⭐⭐⭐.5 -- A well-designed cover that provides some hints about the genre, style or themes of the book.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton is a gripping Gothic thriller that revolves around Eric Ross, who is on the run with his two daughters. In search of money and a safe place to stay, they find an ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, which is reported to be one of the most haunted places in Texas. The job requires them to stay in Spite House and document any paranormal activity. What could go wrong?! 😉

I love a good haunted house story. That aspect was thoroughly enjoyable and kept me invested in the story. Compton’s writing style is also excellent, and he expertly weaves together multiple points of view throughout the story. That said, there were so many perspectives that the plot became a bit bogged down, and that made the pacing of the story inconsistent. It also felt a bit drawn out in the final chapters.

The major issue I had with this one was that there were unanswered questions, which left me feeling a little unsatisfied with how things ended. But overall, for a debut author, Compton delivered a solid read filled with intriguing characters and heart-pumping horror. If you’re a fan of horror, ghosts, and haunted houses, then this book is definitely worth checking out!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This gothic thriller involves a haunted house and the people living around it. I had an off and on again relationship with this book and at times struggled to keep going. In the end, the twists and the way the multiple points of views pulled together this ended up being a strong four star read for me. It is not often that I don't see a twist coming but this one definitely caught me off guard and the ending was a complete surprise.

I feel like 3 star books get overlooked because they aren't necessarily amazing, but I think this is a solidly good book. If you read a lot of horror type books you may not LOVE this book, but I think there's a good chance you will enjoy it. My issue with it was that I found it a bit repetitive and not very horror-inducing.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge for the eARC to read and review!

Eric Ross is on his way to a new home with his two girls, finding odd jobs here and there to make some money on the way. When he comes across an ad for a caretaker position at Masson House in Texas, he applies. This job is worth a lot of money, but Eric will have to live in a haunted house and survive in order to get paid. The question is, will he make it?

This was a haunted house story that fits well around the spooky season. I read it in April, but it's still a spooky read! I enjoyed the story and the concept, and Eric and his two girls, Stacey and Dess. But the story jumped through six to seven different points of view, so at times, it felt a little jarring to switch perspectives so much.

I understand switching perspectives helps us see the full story of what happened in the past and present, but maybe changing it from seven to four would have been a better fit.

There was a major plotline around Stacey, and toward the end of the book, we get more on why they are going to a new place. I felt like when we heard about the story behind Stacey, it was a unique idea, but it left me confused and wanting to know more at the end.

The entire story felt thought out, and I enjoyed it. But the ending wasn't my favorite, I didn't feel like we got much of what their mother thought about Stacy at the end of the story and I wanted more about that part and what their mother thought. I can't say more because it's a major spoiler if I elaborate. I also wanted more about the ending. I can't say what I want without spoiling it, so what I will say is I was left a little confused because I was under the impression that if Eric helped "them" he would be free of The Spite House. That's all I'm going to say on that.

I enjoyed this book for the unique idea around it, but it didn't work for me as much as I had hoped. Although it wasn't really for me, I would still recommend this book to anyone who likes a haunted house story!

I was drawn to The Spite House by the eery cover, and I am a sucker for a good haunted house story. A haunted spite house was a fresh take on the typical old Victorian haunted house. Johnny Compton wrote an enthralling horror story full of family drama, a father's love, ghostly encounters, and pure terror. The story kept you guessing, and the ending was both horrifying and sad. I enjoyed reading about the Spite House.

Daaaamn! This was like The Conjuring level creepy that plays out like NetFlix's The Haunting of Hill House. A father and his two daughters are in hiding. Once in Texas the father in desperate need of a job any job applies for a paranormal documenter. Where they can stay and get paid for staying in this creepy haunted spite house as long as they keep record of everything. The house, the land, the people of the town, especially the old lady who hires him, there is just something off about the whole thing, but then again the dad and his two daughters have a secret of their own.0
A satisfyingly creepy story.

I loved the premise of a desperate dad on the run with his two daughters. He becomes the caretaker of the most haunted house in Texas. The job pays well and all he needs to do is record any strange occurrences. He is concerned that has no idea why the house is so haunted or why this spite house was built in the first place.

While our main character has several legit questions, they won't compare to the amount of head-scratchers that pile up as you read this book with more POVs than one novel needs. I'll avoid mentioning the spoilerish questions in case you're reading this, or plan to.

I really wanted to enjoy The Spite House. Author Johnny Compton is a capable writer but the unanswered questions will drive you to madness faster than spending the night in a haunted Texas spite house.

