A great way to start off spooky season early! (If I'm being honest, I've been in a spooky mood all year, but let's say that this is my official entryway into Halloween-time).

The two best things about this book are its setting and its characters. I hate cold, muddy, windy, rainy environments, and yet, more than anything, I want to spend some time at Lovelace House. Something about McCauley's writing made this objectively horrible home seem enticing and cozy. I also want to fall in love with the eldest daughter of some odd, eerie family whose children I'm babysitting, as the two of us run around the dark hallways of this terrifying mansion, while we steal kisses in the shadows of the night: is that really too much to ask?

All the characters are great: the two children are definitely a fun addition to the story (and this is coming from someone who cannot stand kids). Evie was wonderful, and I really did believe the romance that developed between her and Marin. But Marin, the main character, is really the one who stole the show for me. I mean, come on: a young girl riddled with constant dread and anxiety, always anticipating the worst-case scenarios, finding an odd comfort in horror stories, and slowly discovering that she's sapphic as hell? Did I meet McCauley at age 17 and then promptly forget about that encounter while she went off and wrote an entire novel about me? I related to Marin so much, and it made it really easy for me to become deeply invested in the story from the very beginning. I loved following her on her journey and watching her grow as a person.

The biggest downside to this novel is sort of a byproduct of my own relationship with horror: I read a lot of horror books and watch a lot of horror movies, and I mentioned this in a previous review, but grief is a very common theme to explore within the genre. It's usually done well, but because I've seen so many different iterations of it, an author has to do something really unique for a book about grief to truly win me over. Sometimes grief is only a small part of a book, and there are other elements that build the story, which allows it to be an exceptional reading experience regardless. But All the Dead Lie Down really is all about grief and death, so I needed it to do something I've never seen before. And sadly, I don't think it hit the mark. This in no way makes it a bad book; it just makes a little less memorable in the long haul.

If you liked The Haunting of Bly Manor, you will love this story. There are a lot of similarities and parallels between the two, from the setting to the characters to the family dynamics to the super sweet and loving sapphic relationship at the core of the story. Overall, I had a good time with it, and it was a very quick read, a testament to its quality and my general enjoyment of the book.

I gave this a four out of five stars. I really liked this book, I want to get the physical copy to add to my library. I enjoyed the characters it was a little spooky but I wasn’t scared while reading it. It’s a good read though.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a solid story of grief and the exploration of ghosts, literal and figurative. McCauley's writing style is fluent and direct, hitting like a punch in the gut when the scene demands it to. the characters felt alive, yet haunted, and the exploration of love was well done. if you love gothic stories, haunted houses, and songs off of Taylor Swift's Evermore, then you'll love this book!

Though I don't think I'm necessarily the target audience for this book (since it's a YA and I'm almost in my 40's) I still found it to be good. The creepy, Gothic feel to it would do well for someone looking for a book to read during spooky season. It was a decent read and I would recommend it.

Alice Lovelace is a horror writer and childhood friend of Marin Blythe’s mother, and after a tragedy she invites Marin to be a nanny of her peculiar daughters, Thea and Wren. While Wren tries to drive Marin away in new and creative ways, Thea buries her dolls and holds funerals for them. When the eldest daughter, Evie, returns home, Marin finds herself captivated. Something’s in the woods, and as Wrens;s pranks escalate and dead birds end up in Marin’s room, her anxiety levels rise and she knows she has to find out what’s really going on.

I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would. I enjoyed the twisty turns and the characters. Each character is weird and interesting in their own way, and I didn’t see some of the twists coming, the best kind of mystery. I didn’t realize the audiobook copy was a galley, so I did wait until the fully-produced audio was released to listen, and the narration was great. If you like YA with a bit of horror and mystery, definitely check it out.

Personally not for me, but this is a great gothic young adult book. I can think of many of my young adult readers at my library that I would recommend this book to during reader's advisory. I did really enjoy the development of the characters. I really enjoy the haunting and eerie setting that the author developed and loved how they described the home. This is strong haunting, gothic young adult book.

4.5 F**** Them Creepy Kids Stars!

After tragedy strikes, Marin is invited to be the nanny for her mother’s childhood friend, who just happens to also be her favorite author. With nowhere else to go, Marin accepts and travels to Lovelace House, the creepy family estate. Once there she meets her new charges, Thea and Wren, who give the Shining twins a run for their money. It’s all doll burial/funerals, and terrifying pranks until Evie, the eldest daughter, returns home out of the blue. Now there is a potential summer fling to go with the creepy kids and dead animals that keep randomly showing up around the house.

Who doesn’t love a story with creepy kids in a creepy house where creepy stuff happens?
I can 100% understand the Bly Manor comparisons. This has the same vibe and similar aspects in the story itself. This was very well done, the tense atmosphere, sense of dread, the dynamic characters, and the plot twists.

That being said, if you don’t like gore and are upset by animal death, you might want to skip this, seeing as it is chalk full of it. Clearly not a problem for my dark and twisty a**.

