Y’all know I love spooky stuff, and I think this would be a grat option for a spooky YA read, especially if you’re more of a “seasonal reader” type (not me at all) and you’re looking for something spooky but not downright terrifying (and not gorey!) to read for the upcoming spooky season. The Companion follows teenager Margot, who was orphaned after her entire family died abruptly in a tragic car accident. After living at a group home for several months, a wealthy and prestigious family chooses Margot to come live with them as a ward. But when she arrives at their home, she finds out there’s more going on than meets the eye—the family has actually chosen her to be a loyal companion to their teenage daughter, who is mysteriously ill with a condition that makes her nearly catatonic at all times. The longer Margot is at their home, the more she realizes there is something dark lurking beneath the surface, and that this family and the whole situation might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

Also, don’t let the cover or the description/gothic horror vibes fool you—this isn’t a historical fiction or a Victorian era horror. It’s actually a contemporary horror/thriller, just a conveniently isolated horror as the estate Margot moves to is way out in the countryside without Wi-Fi or a cell connection, an aspect which lends itself well to the plot.

This is a good read and I really enjoyed it. I found myself eager to get back to it so I could try to figure out what exactly was happening with this freaky family, and follow the trail of bread crumbs to try to figure out if my guesses were correct. It has a looming countryside estate, a dark mystery that gets stranger and twistier as the book goes on, a cast of shady characters that make you wonder who exactly—if anyone—can be trusted, and even a slightly taboo romance that isn’t too cheesy or forced, and I actually really liked the ending of this one.
I would give this a 4.5/5 or even 4.75 out of 5. There were only slight things that took away from my rating—like some moments that were a little predictable or trope-y—but overall, it was great and you should definitely grab a copy!

The Companion by Katie Alender; G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 445 pages ($18.99) Ages 13 and up.

...

Katie Alender, author of the "Bad Girls Don't Die" series, offers a taut psychological thriller in "The Companion," a perfect read for Halloween and for fans of gothic horror.

17-year-old Margot is the only survivor of a terrible accident that killed her parents and two sisters, a trauma that has left her screaming from nightmares every night.

With no relatives or friends to live with, she is placed at Palmer House, a miserable orphanage. Then John and Laura Sutton, a wealthy couple loosely connected to Margot's father, show up to take Margot in as their ward. Copeland Hall, their huge mansion with sprawling, gated grounds, is impressive but isolated, with no TV, Internet or cell service. Only when they arrive does Margot discover she is expected to be a companion to the Suttons' teenage daughter Agatha, who is very ill, unable even to speak, but who still seems hostile to Margot's presence. The house is a maze of locked doors; the only reading material available seems to be dull tomes with puritanical themes.

Alender offers a believable portrait of a girl so bereft she loses her confidence and becomes compliant and eager to please in this compelling page-turner of a thriller complete with action-packed finale.

The Companion is a fantastic YA thriller that slowly builds atmosphere and becomes increasingly disturbing. I don't want to say too much and spoil this one, but it follows a teen girl who was the only survivor of a tragic accident that killed her family. She ends up in the foster care system, but is considered a difficult case because of nightmares that wake her screaming every night. Everything changes when an elite family offers to take her in as a companion for their nearly catatonic daughter, but things are not as they seem and this slowly becomes a dark psychological thriller.

Again, I don't want to say too much here, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it and it definitely delivers on the creep factor by the end of the book. I want to talk about some of the larger themes here and offer content warnings (beyond the obvious grief and trauma), but these are spoilery so read at your own risk!

*************SPOILERS AHEAD**************

[ The Companion explores interesting ideas involving double standards of behavior for young women versus young men, and the ways that religious ideas can be co-opted for oppressive and controlling standards. This takes it to extremes, but I think it also demonstrates how toxic a punitive approach can be especially when combined with (probable) mental illness. It also addresses abusive cycles of behavior in families and the ways that privilege and wealth can mask darker things underneath. (hide spoiler)] I loved it! I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings include: grief, loss of family, PTSD, [ drugging, references to murder, references to animal cruelty, psychological abuse, gaslighting, spying, (hide spoiler)] depictions of vomit, suicidal ideation etc.

