The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer Review: WTF Did I Just Read?
WTF did I just read? Seriously…
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer spends the first half testing your patience and the second half wrecking your sanity. I was annoyed, frustrated, grossed out, deeply unsettled, and by the final pages, fully committed to this mind-fuck of a book.
The Synopsis
Macy Mullins is broke, desperate, and in no position to question a weird caretaker job on the remote Oregon Coast, even if the listing feels a little off from the start. Naturally, what seems like easy money turns into an absolute nightmare. There’s something truly evil on this property, and Macy may be the only one to keep it from the rest of humanity. All she needs to do is follow the rites.
The First Half: A Struggle
The first half is a slow burn, and I mean slow af. For the first 60% or so, I was equal parts intrigued and irritated.
Macy is the kind of main character who’ll have you screaming “DON’T DO IT!” at the page every five minutes. Plus, her inner monologue is relentless, and at times, it felt repetitive enough to drag the pacing down even more. I’ll be honest, she’s not the most likable character in the world (by a long shot). She’s messy as hell, and spending so much time in her head was mild torture.
That said, I do think a lot of that frustration is intentional. Macy is dealing with some really heavy stuff (grief, severe depression, poverty, and more).
But the way Kliewer writes atmosphere is INSANE. And there were enough unsettling breadcrumbs to keep me flipping those digital pages. So, though I was pissed at Macy 99% of the time, I was still engaged in the story as a whole.
The Second Half: Unputdownable
Around the 50 -60% mark, the story went from slow and eerie to full-blown nightmare fuel. The pacing snapped into place, and suddenly, things were moving at a breakneck pace. Everything that had been simmering in the background came back in full force. This is when I knew I couldn’t put this book down if I tried. I, of course, had no desire to try. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I want to communicate this right: the brand of horror here isn’t just graphic for the sake of being graphic. (Though, yes, there are moments that are flat-out disgusting). It’s the kind of horror that gets under your skin. It’s psychologically suffocating. It’s the kind of dread that makes you feel trapped in the room with Macy, questioning her every thought, every memory, and every decision right along with her.
That’s what made this book work so well for me.
The End: Insane in the Best Way
Is Macy unraveling? Or is this hell on Earth?
The final stretch is brutal, with a twist you’ll never forget. It’s been days since I finished this book, and I’m nowhere near over it!
Final Rating - 4/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
If you like psychological horror and can survive a slow-ish first half, The Caretaker is DEFINITELY worth the read. This is the kind of horror I love.
Now, if the first half had been a little faster-paced and we got a little less of Macy’s inner monologue, I would have given this 5 stars, easily.
Have you read The Caretaker? What did you think of it? If you haven’t, are you going to read it? Share your reaction in the comments below!
