Every nine years, someone who is different or lonely is invited to Slade House. The entrance – a small, black iron door – can be found down a brick alley way. Once inside, a stranger greets them and invites them inside. Only they never come out. Will the mystery behind Slade House and its inhabitants ever be revealed or will the disappearances that span five decades remain unsolved?

Once again I was blown away by David Mitchell’s work. I was told to read this book immediately after The Bone Clocks because it is a side story, and while it may not be necessary to read the two back to back, I am glad I did since the characters and story line were still fresh in my mind. The Bone Clocks already explains a lot about Atemporals, the Shaded Way, and Horologists which makes it a good book to start with, but you could probably start with Slade House and still understand what is going on.

About 230 pages in length, Slade House is a quick read with an addicting plot and enchanting characters. I was so entranced by the story and the mystery behind it that I was able to finish it in a weekend, unable to put the book down until I was finished. The characters and plot were well thought out and executed with little room for questioning. While Mitchell does his usual jump between characters, the story still flows flawlessly and I was not as confused as I sometimes am when he switches characters. Some scenes blew my mind with how they were acted out, having me thinking one thing was going to happen only to find I was completely wrong. The book left little room for me to guess what was going to happen, which I love because too often I find myself being able to tell how a book is going to end.

I would say my only complaint is that Slade House and The Bone Clocks spoiled me for the year, book wise. These were my first two books of 2016 and I think it will be hard for me to find a book to make me feel the awe and admiration that these two books left me with.