All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley is a contemporary YA gothic romance that reminded me of a mix between "The Haunting of Bly Manor" and "House of Salt and Sorrows".

The story follows Marin Blythe, a girl who is left alone in the world after a tragedy. She receives an invitation from Alice Lovelace, a childhood friend of her mother and a famous horror writer, to work as a nanny at Lovelace House, the family's coastal Maine estate. Once she arrives, Marin finds herself looking after Alice's peculiar daughters, Thea and Wren, who play creepy pranks on her and bury their dolls one by one. Marin also meets Alice's eldest daughter, Evie, who returns home unexpectedly and draws Marin in with her compelling behavior and ethereal grace.

As Marin settles into her new role, she begins to notice strange occurrences happening around the house. Dead birds appear in her room, and something dangerous lurks in the woods, leaving mutilated animals in its wake. Marin must unravel the secrets of Lovelace House before they consume her.

I particularly enjoyed the romance between Marin and Evie, which felt very authentic and touching. I appreciated how Evie developed throughout the story. The writing was well done, and the gothic setting was immersive, which made it easy for me to get lost in the story.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA gothic horror and romance, family curses, and lgbtqia+ love stories. However, be aware that the book does contain graphic body horror, death, and violence.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

I really enjoyed this book! It was unsettling at times and created an atmosphere of suspense, perfect for the genre. I loved that seeing queer representation in a story like this!

I feel like this one is one of those books where the less you know going in the better! So I don't know how to talk about it without giving anything away! It wasn't what I was expecting but not in a bad way! It was a bit slow at first but once it picked up it, it made it very hard to put down! I loved the characters and the atmosphere. There were parts that genuinely creeper me out. I feel like there were some things that were glossed over that needed to be more fleshed out but other than that thoroughly enjoyed this!

This is a haunting and romantic tale that completely pulled me under with its darkness.

Marin recently lost her mother and winds up traveling to be a nanny at the Lovelace house. This house is known throughout town to be cursed, but even though Marin does not expect what lies ahead for her.

Marin and Evie are a great couple to watch grow together, especially through Marin's realizations. The children, Thea and Wren, are absolutely delightful to read about. I loved their twisted schemes.

I thought this book became a little slow at a later point in it. But overall, the idea and the emotions in this story kept me reading.


Out May 16, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

This book gave me the horror/ spooky vibes II hoped for! The house, the kids, and the creepy cemetery had the perfect atmosphere for a horror story. Weird things begin happening, but all things that could maybe be explained away, but once Evie arrives back home all the weird and unexplainable things really ramp up to a 10.

I loved Marin and Evie's relationship, I thought it was super cute, and it definitely felt like they belonged together, although if I were the one staying there I absolutely would have fled after some of the things that happened budding romance or not. While the story is a bit slower, especially in the beginning, I was still sucked in and wanted to keep reading to see what crazy things were going to happen next, and if we were going to see a reason for the way Alice is behaving... and boy did we! It was something I didn't see coming until it was revealed,

This book was serious, fun, and spooky. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat and gave me some weird dreams after I finished reading it. I will definitely be checking out this author's other work

The beginning was a little slow (and creepy children are kind of a miss for me in general - especially when there’s a creepy house RIGHT THERE but you rely on the kids instead) but once we bring Evie in, the story ramps up. Honestly, I think the book suffers for not having Evie there right from the start (it didn’t feel like her absence was necessary, and we could have cut a bunch of that slow beginning).

I was here for the queer! Though I couldn’t get exactly what it was about Evie that really drew Marin in apart from her looks; like, the whole character intro had Evie pegged as some mischievous pretty girl but then they were kissing and she “felt safe”? Not really sure.

Also, did Agatha ever bloom? I feel like that was a metaphor that was forgotten somewhere along the way.

Basically, if we cut the first 30% of the book, it would have been very good. Once Evie came in, the pacing was good, the creepy factor increased, we had some really nice spooky scenes, and girls kissing - what more can you ask for?

All the Dead Lie Down has been an anticipated read for me. I’m really loving thrillers at the moment and I knew this would be a great one. From the get go there is a constant feeling of foreboding. It’s definitely the type of thriller that ramps up the tension at such a slow pace you don’t realise just how creeped out you are until there’s a moment with unexplained blood leading up to a bedroom window where something has definitely just crawled either to or from.

