I love haunted houses - they're so incredibly compelling and interesting to me, and they never feel over-done. The setup of this novel is so great, it's interesting and a bit spooky, but it pretty quickly starts to fall flat. This isn't because the writing is subpar, Compton is clearly competent, something just doesn't quite click between the plot and the haunted aspect of the home. Still pretty good, but falls a bit flat.

I was really excited by a good old fashioned haunted house story. This one drew me in from the beginning. Eric is on the run for a mysterious reason with his two daughters. They come across an opportunity to live in a house and log any sort of paranormal activity. Everything was very exciting in the beginning but got pretty boring in the middle. I found the ending to be anticlimactic as well. Not bad, but I had higher hopes with how into it I was in the beginning. I’d still say I’d give it four stars though. 3 stars definitely isn’t enough.

On the run from his past, Eric, and his two daughters, are desperate for cash when he comes across an ad that says he could get paid good money to stay in a house. However, there’s a catch. The house is haunted and the owner needs someone to prove the paranormal activity. Eric is eager to take the job, not just because his family needs the money, but also because he has secrets and questions that need to be answered. Can staying in the spite house help him? Or will he and his family be devoured by it first?

I really enjoyed this book! It built SUSPENSE okay?? There were so many secrets! I stayed very intrigued throughout this book, I had to know what was going on! I also loved the characters, which is rare for me in horror books. I wanted the whole family to be safe and I even cared about side characters. I enjoyed the writing, I highlighted so many good quotes in this book. I always love Black gothic books, and this one was no different.

I spent most of this book thinking I’d give it 5 stars, but I did have a couple of problems that kept it from being a 5 star read. Firstly, I found it hard to picture the house, specifically the “floating” hallway. I’m not sure if it’s just me or if it wasn’t explained well enough, but the layout of the house and layout of the whole property confused me. I think the book could benefit from having a map or some type of imagery showing the layout of the house and the whole property. And the second problem I had was with the ending. I was left with questions and it felt incomplete to me. There was a big mystery of the book that was left unsolved. I think that was purposeful, but it made the story feel unfinished.

I really liked this book and definitely recommend it to anyone who loves horror! I’ll be looking forward to seeing more from this author in the future!

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGallley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: war and cancer mentioned, child death, child neglect, suicide

Atmospheric, tangled history,haunting, a curse, this should have had it all. Fell flat about midway and never really seemed to gain its momentum. The end is a jumbled together mess. It was an OK read, not terrible, just had higher hopes.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

"A spite house is a building constructed or substantially modified to irritate neighbors or any party with land stakes. Because long-term occupation is not the primary purpose of these houses, they frequently sport strange and impractical structures." - Wikipedia

A spite house stands like an eyesore on a hill almost too steep to hold it. Rumors have that people go into it and disappear, almost as if they were gobbled up by the house. For Eric and his daughters though, it is the means to a life that will allow them relative safety and control.

I enjoyed the story well enough. I wanted to know more about the Ross family and only wished that maybe the answers were given slightly sooner than they were. That is more my issue than with the writing and made me want to read on. I cared for the father Eric and found his character relatable. The only thing that I found to really drag was that the information that was given earlier on was repeated multiple times and I found that towards the end I skimmed over a few passages only because it was something I had already read and understood about the characters.

The Spite House is a creepy, atmospheric ghost story that follows Eric Ross and his two daughters as they flee everything; wife, job, house and a mysterious past. They end up in a small Texas town where Eric answers an ad to stay in an to stay and document the occurrences in a supposedly haunted house. With an unbelievable payday and a chance for answers, he jumps at the opportunity. But sometimes the dead don’t stay dead.

This one was creepy the whole way through and did a good job of not giving away all its secrets early. The Spite House is a solid ghost story and I’d definitely recommend.
4⭐️

Now I know what a Spite House is. I had never heard of one before. You learn something new every day. Eric Ross is on the run with his two daughters, Dess and Stacy. Readers are left wondering what they were running from and why. Don't worry, eventually you will find out. Looking for money and wanting to come to terms with his past, Eric accepts a job living in the Masson House in Degener, Texas. It has a past and is considered the most haunted house in Texas. The owner wants documented proof of paranormal activity in the house.

The ad and the house call to Eric for many reasons but is he fully prepared to live there with his daughters?

This book does have a Gothic feel to it, and I love a good, haunted house story. I was invested in the story and wanting to learn more. Although I enjoyed this, I was left with questions and feel like I must have missed a few things. A lot happens in the end, and I found I wanted more clarification on them.

The Spite House is a story about a father and his two daughters who move into a haunted house. The first third of this story had me intrigued and hooked. I loved the trope of this family moving into the haunted house so the father can record and note his experiences.

Unfortunately, that’s where my love for this book ended. This book felt very disjointed and quickly became more about other characters, who I honestly didn’t care about. I kept wishing the story would return to the family but I found myself reading more and more chapters from other perspectives. I think this book would have benefitted from having fewer perspectives and perhaps a smaller cast of characters.

The writing lacked the descriptiveness that I needed to picture the characters, the atmosphere, and even the house. All I knew about the house was that it was… thin? The spookiest haunted house stories have really descriptive imagery about the house, in my opinion. And there just wasn’t enough spookiness overall.

