House of Ash and Bone was a creepy read. While I enjoyed setting, I felt like the plot dragged on quite a bit. Overall it was an okay story but it wasn't everything I had hoped.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was a creepy read. I enjoyed the setting and it worked well with enhancing the story. I felt like the plot dragged a bit and was oddly paced. The twists were kind of obvious which also felt like it threw off the pacing more. I did like the characters and it was interesting how the house suited itself to each family member. Overall this was an okay book.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Can we talk about this super creepy cover! I had to read it as soon as I saw it. This book was wild. You are not really sure who to trust. Things are not always what they seem. I loved not knowing the things. I would have a theory one minute then it was disproved the next. That ending sure got me! I did not see it coming. I will definitely be reading more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC via netgalley.

DNFed at 26%

I started this book about a week ago, and I haven’t touched it in two days. The last two times I picked it up I read for maybe 5 mins and then put it down and didn’t think about it again. I haven’t thought about it for days, and I think it just isn’t for me.
The reason I’m DNFing is because the book hasn’t captured my attention enough to make me want to read it. I haven’t given it any thought, I’m not reaching for it, and I actually can’t even remember what was happening. Maybe it’s a case of wrong time, but I don’t think I’ll try again.

Seventeen-year-old Josephine Jagger has always had to find methods to cope with the voices she can hear in her head. She wears headphones to block out the thoughts of her parents and sisters. When her father suddenly inherits a mansion in Vermont, the family goes there for a weeklong vacation after Christmas. The house is filled with everything her family needs and loves. However, Josephine catches sight of a shadow woman with a creepy smile and hollow pits for eyes. No one else can see the woman and her family keeps forgetting the strange things that happen in the house. The woman needs to trap Josephine’s family in the house to feed herself, unless Josephine can defeat her first.

It’s been years since I read a book that was so scary I couldn’t read it before sleeping at night, but this was one of those books. It was creepy and disturbing. Sometimes a good horror book can fizzle out at the end and not have a complete ending. This story had a satisfying ending that also left the possibility for a sequel.

House of Ash and Bone is a creepy YA horror!

Thank you Tundra Books and Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: body horror, death

If something seems too good to be true, it is!

This book had me invested from the first page! Thank you #NetGalley for letting me read an ARC of this! This is the best (non-smutty) book I have read in a LONG time!

House of Ash and Bone is a horror novel written towards a young adult audience. Sixteen year Josephine has the ability to hear thoughts. When her family inherits a house from her great aunt, Josephine is the only one to recognize something is very wrong with the place. The house is haunted by a 300 year old ghost of a witch who has sinister plans to destroy the family and rise again.

For a young adult horror book, it is very well written. Sutherland does an amazing job of creating atmosphere and winding the story. While at times the pacing can be slow, but it all builds to a gripping conclusion. I liked the darker elements, the twists and also the inclusion of the family secrets and the witch trials. Aside from the pacing, I found that the story line occasionally pushed into the middle school age group with the characters acting much younger than their actual age. Overall, I feel it's a pretty solid young adult horror book. The story and setting is just scary and creepy enough to be engaging and unnerving without pushing into the grotesque and violence that you would find in adult horror.

When Josephine’s financially strapped family inherit a house in Vermont, they believe it’s the opportunity for a fresh start. But all isn’t right within the house, and she soon learns they share it with the ghost of a three hundred year old witch. A witch who can return to the land of the living if she consumes Josephine’s family within seven days. If that’s not bad enough, Josephine is the only person who can see the witch. Everyone else believes they’re living in paradise.

The eerie cover and comp titles immediately caught my attention. Although this author has written several adult titles, this is his YA debut.

Pacing moves along pretty quickly as strange happenings occur from the moment the family arrive at the house. Each bedroom seems tailor-made for Josephine and her sisters when they’re filled with items related to their hobbies and likes. The home is beautiful, and even the food tastes better than any they’ve ever eaten. Unknown to her family, Josephine has the ability to hear other people’s thoughts and influence their emotions. When she begins hearing voices in her head from someone (not her family) inside the house, she knows something’s not right.

