THE SPITE HOUSE by Johnny Compton

Release Date: February 7th, 2023
General Genre: Adult Horror, Paranormal
Subgenre/Themes: Gothic, Historical Fiction, Haunted House, Human Monsters, Mind-Bender, Mystery, Strong Women
Writing Style: Brisk & Slow pacing, Multiple POVs

What You Need to Know: Early expectations, the comps from the publisher are: The Babadook meets A Head Full of Ghosts and I think those both miss the mark. This is more in step with Shirley Jackson's, The Haunting of Hill House.
This story has a lot going on in 272 pages. Multiple POVs with character names as chapter titles and the reader is asked to keep tabs on several storylines almost like the show LOST in the way that there is a *huge* cast of characters, they all have backstories and a connection to the main, present-day narrative and there are a lot of meandering threads that introduce new topics of interest but don't really get answered until much, much later. That's all I think readers need to know going into this one: a slow-burn setup typical of the Gothic style that eases into a classic trope: MC accepts the invitation to stay in a haunted house and report back to the owner.

My Reading Experience: I tell people all the time that I am the kind of reader that does not see the plot twists or big reveals coming. It's not that I'm not clever or intuitive, I am, it's just that my brain is busy trusting the author's storytelling as it is being told to me and I don't concern myself with what might be happening between the lines.
This one *really* stumped me. I had no idea what was going on for the duration of this novel. There is a very large cast of characters and they are not just stand-in people you don't need to concern yourself with, they have their own POV chapters! I struggled to keep track of everyone and remember who they were in relation to the present-day situation and their connection to the MCs. The MCs are Eric (father) and his two daughters (Stacy & Dess). I wish the story was contained to those three POVs. I felt like widening the circle to include POVs from literally everyone was too much, splintering the tone and atmosphere.
Here's what I did like: Johnny Compton has a strong storytelling voice that instantly feels unique to him. It's authoritative in sections of exposition and infused with emotions during scenes of dialogue. I liked that the chapters were short, these helped me stay invested and kept the pace moving along *after* the 30% mark. Prior to that, the pace was slow, and difficult for me to stay interested.
I liked the two young daughters, Dess and Stacy. Later, I enjoyed chapters with Eunice and Lafonda. So, I found Compton's understanding of how to write women of all ages pretty satisfying. I just didn't like the MC, Eric that much. As a dad with very clear and often communicated goals of protecting his daughters at all costs, he made some pretty counterintuitive decisions, but maybe I was missing something that factors in later.
Overall, the things I enjoyed evenly balanced out with the things I didn't enjoy landing The Spite House smack dab in the middle of the road for me.

Final Recommendation: I recommend this to competent readers who are quick to absorb details and find it easy to navigate through a complex, multi-layered story with a lot of POVs. Fans of alternative, unexpected twists on classic tropes, haunted house tales, father/daughter relationships, and historical elements will eat this right up.

Comps: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, film: The Conjuring, and the structure/format of the TV show, LOST.

Well, this was a disappointment. What could have been a GREAT haunted house/ghost story turned out to be more of a YA puzzle/mystery that wanted to be a horror novel, the bad part was: what started out good had no horror what so ever.

Author Johnny Compton's creation of that creepy, skinny and scary house on the edge of the hill could have become such a huge part of the story, instead he made it all about the youngest daughter of Eric, Stacy. When you first read of Des's night time 'runs' you think what is this girl doing? Why are the townspeople so afraid for Eric and his two girls after they accept a 'ghost hunters' offer and move into the 'Spite House'? I could not get into the ebook, so when this came available this week on Scribd Audio I listened to it. Still was not impressed. The 'Reveal' I had already figured out. Cannot recommend this unless you are new to 'wannabe' spooky books.
Skip it.
2.5 ehs

The Spite House follows a man and his 2 daughters as they are on the run from something. Eric (the father) takes a high paying job that involves living in the Spite House and documenting any paranormal experiences that may occur.
While this synopsis drew me in, I found I was really bored throughout this book. It became evident at the start that this book was going to fixate on race but in this case it was just too much. Eric and his daughters don’t even arrive at the Spite House until almost 30% into the book. By this time I had already lost interest and had to force myself to continue. This book just wasn’t for me in the end.

