I loved this book so much! Major body horror - so it's not for the squeamish. The way that the main character has adjusted to living in a full on haunted house had me giggling a bit. The plot moved along at a nice pace, the writing was fantastic and you couldn't help but love most of the characters.

This book was damn near perfect! The dark humor was spot on, there was a perfect amount of gore for me, the twists kept me so intrigued I couldn't stop turning the pages, and the themes took me to a darker place than I expected. For this to be a debut, I was blown away by the writing. Clarissa Orlando is definitely an author that is going on my watch list - I can not wait to see what she comes out with next!

September House by Carissa Orlando is a spooktacular haunted house horror novel that is sure to keep one on the edge of their seat. This is gory, frightful & utterly delightful ride for any horror fan. The sense of foreboding is ever present, which makes this a great choice for spooky season.

There’s bleeding walls & screeching calls, The September House will haunt your falls.

This is perfect for fans that love…
👻 Horror
👻 Haunted Houses
👻 Paranormal
👻 Ghosts, Some Gore & A Bit of Dark Lore

I love a book that keeps me guessing, even to the point of questioning myself & this book achieves this undoubtably. This is a story that played like a movie in my head & I could totally see this becoming one. This is a story that takes the reader on an unforgettable trip with the main character in their yearly clockwork bleeding house.

The September House is the type of horror novel that sucks you into the story & has you finishing it in a day, which is what i did! I think the less that is known, the more interesting of a horror novel for the reader, so I am keeping this vague & recommending adding this on to your fall TBR ASAP!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishingz for the gifted arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.


Content Warnings: This book mentions &/or contains gore, abuse, death & addiction.

One of the few horror books that I've read in a while that actually got to me, and it wasn't even fully the horror aspects, but the horror of how the main character was emotionally and psychologically abused by her husband to the point that living in a haunted house didn't make her feel any fear in comparison.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for a copy of this book to review.
The September House is horror with a little humor. I will recommend this title to fans of Grady Hendrix as the style feels similar. The great horror books feel real and Margaret felt very real. No cheap scares and a good blend of real and supernatural terror. Loved it. Will be buying an additional copy for the at home library.

Yes, this book was borderline silly and yes it didn't bring anything new to the genre but I did thoroughly enjoy it! I've been begging for an actual haunted house story for awhile and this author did deliver that. This has actual ghosts and paranormal activity and yes also a demon. iykyk.

The characters. Our MC was trash, i did not vibe with her nor did I like her much. But, I detested her daughter even more. A grown ass woman throwing an actual temper tantrum?!? That was way too much for me.
I loved the ghosts. They all had their own stories and personalities and that made them so much more developed and liked than the actual humans. Little evil vamp boy has my heart. And I really want more stories about just them because...love.

The plot was ok, I feel like any reader will understand very quickly what is going on with the basement and the missing husband. Margaret definitely knows where he is which is why she does what she does.

The authors writing was great, and I am definitely on board to read more of their work in the future!

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy of this hugely atmospheric and ghosty book.

A woman is determined to stay in her home after it becomes haunted. The house has lots of layers of ghost that appear really badly in September. The house has lots of secrets and you will enjoy this read as you discover each secret.

First Thoughts: Creepy Creepy Creepy!
Mood While Reading: Busy as heck!
Song: Freaking Me Out by Ava Max

Thank you to {partners] Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for granting me access to this title for review!

This book had me creeped out enough that I kept lights on the night I finished it. In all fairness, I spook easily! My imagination often gets the best of me!

Margaret is determined to stay in her dream home that she has made perfection with her husband, Hal. One big caveat, the house has its own agenda. The walls bleed, ghosts of vicious murders haunt the house, birds run into the windows, but Margaret remains undeterred to stay. The walls bleed? She will wash them. The ghosts haunt the house? She will befriend them. The birds hit the windows? She'll take down the bird feeders. it's their fourth September in the house and Margaret feels equipped for this year's month of amplified weirdness. Hal, not so much.
He wants out.

When Margaret's daughter's incessant calls keep coming, Margaret knows she has to face her. Her daughter is worried, because she hasn't heard from Hal. Margaret is forced to tell her he left and she hasn't heard from him since. Appalled, Katherine insists on coming to stay with Margaret until they figure out where Hal. is.

This book has some real nuanced themes that emerge over time. Domestic violence and alcoholism are explored in detail as the book progresses. If concerned, I recommend reading the trigger warnings.