Katie Alender delivers a suspenseful story in her latest novel that will make you never want to trust a stranger ever again.

In The Companion, Margot is now an orphan, the sole survivor of a car crash that killed her family. Lost without family, she’s shocked when a prestigious family handpicks her to live with them to repay a family debt. Everyone thinks Margot is lucky that she gets to live in a remote country estate but she’s not so sure. She soon learns that she is to be a companion to the family’s teenage daughter, Agatha, who can’t speak and is in a constant dazed state. With a curious mind, Margot begins to discover secrets that the house holds.

I got some mixed emotions while reading the book, to be honest. I liked it a lot and I thought it was brilliant, but there were some moments that kind of left me scratching my head or getting frustrated with the main character. But before I get to that, let me tell you about the book overall.

The book sets up a creepy atmosphere from the very beginning. I pictured everything in gray tones because it almost felt like there was no hope for the main character while she was in the orphanage. But once she moved to the estate, I started getting glimpses of colors even if it was being suppressed by dark secrets. That just goes to show how well the author is able to describe the aesthetics she wants to set the tone for the book.

Katie Alender knows how to write and she knows how to give you suspense. I would read this in the dead of night and would find my heart pounding at times because of what was happening. It wasn’t that it was scary, but there were things happening and I couldn’t anticipate what was going to happen, which just made it all the more exciting even if a bit unnerving. And with the way it was written, my adrenaline would start pumping and I found myself flipping through the pages. I thought the story itself was interesting.

Margot is now a companion to Agatha, a teenage girl who just sits there and doesn’t speak or move. Agatha’s mother has these set of rules and guidelines to take care of her daughter and that’s where I started getting into these characters. I felt like I couldn’t trust anyone in the book. I felt like everyone was lying, like Margot was crazy, that this was all a dream. With the way the characters are written, I just didn’t know what to think. They all had secrets they didn’t want to reveal and I found myself wanting to know every single one.

And I really did enjoy the characters, up until the last few chapters. Specifically the main character, Margot. The book was full of twists and turns and secrets being revealed but I felt that Margot sort of lost her way. There’s this moment when you start putting the pieces together and start realizing what exactly is going on, and because of that, I became frustrated that Margot didn’t. What got me the most was that these pieces were things she discovered herself. I feel like both the readers and characters should discover things at the same time, otherwise they seem a bit naïve.

Her actions started becoming witless towards the end of the book as well, where it felt like she knew things but continued to suffer for just plain thoughtlessness. I remember closing the book at one point, shutting my eyes, and asking out loud, “What are you doing?!” In fact I wrote a lot of notes to her on my phone about her actions.

Aside from Margot, I really enjoyed how all the other characters were written and their storylines. We get a little bit of romance thrown in that added a bit more to the story. I especially enjoyed the mother and her storyline. I thought she was one of the better written characters and one of my favorite written characters in any book. She made me feel a lot of emotions. A lot.

I did feel at times some of the reveals were a bit lackluster, that some things seemed almost pure coincidental. I also felt that there were one or two loose endings that were never addressed but didn’t really affect the book at all. I wish we also got to see a bit more development of some other minor characters. But I forgave everything because the deliverance of the ending was so good, it was just what I didn’t know I wanted or needed.

This one was CREEPY. And I would say is a great YA thriller/mystery perfect for spooky Halloween reads. I had to stop reading this at night because I was SUPER creeped out reading by just my kindle light in the dark. I kept feeling like someone was standing over me in the shadows!! The first and last third of this book definitely gave me the goosebumps, however it got a little long and off track for me in the middle third. Definitely recommend if you like psychological creepy YA thrillers!