So while I enjoyed some of the book, and really appreciate the social commentary and Black characters (more of this is needed in the horror genre!), I found most of it to be disappointing.

Spite House, the debut novel from Johnny Compton, is a very complex story. There are a lot of well-developed characters, and each of them has secrets, and stories, things they are keeping to themselves and things they want to share. And, of course, there’s that house.

Eric and his two daughters, Dess and Stacy, are running from something. That something is not shared with readers until far into the book, but it causes issues wherever they go. They are loosely aiming to reach Eric’s childhood home, a place he feels he needs to return to – a placed with unfinished business. Money is a problem, though, and finding work while living out of a car and a string of cheap motels, particularly for a black man traveling with two children, no mother in sight is a bigger problem. Things are not looking good, and they spend most of their time looking over their shoulders, checking to be sure no one is on their trail.
Then Eric finds an advertisement. All they need to do is spend time in The Masson House, a purportedly haunted home with a long and jaded past, write down everything that happens, and report back to the owner. The money is incredibly generous, which makes Eric suspicious, but despite that, he applies, and he gets the job.

What follows is a dizzying ride down first one plot line, and then another, as the house, the ruins of a nearby orphanage, the owner, and his own memories spiral and close in on Eric. Everyone has an agenda, and none of them are pleasant. Can Eric survive long enough to satisfy the home’s owner, Eunice? Will either of them find the answers they so desperately seek?

For those answers you’ll have to get a copy and enter The Spite House but be warned. It has a tendency not to let you go…

This is a spine tingling story that pushes a man's love for his daughters to horrifying lengths.

This might be described as a "haunted house" novel but the Spite House is much more menacing, twice as evil, and wants to be fed. The mystery surrounding the family who moves in for a big payday is every bit as intriguing as the history of this strange house. I love how the author gave so much life to these characters and didn't treat them as simply fodder for the horrors to come. You feel a connection with them and makes what happens much more horrifying and emotional.

I love this story and am looking forward to reviewing it for my Horror Reads YouTube channel. Definitely recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own.

The cover of this book intrigued me and then I read the synopsis and was sold.

I am not a fan or gory horror, but love a good ghost/haunted house story. This book fit the bill. While it was not my "favorite" book, it was good enough for spooky season. I was kind of thinking it would have The Haunting of Hill House vibes, but not quite.

This story involves a father and his two daughters on the run. The father is intrigued with The Spite House in hopes it would help him understand why his family seems to be cursed. Obviously, it involves a very malicious house, battling inner demons and doing anything to protect those you love.

I give it a solid 3.5 stars. I would recommend it, I just wouldn't be "running" to get it.

I loved this book! i am a fan of haunted house stories in general, and this one was very engaging and scary, with some features that reminded me of other books I probably shouldn't mention because they'd be spoilers. Some wonderfully creepy moments here, and I'll be looking for more from Johnny Compton.

I really love a good haunting novel. I was hoping for more creepy. But it had a really long build. A lot of details. I found it hard to connect with the store and wasn’t able to immerse myself enough. I wanted more scare. I also thought the writing was kind of all over the place at times.

This scratched that gothic itch I was needing! It gave Shirley Jackson vibes, especially WE HAVE ALWWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE. It was spooky and creepy but also emotional.

Eric and his children, Dess and Stacy, are on the run. You won’t find out for quite a while what their reason is, but I assure you that it will not be what you think. And this plot line - which I can’t talk about without spoiling it - is what makes the Spite House different from all the other similar stories.

Anyway, the trio end up temporarily moving into a haunted house. Their purpose? To conclusively prove that ghosts are real. Do they do it? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I love haunted house horror. I especially love it when you don’t really know what’s going on and you have to be hand held through to gather all the pieces. This definitely had me feeling that way.

This is about a house built for spite when a man felt he was wronged when it came to his life and his property. Built years and years ago, now the house sits vacant, considering nobody can stay inside long enough without losing a piece of themselves. The current owner hires a man named Eric, a man running from something with his two daughters, to stay in the house and catalog everything that happens inside during his stay.

Seems simple enough… but everyone in this book has their secrets and holds them close.

I wish that this story focused a little bit more on the haunting inside the house, but ultimately, this was spooky and enjoyable! What isn’t to love about a creepy old house built in land soaked with grief and despair? That is a recipe for a haunting.

The small cast of characters and their different narrative chapters was a great way of telling the story from all angles. Even with multiple POV, there was a good flow to the story.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was an interesting book told from different points of view. A lot of history. A lot of creepiness but not a lot of scariness, to me..was a good book, but not GREAt in terms of a horror novel.

3.5 rounded up.

When I first began this story, I was thinking haunted house....I got that and more. The setting and backstory were well written. This one has many elements that were explained and made the story really come to life. There were a few parts that I wish were answered a bit more, but it didn't take away from the actual story. This one would be a definite recommendation for the Halloween season.

Thank you Tor and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

, Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he’s desperate for money–it’s not easy to find safe work when you can’t provide references, you can’t stay in one place for long, and you’re paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.

When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.

The job calls to Eric, not just because there’s a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it’ll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running. A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father’s love, Johnny Compton’s The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making.