A weirdly humorous horror book. The main character is charming and it was a fun read. The audiobook was well paced and the narrator did a good job of portraying a light North Carolina accent.

Thank you to the publisher for this ALC. This was my first T Kingfisher book and it did not let me down. It was so eerie and creepy.

I got this audio from NetGalley for review. I figured I’d give the author another shot. If you check out my review of The Twisted Ones, you see that I haven’t had the best luck so far.

This story is pretty short. However instead of feeling concise, I thought it was very rushed. While there are some nice tidbits dropped through the story that pay off in the end, the end is super abrupt and has far too much going on.

The author has a very distinct voice. Which is good for an author to have, as it becomes their brand, however it does not agree with me. The witty, banter-y first person shtick comes off as very forced and also dry to me. Personally I just think it isn’t for me. It made the two separate novels bleed through as very similar to me. I did however really like the use of an overweight main character. Their weight is in no way the main focus, so it’s nice to see.

I just personally found this falling very short as an attempt to recreate the gothic haunted house feel. I am thankful for the opportunity to give the author another shot, but it’s not for me. Personally a 2/5*

The audio was not bad, but the one male characters voice was done SO poorly. She just made him sound idiotic

I was talking to a friend about this book and I told her that the best analogy I could think of was the story of the frog slowly boiling in the pot: As I started reading it I was aware that things were creepy, that things were going wrong, and the incidents escalated so subtly that I didn't realize how deep I was into the horror aspect of it until I was all in.

This brief book packs a big punch and I was glad I was granted and eAudiobook ARC so that I could listen to it before its release.

DNF @ 33%. I really enjoy T. Kingfisher, but it feels like absolutely nothing has happened in this book yet. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but literally nothing has gone on. I get that it's going to be a slow-burn, but it shouldn't be THIS slow! So far, the main character has talked about bugs and drinking to excess 1000 times. I'm not into it, sorry.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, T. Kingfisher, and NetGalley for the ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

This book starts with the words “Mom seems off” echoing in Sam Montgomery’s ears from a warning by her brother. As Sam settles into her new life with her mother she too notices changes in what used to be what she thought a warm loving home. As things progress the weirdness starts to get worse and Sam needs to decide if all secrets should stay that way.

This was not the book I was expecting when I got it. It turned out to more a horror book than a book about an old house as the title might make you think. Nevertheless besides some gruesome hallucinations by Sam it turned out to be a great book. I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars

I liked it well enough.

Sam Montgomery is an archaeoentomologist who just finished a job in Arizona. After her brother calls her to tell her something seems off with their mother, she decides to go visit her in North Carolina. Sam is excited to spend her time off watching crime tv shows and drinking wine.

Sam's mother is usually a carefree, easy-going, and stress-free woman but when Sam sees her, she can't believe this thin, jumpy, and distracted person is her mother. In addition, her home feels off too. Her mother had painted all the walls white like when her Gran Mae was alive instead of the vibrant colors they were the last time she visited. Is her mother getting dementia or is someone harassing her? And why are all these crows watching the house and her every move?

A House with Good Bones had an entertaining character to keep my interest throughout. The gothic elements were well-balanced. Furthermore, the narrator, Mary Robinette Kowal did a fantastic job of keeping things moving for me.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Macmillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.” This was all I needed to know moving forward with reading this haunting gothic story.

I’m fairly new to this sub genre, but enjoyed the setting and plot so much. The narrator added so much to the book, and I thought it was a perfect choice.

*many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted audiobook

It feels wrong to not include a T Kingfisher book on the list of good books I've read recently. This is a southern gothic horror story, which feels like this authors specialty. It involves a plot that unearths deep dark family secrets. We follow Samantha who is between jobs as she returns to her mother’s home only to discover drastic changes in her widowed mother and childhood home. Honestly this gives off such a good Halloween read vibe, theres a “Witch”, ravens, a ghost and our main character who has a good sense of humor through all the chaos. Theres such a good mixture of like creepy as hell like you’ll want to read this with the lights on but theres also a light hearted feel to it which made it a fun combo. It’s a really quick read, I recommend it if you are already a fan of this author or if you haven’t read from her yet, this is actually a great starting point in getting a feel for her stories.
Full review on YouTube

‘Mom seems off.’ Sam Montgomery hears her brother’s words echoing in her head as she comes home to her mother’s house in North Carolina. She is excited for her extended visit with her mom and is looking forward to relaxing, boxed wine, and murder documentaries. When she walks inside, she realizes that the chaotic, warm home is now replaced with a ‘nice and normal’ vibe. But that’s not the only thing that seems different. Her mother is constantly on edge, jumping at the smallest noises and constantly looking over her shoulder. It isn’t until Sam uncovers a jar of human teeth hidden in the prize worthy roses, does she start digging for some answers. But Sam is finding that some things are better left buried.