The only complaint would be that the romance between Marin and Evie seemed a bit insta-lovey and some of their romantical scenes were placed in odd spots and threw the pacing off a bit. I would’ve liked a bit more build up to their romance.

Overall this was a twisted ride and I would 10/10 recommend!

Check it out now!
A big thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Tragedy is its own curse.

I truly believed I would adore this book but couldn't get into it.
It may have fallen down to the fact that I kept starting it & restarting it due to reading slumps. However, in my opinion, the slow pacing, the odd switch from mature to mature tones with the kids & the rushed romance did not help.

The saving grace of this book for me was the bread crumbs of clues we were left with right up to the reveal, the horror & twists of the story, and the portrayal that what returns can only return differently, aka don't mess with life & death!

Oh, this was DELICIOUS. Creepy, thoughtful, romantic, and beautifully written; I couldn't stop reading. I always love McCauley's writing and this was no exception, and kept thinking about the story even when I was away from the book. It's absolutely for fans of Bly Manor, but anyone could be drawn in by this gothic world filled with trauma, secrets, and finally hope.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this work.

This leans more into dark fantasy over gothic or horror, but that doesn't change how slow this work was for me. SO much work to get to the meat of the story makes me believe more editing was necessary.

Other readers may enjoy that aspect of the work.

This was a really solid YA gothic horror! It took me a while to connect with the main character but overall, I enjoyed the way the plot was weaved together and the twists!

This one was hard to put down! I loooove a good haunted house and Lovelace house had all the trappings of one: an old house sinking into the sea, skulls on the ceiling tiles, rooms no one is permitted in, and a mysterious family who never leaves.

The story kept me guessing as it became more and more intricate and the family's lore and history was revealed. The romance between Marin and Evie was a nice touch amid the creepy atmosphere of the book. The gothic vibes were great and very consistent, and the chapter names were a fun touch.

I definitely will recommend this book to queer horror fans.

𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓛𝓲𝓮 𝓓𝓸𝔀𝓷 by Kyrie McCauley gave me the creepy vibes that I love in a spooktacular book. I wish I would have saved this book for the Fall because it would have aligned perfectly with the season. Either way, I enjoyed reading this book. The author did a really good job of establishing the creepiness and making certain scenes/moments feel eerie. I questioned what was going to happen next and found myself engrossed in the story. The characters were mostly well developed, so I was genuinely interested in the outcome of the story. I think the pacing was as good as it can be for a story of this type. I would definitely read this to others to read.

This book was a little step outside of my comfort zone and I kind of loved it!

When Marin loses her mom, she realizes she has no idea what she's going to do with her life. She when her mother's long lost best friend invites her to nanny at Lovelace house, Maren figures she has nothing to lose.

Alice, Marin's mom's old best friend, is creepy at best, as is the house. While Marin first finds it hard to nanny the children in her care, she begins to get settled as best she can into her role. But when the eldest daughter, Evie, arrives, things spiral out of control.

I loved being able to explore Marin's relationships with Evie and the two younger girls, and the island and home were definitely their own characters. I wasn't sure what to expect in this novel, and about halfway through I was definitely in for the shock of my life.

This book is absolutely a mix of <i>The Haunting of Bly Manor</i> and <i>Night of the Living Dead</i> and I really enjoyed every moment of it. If you need a dark read, this is for you.

This is a beautiful book that had me captivated from the very first page. The writing is superb and I would highly recommend this one.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was so descriptive that I felt that I was watching a movie. It was the perfect amount of creepy and I could not put it down!

I'm not really a romance or YA person (this wasn't listed as a Romance in NetGalley), but something about All the Dead Lie Down was compelling and entertaining enough for me to see it through. The gothic feel was carried throughout, and I felt that the events, characters, and plot were appropriate for a YA novel.

The chapter names were quirky, humorous, and spot on. That's not something I'd typically notice, but thought it was a nice touch here. My only complaint is that the summary made the book sound scarier than it actually was, but I'm not a frequent reader of YA so am not sure if this is the norm.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of All the Dead Lie Down from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I half wish I would have saved this read for spooky season because I feel like I might have enjoyed it more. But, that’s obviously not a problem with the book, but more about my mood going into this read. I enjoyed the gothic vibes and the dysfunctional family/family secrets theme. I did really like the psychological aspect that allows the reader to question how many of the creepy occurrences are real and how many are the sisters torturing their nanny to try to get her to quit. Some of those instances left me laughing out loud! However, I’m not a huge fan of the insta love trope, and that’s what the love story between Marin and Evie felt like. Overall, an enjoyable read.

This one sounds like something I would’ve have loved, however I had to put it down. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. I do think it was a me thing and other will love it.

I was definitely ready for the spooky aesthetics that I hoped were in this book and I was not disappointed. To me there was never a dull moment and I was really shocked and pleased with the examination of grief and different ways of coping with it. The only detractor for me was the romance in the book, but mostly because it wasn't what I was expecting and kind of broke me out of the dark and twisty parts of the book. That aside, I loved the journey this book took me on overall, it was just what I was looking for with the creepy factor and the writing was engaging and kept the pace going.