What do you think?
Rate this book
Dwellers
Rule No. 1: You don't kill the body you inhabit.
Rule No. 2: You should never again mention your previous name.
Rule No. 3: You don't ever talk about your previous life. Ever.
Two young men with the power to take over another body inhabit the bodies and lives of brothers Jonah and Louis. The takeover leads to a car crash, injuring Jonah's legs and forcing them to stay in the brothers' house for the time being.
The street is quiet. The neighbors aren't nosy. Everything is okay.
They are safe, for now.
Until they find a dead body in the basement.
Rule No. 2: You should never again mention your previous name.
Rule No. 3: You don't ever talk about your previous life. Ever.
Two young men with the power to take over another body inhabit the bodies and lives of brothers Jonah and Louis. The takeover leads to a car crash, injuring Jonah's legs and forcing them to stay in the brothers' house for the time being.
The street is quiet. The neighbors aren't nosy. Everything is okay.
They are safe, for now.
Until they find a dead body in the basement.
130 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2014
40 people are currently reading
2076 people want to read
About the author
Eliza Victoria
40 books340 followersEliza Victoria is the author of several books including the Philippine National Book Award-winning Dwellers, the novel Wounded Little Gods, the graphic novel After Lambana (a collaboration with Mervin Malonzo), and the science fiction novel-in-stories, Nightfall. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in several publications, most recently in LONTAR: The Journal of Southeast Asian Speculative Fiction, The Best Asian Speculative Fiction, The Dark Magazine, The Apex Book of World SF Volume 5, Fireside Fiction, and Future SF. She has won prizes in the Philippines’ top literary awards, including the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Her one-act plays (written in Filipino) have been staged at the Virgin LabFest at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
May 11, 2016
“...the world looks at us, points at me and says I eat like a monster. I did not create this body - it was given to me.”
Haunting, terrifying and admirably mind-boggling, Dwellers by Eliza Victoria will take you to the edge of your seat and will not allow you to do your chores until you finished the book. It was so good. I'm not kidding you. The fact that it was written by a Filipina author made me love this book more and be proud of it.
Basically, it was a paranormal mystery which was about two men who can take over another body. It also involved some car crash and a dead body, but it is more of that. Let's just say that it also tackled socio-political drama, making the book relevant to what is happening or has happened not just in this country but in the world.
Dwellers was a not-so long novel but the author masterfully accumulated, connected and twisted every aspect in this book that it didn't look like a mess but rather a very compelling story. In addition, the writing was so so engaging and engrossing. There are depths in the characters and they are unpredictable. The setting was appropriate and all. Basta, it was really really good. Haha. I'm running out of words.
I was engrossed, shocked, fascinated, creeped out by this book. Oh god.
November 22, 2014
This Pinoy book is perfect. Short, it is a novella, but solid. No wasted words. Eliza Victoria gave a "foreign" flavor to the local speculative fiction market in the Philippines. The market that is mostly composed of short stories, collections or anthologies. I almost always prefer novels rather than short stories because I enjoy spending more time with fictional characters in my mind while reading and even a few days afterwards.
This is my second Eliza Victoria book. The first was her first printed book A Bottle of Storm Clouds: Stories (3 stars) that I liked. I bought but have not read yet her second, Project 17 (tbr) because I thought that, being another collection of short stories, it would just be the same. So, when this book came out, I bought this right away and when I heard that this was The Filipino Group's book to be discussed in Filipino ReaderCon, I read this right away so I could participate in the discussion.
This is a story of two cousins who inhabit the bodies of two brothers. It is so happened that those bodies are involved in a crime that of course they know nothing about. I've read Stephanie Meyer's The Host (1 star) and I found it preposterous if not totally ridiculous because it is set in a post-apocalyptic milieu. The setting in this book is in some kind of exclusive subdivision here in the Philippines involving young people, university students and teachers, so the contemporary local color made the book more interesting.
For me the back story in the middle is more interesting than the main story. I love period stories similar to the background of the Cullens in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. How could we appreciate the story if we don't know the background of the characters especially if they have some kind of supernatural powers? I guess that should be explained.
I have read and I am still reading a lot of Pinoy books and this gave me a welcome distraction from having panitikan ng anak pawis (Pinoy books about social realities a.k.a., kahirapan), romance, poetry and komiks. It is so seldom that I tremendously like speculative fiction and this being a Pinoy book was like a real treat for me who love, really love, reading works by local authors.
Well done, Eliza Victoria!
This is my second Eliza Victoria book. The first was her first printed book A Bottle of Storm Clouds: Stories (3 stars) that I liked. I bought but have not read yet her second, Project 17 (tbr) because I thought that, being another collection of short stories, it would just be the same. So, when this book came out, I bought this right away and when I heard that this was The Filipino Group's book to be discussed in Filipino ReaderCon, I read this right away so I could participate in the discussion.
It was a fun discussion because I did not know that one novel could elicit so many insights that did not come into my mind while reading. I had a great time reconnecting with the first book club that I joined 5 years ago. Thank you, TFG!My take is that the book is very interesting because I never thought that so much subplots could be incorporated in a novel this short. Not all loose ends are tied up in the end but those do not really matter for me. Speculative fiction, because of its fantastical or supernatural elements, is not expected to be explained anyway because of its nature, so I have not issue on that aspect.
This is a story of two cousins who inhabit the bodies of two brothers. It is so happened that those bodies are involved in a crime that of course they know nothing about. I've read Stephanie Meyer's The Host (1 star) and I found it preposterous if not totally ridiculous because it is set in a post-apocalyptic milieu. The setting in this book is in some kind of exclusive subdivision here in the Philippines involving young people, university students and teachers, so the contemporary local color made the book more interesting.
For me the back story in the middle is more interesting than the main story. I love period stories similar to the background of the Cullens in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. How could we appreciate the story if we don't know the background of the characters especially if they have some kind of supernatural powers? I guess that should be explained.
