Easily my favorite book of the year. This book manages to thread the horror-humor needle perfectly while still confronting really difficult content. Highly recommend!

This was one of my favorite books that I’ve read in 2023. This book is creepy but with humor and has a message of family uncertainty.

This was a great read to kick off spooky season! While it didn’t end up being a favorite for me, overall it was still entertaining and kept me turning pages. I’m not usually a horror reader so that may have played a part in my experience. The plot did drag for me at times and I didn’t find any characters that were particularly memorable. The ending is definitely worth pushing through for and I enjoyed the ride! I thought Margaret’s relationships with the various ghosts in the house were interesting and I loved reading about their backstories. I will say though, I didn’t realize this was supposed to read as dark humor until after the fact. Clearly I wasn’t the right reader for the book 🙃 I think fans of the horror genre will enjoy this book much more than I did!

It honestly took me awhile to decide how to rate this book because the twists kind of took me out. And I ended up deciding that I really liked it.

The September House seemed pretty straightforward from it's description. At least at first. We're told that Margaret and Hal have moved into a house that turns out to be haunted, but it's only really bad in the month of September. Margaret can handle it. She's always wanted a house and this house is hers, even if the walls drip blood and troublemakers are around. She's learned to live with it.

But then it turns out that her husband is missing and her daughter wants to visit.

At first I wasn't sure if this was your typical haunted house book. It definitely leant itself to being more of a psychological examination, unreliable narrator type of deal. I thought the author did a very good job of making you question Margaret's mental health. One of the twists, not really revealed until the ultimate climax of the book, was somewhat predicitable.

Then the book switched gears again and through me for a loop. Which I actually very much enjoyed.

However, it got a little gruesome there in the final scenes.

It is easy to see why this book is getting all the hype that it is, and the hype is well deserved. This book is one that kept me guessing and it had some genuinely creepy parts! The book also had a lot of heart- lots of laughs too. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would absolutely recommend it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The September House stands out as one of the best horror novels I've delved into this year—and considering the extensive list, that's saying something. This chilling tale takes the genre to new heights with its super creepy and twisted narrative. It's a story that's best experienced firsthand, as revealing too much would undoubtedly spoil the suspense. Suffice it to say, if you relish creepy tales with a well-executed splash of gore, this book is a must-read. The unsettling atmosphere and unexpected twists make it a truly gripping and memorable horror experience that promises to leave readers both disturbed and thoroughly satisfied.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. Even with my migraines, I managed to read about 30% of my advanced ebook from Netgalley before the audiobook was released. The fact that even 10 minutes of continuous screen time is nearly impossible and I still managed to read 30% of the book just showed how invested I was. I'm so glad it didn't end up being a mental illness situation like 95% of recent haunting type books seem to become.

As a side note: this truly was one of the best haunted house books I have ever read and I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Wow, this was one of the best horror books I've ever read. Margaret is determined to stay in her dream home, even when mysterious things keep happening around her and the ghosts in her house don't plan on leaving either. When her husband goes missing and her daughter comes home to help find him. Margaret struggles to hide her daughter from the resident ghosts and from making everyone think she has something to do with her husband's disappearance. I'm really glad this book didn't end the way it seemed to be headed. Clarissa Orlando takes you in one direction and then does a complete 180 and it was fantastic. This does get a bit graphic with descriptions, so keep that in mind if it's not your thing.

Just when you think you might have seen it all in haunted house novels, The September House delivers a uniquely eerie and dark experience, and I loved everything about this one.

The narrative unfolds through the perspective of Margaret, who is determined to stay in her dream house even after seeing the wall drip blood in Sept and is haunted by ghosts who have a history there. All of them are terrified of what is lurking in the basement. Now, you would think that Margaret would run for the hill instead of staying. This is what sets aside this story.