‘The Spite House’ is one of the strongest horror debuts I have read in a long time, if not ever. The structure and narrative are so well crafted, and the atmosphere is almost reminiscent of the slow-build dread of horror classics like ‘The Grudge,’ ‘The Wicker Man,’ or ‘The Elementals.’ Compton expertly builds his story’s foundation with a deliberate, character-driven mystery before pulling the rug from under readers’ feet the moment the anticipation of the nightmare-inducing haunting reaches a boiling point. This is as good as southern gothic and haunted house horror get. Not to mention the emotionally fraught themes of how far a parent will go to protect his children— from threats both alien and familiar— and the way traumas can continue to haunt us long after we think we’ve escaped them.

If you have trouble committing to a slow build but love a good haunted house, I very much recommend the audio version of this novel. Adam Lazarre-White’s narration infuses the pace with an emotional suspense that might draw in readers more accustomed to an early hook. However, if you love a well executed slow burn horror with an incredible and harrowing payoff that will stick with you long after closing the back cover, any format will suit you more than fine. ‘The Spite House is one hell of a debut and Johnny Compton has immediately become an instant-read author for me.

Thank you so so much to Netgalley, Johnny Compton, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to experience both an advanced e-galley and an advanced listening copy of ‘The Spite House’ in exchange for an honest review.

What a debut! THE SPITE HOUSE is a totally uniquely spin on the haunted house trope and I loved every minute of it! Compton’s prose gives the best feeling of impending dread and I’m so happy the gothic horror renaissance is going strong!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge as well as the author for this ARC. It was perfect!
#NetGalley #TorNightfire #JohnnyCompton #TheSpiteHouse
The concept of a “spite” house is new and fascinating to me. How has this never been done?! A spite house is a building that is built out of spite. Usually as a result of a property dispute. Johnny Compton has written a book that is built around that concept. This is an absolutely perfect setting for a horror novel. This is a nearly flawless ghost story and I can’t say enough good things here. Eric Ross is running from something. He and his two daughters need money and anonymity so when Eric comes across a job posting that promises both, he jumps on it. The job is simple. Eric is to prove that this “spite house” is haunted. Masson House has a long and angry history. How can it not be haunted?
This book manages to be both very original and, simultaneously, doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, as they say. This is the first time I’ve heard the term spite house and I’m fascinated. How could a house built just to be contentious not be haunted by both those who built it and those were its victims. This book is described as a “terrifying gothic thriller”. While these three words are music to my ears, they don’t begin to describe this ghost story. This is a haunting and gut-wrenching, gothic horror story that promises grief and ghosts and more than delivers. It’s beautifully written with atmospheric imagery that made me as much a part of the story as Eric, his daughters, and his employers. As this slow burn progresses, we are shown that, in addition to money and safety, Eric has other, more personal reasons, for wanting to delve into this haunting. This is how a slow burn is done. I will definitely keep my eye on this author.
There are a few things that can be improved upon. Firstly, the chapters that are written from the point of views of the minor characters could be edited out. They weren’t bad, just unnecessary and caused the sense of dread as well as the plot to slow down. Lastly, I would have liked to have a little more in the way of explanations for some of the plot points.
All in all, this book is wonderful and I highly recommend it.

This was pretty much a perfect book for me and I absolutely loved it! I thought the setting was eerie and very unsettling from the opening pages and the pacing was spot on to keep the tension high throughout without ever burning out. The relationship between Eric, Dess and Stacy was beautiful and I thought Johnny Compton did a fabulous job of showing the love of an older sister for her younger sibling. The writing was fantastic with several sentences stopping me in my tracks with how well they encompassed a particular mood or feeling. Best of all, this book was genuinely creepy throughout and actually pretty scary in places! Overall, I cannot overstate how blown away by this book I was and will be seeking out anything Johnny Compton writes from now on.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for a copy of the eArc of The Spite House by Johnny Compton. This book had everything I love about gothic horror. A creepy house, a town with a sinister past, a family fleeing something unknown. The prose was great, and the changing viewpoints (chapter-to-chapter) helped deliver the back story and the creepy scenes. Compton excelled at passing over writing some scenes allowing the reader to imagine what is happening, and leaving the true horror to detailed descriptions. 5/5 highly recommended.

This was a gothic, creepy book. I wasn’t familiar with what a spite house was so I found that to be an interesting premise. It was a bit slower for me but very well written.