I have read and I am still reading a lot of Pinoy books and this gave me a welcome distraction from having panitikan ng anak pawis (Pinoy books about social realities a.k.a., kahirapan), romance, poetry and komiks. It is so seldom that I tremendously like speculative fiction and this being a Pinoy book was like a real treat for me who love, really love, reading works by local authors.
Well done, Eliza Victoria!
August 4, 2016
I've been hunting for this book at our local bookstores for months now because it's always unavailable but at last I bought it and finally read this amazing book!
This is my first Eliza Victoria book, the blurb and the cover compelled me to read this and of course the reviews I've seen in Goodreads fueled my interest.
The story begins when two cousins inhabit the bodies of two brothers Louis and Jonah, all is well but then they found a dead body inside a freezer down the basement. The story progresses as they unravel the mystery surrounding the dead body as well as the involvement of the bodies they now dwelled in. This novella actually has two parts and the ending of part 1 threw me off because d-a-y-u-m! Then comes part 2 which is actually a backstory of the main characters, part 2 was more darkly engrossing and the two parts complimented each other. For such a short read Eliza Victoria's Dwellers has it all, mixing crime, mystery, and supernatural powers in Philippine setting in this stunning novella.
After reading this book, it made me thought about escapism. People seek entertainment and engage in their own fantasy to escape how stressful and cruel reality is. We imagine ourselves in the lives of other people living our dream but unlike the dwellers in the bodies of Jonah and Louis we can always go back to own selves and accept the truth. Sometimes escaping is not always the answer we seek, tragic as it seems but it always get you back to where you started.
I highly recommend this book! Fans of speculative fiction will love this.
This is my first Eliza Victoria book, the blurb and the cover compelled me to read this and of course the reviews I've seen in Goodreads fueled my interest.
The story begins when two cousins inhabit the bodies of two brothers Louis and Jonah, all is well but then they found a dead body inside a freezer down the basement. The story progresses as they unravel the mystery surrounding the dead body as well as the involvement of the bodies they now dwelled in. This novella actually has two parts and the ending of part 1 threw me off because d-a-y-u-m! Then comes part 2 which is actually a backstory of the main characters, part 2 was more darkly engrossing and the two parts complimented each other. For such a short read Eliza Victoria's Dwellers has it all, mixing crime, mystery, and supernatural powers in Philippine setting in this stunning novella.
"We are doomed because we are all connected but alone we won't survive. So we are all doomed. Even if you follow all the rules, someone, somewhere, won't and it will be the end of you. If a life is defined by how it ends, then no life has meaning because every life ends with nothing."
After reading this book, it made me thought about escapism. People seek entertainment and engage in their own fantasy to escape how stressful and cruel reality is. We imagine ourselves in the lives of other people living our dream but unlike the dwellers in the bodies of Jonah and Louis we can always go back to own selves and accept the truth. Sometimes escaping is not always the answer we seek, tragic as it seems but it always get you back to where you started.
"I wish things would end a different way. But here we are."
I highly recommend this book! Fans of speculative fiction will love this.
Read
July 13, 2023Weird and disturbing short novel that starts with the premise of people who can steal the bodies of others, and then goes to strange, dark places when the people they have hijacked turn out to be keeping a corpse in the freezer. Nightmarish stuff with truth creeping out of the well to shame mankind, only like the girl in Ringu. It's well and creepily told and highly readable with all sorts of resonances.
August 23, 2014
You can take me anywhere, Eliza Victoria. With stories like yours, anywhere. :)
January 29, 2024
3.5 stars :,))
i love not-jonah and not-louis so much… i hope they will never be tired again
i love not-jonah and not-louis so much… i hope they will never be tired again
November 30, 2014
I first encountered Eliza Victoria in her short story submission for the Filipino horror anthology Demons of the New Year entitled Salot and it was a piece that stayed with me because of its ambiguous ending and fascinating characters whom I wished she expounded on some more. Heck, I even personally tweeted her one time and asked if there is a sequel because I couldn't get enough of it and she responded that there was no more that she could offer me. I was heartbroken but it also ignited my interest further so I ventured on to discover more of her fiction.
She once again dazzled me for her submission in Alternative Alamat entitled Ana’s Little Pawnshop on Makiling St., and eluded me for her submission in the fantasy anthology The Farthest Shore entitled The Just World of Helena Jimenez which I had to read twice to fully understand.
So, as you can see, my first impressions of the work of this authoress have been quite intoxicating. Now you can just imagine my glee once I was able to purchase this novella of hers--and was absofuckinglutely blown away by the simplicity yet elegance of her plot and prose.
Surprisingly yet admirably enough, Dwellers only has less than two hundred pages and yet that very length is something Victoria made the most of. The story is about two cousins with the power to inhabit the bodies of other people of their choosing. That's how the story starts, with these two men right after they freshly occupied the brothers Louis and Jonah and began settling down in their new home. The novel is written in the first-person perspective of the new Jonah who is from here on serves as the eyes of the readers as the story unfolds.
Part of the ongoing mystery is that we never learned about the cousins' real names to the very end yet perhaps it's not what really matters at all.
In addition to this, Dwellers operated in a two-fold level of storytelling where we get the main plot which is about the mystery surrounding the lives of the brothers they have inhabited--especially once they found out one night during a blackout that the brothers have stored a dead body in the freezer down the basement. On the other hand, the secondary subplot starts in the middle of the novel where we get a flashback story concerning the cousins' tragic lives permeated by a complicated family history, and why they chose to run away from it all.
What I enjoyed most about Dwellers is the amazing pacing and direction of each chapter that both relish on keeping the readers on their toes as we ourselves slowly uncover the dark secrets of the brothers Louis and Jonah alongside the cousins. I also easily developed great sympathy for the cousins, particularly the one who is narrating everything as the new Jonah. Victoria has gracefully wove a psychological mystery novella with an unmistakable poignancy pouring out from the confines of its narrative which in turn speaks of the darkness and desolation of human struggles and conflicats that more often than not will always weigh down our lives.
