Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

A woman returns to her hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide at a local haunted house—the same place where a traumatic incident shattered their lives twenty years ago.

I found this to be pretty mid. It was fine; I didn't love it or hate it. A good beach read.

wow wow wow! The plot of this book had me hooked from the first chapter! While I wasn't anticipating alternate timelines or POVs it was a welcomed surprise. The only reason I'm giving this book 4 stars is that I feel the ending and the wrapping up of the plot was a bit rushed.

This one was just meh for me. The characters were okay, but the story didn't seem fleshed out enough. I still don't know if it was a real ending or a supernatural one. It was a decent read, but there are better thrillers out there.

I was really excited to read this book, however I felt like it was so drawn out and could have been a bit shorter without the extra fluff. The idea of a creepy abandoned house in the middle of the woods is scary enough but then you add in murder and it's even spookier.

I genuinely was hooked when reading this book. I feel like this is exactly what I needed to convince me to read all of her backlog. If kept me intrigued and on my toes!

This was a book that drew me in and held me hostage. Beautifully written with many twists and turns, I would highly recommend it.

I loved The synopsis of this book and was super excited to get approved for it! It started off really strong with the main character returning home after her childhood best friend attempts suicide. Suspicions around the situation heighten as their teenage years come into play and the reasons behind her friends actions become clearer. As I was Reading it was very reminiscent of another book by a popular horror author, and I think this one fell a bit flat. The end left me with some questions. Overall a likable read

So many creeps and thrills! I enjoyed this book but was hoping for a little bit more. It got slow at moments but it kept me on the edge of my seat!

Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett is a haunting and suspenseful novel that explores the lingering effects of childhood trauma. Set in the small town of Sumner's Mills, upstate New York, the story revolves around the Octagon House, a long-abandoned mansion where a man killed his wife and two young daughters years ago.

The protagonist, Clare, is a woman haunted by her past, having lost her childhood friend Abby when they were teenagers. When she learns that Abby has attempted suicide at the Octagon House and is now in a coma, Clare returns to Sumner's Mills to uncover the truth behind her friend's accident.

Fawcett's writing is taut and atmospheric, creating a palpable sense of dread that permeates every page. The descriptions of the Octagon House are especially chilling, and the author does an excellent job of building tension as Clare delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Abby's condition.

At its heart, Beneath the Stairs is a story about the lasting impact of trauma and the ways in which it can shape our lives. Clare's own struggles with grief and loss are interwoven with the larger narrative, adding depth and nuance to her character.

Overall, Beneath the Stairs is a gripping and well-crafted thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Fawcett's skillful blend of horror and psychological suspense makes for an eerie and unforgettable reading experience.

This one gave me serious heebie-jeebies. Dark basement, creepy doll, weird pull to the odd octagon-shaped house, strange shared dreams. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to yell "don't doooooo that" to the pages. It's been awhile since I've read something that gave me those anxious vibes, as I rarely get that from reading. But this gave me the willies for sure.

Really enjoyed this Jennifer Fawcett novel. Creepy and dark for sure. Loved the characters as they kept me turning pages into the night.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Beneath the Stars, by Jennifer Fawcett, is a creepy story, but not scary enough to really make me love it. There is a haunted house, a mystery, and the descriptions help me visualize the settings.  The overall storyline is good and I enjoyed reading it.  This one is more for the tame of heart. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A hounted house always intrigueds me. I enjoy the book. The story takes me to a place where I can picture the surroundings. I enjoyed the base idea for the story. The eerie feeling throughout the book intreeged me. I thought some parts were rambling that didn't need to be in the book. Like a few side stories going on that didn't really work for me in the book. The non linner timeline didn't work the greatest with this story. I got lost a few time with what year the story was talking about.

I like to think netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the arc.

Clare and Abby were the best of friends growing up until at the tender age of fourteen when the girls and a couple of other friends decided to visit the town's legendary haunted house, "The Octagon House". Abby really didn't want to go inside the house but she didn't have the courage to stand up to the other girls knowing they would think she was baby and that would hurt her feelings so she went inside against her better judgement. When one of the girls locked Abby in the basement she experienced a terror that permanently changed her and then her mental health just spiraled out of control. None of the girls understood or seemed to care except for Clare because now she felt so completely lost and alone without Abby and then suddenly Abby's family moved away leaving Clare with so many questions and losing the friend and family that she had loved and depended on through all her early years.

Twenty years later Abby's family reaches out to Clare to visit Abby since she almost died in a attempted suicide where she was found in the basement of the creepy " Octagon House". Since all of this doesn't make any sense, Clare rushes to the hospital to see Abby because she's now free to travel since she lost her job when she recently experienced a personal tragedy that led to her marriage ending as well as suffering depression and sleepless nights so she needs the distraction to help find out what can be behind this strange connection and pull that this old, dilapidated, seemingly haunted house has held over Abby through the years that would make her friend want to take her own life in that horrible and messed up "Octagon House" and also because Clare never admitted anything as a teenager but she also had heard and seen something that she couldn't make sense of at the time that has always troubled her so now she knows she must seek out this strange, spooky house again and find out all the history behind it if she is ever going to be able to help Abby and herself. If Abby and her family need her then Clare must go back to where it all started since she knows she was responsible for Abby getting trapped in that basement when they were just young girls!

