lacking direction and purpose. But by the end of the book, the reader will sense that spine of steel buried within.
If you’re looking for a thriller that’s creepy-not-too-scary and will keep you engrossed at least for one whole day (because you’re going to need to fill up all this time, lets be honest), then this is a book for you.
Remember: Keep calm, wash your hands, read good books. We’ll get through this together. *hugs*
Happy & healthy (wash your hands!) reading!
Lexi