One of the chief villains of the story even makes this big speech that truly drove the theme home: "We're doomed because we are all connected. But alone, we won't survive. Even if you all follow the rules, someone, somewhere, won't and it will be the end of you...We are infinitesimal. We are too small and our lives are too brief to make a difference."
I can't give away too much of the story anymore but I can guarantee that everything about the tone, atmosphere and theme in Dwellers will chill you to the bone. This is a marvelous novella that further seals the impact of Victoria's literary style. She certainly has a fondness for ambiguous endings where she never gives us a fixed resolution of her equally thought-provoking and surreal stories. In fact, once you turn the very last page, you are left with a feeling of emptiness and perplexion but, personally, it worked quite well.
It has certainly made the entire novella a painfully unforgettable one that is open to many interpretations.
RECOMMENDED: 10/10
*Darkly sublime and unforgivably enticing with its layers of mystery and drama
She once again dazzled me for her submission in Alternative Alamat entitled Ana’s Little Pawnshop on Makiling St., and eluded me for her submission in the fantasy anthology The Farthest Shore entitled The Just World of Helena Jimenez which I had to read twice to fully understand.
So, as you can see, my first impressions of the work of this authoress have been quite intoxicating. Now you can just imagine my glee once I was able to purchase this novella of hers--and was absofuckinglutely blown away by the simplicity yet elegance of her plot and prose.
Surprisingly yet admirably enough, Dwellers only has less than two hundred pages and yet that very length is something Victoria made the most of. The story is about two cousins with the power to inhabit the bodies of other people of their choosing. That's how the story starts, with these two men right after they freshly occupied the brothers Louis and Jonah and began settling down in their new home. The novel is written in the first-person perspective of the new Jonah who is from here on serves as the eyes of the readers as the story unfolds.
Part of the ongoing mystery is that we never learned about the cousins' real names to the very end yet perhaps it's not what really matters at all.
In addition to this, Dwellers operated in a two-fold level of storytelling where we get the main plot which is about the mystery surrounding the lives of the brothers they have inhabited--especially once they found out one night during a blackout that the brothers have stored a dead body in the freezer down the basement. On the other hand, the secondary subplot starts in the middle of the novel where we get a flashback story concerning the cousins' tragic lives permeated by a complicated family history, and why they chose to run away from it all.
What I enjoyed most about Dwellers is the amazing pacing and direction of each chapter that both relish on keeping the readers on their toes as we ourselves slowly uncover the dark secrets of the brothers Louis and Jonah alongside the cousins. I also easily developed great sympathy for the cousins, particularly the one who is narrating everything as the new Jonah. Victoria has gracefully wove a psychological mystery novella with an unmistakable poignancy pouring out from the confines of its narrative which in turn speaks of the darkness and desolation of human struggles and conflicats that more often than not will always weigh down our lives.
One of the chief villains of the story even makes this big speech that truly drove the theme home: "We're doomed because we are all connected. But alone, we won't survive. Even if you all follow the rules, someone, somewhere, won't and it will be the end of you...We are infinitesimal. We are too small and our lives are too brief to make a difference."
I can't give away too much of the story anymore but I can guarantee that everything about the tone, atmosphere and theme in Dwellers will chill you to the bone. This is a marvelous novella that further seals the impact of Victoria's literary style. She certainly has a fondness for ambiguous endings where she never gives us a fixed resolution of her equally thought-provoking and surreal stories. In fact, once you turn the very last page, you are left with a feeling of emptiness and perplexion but, personally, it worked quite well.
It has certainly made the entire novella a painfully unforgettable one that is open to many interpretations.
RECOMMENDED: 10/10
*Darkly sublime and unforgivably enticing with its layers of mystery and drama
January 2, 2015
Is that a girl standing outside the window?
A really creepy read, I made the mistake of reading it at night. More thoughts soon.
***UPDATE***
After reading A Bottle of Storm Clouds, I became enthralled with Eliza Victoria’s writing. I loved her brand of speculative fiction and Dwellers is her latest novel. In this book, she mixed crime, mystery, and supernatural and I had the mistake of reading it at night. The story is told in the first person narrative, and it was so easy to get into Jonah’s head, although it wasn’t that easy to get the entire story at first. I don’t have any idea about the author’s inspiration for body transfers but I find such idea fascinating and creepy at the same time, hence, the shivers at night.
The flashbacks into the main characters’ background, especially Part II, threw me off my momentum a bit because I was so engrossed in the mystery of the dead body and I wanted to get into the whodunnit as soon as possible. But as I continued reading, some questions about Jonah and Louis were answered and I learned to appreciate the break in the suspense. I loved Eliza’s writing because it seemed that I was watching Part II in my mind in sepia — very periodic and barriotic, I fell in love with my own imagination haha.
Continue reading.
A really creepy read, I made the mistake of reading it at night. More thoughts soon.
***UPDATE***
After reading A Bottle of Storm Clouds, I became enthralled with Eliza Victoria’s writing. I loved her brand of speculative fiction and Dwellers is her latest novel. In this book, she mixed crime, mystery, and supernatural and I had the mistake of reading it at night. The story is told in the first person narrative, and it was so easy to get into Jonah’s head, although it wasn’t that easy to get the entire story at first. I don’t have any idea about the author’s inspiration for body transfers but I find such idea fascinating and creepy at the same time, hence, the shivers at night.
The flashbacks into the main characters’ background, especially Part II, threw me off my momentum a bit because I was so engrossed in the mystery of the dead body and I wanted to get into the whodunnit as soon as possible. But as I continued reading, some questions about Jonah and Louis were answered and I learned to appreciate the break in the suspense. I loved Eliza’s writing because it seemed that I was watching Part II in my mind in sepia — very periodic and barriotic, I fell in love with my own imagination haha.
Continue reading.
