The September House

This book does not live up to the hype, unfortunately. I was expecting a lot more from it. It felt very repetitive after a while. Also, the author did something I was not used to where the main character was not an unreliable narrator, but she was actually a manipulative narrator. She only shared what she wanted the reader to know at any given moment. Then when another character questions her reality, she suddenly remembers something that was never previously mentioned. It all felt too convenient and then ended in a rush that was somehow also repetitive.

WOW! This book! I don’t know where to begin. This is certainly not your typical haunted house tale. And I really didn’t expect to laugh hysterically at the end. That being said, this is not at all a funny book. It’s horrifying and gory and bloody and mystifying. Unreliable narrator is an understatement and actually does the narrator a disservice. You’ll have to read it to find out for yourself what is real and what is reality.

This book was a little slower to build up momentum than I had expected, and in fact I almost put it down about a third of the way through. I’m so glad I didn’t, however, because from there things picked up with a vengeance! The ending is nothing short of awesome. This book really, really surprised me—overall it kind of has the feel of something like Burnt Offerings, if Burnt Offerings had been written by Grady Hendrix. Great book for spooky season; give it a read!

Aclever mix of haunted house horror and dark humor, with a truly original premise and a strong, memorable narrator. The atmosphere is eerie and often funny, and the themes of denial and marriage are handled in an interesting way. The pacing dragged a bit in the middle, and some sections felt repetitive, but overall it’s a smart, entertaining read that stands out from typical horror.

Such a unique take on the haunted house and so engaging. Really enjoyed!