I was so excited to read this book, and now I'm left feeling a little let down. It was not bad by any means, but it did not meet the description at all - "R.L. Stine meets Urban Legend. The first 3/4 of the book, you are trying to piece the puzzle together with any little detail you receive. It read like a mystery novel, not horror. There was nothing that had me looking over my shoulder in fear. If it was advertised as more a mystery than horror, I think it would be received a bit better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-ARC of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Great job. I liked the suspense and the mix of an urban legend into this book. And while it is a YA book I still found it to be a good and engaging read.

A book about urban legends, a ton of teens playing with the supernatural, and getting into unnecessary drama, and even the family drama was awesome. This author is slowly becoming a fave in the YA suspense genre.

“One House Left” is a YA horror novel that blends urban legends with a slow-burn paranormal mystery. Sixteen-year-old Nate Campbell and his family have spent years running from the curse of Murder Road, where the vengeful spirit of the Hiding Boy has haunted their lives. Moving to a new town seems like a fresh start, but when Nate befriends a group of classmates obsessed with local ghost stories, past and present horrors begin to converge, leaving no place to hide.

While the novel boasts a unique premise and an eerie atmosphere, the pacing is slow, and the characters often feel underdeveloped. Nate, the shy and introverted protagonist, struggles to connect with his new friends, and the relationships—particularly his connection with Max—lack depth and clear motivation. As the story progresses, we learn more about the trio: Max's compassion for an elderly couple next door, Tyler's struggle with family expectations, and Seb's grief over his brother’s tragic death. Yet, these revelations come too late to fully engage the reader.

The narrative unfolds with a series of mysteries and questions that hang in the air for much of the book, leaving the reader grasping for clarity. Despite the slow pace, there are intriguing elements, such as the quartet’s urban legend explorations and eerie newspaper clippings that suggest something darker at play. The final third of the book offers some twists and semi-twists that finally bring the story into sharper focus, leading to an unsettling conclusion that fits the novel’s overall tone.

Despite the lack of character depth and the slow buildup, the writing style is refreshing and distinct, avoiding many of the clichés common in the genre. The execution of the plot is smart, with enough original elements to keep readers invested. The main twist, in particular, is unpredictable and adds to the enjoyment.

Overall, “One House Left” is a solid choice for those seeking a YA horror novel with a mix of urban legends and creepy components. While it may require some patience, it ultimately delivers a satisfying, if not entirely surprising, conclusion. If you’re looking for an adventurous paranormal thriller with a unique twist on ghost stories, this might be the book for you.

Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for my free book for review.

Prepare to be captivated by this gripping page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end. As a reviewer, I find myself in a delightful predicament – eager to share my enthusiasm while carefully avoiding spoilers that would rob you of the book's many surprises.

The author masterfully weaves a tapestry of mystery, skillfully engaging readers with tantalizing questions and perfectly timed hooks at the end of chapters. This narrative technique creates an irresistible pull, compelling you to keep turning pages long into the night.

At the heart of this thrilling tale is Nate, a complex and enigmatic teenager whose story unfolds across three distinct parts. We're introduced to Nate as he and his family settle into yet another new town, their weariness palpable and their past shrouded in secrecy. The constant uprooting of their lives hints at a troubling history, leaving us to wonder: What shadows are they fleeing? What burdens do they carry? These questions gnaw at the edges of the narrative, fueling our curiosity and investment in Nate's journey.

Nate's character truly comes alive when he encounters Max, Seb, and Tyler. This trio of urban legend enthusiasts becomes the catalyst for Nate's internal struggle between his longing for connection and the self-imposed barriers he's erected. We see glimpses of the person Nate could be – a friend, a confidant, a normal teenager – juxtaposed against the guarded, haunted individual he feels compelled to remain. His reluctance to join their urban legend investigations speaks volumes about his past, hinting at experiences that have left deep scars.

The author's portrayal of Nate is nuanced and deeply empathetic. We feel his yearning for stability and friendship warring with his instinct for self-preservation. Every interaction, and every hesitation reveals another layer of his character, making him feel startlingly real and relatable despite the extraordinary circumstances he faces.

The twists begin when readers hear the POVs of the trio in Part Two – their fears and regrets palpable across the pages. I found myself hoping for them to pull through and escape their predicament.

Part Three ties everything together. While the ending is unclear, it works well for the story.

For those seeking a perfect blend of creepy atmosphere and heart-pounding thrills, this book delivers in spades. Prepare to be thoroughly entertained – and maybe sleep with the lights on for a night or two.