This book was so good. I loved how well balanced all the mysteries were, and there were multiple mysteries going on. I kept wanting to read to find them all out and how all were connected. The horror elements were done well for me. There was also the touch of real life horrors that come from being a black person in America. Just unsettling enough and were paced well. I love a dark unexpected ending. Each character had a strong voice and motive so the multiple POV worked really well.

Now that's one heck of a ghost story!

Love that the theme of anger over generations and how that learned behavior affects yourself and those around you without you even realizing before it's to late. So much anger in this novel!! There was a lot of sub stories with all the characters involved but I thought it all came together well and Eric has a good head on his shoulders and didn't take any crap from anyone. Just the type of character needed to survive everything that had happened. Now with that said, I thought there were a lot of characters but I didn't think they all needed POV's in the book. Like the story coming out could've been achieved without coming directly from that character, ya know?

I read another review that said we now need a story about Eric, Des, and Stacy at the house in Odessa and I AGREE! PLEASE PUBLISH THAT!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Nightfire for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Spite House was a perfectly paced ghost story. The end left me wishing for a little bit more, but left room for the imagination.

A magical, extraordinary, unforgettable, debut novel! Already a favorite of my 2023 reading (and of 2023 releases). Resonating on themes Historical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, of bigotry reversed by compassion, rage overcoming demise, love overcoming death, devotion and determination: THE SPITE HOUSE is magical in many senses. All these characters (present and past) are rolling at 1000%, emotions, intent, and intellect wide open! So many layers of stories are wrapped up together and woven into one intense experience for the wide-eyed reader with imagination cranked to the max. Just perfect. Never forget.

Now can we please have a sequel in which Eric, Dess, and Stacy acquire Pa-PaFred's land/house in Odessa? And in which we learn more about Fred's life and secrets??

Gosh, this one had such a solid set up yet fell so flat in literally the last 25%. I genuinely enjoyed the first half of this book- the setting was super creepy, the mysteries were intriguing, and I had fun hypothesizing how it was all going to turn out. But the pacing of the second half leaves a lot to be desired. We spend so much time re-hashing the same moments out in different character POVs, and then all of the sudden it's a mad dash to get to the ending, where everything happens abruptly and very little is tied up.

My biggest gripe with this book was the truly excessive number of POVs we got throughout. Personally, I really enjoy a multi-POV book. But 10?? For why?? There are so many details and storylines weaved throughout this book, and while I do think that some were thoughtful and well-crafted, others were muddled and just plain confusing. Being left in the dark and trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together is a fun feeling in the beginning of a story, but when I've reached the last 10 pages of the book and I still don't understand wtf is going on, I start to get annoyed.

I feel like this book would have been a lot stronger if we focused on a few less storylines and really delved deeper into the anchoring ones. Either way, I wish I left this book with a better understanding of these characters and their motivations, because it's been almost a full day since I finished, and I'm still struggling to explain wtf even happened and why. Maybe this is a book better read and processed in 1 or 2 sittings, but ultimately I think this book bit off way more than it could chew, and it made for a really frustrating reading experience.

Eric Ross is on the run with his two daughters, Dess and Stacy. They've left their life in Maryland, including Eric's wife, and it's unclear what they're trying to escape. When Eric accepts a much-needed job to stay in a notorious Texas haunted house to observe and document paranormal activity, one's curiosity is piqued. And as the Ross family's secret comes to light, Eric and his daughters experience all the terror that the Masson Spite House has to throw at them.

This story is definitely creepy and has some scary, skin-crawling moments. The concept of a spite house is something I hadn't encountered, and to make it haunted seemed like the ultimate builder's revenge! The mystery of Eric's family history and the property owner's motives provided much of the suspense that kept me turning the pages.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, spine-tingling read, this will fit the bill. While it's not the most terrifying thing I've read, it has enough paranormal encounters to put you on edge and make for a satisfying scare.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of the Spite House.
For a debut novel, I felt like Compton did an excellent job creating dread in his scene building. He also kept me interested by deliberately not divulging what Eric and his family are running from.

I enjoyed the backstory of Eric's grandparents leading into a (possibly genetic ) paranormal situation.

I did feel like there was already quite a bit going on with Eric's storyline that including the Masson and Houghton drama as well as the previous tenants of the spite house caused reader fatigue. Plot wise I get it, but I felt like this could have been more streamlined.

Interesting concept with the house consuming its inhabitants spiritually, but would have loved to see this tie into the ability to return as Stacy did.