A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

Title: Lock the Doors

Author: Vincent Ralph

Genre: Horror, Suspense, Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Crime

Warning: Domestic Violence, PTSD, Death, Child Abuse/Neglect

Date Started: January 8th, 2023

Date Finished: January 8th, 2023

Status: Finished

Rating: 3.5/5

Sypnosis: A brand new addictive, twisty thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of 14 WAYS TO DIE.

Tom's family have moved into their dream home. But pretty soon he starts to notice that something is very wrong - there are strange messages written on the wall and locks on the bedroom doors. On the OUTSIDE.

The previous owners have moved just across the road and they seem like the perfect family. Their daughter Amy is beautiful and enigmatic but Tom is sure she's got something to hide. And he isn't going to stop until he finds the truth behind those locked doors. . .

Will their dream home become a nightmare?

Review: Ever since his father left them, Tom and his mother's life has been filled with nothing more than domestic violence. The men in his mother's life were nothing more than monsters until his mother met Jay. Jay brought along his daughter, Nia, and all of them moved into -what his mother called: her dream house. But there are weird things in this house that Tom cannot explain from writing on the wall to holes in the door. Even more, the former owners of the home moved just a bit across the street. As walls go up around his neighbor's house, Tom sets out to find answers about his own home and his only source of finding out the truth lies in Amy.

This story was rather interesting. I had picked it up because the premise sounded promising and I had seen it being advertised on BookTok. I could not put the book down until the very end and I have to say the whole story was something different from the others.

The only thing about it was the slow pace. The story bored me in the beginning and there were moments I wanted to put the book down and pick up something else, but I knew doing so would put this book on the back burner and I hate doing that. So, I marched on. I felt sorry for Tom. He seemed to disconnect from everything, especially during the moments he had seen his mother being abused. I don't think any child understands how anyone would hurt another person, but at the same time, the mother picked up some lousy men to attach to. Jay was different. He had two children and he loved them immensely. I know he was trying to get to know Tom, but Tom had set boundaries believing he was just a wheel outside the family dynamic. I know there were a few times he wanted to connect with his stepsister but he did not know how. She already had a brother that made her smile and laugh every time he came to the house.

I wish Tom had made some effort to place himself within the family and I get children of domestic violence don't know how to do so. Anxiety and wariness war within these children because they are afraid to get close to anyone. They don't know if these people will be the same as the other men in his mother's life and I get that. I get it all. But I also know that Jay was trying to get to know Tom and because of that, I think his stepsister was not sure how to approach him as well. I mean, she was distant but I also wish she took the initiative to know him.

I wish to recommend this book to anyone because I think many should form their own opinions of the book and perhaps enjoy it more.