I finished this in 24 hours. THAT is how good and binge worthy this one was!

If you’re searching for the perfect spooky read to get you in the Halloween spirit- this ones for you.
This is actually my first book I’ve read by Katie Alender but it definitely won’t be the last. I really loved her writing style, and I loved the character development throughout.
I was SO shook by this book’s ending, although I should have seen it coming, I was so focused on a paranormal aspect popping in that I was totally blindsided by the real villain. I couldn’t understand for the life of me, though, why Laura didn’t have the same expectations for Barrett as she did for Agatha? Maybe that was explained somewhere and I just missed it, but it seemed as though Barrett was the golden child and Laura didn’t really care as much about his accomplishments as much as she did Agatha’s.
Part of me kept waiting for Barrett to end up being the bad guy, because his relationship with Margot just seemed kind of odd and forced from the start- but I did end up accepting that he was a good guy in the story. I was aggravated at Margot’s character at certain times, too, but in the end- I couldn’t relate to her character at all. Who knows? If I had lost my entire family like that, I would probably be so consumed with grief and miss some huge red flags, too.
The ending was totally badass, I LOVED Agatha’s character but often found myself wondering why she couldn’t spell it out for Margot the entire time. I guess she was that drugged up.
Thank you so much, Penguin Teen, for providing me with my e-ARC!

I should begin by noting that I spent literally all of my teenage years reading gothic horror books. It’s one of my favorite genres. Katie Alender’s newest book, THE COMPANION, is a nearly pitch perfect YA Gothic horror. How do I know? Because I could only read this book in the daylight. Any time I picked it up after dark I would get too scared to continue.

My favorite horror stories are the ones that creep up around you – masterful atmosphere, large houses with secrets, instinctual fear that doesn’t quite seem to be based in fact – and THE COMPANION delivered on all of these fronts. Margot is a sympathetic heroine. After suffering a terrible tragedy, Margot gets sent first to a modern day orphanage before being suddenly offered a chance to stay with a weather family friend of her father’s – but only if she agrees to be a companion for the family’s mute, ill daughter. Like Margot, you, the reader, immediately know that there is something amiss in the massive Copeland Manor. And it is a spine-chillingly good time as the secrets start to unravel.

While I found some aspects of the plot a little predictable, that never took away from the creepy atmosphere that permeated the book. The thrills are so compelling, the small nuances so carefully placed – even if I guessed the ending it never took me out of my enjoyment of the story. I found myself easily imaging this as a movie while I read. I felt I understood the desperation of Margot’s situation and empathized with some of her decisions, even while screaming at her to get out. I’m absolutely going to seek out more of Katie Alender’s work – this gave me new school Lois Duncan vibes and I am very much here for it.

*Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion*

The synopsis is a perfect lead into this novel and it's what had me sold on this book after being pulled in by the sinister looking cover.

Margot is about to unravel some deeply hidden family secrets that border on the verge of occultish. What should have been a saving grace from the tragic loss of her family quickly unravels.

I don't want to to into too much of the plot detail. The less the reader knows, the better. You'll enjoy the twists that much more. The characters are fleshed out well. Margot is expertly flawed though a little on the oblivious side in my opinion at times.

There are some areas that left me with questions and that is the only reason this wasn't a full 5 stars for me. I'd love to see this as a movie.

Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. Thank you Penguin Young Readers for the advanced e-arc. All thoughts are solely my own. True rating 4.5, rounded for NetGalley.

I am currently all about the creepy reads. (It’s never too early to start the spooky season)🎃 The Companion is a YA thriller, with a touch of horror, mostly mystery though which I loved. This novel is written flawlessly in first person which gave me the opportunity to connect with the main character Margot more profoundly. I appreciate authors who recognize the importance of first person writing!♥️

It was definitely a chilling read, and I enjoyed every moment. Secrets at every corner, and characters that will keep you wondering who are the reliable sources, and who is being insincere.

