Holly Horror was a creepy paranormal read that I really enjoyed. I love the cover of this book and that’s what initially made me want to read it. I also found the synopsis extremely intriguing and I love YA horror books.

This story revolves around teen Evie who moves to Massachusetts with her mom and brother after her parents’ divorce. Her and her family move into what the locals refer to as the Horror House. The house has a dark past and soon Evie must face the horrors that lurk within her home.

This book had several chilling moments that I loved. There’s the old house with a dark past, a creepy talking doll, and an overall eerie atmosphere.

I’m eagerly awaiting the 2nd book in the series since this book ended on a cliffhanger. I need to know what happens! If you love YA horror books, definitely read this one.

4/5 stars

I was pulled in from the cover, and was not disappointed! Holly Horror has romance, creepy plots, and it's super atmospheric, perfect for October! It was a quick, simple read.

That cover, though. Heart. Eyes. Holly Horror is the perfect spooky read for Halloween.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Penguin Workshop and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy.

Really good and creepy read. It was really atmosphetic and really well written. I liked being sucked into the book. I didn't really connect with all the characters that well but maybe that is just me. It was a good book overall and I did really enjoy it.

Holly Horror is a YA horror that doesn’t hide the supernatural and brings readers straight into the fear.
Evie Archer and her family have moved back to the family house. There are rumors of hauntings, but Evie takes it astride until weird things start happening in her house. Evie must handle a new school as well as a mother who doesn’t believe Evie sees anything.
The secret Evie keeps would have been better explored early on. This would have the reader guessing what is really going on, confusing us as much as Evie. This is the first in the series, so Michelle Jabes Corpora leaves several cliffhangers and these loose ends leave you a little bitter. But overall it’s an enjoyable YA horror that keeps the reader on their toes.

I finished this one a while ago and i just simply forgot to give feedback on Netgalley, as I've been a little hiatus recently.

I found this title very interesting and fun! I can't remember how I felt about it in a deep way but I do remember loving it! Thank you for the ARC!

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

First of all, this is the most beautiful cover I've ever seen. However, I was a bit let down with the story. I wish we had gotten even more ghosts and spooky parts. I feel like at one point the romance took over, and I didn't really care about the romance. I loved the setting of this book. Unfortunately, the story was a little lost on me. I am very curious about the ending though.

My Thoughts🕸

First, let me be honest with you. This could be the worst book in the world, and I would still proudly display it because THIS COVER IS LIFE. Luckily, the book is just as beautiful inside, and it is outside. When I first saw this cover I KNEW I had to have it, I mean, if this isn't my aesthetic, I don't know what is. The story being amazing was just a bonus. Definitely make sure you pick this creepy YA horror book up today(release day was yesterday!).

First, I want to say thank you to the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC.

Rating: 2 stars

If I had to sum up this book in one sentence, it would be this, “This book isn’t bad, but it sure as heck isn’t great.”

Which is to say that I expected more. The cover is beautiful and eerie, and the synopsis is perfect.

Full review on my website:
https://kalagwrites.wordpress.com/2023/09/12/review-of-holly-horror-by-michelle-jabes-corpora/

This was a fairly quick simple dark read. As a YA horror book it definitely gave some creepy feels perfect for fall. The cover and even the artwork at the beginning of each chapter pulled the whole feel together. Overall I enjoyed this but I think there could have been more developed between characters and the pas could have been expanded on.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, this is a voluntary honest review.

Holly Horror is an incredible dark reimagining of a childhood favorite...Holly Hobbie. Never in my life would I have thought that Holly Hobbie and horror would cross paths, but dang am I glad it did! This is a face-paced gothic horror story with just the right amount of romance. I was so sad when this book ended, but then I remembered this is the first in a series. I'm so ready!

You might like this if you remember Hollie Hobbie growing up, love gothic horrors, and are a romantic at heart.

