I seem to be in a rut lately when it comes to books. Either that or I've managed to run into a mess of mediocre stories. Books that aren't bad, that are worth the read, but they don't stand out as something I'll remember later. This one doesn't fall into that category, and it's definitely not mediocre, but it does have its issues. It's a rare thing for me not to finish a book, but I very nearly did just that with It Will Just Be Us. The first half was way too bogged down in flowery prose. Now, I get wanting to paint a picture for the reader, and I get creating an atmosphere, especially when it comes to getting that creepy Gothic feel like this one has. The problem is this one went completely over the top with nearly everything mentioned. I'm all for setting a scene, but some things can be left to the imagination. Some descriptions had such odd and overly flowery wording that they just didn't work. Fortunately, things started to improve just about the time that I was ready to give up. The second half of this book is where it really starts to shine. It's thoroughly creepy, and it kept me up into the wee hours, reading to see how it would all play out while listening to every noise my own house decided to make. Like I said, creepy! I won't go into the details because I feel like too much information could ruin the vibe of this one, especially if you already know what to expect. In the end, I split the difference between the irritating first half and the stellar second half for a middle of the road rating. My advice would be to grit your teeth and persevere to get to the last half, and then it's everything a sinister thriller should be.

This book has all my favorite horror things tied up all into one neat, spellbinding package. There is a creepy kid, a haunted house, ghosts just living their past lives, and flashbacks to the past (the ghosts doing their things plays into this). It all just came together so well that I fell in love. It’s so very well-written. The way that Kaplan would describe things was incredibly gritty and raw, but also kind of beautiful in the way that it flowed. I was continually impressed with the eloquence of the writing. The way that things were described was done so in such a way that you felt truly brought into the story. I felt as if I could smell the swamp and the musty house. The whole ambiance of the story was gothic and dark, there are some very dark things that are addressed by the book. Yet, they are done in such a way that it stresses just how evil they really are. It is incredible how much evil can exist in and around such an old house.

Speaking of the creepy ambiance, I was continually aware of the presence of the child with the blank face, in such a way that I was anxious anytime the protagonist was alone (obviously in a good way). The way that the sadistic nature of the boy was coupled with the inane innocence of youth was chilling to say the least. Anytime the boy made his presence known, you just wanted to sink back into yourself, so that he wouldn’t see you. Many elements of the story very much revolve around things that have happened in the past, and things that could happen in the future. The protagonist is faced with the inevitability of fate, and all the while still trying her best to try to ward off an impending doom. I can’t go into more detail than that, I don’t want to tell you how it goes. This book is another work of literature wherein the protagonist is faced with the challenge of changing destiny.

I don’t have very many negative things to say about the book. Of course, there were some bits where it dragged a little. But, that really happens in most books. There can’t be action 24/7 in every book. Also, I’m not sure how much I really understand the purpose of the creepy room. Like, I understand the significance of it based off of everything that has occurred in there. I guess I just don’t necessarily understand why the room itself was so weird, even prior to the things that occurred. Honestly, it’s probably a me thing. I think that perhaps the book could have been a bit longer so that maybe we could have gotten more on the room. That’s really just personal though, I don’t think that it really takes away from the story at all really.

In conclusion, if you’re a horror fan then I think you should read this book. I think this especially holds true if you love haunted house books and/or books with creepy, evil children. This book has such a truly creepy atmosphere that is maintained through fantastic visceral storytelling with the perfect amount of description. There are just so many creepy/evil things packed into such a small book. It isn’t a long read at all (the last 20% read so fast, I was so hooked by then that I couldn’t put it down). This is one of my favorite books of 2020, I just have to say a big fat “Great Job” to Jo Kaplan for writing this. I look forward to seeing what she comes out with next! I’m going to have to get my hands on a physical copy, because I really need to add this one to my physical collection.

It Will Just Be Us is a new Southern gothic suspense tale set in the Shirley Jackson universe of ghosts and madness.