Received e-arc courtesy of netgalley for honest review

The Spite House Review!!

Thank you so much Tor Publishing Group and Netgalley for this gift e-read, in exchange for an honest review! The Spite House is out now!

I’m a sucker for a good haunted house story, so I requested this one immediately! The Spite House was a 3/5 ⭐️ for me! I wouldn’t necessarily say that this one was scary, but it definitely had an eerie feel to it! This one was a slow burn for sure. To me, this one read more like a YA horror and it felt a bit choppy at times. The paranormal twist left me somewhat confused and the ending left me wanting more as well. Overall , eerie, with some very unique and likeable characters, just very slow and more on the YA side!

Synopsis: On the run and short on cash, Eric and his two daughters are desperate for an income. Eric finds an ad online for a caretaker and paranormal investigator of sorts for a famous Spite House. All he needs to do is stay in the house and record any odd things that happen. Eric is shocked at the sum of money they are offering, so he gladly takes the job. Soon he realizes though, that the past caretakers have had a nightmare of a time in the house and he is about to find out why.

A very high 3 stars!! This was a fast paced haunted house story with several twists and turns. I was engaged the entire time, however, the ending left me a little unsatisfied. While I thought the split of Eric’s body and soul was a unique ending, I wanted to see the closure with his wife (and her reaction!!). This was the first time I had ever heard of a Spite House and I thought it was a great concept, I would pick up the next book this author releases.

So good! Loved the twist on the traditional haunted house story. Felt so much deeper! It’s spooky, characters were unique and it covered some heavy hitting topics!

Dread is a hard emotion to spark within a book. But The Spite House does it intensely throughout.

Eric Ross is a father to two girls: 18-year-old Dess and 7-year-old Stacy. They are on the run from an unnamed tragedy when he sees an intriguing help wanted ad in rural Texas. A rich old woman wants someone to stay in her family’s house and prove unequivocally that it is haunted. She is willing to pay in the high six figures for what may be a short-term job with free room and board. Eric agrees. He knows his family has a “curse” but feels it won’t bother his ability to complete the job. However, he doesn’t know that young Stacy has psychic abilities.

The Spite House is old fashioned horror at its best. It reminded me of old Stephen King and, of course, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. However, it has a modern day setting in addition to its many flashbacks to the characters’, and the house’s, past. There are only two reasons why the book didn’t quite rate a 5 star review. In the middle, there are a whole lot of point of views that didn’t seem to be relevant (though some eventually were later in the book). And the ending…well the ending was unexpected.

Overall, the book is a solid 4 star that promises a bright future for its author.

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

This was an effective and surprising horror - once it got started. The beginning is not just slow, but a little hamfisted - I almost put it down before reaching the halfway point, and I'd have been sad to miss a really effective second half.

In a small town in Texas, a weirdly shaped house stands. It’s called a Spite House because it was built originally to spite someone with it’s location. A wandering family is looking for a job and believe they might have found one that is up their alley. An eccentric woman is looking for someone to live in the spite house and and record the happenings in the haunted house, to see if it’s really haunted but what is the hidden reason for finding more and more caretakers for this house?

The original premise made this story sound so creepy. And to be honest it’s a multilayered story, with connections through different characters. And while the story itself was very spine tingling with gothic vibes, the ending, while wrapping it up, also gave me more questions than before. Come for the haunted house story, but be warned if you don’t like loose ends.

This was surprisingly refreshing!
Overall, this novel was giving Haunting of Hill House x The Shining vibes throughout and I was all ears!
Eric Ross and his two daughters Dess and Stacy are on the run from something they refuse to speak about when Eric comes across a job ad for a 'caretaker' needed at a residence in Degener, TX. But this isn't any ordinary house and the job description is far from that of a simple caretaker. Spite House is a narrow structure with a dark history and is home to more than one haunted resident and the Ross family aren't meant to care for the house but rather ignite its haunted source to prove the paranormal events are true. They're torn between protecting their secret and surviving the aftermath of waking the evil that is Spite House.

