A Spite House! What a novel idea. I absolutely loved the promise of this book. Creepy kids, a haunted house, a family on the run, a cast of questionable characters, The Spite House has all the characteristics of a fantastic horror novel.

This book started off strong. I was enthralled from the very start. Unfortunately, it lost steam for me. The multiple and I mean multiple POVs were a bit too much for me. I feel like some POVs could have used more focus and elaboration and some could have been completely left out. I could have used more of Eric and the Masson’s backstory and less of Dana, Luanda, and Millie. I also think it would have been interesting to have the POV of the house itself.

I did enjoy the 3 main characters. Creating a horror story surrounding a spite house, which is a real thing by the way, (I googled it) was brilliant. A spite house just sounds like it’s destined to be haunted. The ideas were there. I personally felt like they didn’t play out. I was left with more questions than answers and that is what ultimately lead to my lower review.

This debut novel is the perfect for readers of gothic noir, mysteries and horror novels.

The story unfolds as Eric and his two daughters are fleeing their home in Maryland. Hiding from his past and trying to keep his daughters safe, he is desperate for a safe, paying job. When he finds an ad for a caretaker of the Masson House, the most haunted house in Texas, he thinks he may have found the ideal situation. All he needs to do is record his observations of paranormal activity while staying in the house. As long as he can tolerate the scares and terrors of living there.

A haunted house story that gradually reveals why the family is running away. This debut is creepy and compelling with the perfect spooky setting for a horror novel. It will keep you reading late into the night.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I love haunted house stories so the premise of this sucked me in. What kept me going was that I wanted to know why Eric and his daughters were on the run. I was not expecting the the reason why! The book was creepy but it left me with some questions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review. My review will be posted on my Instagram (@booksandbackstreet) closer to the publishing date.

When I saw the title for The Spite House, I was all in. A gothic haunted house? Yes please!

Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me and left me wondering why it was being called “gothic.”

I can see the huge influence that the author took from The Haunting of Hill House. And I have to give it up for the way that the house/ghosts/hauntings manifested. That part was fantastic and I really did want more of the house itself.

However, gothic horror usually has a slow burning atmospheric build of spine chilling horror. I found the atmospheric build to be lacking with The Spite House.

This book contains multiple POV’s, which I usually enjoy. But I felt like in this case it really took away from the story. And I’m left with A LOT of questions and no answers.

The relationship between Dess and Stacy was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed their characters.

I think that if you’re new to horror, especially gothic horror, then this might make a decent entry book. But as a seasoned gothic reader, it just left me wanting more.

The Spite House is a genuinely terrifying haunted house tale filled to the brim with secrets that only reveal themselves little by little. The main protagonists: Eric and Dess are endearing and genuine. The reader can’t help but root for them, even though they are harboring a secret that keeps them on the run with the youngest daughter, Stacy.

Once The Spite House enters the picture, the scares are quick and the terror builds. What really amps up the terror is the unraveling mystery of the spite house. It sits atop a cliff above a now abandoned and decrepit orphanage. All of this sits on land that is riddled with death and betrayal.

Be prepared to lie awake, haunted, by the events that unfold. The Spite House is an unforgettable read.

Eric is on the run. He took his daughters, left his wife behind, and hit the road. There is no way anybody is going to believe how events unfolded, even his wife. Finding odd jobs that pay cash, he has stopped in Texas. He believes he needs to return to the beginning, to the first time he saw someone that should have been dead.
Stopping somewhere in Texas, Eric sees an advertisement for a paranormal specialist. This rich woman in Degener, Texas needs someone to document paranormal happenings in a house she owns. Why she would need this Eric doesn’t know but maybe it will answer some questions of his own and the money is advertised as being very good. Hopefully he can make enough money to get him to his final destination, Odessa, Texas, to his grandfather’s house.
Eric can’t believe his good fortune, Eunice hires him straight out. He has a nagging feeling though that Eunice hasn’t told him everything about the house. Still the money is good and he sure needs it. Their first night in the house, they can all feel the malevolence of the Spite house and they don’t have to wait long before things start happening. In the middle of the night, things got so bad, Eric takes his girls to stay with Eunice. In the light of day, Eric wonders if he has taken on more than he handle.

I loved this debut novel. It is very atmospheric and creepy. This thriller will have you curled into a ball and hiding under a blanket as you listen with dread for the next bump or whisper in the night! Caution – will cause nightmares!

Thank you, Tor and NetGalley, for providing me with the ARC!
This was a pretty creepy read. It almost reminded me of Pet Sematary if Pet Sematary was wholesome and took place in a haunted house. The two different plotlines (figuring out Stacy's character and figuring out what happened in the house) didn't converge as much as I expected them to. When the book ended, and I flipped from the last page to the acknowledgments section, I was left thinking, "Wait. . . that's it?" I was kind of disappointed because the book has such a spooky, unnerving atmosphere to start with, but ended up just not wrapping things up properly. If there were a planned sequel, the ending would've made more sense, but by itself, it didn't explain/expand on things enough.

Would you agree to stay in a haunted house and document your findings for a six figure salary? That's the premise of the story when a father takes his two daughters to Texas and agrees to live in the local haunted house. Interesting take on the haunted house theme with some genuinely creepy occurrences.

Creepy as it can be! I love it! It gave me goosebumps and I just burn through it! If you love gothic horror you should give it go!