Living in their family’s historic but dilapidated mansion, Samantha and her mother see the ghosts of their own pasts every day. But when Samantha’s sister Elizabeth arrives very pregnant with her son, a new ghost appears of a young devilish boy. Seemingly connected to a cursed and long-locked room, is the boy from the past or the future?

With atmosphere as thick as pea soup, It Will Just Be Us is great for gothic horror fans. The story is genuinely scary with lots of paranormal elements. 4 stars!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I do love a good haunted house story - though, I must admit that the character names in the synopsis are what originally caught my attention (my love of Sweet Valley knows no bounds). Samantha Wakefield lives with her mother in their ancestral home, amidst physical-seeming manifestations of the memories of the house itself. Haunted out of time, it makes for an interesting concept. But things start changing when Sam's very pregnant sister, Elizabeth (yes, that's right - Elizabeth nee Wakefield!! I mean, she acts nothing like Sweet Valley's Elizabeth, but these Wakefields of Shadydale, West Virginia certainly cultivate plenty of town gossip as well!). Sam starts seeing new people- and also begins reconstructing more of the lives of the Wakefields of the past, too.

The prose, particularly in the beginning, is overly florid, bogging down the pacing. Plus, the Wakefield name constantly distracted me throughout the whole book. None of the characters ever really feel all that developed, so they never really come to life. But, there are certainly some interesting ideas here - and definitely some creepy imagery. Unfortunately, for the most part, the action feels removed and disjointed, so it's hard to find this one to be genuinely frightening. The latter half is definitely stronger than the beginning, but it's never what I would classify as a truly satisfying read. With better character development, maybe it would be stronger... and while I did like the core concept, the execution never really unfolded in a way that made me enjoy reading this one all that much. I contemplated setting it aside unfinished a few times, and even when I reached the last page, I am not sure that I was all that glad to have made it through to the ending...

The Wakefield House has always been the discussion of the neighbourhood for being haunted. It has a horrific background story of murder and scandal. Sam Wakefield and her mother are the current occupants of the house. One night Sam's sister Lizzie turns up at the front door after splitting up with her husband. However, things soon become intense when Sam starts being haunted by Lizzies unborn child. The child is pure evil, but what lengths will Sam go to to stop her sister and others from being harmed?

This was such an eerie and creepy read. This flowed really well and I liked how we got to go back in time to see the events that made the house haunted. I loved how the past narrative and present narrative all tied together.

I couldn't put this down and I did genuinely feel creeped out on certain parts. This is perfect for some Halloween spooks!

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me a copy to read.

This book is simply gothic perfection. I’m honestly at a loss for words; it was that good.
One of my favorite genres is gothic slow burn horror. It Will Just Be Us is a perfect example of this. A remote, haunted old house lived in by a creepy family held hostage by their secrets. A town that despises said family for reasons unknown. Secrets. Lies. An unspeakable past mystery that slowly unravels. It could not have been any better.
The writing was perfectly paced, gorgeous and haunting. With this novel, I am forever a Jo Kaplan fan.

So I honestly really enjoyed this one. It was an incredibly unique take on the haunted house. I loved the setup for it and I loved getting lost in this world. It was modern but the ~vibes it gave off were very Shirley Jackson. So at times this felt almost like I was lost in Haunting of Hill House or We Have Always Lived in the Castle. But then someone would pull out a cell phone and remind me that it was modern.

I also really loved the atmosphere this created. The house and all the stories surrounding it were FASCINATING. I loved finding out more about its history and past residents. And its ~Underground Railroad type ties. Even everything relating to the swamp was fascinating. So this did ~world building incredibly well. I was sucked right in and loved every minute of discovering the secrets of this house.

What I didn't love (and the reason this lost a star) was about the last 3 chapters. I liked HOW this ended, I just didn't love how the ending was approached. I hated following Sam on her ~chase by Don. It felt way too long and drawn out and, honestly, boring. That felt like it took FOREVER and then the epilogue was just way too short. So I wish one would've been condensed and the other would've been longer. Because I do love how it tied back to Clementine and it made sense with the rest of the story, including both Don and Lizzie dying. I just don't think we needed three drawn out chapters of Don chasing Sam all over creation. I was bored. I had really adored this book up until the last few chapters. So I just wish those had been approached differently.