I initially struggled with why Margaret wouldn't sprint away at the first hint of the supernatural. Carissa Orlando brilliantly blurs the line between psychological terror and the paranormal while paralleling Margaret's refusal to leave an abusive marriage. Margaret follows the house's rules, which becomes a clever vehicle for paralleling domestic abuse, a theme not immediately evident. Her seeming passivity of the supernatural mirrors the real-world reluctance of individuals to escape abusive relationships and are willing to live by the rules of their abusers.

There is an unsettling feel to the story involving children used as a horror element that pushes the boundaries of what a haunted house story can be and overturns the typical haunted house trope. It is one layer to a much deeper level underneath while exploring themes of fear and different responses to it.

The September House skillfully checks all the boxes, adeptly utilizing the essential elements required to craft an enthralling horror page-turner while expertly turning familiar tropes on their heads.

A Traveling Witches read with my favorite witches!!

I loved this book! It was super creepy, twisty, and original. I loved how Orlando had so much of Margaret's internal dialogue. If keep me guessing at what was actually happening. I thought I had it figured out only for something to change and throw a wrench into what I thought I knew! Excellent story!

This is one of those books I hate to say too much about, as the reader really needs to experience it for themself. This book has a lot going on. A haunted house that is tearing a family apart and a woman that refuses to give in makes for an interesting premise. There has been a great trend in horror and thriller books lately of having middle aged women as the protagonist and I love it. This once overlooked and under utilized demographic brings experience, wisdom and a whole lot of I’ve had it and am am not going to put up with any more crap attitude that works really well in the genres.

Filled with gore and some genuinely eerie moments, it is also full of a dark humor that I greatly enjoyed. There are clues scattered throughout as to what is causing the hauntings and the big reveal and twist was one I didn’t see coming. A fun read that is perfect for spooky season. Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for an arc of this book.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy of The September House for review. 🖤

The September House is phenomenal! It’s is a frighteningly, fascinating novel about a woman who loves being a homeowner a lot! She loves her Victorian house so much; she is willing to live somewhat peacefully with its ghostly inhabitants. Truly, the amount of patience she has with the ghosts is shocking. In addition, the home bleeds every September like clockwork. Margaret accepts this as a part of everyday life. 🤯

However, Margaret’s husband, Hal, is not as patient with the inhabitants at his Victorian home, and he is currently unaccounted for. But, what makes the situation unsettling is that Margaret lacks concern for her missing husband. 😱

With no word from her father Hal, Katherine is worried. So, she makes the decision to visit her mother and search for him. She never visited her family in their Victorian home before; so, Katherine is unaware of the unusual disturbances. Margaret must keep her daughter from discovering the truth about her beloved home, because Katherine is visiting in September. 🩸

Hands down, my favorite character is the housekeeper, Fredrica. She is pleasant, helpful, and a ghost. 👻

This sounded like a really cool read but either I am just not enjoying horror much these days or this just wasn't what I hoped for.

I thought it was interesting that a woman wouldn't want to leave a place that one month of the year is very spooky, but then I also wondered why that same woman wouldn't want to find her husband. i

Then I guessed both of the twist, the first one I guessed about 25% into the book and the the other one about 70% into the book so when they are revealed I wasn't really surprised so that was a bummer.

For most of the book I was kind of board. I am at least happy that it didn't end how I thought it was going to with how things were going toward the end. The last 15% of this book was probably my favorite but even then I thought the end took forever to actually end.

2.5 stars but I will round up to 3 because of that last part at the end that I thought was cool.

Initial Thoughts
This was great! Margaret and Hal have bought their dream home but there is one little problem...the house is haunted. This story is told from Margaret's perspective and I loved her attitude. She doesn't run screaming when the walls are bleeding, instead she just starts working to get things cleaned up. I loved how unique this story was! There were a few surprises worked into the story and I loved that the story was able to keep me guessing until the very end. I don't think that I would have handled things nearly as well as Margaret did! I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did an amazing job of bringing this story to life.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Full review to be posted soon.

