This is the first book I've read by Sharpson but I will definitely be checking out his other work. The writing in this one is incredible and so atmospheric. Even though I had some moments of confusion, especially towards the end, I just got so drawn into this story and couldn't put the book down. Queer horror is my favorite thing to read and this is an amazing addition to the genre.

This book was an unwinding horror - coiled and waiting. I was immediately sold when I saw there was a folk horror coming out based on Irish folklore. The story was creepy and unnerving the whole time through and I couldn't stop reading to see what happened next. To me, it was refreshing to see more of the Fae/Changeling horrors from myth --especially with the influx of Fae romance to date. It was everything I wanted in a horror novel, and Neil Sharpson will be an auto-buy author for me from now on. If you like Folk- Horror, Eldritch Horror, or even just the entire horror genre, I would recommend this book.

Tremendous THANK YOU to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this via eARC!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is such a gripping read, I had a hard time putting it down! I love how the reveals in this book were handled so smoothly, it truly fit well into the narrative. The characters were so compelling and I enjoyed following the family over the course of two generations.

I felt so creeped out reading this book (in the best way possible) and the more I think about it, the more I think how clever this book was in it's execution and storyline. It's unlike anything I have ever read, which is certainly hard to find these days.

I would definitely recommend this to horror fans, it's a must-read!

This one is just in time for Halloween and you need to order it now!! Combining Irish folklore with elements of The Exorcist and a dash of eldritch horror thrown in for good measure.... this one is a wild ride.

I will admit that this one took a little bit of getting into, due mostly to alternating timelines and sheer chaos. BUT by the end I was full invested and mind blown.

Without giving too much away, check this one out if you like horror, Irish folklore, and investigative journalism!!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the eARC of this terrifying title!!**

A perfect autumnal read requires a particular vibe. Atmospheric - something that matches the melancholic, moody nature of this time of year. Something that makes you want to wrap your cardigan tightly around you as a chill runs down your spine despite that mug of something warm in your hands.

And this? This is a perfect autumnal read.

The feeling is palatable, you can practically sense it seeping off the page. Descriptions of the lush Irish countryside collide with the heart-stopping terrors that permeates this novel. The horrors not just supernatural, but in the mundane and ordinary as well.

Etain finds a corpse in the road one night. The decisions she makes from that moment on creates ripple effects that are felt for generations. Plenty of unsettling and unexpected twists and turns in this unique horror story, but don’t forget to throw in a creepy children’s tv show, mommy issues, and a tender queer love story at the heart of it all.

At times I did find myself lost or felt the story slowing down, but ultimately it was this tension building that helped wrap up everything in a satisfying way.

This unsettling book may be the best thing i’ve read all year. Would absolutely recommend.

You know me, I'm always on the hunt for that next thriller/horror story that'll make me regret being alive. Or you know, sleep with the lights on. I went into this book completely blind. The cover just drew me in and I knew I had to read it and I’m so glad I did. The lore and myth in this book is done so well because it blends seamlessly into the narrative. This book starts off really strong and creepy and ends the same way. There are parts in the middle that were a little slow. Betty and Aisling’s relationship development bogged down the spooky parts of this book but it helped me feel more connected to the characters.

There are a lot of parts of this book that are wild. It will go from feeling completely normal, like a contemporary book, to just going off the wall. I feel like the abrupt nature of the tonal changes is very much on purpose. This book is going to be something people either love or can’t get through. I don’t see there being a lot of middle ground.

I enjoyed it for the most part. I wish there would have been more of the creepy atmosphere in the slower parts just because when the atmosphere was great, the vibes of this book were perfect. I love a fresh horror book and I think this one really delivers. So if you are like me and you are always looking for something new in the horror genre and you like learning about different mythology and folklore, this is a fantastic book to pick up.

I really enjoyed the setting and aspects of Irish Folklore. While I was initially intrigued by the beginning of the story and what happened to Etain, it took quite a bit for the story to take off. I did enjoy the back-and-forth between the past and present and I enjoyed seeing how the multiple threads were introduced to all come together. Once we get toward the end of the story and learn the true sinister nature of the TV show, that's when things really take off and have me glued to the pages.

Etain is driving home at night one night when she finds a dead body. Her actions change her life forever. Now, 20 years later, Betty meets Etain's daughter Ashling at college and falls for her. Together, they unravel Ashling's family's sinister past.

I think it took too long to get to the suspense and creepiness for me. I was expecting the first couple pages to be Etain finding the body but it takes longer than expected. It does pick up some when we get to Betty and Ashling, but the writing style didn't convey the horror and suspense I think the author was going for.

