Book Review: You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor Books (April 21, 2020)
Length: 256 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Wow, what did I just read!? Talk about being bowled over, considering I’d been on the fence on this book for a while due to the strangeness of its description. Admittedly, I only picked up You Let Me In because it had been languishing in my review pile and I needed a quick fantasy read for Wyrd & Wonder, but I ended up loving it to bits. Guess it just goes to show, you never know until you try.
But first, if you’re considering this book, my advice is not to put too much stock in its synopsis, which severely undersells what it’s actually about. This is no mere crime drama or murder mystery, for its true nature defies genre labels and encompasses so much more. At the heart of this tale is Cassandra Tripp, a 74-year-old romance author known for her steamy novels and the fact she was the main suspect at the murder trial of her husband almost forty years ago. Although she was acquitted, many questions related to the case were never solved, and now Cassandra is missing, leading police to believe that her disappearance may be linked to her dubious past. As more than a year has passed since she vanished without a trace, however, the authorities have reason to believe she is dead, thus putting in motion the procedures stipulated in her will regarding her sizeable estate.
In life, Cassandra was an eccentric prone to flights of fancy, so it was no surprise to anyone, least of all to her niece Penelope and nephew Janus, that her last wishes were filled with bizarre conditions. As her sole beneficiaries, they were each given the same instructions: to go to their aunt’s house in the woods, find a manuscript in her study and discover within a password that they can use to claim their inheritance—that is, should they decide they still want it after reading the manuscript, which turns out to be a wildly uncanny and oftentimes chilling account of Cassandra’s life growing up among a group of faeries only she could see, as well as the truth of what really happened to her husband.
As you’ve probably guessed, You Let Me In is this manuscript, a tell-all style memoir told from Cassandra’s point of view, revealing a troubled childhood and a long history with mental illness—or at least, that’s what her parents and the doctors said were the causes of her odd behaviors and anti-social tendencies. But to Cassandra, her faeries were very real, and it all began with the Pepper-Man, who is nothing like a child’s typical imaginary friend. A monstrous creature, he started visiting Cassandra when she was just a girl, and as you’ll soon see from this dark tale, he’s had a hand in almost everything bad that has happened to her since, even if no one believes her.
Although the niece and nephew are just peripheral pieces in this novel, I think it helps that the author really puts you in their shoes from the start, so that as the reader you feel fully invested in knowing the outcome of the story. After all, a lot of money is on the line, and the opportunity to finally learn everything there is to know about your crazy aunt is just too tempting to resist. But after a while, Cassandra’s voice emerges as a powerful force on its own, and then of course, the tragedies, shock, and horror take over in providing a strong hook. Let’s just say calling this one a twisted fairy tale is an understatement, for I guarantee it will mess with your mind in more ways than it’s ever been messed with before.
One reason for this is the unique way this narrative unfolds, and here I really have to hand it to Camilla Bruce for taking on this challenging mode of storytelling and pulling it off with flying colors. It relies on the unreliable narrator device to some extent, resulting in multiple versions of events, leaving it up to you to decide what to believe. The intrigue and mystery behind this aspect of the novel was what appealed to me the most and kept me glued the pages. That said, I can see how the unconventional style might turn some readers off, and I suspect the fact that we’re stuck in Cassandra’s head the whole time will also make some folks uncomfortable. It isn’t always a happy or nice place to be, and whether it’s due to some past trauma or just the way her brain is wired, sometimes her reactions or attitudes will come across frustratingly dispassionate or just plain off. Finally, this book also deals with some sensitive topics and difficult subject matters some readers might struggle with, so I advise discretion.
If this book sounds like something you would enjoy though, go ahead and check it out. I for one am glad I gave it a try, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more by Camilla Bruce, because if this is what she has for us for her debut, she clearly has a promising writing career in front of her.
The BiblioSanctum 
I went back and forth with reading this book. I mean, I was intrigued, but the more reviews I’ve read the less sure I was. It seems to be a weird wtf ride.
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It really is! From the early reviews I read, I didn’t think I would like it because of how weird it sounded. But it ended up very different than I thought 🙂
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The unreliable narrator theme is one I always find intriguing, because it tends to mislead the readers and bowl them over with unexpected twists. I already heard about the harsh details of this story, but they don’t scare me: on the contrary, I’m keenly curious about what promises to be a very unique read. Thank you so much for sharing this! 🙂
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Oh yes, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with the more twisted aspects of the story…in fact, you may relish them 😀
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Well indeed that’s kind of a don’t judge…. I am glad it was such a great surprise!
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For sure! I love being surprised like this! 😀
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Ah yes many things in this one and I confess that I didn’t know about it but I would be curious to try as well.
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It was definitely a mind trip!
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I loved this, I’m glad you picked it up because I recall you weren’t convinced. Is it a story of mental illness/other horrible unmentionables or was it a step into the world of the fae – unreliable narrator and difficult to really pin down.
Lynn 😀
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True, I definitely was not convinced I would like this – so much of what I read made me think this would be too weird for me. Boy, was I wrong! Yes, it was weird, but somehow it worked! 😀
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I loved everything about this book, especially the format. It would have been an entirely different story if she’d told it through multiple POVs. I’m so glad you decided to read it!
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So true! The format was limiting, but it was so effective. It wouldn’t have worked as well any other way!
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I am not sure about the unreliable, but done well, then sure
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For sure, I’ve been reading so many “unreliable narrator” books lately, and not all of them have been this good.
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So you and Tammy both loved this one and that’s basically all the endorsement I need!
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Yep, thanks to Tammy and Lynn’s reviews I decided to try this one and I’m so glad I did! Hope you get to check it out too!
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This sounds really cool – thanks for the rec, Mogsy!
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You’re welcome! Glad I was able to put it on your radar 😀
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Just double checked to be sure it’s in my TBR. It seems an incredibly strong debut has got to be a thrilling, and incredibly frightening, thing for a new author. And for the reader it’s fantastic.
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Definitely! I do highly recommend it 😀
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Oooh, this sounds amazing. just placed a hold from the library!
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Awesome! Hopefully the hold comes in soon!
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I think it said about a month wait but that’s okay cuz I have other things to read in the meantime. 🙂
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The synopsis part of your review made me think of the Twisted Ones because of the whole manuscript thing and older person dies/disappears. I am curious about this book though, so I’ll add it to my TBR.
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Now that you mention it, I can see some similarities! But the format is definitely unique, and it’s much more disturbing, haha! 😀
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Yay! I was just thinking about this book earlier today. I’m glad to hear it’s good! I’m going to have to get a copy.
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I would love to hear what you think about it! Hope you get to try it soon 😀
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This sounds pretty disturbing. I may give it a try in the future, depending how I get on with some of the other horror novels on my TBR, but I’m also worried it’ll weird me out a bit too much 😅
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