In 1998, five friends walk in to the woods and only four walk out; after a mysterious staircase appears, one friend walks up it and never comes back dIn 1998, five friends walk in to the woods and only four walk out; after a mysterious staircase appears, one friend walks up it and never comes back down. Now, 20 years later, the friends have gathered around the staircase again, giving them an opportunity to right their wrongs.
Crossing between reality and unreality, it can be hard to tell what’s up and what’s down in this new horror from Wendig. I was utterly hooked in the beginning but by about 40%, I began losing steam. Even though we were finally getting to the meat of the story, it dragged and felt repetitive and the characters' constant bickering between each other grew tiring. It’s also difficult to read Wendig without feeling like he’s trying to push some political agenda on you; it’s a common thread through his books. However, while many people despise it, I don’t find that it bothers me but it is definitely noticeable.
Out of all of his books that I have read�The Book of Accidents, Wanderers, Black River Orchard—I think this one is my least favorite. Still, The Staircase in the Woods is an interesting take on a classic horror trope and it is written well in typical Wendig fashion. I think that many readers will absolutely love it and I would still recommend it even though it wasn't a slam dunk for me.
Thank you Random House for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Available Apr 29 2025...more
You have heard this synopsis before—a woman falls in love with a house that has a dark history, buys it, and begins to experience unexplainable phenomYou have heard this synopsis before—a woman falls in love with a house that has a dark history, buys it, and begins to experience unexplainable phenomena—but you haven’t read this story yet. Weaved in to Lilly’s haunting experiences with her new mansion is her deep desperation but inability to have a child.
I always love stories like this: is the woman spiraling and losing her mind? Is the house really haunted? Maybe a little bit of both? Who knows. Lilly’s flaws and actions often made her difficult to sympathize with but she was layered, incredibly compelling, and I couldn’t stop following her down the rabbit hole.
Crawling with dark, gothic descriptions; well-executed pacing throughout with suspenseful paranormal scenes to drive the plot forward; an ending that is so deliciously chilling and satisfying; this propulsive narrative exploring the depths of one "troubled" woman’s mind is sure to satisfy readers. All with a wonderfully executed narration by Renata Friedman.
Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review! Available 08/06/2024!...more
Emily Lawrence caught her big break when she was contacted by THE Cooper Yancy to design the cover for his new horror novel. The thing is, he hasn’t aEmily Lawrence caught her big break when she was contacted by THE Cooper Yancy to design the cover for his new horror novel. The thing is, he hasn’t actually written the novel yet so he is giving Emily free reign in hopes that she will find the perfect inspiration he needs for his novel. When Emily comes across an old Victorian house, she knows it’s the perfect muse. Emily hasn’t told her husband, Miles, though. She wants to make sure Yancy is good on his word before sharing any good news.
Emily begins sketching and painting the house, filing her studio with pictures of it. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant and is marked high-risk, Miles thinks the house will be just what they need for their growing family and does what any sensible—we call this sarcasm—loving husband would do and buys the house without consulting her first�
Once they move in, Emily begins hearing voices and items start to move around in the house. Is it all in Em’s head or is something more sinister at play?
Chapters shift back and forth between Emily’s and Miles’s experience which helps readers get a closer look in to each character. The atmosphere is no doubt suffocating, with stuffy air and windows that are painted shut. However, I found the “scary� scenes—the scenes where there were strange happenings—to be a bit lackluster and actually not very scary at all. In addition, I grew increasingly frustrated with Emily and Miles and the fact that they wouldn’t just TALK TO EACH OTHER honestly. At times, the writing felt clunky and juvenile.
All in all, this story felt like it needed a little more workshopping in order for it to come together as a compelling, cohesive piece.
Thank you RDS Press and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Available 09/12/2024!...more
How cruel that our parents, unexorcisable, go on inside of us. How cruel that we cannot disimbricate their ghosts from our being.
I think this is one oHow cruel that our parents, unexorcisable, go on inside of us. How cruel that we cannot disimbricate their ghosts from our being.
I think this is one of those stories where the less you know the better so I’ll keep this review short and sweet.
