The Grip of It: A Novel

by Jac Jemc · 2017

When Julie and James buy a secluded house perched between a lake and a forest, they hope for a fresh start away from the city’s chaos. But the home has its own agenda. From the moment they hear a deep, vibrating hum that the realtor dismisses as settling, the house begins to warp around them—rooms multiply, walls bleed animated stains, and mold taints the water. The couple’s attempts at normalcy dissolve as the architecture turns claustrophobic and decays before their eyes, while the house’s strange forces manifest as bruises on Julie’s skin and an ever‑growing sense of dread. As they scramble to uncover the source of their torment, they are drawn into the unsettling histories of previous occupants and the enigmatic neighbors who may hold the key to escaping the house’s relentless grip.