This novel has a classic horror setting—an ominous house in Maine owned by a renowned horror writer (Alice). The writer invites the daughter (Marin) of a recently deceased childhood friend (Cordelia) to come play nanny for the summer to two daughters (Thea and Wren), just before her elder daughter, Evie, unexpectedly comes home. The girls at Lovelace are also grieving their father, who died the year prior. However, it quickly becomes clear to Marin this place has secrets. Sure, she could leave, but she has nowhere else to go.

This is a third-person close POV from Marin’s perspective, which seems typical of horror novels. She was totally relatable as a grieving, sapphic girl with intense anxiety and deep loyalty.

The character development and plot was extremely well done. I did see a few plot points coming, but I’m a writer in her 40s reading YA, so that’s expected.

Some of the descriptions of Maine are so lovey to offset the creepiness, and I’d definitely say this is for you if you like creepy better than gory.

Some of the comps that came to mind for me are The Others, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, and What Big Teeth.

This book delivers on the queer romance and gothic vibes! I appreciated some of the little shout-outs to other works of gothic lit, like the Haunting of Hill House (hi, Theo/Theadora), I found them cute. All in all it was suitably atmospheric, and appropriately spooky, especially for a book aimed at teens/younger readers - I liked that the "scares" tended to lean more towards terror rather than horror, which definitely ramped up the gothic vibes, instead of making things feel in-your-face.

That said, the biggest flaw I had was the pacing. Perhaps this is just a convention of YA lit that I've become unaccustomed to, but I felt like the novel was so focused on getting through the plot there wasn't a lot of time left over for deeper characterization - Marin, in particular, suffers from this, as does Alice. Some of the subplots, like Marin's experience of the train derailing, could have been far more plot-relevant than just providing a reason for her mother to be dead.

None of it was bad--it was a solid, decent, atmospheric showing, but at times it felt very shallow, and I wanted to see more of the characters interiority. Still worth checking out, though! I did enjoy it.

I knew I was tired when I started this because somehow I completely skipped over the telling description (The Haunting of Bly Manor meets House of Salt and Sorrows) and was already few chapters in when I thought, 'hmmm, this might be queer.' 😂

Reader, it was, in fact, very queer and very good. The forest surrounding the house, the house itself and the secrets it holds are raw with grief and horror. The descriptions are hauntingly gruesome, yet fascinating. One of the best YA books I've read in a long time. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on future works by Kyrie McCauley.

I don't read a whole lot of YA, unless it can catch my attention right away, and this one did. It was a fun, creepy, gothic that was enjoyable to read.

This was beautiful. I would love to read more about our girls. Maybe they can go into the hospital and cause chaos down in the basement. Oops.
Anyway, this was lovely and sad. I loved it.
The dogs though. I felt so bad for the giant dogs.

This was such a deliciously sapphic gothic read. There were times when I thought it was getting too cliche and then there would be a twist or switch up that was just such fun writing. This reminded me of like a horror version of The Goonies (can’t explain why haha), House of Blythe, and just like gothic Jane Eyre vibes. Loved the little sisters in this and man the atmospheric vibes of an old manor always get me.

Very entertaining and exactly the type of atmosphere I love! This particular flavor of dark and creepy was perfect, I was immersed in the novel and wanted to keep reading at all times. I'm interested in more books from this author now.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of All the Dead Lie Down. Kyrie McCauley created such a spooky and unsettling atmosphere. As a reader, you don't know what to expect. The book takes a dark turn, which is done so well and in an unexpected way.

Marin takes a job as a nanny for the children of a friend of her mother's who is recently widowed. The job proves difficult as the children play pranks on Marin. Some are innocent and others are dangerous. Marin has no idea if she is safe as she keeps uncovering secrets.
All the Dead Lie Down is available in May 2023.

This novel was so creepy, and I mean that in a good way. Kyrie McCauley does a wonderful job of displaying a spooky setting for the readers to dive into. While this book was creepy and satisfyingly so, I also found myself being humored a couple of times to lighten the mood on this eerie tale. For once in a long time, I finished a book without having any questions left unanswered, and I really appreciate that. I give this a solid 4.5 ⭐️

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was really interested going into it, and I wasn't disappointed! Kyrie McCauley's writing style is smooth and attention-grabbing, and I loved all of the lush details of the manor. The book started off a little slow, with most of the conflicts being centered around Marin's young charges being rude to her and playing pranks (mostly Wren), as well as Marin wondering what connection her deceased mother had to the house and flirting with Evie. For a while I was thinking this was going to be less of a horror book and more of a paranormal thriller. However, things got really disturbing, really fast. The interactions Marin has with the things Evie brings back to life are horrifying, and I couldn't bring myself to put the book down. I really like the books I read to disturb me, and this book really hit the mark.

