I truly enjoy T.Kingfisher’s writing! A House With Good Bones was a fun and quick read that I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys horror that isn’t too terrifying. I personally wouldn’t classify it as horror, but there are a couple parts that are disturbing.

If you like haunted houses, a bit of magical mystery, and a quick easy read then you will enjoy this book

I listened to this book and wish I had read it myself instead. A House with Good Bones is a meant to be a slow, gothic mystery. The narrator took me completely out of that moody over and over. Mom isn’t acting right and it has something to do with the house returning to its former self, long before Mom put her own warm touches on it. Figuring out what is making Mom so scared and what is changing everything about this formerly cozy home should be less ditzy than it came off.

I liked the story. I am going to purchase this book so I can enjoy it like it was meant to be enjoyed. My rating is based on the story beneath it all.

I ended up really liking this book! It was a quick audiobook listen and I'm a complete sucker for a gothic horror. I particularly like that this one took place in the middle of a suburban neighborhood instead of an isolated estate cut off from the rest of the world. Definitely a fun spin on the genre that I'd recommend to fans or either T. Kingfisher or the genre!

ingfisher’s characters leap off the page. Sam’s first person voice is light and breezy, as if she’s simply talking to a friend. And she’s funny. I spent a great deal of time laughing out loud at Sam’s observations of the world around her. Her job is to study insects at archeological sites, a career I didn’t even know existed! Leave it to Kingfisher to come up with something bizarre like that. Sam wants to believe there’s a rational explanation for all the weird things that are happening in the house, but eventually she has to admit that science can’t explain everything, and that’s a hard pill for her to swallow.

Gran Mae is the perfect villain, a racist Southern white woman too set in her ways to change. Sam recounts some of the awful things she did to her as a child, and it was nearly impossible to feel anything but disgust for her. But the author has a way of giving the most heinous of her characters a relatable, human side, and somehow she did just that with Gran Mae.

The last few chapters go to some very dark places, but almost in an absurd way, if that makes any sense. I did think the ending was rather abrupt, but I liked the way it ended too. I think readers are going to love A House With Good Bones, and if you’re a T. Kingfisher newbie, this would be a great place to start.

First- thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Narrator- wonderfully illustrative with her voice, did an excellent job embodying all the characters and bringing depth to the dialogue.

The book- T. Kingfisher is quickly becoming a must-by author for me. This story was funny, horrifying, and unquestionably unique. I thought the author did an excellent job of mixing pop-culture, folklore, history, and romance (well, almost-romance as there was no romance but enough to engage the reader into hoping for it) into the storyline. I devoured this book and hope to see the characters in the future!

**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot get enough of T. Kingfisher. This is my third book of hers and she continues to blow me away. This one is a short, quick read so I don't want to give anything away but I will say that she is a *master* of writing monsters. She's probably one of the best monster writers of all time. The way she is able to create wholly unique monsters is just so cool. I will read anything that she writes.

A book that is somehow funny yet horrifying, putting us not only in a real life situation of our declining mother, but also the fantastic with a horrifying rose garden. Overall a very fun read that brings to the forefront how much do you know about your family.

While they have vastly different writing styles, I couldn’t help but think of Stephen King while listening to T. Kingfisher’s A House with Good Bones. They both have the ability to write about everyday activities, which should be mundane, and make them completely engaging. I hope that doesn’t sound insulting, because it’s totally not meant to be, but much of the early parts of the book are quite subtle, and I believe it takes a real storyteller to use subtlety so masterfully. Sam’s returning home, seeing the changes in her mother, sensing things being off, it’s as I said subtle, but completely engaging. It totally hooked me. I knew there was a slow build going on, but I just wasn’t sure what it was building to. It’s creepy sure…but again subtle…always subtle, but then when Kingfisher decides to flip things, dang does she flip things! Being careful to avoid spoilers, but once the special ‘visitor’ shows up for Sam and her mother, and sense of subtlety is dropped and it’s insane balls to the wall intensity for the rest of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and Mary Robinette Kowal’s narration. She has such an upbeat/pleasant voice, it almost subverts the notion that this is a horror story. Agains don’t want to post any spoilers but I have to say, though he only has a tiny roll, I loved Sam’s neighbor. (Betting most people will as well) I want to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of A House with Good Bones.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2YK4QPTPMJ55U/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Oh this is a weird book and I loved every moment of it! Based on the synopsis I walked in expecting one thing and was completely surprised to find another in the best way possible!

After a phone call from Sam’s brother haunts her, Sam pushes it all aside and get ready to visit her mom. She’s not worried. She’s filled with excitement to spend a vacation with her mom doing their favorite things. So she packs up and heads to the quiet town in North Caroline where her mother lives.

However, when she gets there her brother’s words are ringing in her ears. Everything is right with mom. Things are off. The house is cluttered, her mom is jumpy, the beautiful art has been replaced with weird portraits and all the vibrant colors in the home are now muted shades of white.

Then she steps outside and finds vultures circling the house and some weird teeth buried in the rose bushes. Something isn’t right and Sam is determined to figure out what it is.

This book is part charming and quirky while also being spooky and chilling. I was granted access to the ALC thanks to MacMillan Audio (love you guys!!) and it was a wild ride. I loved the audiobook and recommend it to others!

I don’t think I’ll ever look at lady bugs and roses the same way again. Vultures are and will remain on the outs for me!

Southern-gothic horror explains this story so well. It's eerie, suspicious, and creepy, the events of this family's haunted house. Being a shorter story, the audiobook was only 7 hours, it still packs a punch.

Like something out of a childhood nightmare, this story is that stray brush on your arm making your skin bump with the chills.

**3.5 stars

This book might have gotten me deeper into a thriller/gothic era 💁‍♀️ I saw this all over my feed and when I saw it was available from NetGalley, I immediately signed up. I've been listening to this nonstop over the last couple of days (nonstop for me anyways with an audiobook).

It's a slow burn thriller with lots of little tidbits up until about 70%. That's when it really starts to get good and things start coming together a bit more. I didn't really see the end coming, though looking back now, maybe I should have. Although I did have to rewind the book a bit toward the end because one part didn't make sense to me.

I really only had one critique of this audiobook and it is the narrator's voice for Phil. She made him sound like a man in his 80s so it was really hard for me to picture him as a possible love interest for Sam. Overall, I really liked this narrator though.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Tor Nightfire for the audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Sam Montgomery is going to stay with her mom in her family home for the first time in years. As she turns on to the North Carolina street that her house is on, her brother’s worries about their mom seeming “off” come back to her. Sam steps into the house and realizes her mom has re-painted the house and changed the décor… to exactly how her grandmother had the house before she died. Along with that weird change, she sees that her mom has lost a crazy amount of weight and is jumping at every little noise. What could be wrong with her mom?

T. Kingfisher did a fantastic job with the characters in this story, especially Sam. The story is from her POV, and her humor and sarcasm are so much fun. Even during tense scenes, Sam’s humor stays sharp. I found myself really getting attached to her as a character. Kingfisher also does a very good job at creating creepy scenes, I got chills during some scenes.

This unfortunately was a 3-star read for me, because the twist was incredibly obvious from almost the very beginning. It was sometimes painful to read how oblivious Sam was to this twist. This is a very slow burn of a mystery, up until the very end. The last 10-15% of the book reveals all of the mystery, but incredibly abruptly. It also went from relatively realistic with a slight paranormal element for about 80% of the book to being mostly paranormal at the end. I had a hard time with how unbelievable the ending was compared to the rest of the book.

The audio of this book was very well done. Mary Robinette Kowal absolutely embodied the character of Sam. I will be putting her on my list of favorite narrators!

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher is a Southern Gothic Horror Fiction Story!

As an archaeoentomologist in Arizona, Sam Montgomery digs for a living. She understands the gentle balances in nature and has a keen sense for when things aren't quite right.

That's exactly what Sam feels when she arrives for a visit at her mother's house in North Carolina and sees vultures flying overhead and one perched on top of the mailbox out front. That's unusual.

The interior of the house that was once charmingly cluttered and colorful, now has white walls, a sterile feel, and decor that's disturbing and dates back to when her grandmother was alive. How odd.

Sam's mother is different, too. She's edgy, forgetful, and distracted. Not her usual easy going self and she's so thin. Could it be dementia?

When Sam starts digging around for answers inside and out, it's alarming what she finds...

A House with Good Bones is my first read by this author and what a treat! It's delightfully written with the perfect slow build beginning, quickening pace in the middle, and full force heightened ending.

Clearly, for me, the highlight of this story was the personable, compassionate, and well educated main character, Sam. I enjoyed her sense of humor and thoughtful use of a colorful word or two that was quite unexpected from someone so well spoken. I appreciate when descriptive language of this type fits into a story so well.

Listening to the audiobook narrator Mary Robinette Kowal was a wonderful experience. She became the character of Sam, as well as giving perfect gender voicing for an eclectic mix of unusual characters, which was no small feat, in my opinion. I will definitely remember this narration.

I'm so glad I finally tried this author's work. It was an entertaining, humorous, creepy, good time that I will definitely repeat again... soon!

A House with Good Bones is a book I highly recommend! 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and T. Kingfisher for an ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚

A House with Good Bones is the most recent release from T. Kingfisher, one of my favorite authors. With this being said, it's probably unsurprising that this is by far one of my most anticipated releases of 2023. Happily, this peculiar Southern Gothic tale didn't disappoint for one single second. I loved it from the first sentence.

When Sam's brother calls her, expressing concern about their Mom's health and state-of-mind, Sam figures it couldn't come at a better time. With her archaeological dig site temporarily shut down, there's no time like the present to travel home to North Carolina for a visit.

It's been a while. She loves her Mom. Why not go stay with her and see what she can see. If her brother is right, Sam wants to be able to help. Once back in her childhood home, Sam can feel it. Something is off. It's not just the changes that Mom has made to the house, she's acting different. It's slight things, but they definitely don't go unnoticed. Sam senses her Mom is afraid of something, but what?

The mystery is deep enough that Sam is compelled to get to the bottom of it. There's no way she'll be able to leave her Mom like this. Further, Sam is prepared to kick the butt of whoever is the cause of her Mom's secret distress. Digging into it, however, requires digging into her own past and the past of her family. You never know what you're gonna find when you start digging.

That Sam knows is true. She's an archaeo-entomologist after all, but even she didn't expect the Mason Jar full of human teeth buried under the rose bushes...

With help from some new friends, Sam gets elbows deep in her sordid family history and tries her best to rid her mother and their property from its long shadow.

Y'all, this was such an intriguing and engaging story. At this point, reading a T. Kingfisher for me is like story-time with an old friend. Her writing style is so distinct. She's like the Axel Rose of Dark Fiction. You can tell it's her from just a few lines.

I always connect with Kingfisher's main characters. I think it is the sense of humor. It's the way I think and view the world, so it's super easy for me to fall into step with their thought patterns and choices. This main character, Sam, was no exception. I just got her, wow. I loved how on it she was with her Mom. She wasn't willing to look the other way. She didn't look upon her task as a burden. Something was wrong here, her mom had sacrificed so much for her, and gosh darn it, Sam wasn't leaving until she helped her in return.

I appreciate how quirky and unique Kingfisher's side characters are. They contribute so much. In this one, Phil, her Mom's kind-of-cute handyman and Gail, the eccentric neighbor, who owns a one-winged vulture and may-or-may-not be a witch, were stars of the show.

Gail fit nicely into one of my favorite Horror character archetypes. Let's see if I can explain this correctly... The older character, who comes into the orbit of our protagonist and teaches them, or guides them in what they need to know to survive/defeat/overcome the obstacles/issues/horrifying creatures they're dealing with, all whilst providing incredible comic relief.

The atmosphere was fantastic. I loved learning about the house and all the different little things that Sam was noticing. There are some fun scenes with bugs as well. The ending got crazy. It reminded me a little of [book:The Twisted Ones|42527596]. Not so much in the content, or what happened, but just sort of how it all unfolded leading up to the conclusion. I loved that book and loved this one too.

Also, the audiobook is great. I absolutely recommend it. Once I started, I couldn't stop. The narrator brought this story to life for me!

I would recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed T. Kingfisher's work in the past, or anyone who enjoys Southern Gothic tales, or stories that bring humor to Horror. Finally, if you are new to T. Kingfisher, I actually think this would be a strong place to start.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had so much fun with this and can't wait to read it again someday!

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the characters were relatable and had a ton of personality that the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing to life. The story was cute and kept you wanting to know more about the family and what was going on. This was my first experience with "realistic" fantasy and I did feel like I the secrets that were hidden were far fetched but I think part of that is being so used to thrillers and mystery novels without fantasy aspects. The end did feel a little muddled and too easily brushed under the rug but the story was great and again, I REALLY loved the relatability of the characters. 10/10 on this narrator truly - she made the story extra wonderful.

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES
T. Kingfisher

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES is as charming and refreshing as sweet tea.

If you happen to like sweet tea as I do then you might like this book.

Entomologist Samantha is back home in North Carolina to visit with her mom while on furlough. But mom and home are not as they always were.

This is extremely disorienting for Samantha. And while she is busy deciding whether or not she has given time permission to pass she is missing the big clues around her that all is not well with her mom or the house.

I loved the premise and the themes are extremely interesting to me. I especially loved how it landed at an intersection between Motherhood and aspects of aging, death, and grief.

The main character and her mom are looking forward to endless nights of watching British crime shows and the endless amounts of wine that can be found in a box with a spigot.

These are my people.

I love Kingfisher's sense of humor which is on display here and the audiobook narrator landed lines like a stand-up comedian. The performance added to the atmosphere.

I highly recommend the audiobook version.

And you might be asking yourself how scary is this book and like Kingfishers others the horror lies in the speculation. Being locked in a house with my mom as the house itself morphs and responds as if it is sentient sounds like a version of hell to me.

After all, hell can be a place on earth.

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES is out today!

This would make an interesting follow-up to Iain Reid’s WE SPREAD, review linked.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is another cozy horror book like the previous ones I have read by T Kingfisher. This is now my favourite of all her horror books.

The story was more charming than scary with focusing on themes surrounding family. I appreciated the discussions surrounding weight stigma and health at every size. I felt this protagonist was a particular well realized woman.

I prefer darker stories but I would recommend this one to those enjoy lighter supernatural tales.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Happy Publication Day!

T. Kingfisher does it again. Atmospheric and gripping, this novel is a slow burn that becomes a raging fire by the final pages. If you are looking for a modern Southern Gothic with witchy elements and down-home family drama, this is the book for you.

In "A House with Good Bones," T. Kingfisher offers up a chilling Southern Gothic tale that explores the dark underbelly of family and home. Sam Montgomery returns to her childhood home in North Carolina for an extended visit with her mother, only to discover that something is deeply wrong. Her mother seems off, the house is painted in sterile white, and there are strange and unsettling things hidden in the garden. As Sam delves deeper into the mystery, she uncovers dark secrets that threaten to destroy everything she thought she knew about her family and their home.

Kingfisher masterfully builds suspense and tension throughout the novel, crafting an atmosphere of unease that lingers long after the final page. The characters are well-drawn and relatable, and the family dynamics feel authentic and nuanced. The setting is evocative, with vivid descriptions of the lush North Carolina landscape and the decaying mansion that looms at the heart of the story.

"A House with Good Bones" is a haunting and gripping novel that will keep you up late into the night, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the dark secrets that lurk beneath the surface. Highly recommended for fans of Southern Gothic and suspenseful family dramas.

This was a fun quick story. Sam is quirky, confident, and has a great sense of humor. She kept me interested and chuckling throughout. The rest of the cast is there but none of them really provide much to enhance the plot, although the mom-daughter banter was entertaining. For a horror, I didn't find myself scared so much as I did curious. It almost felt more like a funky dark fantasy than anything else.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this arc in exchange for an honest review!