I love how creepy this book was, the haunting atmospheric quality of the book made me feel very uneasy, which I enjoy in my thrillers/horror books. A fun plot twist and characters I cared about.

I was really hoping to really like this book. But it didn't give me the thriller vibe I was expecting. The plot had my attention from the very beginning but it had it's slow moments here and there. Alender has wonderful writing the gothic atmosphere of the book and the details was one of the main things I enjoyed about it. 
Thank you to PenguinTeen for the egalley in exchange for an honest review.

*I received all these titles from Netgalley and their respective publishers in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own and do not reflect the thoughts of the author’s or publishers.

What I Loved: I adore haunted house novels and was super excited about this one. It had plenty of eerie scenes and I enjoyed Margot and her grappling with grief throughout the story. There are definitely disturbing scenes that made my skin crawl, which is a great sign when it comes to horror. The writing was beautiful and descriptive, which lent itself to  the atmosphere of Margot’s situation. What I have always appreciated about Alender’s work is her ability to weave important issues into her story. I adore the idea that “hauntings” serve as a representation of mental illness or grief. The premise, combined with this nuanced view of grief was promising, but the idea of it was far better than the execution, as I will discuss below. 

What I Didn’t Love: With all that said, there were quite a few things I disliked about The Companion. First and foremost, the novel was predictable. The twist that is supposed to be shocking and unexpected is overdone and, as a result, the tension that would normally propel the plot was not present. Also, many of the characters lacked development and were a bit flat. Maybe it was because I read too many haunted house novels last years but this one just really disappointed me because I was so excited to read it.

Overall, I gave this one 3 stars and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA horror, especially The Haunted by Danielle Vega.

I liked The Companion overall, but I had some issues with it. It was really predictable, and I wish it wouldn't have been so easy to figure out. It also felt overly long for the story that was being told, and it dragged sometimes. However, I was still interested enough to finish, and I would check out another book by this author. 

CW - grief, drugging, death of family members, abuse, mention of killing an animal

I liked this book, but it was a bit slow for me. I had a hard time getting into it and then staying focused. Well written just not my style I guess.

This book was extremely haunting and a great read. A very good thriller (I’m glad to see YA getting more of these). I’m looking forward to giving it as a recommendation to others!

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I was 13 years old again & had just discovered VC Andrews. The storyline was fairly predictable but not enough so that I didn’t want to continue reading. I looked forward to spending time with this book every day. A great fall read!

The Companion
By Katie Alender

Whew!! I really enjoyed this gothic thriller and sinister read. I read that someone described this as Jane Eyre esque and I can see that in this well written book by Katie Alender.

This is a story about Margot who lost everything she loved in her life, her family. So unlucky for losing it all, and yet still so lucky at the same time for surviving when everyone else died. Living in a group home, she get s taken in by the wealthy Sutton family to be the companion to their mute daughter Agatha and live in their really creepy old mansion. The rest of the story is a fantastic read that will have you turning those pages as the mystery of the novel sets in. 

This is the perfect read for anyone that enjoys a great YA gothic thriller that is so creepy and twisted that makes for an amazing fun read. I enjoyed this one a lot.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley from Penguin Young Readers Group. In this gothic thriller Margot has nowhere to go after the sudden death of her family. A family acquaintance takes her in to be a companion to their ailing daughter on their remote country estate. What follows is Margot facing her own family demons as well as the mysteries of the Copeland Family that surround the gardens and wings of this large and lavish estate that has many secrets buried in its walls.

Overall, this was atmospheric and I kept turning the pages. I enjoyed the scenes in the garden outside the estate and I was really struck by Agatha and what could be ailing her. However, there was nothing new and amazing in this YA fiction. The last 10 pages brought in some revelations for the main character Margot that I was happy to see, but it was long and didn’t give me any major goosebumps. It was just a decent addition to the genre.

After the sudden death of her family, Margot finds herself in an orphanage. The Sutton family show up one day and offer to adopt her. But there's a catch, Margot is to be the companion to their catatonic daughter, Agatha. But not all is as it seems in the Sutton house. 

I liked the setting of this, the estate in the isolated plot was spooky and could have been utilized better. I wanted to know more about Copeland Hall and the history of the family. The book has some eerie moments, but it was extremely predictable, which definitely brought the enjoyment down for me. I was intrigued at the beginning but the plot dragged a bit in the middle and became very repetitive. I did like Margot as a main character, she was very caring and I liked how she was with Agatha. One of the biggest complaints I had about the book was the romance, it felt extremely forced and unneeded to the overall story line. I think if Barrett hadn't been included it would have been a lot better in the long run. 

Overall, it was okay, but a bit too predictable for me.

I really enjoyed the first 50%; in fact, I didn’t want to put it down. Margot was starting to figure some things out, and seemed like she was getting through to Agatha. I liked the tension with Laura, the support from Barrett (though could have done without the immediate romance), and the giant house waiting to be explored.