The Spite House is incredible. I don't know where to begin with everything I loved about this novel. The characters, the plot, the setting, everything. One thing I especially love is how the horror element in The Spite House isn't one that relies on gory descriptions or literary "jump scares" (and that's not a criticism! I love gory descriptions and literary jump scares!). The horror lies in the dread and anticipation of everything to come, all the questions without having the answers, and just the feelings that Johnny Compton evokes with his writing. I don't know how to talk about everything I love about this book without giving away spoilers, but I absolutely loved it. I highly recommend it and can't wait to read more from this author!

I ended up tearing through this in the space of a few days, as I was lucky enough to have a week off and to be able to spend it reading a ton. It felt like there was a bit too much going on at times, but the way all the plot threads end up converging ends up being incredibly well done. I will freely admit that the twist towards the back of the book with one of the daughters caught me off guard, but it ends up reinforcing what we've already seen of the father, and ends up explaining more of what's going on. This is a hell of a gothic novel that looks at the power that hate and resentment can have, specifically in the context of a creepy haunted house. This is also a black author and a black family at the center of all the goings on. Definitely worth a read when this comes out in February.

I loved this. A creepy gothic horror story very reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House. I definitely evoked a feeling of claustrophobic dread. I had never heard of the term "spite house" but it makes perfect sense for a spite house to be the focus of this story.

When I first started reading Spite House, I had a hard time getting interested in the fleeing family, Eric, Dess, and Stacy. I wondered if I'd picked the wrong story to read. As soon as they got to the mansion of the mysterious 80-year-old women, things really picked up. I got to the point where I was thinking, "I'll read one more chapter," and then going on and reading four or five more chapters. In other words, Spite House turned into a real page turner.

Horror, some magic realism, curses that follow families through generations, and a father and two daughter who really care about each other. Nothing is as it seems. It looks like the family is running from one thing, maybe a crime. Instead, they're running from something weird and miraculous into something even weirder. and possibly deadly.

Several interesting and strong women characters in addition to the Ross family.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of Spite House.

What is going on between the covers

Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters. He takes on a well-paying job as a caretaker of Masson House, but there is a hook: the house is haunted. His job is really to find proof of paranormal activity and the secrets it holds that haunt the owner. It could also hold secrets to his past.

Setting

The Masson house is notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas. The house is built out of spite with its four-story bizarre design adjacent to an orphanage.


Brenda’s two cents

I loved how Johnny Compton used the haunted house trope as a spite house, giving the trope a fresh spin. The house is brought to life vividly, creating a sense of dread, danger, and foreboding that provokes fear.

There is a dark, tragic history that opens the door to see the effect social evils have on people, adding layers to the story. However, the characters tell us the history instead of in flashbacks that show us what happens. The history and motivations create a chilling, compelling ghost revenge story, but the suspense and tension are lost in the telling.

Every horror or supernatural thriller needs some drama to drive the story forward; however, the story here gets bogged down with too much going on, slowing down the pace. I loved the ghostly presents and their motivations, and I enjoyed the twists that surprised me, but the end got too busy, overcomplicating the story. I wondered if some of my questions were answered or if I had just missed something.

Overall I loved the elements of anger ghosts, social evils, and a creepy spiteful house filled with secrets.

Do I recommend it? Yes!

A different take on the haunted house trope. But definitely a good read. Will be looking for this author to keep putting out solid horror for years to come.

I've read quite a few haunted house books recently (Kill Creek, The Hacienda, What Moves The Dead) before Johnny Compton's book, The Spite House, but based on the hype I've seen for it on Bookstagram, I was expecting a lot. It does have some cool things going for it. Its central characters are a black family (a father and his two daughters). The Spite House itself sounds menacing (its skinny structure resting atop a hill) looking down an abandoned orphanage. Then, there are an abundance of mysteries (some which go unexplained that I can't really reveal here because it would spoil some things.

However, the book never got as creepy as I wanted. It's a shame because the book showed real promise in its earliest chapters, but then it got overburdened by multiple character perspectives. Some of those perspectives felt unnecessary like we could gleam information from their interactions rather than getting their POV. It was just too much. Also, the way the house came to be haunted just felt convenient and underwhelming.

I will say the book's closing line is excellent. But it's not enough to redeem the book's weaker points. I was really hoping for more from The Spite House, but it's ultimately just OK.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Check it out!"

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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I love a haunted house story. When a setting is as much a character as the people in the story, I know I'll like where things are going. The Spite House, by far, was the most interesting character in this book. By far, the story of the house is the best part of this book, making me sort of wish we were following the house rather than the main character. Eric was...fine, but uninteresting to me. The start of the book dragged to the point I almost DNF'd, which is why I'm giving this 3.5. Once things kick into gear, the story is fantastic, with a good sense of Literary Gothicness. I just wanted more of the house itself.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Spite House is the perfect read for anyone who likes atmospheric, creepy horror stories. Eric arrives with his two daughters to help investigated what is believed to be a malevolent, haunted house. He and his daughters are on the run from something and have little choice but to take this job which will change their lives forever.

I usually hesitate with haunted house books because it can get a bit predictable, but I was really interested in this one. It's a bit of a different spin on it. I liked the concept and it had me invested pretty quickly. I'm not totally sure how I feel about the ending. It fell a little flat for me after how much I'd enjoyed the rest of the book. Overall, I did really like this one, though.

I thought this was interesting. I'm a huge fan of the gothic, the spooky and the haunted. I thought that the initial premise was interesting--man on the run wit his daughters, finding an opportunity to hide/escape by living in this haunted place and documenting all the weird goings on. However, I do think the middle bit sagged a bit, and I wasn't fond of the ending. For the bang that this story started with, I have to say I was a bit disappointed by the pay off, but I bet there are people who will enjoy this thoroughly!