Haunted house stories are not normally my preferred subgenre so it takes a special one to become a new favourite. I really loved the family centric setup to this one, with the compelling question of why they left in the first place.

Southern Gothic is also not normally my thing but I found this one to be wonderfully modern with universal themes that didn't require a geographical connection. I really appreciated the ownvoices black representation that wove some gentle social commentary into the narrative. The ending was fine but admittedly not to my personal tastes.

I would recommend this one to readers who love slower burning horror with well developed complex characters.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

"The Spite House" was not for me in this moment. After 50% I opted not to finish the book. I had trouble following the story. The audiobook sound levels kept going up and down, so I had trouble hearing parts. I didn't enjoy the narrator. I would try to read this book again in print because the concept is interesting.

A family on the run needing a place to stay, a rich old woman looking for proof of paranormal activity. The two parties are drawn together and Eric and his family end up staying at The Spite House and keeping records of what is happening. It doesn’t take long to know that there is more going on here than just a search for ghosts.
This is a complex book and you need to give it your attention but that shouldn’t be a problem. Adam Lazarre-White is quickly becoming a favorite narrator.
Secrets are around every corner with a generational family curse, a family on the run, and a history that won’t stay dead.

I found very little interest in this book. The synopsis drew me in and I had high hopes, but I did not find it scary, which as a horror book is something that I feel should be there. There were a lot of components that went into this story and multiple POV showing back stories. But from all of that, I felt a little lost with too many stories combining. I listened to this as an audio and while Adam Lazarre-White gave a good performance, the different POV would have been easier to follow with multiple narrators, in my opinion. My rating: 2.5 stars out of 5, rounding up to 3 on goodreads.

Thank you to NetGally, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Johnny Compton for providing me with these gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly, thank you to netgalley for a copy of this to read and review.
When I started this book I had no idea what a spite house was and did spend a bit on google looking up real spite houses. I've read about haunted houses before but nothing like this book, there were so many unique ideas but I felt like I still had questions at the end. We start off with a family on the run and we don't find out why until about 50% through the book, and the activity in the house starts the very first day they enter it. I really enjoyed the creepiness of this book but also all representation of the black community by a black author.
Again this book was unique in its hauntings, taking a piece of you that it traps away in the house, while your physical body still continues on outside the house. No one knows but you and your "dreams".

I feel really fortunate to read this before the release date, and can't wait to see what else this author writes in the future.

Much thanks to Johnny Compton, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not entirely sure I understood this tale, but I think I did, at least most of it, and I feel rather unsatisfied. Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time pinpointing why. Maybe because I still don't get how Peter and Stacy are what they are? Maybe the niece and nephew being the "big bads" was underwhelming? Maybe I'm just used to happier endings?

Other than that je ne sais quoi, it was an okay book. The narrator, Adam Lazarre-White, was excellent. The writing was a little heavy on the exposition at times---show, don't tell---particularly when delivering backstory, and those areas could get tedious. The story also took its time getting started at the beginning, between the diner and the one lady's monologue about her aunt. (I also got the adult female characters confused.) Lastly, I'm not a fan of head-hopping, aka changing POV frequently. In my opinion, if you need that many POVs to tell the story, you might not be telling it very well.

So the execution could have been better, but overall if you're in the mood for a tense ghost story, this will suffice.

After seeing this book all over Bookstagram, I really wanted to read it. Sorry to say, I wish I hadn't.

While the writing wasn't bad, especially for a debut, I found the book too slow to keep my interest. The characters held no value to me and I found myself not really caring what happened anymore.

As for the book being horror, where? Sure, there's a haunted aspect but none of it was scary. It was more of a slow mystery for me.

Eric Ross and his two daughters are on the run and looking for a way out of Maryland. They need to set themselves up somewhere safe and far away. When Eric sees an ad for someone willing to stay and care for the Masson House in the Lone Star State, it sounds like the perfect solution to their problems. Together, all three pack up and head to Texas. Eric speaks to the house's owner Eunice and discovers the house is supposed to be haunted. Eric has reservations but the payment for this job is something he just can't turn down. Will Eric and his daughters be safe in the house? Will they all get out alive? You'll have to read this to find out!

Having recently viewed episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm involving a "Spite Store," I already had a pretty good understanding of something built out of spite. The house in this novel was built oddly shaped and blocks the view of houses nearby. On purpose. Out of spite. Nothing good can come out of that, right?

I loved the character of Eric, a man pushed to his limits and a man who would do anything to protect and care for his daughters. But Eric is also a man full of secrets. Between him and Eunice, the amount of secrets in this story seemed boundless.

The pacing of this tale was pretty fast and the first half or so of the story really had me enthralled. The second half, (or maybe the last third), became a bit too busy for me. As secrets were steadily revealed, I felt like some of the focus and tension was lost. Instead of honing in on the characters we'd already been accustomed to, it introduced new ones in the form of the house's previous owners. I get that this was integral to the story, and I did enjoy the direction this tale took, I just feel it got a bit muddled towards the denouement.

