Scary as sh****t. I devoured this book of just bitter house you know the family shouldn't go into but can't look away from.

About 1/4 through this audiobook and it is so intriguing. I am so into the family and the mystery of what they are running from combined with the Stephen King-Esque of the youngest daughter and the overall tone as they enter the house. Cannot wait to see where this goes!

I received a free copy of this from the publisher through netgalley.com. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love a haunted house story and this one was creepy good. Eric responds to an ad for someone to stay in a house and document any strange things that go on. He and his daughters are keeping a low profile and we don't find out until almost the end as to why. Eric himself has experienced ghosts and hauntings as a child and his grandfather has a strange connection to the dead as well.

I thought that this was a really unique story that not only incorporates haunted houses but also a family lineage of strange things that no one likes to talk about. I would put this in the magical realism category as well as horror. Well narrated and a fascinating story of greed, ghosts and other interesting things.

Definitely worth the read.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton was a very strong debut novel. With gothic vibes and creepy plot points, The Spite House will have you questioning what is possible in the world of the paranormal. I enjoyed the family relationship and small-town atmosphere. The audio was excellent and it added to the creepiness factor.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Many thanks to my partners @tornightfire @macmillan.audio @storygramtours for the #gifted copies

I’ve been craving a good haunted house story. And this one delivered. Totally creepy. So much unknown. Completely menacing.

Right away, I became deeply invested in Eric and his girls. There’s a deep love and devotion between them. The way he nurtures his daughters. The way they trust him. Yet, why they are on the run?

And that house! Built in anger. Baptized in spite. The Masson House is a character all its own. The idea that a structure can steal your very soul from your being is the stuff of nightmares. The house was a vivid depiction of danger that created a deep sense of foreboding. With each page I read I kept pondering: while indignation is a powerful emotion, could it come alive in a way that harms even after its originator is gone?

With this horror story seeded in traumas of the past, Compton’s story reminds that history has lasting effects.

With abundant POVs, the story did get a bit sidetracked at times. While I was deeply invested in the main characters, the side characters didn’t add much substance in my opinion. However, that didn’t prevent my overall enjoyment.

This Black Southern Gothic read was an impressive debut, and I’ll be watching to see what Compton does next.

🎧The audiobook is *excellently* narrated by Adam Lazard-White. His deep, gravelly voice immediately pulled me in. And his ability to shift tone creates the perfect juxtaposition been disturbing (when talking about the haunted house) and endearing (when depicting Eric and his girls).

This book is a paranormal - mystery in my mind. I am amazed by the de-jvu moments I had while listening to this book. Like I have read it before under a different title or seen it in a movie. I don't know if I would recommend this book as it gave me an unsettled feeling, almost like it really did happen and someone made money off someone else horrors but I see where he sells it as there are a lot of people out there that live for this exact feeling.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook copy.

Excellent audiobook. Highly recommend

Eric and his girls are on the run. From who or what isn’t made clear until much later, but the sense of urgency, of danger is palpable right from the start. He needs a place to settle down, at least temporarily, and make some money, a nest egg so he can give his girls some stability, some normality. So when he sees the chance to not only put a roof over his and his girls’ heads as well as make what seems to be unbelievable money, he doesn’t hesitate to go for it. The job? Live in and report on any activity in a supposedly haunted house.

This one hooked my right from the start. You’re bombarded with some many questions. Why are they on the run and from who? Where is Eric’s wife and why isn’t she with them? Then there is an event that happens early on with Eric’s youngest daughter Stacy where she displays some special abilities that left me thinking she might be like Danny Torrance in The Shining. Non-spoiler alert…The Spite House is NOT The Shining, though I will say the two stories have similarities: namely they both feature unique locations and are definitely both ghost stories. And just when I thought I had a solid handle on things…I hit the 70% mark or so and author Johnny Compton dropped a major reveal that had my mind reeling.

When I finished the book I was still left with some questions, but that’s not an actual complaint. I think good fiction can and often should leave you thinking, and not every question can or even should be answered, especially in a tale dealing with horror/the supernatural. Not having all the answers lets the story linger in your mind, keeps you thinking about it even after you’ve put the book down. I must say I find it hard to believe The Spite House is Johnny Compton’s debut novel. Mr. Compton is now firmly on my radar and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next. As for the narration, Adam Lazarre-White does a great job. His rich voice fits the tone of the story perfectly. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advance audio copy of The Spite House.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2B77WJ44A8MMB/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Spite House follows dedicated father, Eric, who is on the run with his two daughters, Dess and Stacy. Starting in Maryland, the family has made it to Texas without major incident, but will that luck hold? The road isn't an easy place, with Eric only taking unreliable jobs paying cash where he can. It's unclear exactly what they're running from, but it is clear that it's imperative they don't get caught.