I definitely felt the Bly Manor influence for this and I loved it. Although I don’t know why, but the house and its inhabitants would have seemed way creepier if they were British. There’s something about imagining a child with an American accent that doesn’t make them unsettling at all, but give them a posh British accent? Creepy to the max.

Although saying that, I really loved both Wren and Thea. I don’t want to give any of the story away, but Wren goes through quite the development during the story, that is only obvious to the reader as she actually isn’t quite what she seems on the surface. I found myself not liking her much to begin with but I definitely softened to her after a while.

Now, Marin, she was a bit of a strange one. If I suspected that weird, dark things were happening in that house I would have been out of there like a shot. I get that she has no one and nowhere to go, but to be honest they did offer to help her if she chose to leave. It’s the weirdest thing, she was utterly naive whilst also being completely stubborn.

I loved Evie’s character a lot. She was the perfect protective big sister and she really carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. At first, I thought she was going to be a cold character who wanted nothing to do with Marin, but oh no, quite the opposite.
This brings me to their relationship, which sorry is a slight spoiler, but yay sapphics! It seemed to spring out of nowhere and it was very serious very fast, but I suppose that’s what teens are like really. The way they acted made me completely forget that they were only 17 and also that the story was set in the modern day.

Which brings me to my next point. All the Dead Lie Down has this weird time paradox feeling to it where it doesn’t seem to belong to any particular point in time. I’m going to assume this is intentional because it’s pretty impressive. You feel so creeped out by what is happening because it feels like the characters have no way of getting help as they are isolated in an old house. But no, it doesn’t have a specific time period, but Marin talks about having a phone so it’s fairly recent.

The first half of the book moved a little too slowly for my liking, but the second half more than made up for it. There are so many twists, turns and heart-racing moments that you find yourself itching to turn the page quickly so you can find out what is going on. The reveal of these twists is done very well and I really liked how everything linked together.

Overall, All the Dead Lie Down is an excellent thriller that sets you on edge from the get-go. It has interesting relationship dynamics and the thriller/mystery element is nothing unique, but the way in which the author has used it is completely compelling. I’d highly recommend this book.

Ah, yes. What’s better than an atmospheric, trope-filled romance that’s also a horror novel? Not much! In this, Kyrie McCauley’s “All the Dead Lie Down” delivers, both with its macabre content and its happily-ever-after (don’t ever take that away from my romances!).

Marin has recently lost her mother and has few prospects. Is this a Regency or Victorian romance? Nope, set in the present day. When a horror novelist she admires hires her as the summer nanny for her two young daughters, Marin takes the position at forlorn and remote Lovelace House. The children’s father has also recently passed. From the beginning, Marin is tested by the mother, the children’s cruel pranks, and the strange nature of the house. When the eldest daughter returns unexpectedly from her summer studies, however, Marin finds it too difficult to leave the strange property. Even though, with Evie’s arrival, things get even stranger. Together, the two must protect the young wards, navigate Mother’s odd behaviors, and unravel a mystery a few generations in the making.

The blurb compares this book to both “Bly Manor” and “House of Salt and Sorrows.” “House of Salt and Sorrows” was my favorite book from last year’s reading, so I jumped on the chance to read this as well. It lacks the fantasy aspect but does deliver on the haunting and the atmosphere. It’s a rather timeless setting on the coast of Maine, and it would make a lovely summer read if you like something that is both gruesome and light-hearted at times. The development of Evie and Marin’s relationship is sweet, and the younger girls seemed realistically portrayed, which can be quite difficult. I was hooked from the beginning on trying to figure out why their mother was behaving the way she was, and the answer does not disappoint. I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end and look forward to other works in this genre from Kyrie McCauley. I received this book from NetGalley.

While I enjoy good gothic horror stories (Poe, Radcliffe), I have a more tenuous relationship with more recent horror stories, many of which I find more amusing than scary or which I find incredibly “stupid” (this is especially true of horror movies). There is a point in this book where the story approaches the line between quality and vapid, and thankfully stays on the side of quality.

The story focuses on the home and family of Alice Lovelace, an acclaimed author of horror stories. Marin Blythe’s mother Cordelia recently died in a train derailment, leaving Marin an orphan, but Cordelia’s old friend Alice has offered her a place to stay and a job as the nanny for her young daughters, Rowena (Wren) and Theadora (Thea). Alice’s husband had died in an accident the prior summer and the family is still grieving the loss. The older sister, Evie Hallowell, is away at school, but will soon return due to the actions of Wren.

