I had chills from the Author's Note.

Where do I even start?

I really enjoyed how Addie's point of view was written, I could really feel the push and pull of the conflict she was facing (sorry trying to word this without spoiling is hard, but I think you'll get what I mean when you read it.)

I like how there is romance slightly sprinkled in. It's there but it doesn't distract from the main story.

It felt like House of Anubis with the atmosphere of A Study in Drowning, and a special third mystery thing that makes it all its own.

This book is such a good fall read!

Well, the Queen of Nightmares has done it again!!!!

They Watch From Below will be released just in time for Halloween, and it will be the perfect "read with the lights on" creepy read you will be looking for.

Dark, disturbing, and sinister... this is a story of secrets, hidden evil, family legacies, and bravery.

From the moment you meet Addie, you can feel the mystery surrounding her, with her strangely distant mother and the dark shadows she has seen all her life.

Things only get more chilling when she arrives at The Arches for early orientation.

With the shadows closing in on her more than ever, the mystery surrounding missing staff and students, and arcane symbols everywhere, Addie will need more than the protection of the evil eye necklace her Grandmother gave her to survive the ancient evil that dwells below the University

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Whew! This one was creepy and fun. it's definitely a scary YA horror book in a dark academia setting - not dark academia in the traditional sense, necessarily, but definitely horror. And there were some real jump scares. I enjoyed the folk horror aspect as well - it brought together a lot of scary elements. If you enjoy YA Horror and dark academia settings, I highly recommend this book.

This was a great YA paranormal horror. I think it is great for kids in the 12-15 age range and it isn’t too grotesque or vivid to where it would be sensitive for them. It is however moody and atmospheric, and at times rather creepy. This makes for a great reed. The video scenes set an ominous tone throughout the book that makes you wonder what is going on, there is always something lurking in the shadows or hiding behind a wall, and I was always trying to figure out what it was. The mixed media format was perfect to set the tone of this eerie and creepy vibe for the entire book.

I enjoyed the story of Adria and her going off to college. She’s not really sure what she wants to do and is thrown for a loop when she doesn’t get the standard dorm. Then strange things start happening. Thankfully she meets the other legacies, and they have each other to spitball ideas off of and just connect.

The pacing was nice. It moved along nicely, and then we were slowed down intentionally with a new video clip, which was a nice play to center the read in the plot. I enjoyed this a lot.

This is one I would love to see a sequel (it was only their freshman year!) and I think that an opening was left for one.

If you are looking for a moody and eerie YA horror then check this one out.

Addie Velde begins a new chapter at the University of the Arches. From the outset, Addie's excitement at attending the prestigious, beachside university is overshadowed by the oppressive atmosphere. Even with its idyllic facade, the campus hides a much more sinister underbelly. The university's mysterious past, mainly the lore surrounding the shadowy figures believed to be harbingers of death.

Addie's character is increasingly drawn into the dangerous secrets of the campus and the ties to her mother. As Addie and her friends investigate the unexplained disappearance of a professor, whispers of an occult society implicate not only the school but all their families. This connection raises the stakes for Addie.

The story blends dark, gothic academia with ghostly folklore. The atmosphere creates a looming presence that is genuinely creepy and where the lines between reality and how the past can cast a long shadow on the present. It is a perfect spooky thriller that leaves readers with feelings of unsettled supernatural haunts.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Page Street Publishing.

The author created a strong, creepy atmosphere right away. From page one I was hooked on finding out more about Vera’s mysterious collegiate past and the shadows of Addie’s youth. The college setting was interesting and added a nice creepy dimension to the story. I do wish we had gotten to know the characters better - including Addie - to give them some more depth. The short chapters helped keep the tension up well.

What a phenomenal horror read! This book is an absolute stunner. The plot follows Adria, a young girl about to start college, having been accepted at the University of Arches, where her mom and grandma were also students.

On arrival, Adria gets acquainted with the other legacies, fellow students whose parents were alums as well. They all feel a unique pull towards the Arches, a calling or a premonition. Beneath the idyllic University, horrors unimaginable reside, waiting for them.

Right from the very first chapter, this book sets the tone. This is no joke, the book is seriously creepy, eerie and scary! The initial half of the book is absolutely fantastic. I loved the use of old videos to explore the lore and establish worldbuilding. The symbology is brilliant!

I loved the characters as well. The twins gave me Damon and Stefan vibes more than once, amazing use of pronouns for the Queer character.

The ending felt a little rushed, but set a promising scope for a sequel! Also a little more depth to the friendship amongst the legacies would have probably been better. I absolutely recommend this book for the lovers of everything creepy and eerie!

Dark academia is usually not my jam but Becerra paints a vividly eerie picture that made even this outcast want to go to this college..

…until you start to learn more of what’s actually going on there. Piecing together the puzzle kept this novel moving and had me picking it up to read every chance I got.

I loved the old religion aspects of this story and the unknown history of the land made it that much more sinister. The ending is not ambiguous, there is some closure, but there is enough to leave you questioning what exactly will happen to the FMC in the end and I thought that was interesting. This is a perfect one to read during spooky season!

I was hooked from the beginning of this novel by its premise. Addie's mother Vera went to the fictional Arches University but has been cagey and weird about her time there for Addie's entire life. We see some early backstory moments of Vera spacing out entirely whenever Arches is brought up. Obviously, this just makes Addie want to attend the Arches too, not just for its stellar academic record but to finally understand her mother and uncover some answers. The first half of the book was amazing, perfectly leading the reader into the spooky atmosphere of the university and introducing us to the small group of legacy students. Any type of dark academia setting is always intriguing and the Arches was no exception with its creepy well and endless mysteries.

Unfortunately, I don't think They Watch From Below completely stuck the landing for me. I liked Addie and her friendship with non-legacy students Olga and Daphne more than I cared for her relationships with the other legacy students, except maybe Nick. I would have enjoyed some more time spent building those relationships too, especially since they risk their lives for each other at the end - that level of devotion seemed unearned. Also, I expected some more encounters with the horror entities and lead-ups before the final confrontation. It seemed to me that everything was tidied up a little too fast at the end.

Some specific gripes - how long were those wires? What even was the point of Olga/Daphne in the grand scheme of the book? Why was Addie put in a different dorm than the other legacies in the first place?

So this was hard to rate because I liked the main character, loved the premise and vibes, and think it could have been something great but the main climax was just too rushed and unsatisfying.

This book drew me in immediately with that stunning cover and amazing sounding summary, unfortunately it fell a little flat. I still enjoyed it but I struggled to get into it at the beginning.

This drew me in so immediately at the beginning - a girl returns to the university where her mysterious mother studied. All I needed to hear was university tbh LOL.

Anyway, she gets there and weird things are happening, there's a small tight-knit group of friends and I was TERRIFIED. Things went ever so slightly downhill from there, I was less intrigued once the real mystery was semi-revealed, but I think it will still stick with me a little bit!