This book gave me a Stranger Things meets Goosebumps vibe. New kid moves to town - makes friends with a group of kids who call themselves HellChasers Club.. they love to test out urban legends. But the main character has a secret to hide - what will his new friends think of him when they find out where he's from?

I loved Secrets Never Die by this author, so I had high hopes for this one! I also liked the idea of it being focused around urban legends, but that’s where the interest ended. This story was soooooooo slow and it never picked up, which was a huge let down. The characters were dull and didn’t give me any reason to care about them.

This had such potential but honestly, I couldn’t wait for it to end. I’m so sad that this was not what I was hoping for and kind of makes me not want to read anything by this author anymore.

Honestly, don’t waste your time with this one, it wasn’t worth the read.

I enjoyed this book more then I thought I would, which I loved to be surprised while reading a book. I'm looking forward to giving other books by this author a try, after reading this YA Horror with some Mystery/Thriller his other books sound interesting.

This book caught my attention as soon as I read "R.L. Stine meets Urban Legend," I love a good goosebumps when I was a kid. As a kid friends and family would like to do some Urban Legends like Bloody Mary, which were always scary but fun as a kid. As well as traveling to places that have been known to be haunted, which is cool in itself I feel like.


"Ready or not. Whatever you do. The Hiding Boy is coming for you.”


This book follows Nate who grew up in the shadow of Murder Road, a street that's been cursed by a vengeful spirit of the Hiding Boy. Every few years for nearly six decades, a different house on that street has been the scene of a tragedy. His family and him have moved to a new town as they try to outrun the curse once and for all.

During his first days at his new high school this group of 3 who are in an urban legend club ask him to join them. Knowing his past he tries to get away from this group, but the leader Max has this pull on him that makes him like her and want to join them. Tyler and Seb are the quieter ones in the club who are more guarded and aren't as opening to Nate as Max is.

They decide as a group they are going to do some Legends they've heard about and want to test them out. Nate has a decision to make, either join them or be friendless... what could possibly go wrong. Nate's older brother Rowan was more relatable to me since he's older and seemed to have gone through a lot. Hazel, Nate's sister was always sad about leaving her boyfriend, which is never easy for a girl in high school.

I felt like this book had some good relatable characters depending on who's reading this book. It's was a easy read with quick chapters. The more I read the more I needed to know what was going to happen to Nate and his friends. I felt like some parts fell short and I wanted to know more, but was left up to the imagination. I wish their was more depth within the character development but for a YA I felt like this was to the point which was great and spooky. I enjoyed the twists in this book and was caught off guard a few times.

(Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and Vincent Ralph for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be released on August 27, 2024.)

This book was fine, but I wasn't the target audience. I missed that it was YA horror and it just felt like it dragged and dragged. I never truly felt dread or suspense.

This starts off creepy & mysterious, I was pulled in right away. The idea of urban legends being real was intriguing. Murder Road & the crimes committed were very chilling, very creative. However I did reach a point where I wanted some explanations to start occurring. The middle gets a little bogged down however the conclusion I felt really made up for it. I think readers will be very surprised by the ending. Overall not a bad, creepy read.

Thank you to Net Galley and everyone else for the uncorrected proof of this book.

I’m giving this a 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️ I mean, a thriller about a group of friends who enjoy testing out urban legends and a family always on “the run” is definitely a story I want to read. Honestly, the beginning of the book had me rethinking my choice of book. I struggled through, not really invested in the story or characters. I thought about dnfing a couple times but I’m happy I stuck it out. Once that twist hit me like a train, I was hooked. What just happened?!? 😳 That second half had me going back to parts in the beginning. I wanted to know why Rowan and Hazel had such a strained relationship and it definitely makes sense now. All in all, I liked the second half but I’d rather not have to suffer through to get to the good stuff. lol

One House Left is YA Horror from Vincent Ralph.

"16-year-old Nate Campbell grew up near the street they call Murder Road. Every few years there's a new tragedy and someone is killed - all because of the curse of the Hiding Boy. Nate and his family have moved several times to distance themselves. But now Nate has fallen in with a group of friends that worship urban legends...and there's no where left to run."

I really liked Ralph's last book - Secrets Never Die. This one, not so much. The first half is repetitious and the stroy seems to be going nowhere. The last part is better but the ending is a letdown. Not really a cliffhanger but a bit open-ended.

Fans of low grade horror may enjoy this one.

This book made no sense. I was confused from page one about the family’s dynamic and why nobody was sleeping and then as the book moved on I just lost interest.