Thank you Penguin for this Arc
Trope-y characters, lack of horror, and a fast-paced story all came together to make a book I was so excited to read...a disappointment.
The characters all suffer from being very one dimensional, and a lot of them seem more reminiscent of tropes than actual complex characters. There is typical bleach blonde mean girl, and a lot of her dialogue seemed better suited to an 80s movie then to a teenager. In terms of "romance" there is your typical popular athlete, and him and Evie have maybe two interactions before kissing. They don't have any chemistry, and I really didn't even understand why it was included. Cringey at best, the conversations and interactions are not anything like how teenagers actually talk. I know the length of the book was probably a hindrance to creating more character development and lending less shallow relationships between them.
I am the world's biggest weenie when it comes to horror. I typically can't even read wikipedia summaries of scary books or movies without getting freaked out and needing a nightlight. I think the length of the book contributed to the lack of build up, and any scenes that were intended to be scary, didn't feel that way at all. Basically all the scenes were just missing the imagery or pacing necessary to convey the mood. I just kept waiting for horror, or to be scared. I was sorely disappointed. There isn't a lot of action going on, I felt like I was waiting and hoping for more creepy things to be happening.
A lot of the blame rests on my shoulders. I was so excited when I saw the authors name, I assumed a horror story with diversity and great BIPOC writing was in store. That was not the case. The BIPOC characters were painful to read, and it seems no research or time was put into making sure they actually read like BIPOC. There are a few characters where we get a one word descriptor, or maybe a last name that hints at diversity, but take that away and nothing about them reads anything other then white.
The writing style really surprised me. It was very easy to consume and simple, it would be better suited to a middle grade audience then a ya one. It made it really difficult to stay engaged, and a lot of times I felt myself just bored with the repetitive prose. I read an incredibly engaging middle grade book (I only mention this to show that my issue is not with different age group books, but just this one)earlier, one that is suited well for all ages and audiences, and Holly Horror does not share the same tone that I would recommend for the ya that it is being marketed for. If it was instead targeting a younger demographic, I believe it would find an audience more appreciative of its story.
I do like the cover, it's gorgeous, and is really creepy!
I personally would not recommend this book, nor would I read anything by this author again.

Holly Horror (Book #1) by Michelle Jabès Corpora
Published: August 15, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

>>Evie needs a fresh start after her parents' divorce and she hopes moving to Ravenglass will be just that. But when they move into Hobbie House (or Horror House) as the neighborhood calls it, strange things start happening as Evie digs deeper into what happened when Holly Hobbie mysteriously vanished from her room one night.
I was so stoked to be accepted for this book and it did not disappoint. I loved the character of Evie and even the side characters, like her friend Tina and Evie's elusive aunt. It was spooky in parts, just a little creepy in others. Perfect for those wanting to try out the "horror" genre without going full send. I got the goosebumps I was looking for without the nightmares. It was an easy, quick read and I'm already looking forward to book 2. This would be a great add to your spooky TBR.

I didn’t grow up on Holly Hobbie, though the imagery is iconic. It’s not difficult to recognize the sideways profile of the young girl, her face obscured by a blue bonnet. The cover of Holly Horror draws inspiration from that iconic silhouette, but ups the creep factor by about a million. The cover was one of the main reasons why I picked up this book, and I’m so glad I did.

I wasn’t sure how scary the book would be, given that it’s for a young adult audience ranging from 12 to 17 years old. I’m new to the horror genre, and I’ll admit that it doesn’t take much to make my skin crawl. Keep that in mind when I tell you this book was creepy! It was never too scary that I needed to put it down, but there were a few times I regretted reading it right before bed.

This book pulled me in with the first chapter and wouldn’t let go until I got to the very last page. Sprinkled with bits of horror, interesting local history, stand-out characters, and a mystery that kept me guessing, the epic conclusion was even more enjoyable once all the threads Corpora had been weaving from page one came together to reveal the final tapestry.

But fair warning: This book ends on a major cliffhanger! As cruel as that particular scene was, there's no way I'm NOT picking up the sequel as soon as it publishes.