This was a terrific coming of age story that I enjoyed very much, all while revolving around vulnerable teen girls and their insecurities and many secrets. The atmosphere concerning the "Octagon House" was eerie and creepy holding my interest while keeping the insidious secrets not to be revealed until the end of the book which really kept me intrigued. Jennifer Fawcett's writing captured the innocence and essence of youth and just how hard it is being young misunderstood teenagers who need extra love and support but they don't know how to verbalize their feelings to the adults into their lives who only want the best for their children only sometimes love is not enough.

Excellent storytelling! There were quite a few back stories concerning the who, what and why of the house becoming haunted with some tasty chills and thrills, so I felt this was a very original novel from start to finish. There were a few minor flaws but not enough to affect the goodness or the spookiness of an old fashioned haunted house story.

Possible Trigger: Suicide, Depression, Miscarriage, Death of a parent, Violence, Murder, Abuse.

I want to thank the publisher "Atria Books" and Net galley for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I given this book a rating of 4 CREEPY AND EMOTIONAL 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

this is a slow burn mystery thriller about an octagon shape house with a haunting past. and no, this is not the Amityville horror movies but the flashbacks from 1965 definitely has some inspiration from it. This is a build up thriller, which are never as fun to me when you already figure out how it ends. But it’s well written and the characters are for the most part intriguing but I found myself wanting just a little more development to on the characters stories from the past. Overall, an okay and easy thriller to read through

I love thriller books with a paranormal twist and this one was IT! I couldn’t put the book down; I finished it in less than 24 hours. The plot centered on Clare, a woman who returns home when her childhood best friend attempts suicide in the local haunted house – a place that played an important role in their adolescence and is now threatening the lives and minds of more than one person. The book for me was perfectly paced, I really enjoyed the multiple POV’s and different timelines. I became so intrigued with the Octagon House and couldn’t wait to learn more as I continued. I found this book to remind me a lot of Haunting of Hill House which I also loved. Overall, this was an awesome read and I will be eagerly anticipating whatever Fawcett does next!

When Claire gets the email that Abby is once again in the hospital she has nothing to lose so she leaves what she does have behind and heads to slumbers Mills the sleepy little town she grew up in. This all has to do with the octagon house that her and her best friends visited when they were teenagers and although Laura and Monica had no second thoughts something haunted Abby and Claire swore she saw it as well. No the only difference was Abby kept being called back to the home no matter how far away she went. When Claire arrives in town she reunite with her friend Laura into Laura stepdaughter in the old man that owns the Home slowly but surely she will unravel the real story and at the same time grapple with the reasons she didn’t mind leaving Chicago to begin with. I really like this book it had a Gothic deal but a thriller vibe throughout and I couldn’t put it down. I really wanted Claire to end up with Mitchell but that’s neither here nor there it’s a very good book and if you love thrillers with a little para normal action you’ll love Beneath The Stairs by Jennifer Fossett I totally did. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Special thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Atria books for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me for my opinions!

'Beneath The Stairs' is a great blend of paranormal mystery mixed with real life situations.

From the moment we meet Claire it's clear that she's dealing with issues involving past and present issues, and they all stem from one fateful summer when we discover the Octagon House. Every good haunted house story needs a house with a creepy name and description, and the Octagon House and its basement deliver heavily! You're filled with dread about the house from the prologue and that dread doesn't ease up until the end of the book!

We dive through Claire's story with the assistance of flashbacks to that summer in the Octagon House as well as flashes back to the man who build the house, and the only other family to live inside the house. These flashes really helped to drive the nefarious entity of the house further than just a myth that's passed from generation to generation.

I would have loved to see some of the loose ends that were hastily tied up have some more time and explanation. Several of the older characters in the book that give some of the strongest plot details to Claire are somewhat bulldozed over in the last 3 chapters or briefly mentioned.

Overall this was a very solid read! Genre fans will love it, and others who are drawn to it by the gorgeous cover and eerie description will not be disappointed!

YES! YES! YES! THIS is exactly what I want in a story about childhood friends having a dark scary thing from the past come back to haunt them. So many of these types of stories fail either in developing the past or the present so the reader isn't invested in the whole. Not Beneath the Stairs. I felt for Clare, the protagonist immediately and was just as engrossed in her memories of the events from her childhood that set the stage for the confrontation she'd have as an adult. The pacing was great and I especially liked the chapters from other POVs in different times that set up more clues and further established the Octagon House as a malevolent force.

I'll definitely read more from this author.