Gothic fiction is one of my favourite genres - I love the creepiness of an old house and all its haunts (though I'm not sure I could survive living in one personally)! I especially loved that the 'supernatural' aspects in this book were actually supernatural and not man made gimmicks (tired of this trope!) I did feel there were some open ended plot lines that were never really explained/ resolved, but I would still be very interested in reading more from this author or this world/ series.

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Tor Nightfire for providing me with this advanced reader’s e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Spite House was an engaging story that kept me reading because I just had to have all my questions answered- how clever and fun, seeing as how getting answers for impossible questions was also a huge motivation for our main characters.

Compton maximises even the tiniest details to give readers a sense of his characters; and he’s good at feeding information slowly enough to keep the tension high and interest piqued, but not so slow as to frustrate readers.

Trying my best not to spoil important plot points, I still want to point out how certain aspects of the hauntings in this story gave me good old fashioned folklore and Jeff Myrtlebank from the Twilight Zone vibes. I loved that, and it would’ve been fantastic to get to explore that just a little bit more.

In the end, the biggest takeaway I got from The Spite House is the fearsome amount of power we give our most negative emotions, and how widespread the effects of said emotions can be. Compton expertly used a paranormal framework to present a very real kind of ugliness.

I really loved the character development in this book. It was well done and their was a lot of interesting insight into the youngest daughter as well.

Throughout the book you could really see and feel the way that this house was getting to Eric and Dessa and Stacy. They changed throughout the book, but also learned things about each other they might not have learned had Eric not brought them there.

I felt like this book had a great build up of suspense throughout the book. It started with wondering what was going to happen in this house, and the first night with just one thing happening to being this great story with so many turns and excitement through the story.

A father and his two daughters are on the run from something in Maryland. The father gets a job of investigating a haunted house in Texas.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publish Tor Nightfire.

Haunted house books are hit or miss for me. I love when they delve more into the history and secrets of the place, and love it less when they are about like, anthropomorphization of the house. Luckily, this one falls very heavily into the first category, and I am pleased to report that it was wonderful! Let me tell you about the stuff I liked!

►First, I love a challenge. It is even better because Eric and his daughters desperately need the house and income, but I do enjoy that it was a whole "who can outlast the house?" situation. Because that is just plain entertaining, frankly. And then, I like to wonder if I could "win". (I would win.)

►Speaking of Eric and his daughter, there's a huge focus on family. I mean really, family is the crux of this novel. Eric is clearly a devoted father who would move heaven and earth for his girls. The problem is, he has some huge secrets he's burdened with, as well as very limited resources. They're kind of in hiding, though we don't know why, and as such, he can't exactly have a legitimate job with a steady income, or other things you need a real identity for. But one thing is clear: this family loves each other deeply.

►So. Many. Secrets! I think everyone in this book is harboring at least a few secrets. The secrets in this case span literal centuries in some cases, while some are happening right as the story is told. There is just so much to unfurl here, and it made the book very exciting to read.

►I actually liked the paranormal aspect! I am so bad at this, in general, but this one... well, it made sense to my mind, and I did not have to really suspend my disbelief or anything, so I was good with it! Trust me, this is high praise.

Bottom Line: It's a haunted house story, sure, but it's also a familial love story, with some history and paranormal sprinkled in, and it simply all works.

A father on the run from a dark past with his two daughters in tow comes across an ad for a house looking for a caretaker who can provide proof of its paranormal happenings for its enigmatic owner in Johnny Compton's The Spite House. When Eric Ross finds the ad looking for a caretaker for the Masson House, reputed to be one of the most haunted spots in Texas, he thinks he may have finally found his break: not only will the large payout for finding proof of its haunting help him get his daughters a more normal life, he hopes to find answers to the problem causing them to be on the run within its dark walls. What Eric isn't aware of is the history of the caretakers before him, and what secrets the owner is keeping on her search for the paranormal...

Pros:
- Various perspectives are used to tell the story, and each one is given time to be fleshed out and grow. In particular, Eric and his daughter Dess are strong POV characters with empathetic stories.
- The haunting, when it comes, is well done and adds some nuance to the very crowded haunted house genre.