The secrets of Lovelace House, Evie Hallowell, and how Marin fits in the picture are much darker and creepier than expected. Those secrets are ones that readers will want to discover for themselves. The developing relationship between Marin and Evie, the oldest daughter, is quite enjoyable; especially, as Marin is a chronic worrier, anxious and fearing the worst-case scenarios, but the truth about Evie and the depth of feeling that Marin develops for her overcomes that innate fear/anxiety.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

I was initially somewhat wary of it; though I know X meets Y, or Perfect for Fans of Z are ways to sell it, I had not been all too fond of Netflix's Bly Manor. All The Dead Lie Down was to me, the superior horror showing, with the hairs on my neck standing up.

Dani is in control, and can leave when she wants to. Marin has nothing else, and is reminded of this when she expresses doubt. Marin has no choice but to stay, and her only reprieve lies with her employer's older, fascinating, difficult daughter. Half-dead animals stutter their way through the grounds, and dead birds find themselves on Marin's floor. Her young charges are difficult; both grieving the recent loss of their father, they've been isolated and have differing opinions on Marin.

One tolerates her, and it turns to like. The other actively wants to push her away for the secrets they keep and out of dislike. Marin, newly orphaned by the loss of her mother, has no one but the woman who was once her mother's childhood best friend-- a woman her mother wanted nothing to do with, a woman who Marin must now rely on for any sense of stability, but never security. It's Evie, her daughter, who brings Marin comfort.

Like mother, like daughter, Marin is deeply twined in with the Lovelaces. Like mother like daughter, she'd be safer leaving.
But Marin can't, and her fears, anxieties, loyalty, and love are explored deeply enough that we feel her helplessness and fear, as well as her will.

Marin Blythe has always loved horror novels, and Alice Lovelace’s novels most of all. But when Marin receives the opportunity to work and live at Lovelace House, she learns that Alice’s horror novels may be based more in fact than in fiction, in this perfectly eerie gothic horror.

When Marin’s mother dies, she has no where to go and no one to turn to, so when the famous horror writer, and her mother’s estranged best friend, Alice Lovelace, offers her room and board in exchange for nannying her two young daughters, Marin can’t turn down the opportunity. But, the girls are not quite right, Thea has been burying her dolls in an old graveyard and Wren plays cruel pranks on Marin. The house is even stranger than its residents, with what appear to be skulls stamped in the ceiling tiles, dead (or almost dead) birds turning up in Marin’s room, and bones found in the mud at low tide. Then Evie, Alice’s oldest daughter, returns home from boarding school and things at Lovelace house get stranger than Marin could have ever imagined. But despite the strange and spooky happenings, Marin finds that when she is with Evie, her near constant worrying, settles.

I really loved the eerie atmosphere that McCauley created in All the Dead Lie Down. A creepy estate is a personal favorite setting for horror novels, and this one had all the essential bits like an on-site cemetery, a large mansion, to big to explore fully, and it’s isolated in the country. Lovelace house also has the unique aspect of being right on the coast, allowing the ocean to play a key role in creating a sense of foreboding, by both threatening the integrity of Lovelace house and it’s surrounding land, but also revealing key clues about the dark matters happening there.

The characters were all enjoyable, even the evil ones. And, for the most part, they all underwent interesting character development. Wren was a particular favorite. The building relationship between Marin and Evie is a large part of the story, and while I personally didn’t enjoy this piece greatly, it was very melodramatic and over the top (so typical teen romance), I expect it will be enjoyed by many other readers. It also never disengaged me from the story, so I don’t think it would make this book a no go for readers less interested in romance. My biggest complaint with it is that Evie is used by Marin as a sort of cure for her anxiety, and while it is likely just that Evie makes her feel safe and confident, I still am not loving that she is relying on someone else to manage her anxiety rather than learning to do so on her own.

All in all, All the Dead Lie Down was a very well done atmospheric horror story, with unique supernatural elements, that made this an extremely enjoyable read for any horror fan.

This is a read in on sitting kind of book and I did on a gloomy rainy day. The creepiness has you turning the pages with a twist that had me speechless

“Maybe memory was a kind of haunting in itself.”

All the Dead Lie Down is the gothic haunting story I didn’t know I was missing.

Marin Blythe has recently lost her mother, the only person she really had. After living a life of constantly moving, she has the chance to settle down at Lovelace House in coastal Maine, owned by Alice Lovelace, an acclaimed horror author. Alice is not some random woman, however; Marin’s mother Cordelia and Alice actually grew up together. Marin, anxious to a fault, tries to use this to keep a connection to her mother.