They're living in hotels, barely getting by, when Eric discovers an ad for a live-in position at the Masson House, in Degener, Texas. The pay is six-figures, the hazards...it's haunted. Reputedly, the most haunted house in Texas. Haunted or not, Eric and his girls don't have a lot of choices. Eric is intrigued. All they have to do is live at the property and report to the owner any paranormal happenings they might observe.

The exciting pay rate is one thing, but Eric has his own additional reasons for wanting to explore the potentially supernatural nature of the house.

This story follows the perspectives of Eric, Dess and Stacy, in the days leading up to and including their time at the Masson House. There's a few other perspectives as well. There's Eunice, the lady who hires them, Lafonda, Eunice's employee, Millie, Max, the children; there's actually a lot of different perspectives helping to build out this story. While I understand why the author chose to tell it this way, it was actually the story's biggest downfall for me personally.

It felt a little crowded. I'll admit to finding it hard to track in certain places. Never Eric, Dess or Stacy. They were clear and distinct throughout. I even really enjoyed having Eunice and Lafonda's insights, but for me personally, it could have ended there as far as perspectives were concerned.

The story itself was delightful in its sense of place. I loved the Southern vibe carried throughout, including the fantastic narration of the audiobook by Adam Lazarre-White.

Additionally, the themes and topics explored were unique and well-presented. The nature of the hauntings allowed Compton to build a sense of dread that really never let up. This was one of my favorite parts of this. It was eerie start-to-finish.

This includes Eric, Dess and Stacy's situation. You know something is going on there, but at first, it's not clear what it is. I liked how Compton chose to reveal that side of the story and it definitely helped to amplify the situation at Masson House. I also found the history of the Masson House, and the property it sits on, fascinating. I love when land holds on to these sorts of generational traumas and carries it through to a modern-day perspective, or situation.

There's something unsettling about that. I think we've all been to places that hold a certain feeling and I love watching that play out in fiction. Considering what could be behind those vibes. It's so interesting to me. Overall, I felt this was a unique and engaging story with a fabulously narrated audiobook. The Spite House should be on every Horror Lovers immediate TBR. You do not want to miss out on this one.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I am so excited to read more from Johnny Compton in the future. If this book is any indication, he has a long and successful career ahead of him!

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I gave this book 5 stars before I read it. Sorry if I mislead anyone, but I don't think I'm followed by many people anyway. I loved to learn what a "spite house" is and I'm grateful for that. What a good way to rile your neighbors.

Anyway, did I like this book. Yes and no. I liked the premise and the idea of it. It just wasnt carried out to my taste. Too many things left me with questions. Anyway, it certainly was not terrible.

Eric and his 2 daughters are leaving their home and on their way to Texas. Eric wants to take care of his daughters, he's a good father, but in desperate need of a job. Lucky for him he sees an ad to live in The Maason House in Texas, for quite a big sum of money, to live in it and catch paranormal activity. I'm not sure that's a great way to take care of your kids., but....Anyway this house is the "spite house" and even though the beginning started off swimmingly, as it went on, I started to get confused because of so many POVs and timelines. I love audio, but maybe it wouldve read better. I mean we heard from EVERYONE in this book, past and present. I will never ask for more than 3 or 4 POVs again.

Of course Eric takes the job, and the timeline jumps a bit and it left me.....unsatisfied by the end. It had a slow burn but no big bang at the end. Anyway I did give it 3.5 stars for the learning of what a spite house is. Too bad I can't build one. Anyway, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a slow burn that leads to...not much.

I love mystery and anything supernatural. However, I cannot remember the last time I read a book in my preferred genre that also had the hallmarks of literary fiction. This book is a masterpiece of transitions between character POV, Southern Gothic hauntings, psychological horror/mystery, commentary about the Black experience in The South, grief, generational trauma, family means/wealth and the things parents are willing to do to protect their children. It’s a beautiful book—the sort you like more and more the longer you think about it.