I really liked this read. I loved the setting and tone, and I really liked the Celtic touches in the story. The setting was so well realized and helped to heighten the spooky/creepy tone of the work. While I think this story had a bit of a rough start--pacing and structure issues--the horror aspects are super compelling and I'm glad I stuck through it! I cannot wait for more from this author! What a great read for the Spooky Season!

I definitely enjoyed this creepy and tense read, and specifically loved all of the Celtic references found within it! I thought the Irish countryside setting was really unique place to read about, and liked all the bits of slang used throughout the novel.

I found some of the earlier parts of the book to be a little confusing and I had to reread a few sections to get a full grasp of what was going on, but I was enjoying the horror / romance aspects enough to want to push through these times. I’m so glad I did!

Highly recommend to fans of Irish folklore and general horror!

In alternating timelines, horror and Celtic myth are woven into a family’s history and the secrets kept there. At the heart of it all, is an Irish children’s television show with an even darker presence. When the door between the known and unknown opens, it can never close again.

KNOCK KNOCK, OPEN WIDE by Neil Sharpson was a truly enjoyable coming of age horror novel!

I was a bit nervous about the folklore element when diving into this one, but found that it really took a backseat to the family and relationship dynamics that showed up on page.

This book managed to bring tears to my eyes and the dialogue felt so unbelievably natural at times that I was completely sucked in.

The spooky element definitely hit when it needed to and added a really nice mystery to the story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: October 3

This was a generational story with so many layers. I found the writing to be really engaging and the characters so well executed.

Equal parts family trauma and unique horror melt seamlessly to make Ashling one of my favorite literary characters in a long time. But, I have to say that there was a lot going on. I really enjoyed Ashling and the story of her past, her mother’s past… the unsettling atmosphere was palpable. There were moments where I felt adrift a little in the story, though.

This story is wild! I loved the creativity, creepiness, and structure! There are several different storylines going on that I liked because it gave this story extra dimension. I loved how odd this tale was. Right from the start, I knew I was getting into a really cool horror.

This author included some takes on Irish folklore, which really added to the tale. I always love when there are different aspects happening that get tied together in the end. Overall, I found this a unique and satisfying horror!

Out October 3, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

This was a fun, creepy, and atmospheric book that was the perfect blend of weird horror. I really like the uniqueness of the book and thought the first half was stronger than the last half. I will say sometimes, things got a little confusing, but overall a fun book to give a try.

"Knock Knock, Open Wide weaves horror and Celtic myth into a terrifying, heartbreaking supernatural tale of fractured family bonds, the secrets we carry, and the veiled forces that guide Irish life.

Driving home late one night, Etain Larkin finds a corpse on a pitch-black country road deep in the Irish countryside. She takes the corpse to a remote farmhouse. So begins a night of unspeakable horror that will take her to the very brink of sanity.

She will never speak of it again.

Two decades later, Betty Fitzpatrick, newly arrived at college in Dublin, has already fallen in love with the drama society, and the beautiful but troubled Ashling Mallen. As their relationship blossoms, Ashling goes to great lengths to keep Betty away from her family, especially her alcoholic mother, Etain.

As their relationship blossoms, Betty learns her lover's terrifying family history, and Ashling's secret obsession. Ashling has become convinced that the horrors inflicted on her family are connected to a seemingly innocent children's TV show. Everyone in Ireland watched this show in their youth, but Ash soon discovers that no one remembers it quite the same way. And only Ashling seems to remember its star: a small black goat puppet who lives in a box and only comes out if you don't behave. They say he's never come out.

Almost never.

When the door between the known and unknown opens, it can never close again."

Children's entertainment is inherently creepy, so I'm all for this book.

You know me, I'm always on the hunt for that next thriller/horror story that'll make me regret being alive. Or you know, sleep with the lights on. Same difference. With a cover like this, I knew that I was going to be wowed and check underneath my bed before I go to sleep.

This one started off in the most amazingly weird way. A newly engaged woman finds a corpse on the side of the road and she thinks that putting the body inside of her car would be the best choice of action. Then it gets weirder from there. Things are never what they seem in this book and my brain exploded at the end of all of this. Good or bad, I'm not even sure.

When the author introduced more characters it was kind of confusing. Then you finally find out who they are and then you are left with this omg moment. It was genius on Neil's part. That's what I loved most about this book was finding out how all these characters interconnected with one another. It was a lot of demented fun. And then the last twenty percent happened and that was the wildest time I have ever had. Phew.

Knock Knock, Open Wide was an okay read. There were parts that really had my mind reeling and then it slowed down to the point where I thought about not finishing this up. I'm glad I did though. Others will absolutely go crazy over this book. I think I would have been more obsessed with this book if I haven't been reading the craziest horror novels lately.