Once again, I fell behind in my reading, so when I saw this was also available as an audio ARC, and that the incredible Adam Lazarre-White was narrating, I requested it and here we are. As usual, the narrator knocked it out of the park. Seriously, I would listen to this man narrate his grocery list. Much like Morgan Freeman, Mr. White's voice is easily recognizable and just captivating.

Overall, I enjoyed this outstanding tale of love, hate, and of course, spite. I am looking forward to reading more from Johnny Compton in the future!

*Thank you to Tor Nightfire, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the paperback ARC and audio, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

If you want a creepy ghost story, look no further. This is a multiple POV storyline that slips in important details like it’s the color of the sky. I was just bee-booping along and then had to go back and reread the last couple of sentences multiple times because I couldn’t believe the little nugget of gold that was just dropped out of nowhere. I can definitely say that I didn’t see some of the twists coming!

Have you ever felt rage and resentment and spite overwhelm you? Imagine building a whole house to literally spite others and pour all of those feelings into it. Is it any wonder that dark energy seems to pour out of it? But the owner wants someone to take careful notes about what actually happens there, before she brings her friend (a notorious ghost debunker) over to check it out. And Eric and his girls are living life on the down low and could really use the massive amount of cash she is offering to do this. Will the darkness overwhelm them?

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy of THE SPITE HOUSE by Johnny Compton!

THE SPITE HOUSE follows Eric Ross and his daughters, on the run for unknown reasons. They are living day to day trying to make ends meet and stay off the radar. When he comes across a listing for an unusual but lucrative job, he can’t turn it down. The Masson House in Texas is an odd looking structure and the family that owns it wants someone to come in and document the supposed haunting on the site. For dealing with the paranormal activity, he will be handsomely rewarded and given enough to set himself and his daughters up in safety.

This is a debut horror novel and I didn’t know a lot about it going in, but it instantly hooked me and had me with so many questions as to what is going on. This is the type of story where the author (and the characters) clearly have a lot of secrets living under the surface that will slowly be revealed as the story goes. This is a book you really want to go into without a lot of foreknowledge.

We are getting a lot of character back stories in the setup to what is really going on with Eric and with the house. I did feel like the pacing at times did get a little too slow for me. This book switches back and forth between a lot of different POVs and storylines in the past and that at times was a bit much to keep track of. This is billed as southern gothic and I definitely think it has that feel with the slow build to the creepy developments in the story. It isn’t something that will take off with high action, especially in the beginning, so you do need to give it time to build.

In the end, this story really did keep me hooked and wanting to know what was going on. If you are a reader who wants every question to be answered in the end, this might not be the best fit. For myself, I am okay with open endings and I think I mostly got enough answers. There were a few things that I do sort of wish we got a bit more of an answer to.

This was a fantastic debut and I will definitely look for more from this author in the future!

I had no idea what a spite house was until I read this book. The southern gothic horror was fantastic, however I was left feeling like some things weren't fully explained while others areas were indulged perfectly. I loved the ancesterial hauntings throughout the entire book and how the backstory's all kind of 'came together'! Overall, it was a great eerie audiobook that I would recommend to those who enjoy gothic horror.

Wow, I am surprised at how much I loved The Spite House by Johnny Compton. I was drawn in by the unique cover and stayed for the gothic haunted house and deep, compelling characters. This is a story of paranormal hauntings, the love of family, and bone chilling secrets. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter and binged the audiobook in one day. Eric and his daughters Dess and Stacy are running from their mysterious and dangerous past. After taking a job staying in the spite house hauntings begin and secrets unravel. To say much more would spoil the plot but I definitely recommend this to paranormal thriller and horror fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this free alc in exchange for an honest review.

A southern gothic ghost story that chills right up to the end, a family curse, a mysterious back story - this book had all the ingredients and did not disappoint. I loved it!

THE SPITE HOUSE
Johnny Compton

The night after I finished THE SPITE HOUSE I had a nightmare I never want to have again. It involved anger and whispered regrets as big as a house on a hill built out of SPITE.

THE SPITE HOUSE is about a desperate man on the run with his two daughters. We don't know what he's running run from or the lengths he’ll run to but we know he’ll run forever.

He can't get regular employment but finds an amazing opportunity almost too good to be true. All he and his daughters have to do is sleep at THE SPITE HOUSE, observe, and report on what they've seen go on, paranormal or not.

It could buy them the freedom they seek but it may cost them their lives.

Oh yes!

I enjoyed this one. Compton's voice felt unique from the beginning. Although a debut, the writing felt assured. The characters were well-crafted and the story of THE SPITE HOUSE seemed built for gothic fiction.

My one critique is that overall it's a little slow. But given the character of the material, I feel it is within its nature to unfold the way it did.

I'd recommend THE SPITE HOUSE to readers who love different aspects of horror fiction. I feel like this book will appeal to a wide variety of readers and will curb their craving for a great haunted house story with a phenomenal ending.

I gave THE SPITE HOUSE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and really enjoyed it.

