This book completely threw me through a window into another universe-it was an unexpected, thrilling and darkly twisted take on the fairy tales most children are raised on.
For every beautiful princess who has a happy ending, there are the foundling children who do not fit in, who make bargains and deals with fae that are never quite as they seem, the lonely ones whose sadness acts as a beacon to otherworldly forces.
This is one of those tales-what starts out as a missing person tale with a deeply gothic backdrop, takes on a life of its own as it explores the painful childhood and adolescence of writer,. Cassandra, or Cassie, Tipp.
She has completely vanished, the book opens with her two remaining relatives -the children of her sister, Olivia-arriving at her writing room to read her final manuscript, where they can find the hidden password and claim their inheritence.
Her very strict provisors will not only provide an explanation of her presence in their lives but also determine both Janus and Penelope's futures...
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was cursed to always tell the truth whilst no one ever believed her, so this Cass is very aptly named. Beyond identifying the place where this story takes place as S-ville, this has a quintessentially European feel , with a timelessness that is both contemporary and could yet be set in any period.
This transferability of time and space gives the narrative a dreamlike quality that I loved, it totally swept me away whilst rooting me in the respect of presenting Cass as an unreliable narrator.
Alongside the tragedies which have beset Cass-the deaths of her husband/brother/father-these have given her the foundation for her writing career as a romance novelist, one who believes in the possibility of lasting love.
In sharp contrast, Cass relates an abandoned childhood where her existence was at best an embarrassment, at worst a dangerous cuckoo in the nest. The reader discovers her history at the same time as her relatives who have grown up under the impression that Cass is morally, if not actually legally proven to be, responsible for death, destruction and dishonour of the family name.
Following the death of her husband Thomas Tipp, for which she was aquitted, supposition and rumour have dogged her days adding to the impression that she was an ungainly child, often threatened with incarceration and doctors for her bizarre behaviour.
What Cass believes she experienced is the love and kinship of the fae who are unlike any other you will have read about or encountered-these are dangerous folk who, once invited, will claim ownership of you for life.
In the Pepper-man, the companion of childhood Cass, Camilla Bruce has created a dark, disturbing version of an imaginery friend who alternately takes as much as the gifts that he leaves.
A mystery, a gothic chiller, a study in psychosis mixed with a literary thriller, who will you believe when you let this unusual tale worm its way into your consciousness?

This book will divide readers - some will love its unsettling atmosphere and weirdness, others will DNF it after the first chapter. You Let Me In is weird and confusing. It doesn’t offer straight answers. It doesn’t have an unambiguous ending. It deliberately misleads the reader.



I found it dark and compelling. Will I recommend it to everyone willing to listen to me? No way. You have to know what you're getting into.


You can approach it as a study of human trauma, a supernatural thriller, or a family drama with a horror undercurrent. Cassandra Tipp, an infamous and eccentric novelist, has vanished. She has left a letter. Her heirs need to read it to discover a password to her testament. Hopefully, they'll be able to claim her estate.

The letter recounts two disturbing stories - one of an abused little girl coping with trauma, second of magical gifts and husbands made from twigs and leaves and sticks and stones. Both stories might be true. Both end in murder. Both show the same events but in a different light. The boundaries between reality (as we know it) and the supernatural blur and shift as we follow the story.

Cassandra has a faerie friend she calls a Pepper-Man. He feeds on her blood and influences her behavior and thoughts. With his help and in his company, she explores the unsettling and dark faerie world inhabited by twisted and broken beings caught in between the worlds.

Just when the reader starts to immerse in the supernatural, the story introduces another perspective on the events. Cassandra's therapist Dr. Martin has written a book about her case called “Away with the fairies: A study in trauma-induced psychosis.” What if the faeries are only a sort of coping mechanism that allowed Cassandra to survive in a dysfunctional family?

I admit I loved the ambiguity and lack of clear answers. It made me question both storylines and wonder which told the truth. Whichever you choose to believe, don't expect a happy ending. Both are disturbing and devastating.

An impressive debut.

You Let Me In is a captivating read. Part dark fairytale, part mystery, it treads an intriguing line that lets the reader decide for themselves which version of the story to believe. The story and characters caught my interest right from the start and held it throughout. As I was reading I thought I would love to see Guillermo del Toro make a movie based on this story. It would look stunning! Prose-wise, this was easy reading with a hint of fairytale style about it. I would certainly read more from this author in the future, especially works in a similar vein. 4.5 stars from me.

This was a very intriguing book. I read it in one sitting - it's gloriously short - which in itself is a commendation. And I found myself thinking about it for several days afterwards. It's a strange story & unexpected and I'm not entirely sure how to classify it but all in all a very good read. I adore the cover!