Still recommend this book though. I think it is perfect for the upcoming spooky season. It has some really lovely chilling bits that are great to read in the dark by yourself (ha) and if you're looking for an interesting haunted house take, I definitely recommend this one!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2020/09/10/it-will-just-be-us-by-jo-kaplan/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Seriously, ‘in your face’ ghosts

If you like gothic ghost stories and you’re not easily distracted by somewhat flowery prose then It Will Just Be Us is the perfect book for you. Not going to lie – this one give me a little bit of the hebejebes at certain points in the book and if you like your ghost stories to be ‘real’ ghost stories as oppose to hints and shadows then look no further.

This is a story told by Sam Wakefield who has returned to her ancestral home after suffering a late night attack that left her scared to be alone. Wakefield House is a large sprawling mansion that sits on the edge of a swamp. It just sounds utterly delightful doesn’t it! This is a house with a long and troubled history, a history that slowly reveals itself through the snippets of the past that constantly play out in the rooms and corridors. Sam’s sister Elizabeth also returns to the home following matrimonial discord and Elizabeth brings a different and unsettling presence into the home in the form of her unborn child.

So, many years ago I had the strangest book that I was absolutely fascinated with. It was a book that tried to explain strange phenomena – such as spontaneous combustion and ghosts (amongst others). The reasoning behind ghost sightings was roughly along the lines of snatches of the past being captured almost in the same way that a photograph captures a moment. These images then replay again and again. I kind of like this notion I must admit, it gives ghosts a less intimidating aspect somehow if you believe them to be akin to replays rather than entities with their own free will and the ghosts of Wakefield House start out in much the same way – however, don’t be deceived – the ghosts here are about to be disturbed by a new presence and things are about to turn very ugly.

It Will Just Be Us may not be reinventing the wheel here, it has echoes of Hill House in the way that Wakefield House seems to have no rhyme or reason to the layout, it’s a confusing mess of rooms sprawling and almost seeming to change position giving it a confusing aura. It reminds me a little of We Have Always Lived in the Castle in the way that the Wakefield family stand removed from everyone else, the other people in town whisper about them and in fact their notoriety seems to know no bounds. And, it even gives me vibes of The Shining, what with the mother and Sam having the ‘sight’ and with the constant appearance of figures from the past going about their daily business as though they’re still alive. Yet, in spite of these similarities it stands on it’s own two feet very well and manages to conjure goose bumps on a rather frequent basis – all I’m going to say is ‘the faceless boy’ *shudders*.

I’m trying, as you may have guessed, to be elusive here and not give too much away. Basically, whilst this starts out in a very curious and yet apparently harmless style it quickly becomes evident that everything is going to go horribly wrong and pretty soon, any misgivings that I might have had about the writing style had simply fallen to one side, abandoned, as the plot sucked me in.

In terms of criticisms – like the audience at a Christmas pantomime, I seriously wanted to shout out at Sam sometimes. She seemed to make some screaming blunders that I couldn’t fathom out – but I guess that was intentional to show that she was panicking and not thinking straight. And, like I mentioned, this does have a very descriptive style which takes a little getting used to at first, but once the story pulls you in it feels incredibly appropriate somehow.

I have to say I had a good time with this, it give me the chills, my curiosity was piqued and I read it fairly quickly because I was always keen to read just one more chapter to find out what was going on next.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

“It Will Just Be Us” is a mix of haunted house, ghost story, witchy vibes and gothic inspiration. It’s like all my favorite sub genres of horror were dumped into a bubbling cauldron for me to drink up. I couldn’t help but think of the “Haunting of Hill House”, ”The Shining” and “The House of Leaves“ when I was reading this book.

A little context, Sam the main character lives in her ancestral home with her mom. Her ancestors are ghosts that play out memories in the house from when they were alive. Until one day, Sam sees a ghost that she's never seen before and the face is blurred. This ghost has cruel intentions. Sam’s sister who is pregnant comes back to the house to stay and Sam must rid the house of this evil before new life is born.