Such a wonderful read, and I’m so excited to receive my finished copy in the mail. I’m proud to add it to my collection and read it for years to come. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys creepy, gothic feel reads. Filled with mystery, and lots of secrets, that will unravel when you least expect, and at the right moment.😍

Jane Eyre meets the movie Glass House to create one of the best books of the year! The Companion, by Katie Alender, captivated me from start to finish. I became engrossed in the suspense and finished it in one sitting.

Margot has seen a lot of tragedy in her short life. When she is the sole survivor in a car accident that takes the rest of her family, she is sent to a Home to live for a bit. From there she is taken in by the Suttons. She is asked to be a companion to their sick daughter Agatha. From there the story is filled with suspense and mystery that keeps the reader on pins and needles.

While I found the story a bit predictable, I could not put it down. I think this was largely due to fantastic writing. Alender keeps the reader in a trance until the last chapter of the book. I enjoyed that there was a little romance, but I felt it was a very small part of the story. It was refreshing to not have romance be the whole theme of a Young Adult novel. I enjoyed that this was a complete thriller and not horror.

While this story sounded good, I was a little hesitant at first that it would be too scary. It really wasn’t. It is perfect for people who get scared easily, but still like a little of it in their life. I cannot wait to read more by Katie Alender.

I received an electronic advanced reader copy from Penguin Young Readers Group and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Book for Young Readers through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

As it turns out, I’m kind of a fiend for horror/thriller stories. I learned that with Mexican Gothic, a book this is undoubtedly going to be compared to due to its creepy nature and time of publication, but aside from the horror aspects, these two stories are quite different.

Let’s review:

Margot has had a tough couple of months. She is the only survivor of a car crash that killed her parents and siblings and she has no other family to take her in. Well, until her father’s friend comes into the picture and swoops in to take Margot to their creepy country manor where she will be given everything she wants. The only catch? Margot has to be a “companion” to Agatha, the near comatose daughter of the house who has a nasty habit of being around when things get… weird.

This book is heavy on the suspense; it relies heavily on tiny clues sprinkled early on in the story to hold out and come full circle when the moment is right. Most of the time, they pan out just when they need to. The facade of this family in the novel cracks and crumbles in tiny increments that let you see the horror just before it arrives.

Many times when I am reading horror stories, I complain about pacing-- the book spends too much time trying to set the creepy atmosphere and not enough time to give me the payoff. The Companion, however, is actually very solid in balancing setting a creepy atmosphere and moving the plot forward. There are parts that I think can be cleaned up, especially int he beginning of the story, but there was not a second in the book that I felt like I was being dragged along.

Margot was an excellent narrator. She had that crisp, sarcastic voice that rang true to a teenager-- especially one who’s gone through so much loss-- without seeming forced and whiney.

The side characters; Laura, John, Barrett etc. work well in the roles they’re given. And they are given the classic thriller/horror movie companion roles. This book is like if The Orphan, Annabelle, and The Boy came together in a weird orgy. And it leans into that. Everyone feels specific to their role-- and therefore can feel like caricatures rather than original characters, but you learn to just go with it.

The conundrum of Agatha is, in one word, creepy. Everything from the way she dresses to the messages on the wall to the disappearing and reappearing. It’s her world and we’re all living in it. Now I won’t give anything away, but her character is interesting.

So yeah, while this book is very grounded in the movies that it clearly drew inspiration from, The Companion is surely going to delight people (like me) who delight in reading the genre.

***Thank you to Penguin Teen for giving me an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was exceptional. I was shocked by how good this was. It had all the elements of a good mystery and the sinking feeling of a horror. I am really glad I got to read this one.

This was absolutely everything I wanted it to be! This was creepy and haunting and fantastic.