August 29, 2019
"We are doomed because we are all connected. But alone, we won’t survive. So we are all doomed. Even if you follow all the rules, someone, somewhere, won’t, and it will be the end of you. If a life is defined by how it ends, then no life has meaning, because every life ends with nothing."Dwellers has this magnetic appeal you can't get rid of by the time you read the first few pages. Eliza's storytelling is concise and engaging that made me desire to finish the book in one sitting despite the creepy direction that it was taking. I am a scaredy cat and I admit that I can't stomach murder mysteries but I can't just NOT read it without knowing the answers by the end.
This book also elaborates two stories in a neat package and once you read it, you'll definitely see how fast everything escalates and gets twisty in a matter of a chapter or two. Eliza delivers her words in unflinching strikes without ever falling in the trap of over-explaining because of the magical elements present in the book.
It divulges on a lot of issues actually but perpetually revolves in the concept of the human body. It's amazing how Eliza squeezed in a lot of her story in such a short span but it will also sate your cravings for a good read spot on. Wait, scratch that, an amazing read.
This is a new favorite and one that I can't help but ponder even after reading it. I'm already attached with the characters and I find myself shedding a tear near the end. Welp, Eliza just has to stop it midway because of some amazing backflipping. This book is riddled with plot twists, you just have to read it yourself to find out.
P.S. I am now a firm disciple of Eliza Victoria
December 3, 2020
This was too ambitious. The themes were all over the place. The author tried to insert supernatural and horror and fantasy and issues such as obesity, lgbt, rape, harassment, drugs, protests, trauma, etc. Imagine all these recipes in just a hundred plus page and you'll get a novella with no proper build-up, amateur character sketches, and overall tacky narration. The pace was also too fast, appropriate for the horror theme but for the "emotional" moments it felt hurried. By the end chapter, Leslie's speech about her philosophy (which I feel is the climax, idk) felt cheap and forced. It seems like a few (random and unnecessary) strings of litany to build the suspense but failed to do so. Although I like this idea of "dwellers", I think it would've been more appealing to focus on this and the idea of "Is it less guilting to dwell inside the body of a murderer than, say, a farmer?" How do we justify stealing a life? Remove the unnecessary themes and tell us the history of this deranged family. It would be interesting to discuss this dynamics and the gray areas of morality involved in the process.
I think this was my first time reading an English novella written by a Filipino author (except of course wattpad stories from many many many years ago, and I don't read wattpad now). I guess, I just had a lot of expectations since Eliza is a fellow kababayan. Regardless, I think she's a good writer. Dwellers was just not for me.
I think this was my first time reading an English novella written by a Filipino author (except of course wattpad stories from many many many years ago, and I don't read wattpad now). I guess, I just had a lot of expectations since Eliza is a fellow kababayan. Regardless, I think she's a good writer. Dwellers was just not for me.
November 11, 2014
A done-in-one-sitting read (best read while listening to The Who's "Who are You?" for obvious reasons :-) ). A neat little thriller/fantasy/whodunit story. I like that it's recognizable as written by a Filipino but anyone who is not can still appreciate it. Some people might find it strange but I like the ambiguous ending (I would have like it even more if the background story wasn't given in that much detail). It is understandable that people might demand a sequel.
January 1, 2015
Nightmares galore - tonight in la-la-land! >.<
January 10, 2026
Roman, başkalarının bedenlerinde yaşayabilen iki kuzenin, bir trafik kazası sonrası eve kapanmak zorunda kalan Jonah ve Louis’in bedenlerini ele geçirmesiyle başlıyor; ilerledikçe bu bedenlerin taşıdığı karanlık geçmiş ve işlenmiş suçlar ortaya çıkıyor ve hikaye giderek karmaşıklaşıyor. Yazarın çok rahatsız edici ama aynı zamanda fazlasıyla sürükleyici bir anlatımı var. Kitabı elime aldığım andan itibaren neredeyse nefes almadan okudum ve çok sevdim.
November 3, 2014
A gem of a book. Thrilling and to the point.
The book is about two cousins who are "dwellers", which means that they can reside over another body that they choose.
Their lives follow three rules:
Rule No. 1: You don't kill the body you inhabit.
Rule No. 2: You should never again mention your previous name.
Rule No. 3: You don't ever talk about your previous life. Ever.
The story starts with them inhabiting the bodies of two brothers, Jonah and Louis, without them knowing how dark the past of the two brothers are. They settled on the latter's house and after a couple of days they found a dead body of a girl in the basement.
During the first couple of pages, the storyline was quite confusing for me. And I thought I won't be able to enjoy it. But after a couple more pages the action and thrill started. I can't dropped the book down. The plot was intense as with the characters involved. I like how the author was able to sew two stories in the book and how they were intertwined. The story of the girl in the basement was made in a dramatic way and the story of the two twins were made in a so dark manner that I didn't see it coming.
The whole novel was so intriguing and it kept me thinking all throughtout while I was reading it. I pity the characters, how they were trapped in their worlds that they do not like and how they want to come out of that world but they can't and the only way that they can think is to do the unthinkable.
I also like the vivid description of the scenes and how the writing was made so simple. The author was also clever enough to add semi-abstract pictures on the book which I liked and appreciated. It made the novel even more intense.
And the one thing that I totally enjoyed on the book was its element of excitement. You never know what happens until you flip the next page. It will keep you guessing. The author satisfied me with its pacing as unlike other novels who just piles and piles alot of things and unnecessary stories on the novel to just make it thicker and longer. The novel is short, which is perfectly fine, that made the story not dragging at all.
The novel has alot of potential for me to have its sequel or even become a series. The story has alot of characters whose stories can become a starting ground for a new novel. Celeste, for instance, for me was presented for in a way that I won't be able to forget her. Her character was so strong that the amount of story given to her for me is not enough. I would definitely be buying Dwellers 2 if their will be one.
This is the first novel by a Filipino author written in the English language that I read. I pity my self for that. I thank this novel, for this kept me wanting more and explore Filipino literature.