Holly Horror is a spooky haunted house story set in a small town in Virginia. The sleepy little town has a colorful history dating back to the gold rush, and a granite quarry, plus their local legend of The Patchwork Girl who’s said to have disappeared after her father was found dead. The house of legend, Hobbie House aka Horror House, definitely keeps its secrets and the town whispering gossip.

When Evie, Stan and their mother movie in after their parents get divorced, Evie starts to experience odd things around the house and see a far off girl dressed in bonnet and victorian gown. Is she seeing things again or is Hobbie House trying to ensare her in its secrets?

This was a great YA Horror for readers who just want to dip their toes in to a little spooky. There were a few really well written moments that gave me the goosebumps that creep up your back, but overall the book is low on “horror” and more suspenseful which is to be expected in the YA Genre. I really enjoyed the aspect of facing your fears, and not hiding from your troubles. Touching ever so lightly on mental health, grief, broken households and family drama.

I’ll be curious to see where the author takes the storyline in book 2, as we do end on a cliffhanger in Holly Horror. Definitely recommend this one to anyone who wants a fun easy light horror read for Spooky Season!!

Do you like ghost stories and YA horror books? If you answered yes, then Holly Horror is one you need to add to your TBR!

From the start of this book you can feel that something strange is happening, not only in the Horror House, but also in the town. I loved how the ghost story premise evolved into so much more, weaving in other secondary characters to fuel Evie’s journey towards an extremely tense ending. Evie is a multi-faceted character dealing with a series of emotional events, to include her move to this new town, bullying, and her parent’s recent divorce. The reader watches as Evie tries to find herself among these events while also battling a supernatural force that seems hellbent on connecting with her.

There’s a great mix of town lure and past town/house history that crafts the backstory of our haunting. I loved digging into the past with Evie and trying to make sense of everything. There were definitely a few moments and twists that I saw coming just from putting these pieces together. Watching with one eye open and I hoped Evie would also hit these conclusions before chaos struck was a fun ride. Everything comes crashing together with a tense and fulfilling ending. But there’s just one thing…a cliffhanger that has me eagerly anticipating the release of book two! I can’t wait to see what comes next for this series and will definitely be placing a pre-order as soon as book two comes available.

A huge thank you to Penguin Teen for my gifted copy!

4.5 stars rounded up
This was exactly the sort of creepy haunted house story I was looking for as we wrap up the summer and head into fall. Is it a tropey YA novel? Sure, but for me that didn't detract from the reading experience and I think this is an excellent option for people dipping their toes into the horror genre. There were a few scenes I found genuinely a bit scary, but there's great buildup of suspense and uncertainty of whether the creepy things are real or hallucinations. Is this new house actually haunted? Or is it a metaphor for the trauma of her parents divorce and her own sense of guilt and abandonment? Or maybe both?

Holly Horror also does a good job of playing on childhood to make it scary with the children's song "come out and play with me, climb up my apple tree..." I really enjoyed the way it wove the song lyrics into the narrative, but in a disturbing way. I found this to be a really excellent start to what will hopefully be a series. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Ooh, this was such a fun paranormal YA read! I was genuinely creeped out. I also really liked the family/friend relationships in this book, they were realistic without being annoying in the way that teen friendships sometimes get to me. The story is mostly wrapped up but there is an opening for a sequel!!

This book genuinely scared me. At first, I was scared that the main character was going to be insufferable since she is a teen girl; and authors typically stick to teen stereotypes but as a teen girl myself, I found her relatable. I was also scared that I was going to guess all of the plot twists but almost all of them caught me off guard. This book is the perfect, page turning, quick read for the upcoming fall and Halloween season.


I wrote that before I finished the book. I changed my mind. After around 75% everything went downhill. The plot dragged out, everything was predictable, and it felt very middle grade versus young adult. To put that in perspective, I am 16 so the book is supposed to appeal to my age group.

All in all, I would recommend this book to a middle schooler or if you just go into knowing it’s a little immature.