Felix is used to feeling invisible. He drifts through life on autopilot. His days blur together beneath waves of anxiety, depression, and the quiet fear that he should be alone.
Then one morning, the world agrees with him.
Felix wakes to a world that is empty. Alone in a city that feels staged, artificial, and unsettling wrong, Felix searches for answers while confronting the terrifying possibility that he is truly the last person alive. As Felix finally accepts his fate… the silence begins to speak back. Something in the abandoned world has finally noticed him
This was my first read from this author, and I was drawn to this book by the title and creepy cover. I’m also a big fan of psychological horror rather than stories with lots of body horror, and I love books with mental health representation, so this sounded right up my alley! What I didn’t expect was just how mind-bending and emotional this would be—and the strong elements of cosmic horror and existential horror. The protagonist struggles with depression, anxiety, isolation, and loneliness, and these themes are woven into an original and unpredictable storyline.
The story is told from Felix’s third-person POV. He’s a young man who’s been estranged from his family for five years, and the only companionship he has is his dog, Ninja. Their brief moments together stand out because Ninja brings Felix much-needed comfort when everything else feels so heavy.
Just before a major event occurs and everything changes, we get to see Felix’s daily routine and how disconnected he is from the world. He works at a diner where his coworkers know almost nothing about him, and he has a quiet crush on a barista he regularly visits for coffee. Aside from those small interactions, Felix sees no one, and no one checks in on him or knows how much he’s struggling. I immediately had a creeping sense of dread that something bad was coming.
When Felix finally wakes up one morning and the world has changed, the story takes a direction I wasn’t expecting. There’s no one at the diner where he works—or anywhere! The streets are empty, and his panic begins to set in. The writing is so immersive here that I was literally feeling the panic right alongside him.
From there, the story becomes fascinating and unpredictable. It feels like Felix is navigating an altered reality, and the passage of time seems different. As time goes on, he uncovers strange clues and has surreal experiences that make him question everything. I really enjoyed the flashbacks to Felix’s past with his cousins when the future seemed bright. The different paths their lives took and how they relate to Felix’s circumstances are especially compelling.
Felix’s exploration of the Rainy Days apartment complex while searching for people becomes a major part of the mystery. There’s also a recurring red telephone that suddenly appears in different locations and begins ringing—SO creepy and an effective piece of psychological horror. He also sees shadowy figures that made me question whether his mind was unravelling.
The more I read, the more I realized the horror isn’t just about all the craziness Felix experiences, but about what everything represents—and let me tell you, the themes here are so deep that you could discuss them for hours in a book club! I felt the empty world reflected Felix’s emotional state and that his flashbacks, along with the terrifying events, were all meant for him to experience.
The chapters aren’t the shortest, but because the story is always moving, and at under 200 pages (about five hours on audio), you can easily finish this book in a day. The final 30% feels even more like a fever dream, including a captivating and unexpected séance scene in Felix’s apartment that’s followed by surprises. Without giving anything away, the ending is shocking and heartbreaking, but it also gives closure. This is easily one of the most original books I’ve read this year, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.
If you enjoy psychological horror, mental health representation, deeper themes, and mind-bending stories, I highly recommend picking this one up!
Narrator Performance
No One Was Ever Really In This Place is narrated by seasoned narrator Phil Thron. This was my first time listening to him, and from the start, I was impressed and engaged by his commanding and atmospheric voice—perfect for this type of psychological horror.
Early on, Thron gives protagonist Felix a sad, thoughtful voice that reflects his isolation and depression. When Felix is interacting with his coworkers at the diner, you can hear the contrast between his attempts to connect with them and his loneliness underneath. His interactions with his dog, Ninja, are well narrated and convey how they are the only moments of happiness Felix experiences during the day. Thron also brilliantly conveys how things that once brought Felix joy, like painting, no longer bring him any fulfillment because of his deep depression.
Once Felix wakes up to discover a world where everyone’s gone, Thron shifts his performance. You can immediately hear the increase in Felix’s anxiety, confusion, and fear as he tries to understand what’s happened—and I felt every bit of his panic alongside him! The scenes involving the creepy red telephone ringing, the sudden appearance of the blue light, and Felix’s other strange experiences are all performed with intensity and suspense, keeping me fully engaged and on edge.
A highlight of the narration for me was the flashback scenes between Felix and his cousins, Miguel, Sophia, and Maria. Thron does a great job showing how Felix was happier and more at peace when he was with them. The scenes where Felix encounters shadowy figures and the mysterious woman in the white coat are well paced and delivered with a lot of creeping dread.