Alice’s two youngest girls, Wren and Thea, keep Marin on her toes with seemingly harmless pranks. Soon, the eldest daughter, Evie, comes home, and things move more into scary territory. Not only does the house seem haunted, but the very land itself. Marin sees some things she can’t explain, and doesn’t want to explain. As she grows closer to Evie, Marin has to face her fears in order to stay with this ethereal girl she’s grown fond of.

I originally requested this book because of the cover, but as soon as I read it was being marketed as similar to The Haunting of Bly Manor, I knew I would enjoy it. I didn’t realize it was YA at first, and while I have no issue with YA, I feel it could have gone a little further had it been adult. It still doesn’t shy from the horror, though. Be aware, this book contains a lot of animal death. If you’re squeamish, I would maybe sit this one out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for the chance to read this advanced review copy. I look forward to reading more Kyrie McCauley in the future.

CW for death, animal death, animal cruelty, death of parent, blood, gore, body horror, panic attacks, mental illness/anxiety, stalking, and emotional abuse

“what was wrong with this damned house”

Marin is alone in the world after her mother’s tragic death. An old friend of her mother’s reaches out to offer a nanny position with room and board. This friend turns out to be a famous horror author whose books Marin loves. She has never met Alice Lovelace but she has no other options since money is tight. The family is also mourning their own loss as Alice’s husband drowned recently.

Marin travels to Lovelace House in Maine, a complete contrast to her life in California. Here she will watch over Alice’s two young daughters while Alice writes. The home is everything a gothic horror requires in a story. Grand, dark and full of secrets. Even the drivers tells her the house is cursed before dropping her off. She quickly realizes she has her work cut out for her when Alice’s daughters, Thea and Wren, make several attempts to prank and even hurt Marin.

A surprise visit from the girls older sister, Evie, puts Marin’s position at stake but Marin ends up finding a friend. Maybe even something more than a fri be. Soon Marin hears hushed conversations that pique her curiosity.

There is a twist that changes everything and I couldn’t put the book down afterwards. I kept saying one more chapter! I found the writing to be very haunting and beautiful. I would definitely read more from the author.

The reference to Haunting of Bly Manor is honestly a perfect association. If you love this, definitely check out the season.

I highly recommend reading this book on a dreary, rainy day in front of a big window overlooking a garden or woods. You’ll need a warm cup of tea and a comfortable blanket. Playlist: Haunted Victorian-era Manor on Spotify

Thank you to NetGalley and Kyrie McCauley for allowing me to read this book. I have written this review voluntarily!

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Actual rating: 3.5

Kyrie McCauley presents All the Dead Lie Down, a young adult horror novel marketed as The Haunting of Bly Manor combined with The House of Salt and Sorrows. Readers follow Marin, a teenaged girl whose mother recently died in a tragic train accident. Marin is left with nearly nothing so when Marin's favorite author, Alice Lovelace, reaches out with a job offer for Marin to be nanny to her two young girls, Marin accepts. Marin knew Alice had been friends with her mother and the job provides room and board. Lovelace Manor has many secrets and the secrets seemed to have only grown since the death of Alice's husband the previous year. Marin is quick to realize there is danger, but with nowhere left to go and children in her care, she will have to figure out how to navigate Lovelace both the author and the house.

I can fully understand why the choice of a Bly Manor comparison. There is a gothic building of dread, the estate of generational wealth, the nanny/au pair plot line, the potential supernatural component. I get it. I do struggle a bit more with the comparison to House of Salt and Sorrows. Lovelace Estate is an oceanside place with the ever present threat of drowning. But, aside from vibes, I think the comparison mostly can stop there.

Marin is an interesting choice of protagonist, as her anxiety tends to take second seat to her curiosity and her sense of responsibility. Her budding romance with Evie, the eldest daughter, is age appropriate and has the appropriate amount of weight to appeal to a teen audience.

I do feel that this book was a bit longer than it needed to be, as the reveal of what was causing the issues at Lovelace Manor took over half the book to get to only to rush through reveal after reveal after that initial hurdle was jumped. The slight pacing difficulty was not detrimental to my enjoyment.

There were some aspects to the horror parts that were a little glossed over, but as the plot progressed, so did these descriptions. I found myself wishing for greater detail throughout, but can understand the desire to allow for a build and not be gratuitous in the descriptions for a book intended for teen readers.