This is a must read and I totally recommend it.
Easy 5/5 stars for me.
"If a life is defined by how it ends, then no life has meaning because every life ends with nothing. So the goal, is not to be rich or to help the planet or to help other people, but to live NOW. To find joy NOW. We are infinitesimal. We are too smal and our lives are too brief to make a difference. There's no use making ourselves believe otherwise."
The book is about two cousins who are "dwellers", which means that they can reside over another body that they choose.
Their lives follow three rules:
Rule No. 1: You don't kill the body you inhabit.
Rule No. 2: You should never again mention your previous name.
Rule No. 3: You don't ever talk about your previous life. Ever.
The story starts with them inhabiting the bodies of two brothers, Jonah and Louis, without them knowing how dark the past of the two brothers are. They settled on the latter's house and after a couple of days they found a dead body of a girl in the basement.
During the first couple of pages, the storyline was quite confusing for me. And I thought I won't be able to enjoy it. But after a couple more pages the action and thrill started. I can't dropped the book down. The plot was intense as with the characters involved. I like how the author was able to sew two stories in the book and how they were intertwined. The story of the girl in the basement was made in a dramatic way and the story of the two twins were made in a so dark manner that I didn't see it coming.
The whole novel was so intriguing and it kept me thinking all throughtout while I was reading it. I pity the characters, how they were trapped in their worlds that they do not like and how they want to come out of that world but they can't and the only way that they can think is to do the unthinkable.
I also like the vivid description of the scenes and how the writing was made so simple. The author was also clever enough to add semi-abstract pictures on the book which I liked and appreciated. It made the novel even more intense.
And the one thing that I totally enjoyed on the book was its element of excitement. You never know what happens until you flip the next page. It will keep you guessing. The author satisfied me with its pacing as unlike other novels who just piles and piles alot of things and unnecessary stories on the novel to just make it thicker and longer. The novel is short, which is perfectly fine, that made the story not dragging at all.
The novel has alot of potential for me to have its sequel or even become a series. The story has alot of characters whose stories can become a starting ground for a new novel. Celeste, for instance, for me was presented for in a way that I won't be able to forget her. Her character was so strong that the amount of story given to her for me is not enough. I would definitely be buying Dwellers 2 if their will be one.
This is the first novel by a Filipino author written in the English language that I read. I pity my self for that. I thank this novel, for this kept me wanting more and explore Filipino literature.
This is a must read and I totally recommend it.
Easy 5/5 stars for me.
"If a life is defined by how it ends, then no life has meaning because every life ends with nothing. So the goal, is not to be rich or to help the planet or to help other people, but to live NOW. To find joy NOW. We are infinitesimal. We are too smal and our lives are too brief to make a difference. There's no use making ourselves believe otherwise."
November 12, 2014
I think I am born thinking of the world as a big speculative fiction novel. Nope, let me change that, our lives are interconnected speculative fictions, that is the world. But thinking this way is redundant, how could reality be fictions you may ask? No, not fiction per se, speculative fiction. When you were younger, ever tried to talk to your doll and hear it answer or cook up a conversation with your pet (the fish is the hardest to talk with, it gobbles up its words)? Ever thought you get super powers when you look directly at the sun, because you see spectrum of colors after? Or an xray vision when you correctly guess the color of your seatmate's undies? For guys, white is the most common color, Hanes is the most common brand Bench comes a close second but there would be one boy in class that still wears Fruit of the loom brand. For girls white is the most common, pink comes the closest second and the brand is always So-en. If your classmate denies it, do not believe her, her crush is eavesdropping, that's all. Everyday, a fantastic adventure.
I enjoyed the story because at one time or another I thought of living like Jonas, of having his power. I do not have to pretend to be someone else, I am someone else. The difference is, at the end of the day I wanted to go back to my own self, Jonas did not even want to talk about his own self. Escape. The desire to escape is the foundation of this book. It is not a book about self renewal or perseverance.It does not talk about facing one's demons, and they do get away because they can. That is their fantastic adventure.
In Eliza Victoria's hands you grew to empathize with the characters, to see what they see and fear the things that they fear and at one time imagine the things that they imagine, including the things found in their basement. It gives a somewhat Hitchcock vibe in it, a gloom is cast overhead and mysteries kept pouring. Not so much, because the book offers a back story to understand their past. I felt it was necessary because at the end of the day, you want to champion the characters as heroes so knowing where the pain is coming from helps you see them in a different light, not as mere escape artists.
The thing I dislike with dwellers is that it is too short. An EDSA traffic is longer than its pages, you are left wanting for more but still settling with the belief that as a speculative fiction, the continuation will always be from your mind that in the end, this now becomes your fantastic adventure.
Like I've said, our lives are interconnected speculative fictions, this is our world.
I enjoyed the story because at one time or another I thought of living like Jonas, of having his power. I do not have to pretend to be someone else, I am someone else. The difference is, at the end of the day I wanted to go back to my own self, Jonas did not even want to talk about his own self. Escape. The desire to escape is the foundation of this book. It is not a book about self renewal or perseverance.It does not talk about facing one's demons, and they do get away because they can. That is their fantastic adventure.
In Eliza Victoria's hands you grew to empathize with the characters, to see what they see and fear the things that they fear and at one time imagine the things that they imagine, including the things found in their basement. It gives a somewhat Hitchcock vibe in it, a gloom is cast overhead and mysteries kept pouring. Not so much, because the book offers a back story to understand their past. I felt it was necessary because at the end of the day, you want to champion the characters as heroes so knowing where the pain is coming from helps you see them in a different light, not as mere escape artists.
The thing I dislike with dwellers is that it is too short. An EDSA traffic is longer than its pages, you are left wanting for more but still settling with the belief that as a speculative fiction, the continuation will always be from your mind that in the end, this now becomes your fantastic adventure.
Like I've said, our lives are interconnected speculative fictions, this is our world.