When Ezri gets a text from her younger sister telling her that she needs to come home immediately—back to her parents Texas estate—she enters back in to a house of horrors that she hoped to never return to. This is literary horror at its finest. It provides an enticing, fresh new twist on the haunted house trope, using the house as a vehicle to explore deeply buried trauma.
Luscious, lyrical prose brings this intense, gritty story to life. Beautifully haunting, the dread and tension palpable—nothing ever feels quite right—it’s a highbrow, fever dream of a story that is guaranteed to knock readers off of their feet.
Meditations on racism, mental illness, complex familial relationships and generational trauma, and queerness—specifically transness and gender fluidity. I can’t recommend this book enough.
Is it me who haunts, me who is the ghost?
Thank you Farrah, Straus, and Giroux and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review! Available 10/01/2024! *Quotes are pulled from an advanced reader copy and are subject to change prior to publication* ...more
Dr. Olivia Becente, psychologist and Denver’s top paranormal investigator, is called to The Brown Palace where a string of mysterious deaths keep occuDr. Olivia Becente, psychologist and Denver’s top paranormal investigator, is called to The Brown Palace where a string of mysterious deaths keep occurring in one of their rooms, room 904. Dealing with the grief from the loss of her sister and her own personal ties to room 904, Olivia takes on the mystery that nobody else—police, private detectives, mediums—is able to solve; every five years, a woman dies in that room, whether by suicide or homicide, nobody can tell.
It has been over two years since we, as readers, were blessed with Wurth’s White Horse, a novel that sat with me so deeply and introduced me to Wurth’s writing—thank god for that. In The Haunting of Room 904, readers are met with the same foreboding tone and haunting atmosphere present in her last novel. If you’re looking for a paranormal horror set in Colorado with deep native history, you need look no further than this. � Unfortunately, this story got too bogged down in details and it interrupted the narrative flow. Even still, though I didn’t love this book as much as White Horse, it remains an interesting read that I would recommend trying for yourself. I greatly enjoyed the audiobook narration performed by Ina Barrón but I think because of names and details, a physical copy is necessary for full enjoyment. This would be a perfect dual read—audio and physical in tandem.
Thank you Macmillan audio for the early copy in exchange for an honest review Available Mar. 18 2025...more
a notoriously haunted hotel, abandoned for decades, that seems to consume men. hm. the explanation here simply didn't work for my preferences but regaa notoriously haunted hotel, abandoned for decades, that seems to consume men. hm. the explanation here simply didn't work for my preferences but regardless, i enjoyed piper's writing and the themes explored and look forward to reading more of her work....more
2.5 stars, maybe? It's clear that this book gained a lot of inspiration from The Haunting of Hill House, whether from the original Jackson novel or Fl2.5 stars, maybe? It's clear that this book gained a lot of inspiration from The Haunting of Hill House, whether from the original Jackson novel or Flanagan's television adaptation. By "inspiration" I mean that it ripped off a lot from Hill House and I sniffed it out through multiple clues by the first chapter. Still I continued and found myself, surprisingly, enjoying the story. It is certainly slow like other reviewers have mentioned... While I don't mind slow burns, I wished that Monroe would have given readers just a little more to hold on to because by the time I got about 60% of the way through, I was growing extremely bored and ended up not even caring how it ended. Overall, this one was a miss for me but I think readers who aren't so steeped in the world of Hill House may enjoy it more....more
1689 is the first installation of the Haunting of Hadlow House series which follows Hadlow House from its construction to ”She watches� and she waits�
1689 is the first installation of the Haunting of Hadlow House series which follows Hadlow House from its construction to present day.
Let me start by saying that I love the premise behind this series: following the house itself through the years, through all of its different inhabitants, all of its different strange occurrences� Brilliant.
1689 is a tragic and gruesome tale that kicks off the series with a bang, following Richard Hadlow, the original constructor and owner of Hadlow House. He’s a quiet man, desperate for a happy life and is convinced that this perfect house will be the kickstart he needs.