Overall, I found All the Dead Lie Down to be an enjoyable read, and would recommend it to young readers of horror or dark fantasy.

This unfortunately wasn’t for me. Definitely a YA attempt at horror but unfortunately fails to be really suspenseful.

This novel tells the story of Marin Blythe, a young woman who has just lost her mother, and the eerie things she is faced with as a nanny to horror novelist Alice Lovelace’s children. This gothic inspired haunted house novel takes you into the dark depths of family history and the secrets held at Lovelace house.

I really enjoyed this novel and the characters; I especially loved that it was dark and spooky but not too spooky to binge read at night. The plot was very interesting and very well executed; I thought the author did a wonderful job of progressing the story at a good pace. It never felt too slow or rushed, especially near the ending. The writing was also pretty lyrical and very beautifully done. I will commend the author for leaving out any homophobic/anit-LGBTQ+ sentiments because there is already so much of that in our real world, we really don’t need it in our fiction!

Overall, I really enjoyed this gothic YA novel. I would recommend this to YA readers who are looking for a spooky read with some LGBTQ+ content.

This beautiful novel reads like a very dark, Gothic fairy tale. After losing her mother, Marin becomes the nanny of two strange little girls in Lovelace House. Right from the beginning, she hears that it’s cursed. The owner, Alice Lovelace, is a famous and reclusive mystery writer and her daughters are definitely weird. The more she learns about this family and their mansion, her feeling of disquiet grows, and it all gets even worse when Evie, the older sister, returns from school unexpectedly. I loved the descriptions of Lovelace House and its grounds, including the woods, the beach and not one, but two creepy graveyards. The girls are likable, despite all their quirks. I didn’t know where the story was going, but I was pleasantly surprised. No spoilers but some parts are very disturbing and gory. There are also passages that animal lovers might want to skip. Some parts reminded me of two very famous Stephen King novels, but with a twist. Readers who enjoy dark stories will enjoy this book.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#HarperCollins Children's Books!

If there are three things I love in a horror novel, it’s the following. 1) A haunted house and an atmospheric setting. It creates a close, tense setting that ramps up the tension and adds a sense of claustrophobia that I absolutely love. 2) A romance subplot to temper the creepy. In the case of All the Dead Lie Down, the romance between Marin and Evie was realistic, emotional and full of sapphic longing. I loved it! 3) creepy children and a deer that’s *not quite right* aka creepy, crawly horror elements that mix body horror, plain unsettlement and nature elements. Needless to say, AtDLD checked all my boxes and I loved the story!

The pacing and characterisation was spot on and there wasn’t a moment I was bored or felt like scenes were unnecessary. Marin was a great MC and I really felt for her anxiety and desire to find her place in the world. She was both cautious and prone to worry and courageous when others were counting on her. I thought she was very well rounded and really enjoyed spending time in her head. I loved her blossoming relationship with Evie and thought their romance was both very sweet and realistic for their age. The mystery of Evie’s family was woven nicely in and I was genuinely shocked by some of the twists near the end. I’d highly recommend this book and a think readers who enjoy a bit of horror in an atmospheric, northeastern setting with a bit of romance will love it!

I really liked the setup and reveals. A great LGBT YA Gothic horror novel! The main character and the house with the spooky estate was a great setting as well.

"All the Dead Lie Down" follows Marin Blythe who ends up taking a position as a nanny, to a family her mother knew when she was a child, the Lovelace's. Alice Lovelace, is a famous horror author with three children, Thea, Wren, and Evie. Evie is away at school so Alice needs Marin to help her with the children. The family is still recovering from the accidental death of Alice's husband, and father to the three girls. Marin though feels as if something is wrong at the Lovelace Estate. The woods seem dark and menacing. And the birds seem to die and then disappear once again. When Evie returns from boarding school, Marin finds herself drawn to her and to finding out what secrets the Lovelace's are hiding.

I thought Marin was a great YA character. Not a pushover, and definitely not a Mary Sue. She takes Thea and Wren on (dealing with awful pranks) but realizes that something seems off with Alice. She finds herself falling for Evie, but realizes that something is going on that she doesn't understand.

The other characters all have quirks and I love that we slowly get pieces to a puzzle that Marin is trying to figure out. I also laughed a few times (mostly with the little girls).

I loved the writing and thought the setting of the estate was very Gothic and spooky.

The ending was very creepy and I liked the final resolution. At times though you think that Evie and Marin could be a bit older, but you realize they are older in a way because of everything they have gone through.