December 12, 2014
I think this is one of my favorite Filipino reads this year. (As if I have read a lot. Hehe!) I am looking forward to read more works from Eliza Victoria.
February 10, 2023
Wow, I...don't know how I feel about this. But I couldn't put it down once I got past the first twenty pages or so, so 4 stars it is!
This short novel/long novella follows two cousins who have just hopped their minds into new bodies. That clearly isn't something they can do easily or lightly, though, otherwise they probably would have bailed the second they found out the brothers they are inhabiting were keeping a dead body in the basement! So instead they try to play the role of Louis and Jonah in order to figure out the mystery and try to keep each other safe.
Besides the mystery/horror elements being really good, there is an interesting theme of being uncomfortable in your body that runs through this. No, unlike the last few books I read, there are no trans characters! But Jonah is now disabled because the switch happened during a car crash, and he's struggling to come to terms with being in pain a lot of the time and not being very mobile. Another character was overweight and struggling with the assumptions people made about her because of that. For yet another, the thing that made her want to crawl out of her skin was repeated sexual abuse.
And THOSE elements are where the "I'm not sure how I feel about this" comes in. How they are handled isn't definitely insensitive, but I'm also not entirely sure of the point the author is making with them, so they could be perceived as being exploited for drama. IDK: I'd kind of like to see someone with more personal experience with those issues weigh in. But no reviews up to this point seem to have mentioned it, so I thought I should.
Also, the ending is very ambiguous. So if that is not your thing, you might find it frustrating! I didn't mind, really, but I would have liked to see if the author could think of an actual way out...because I couldn't!
This short novel/long novella follows two cousins who have just hopped their minds into new bodies. That clearly isn't something they can do easily or lightly, though, otherwise they probably would have bailed the second they found out the brothers they are inhabiting were keeping a dead body in the basement! So instead they try to play the role of Louis and Jonah in order to figure out the mystery and try to keep each other safe.
Besides the mystery/horror elements being really good, there is an interesting theme of being uncomfortable in your body that runs through this. No, unlike the last few books I read, there are no trans characters! But Jonah is now disabled because the switch happened during a car crash, and he's struggling to come to terms with being in pain a lot of the time and not being very mobile. Another character was overweight and struggling with the assumptions people made about her because of that. For yet another, the thing that made her want to crawl out of her skin was repeated sexual abuse.
And THOSE elements are where the "I'm not sure how I feel about this" comes in. How they are handled isn't definitely insensitive, but I'm also not entirely sure of the point the author is making with them, so they could be perceived as being exploited for drama. IDK: I'd kind of like to see someone with more personal experience with those issues weigh in. But no reviews up to this point seem to have mentioned it, so I thought I should.
Also, the ending is very ambiguous. So if that is not your thing, you might find it frustrating! I didn't mind, really, but I would have liked to see if the author could think of an actual way out...because I couldn't!
February 27, 2022
My first book by Eliza Victoria, which I picked up to continue the Worlds Beyond the Margins World Tour Challenge. What an incredible find this book and this author are. The story tells the story of two cousins, body jumpers, who have recently hopped into new bodies and are slowly discovering an appropriate adage: "out of the frying pan, into the fire." This was quite the page turner, and a great read.
December 31, 2014
I had major apprehensions about picking up this book. The blurb had me thinking of Stephanie Meyer's The Host and that's never a good thing in my opinion. Fortunately, my interest in Ms. Victoria's work and my trust in Visprint prevailed.
Dwellers is a total departure from Project 17 as it is a dark thriller/mystery.
The novel didn't capture and keep me as I hoped it would. I believe that stemmed from the fact that even though Dwellers is a dark tale, it wasn't pitch black.
The characters could use some exaggeration. Auntie was painted to be the stoic and frighteningly powerful enforcer of the family but the weight of her presence wasn't there.
The mystery behind the dead body was refreshing in its simplicity. It wasn't the muddled labyrinthian puzzle that some authors feel inclined to use.
I liked the Family's back-story but felt that it didn't have the overwhelming, sinking gravity that would have pushed the protagonists to such great lengths.
Though there are a couple more things I can gripe about, I feel that Dwellers wasn't and is not a waste of time and money. I'm still interested in Ms. Victoria's work and very much look forward to her future publications.
Dwellers is a total departure from Project 17 as it is a dark thriller/mystery.
The novel didn't capture and keep me as I hoped it would. I believe that stemmed from the fact that even though Dwellers is a dark tale, it wasn't pitch black.
The characters could use some exaggeration. Auntie was painted to be the stoic and frighteningly powerful enforcer of the family but the weight of her presence wasn't there.
The mystery behind the dead body was refreshing in its simplicity. It wasn't the muddled labyrinthian puzzle that some authors feel inclined to use.
I liked the Family's back-story but felt that it didn't have the overwhelming, sinking gravity that would have pushed the protagonists to such great lengths.
Though there are a couple more things I can gripe about, I feel that Dwellers wasn't and is not a waste of time and money. I'm still interested in Ms. Victoria's work and very much look forward to her future publications.
July 2, 2023
This book starts strong and gets you hooked from the first sentence. It opens with the Holmes and Rahe stress scale, which immediately captured my interest. The writing is good at building up intrigue. I like the number of pages. It's decent enough to sustain the mystery and intrigue but still, tell the story. I did find that the ending fell short of the build-up. There were different layers to the story. I think it misleads the reader. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will recommend it.
November 11, 2014
Complete marginalia for this and two other Eliza Victoria books here .
Another thrilling page-turner from my favorite Filipino author. A short read at fewer than 200 pages, but it packs a whole lot of wallop and suspense.
More books, Eliza! :)
March 3, 2017
Read book thoughts from The Page Walker .
October 21, 2022
"We are doomed because we are all connected. But alone, we won’t survive. So we are all doomed. Even if you follow all the rules, someone, somewhere, won’t, and it will be the end of you. If a life is defined by how it ends, then no life has meaning, because every life ends with nothing."