One House Left by Vincent Ralph is an intriguing concept, but it doesn’t fully deliver. The story of sixteen-year-old Nate Campbell, who moves to escape the curse of Murder Road, starts with promise. However, the book struggles with pacing and character development. The blend of old and new ghost stories feels disjointed, and the narrative often leans on familiar horror tropes without adding fresh twists. While there are moments of suspense, they’re not enough to overcome the book’s predictable plot. It’s a decent read for fans of supernatural tales but falls short of being truly gripping

I would like to thank St Martin's Press for proving me an advanced ebook copy of One House Left in exchange for an honest review.

Nate and his family used to live close to Murder Road, which is actually called Cherry Tree Lane, but with how many horrible deaths have occurred there, the nickname suits it. Are the countless deaths that happen on the same day of the year just freak coincidences or is there truth the the Urban Legend of The Hiding Boy who cursed the street?

Nate is the new kid at school and he tries to keep to himself as best he can but a group of Urban Legend enthusiasts seem to be too enticing to avoid, and he makes friends for the first time in a long time. Nate knows that some Urban Legends are more than ghost stories, but can he save his friends from bringing more to life?

Such a fun ride! It is a little slow getting into the meat of the story as clues are set and we learn about Nate and his family and how they operate running away from a terrifying town that gives them all nightmares. Once the setting is flushed out and we have our characters painted, the real story flares to life and the scary stories of your nightmares are woven together with a young boy who just doesn't want to be afraid anymore.

Incredible! Such a fun spooky read. I highly suggest adding to your Spooky TBR

One House Left by Vincent Ralph will be available on August 27 2024 at your local bookseller or library.

Thank you Netgalley, Vincent Ralph, and St. Martin's Press for the ebook! I've always been a lover of all things creepy and urban legends really were always on the top of my list growing up. This book did not disappoint. Although it was a little heavy and sad just the predicament, but it was creepy and crazy as well. Must read if you love all things bump in the night!

https://www.goodreads.Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 8/27
•
I always love a good YA every now and then and this one was the perfect amount of creepy. Everyone knows of a "murder house", or at least one that everyone considers a "murder house". But to know the people who lived there, well that's an entirely different story...
•
One House Left is follows Nate and his family as they settle into a new town after their constant move to avoid the curse of "murder road." It's at the new school that Nate meets a bunch of misfits who are obsessed with urban legends. I really enjoyed all of the characters and felt like they were easily distinguishable. The pacing of this one was steady to fast, as I devoured this one pretty quickly.
•
I loved reading about the urban legends that the kids tested out. That was a huge thing back in the day around my area so that was pretty nostalgic. This added more of an eerie elements to an already creepy story. This one had some awesome twists thrown in there, especially that ending - that was something that I did not see coming at all, but it was *chef's kiss* perfection. It completely brings the story full circle while also bringing in that perfect shock value.
•
I listened to this one via audiobook while reading along with my eARC. This had multiple narrators. Pete Cross, Jesse Vilinsky, Andre Santana, TJ Clark, Gary Tiedemann were all incredible. I felt like I was a part of the gang because of how well these narrators brought this one to life. If you are thinking of picking this one up I highly recommend the audiobook.
•
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to all my thriller / horror friends. This didn't read too much as a YA except for the main characters are teens. I think that this one is going to be a huge hit during spooky season. Be sure to grab this one. Huge thank you to NetGalley, Vincent Ralph, Spotify Audiobooks and St. MArtin's Press for the ALC and the eARC in exchange for my honest review.com/review/show/6737484355

Wow! This was dark and kept me on my toes. Fantastic writing style and the twists and turns were amazing. Coming to the end of part one really came out of nowhere and I couldn't stop until I finished. A really great read for you spooky lovers. I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! It was a lot of fun and such a nice break from the fantasy I'd been reading. I love a story you can get lost in and this is exactly what this did!

I was pretty excited for this one as I am getting into more horror(light) this year. However, I found I was confused for a good portion of the book between dreams and reality.

What I liked was the quirky group of young people set on exposing Urban Legends. That was fun. When said group invites the new boy, Nate Campbell, things begin to change during the hunt for legends. Is it the new boy? Who is messing with who? Nate is a bit of an Urban Legend himself. Or at least members of his family. Connected to attempted mass murder disrupted, Nate's family has moved away from Murder Road. However, they can't get far enough away from the curse.

There are appearances by the supernatural and the weird house they end up in in the end was like a living entity which was entertaining.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesdays Books for an e-arc via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.