Apartment 16

Some minor plot / content points in review

Quite enjoyed this haunted house / ghosty / occulty horror story but it is not without flaws.

Apartment 16 is set in a wealthy apartment block for rich people in Knightsbridge, London. The story focuses on strange things going on in the building and the two stories of Apryl, an American woman who has inherited an apartment from a deceased great aunt she has never met and Seth, an artist who works as a Night Porter in the building.

One of the things I think I have noticed is a development in Nevill's writing of 'the haunted house'. This is his second novel and you can see how he is bringing together the pacing, unease and eventually terror of being trapped somewhere you can't escape and can't understand. He does it better in 'No One Gets Out Alive' but I can see his skill developing here.

The book mostly alternates between the perspective of Apryl and Seth and I think broadly work. I have seen some criticism of the Seth chapters and I get it but do not agree. It's really Apryl driving the story of investigating the death, life and madness of her great aunt. Without Seth's chapters we can't really understand the sickness, the haunting that possesses the building.

A theme that is strong is that Seth sees London 'as it really is'. Of course it is a bleak, depressing perspective where the people suffer, are beaten down and everything is tired and rotten. Of course it is an analogy but it does work as a non-subtle critique of the drudgery of poverty, big city life and meaningless work. I can definitely identify - it's a great place to visit but it's remarkable how often one leaves with sore throats and colds visiting the 'big smoke'.

As Seth is experiencing the sickness and impact of the building on his life there are some wonderful chapters - a visit to Sainsbury's will never be the same again. There is the chapter with some absolutely stomach churning violence which could be a trigger for victims of street violence - it was challenging for me to read. The chapter where he tries to leave London is brilliant and anyone who has experienced a day 'where nothing goes right' will strongly identify. The descriptions and language are brilliant in their execution.

I loved the descriptions of the buildings, the shit hole of the flat above the pub where Seth lives is evocative and captures the grimness of what 'home' is like for those in substandard housing. The ultra rich apartments, often inhabited by very elderly rich people are often poorly maintained, decrepit and in need of tlc and a good decorator. It's like the facade of London, once you look under the exterior layer one sees it how it is.

What I did struggle with was 'the big bad'. Even though it did 'occulty bad things' I never felt any sense of fear or unease. Indeed, the novel is paced brilliantly but the last chapter or two is a big bunch of 'so what'. I feel the novel was a brilliant idea that did not know how to resolve itself.

I also really wanted to like Apryl as a character and root for her as a heroine but I struggled. She's presented as 'grungy scruffy traveller' and 'a young girl' when in fact she's about 30 which felt patronising. She then transforms into a 1940's style icon, and then a 'sexy seductress' which feels both male gazey and inconsistent. There is also a cringeworthy romantic break that feels like aliens are meeting for the first time rather than humans dating. She also largely demands a bunch of stuff implausibly from others and makes generally reckless choices. It's like the set up of Apryl and her apprehension and anxiety is spot on but then attempts to develop her as a character fall flat.

I did smile at the little Easter Eggs when a character from his first novel 'Banquet of the Damned' were dropped into the story.

All that said I did enjoy the book and other than a bit of eyerolling really got into it. It's a shame the payoff isn't what it could be.