I absolutely loved the inclusion of the different ghosts and how they work with or against sweet Margaret. I truly loved her character. I found her endearing, a bit naive at times, often out of touch, and always surprising. Her layers made her a multifaceted character who I wanted to see happy in the end. The relationships are all complex mired by their difficult histories.

If you're looking for a creepy read to add before October ends, give this one a try!

Thank you to Berkeley & Netgalley for the advanced reading copy!

This was such a fun read. Spooky yet funny thanks to Margaret (our main character), who is now living in a haunted house with children pointing to the basement door saying “he’s down there”. The September House is the perfect October read! An entertaining mix of creepy and haunting yet hilarious.

Snuck this one in just in time on September 30th!

I made the mistake of reading the Grady Hendrix blurb before starting this and the “darkly funny” comment had me hooked. And things were a little morbidly funny …. at first. I was also completely vibulating with the house. Plenty of bleeding walls and creepy dead kids and barfing up flies.

And I’m all for authors writing what they want to write, but I’m also for readers being allowed whatever reaction they have as well. When I signed up for a haunted house story I was thrown a bit for a loop that it had a subplot regarding domestic violence. I’m not a reader who needs content or trigger warnings, but I am one who doesn’t appreciate a bait and switch - especially when the switch is such heavy subject matter when I’m just trying to get my Amityville on.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

This book was spooky and atmospheric! I love stories where an object acts as one of the main characters, and the house in this story stole the show!

The cast of characters, both dead and alive, were enjoyable and creepy. The author did not shy away from the grotesque with her vivid and sometimes nausea inducing descriptions!

This is the perfect book to read during spooky season and beyond! I am very interested to see what the author comes up with next!

Another great book to add to your #spookyseason TBR! This debut gives all the haunted house vibes I want while also making me laugh at times.
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Every September Margaret’s house comes alive. The ghosts hang out more, the shrieking starts and the walls bleed. She’s not overly concerned. It’s just one month and if she follows the rules the ghosts stay out of her way….for the most part. Plus, her house is so gorgeous. Have you seen the wood floors. They are the original wood! But when her adult daughter won’t stop calling looking for her father, who disappeared there’s no way she can avoid a visit from her daughter, in September. This book took a turn which surprised me! The audio was so well done really capturing how not concerned Margaret was about the ghosts and the rising panic of her daughter as they searched for her father.

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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads @prhaudio and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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One of the best books I have read this year. Definitely a must read for mystery and horror readers. I had no clue where this was going until the reveal. Some of the characters I absolutely hated but completely felt Margaret's struggles and
her strength as a mother and a protector.

This is such an intriguing genre defying novel and not at all what I thought it was going to be. It has elements of horror, thrillers, dark comedy, and general fiction with a side of empathy for the less fortunate characters and their circumstances. The ending was possibly a little over the top, but it worked and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. I listened to the thoroughly enjoyable audiobook, narrated expertly by Kimberly Farr, and I highly recommend it.

"The September House" by Carissa Orlando is a haunting and atmospheric debut novel that delves into the complexities of a haunted house, a strained marriage, and the secrets that bind them together. With its eerie atmosphere, multifaceted characters, and a narrative that keeps readers on edge, this book offers a unique take on the haunted house genre.

The story centers around Margaret and her husband Hal, who purchase a large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street at an unusually affordable price. Little do they know, their dream home comes with a chilling history of hauntings. The hauntings, which intensify every September, create an unsettling atmosphere within the house. Despite the paranormal activity, Margaret is determined to stay and claim the house as her own.

Carissa Orlando's writing skillfully builds an eerie and unsettling atmosphere, with the house itself becoming a character in its own right. The descriptions of the hauntings and the house's ominous presence are vivid, setting the stage for a suspenseful and chilling narrative.

The characters, particularly Margaret, are well-developed and layered. Margaret's determination to stay in the house despite the terrifying occurrences showcases her resilience and complexity. Her relationship with Hal is central to the story, and their strained marriage adds depth to the narrative.

As the story unfolds, the tension builds, and readers are drawn into the mystery surrounding the house and its dark secrets. The novel cleverly explores themes of family, love, and the lengths one is willing to go to in order to protect those they care about.

While "The September House" offers a fresh take on the haunted house genre, there are moments when the pacing feels slightly uneven. Some readers may also find the conclusion to be open-ended and ambiguous, leaving questions unanswered.

In conclusion, "The September House" is a compelling debut novel that blends elements of horror, family drama, and suspense. Carissa Orlando's evocative writing and skillful character development make this a haunting and thought-provoking read. If you enjoy stories that explore the psychological and emotional impact of a haunted house, as well as the bonds of marriage and family, "The September House" is worth delving into.