A well rounded book that kept me flipping pages if you like creepy this book is for you! I took off a star because I felt like the characters were one demential. I would recommend this book. Thank you HarperCollins Children for my copy

I enjoyed the atmosphere, but the plot was overwrought and the characters were stereotypical. There were some inconsistencies in the writing as well, so that made it difficult to suspend disbelief.

Thank you, HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books for allowing me to read All the Dead Lie Down
early!

I knew I'd love this book when I requested it, but surprisingly it exceeded even my high expectations. It was dark and thrilling and captivating.

**4.5 but rounding up**

What a twisted little thing.

“All the Dead Lie Down” drives us to a haunted house, or at least that’s what the locals believe, as Marin takes a summer job as a nanny for the two young daughters of her favorite author and former friend of her late mother. Battling the hazing that comes with caring for children she finds that some of the pranks are too frightening to be conjured by children and with the arrival of the eldest Lovelace, Marin uncovers more than just a few skeletons in the closet.

This very much feels like The Haunting of Bly Manor in a way that doesn’t feel like a copy but rather an unnerving tale of curses and family secrets against the backdrop of a gloomy seaside estate.

I really loved the build of this book as it lets you question how much if any of the creepy occurrences are real or just a bit of fun conjured up by a couple of kids who love torturing their Nannie’s until they eventually quit. There’s a few moments in here that I actually laughed out loud over the sass of the two girls and the exasperation Marin felt trying to keep up with them.

There was not a single moment or character that I didn’t enjoy as I raced through this book anxious to see how it ends and that was refreshing after a bit of a slump. I think the plot moved along nicely allowing this organic build to the climax and there isn’t a question I feel was left unanswered as I finished which I was a bit worried about as I went along as sometimes books or shows that try to capture that unnerving dread tend to do in the final beats.

Despite its May release date I think a hot cup of tea, wood wick candle and dark clouds outside is just what is needed before stepping foot into the Lovelace estate and all the fun it has to offer.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Marin fell of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down.
The little girls' characters were stereotypical and over-the-top. Instead of making them creepy, it made them tacky.
A lot of unrealistic situations, especially the behavior of the characters. The dialogue was ridiculous at times.
By the end of part two, I was begging this book to end already.
It came off as a Bly Manor rip-off at the beginning, but the story improved a bit. It was still very predictable and cliché.
Decent spooky moments.
The romance wasn't bad.
Evie was pretty much the only likeable character.
Very atmospheric.
Short chapters.

The description of this book I've read really does describe it absolutely perfectly. The sweet gothic horror vibes are immediate and it drags you in lovingly as you continue through the book. Not to mention the sapphic storyline in it really sold me. The first of its kind for me and I ate it up. My love for the dark academia mansion aesthetic was fully satisfied.

The writing as well was so intricately written and I found myself noticing how much I enjoyed the words she used to describe not only the characters but our main character's surroundings at the Lovelace house as well. I can't wait to reread it once it's published and see the hype this undoubtedly deserves.

4 stars

Perfectly creepy!

I loved all the details of the weather and the area, it really made me feel a part of the setting. And the whole vibe was done just right. All of the elements fell in to place just right to make for a very well done gothic type horror.
This is the kind of book I want to read in winter storm by a fire with hot cocoa or coffee.

All the Dead Lie Down was a unique horror read and I really enjoyed it. I wish the house would've been creepier and had more details about it, sometimes I felt it was hard to picture myself in the setting and would've loved more creepy details about the setting! I did love that it was in Maine and that the author focused on creeper weather too, houses shaking because of severe storms and creepy fogs! I also loved the details about the cemeteries and found myself wanting to explore them! I also really liked the idea that one of the main characters could raise the dead... But didn't want to and had to deal with the horrors of all the wrong animals coming back to life. The author did a really good job describing the grotesqueness of these undead things and I think my favorite part of the book was when there were human teeth... In the clams instead of pearls! That was wild! Something I had a hard time with was connecting to the characters. I really loved the anxiety representation in this book and thought it was really important for this to be something discussed. I just had a hard time connecting with the characters and thought they could've been a bit more well rounded. Overall this was a very unique horror read and I think readers will love it!

This was okay, but I felt that the plot was overall rushed and I also didn't really connect with the story or the characters.

I absolutely loved this! I've been wanting to get more into gothic horror, and this book was an incredible introduction for me into this genre. I think if you like a creepy atmosphere that'll leave you with a chill up your spine, you should 100 percent check this out!