It comes out on February 7, 2023

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

Supernatural storyline that covers many generations all coming down from one terrible moment in history. Eunice's family is plagued by a curse that she is willing to do anything to break before her death, including lie and put others in harms way. The story is interesting as it brings in the history but becomes a little muddles toward the end.

A strong debut from a new voice in southern gothic horror! The Spite House is a haunted house story, but it's also a novel about grief, anger, retribution, and fear of death.

Eric Ross and his two daughters are on the run, carrying a secret. But money is running out so he agrees to take a job staying in a haunted house to gather proof of the supernatural for the old woman who owns it. But this house will be more than they bargained for and will bring their own secrets to the surface, along with history long left buried.

I really liked this as a narrative-driven southern gothic with layers of thematic commentary that aren't the primary focus. There are some tense, creepy scenes and the house gives off an air of menace from the beginning. I do think this would have been a stronger book with more sustained tension if we got fewer perspectives. The heart of the story is Eric and his kids, and I would have liked to see the narrative remain more tightly focused on them. The other perspectives are interesting at times, but there were too many of them and the amount of page space they took up detracted from the tension and sense of dread that could have been kept at a heightened level.

That said, I think this is an exciting debut novel and I look forward to seeing more from Compton in the future. The audio narration is excellent. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Genre: Horror

Synopsis: A father leaves his home and his wife in Maryland to move to Texas with his 2 daughters. Eric found a well-paying job to live in the Spite House. The homeowner warned him of the haunted house and that all the previous people hired had been too spooked to stay. His objective was to stay at the house and report all paranormal activity back to her.

The narrator (Adam Lazarre-White) made my listening experience pleasant. His deep and definitely matched the vibe of this book. 2 thumbs up.

The cover in itself got me- it gave me the creepy Haunted on Hill House vibes. The book was very easy to listen to. The first 25% of the novel was plot and setting so hang in there. When the family finally gets to the house is where the action begins. Chapters are a mixture of long and short chapters. The story is told by multiple characters of the novel (similar to the Paris Apartment). A few of the scenes creeped me out but I did really enjoy it.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC copy of this novel.

The Spite House may be horror, but it’s a very quiet book.

I had never heard of spite houses before. If you haven’t, either, know it’s exactly what it sounds like: A house built or altered out of spite. It’s meant to send a message; to irritate those around it.

As if that weren’t bad enough, the spite house in this book is haunted. A man on the run with his two daughters, desperate for enough money to start over, takes on a job as caretaker of the house with the promise that he will gather evidence of paranormal activity for his wealthy employer.

Although I’ve only read one book by Victor Lavalle (The Changeling), the structure of the slow build and the overall tone of The Spite House reminded me a bit of his writing. Since I loved Lavalle’s book, I was immediately attracted to those aspects in this debut novel.

I felt the haunting and backstories were pretty unique and there were some shocking revelations along the way. Although I did enjoy the story, it seemed like something was missing in the end. I felt like there had been a prolonged focus on a component that demanded explanation throughout the book and I was disappointed that I wasn’t given better insight as things concluded. I also felt another aspect was rushed after such a carefully crafted buildup.

None of that was enough to make me think poorly of the novel, of course. It had a very appealing southern gothic flair and stood out enough with its creativity to be a hit for me.

I am immensely grateful to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Okay, okay! I see you Mr. Compton. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was amazing! This was one wild ride through the Masson house. It follows Eric and his two girls as they run from one danger straight into the arms (or rather doors) of another. This was a truly atmospheric gothic haunted house novel. The history of the house and its people unravels slowly, from multiple POV’s, revealing one intricate layer at a time. With several twists and turns, I could never have guessed where this story was going. Brilliant first horror novel by Mr. Compton. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

There are so many delicious things in the plot synopsis for The Spite House, that I found it completely impossible to resist. A man fleeing his life under mysterious circumstances with his two daughters in tow - check! A job offer to stay in an old house with “pronounced paranormal activity” - big check! An intriguing entrepreneur with a spooky past? Shut up and take my money!

Due to Eric Ross’s initially undisclosed predicament, he can only take “under the radar” jobs, and is struggling to support his two daughters. The youngest of which, Stacy, has to remain hidden. Ross applies for a high-paying, potentially life-changing position to stay in a haunted house, owned by aging entrepreneur, Eunice Masson. However, Masson isn’t entirely honest about the house is, putting Erick and his family in more danger than they ever expected.

The Spite House is incredibly gripping. I immediately sympathized with struggling father Eric, and the mystery of his sudden flight kept my attention. His unconventional family situation provides a pivotal plot-point, and merges beautifully with the haunted house narrative. Eunice Masson is also an incredibly interesting character. Johnny Compton has created a truly immersive, terrifying world.

I would recommend everyone choose the audiobook option for this book, as Adam Lazarre-White’s narration is incredible. His performance of each character is masterful. A truly addictive listen.

This is not a novel of jump scares from the outset; this is a mysterious, uncanny slow novel, with an incredibly rewarding payoff. Rich characters, a compelling plot, expertly written. An incredible debut from Compton, and another fantastic release from Tor Nightfire.