If not for a little language and gore, I feel like this could be classified as a middle grade book. Josephine is seventeen, but some of her dialogue and actions are closer to a much younger teen. I’d love to know if there’s a reason the characters have the same or similar names to Little Women characters (Josephine, Elizabeth, Louisa, Laurie – even Mary and Allison start with the same initials as Meg and Amy).

The climax near the end is a nail-biter, and some of the imagery will send chills down your spine. As a warning, you may never eat stew again after reading this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was the first book I have read of Joel Sutherland. Very suspenseful, tense, and chilling. There was some twists and turns I predicted and some I didn't. I think this was a great YA horror book. You will get sucked in from the beginning until the end. I also really loved the cover of this book. If you want a good YA horror read then I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

A tense, creepy, and spooky book that kept me on the edge and reading. Well plotted, excellent storytelling and character building.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Fantastic YA horror novel, the perfect book to read to get you in the mood for spooky season. Or to tide you over between November and next October, I don't mind swearing but it felt a little forced at times. Otherwise I have no complaints about the book itself and the only issues are ways in which it was not a great match for me but that aren't negative qualities for this book. 4.5 stars out 5

I liked this book. Very suspenseful, tense, and chilling. There was some twists and turns I predicted and some I didn't. Little on the YA side but still gruesome at times. An interesting storyline and ending.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book! It was absolutely amazing. I was sucked in from the very beginning. This book was completely different from any other book I have ever read. The story was so enticing and kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters had so many layers to them. The mystery and suspense was fantastic. I’m excited to read more by this author! Well done!

I received ARC from Penguin and Netgalley, who I give thanks for giving me a chance to give an honest review for a book that was on my TBR. This is a third person, psychological horror, and this authors first attempt at YA.

The horror was amazing. I am a fan of gore and horror and this even got to me a little bit. TW; blood, bodily harm, and unintentional gaslighting. The horror also reflected and aided the plot. The plot twist was interesting! I was constantly guessing what was real and what wasn't, just like Josephine.

Speaking of the characters, they were written so well. I loved the relationship between Josephine and her family, but specifically with her sisters. All the dialogue was very real, especially the sibling bickering. Within the horror and discomfort, there was actually some well placed humor. I found myself laughing at how Josie and her sisters fight or make fun of each other which broke the tension.

The only criticism I can pick at is that there were times that the plot took turns that seems awkward in the moment but was explained later. Without spoiling, I will say that the example that comes to me in about half way into the book when Josie gets emotionally closer to a non-family member. It is explained in the end but did not quite connect in the moment.

I love a good YA Horror novel when I need a break from adult horror and House of Ash and Bone checked all the boxes. It still had a lot to offer in regards to horror, not holding back, which the genre tends to do for YA sometimes, so I loved that. This is definitely a dark and twisty story.

Spooky, dark, and chilling YA horror story. Josie and her family are invited to come stay at her fathers long lost aunts home after inheriting it. When they arrive at the home everything is perfect, the food is perfect, the rooms are perfect, not a single thing is out of place.... except to Josie. No one in her family seems to even be able to hold on to a memory for longer then 5 minutes and Josie quickly realizes a dark force inside the home is controlling her families minds and has dark ulterior motives.

This was a great horror novel for a younger audience. It does feel a little rushed towards the end, but this is meant for a younger audience and that wont be an issue with them. This story definitely created a spooky mental image as you read and is great for some shivers in the night.

House of Ash and Bone
Author: Joel A. Sutherland
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Publication Date September 5th, 2023.

A family from Amherst, NY inherits an old, creepy house in the middle of Vermont and decides to spend the winter holiday there. Seventeen-year-old Josephine must protect her family from Dorcas, the ghost of a witch who died three hundred years ago. I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this book. The author's vivid description created an eerie and immersive atmosphere that sent shivers down my spine. The plot was a rollercoaster of suspense and unexpected twists. This book could easily be adapted into a horror movie, love The Conjuring" vibes I got from it. The main character Josephine's journey of self-discovery is beautifully portrayed by the author, making her a character you can easily root for. Overall, if you are looking for an introduction to the horror genre or if you are an avid horror reader, you will love reading "The House of Ash and Bone"! I want to thank Net Galley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.