The final scenes following the séance in Felix’s apartment are where Thron’s performance shines. These scenes are some of the most powerful, and I became emotional listening to the way he narrated Felix’s reactions. His final conversations with the woman in the white coat and his journey back to the Rainy Days apartments are also memorable as Thron’s delivery narrates them with a sense of resolution that’s almost spiritual.
Overall, Phil Thron’s narration was a perfect fit for this book and really helps create an immersive experience. If you enjoy mind-bending psychological horror with mental health themes and lots of atmospheric tension, you’ll definitely enjoy this audiobook!
Narrator Performance
No One Was Ever Really In This Place is narrated by seasoned narrator Phil Thron. This was my first time listening to him, and from the start, I was impressed and engaged by his commanding and atmospheric voice—perfect for this type of psychological horror.
Early on, Thron gives protagonist Felix a sad, thoughtful voice that reflects his isolation and depression. When Felix is interacting with his coworkers at the diner, you can hear the contrast between his attempts to connect with them and his loneliness underneath. His interactions with his dog, Ninja, are well narrated and convey how they are the only moments of happiness Felix experiences during the day. Thron also brilliantly conveys how things that once brought Felix joy, like painting, no longer bring him any fulfillment because of his deep depression.
Once Felix wakes up to discover a world where everyone’s gone, Thron shifts his performance. You can immediately hear the increase in Felix’s anxiety, confusion, and fear as he tries to understand what’s happened—and I felt every bit of his panic alongside him! The scenes involving the creepy red telephone ringing, the sudden appearance of the blue light, and Felix’s other strange experiences are all performed with intensity and suspense, keeping me fully engaged and on edge.
A highlight of the narration for me was the flashback scenes between Felix and his cousins, Miguel, Sophia, and Maria. Thron does a great job showing how Felix was happier and more at peace when he was with them. The scenes where Felix encounters shadowy figures and the mysterious woman in the white coat are well paced and delivered with a lot of creeping dread.
The final scenes following the séance in Felix’s apartment are where Thron’s performance shines. These scenes are some of the most powerful, and I became emotional listening to the way he narrated Felix’s reactions. His final conversations with the woman in the white coat and his journey back to the Rainy Days apartments are also memorable as Thron’s delivery narrates them with a sense of resolution that’s almost spiritual.
Overall, Phil Thron’s narration was a perfect fit for this book and really helps create an immersive experience. If you enjoy mind-bending psychological horror with mental health themes and lots of atmospheric tension, you’ll definitely enjoy this audiobook!
No One Was Ever Really In This Place is narrated by seasoned narrator Phil Thron. This was my first time listening to him, and from the start, I was impressed and engaged by his commanding and atmospheric voice—perfect for this type of psychological horror.
Early on, Thron gives protagonist Felix a sad, thoughtful voice that reflects his isolation and depression. When Felix is interacting with his coworkers at the diner, you can hear the contrast between his attempts to connect with them and his loneliness underneath. His interactions with his dog, Ninja, are well narrated and convey how they are the only moments of happiness Felix experiences during the day. Thron also brilliantly conveys how things that once brought Felix joy, like painting, no longer bring him any fulfillment because of his deep depression.
Once Felix wakes up to discover a world where everyone’s gone, Thron shifts his performance. You can immediately hear the increase in Felix’s anxiety, confusion, and fear as he tries to understand what’s happened—and I felt every bit of his panic alongside him! The scenes involving the creepy red telephone ringing, the sudden appearance of the blue light, and Felix’s other strange experiences are all performed with intensity and suspense, keeping me fully engaged and on edge.
A highlight of the narration for me was the flashback scenes between Felix and his cousins, Miguel, Sophia, and Maria. Thron does a great job showing how Felix was happier and more at peace when he was with them. The scenes where Felix encounters shadowy figures and the mysterious woman in the white coat are well paced and delivered with a lot of creeping dread.
The final scenes following the séance in Felix’s apartment are where Thron’s performance shines. These scenes are some of the most powerful, and I became emotional listening to the way he narrated Felix’s reactions. His final conversations with the woman in the white coat and his journey back to the Rainy Days apartments are also memorable as Thron’s delivery narrates them with a sense of resolution that’s almost spiritual.
Overall, Phil Thron’s narration was a perfect fit for this book and really helps create an immersive experience. If you enjoy mind-bending psychological horror with mental health themes and lots of atmospheric tension, you’ll definitely enjoy this audiobook!