However, the second half was so frustrating! Margot is a little too passive for me. I get that she started the book with a lot of indifference because of what happened with her family, but if all of a sudden my health was changing—I was waking up groggy and disoriented, losing time, etc.—I would be giving more thought to why.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but Margot missed some very obvious signs and, even when she had more solid proof about things, she was still aloof or purposefully ignorant. She would wave away doubt, not take Agatha seriously, and even when she knew she didn’t want to be there, she was intent on being a “good orphan.” She just focused on less important things and barely did any investigating/exploring (unless a Dream told her to... seriously?)

The ending was also rushed and a little silly (was there paranormal/magic/something else going on? The ghost of Lily helping Margot out? Or something?? Still don’t really get it).

ARGH, it was promising and I did like the setting/characters enough that I finished the book. But it was a bit disappointing in the end.

YA thrillers are quickly becoming my favorite genre to pick up when I’m not sure what I’m in the mood for because they always deliver; The Companion is the perfect example of that. This book was mysterious, face pasted, and kept me on my toes the entire time.

I’ve read a lot of creepy books this year (more than I ever have!), and this one fits right at the top with the creep factor. Margot loses her parents and sister in a tragic car accident and becomes an orphan. But one day, a rich family decides to take her in so she can be a companion to their sick daughter. They live in an enormous house and Margot reluctantly takes on her role. It becomes obvious quite quickly that something more is going on, and Margot has to figure out what it is.

This is definitely a creepy nook that held my attention, but I also felt like nothing much happened for much of the book. I was too invested to give up, but I wish the pace would have been a bit faster. I could see many of the twists long before they were revealed, but it was still enjoyable enough.

Thank you to Netgalley for my eARC, and to Penguin Teen for my ARC of this book I read during Spooktober 2020!

First things first, even though this book is YA I had higher hopes for she "spook" factor, but it would make the perfect book for my friends who more-so enjoy the idea of being spooked more than actually being scared. Now that we got that out of the way, let's unpack this fun and creepy book! I read it for a virtual book club I am apart of, and it was fun hearing the differing opinions on this one.

The scene sets on a newly orphaned Margot, who is living at a government home, awaiting potential adoption or to be aged out of the system. Margot's family recently died in a tragic car accident, and she continuously awakes in night terrors, due to her screams. She considers herself a bit of a lost hope, and assumes she will live out her last two years until 18 in the home. That is, until a wealthy and notable family adopt her! As she meets the family, and drives up to the monstrous mansion, we can't all help but feel it's too good to be true.

Her adopted mother admits they did indeed adopt her under false pretenses of sorts, as they have a daughter, Agatha, around her age who needs a companion. Agatha was a normal teenage girl until recently, until she mysteriously stopped speaking, and conducting herself in a seemingly normal fashion. She now spends her days dormant, medicated, and mute. The family hopes having Margot at home will brighten Agatha's spirits, and also bring Margot comfort as well.

The home, and the family members themselves, seem to have a lot to hide. We can only hope Margot can uncover the secrets, in enough time. "Margot’s bad dreams may have stopped when she came to live with Agatha – but the real nightmare has just begun."

I loved the characters, the house (ALWAYS down for a spooky house with secrets in it's walls), and the mystery behind it all - but still wish it was a tad scarier. Most definitely very enjoyable, and would recommend. 3.5 Stars.

This was such a disappointment for me. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t stop reading. Early on I figured out a likely scenario and I was just hoping that I was wrong and I would have a surprise ending. Unfortunately that was not the case. Despite me figuring out the ending I still couldn’t put the book down. While I really enjoyed the aspect that I couldn’t put it down, the book was far too long for a predictable ending. I was really let down when I was done. I wanted more from the ending and the relationships to be explained a little more.

I love me a creepy old house full of rich people with questionable motives and this was no exception! While the plot itself was predictable, I still enjoyed the journey getting to the end and the conclusion was completely satisfying. 

My threshold for scary is probably higher than most people so I wasn’t super creeped out by this one but I loved the setting and the characters regardless. I don’t think I really needed a midway romance thrown in though. I didn’t dislike it per se but I just didn’t feel like it was necessary or added anything.

This one absolutely packed a punch for me. A friend recommended it, and I am so glad she did. What a twisted novel.

I've read lots of adult books like this, so I guessed the twist pretty quickly on but that didn't mean I didn't enjoy it! If anything, I think the romance didn't add much, but this is a fast paced thriller that I think teens will gobble up.

I loved this! I thought the writing was really great. The story was so atmospheric and I could picture everything perfectly. I really loved Margot as a main character. I also loved her strange friendship with Agatha. This story had a great amount of spooky vibes. I definitely want to read more from this author!

This was the perfect Halloween read! The story follows Margot, a teen girl who can't seem to catch a break. After she loses her entire family in an accident, a family who claims to have been close with her dad takes her in. While with the Suttons, Margot is asked to take care of Agatha, their youngest daughter, and be her companion since her condition has caused her to lose her friends and way of life. But soon Margot realizes that this wealthy, perfect family is not what they appear to be and her life may be in danger. The Companion is eerie and keeps you on your toes! I love that the characters aren't your typical one note thriller characters. They have many layers with complex backgrounds that add to the story. I highly recommend this dark and thrilling read!