”What use is a man if he leaves behind nothing of value once his mortal life is done?�
In the house with him are the Baxters—husband and wife pair that keep the grounds and the house—and his newly-domesticated wife, Rebecca, who was given to Mr. Hadlow by her father. Rebecca is struggling to settle in to the new house and her new life and the Baxters are acting strange, making Rebecca even more uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Richard is struggling to release the burdens of his past: a sudden death of a loved one and a family name that has been tainted from past generations.
This eerie, gothic haunted house story takes unexpected, gory turns and it certainly won’t be easy for those with a light stomach to digest. I’m not a fan of gore for gore’s sake and I generally don’t expect that in haunted house stories either which generally tend to lean more towards psychological horror and distress. That said I didn’t particularly care for it here.
In addition to some things being far-fetched (yes, even in a fictionalized supernatural tale), one of my biggest complaints though is that this definitely needed some tighter editing as there were many grammatical errors, instances of people being called by the wrong name, and other pieces of information that were overlooked.
Still, Cross can undoubtedly create tense, distressing scenes and is capable of eliciting a mournful response from readers. I am certainly interested in the next installment to see what direction this series takes....more
Eve and Charlie have just moved in to a new home, still unpacking the boxes, when a family of five comes knocking on the door withdripping with dread
Eve and Charlie have just moved in to a new home, still unpacking the boxes, when a family of five comes knocking on the door with a request: the father had grown up in the house and would love to show his family around. Hesitant at first, Eve eventually gives way, steps aside, and allows the family in—what harm could it do? As it turns out� A lot.
This story alternates between a third person narrative and epistolary pieces. It bothered me at times that I couldn’t make sense of the latter—as they only sometimes seemed related to the present story or even coherent—but I greatly enjoyed the narrative timeline and grew to like the epistolary segments the further I got in to the book. I enjoyed the religious undertones, the exploration of madness, and the drab, gray, winter setting. Evenly paced with slow building suspense right from the start, it will have readers anxiously chewing on their nails in anticipation.
And don't let the cover fool you... It is definitely psychological thriller-y but there are elements of horror without a doubt; it's a healthy mix between the two. That said, I think thriller lovers and horror lovers alike will enjoy this one. An incredibly original debut from Kliewer—I really liked the direction this took; I will be looking out for future works.
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital copy! Out 06/18/2024!...more
Hm, I’m not really sure where I stand on this one. This is a novel that definitely doesn’t stand the test of time; you can tell it’s from decades ago Hm, I’m not really sure where I stand on this one. This is a novel that definitely doesn’t stand the test of time; you can tell it’s from decades ago based on the writing, verbiage, and characters. That said, it was hard to look away from. The pace remains steady and with the events at the house next door growing more and more peculiar with each family that stays there, it is bound to leave you feeling anxious. ...more
liked: -the premise of not just a person or a house being haunted but a whole street, a whole neighborhood. -eerie, melancholic atmosphere -cover -taliliked: -the premise of not just a person or a house being haunted but a whole street, a whole neighborhood. -eerie, melancholic atmosphere -cover -talitha’s love for her sister
didn’t like: -boring characters that i couldn’t connect with -there is a fourth girl in this story who doesn’t get nearly as much page time as the story needs -readers spend too much time in talitha’s head listening to ramblings of mundanity rather than the story being built out -by the time i got to the end, to the big sha-bang, to the whole reason this street is even haunted, i didn’t care because readers don’t learn enough about what happened in the past. maybe past and present timelines would have been helpful here?
this book isn’t bad—in fact i’m enjoying it—but at 30% i’m choosing to set it down because it seems too familiar. i feel like i have read it before orthis book isn’t bad—in fact i’m enjoying it—but at 30% i’m choosing to set it down because it seems too familiar. i feel like i have read it before or it’s reminding me too much of Flynn’s Dark Places (or both). regardless of the reason, i don’t feel compelled to continue because of that....more
A really fascinating read for me. I was close to giving out 5 stars but I am left with a couple questions unanswered at the end and it bothered me thaA really fascinating read for me. I was close to giving out 5 stars but I am left with a couple questions unanswered at the end and it bothered me that V seemed way older than her stated 12 years old. Other than those things, I quite enjoyed this story—with its past and present timelines—and was swept up in the drama of the cult. ...more
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