The house is filled with undiscovered mysteries. I enjoyed the backstories to the ghosts and how they met their unfortunate demise. It felt very gothic atmospheric when I was reading. It paid a lot of homage to classic gothic literature with a modern spine. It’s a slow build that leaves a trail of breadcrumbs till the end. There were scenes that literally had me saying “oh snap” aloud. I love being caught off guard in books and this one had tid bits of that. The only thing I didn’t like was there were too many details at times that I felt slowed the story down. It also took me till nearly the last quarter to finally connect with the characters and fear for them. That ending though had me stunned and gathering up my breadcrumbs to eat them as one be loaf. I gave this 3 ⭐️.

The plot intrigued me, but it was a little too horrific for my tastes. I do not normally read the horror genre, but I wanted to give it a try because it felt like it had the vibes of Riley Sager. If you like horror books, this is a good one to pick up, but if you are on the fence, I'd steer clear.

An excellent horror, very creepy and gripping.
It's not love at first read but after a couple of chapters I was hooked and couldn't put it down.
Excellent character development and storytelling, an enthralling and atmospheric story.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book...

I can't talk about it as much as I'd like because of spoilers...

But let me just say if you are looking for something different with your horror/Gothic fiction Ms Kaplan more than delivers here. I'm talking serious goosebumps hair raising creepy territory here.

I will admit, that it took about three chapters (and I almost gave up)before I was utterly hooked. But don't give up on this book. It's that freaking amazing.

Sam isn't completely likable but that more than works.I did figure out the end (mostly) and OMFG what an ending it is. While I did wish for a pinch more regarding a major plot point, I loved this book.

This is the first ghost book I’ve read in about 22 years. (I had to think about the math there for a minute.) After being obsessed with Goosebumps in elementary school, I didn’t pick up horror as I stupidly just didn’t think that genre existed for adults. While you’re thinking about what a numpty I am, just remember that I have to live with the brain that thought that.

I picked up It Will Just Be Us because I judge books by their coverd. I didn’t read the blurb, didn’t read reviews. But it has a cool cover so I was sold and as usual I went in blind. It was only when I finished chapter one that I realised I had picked up an adult ghost book. They exist btw. Just in case you didn’t know.

𝕊 𝕐 ℕ 𝕆 ℙ 𝕊 𝕀 𝕊
After her personal life takes a little dip, Sam moves back to the house she grew up in. She’s staying there with her mum, until one day her pregnant sister, Elizabeth turns up. Sam and Elizabeth have a very turbulent relationship and the arrival of a new, faceless ghost makes it even worse.

As we learn more about the dynamics between the three women, we learn more about the house’s history and the ghosts that walk the floors in them.

ℝ 𝔼 𝕍 𝕀 𝔼 𝕎
Two days ago, when I was 30% into this book, I shared a story with you all saying that I wasn’t scared. Then I turned the light off and went to bed. Let’s just say it was a rough night. The same thing happened last night. I was s******* myself in the dark, Mr R was useless as he was already asleep and so I just had to lie there with all my thoughts about the ghosts. Although I’ve now finished the book, I don’t know what tonight will bring. Are the ghosts going to come back to haunt me? Am I going to get any sleep? I don’t know anything anymore.

This book has all the right ingredients of a great horror story and I would love for this to be made into a movie so that I can lose even more sleep.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I requested It Will Just Be Us because I'm a sucker for a good haunted house story, and when you throw sisters into the mix I'm all in. Having an awesome relationship with my own sister, I'm very intrigued to read how those relationships are written in literature.

It Will Just Be Us is scary. In a "I need to stop reading or I won't sleep" kind of way. There are scenes in this book that made me want to set it down and not pick it up again until daylight. I love being scared when I read and watch movies or TV. This book did that. The faceless boy sat in my mind for days.

It's tough to say what else I could compare this to. The haunted house story is a tale as old as time, I'm sure. There were definitely some Shirley Jackson "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" vibes with the somewhat unreliable/unreasonable narrator. Some of the choices made by our main character Sam seem... off, and you can't help but wonder if it's because of living in a house where the past is constantly revisiting its walls. It makes the house seem like a character in and of itself - influencing people choices, moods, and behaviours.