I listened to the audiobook and it made the experience that much more enjoyable.

For a debut this was decent. The writing was good. It could be easy to follow. But i wanted it to be more creepy than it was. It had a feeling of claustrophobia or something but it wasn’t scary to me. I thought the daughter was interesting with her extra sense. I liked the different POVs. But the ending was a tiny confusing to me. Decent read. I think the narration was good but sometimes hard to understand with the accent he tried to do.

This may very well be the best haunted house book I have ever read. There is so much depth to the history of the house as well as all of the characters involved in its existence. The concept of a soul and haunting is different from all the other haunted house books I’ve read in the past. Listening to the audiobook the narrator did a wonderful job and had a pleasant voice. The changing points of view along with the jumping timeline led me to want more answers and to devour the book like the house devours souls.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

Eric Ross saw an ad for a caretaker position at Masson House in Degener, Texas. A promise of high six figures salary to live and document occurrences inside the house for the owner is hard to pass up. He uprooted himself from Maryland with his two daughters for this opportunity to make good money.

A spit house is built to be a eye sore to neighbors. Mr. Compton takes the Spite house and turns it into a masterful horror book. I like how the characters told the history of the house and you find a little twist towards the end that makes you go hmm.

I think Mr. Compton did a great job for his debut horror novel. Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White who did a good job giving voice to this horror story. This is a great book to read for black history month.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a free audio copy of The Spite House for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts in this review are my own.

I quite enjoyed listening to this at night, anything that has to do with a family moving into a haunted house catches my interest. A house with a past, that gets unveiled. It was a bit of a slow burn horror to me but a good one. The voice in the audiobook was incredible with the setting of a gothic haunted house.

This debut starts out with a lot of promise. A family moves into a “haunted house” and they are on the run. I just wanted more paranormal and more gothic horror. And there was a lot of different POV. It did get confusing at times. It wasn’t a bad debut and I will read more from this author.

Whoa. This book was something else.

You know when you read a book and say “oh whoa wait what?!” Yeah. I did that in this one. It’s a super creepy ghost-like story with a hellava twist to keep you invested to the end!

This is pretty fast paced. It’s probably more of a medium pace toward the end but overall it’s pretty quick. Looking back it may have been a slower build but it didn’t feel like it at the time. Enough was happening that it didn’t feel like a slower build until you hit that twist and you’re saying “whoa, what?!”

Definitely creepy over scary. Twists you probably wont see coming. Fantastic narrator. Thanks for the audiobook NetGalley!

I’m currently on a roll with thrillers and I’m not a horror kind of gal but lately, I’ve been curious. I saw this on NetGalley and well…

Creepy cover? ✔️
Haunted house? ✔️
Ghosts? ✔️

The story definitely had the creepy vibe I was in the mood for. The beginning pulls you in but I felt like somewhere in the middle, it got a little drawn out. This is a great example of having too many POVs isn’t always a good thing and it took away from the story. A lot happens in the end and honestly, I was confused. I got the general idea but I feel like I missed something. I even went back a few times and am still left with questions.

Overall, I enjoyed it. It definitely scratched that horror itch.

This is definitely a 2023 must read for horror fans! I had no idea that a spite house was a thing, and I think i'm going to look at the world a bit differently having learned it. I really enjoyed this Black southern gothic story and I can't stress how well the audio was done. Thank you so much MacMillanA Audio for the ALC of this one.

Have you ever heard of a spite house before? I had no idea it was a real term for a house built to get revenge. In this case the Masson House was built on a small ledge of land to get revenge for the owner's family estate being sold without his approval. That’s just one of the small details that go into this intricate haunted house meets Southern Gothic tale.

The Spite House is told through alternating narratives from a wide cast of characters that range from Eric’s family, the home’s current owner, and individuals you’ll want to know from the past. I loved getting so many different perspectives, which I genuinely think brought this story to life. My favorites were those of Eric and his daughters where I was able to observe their close bond while also unpacking why they are on the run. The house itself gives off major Hill House/Hell House vibes and I loved the way it was able to have a direct influence on characters. This story is so rich in detail that at times I found myself a little lost and having to reread sections, but despite that I never stopped being invested.

Compton has a true gift with words and I look forward to reading whatever he comes up with next!

A huge thank you to Tor Nightfire for my gifted copy!