Despite the numerous creepy stories surrounding the house and its haunting potential, the promised scares were not fully delivered. The book hinted at multilayered stories in the background, but they never reached their full potential or received a satisfying resolution.

Deep in the Texas Hill Country sits a house that exists purely out of spite.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton is a deep, rich look into grief and what it means to be loyal to family. I genuinely enjoyed this new twist on the typical haunted house trope and how well fleshed out all of the characters were. Compton guides you through the mysteries surrounding Eric and his daughters, the Spite House, and Eunice, all on his own time. It was a true mystery the whole time and each revelation had me saying "ooh!" out loud.
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The prose itself was only enhanced by the narrator, Adam Lavarre-White, whose deep and rich voice matches this genre perfectly. His cadence is only matched with the deep gravel of his bass, which can either be menacing and chilling, or soothing and comforting. He balances the two with a flip of the switch, captivating my attention the whole time.

I'd love to read more from Compton, and I'm adding Lavarre-White to my list of favorite audiobook narrators as well.

This had the makings of a really good spooky story. The atmosphere was all there but there were several threads we never got answered. Maybe it just needed to be longer?

Haunted House stories are some of my favorites in the horror genre and I found this one to be really enjoyable! A family accepts a sort of ghost hunting gig while they are on the run from something, we just don't know what.
While there were definitely moments that felt like "why in the world would anyone do that" as definitely plot pushers, the story itself flowed well and it was well written. I liked that we got perspectives from several of the characters, but it wasn't enough to get confused. I enjoyed it a good deal and I want to read more from Compton!

I had no idea what to expect when reading this book. I divided my time between reading the PDF and listening to the audio book ( whose author has a wonderful voice for this kind of story). I think the audio book helped to transport me into the story in a way reading was not doing as well. I absolutely loved this book. I do not think that people who expect to be terrified will find what they are looking for, but I think for anyone who loves ghost stories, haunted houses and horror with complicated history will enjoy this one. I am a big fan of a slow burn and was thrilled when I got to the reveals towards the end. Could definitely see this as a movie and will be buying this one for my mom for Christmas. Would 100% recommend.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton is the first book I’ve read by him. It was a rather long listen for me that was kind of a miss for me the more I sat on it. It was a little too far fetched and kind of convoluted. It was entertaining while I was listening and the narration was easy to listen to. My only complaint about the narration was that sadly a lot of characters did sound the same.

After sitting on this, I realized that I really wanted this one to be much spookier. So this is very much a me problem. However, for a debut novel, KUDOS to the author. I found the history of the Masson House and the property it sat on to be fascinating, If you love thrillers / horror novels I highly recommend this one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a listening copy in exchange for my honest review. I do look forward to future books by Johnny Compton. This was a solid start. 3.5 stars.

I had a relatively good time with this. I enjoyed the spin on the haunted house that is both living and breathing in a way, and also soul possessing. The two story lines with Eric and his daughter, and their mysterious past, as well as Eunice's family lineage and relationship with the house/town was very interesting to see converged. I think there were many things done well with this book including the creepy atmosphere and the ability of the author to keep you on your toes. However, in the end I just think some of the details weren't executed to the best of its ability and it failed to deliver a truly impactful ending for me. Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC to review.

This narrator…. His voice is smoother than silk and I loved every minute I listened to him. I appreciate the author took the extra pages to add more information to the story so I was able to connect with the characters more. As someone who has never heard of or seen a “spite house” I felt as though I could understand every quality it has. I highly recommend this, especially if you’re like me and tends to stray away from paranormal content, this is a winner.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

The was interesting. I haven't read a huge amount of haunted house books, but I liked this one. It is a good debut book. I will say that I think it could have done with less POVs, but it all tied together in the end.

3.5/5

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I think the slow burn worked really well with this one. I didn't completely love it, mainly because I wasn't always focused on the story enough to enjoy all the side povs but I think I'd really like it if I tried it in a physical copy. The narrator was great for it! Just my own quirk when it comes to audio books.

4.5 stars. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this. I thought I would like it, but I ended up connecting to this family and the experience that they are drawn into at the Spite House. There is some important commentary on rage, resentment, racism, and secrets. I loved the plot twist in this one. It definitely caught me off guard and I wasn't expecting it at all. This is a 2023 release that you have to check out!

I rather enjoyed this one! This had the vibes of a classic. A horror ghost story about a family on the run and, not only that, a cursed family. I loved the characters; they were dynamic and very well-developed and written. This is a unique story with the gothic mysterious, haunting vibe I was looking for! While some of the spooky moments could be happening and there was some rather shocking twist! It's easy to listen to and well worth the time! I recommend it! I listened to the audiobook, and it was easy to follow, and the narrator fit perfectly! If you are looking for a spooky read, you should definitely pick this one up! Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the extraordinary listen and a great adventure!

I was drawn to The Spite House by the eery cover, and I am a sucker for a good haunted house story. A haunted spite house was a fresh take on the typical old Victorian haunted house. Johnny Compton wrote an enthralling horror story full of family drama, a father's love, ghostly encounters, and pure terror. The story kept you guessing, and the ending was both horrifying and sad. I enjoyed reading about the Spite House.

I tried to read this book a few times and for whatever reason, I just couldn't get into it. I did not finish it so I have not posted a review elsewhere.

"The Spite House" is a chilling and beautifully haunting horror story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The author masterfully weaves a tale of a father's grief and the terrible lengths he will go to ease his pain. The titular house itself is an eerie and unsettling presence throughout the book, and the sense of unease only grows as the story progresses.

This is what I'm looking for in a haunted house premise. Loved the characters, their relationships, and the spooky factor. Did not love how I pretty much fell asleep in the end. Johnny Compton is such a promising author, I can't wait for him to write more.

‘The Spite House’ is one of the strongest horror debuts I have read in a long time, if not ever. The structure and narrative are so well crafted, and the atmosphere is almost reminiscent of the slow-build dread of horror classics like ‘The Grudge,’ ‘The Wicker Man,’ or ‘The Elementals.’ Compton expertly builds his story’s foundation with a deliberate, character-driven mystery before pulling the rug from under readers’ feet the moment the anticipation of the nightmare-inducing haunting reaches a boiling point. This is as good as southern gothic and haunted house horror get. Not to mention the emotionally fraught themes of how far a parent will go to protect his children— from threats both alien and familiar— and the way traumas can continue to haunt us long after we think we’ve escaped them.

If you have trouble committing to a slow build but love a good haunted house, I very much recommend the audio version of this novel. Adam Lazarre-White’s narration infuses the pace with an emotional suspense that might draw in readers more accustomed to an early hook. However, if you love a well executed slow burn horror with an incredible and harrowing payoff that will stick with you long after closing the back cover, any format will suit you more than fine. ‘The Spite House is one hell of a debut and Johnny Compton has immediately become an instant-read author for me.

Thank you so so much to Netgalley, Johnny Compton, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to experience both an advanced e-galley and an advanced listening copy of ‘The Spite House’ in exchange for an honest review.

What a debut! THE SPITE HOUSE is a totally uniquely spin on the haunted house trope and I loved every minute of it! Compton’s prose gives the best feeling of impending dread and I’m so happy the gothic horror renaissance is going strong!

It's shocking this is Compton's debut novel. The structure is great, showing us multiple POVs throughout the story. It's creepy and unsettling but not grotesque.

Im struggling with this review for one BIG reason. I really really didn't like the narrator and therefore only made it 30% of the way thru the book. I might feel differently if I had an actual physical copy and my own inner voice was narrating it. So my best review is skip the audio and try the actual book