This was very close to being a 5 star read for me. Sometimes the prose was too flowery or long-winded, making me lose that fear I talked about earlier, and I just didn't love the swamp storyline as much as I wanted to.

TW: spousal abuse, animal harm, child abuse, rape (alluded to)

Wakefield Manor, set on the banks of The Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia, is a Haunted House.  No ifs, buts or maybes, this house is most definitely haunted. The ghosts in this crumbling old labyrinth of rooms are memories and their stories repeatedly play out as little movies of past events.  Sam (Samantha) is used to seeing these eerie sights in her family home, then one day she comes across a new scene playing out in the kitchen of a young boy she has never come across before.  Are the ghosts of Wakefield Manor only of events from the past or could the house also be showing Sam events that are yet to happen?

A very atmospheric and creepy story, perfect for lengthening autumn evenings.

Creepy. Absolutely don't start reading this at night. Atmospheric and eerie it's compulsive and hard to put down. I like ghost stories and really enjoyed this one. Happy reading!

“For all that has ever been, the house remembers.”

It Will Just Be Us has some serious haunted house vibes. Sam is used to seeing the house’s memories, as it plays random scenes of its past inhabitants. From the memories she has learned the stories of her ancestors— mad Catherine who built the house, the slaves that escaped through the house’s underground tunnels to emancipation and perhaps a more terrifying figure in the swamp, Clementine, an ex-slave whose life was claimed by the swamp witch. When Sam begins to see the figure of a little boy she doesn’t know, a boy whose face she can’t see and whose presence terrifies her, she begins to think she may be seeing the future of her unborn nephew.

There were moments in the first half of the novel that gave me serious goosebumps. Unfortunately I felt the second half went a little too slowly and I found the end to be somewhat predictable. Overall though this was an interesting take on a haunted house and I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for chills this spooky season.

I received an eARC from the publisher, through NetGalley.

Rated just shy of a 5! 4.5/5 but rounded up, because wow did I love the second half of this.

This was A Ride.

In short: Samantha grew up with her older sister Elizabeth and their mother in a haunted manor by a great swamp, living alongside the memories of those who lived there before them. As adults, both sisters find themselves moving back in temporarily for two different reasons. Elizabeth is eight months pregnant and is separating from her husband, and Samantha starts to see a new ghost in the house more and more frequently; that of a faceless boy committing cruel acts on animals, threatening the other residents, and entering into the room that has always, always remained locked.

Although I admit that I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story, once I hit about 35% into it, the plot twist that grabbed me made it near impossible to put the book down after that. This felt far more like a strangely existential horror than a haunted house one, and it had some amazing House of Leaves-esque vibes, with house dimensions changing, unstable tears in the fabric of reality, and the suggestion of reality being not the shadow of what is true, but the shadow of the shadow of the shadow times infinity, and how inevitability seems to be the only constant.

In the end, I enjoyed this immensely, and the only reason it didn't hit a full 5 for me was that it felt a little unbalanced, with too much time spent on setting up the premise for my tastes. I will definitely keep an eye out for future releases from this author!

I've been trying to write a review of this book for the last few hours but words keep failing me. This book is a haunted house. Yes, the book itself it the haunted house. There is a past and present, there are ghosts and future ghosts, there is the living world and the world of the un-living. This is sister of The House on Haunted Hill and We Have Always Lived in a Castle.

This book is the reason I haven't slept for 2 nights - I just keep thinking about the faceless boy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is for fans of the Gothic horror story who actually want the people to fight back against the ghosts- I always want them to just leave it all behind. Sam is living with her mother in their creepy icky house filled with ghosts, which amp up their activity when her sister Elizabeth, who is pregnant moves home. IS the faceless boy the unborn child? This goes over the top and the prose gets purple but it's perfect if you are in the mood for this sort of thing or if you are a fan of the genre. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Would make a good movie.