Who Would Like This Book:
If you love surreal, unsettling horror that gets under your skin, "I Am Behind You" definitely delivers. The way it throws four wildly different families into a nightmarish, endless field makes for seriously gripping reading. Lindqvist does a phenomenal job with complex, deeply flawed characters - no one feels like a stereotype, and you'll find yourself caring about even the most unlikely ones. The book is loaded with atmosphere, psychological suspense, and strange, cosmic dread. Fans of Stephen King, Paul Tremblay, and those who enjoy being left pondering big questions will find plenty to savor here.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers just couldn't get into the book's confusing, bizarre plot. If you need clear explanations, tight resolutions, or really want the mystery explained, you might find this story just too weird or unsatisfying. The ending, in particular, left a lot of people scratching their heads (or even rolling their eyes), and parts can feel slow or meandering. People who want traditional horror or more action might feel frustrated by the psychological, ambiguous approach. If you prefer your conclusions neat and your scares straightforward, this one might not be for you.
About:
'I Am Behind You' by John Ajvide Lindqvist is a surreal supernatural chiller that follows four very different families waking up in an endless field of grass, separated from the rest of the world. The novel explores the characters' humanity in vulnerable ways, creating a feeling of uneasiness and confusion throughout the story. Lindqvist's writing style pulls readers into the book, leaving them with a sense of unease even after finishing it.
The plot of 'I Am Behind You' focuses on the characters' points of view, with alternating perspectives including those of a dog and a cat. As the characters navigate their surreal and unsettling new reality, practical concerns quickly give way to more threatening events. The novel delves into the emotional and psychological issues of the characters, revealing their backstories and how they respond to increasingly eerie circumstances.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers include existential dread, body horror, and psychologically disturbing themes that may affect sensitive readers.
From The Publisher:
A supernatural superthriller from the author of Let the Right One In
Molly wakes her mother to go to the toilet. The campsite is strangely blank. The toilet block has gone. Everything else has gone too. This is a place with no sun. No god.
Just four families remain. Each has done something to bring them here - each denies they deserve it. Until they see what's coming over the horizon, moving irrevocably towards them. Their worst mistake. Their darkest fear.
And for just one of them, their homecoming.
This gripping conceptual horror takes you deep into one of the most macabre and unique imaginations writing in the genre. On family, on children, Lindqvist writes in a way that tears the heart and twists the soul. I Am Behind You turns the world upside down and, disturbing, terrifying and shattering by turns, it will suck you in.
Ratings (5)
Incredible (2) | |
Loved It (2) | |
It Was OK (1) |
Reader Stats (15):
Read It (4) | |
Want To Read (10) | |
Not Interested (1) |
What can you read after
I Am Behind You?
About the Author:
John Ajvide Lindqvist (John Erik Ajvide Lindqvist) is a Swedish author who grew up in Blackeberg, the setting for Let the Right One In . Wanting to become something awful and fantastic, he first became a conjurer, and then was a stand-up comedian for twelve years.
He has also written for Swedish television.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