This is one of those books that makes infodumps work.
It's essentially two stories in one. In the first one, we find two cousins (whose real names we never find out) have cast a forbidden spell that allows them to inhabit the bodies of two brothers, Jonah and Louis. However, they end up finding a dead body in a freezer in the basement of Louis's home. The first story is all about discovering who exactly is the murder victim, and the role Jonah and Louis played in her death. The second story tells us why the two cousins wanted to leave their family in the first place, and the horror that led to them casting the spell that put them in the bodies of Jonah and Louis.
Both tales are told with Eliza Victoria's trademark atmospheric aplomb, which captures the readers imagination and attention, hooks you in, and grips you until the twist is revealed. I'm honestly a huge fan of her work but I gotta say that Dwellers might just be one of her best books ever. It was intense, the build up kept me on my toes and frantically turning the pages, and the ending was soooo satisfying.
This is one of those books that makes infodumps work.
It's essentially two stories in one. In the first one, we find two cousins (whose real names we never find out) have cast a forbidden spell that allows them to inhabit the bodies of two brothers, Jonah and Louis. However, they end up finding a dead body in a freezer in the basement of Louis's home. The first story is all about discovering who exactly is the murder victim, and the role Jonah and Louis played in her death. The second story tells us why the two cousins wanted to leave their family in the first place, and the horror that led to them casting the spell that put them in the bodies of Jonah and Louis.
Both tales are told with Eliza Victoria's trademark atmospheric aplomb, which captures the readers imagination and attention, hooks you in, and grips you until the twist is revealed. I'm honestly a huge fan of her work but I gotta say that Dwellers might just be one of her best books ever. It was intense, the build up kept me on my toes and frantically turning the pages, and the ending was soooo satisfying.
September 23, 2015
If anything, this book is a sign I definitely need to read more Filipino literature. In fact, it's the reason why I've begun stalking NBS branches at every mall I get to visit. Which were several this month, because it's the holiday season and I've had to run errands and hunt down exchange gifts. Lol.
I'm a horrible person but I've always thought of most contemporary Filipino books as subpar compared to their international counterparts. This is probably because I've been ignorant about the hidden gems I don't really see in bookstores, because usually all I ever see displayed prominently are books about love, humor, love and humor combined...you get the idea. (Are Pinoys so obsessed/problematic about love that this is all that is ever written about? lol)
Dwellers was an eye-opener because it is NOT about love at all. It's actually a thriller and it is all the right kinds of creepy and mysterious. I wanted to shout, "Where have books like these been hiding all my life??" I had no idea there was such a deliciously creepy tale hiding in the shelves of NBS all this time.
It hooks you right at the start, when you are introduced to two people who tell of switching bodies and a car accident and mention rules about inhabiting a body. What. And as the mystery unfolds, you find that you just can't put the damn book down because you need to know what is happening. What are they doing. What is that damn body in the basement that was mentioned in the book's summary doing there?
I was up the whole night reading this, fighting the urge to throw it away when things started to become scary. Because I'm a wimp like that. Haha. But it was such a fun and surprising read, and I'm really glad because I've now got a thirst to find more books by Filipino authors. Yay!
Dwellers is the reason for this:
My wallet is complaining but my inner bookworm is super duper happy! Here's hoping I find more of the books on my pinoy-lit shelf. Hehe.
You can also read this review on my blog, Lambent Lights.
I'm a horrible person but I've always thought of most contemporary Filipino books as subpar compared to their international counterparts. This is probably because I've been ignorant about the hidden gems I don't really see in bookstores, because usually all I ever see displayed prominently are books about love, humor, love and humor combined...you get the idea. (Are Pinoys so obsessed/problematic about love that this is all that is ever written about? lol)
Dwellers was an eye-opener because it is NOT about love at all. It's actually a thriller and it is all the right kinds of creepy and mysterious. I wanted to shout, "Where have books like these been hiding all my life??" I had no idea there was such a deliciously creepy tale hiding in the shelves of NBS all this time.
It hooks you right at the start, when you are introduced to two people who tell of switching bodies and a car accident and mention rules about inhabiting a body. What. And as the mystery unfolds, you find that you just can't put the damn book down because you need to know what is happening. What are they doing. What is that damn body in the basement that was mentioned in the book's summary doing there?
I was up the whole night reading this, fighting the urge to throw it away when things started to become scary. Because I'm a wimp like that. Haha. But it was such a fun and surprising read, and I'm really glad because I've now got a thirst to find more books by Filipino authors. Yay!
Dwellers is the reason for this:
My wallet is complaining but my inner bookworm is super duper happy! Here's hoping I find more of the books on my pinoy-lit shelf. Hehe.
You can also read this review on my blog, Lambent Lights.
October 4, 2015
I don't know how to classify this. It's one of those books that blur genres like it's nothing, and it's probably one of the best Philippine spec lit I've ever read.
Not that I've read a lot, but there's a lot of horn-tooting in spec lit writers, and lots of posturing that I think takes away from the actual enjoyment of the act of writing itself (karaoke!!!). This novel has none of the fuss and furbelow, doesn't try to be hip and different, doesn't give you unrealised expectations of uniqueness. Instead, it just fucking delivers and that's beautiful.
1, Some holes in the narrative suggest that the narrator is unreliable. I need to re-read this again and see if I can confirm this. If so, this makes his story all the more sinister.
2, The ending though. Somehow, I really felt for Louis in that moment.
3, For someone who was described as a 'body in the basement' in the blurb, she turns out to be one of the most realised characters in the story. I loved that.
5 October 2015
I borrowed a copy the first time I read this, but bought my own when I picked up Project 17 so I did a re-read.
I take it back. The 'hole' in the narrative I noticed before was Jonah and Louis talking about 'her' looking for them. I thought this was Celeste but actually referred to their aunt. Doesn't make the story less sinister, but saying it was a hole when it wasn't is kinda....