Cons:
- Various plot points are introduced and then not fully explored by the time the story ends. Some readers may feel a bit wanting with some of the mysteries.
- Connected to this, the ending feels a bit rushed. The main mystery leaves more questions than get answered, which can be frustrating for a book this length.

Three stars. It's definitely scary in parts, but I left wanting a bit more at the end.

FFO: Civil War stories, spite houses, horror heavy on the mystery.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to MacMillan Tor/Forge and Netgalley*

This book started strong but by the end I still had questions and was left confused. We are promised a gothic paranormal horror and while we get a feel for that atmosphere I wish there was still more. There were deliciously creepy paranormal moments and the house sets a great scene but it lacked the ability to really make me feel like I was there and a part of the story, which is what I was expecting. The characters are flawed, but in a relatable and likeable kind of way, though, none of them really stood out to me and I wasn't necessarily rooting for anyone. The writing was done well, minus a few times when the dialogue felt a bit awkward or clunky, and I even saved a few of the quotes. The moments that I feel should/could have been shocking or at least surprising fell a little flat for me. This was a decently quick and enjoyable read overall, especially for a debut novel, and I don't discourage anyone from picking it up. I hope to see more from this author in the future. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love a haunted house story where the house itself is a character!! And what a character it is!!

I really loved the family in this book and the way their secrets were slowly revealed. Kinda gave me The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig vibes, but the house was creepier. Truly different from a typical haunted house story in an unexpected way.

Many thanks to my partners @tornightfire @macmillan.audio @storygramtours for the #gifted copies

I’ve been craving a good haunted house story. And this one delivered. Totally creepy. So much unknown. Completely menacing.

Right away, I became deeply invested in Eric and his girls. There’s a deep love and devotion between them. The way he nurtures his daughters. The way they trust him. Yet, why they are on the run?

And that house! Built in anger. Baptized in spite. The Masson House is a character all its own. The idea that a structure can steal your very soul from your being is the stuff of nightmares. The house was a vivid depiction of danger that created a deep sense of foreboding. With each page I read I kept pondering: while indignation is a powerful emotion, could it come alive in a way that harms even after its originator is gone?

With this horror story seeded in traumas of the past, Compton’s story reminds that history has lasting effects.

With abundant POVs, the story did get a bit sidetracked at times. While I was deeply invested in the main characters, the side characters didn’t add much substance in my opinion. However, that didn’t prevent my overall enjoyment.

This Black Southern Gothic read was an impressive debut, and I’ll be watching to see what Compton does next.

🎧The audiobook is *excellently* narrated by Adam Lazard-White. His deep, gravelly voice immediately pulled me in. And his ability to shift tone creates the perfect juxtaposition been disturbing (when talking about the haunted house) and endearing (when depicting Eric and his girls).

An awesome debut novel from Johnny Compton!

Off the bat, I learned about spite houses which is one of the most petty yet fascinating things i’ve ever heard of. Building a house just to be an annoyance or eyesore to other people? Amazing.

That’s what this book focuses on. A father Eric and his two daughter, Dess and Stacy, take up a deal go stay at the possibly haunted Masson house. They are currently on the run for mysterious reasons and the woman who hired them may have ulterior motives to why she brought them in.

Overall, i think this is a solid read. I saw a few reviews say that this book isn’t southern gothic but i would have to disagree with that. There’s a lot of references to the civil war and the ghosts featured are older spirits. I think it was refreshing that this was set in modern day but had that old-school feel to it.

Similar to another book I read recently, I felt like there were two many different point of view chapters. If you’re going to do multiple POVS, each person has to be compelling and that was not the case. I feel like the author really should have just focused on the family rather than giving POVS to multiple side characters.

That being said, the family were very well written and developed characters. Also, along with spite houses, the themes of spite and revenge appear throughout the whole story. The scares and creepy moments really got me. The author built a great atmosphere within the home and I was left wondering how the story was going to end. There were a couple questions left unanswered but I’m willing to forgive that because this was such a fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the digital ARC of this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy.

Had an enjoyable time reading this book.