The House Share by Kate Helm | @KateWritesBooks @bonnierbooks_uk

Author : Kate Helm
Title : The House Share
Pages : 400
Publisher : Bonnier Books UK
Publication date : May 14, 2020

| ABOUT THE BOOK |

Immi thought she had found the perfect new home in central London: a shared warehouse with luxury accommodation, a rooftop terrace and daily yoga, all with a surprisingly affordable price tag. The Dye Factory is a ‘co-living’ community, designed to combat the loneliness of big city life.

But soon after she moves into her new haven, Immi realises that it’s not quite as idyllic as it appears. No one seems to know who is behind this multi-million pound urban experiment. And her housemates may be hiding a dangerous secret . . .

Then, as a series of pranks escalates into something much darker, Immi is left questioning whether, in this group of strangers, she can ever really be safe.

And when you’re sharing a house, you can’t always lock the danger out. 

| MY THOUGHTS |

Like many young people, Immi has been trying to carve out a life for herself in the bright lights of the big city of London. But things haven’t been going so well. Prices of places to live in the capital are high. Immi has been sleeping on the sofa at a friend’s house. Unfortunately for her, she has now outstayed her welcome. The search for a new and preferably more permanent place to live leads her to a place called The Dye Factory. The Dye Factory is a shared warehouse which offers luxury accommodation with a surprisingly affordable price tag. Its aim is to combat the loneliness of big city life. Could this be too good to be true, though?

While I like the idea behind the community spirit The Dye Factory is trying to create, it sounds like my worst nightmare. Not counting my parents, I’ve only ever shared a house with the other half and sometimes even that is pushing my social skills to their limits. Obviously the seven residents have their own rooms but they are often not-so-gently pushed into joining activities, ranging from yoga to partying. A lot of partying. I have no doubt this set-up would appeal to quite a few people but as Immi soon discovers, things aren’t quite what they seem.

Seven residents with their very own quirks, eccentricities and secrets, who quickly turn into suspects when a series of pranks start to spiral out of control. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what was going on or why. I had no idea if any of these people could be trusted, as they all seemed to have something to hide. And that included Immi. Every single one of them came across as quite needy in their own special ways, vulnerable even. Dangerous? Soon you’re left with the feeling this is more of a cult than anything else. But if it is, who’s pulling the strings and what could possibly be their objective?

More questions than answers and I was unable to solve any of them. The House Share is cleverly plotted, leaving the reader suspicious of everything and everyone. There’s a delightfully creepy vibe throughout this unpredictable and twisty tale. Far-fetched maybe, but I couldn’t care less. I thoroughly enjoyed this insanely crazy ride into the wonderfully weird and wacky and found it so addictive and compelling that I flew through it in one hugely entertaining afternoon.

My thanks to the publisher for the review copy!

The House Share is available to buy!

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