This book was a trip! I love T. Kingfisher’s writing and how she incorporates gross, horror into it. The last 1/3 of the book really took off and I couldn’t put it down until I was done. The vultures, witches, and paranormal was so interesting really gave the book the perfect gothic, slow burn vibe. This book gives a whole new meaning to ‘a house with good bones’, if ya know what I mean. Also, always a fan of a character who can get down with boxed wine and murder docs. I definitely recommend this book to gothic horror lovers! I gave this one 4/5 stars!

Man, this book! I've read one other T. Kingfisher book and I really enjoyed it. This one sounded really good, and the concept was intriguing, and once I started, I couldn't put it down! I wanted to know more about this mom living in the family home, and all the changes that she made that wasn't her.

At first, Sam thinks her mom is grieving for Sam's grandmother, though it's been a while since she passed. Because there can't be something supernatural about what's going on, right? But creepy things keep happening, and Sam's questions just multiply.

There was one point, where things seemed to calm down-for about a second. Because I looked at how much time was left, and it was like an hour, so I knew there was going to be more story, but boy, I wasn't expecting all of that!

There was maybe just slightly the start of a romance, maybe romance. Which got off to a rough start with their first meeting. I'm not sure, because with the way things ended, it didn't seem to be open to a future, which is too bad, because I enjoyed the two of them!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by T. Kingfisher!

Absolutely obsessed. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it! This was my first Kingfisher and I can't wait to dive into her backlist!!!

What a twisted mind T. kingfisher has... this was a crazy trip of magic, wizards and roses... if you know you know

You had me at Southern Gothic. I love the creepy feel of this story. The narrator was fantastic!

A big thanks to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for a copy of the ARC.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of a house with good bones. this was just what i expected from kingfisher. a wild ending. this was fantastic

This is my second book by T. Kingfisher and I am now a huge fan. Atmospheric and gothic, she creates the eeriest settings that you cannot look away from and also feel like you are right there with the characters. Listening via audio only enhances this experience and I definitely recommend it. Sam Montgomery is excited to come home for an extended visit, except upon arrival, things aren’t exactly as she would expect. All of the walls have been painted white, and her mom is now jumping at every little thing and overall acting strange. Sam is determined to figure out what is going on, and quickly realizes some things might be better left alone.

This was very well done, and had just enough ‘creep’ factor for me, a perfect ‘light’ horror read that I absolutely loved. I was curious how it would end, how Sam would be able to set things back to normal and I was not disappointed. Some scenes were very vivid, I would love to see this on screen as I think it would translate well. I enjoyed this very much and cannot wait to read more of her backlist.

Thank you to Macmillan.Audio for the ALC to review.

T. Kingfisher is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. After picking up nettle and bone last year I have found myself reading several other books of theirs and I'm honestly in love with their ability to weave creepy concepts and humor together so perfectly. A House With Good Bones is no exception, managing to combine elements of Southern American Gothic literature with humor and very well done critique of racism and other serious issues that exist when discussing anything set in the south. Really loved this one and can't wait for more.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the well written characters.
This audiobook had a great narrator… she had a pleasant voice that kept me tuned into listening.
I loved the humor of the author as well as the creepiness she put into its writing. I learned things about bugs I never knew before.
I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

I tried to like this however I could not get on board. It was slow and had a lot of information that wasn’t really necessary and didn’t add to the plot of the book.

🐝𝐀 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬🦅

Behind on reviews as always but I finished this one a few days ago in New Orleans and what an INTERESTING read. Highly recommend that if you are ever in a spooky, gothic city and are looking for a suspenseful yet artistic novel, pick this one up🖤

A House With Good Bones was truly unlike any book I’ve ever read.

Quick blurb:

“A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family. “

Also by T. Kingfisher:
Nettle & Bone
What Moves the Dead (loved this one but also completely wild writing🖤)

Have you read this one yet? Do you enjoy reading whimsical writing? Do you enjoy horror?!

This book is a perfect mix of both🖤👀🫶🏼