The September House by Carissa Orlando is a clever, spooky, darkly satisfying romp through a nightmarish haunted house. From the first sentence, Margaret draws us into her surreal home life. With an Adams-Family-esque deadpan delivery, she brings the reader along as she prepares to deal with the onslaught of September—the most gruesome month in her particularly gruesome haunted house. Still, she tells herself, all she has to do is manage the house and its occupants while her daughter visits: keep everyone and everything spinning as they should. Follow the rules. The house has a lot of rules, and so did Hal, her husband. In fact, she says, “I can’t tell you how I knew it, but I had a feeling that the house and Hal had the same sorts of feelings about my leaving.”

Things get even more complicated when Hal goes missing, and then when Margaret’s daughter, Katherine arrives for a visit—in September, of all months. Still, Margaret tells herself, she just has to follow the rules. Margaret has come to understand that, more than anything else: “There are rules to these things. Everything is survivable.”

This book has layers that reveal themselves to the reader like images taking shape on a hot mug. Yes, this is a haunted-house story; and it is also a story about women, and marriages, and children, and unexpected allies, and the strength that women and mothers have when all strength seems to be gone.

Read this book, and you’ll still be thinking about it long afterward.

Two facts you must know about THE SEPTEMBER HOUSE before you open the first page:

1) It will repeatedly frighten the living daylights out of you!
2) Triggers triggers triggers. I went in not knowing. I still found the book superb, but I wished I had had a forewarning. It gets pretty extreme [forget pretty, it is over-the-top]. Not just that: it's the nature of the "extreme." So for fair play, cautionary notes will follow.

A Haunted House: many of us have read (and/or watched) this trope ad infinitum. But author Carissa Orlando erases the maxim "There's nothing new under the sun." Well, here is something new. The house, its "inhabitants," the living couple who after a lifetime discover "our home," the author's treatment of mental health issues and viewpoints around that [see the author's bio], are absolutely stunning. As much as I enjoyed the entirety, the denouement (which is rather extensive and multi-sectioned) blew me away!

Read this novel! But read with a strong heart and stomach!!

Cautions:
1) profanity and obscenity
2) fatalities
3) domestic violence and abuse
4) Narcissism
5) gasligting
6) Mental Disorder
7) Alcoholism
8) Fire
9) Bones
10) Birds, Flies, Ants
11) Dismemberment etc.
12) Murders
13) Torture
14) Superstition
15) Family Dysfunction
16) Grief, Sorrow, Depression
17) Injuries/Death Children
18) Supernatural
19) Blood

Oh, my, goodness. This book is going to reside in my top ten for the year!

Margaret has found her dream home, and when things go crazy during September, well, she has found a way to deal with them. There are rules after all. Hal, her husband, is not quite as thrilled with the September events, but throughout the first three years, they learn ways to manage - until Hal has had enough. He is determined to leave, and wants Margaret to leave with him, but she refuses. There is something about the house, something that draws her back, unwilling to let her go too far away.

Master Vale, the Pranksters, Fredericka, everything with the house calls to her, and she is determined to keep her house, no matter what.

This book, sigh, was fantastic. I was not ready for it to be finished. I wanted more. The book just refused to let you walk away (there are rules after all), and this is easily a "once you start, you will not stop" read.

As September comes to a close, I couldn’t think of a better book to review and post about today. This book was SO GOOD!! It was one of the goriest, creepiest, and haunted books I’ve read in a long time and I couldn’t get enough! As I flipped between print and audio, this book had my skin crawling! The writing was so detailed and the use of an unreliable narrator worked really well. The various characters and overall storyline sucks you in as you try to figure out what is happening in the house and what Margaret is willing to do to hide secrets about the house to others. Loved it!

I know I wouldn’t last even a few hours in this house, so read at your own risk! If you are looking for a perfect spooky season read, this might be the book for you! Thank you for the free book @berkleypub #berkley #berkleypartner and to @prhaudio for access to the audiobook version of this novel, I really loved the narration #prhaudio #prhainfluencer

When I first started this book I wasn’t in the right mood, so I put it on hold and came back to it later which was the best thing I did! I really thought I knew where this story was headed and I was so wrong! As for me I did have some issues with the different chapter lengths which was messing up my flow, so I ended up switching to the audiobook and that did the trick! This book also reminded me of the movie The Haunting which is a favorite of mine.