The Haunting Horrors of Adam Nevill's 'No One Gets Out Alive'

Horror books have been my companion ever since I first discovered the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine as a child. While horror books generally have the objective to scare readers, I’ve always viewed them as a tool to tell stories about people and their worst fears. What scares one reader may not scare another. In fact, a horror book doesn’t need to be scary to be compelling. But when the writing, characters, and setting combine to create something scary, it can be so satisfying to read.

Being an avid reader of horror fiction means I don’t usually get scared of horror stories. That’s not my aim when I pick up the latest horror release anyway, because a good story is a good story. But there have been books that caught me by surprise and terrified me when I least expected them. One book, in particular, is No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill.

The haunted house is one of my favourite tropes in horror. I’ve read plenty of creepy, shocking, and memorable haunted house stories. But No One Gets Out Alive left a huge impression on me because it combines the threats of both human and supernatural. It tells the story of Stephanie Booth, a cash-strapped retail worker who takes a new room in shared accommodation. But she hears voices in the fireplace and sounds of crying in other rooms. The landlord seems to be plotting something too as he hovers around her. Soon, she is trapped between the dangerous landlord and the existence of something otherworldly that calls out to her.

“But if it’s not alive, what use is a knife?”

The horror in this book is not just the disturbing supernatural occurrences that haunt Stephanie, but also appalling human nature. The writing is descriptive enough to make you feel as helpless as she does in the face of so much filth, violence, and death. Her loneliness feels palpable and relatable. I could easily imagine being in her place. The fact that her situation does happen to people in real life makes it hit harder. It’s a bleak tale that gives me nightmares. Yet it’s written with such care and compassion that I couldn’t help but root for Stephanie the whole time.

What I particularly find special here is how Stephanie is stuck in a completely horrifying situation, yet she never gives up. The book dives deep into the ugliness of human behaviour and haunting supernatural attacks. But it’s also an incredible portrayal of a woman fighting for her survival. So, while the story scares me, it also gives me hope. The book has been adapted into a Netflix film of the same name with some differences. I didn’t find it as subtly creepy, though it’s still a great horror film!

Have you read No One Gets Out Alive? Which horror book really scared you?

Note: I wrote this post for the “A Horror Book That Scared You” Halloween challenge by Lit Lemon Books.