A great ghost mystery by Carissa Orlando. This book grabs your attention and keeps it the whole way through as you try to figure out what is going on. There were some twists and turns, some I figured out and some that surprised me. A good, fast read. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

This was chaotic and wildly entertaining. I do love me an exorcism and a haunted house. The writing was great and gave enough details where I was able to picture everything going on. I could totally see this as a movie!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC!

I'm not sure a horror book is supposed to be endearing and yet this one is. It starts where a reader least expects. The haunts and troubles are accepted and just a necessary evil for the main character. But, in the 4th September her husband decides that they can no longer stay there. He disappears. Their daughter comes to the house for the first time. And, the reader is left wondering how much the narrator can be trusted as she makes you smile and laugh. Perhaps not the typical haunted house, September House is still a must read.

When Margaret & Hal move into their beautiful Victorian home, their lives seem absolutely picturesque. But appearances can be deceiving...As every September brings unwanted visitors Margaret and Hal began to develop different feels about their dream house.

This was very reminiscent of the Murder House season of American Horror Story. There are ghosts galore from the first page. However, the pacing seemed to drop around the 30% mark and there was no real character development to be found. <spoiler>Hal's demise was evident relatively quickly and the only real question became "did the house do it or did Margaret?"</spoiler> This was a fun, chilling horror read but not one of the most engrossing ones I've tried.

The walls are bleeding again... that means September has arrived. Three years ago, Margaret and her husband Hal purchased a gorgeous Victorian home. The couple couldn't believe their luck—the home was impossibly cheap! After briefly touring the property, and only slightly ignoring the realtor's warnings, Margaret and Hal jumped in with an offer. The first few months were bliss for the pair, until September rolled around.
Each year, it starts small—moaning here or there, small blood drips from the wall, "pranksters" silently running about; however, as the month progresses, so do the horrors. Moans to screams, drips turn to pools, and harmless pranksters turn menacing. After the third September, Hal loses his will to stay. Failing to convince Margaret to join him, Hal runs off into the night.
Everything is perfectly fine until Margaret's daughter, Katherine, realizes no one has heard from Hal for quite some time. Against Margaret's best wishes, Katherine decides the only solution is to come to the house and help in-person.... during September. As Katherine's headstrong personality pushes the investigation forward, Margaret's worries come to light. Nothing is what it seems.
Oh man, where to begin? The September House was exquisite! There were even some parts where I truly felt scared for the characters, and other parts where I felt as though I was losing my mind. The choice to make Margaret both apathetic and unreliable was a unique one, making The September House like no other book I've read! I felt myself questioning the validity of everything Margaret was experiencing. Not to mention, Katherine wasn't the most likable character, so it was hard to trust her vision, as well.
Orlando also incorporates the past into the story very well. The chapters alternate between the present and the past Septembers, as well as Margaret and Hal's love story. The reader is only given a little detail at a time, so the feelings towards the characters are constantly changing. The house is so much more than haunted, and the paranormal is so much more intense than ghosts.
I also loved Orlando's ability to describe settings and appearances! Whenever I was interrupted while reading, it truly was like being ripped out of a world. I could picture every scene so vividly and all the characters were so fresh in my mind. Honestly, that's what made the novel the most horrifying—I truly could hear, see, and smell the evil Orlando was describing. This is a story that will haunt me for a while!

Ahh haunted houses, my favorite because there are SO MANY possibilities. Now, if my house was completely normal for 11 months out of the year, I think I’d be in the same boat as Margaret. I’m not going to be scared away so easily – have you seen all my books?

In all seriousness, though, bleeding walls and scary stuff in September wouldn’t be so welcoming. It would explain the killer deal, though, on the house. There are so many twists and turns throughout the book and a lot that I was not expecting. Which I love in my horror. You’ll find some gore in this story, but nothing too much to handle (at least for this extreme horror fan).