You know normally I don't like open ended stories, especially when they end in media res like this one, but there is a point to it. 'Wait' Jonah says, to Louis, to the door, to the narrative. I want to imagine them like this, forever in the middle of action, in stasis, because this was the moment that was safest for them, the moment they can finally breathe.
Yes, I liked it even more now than I did before.
Not that I've read a lot, but there's a lot of horn-tooting in spec lit writers, and lots of posturing that I think takes away from the actual enjoyment of the act of writing itself (karaoke!!!). This novel has none of the fuss and furbelow, doesn't try to be hip and different, doesn't give you unrealised expectations of uniqueness. Instead, it just fucking delivers and that's beautiful.
1, Some holes in the narrative suggest that the narrator is unreliable. I need to re-read this again and see if I can confirm this. If so, this makes his story all the more sinister.
2, The ending though. Somehow, I really felt for Louis in that moment.
3, For someone who was described as a 'body in the basement' in the blurb, she turns out to be one of the most realised characters in the story. I loved that.
5 October 2015
I borrowed a copy the first time I read this, but bought my own when I picked up Project 17 so I did a re-read.
I take it back. The 'hole' in the narrative I noticed before was Jonah and Louis talking about 'her' looking for them. I thought this was Celeste but actually referred to their aunt. Doesn't make the story less sinister, but saying it was a hole when it wasn't is kinda....
You know normally I don't like open ended stories, especially when they end in media res like this one, but there is a point to it. 'Wait' Jonah says, to Louis, to the door, to the narrative. I want to imagine them like this, forever in the middle of action, in stasis, because this was the moment that was safest for them, the moment they can finally breathe.
Yes, I liked it even more now than I did before.
November 29, 2014
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
From the blurb, I could already tell that this would be disturbing, and it was right from the start. What I didn't expect was that it had a supernatural aspect to it. There were parts that were realistic and parts that were of the supernatural, I didn't come to love the mix of both in the beginning but it worked for me in the end anyway.
I found Jonah—our narrator here—to be quite boring. But thank God the plot was interesting enough, but even the plot has its problems. The whole story was quite 'chill', only the last pages had a little suspense. But overall this is quite a very good read and worth it. :)
I am quite ashamed though, to say that this is probably the first book I have read written by a Filipino author. Promising myself to read more books by Filipino authors, this one inspired me.
From the blurb, I could already tell that this would be disturbing, and it was right from the start. What I didn't expect was that it had a supernatural aspect to it. There were parts that were realistic and parts that were of the supernatural, I didn't come to love the mix of both in the beginning but it worked for me in the end anyway.
I found Jonah—our narrator here—to be quite boring. But thank God the plot was interesting enough, but even the plot has its problems. The whole story was quite 'chill', only the last pages had a little suspense. But overall this is quite a very good read and worth it. :)
I am quite ashamed though, to say that this is probably the first book I have read written by a Filipino author. Promising myself to read more books by Filipino authors, this one inspired me.
July 23, 2018
I've always been a fan of crime and suspense stories, and this is by far, one of the nicest books I've read! I love how the touch of fantasy (the main characters have powers to inhabit other's bodies) was thrown into the plot, giving more shine to the story and making it unique from the other crime stories I've read. I also love the pacing because no scene or character was wasted, keeping me guessing what will unfold next. Even the circumstances of the main characters were planted so well (e.g. Jonah getting trapped on a wheelchair after the car accident) that it added more weight and intensity on their predicament. I wish more readers will discover this, because I believe that it is at par with some of the Western crime/suspense stories I've read.
February 10, 2023
Compelling. Really well written - remarkable character voice for someone who makes a point of not telling us his name. A lot of information conveyed in just a few words, which also makes for a quick hook. I would have enjoyed hearing a bit more on the fantasy aspect, but the mechanics of that were not the main focus of the story and that's fine.
I loved the handful of illustrations - they definitely carried some of the load in creating tone.
Honestly this was just a bit too dark for me. I can see how it would really resonate for someone with a bit more trauma or experience with the issues the characters face! But personally I need more than a bare sprinkling of nihilistic hope.
And yet, I will probably read more from Eliza Victoria. So - compelling.
I loved the handful of illustrations - they definitely carried some of the load in creating tone.
Honestly this was just a bit too dark for me. I can see how it would really resonate for someone with a bit more trauma or experience with the issues the characters face! But personally I need more than a bare sprinkling of nihilistic hope.
And yet, I will probably read more from Eliza Victoria. So - compelling.
August 2, 2014
Loved it. Great atmosphere during the set-up where you meet the two cousins inhabiting other people's bodies. By the time I got to page 20 or so, I was gripped. There's a delicious mystery, which leads to a satisfying revelation.... The ending, I thought, was perfect. And Eliza Victoria's writing, as usual, is smooth and smart.
In summary, it's great writing and a great story. I sincerely hope Eliza keeps on writing more books. And that more and more people keep reading her.
Kudos, Eliza!
In summary, it's great writing and a great story. I sincerely hope Eliza keeps on writing more books. And that more and more people keep reading her.
Kudos, Eliza!
August 30, 2016
I've been seeing good reviews of Eliza Victoria's works and supporting local lit especially through this month's #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy movement, I thought it a perfect time to pick her up.
I must say I was super engrossed the first few parts... My curiosity was at a high. The mystery and setting was built up so well, I was hooked! The only thing that had me drop the additional star is because of the abrupt ending. For how drawn out the built up was, the resolution and conclusion told briefly and just in narrative could've been more creatively told. This book should have been longer to accommodate that. Still, overall, a fresh and engrossing read.
I must say I was super engrossed the first few parts... My curiosity was at a high. The mystery and setting was built up so well, I was hooked! The only thing that had me drop the additional star is because of the abrupt ending. For how drawn out the built up was, the resolution and conclusion told briefly and just in narrative could've been more creatively told. This book should have been longer to accommodate that. Still, overall, a fresh and engrossing read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews