In the interest of being super real with you? I think I didn't get it. Like, so there's horror, for sure, but it's about, well, mostly about shared trauma and there seems to be a metaphor involved that genuinely, if it's there, went all the way over my head.

Through the Midnight Door is a creepy thriller focused on three sisters and their experiences with a "haunted house." For me, the book was a little too much of a slow burn for the first half or so of the book, although I thought the author did a good job in developing the main characters. But with so many questions left open for most of the book - I often found myself asking, What is going on?! - I was impatient to get to the twist, to the reveal. As the truth was revealed, however, the book picked up speed, and I certainly did not expect the twists or the ending.

For fans of haunted house stories, stories about sisterhood or (troubled) families, or slow burn thrillers, this book is for you.

I really loved the sound of this but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

I think it was a little too slow paced to keep me interested and every time I picked it up I forgot what had already happened.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I'm always down for a creepy haunted house thriller and this one did not disappoint. I was trying to figure out what kind of darkness these sisters were encountering through the entire book since there were many options for what it could be and the way it played out was great. The book shows how emotional trauma impacts a family and strengthens or loosens the bonds between the family members. It was split into the perspectives of the 3 sisters so it was like a puzzle that was slowly putting all the pieces together. If you are into haunted house vibes with a bit of mystery then this would be a good book for you!

This was so much more than I expected. It was horrifying and beautiful and so sad! Three sisters are roaming their city (as we did in those days) when a boy says he has something to show them in an old abandoned house. The next thing you know they are upstairs holding their own special keys in a creepy hallways that keeps changing. They each unlock a door and experience something in those rooms.
One sister essentially goes mad and then the other does. It is a lot. I felt this in my soul.
Thank you for the nightmares.

Through The Midnight Door is a very dark and spooky psychological thriller/ horror with the classic haunted house concept, but with a creative twist. It is very dark and twisted, with several spine-chilling moments throughout the book.
One day, the Finch sisters meet a local boy who convinces them to check out an abandoned home with him. When they enter the home, they are met with an endless number of doors. Mysteriously, a key appears to each sister and being filled with curiosity, they enter their chosen rooms and into something unspeakable. Each sister witnesses something horrifying and haunting in their room, something so terrible, they dare not speak of it ever again.
Years later, the youngest Finch sister, Claire, is found dead in the abandoned home. It appears she has taken her own life, however Meg and Esther know there is more to the story. This is confirmed when they are suddenly haunted by the ghost of their sister. Claire shares things with her sisters, while haunting and tormenting them. However, Meg and Esther know it's not their sister- it is the shadow creature that they first saw in the house years ago, trying to drag them into the darkness..
This book is frightening, eerie, disturbing, terrifying.. everything a horror should be! Although it did not seem evenly paced throughout, with some parts being slower than the rest, when it did pick up, it was jarring to say the least! There were moments where I got literal goosebumps and had to put my phone down for a bit, just to regroup and continue on. This is what makes a great horror for me! 4 stars!
Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Katrina Monroe for this ARC!

Through the Midnight Door immedietely gave me The Haunting of Hill House vibes and fans of the show are going to eat this story up. Although the characters aren't as lovable as the show there's the same dynamic of family, guilt and finding the truth in the past and the present. This was certainly a gothic read with dark themes and graphic settings of a weird old house with doors that showed nightmares. I flew through this one as there was so much going on in the past and the present and there were so many secrets among the pages I just had to reveal. This book addresses the topic of mental health issues, family estrangement and guilt which were heartbreaking to read at times. I liked how the author took the Haunting of Hill vibes and turned it into her own story. I did wish there was more to do with the house and the unamed supernaturalness surrounding what haunted the family, as well as more into why one of the characters did what they did that affected the family so much but ultimately this was a fast paced and intriguing read. Some of the imagery was haunting in and of itself and will leave the reader feeling as though they can see what the characters are seeing when they see their different versions of their nightmares. I think readers are really going to enjoy this one!

This novel really affected me. All of us have some degree of “darkness” in us. This book was an exploration of what happens when we try to bury this darkness and hide it and not bring it out into the light. It also brought themes of sibling relationships and how those dynamics change as you grow up.

Generational trauma and sibling rivalry? What could possibly go wrong? Everything. Everything went wrong. I love stories where siblings at odd have to come together, mending their bond in the process.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Haunting Stars

The cover of this book gets 5 stars alone and I think that was the most exciting thing about this book.

Through the Midnight Door is a sloooowww burn thriller , filled with some family saga !

Read this if you like :
🏠 Slow Burn Thrillers
🏠 Multiple POV’s
🏠 Dual Timelines
🏠 Haunted Houses
🏠 Family Drama

Through the Midnight Door is a story set around three sisters Meg, Claire and Esther who are haunted by the the darkness that has followed them over the years after visiting “The House “ on the deserted street so many years ago .

Over the years their lives are inflicted with trauma , alcoholism and suicide and the voices in their heads that follow them .

I really struggled with this one, the pacing was to slow for me , the first chapter did not work for me even though the premises was set around the death of sister Claire and the chapters were just to long and drawn out for me .

However you know I can be a bit of an outlier so don’t let this review steer you away from this dark haunting and different read !!

Thank you NetGalley ,Poisoned Pen Press and Katrina Monroe for this ARC!!

Respectfully Another Read by Angie

Thank you to Netgallery and Poisoned Pen Press for an early release copy of Through The Midnight Door by Katrina Monroe, this book will be available for purchase on August Thirteenth of 2024.

Through The Midnight Door has an interesting premise but this one fell flat for me, I thought the writing was good and descriptive, the characters were decently written, and the plot while it kept me interested I was expecting more. The haunted house aspect needed some more development, I was expecting more horror wise. The horror elements that we read about aside from the house are good but I don’t feel that they were as hard hitting as they could have been.

Complicated sister relationships after a childhood exploration of an abandoned house and a dark dark room that haunts them. Mike Flannigan vibes for sure! Bleak, but worth sticking it out to the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of “Through the Midnight Door.” This book far exceeded my expectations. It was every bit creepy as it was beautiful. Such an original plot. Even though I had a pretty good idea of what was going on the whole time, it still completely kept my attention. There were mysteries within mysteries. Secrets and more secrets. Deep family trauma and forgiveness. Definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a powerful message along with their horror.

Megan, Esther, and Claire are three sisters that explore abandoned building together as part of their very own, Midnight Society. During one of their society meetings, they lured to an abandoned house by a neighborhood boy, Donny. They are forever plagued with darkness following this unplanned exploration. Each sister is trapped within different rooms and each sister has different experiences. However, neither of them shares the specifics of their experiences with one another. As adults, the sisters have drifted apart but after a sister commits suicide, the two remaining sisters must work together to understand what happened to their sister and what lead her to this end. As they work together, they discover more about hidden family secrets, and they learn to reconnect with each other.
This book was told from the perspectives of each sister, and it jumped between timelines. Despite the multiple perspectives and timelines, the story was easy to follow. This book is a combo of mystery, psychological thriller, and horror. It was the perfect combination of each for me and I really enjoyed it. I had trouble putting this book down because I was hooked. I really enjoyed the Haunting of Hill House Netflix series and this kind of gave me those vibes. The characters were well developed, and I could really feel for the Finch sisters.
Thank you to Katrina Monroe, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC and provide my honest review.
Publish date: August 13th, 2024

This was SO CREEPY and forced me to stay up way too late to finish. I loved every second of it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

[ 3.5 / 5 ]

Through the Midnight Door is a wonderfully spooky case of classic, haunted house horror with a human twist. In the beginning, the protagonists may seem like they’re facing off a mysterious monster, but in the end, humanity prevails as the enemy.

Esther and Meg Finch are drawn back to their hometown in this tragic tale, following the untimely death of their little sister. Though the police and the coroner suspect no foul play, the sisters can’t help but think that this is all tied to the darkness that has clung to them since childhood.

Against the backdrop of a decrepit house of horrors, Esther and Meg attempt to repair their relationship in order to bring justice to their sister’s death.

• • • • • •

This is about as distressing as I thought it would be, which is a compliment in this context. Katrina Monroe explores the relationship between a person and their demons, and how it affects the way they interact with the people in their lives.

I’m a sucker for a good horror laced with family drama, and this book pretty much delivered on that front. I guess I just wanted the climax to shock or move me more, considering all the build-up.

Overall, a pretty solid book! Would read more from this author.

I absolutely love the horror genre when it blends with psychology because what authors do in this case is manifest one's darkest fears, devastating experiences, or severe trauma into a being out of nightmares.

⚜Genre: Psychological Horror
⚜Targeted audience: 13+
⚜Characters: 3 sisters "Meg, Esther, Claire", haunted house, Donny
⚜Representation: mental illness, depression
⚜TW: child loss, suicide, self-harm, kidnapping, alcoholism
⚜ POV: multiple third person
⚜ rating: 3.5 🌟🌟🌟 🔅

First a thank you to the author and Netgalley for this EARC

There is no doubt that the story here is heavily influenced by Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson



from the dedication at the beginning of the page to the number of the main characters involved, which is four, to the use of the name Hill for the street where the haunting house resides, to the creepy House itself and the darkness that lurks inside.

Monroe's "Through the Midnight Door" is a poignant and chilling narrative that delves into the complexities of sisterhood and the haunting echoes of intergenerational trauma. It is a testament how hidden secrets and miscommunication among families can be the reason to break them apart.

We follow the three Finch sisters' journey through their past and present to see how their adventure into the heart of an enigmatic house and it's creepy keys led by a mysterious boy named Donny has brought out the darkness within them and haunted them throughout their adulthood.

The novel masterfully intertwines the sisters' present-day struggles with the unresolved mysteries of their family history, culminating in a harrowing examination of loss and the indelible impact of shared experiences. Monroe's prose is both evocative and lyrical, crafting a story that is as much about the strength found in familial bonds as it is about the terror of facing the ghosts that linger in the shadows of their lineage.

The writing style is not complicated. It is a page-turner book suitable for 13 and above. I was hooked from the beginning and kept intrigued until the last page.

However, I felt that the timeline was a bit off because the ages of the characters were not stated directly. Other than Meg, who says she is 35, the other sisters were not given a direct age. They are referred to as close to 30 or older than Claire by a bit. Even Donny's age was not mentioned directly. He was described as "At first, he looked a little older than Claire, maybe ten or eleven....which meant he was probably older. Thirteen or fourteen.

If he was fourteen when we first see him, this makes him about 8 or 9 years older than Claire, but that means that he did what he did when he was 8 or 9!!!! which would be ridiculous! even if he were older, let's say ten, this is still impossible.

I did not like how the mother was left off the hook and blamed so many times. I am not spoiling, but there was a scene where she beat the shit out child- Claire because she was grieve-stricken and everyone just swept this under the rug!!!

A past POV from Donny could have enriched the book's mystery, offering a deeper dive into the house's eerie lore. While the narrative stretches thin in places and treads familiar ground in others, incorporating Donny's viewpoint might have tightened the tension and enhanced the overall intrigue of the story.

other than that, this book is a compelling read for those who are drawn to stories that probe the depths of human emotion and the specters of the past that shape our present.

The Finch sisters don't talk about what happened when they were kids. They don't really talk to each other at all. When youngest sister Claire is found dead in an abandoned house that they played in, the sisters are forced back to their home town to support their parents and find out what happened.
Katrina Monroe beautifully pushes the boundaries of the supernatural and of horror with this novel of grief and family. Sometimes I was very creeped out and sometimes I re-read paragraphs. This is a great novel for all horror lovers, supernatural story lovers and those who love a story about family #poisonedpenpress #throughthemidnightdoor #katrinamonroe

I absolutely loved this one. The dual timeline and multiple POVs were done so well and in a way that benefitted the story. I was rooting for Meg throughout the whole story. Esther I felt for at times but at other times she was driving me a little crazy (like pointing a gun at her kid). There was an equal amount of horror and mystery and it all tied together well. I did guess part of the ending but I enjoyed the supernatural element as well. This story definitely handled some very heavy topics but handled them well. Overall I would recommend this book; however, I will stress the importance of looking up trigger warnings as this book handles not only mental health issues but also suicide and death of an infant.

This novel is a poignant exploration of sisterhood and the lasting impacts of generational trauma. It captivates readers with its chilling atmosphere and delves into the delicate dynamics between sisters. The story follows how deeply rooted trauma can permeate through generations, shaping the lives of its characters.

The sisters' relationship takes a dramatic turn after they stumble upon a mysterious hallway filled with various doors. Some doors appear ordinary, resembling those found in any home, while others seem like mere voids with faint outlines. Each sister keeps their door's secret to themselves. In the present day, Meg and Esther regularly encounter keys that seemingly materialize out of thin air.

The heart of the conflict in this book lies in the Finch family's reluctance to communicate openly, opting to bury their darkness instead of exposing it to the light. Although a tragedy, the death of Claire ultimately compels Meg and Esther to confront the fractures in their once-tight bond.

In terms of characters, the novel primarily explores the intricate bond between the sisters, unearthing the complexities and vulnerabilities inherent in such relationships. The characters are portrayed as multi-dimensional, each with their struggles and perspectives.

Among the sisters, Esther undergoes the most significant transformation from childhood to adulthood. Her personality takes on obsessive and paranoid tendencies. While Claire and Esther envision harm befalling themselves, Meg's vision reveals the demise of her sisters, leading her to view herself as a threat rather than their protector. As the eldest, this dynamic proves particularly detrimental to their sibling bond.

Although Donny serves as the novel's antagonist, he too becomes a victim of the darkness that haunts the sisters. His victimhood shapes his character, while his envy of the Finch family stems from his connection to the darkness.

The writing style of this novel evokes an emotional and haunting tone, leaving readers with a profound sense of unease and suspense throughout the narrative.

The story culminates in the burning of the house, along with the assumed eradication of the darkness. The shadow creature embodies despair, heartache, regret, anger, jealousy, fear, and guilt.

However, one can't help but wonder if the darkness could find a new manifestation elsewhere.

If you enjoy books that delve into deeper meanings and keep you engaged with their ever-evolving narratives, then this book will likely be captivating.