I tried, and I failed. I could not get into this one at all. Sorry Netgalley! The story was just not as grasping or developed in the beginning to keep my interest in reading.

On the back of AM Shine’s The Watchers (2021) and The Creeper (2022) horror involving Irish folklore may well find itself back in the bigtime with the arrival of Neil Sharpson’s gripping Knock Knock Open Wide. I wish there were more supernatural tales on the market which dipped into Ireland’s rich history, there are plenty of authors out there up to the task. John Connolly and Kealan Patrick Burke would top my list, but this great pair primarily set their books in the USA rather than the land of their birth. Peadar Ó Guilín is another personal favourite of mine, author of the stunning YA duology The Call (2016-18) which beautifully blends fantasy with Irish folklore and history. Knock Knock Open Wide is good enough to be name-checked with all these great Irish names and I hope Neil Sharpson decides to return to this rich historical area which is perfect for horror novels.

Although it takes some time to reveal its importance to the main plot a children’s TV show lurks in the background. ‘Puckeen’ has been around since the sixties and has not moved with the times becoming very outdated but for some strange reason remains popular, with children desperate to find out what is in the box which is at the centre of the show. This story strand was a perfect blend of creepy and unsettling which had me thinking of kids shows from my own youth, which looked at through the lens of 2023 look vaguely sinister of threatening. Puckeen was such a show and you really do not want to know is in the box.

The story is initially very convoluted with multiple storylines and characters jumping back and forwards from 1979, 1981, 1989, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2015. It is worth paying close attention as it is not obvious how many of the strands connect until well into the story, or how any of it might connect to the TV show Puckeen.

The action starts in October 1979, but the majority of the novel is set between 1999-2003 with Etain Larkin driving home late one night finding a corpse on a pitch-black country road deep in the Irish countryside. There is also a dog, soon joined by other animals, eating the face of the dead man. Stressed and disorientated in the pouring rain she takes the corpse to a remote farmhouse and the couple living there seem to be expecting her. This was a kicker of an opening to Knock Knock Open Wide, with the story fanning and eventually circling back to a few days which would forever change the life of the young woman.

A significant chunk of the story took place on the campus of University College Dublin and concerned the friendship and developing relationship of Betty Fitspatrick and Ashling Mallen, who meet through ‘Dramasoc’ and become obsessed with the amateur dramatics club. Although this was a well-pitched relationship, it probably had too much page time and took away from the developing supernatural story. As the two young women had their personal ups and downs, I was desperate to hear more of the sinister priest (who was badly underused), the digging reporter (from another timeline), the strange ring, or hear more about the kids TV show.

The horror elements, some very Irish, were deftly woven into a story of complicated family history and convincing coming-of-age. Everybody has secrets and the novel implies that weird supernatural forces guide Irish life, hell, I almost believed it! The second half of the novel ramps up beautifully when more revelations are dropped with everything circling back to a key part of Irish mythology and, of course, the TV show. Even if things ended just a little bit too easily, this was a terrific read.

4.5/5

Back in the 70s, a woman named Etain went missing, and before she was found, her fiancé was accused of the crime. Years later, one of his twin daughters went missing, and now the remaining twin, Ashling, tries to keep her new girlfriend Betty from meeting her mother, who was never the same. But as Ashling and a reporter separately investigate the link between the events of that night, a children's TV series, and a mysterious ring, they will discover the horrors that Etain faced.

There were a lot of threads in this story, and it was interesting to watch them all weave together to reveal the horror. Not that things didn't get weird almost immediately! Irish folklore was included in several of these threads, as was the theme of the changeling, and it was all delightfully strange and creepy and unsettling. Because of how the book is structured, with past events and more recent events and newspaper articles, it was a little confusing at first, but once I got into it, I raced to the end.

Prepare to be frightened!
Neil Sharpson has taken Celtic Myths and lore and created a horror story that will haunt you...forever.

After a strange engagement, Etain Larkin find a mutilated corpse on her way home from her betrothed. She decides to take the corpse with her, a choice that begins a night of horror and terror that she never reveals to another person.

Alternating between the story of Etian as a young woman is one of twenty years later when new drama student Betty falls in love with Aishling. It's not long before Betty learns that Aishling's mother Etain is not all that she seems. Creepier yet, is the story of Puckeen - a children's television show that might be the answer to all that keeps us up in the night. If you are ready, take on this book. But make sure you have plenty of lights on!!!!
#torPublishing #Knockknockopenwide #Neilsharpson