When Margot's whole family dies in a tragic and horrific accident, leaving her the only survivor, she becomes an orphan. After a small bout in a group home, she is taken in by a wealthy family, whose patriarch knew Margot's father. Margot is confused as to why she is brought into the giant estate home until she meets Agatha, the invalid daughter of the Suttons. She is to live there and be companion to the girl.

Margot is creeped out by Agatha at first, but soon becomes familiar with her needs and her condition. And Agatha's mother Laura becomes almost like a friend to Margot, who is so desperate for love that she will happily go along with all the strange care guides for the practically catatonic Agatha. But it isn't just Agatha and Laura whom she meets, but Barrett, the Sutton's teenage son who comes home from school a few weeks into Margot's stay. She is drawn in by this sweet and caring boy.

It seems that just as she is accepting her place in the Sutton home that things start to change. And Margot can no longer turn a blind eye to the way things are done around the house and the way that Laura will not tolerate being questioned about her methods. Agatha is trying to communicate with Margot, Barrett is quickly sent away again and Laura isn't acting as kind to her as she once was. Margot is fighting to figure out what is going on before it's too late.

The suspense in this book is like a clock ticking and the longer it ticks, the louder it gets. And Margot may not fully comprehend what is going on until it is too late to do anything about it. The pacing in the book was great, but I can recognize that in any other book, I would have totally been yelling at the girl wondering when she was going to open her eyes and see what going on. But, in this, it was perfect. Everything is set up to keep you guessing. You are left to wonder who to trust and it is WONDERFUL from beginning to end.

This was absolutely a book that I knew from very early on I was going to really appreciate. But, I ended up not only appreciating but loving it.

Margot is the sole survivor of a tragic accident that killed her entire family. While she’s in Palmer Place, a state-run group home for orphaned children, she’s approached by a representative for the wealthy Sutton family asking her to come live with them at their very large and very isolated estate, Copeland Hall. Upon arrival, Margot discovers that she is expected to be a companion for the couples nearly catatonic daughter, Agatha (Aggie). Of course, she can refuse to be Aggie’s companion and still stay but Margot doesn’t want to appear unappreciative and consents to keeping Aggie company, even though it’s fairly one-sided. Laura, the mom is an odd duck. She is old fashioned and controlling while her husband, John, does his best to stay away from Copeland Hall and stays in the city for work.

Right away, Margot feels that something is off with the whole situation; the house has whole entire wings that are locked and unused including a gate on the grounds that is locked. What could be behind all the locked doors and gates? And why can’t Margot have internet access?

The Companion is such an eerie and atmospheric story, wonderfully Gothic in nature and incredibly suspenseful. The characters are well-developed but none so much as Margot! My heart went out to her and she was so easy to empathize with. The plot is quickly paced and has some hairpin twists and turns. There is a sense of urgency that really ramps up about halfway through the book that made it really hard for me to stop reading. That curious need to know what’s going to happen got the better of me so I read late in to the night and I didn’t regret it! The ending was perfect! So perfect that I read the last 20 pages twice!

My thanks to G.P. Putnam Group, Penguin Teen, and Katie Alender for providing me with a DRC in exchange for my honest review.

I don't even know where to start with this book. It was AMAZING! I couldn't put it down. They writing is phenomenal and the atmosphere is so perfectly creepy. It gave me all the Ruth Ware, Wilkie Collins, dark, gothic horror vibes. I can't wait for this to be published so I can get my hands on a finished copy. This is basically the perfect book of secrets. It will take you on a ride you won't want to get off. I need more from this author!

I admit I was drawn in by the cover, it's freaking creepy.  I had no idea what the book was about, I just knew I needed to read it.  I'm also up for just about anything horror, even in the YA field - where it's pretty lacking.  I am happy to say The Companion was a twisted good time.  

