Lock the Doors – Vincent Ralph

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

<sub>Tom’s family have moved into their dream home. But pretty soon he starts to notice that something is very wrong – there are strange messages written on the wall and locks on the bedroom doors. On the OUTSIDE.

The previous owners have moved just across the road and they seem like the perfect family. Their daughter Amy is beautiful and enigmatic but Tom is sure she’s got something to hide. And he isn’t going to stop until he finds the truth behind those locked doors. . .

Will their dream home become a nightmare?</sub> 

As soon as I saw that Vincent Ralph was releasing another book I was excited. I read his debut novel Are You Watching? back in 2019 and it is still a book I think about regularly because of how gripping it was. This one seemed to be more mysterious just from the synopsis and upon reading managed to grip me even more!

Vincent Ralph manages to keep up suspense for the reader from the first page right till the last page. Every time I tried to put the book down I had to pick it right back up because I wanted to work out even just one of the mysteries.  

I enjoyed the variety of characters in this book. Each of them has their own mysteries and brings something new to the story. Tom, the main character, has OCD. This is portrayed in a realistic way and is never forgotten about throughout the book. Even when the book gets very intense and hard for Tom, his OCD isn’t forgotten about and continues being part of the story. The author also does an excellent job of giving Tom that he needs for his OCD from his family and friends.

The way that the author portrays the family dynamics of a blended family and step-sibling relationships in this book is excellent. I appreciated that the relationship was a positive one and not the usual negative one we tend to see in YA. I loved that everyone tried their best to bond with each other but nothing was forced. Also, the friendship that Tom has with Zach was so lovely and just felt incredibly refreshing.

Lock the Doors tackles some hard-hitting issues throughout the story. Please check trigger warnings before reading this book. Some of the issues are domestic abuse, mental health issues and OCD, alongside others. They are all handled realistically and sensitively. Going back to the discussion of OCD, it is accepted as part of Tom by his family and it is lovely to see it normalised and not a big issue in the story.

This book is packed full of suspense and moments that will have you on the edge of your seat. Alongside the suspense that is present throughout the book, Vincent Ralph has also created a number of terrifying situations and creepy characters who are dangerous and people you would not want to mess with. The pacing of this book is excellent and kept me hooked right the way through the book. I didn’t expect a lot of the things that happen in this book which made the story even more captivating for me. 

Overall, Lock the Doors by Vincent Ralph is a creepy and mysterious book that grips you from start to finish. I can see so many people reading this one in one sitting because I would have done that had I had the chance. It is well worth the read, just make sure you have the lights on whilst you do so!