The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell: Book Review
Looks Like Books contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See my Disclaimer to learn more.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is dark, twisty, and just creepy enough to keep me slightly uncomfortable without crossing the line into being too creepy for me.
And that’s important, because I’m admittedly a bit of a wimp when it comes to seriously disturbing thrillers. But give me a mysterious old house, a decades-old family tragedy, strange characters, and secrets that slowly begin coming to light? Apparently I’m in.
This was one of those psychological thrillers that had me trying to figure out what had happened almost as soon as I started reading.
My Take: The Family Upstairs gave me exactly the kind of creepy, twisty psychological thriller I enjoy: a mysterious London house, a deeply dysfunctional group of people, multiple timelines, and the constant feeling that something very wrong happened there. It took me a little while to get everyone and all the timelines straight, but once I did, I flew through it. My Verdict? Read. It’s dark and unsettling without being too scary for this admittedly wimpy thriller reader – and those final few words made me immediately understand why Lisa Jewell wrote a sequel.
What It’s About
When Libby Jones turns 25, she receives a letter that changes her life: she has inherited a grand but crumbling mansion in London’s Chelsea neighborhood.
But this isn’t an ordinary inheritance. Years earlier, three adults were found dead inside the house while a baby was discovered alive upstairs. Other children who had been living there had disappeared.
As Libby begins investigating the history of her new home, the story moves between different characters and timelines, gradually revealing the strange group of people who once occupied the house and the disturbing events that unfolded there.
The question isn’t simply what happened inside that house — but how the past connects to Libby and the people who survived it.
The Family Upstairs – What I Liked
The Setting:
The crumbling Chelsea mansion at the heart of this story is almost as much a character as the people inside it.
It’s gothic, eerie, and packed with secrets. I was initially worried the book might become too creepy for my taste, but it ended up being just the right level of unsettling. The atmosphere kept me on edge without pushing the story too far into horror territory.
And really, put a mysterious old house with a terrible history at the center of a novel and you’ve already got my attention.
The Characters:
Let me be clear: most of these characters are odd.
Some are deeply odd.
And yet, that’s part of what makes them so fascinating. I became especially invested in Libby, Lucy, Henry, Clemency, and Phin – the children whose lives are tied to what happened in the house.
The adults are another story. Some of them are downright disturbing.
I certainly didn’t like everyone in this book, but I cared about finding out what happened to them. For me, that’s much more important than having a cast filled with likable characters.
The Plot & Storylines:
This was a true page-turner for me. It blends family drama, psychological suspense, and mystery in a way that kept me completely hooked, and I finished it in just over a day.
The different timelines gradually reveal what happened in the house, and once I had everyone straight in my head, I loved watching the pieces begin fitting together.
And then there are those last few words.
Until that point, I honestly couldn’t understand why this story needed a sequel. Then I reached the ending.
Suddenly, I needed The Family Remains.
The Family Upstairs – What I Didn’t Like
The multiple timelines and shifting perspectives were confusing for me at first.
It took a while to figure out who everyone was, how they were connected, and which part of the story I was reading. Once I got into the rhythm of the book, that stopped being a problem, but it did slow me down initially.
And then there are some of the adults – particularly David and Birdie.
Woof.
They’re deeply unsettling characters, although I can’t really call that a flaw in the book because they’re supposed to make us uncomfortable. Still, readers should know going in that this isn’t a feel-good family story. There are disturbing relationships, manipulation, control, and some genuinely dark material.
For me, though, the payoff was worth it.
The Family Upstairs – Read, ReRead, or Reconsider?
Read.
The Family Upstairs was dark, strange, atmospheric, and completely addictive once I got everyone straight in my head.
The house itself, the deeply dysfunctional characters, and the slow unraveling of what happened there kept me turning pages. And while some parts were certainly disturbing, it never crossed my personal line into being too creepy to enjoy.
Most importantly, the ending left me wanting the next book immediately.
If you’re not yet familiar with her, you can see all of Lisa Jewell’s books here.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Is The Family Upstairs part of a series?
Yes. It’s the first book in the Family Upstairs series, followed by The Family Remains. There’s also a loosely connected third novel, None of This Is True.
Should I read The Family Upstairs before The Family Remains?
Yes. I strongly recommend reading The Family Upstairs first. The Family Remains continues storylines and relationships established here, and you’ll understand much more about the characters if you read the books in order.
Is The Family Upstairs based on a true story?
No, it’s a work of fiction.
What genre is The Family Upstairs?
It’s a psychological thriller with strong elements of domestic suspense and family drama. Expect twists, disturbing secrets, and multiple timelines.
Is The Family Upstairs scary?
Not horror-level scary, but definitely creepy and unsettling. If you like your thrillers with a gothic edge, this one delivers.
Is The Family Upstairs Worth Reading?
Yes. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with strange family dynamics, multiple timelines, morally messy characters, and a house filled with secrets, The Family Upstairs is definitely worth reading.
I had to work a little at first to keep the characters and timelines straight, but once everything clicked, I couldn’t put it down.
And if you finish those last few words and immediately want to know what happens next, you’re in luck: The Family Remains continues the story.
What To Read Next
- The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell – Continue the story and find out what happens to several of the characters after the events of The Family Upstairs.
- Lisa Jewell Books In Order – Explore Jewell’s other psychological thrillers and see where The Family Upstairs fits within her books.
- Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell – Try another dark, twisty Lisa Jewell thriller filled with secrets and people who may not be what they seem.
- The Break-In by Katherine Faulkner – Another good choice if you enjoy domestic suspense, secrets, and an increasingly unsettling situation.
- The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland – Try this for another fast psychological thriller built around family secrets and the feeling that something is very wrong.
- Explore Mystery & Thriller – Browse more psychological thrillers, mysteries, and suspenseful reads on Looks Like Books.