I'm going to try and review this the best I can without giving anything of this weird, twisted plot away.  Our main character is Margot, whose whole family recently died in a horrific car accident - one that Margot survived.  She now has no family to speak of and is sent to a home for young people.  Soon after though, an acquaintance of her father sends for Margot to come live with him and his family.  Turns out they live in the country in a beautiful house, with what seems like a good amount of money - seems to good to be true.  It is.  What they didn't mention to Margot is that they also want her to be a constant companion to their daughter - who hasn't spoken or acknowledged anything in a long time.   Margot is given a tiny room attached to their daughter's room and bizarre things start happening pretty quickly.  She doesn't want to stay there and there is something very strange about the mother and things just keep getting more disturbing by the day.  

Like I said, this is a hard one to go into without giving stuff away.  I had a lot of fun with this one - it was over-the-top but in the best of ways.  Trying to figure out the mystery of the house and the family and just what exactly was happening.  I could completely see this being a movie - it actually would make a really fun movie.  

The only part I really thought was pointless in this story was the romance.  It added nothing to story and felt like the author threw it in there because it was YA and their publisher probably told them to do so.  The romance should've just stayed as platonic friends - it would've been more effective and just worked better, in my opinion.  Thankfully it's not enough of they story to derail it to such a degree that it takes away from anything. 

I want to mention that there are some scenes that might be very disturbing to some readers that have to deal with medical abuse.  It's not comfortable to read about and it's not supposed to be. If this is something that you find triggering, this might not be the book for you. 

I don't think most people are going to find this particularly scary but it's a good time and fun mystery.  If you're looking for a book to add to your fall reads - this one is probably a good bet.

I got more than I thought I would out of this book. The Companion was so good and I could not put it down. There were so many secrets in this story just waiting to be unveiled and I loved reading every minute of it. When Margot gets taken in by this seemingly perfect family, you just know something isn't right. There is so much tension it feels like everything is on the verge of exploding. There was just the right amount of insanity, mystery, and creepiness. I absolutely loved it!

The Companion was one of the creepiest books I have ever read. It isn’t gory or what you would expect from a horror novel. The author would casually writte in tiny hints about what was going on that made you super uneasy, and left you with some chills coursing through your body. When I tell you I could not stop reading this because it was that insane and gripping, I am not lying at all. Once I was around 80 pages into the book, it became so riveting that I had to keep going, but at the same time I didn’t want to because my stomach was in knots and I had goosebumps because it was so disturbing.

“So I lay in the dark without making a sound, waiting and wanting to die. Three months later, I was still waiting.”
Margot, the main character is dealing with a huge tragedy, her entire family was in a car accident and died except for her. She gets put into a group home, and a couple weeks of staying there, a mysterious rich family wants to adopt her. They said they knew her dad and wanted to repay his kindness, so they take her under their wing. Margot finds out soon enough that these people weren’t just being kind, they needed her help in a way. Laura and John’s daughter had an “accident” and her brain doesn’t work the way it should. She can do basic things such as feed herself, walk around, and go to the bathroom but that’s about all she can. Laura wanted to have Margot come into the family and be Agatha’s companion. To sit with her and just basically watch her and make sure she is okay.

Right away, things are just a little off at this mansion of a house. Laura will say things that are a little strange, and John is always away for work. Slowly, we get more and more little tidbits about what is really going on at this house. My heart was racing when I hit the last 100 pages or so and I could not believe what I was reading. The Companion is a seriously messed up book, but I loved every minute of it. I loved Margot and the storyline. I’m not usually into a slower paced thriller, but this one was exceptionally written. It was so unnerving and freaky that I had to stop myself from reading and just breathe. I honestly hope this will be a huge hit in the horror/thriller department because it was perfection.

EXCELLENT. This is the first book I've read by Alender and I'll be looking for more of her work. This is exactly what I needed to read right now. Eerie and gothic with a fresher voice.

If creepy & twisty is your type of book - this is the book for you! I didn’t know what to expect going into this one, but I was so impressed. I am so pleased I gave this one a chance - can't wait to get a physical copy to read again during Halloween.