Well, that was an interesting ride!

Rachel is a typical teen, except that she is still mourning her dad's death and now her mom is insisting that they move in with her mother's boyfriend Geoff. There is no doubt that Geoff and Rachel do not get along - the tension is all there. And Geoff, although he wants a family has no idea how to handle an angsty, grieving teen. In fact, Rachel, doesn't fit the mold of what a child should be for Geoff at all - but this has to do with his own background.

Add to it that Geoff moves them into a spooky old house in the middle of the woods where there is hardly any internet (cue the spooky music). A house that doesn't seem to like Rachel at all. And Geoff has a hundred rules - but one is absolute - Do NOT, ever go into the basement! Of course Rachel plays Nancy Drew and snoops out the creepy basement as well as digs up things about Geoff's past.

And of course there is the moody, mysterious boy that comes in at just the right time. Becoming her friend, becoming her listening ear and pressuring her for sex, and once she gives in (fade to black, off page) he has her where he wants her. He professes his love and seems to always support her. But there's something off about him just like with Geoff.

But these dynamics are not the whole situation. Only Rachel can hear the house and the house has a lot to say. Rachel is awakened in the night to someone screaming, crying and calling out. She sees the dead women with open, gaping wounds reach out to her and drag her into the basement. After being found in the middle of the night screaming in the basement Geofff accuses her of making it all. Why is she in the basement anyways? And how did she lock herself in?

The end is interesting.

Characters are interesting. Story plot is good. However, here is my major question - The book is titled Keeper of the Key - I expected more information on this key, for it to play a bigger role. Yes we see it on the "keeper's" neck (I don't want to give away the end). But how did that person become the keeper, and what is that person a keeper of? And I realize that they person was part of the house - or rather the house became that person's heart and therefore the person had to stay close to the house. But I felt like the key was kind of just thrown in there without real explanation. And now someone else has the key - but to what effect? I don't know - I just felt like this element of the story (which was really good) was simply left undone.

Thank you for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book review 📚
The Keeper Of The Key by Nicole Wilson
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Okay so this book is perfect for Halloween season, the spooky vibes that happen throughout are just perfect for this time of year.

Now, I don’t know if Wilson has done any other books, or if this is a debut but I will be finding out afterwards because her writing is PHENOMENAL. I actually can’t fault a single thing about her writing. She had me hooked from page one, she creates such a rich and atmospheric world where every single detail comes to life.

Rachel (FMC) is truly what made this book what it is. She’s only 16, but she’s a mature and sensible 16-year-old. She isn’t bratty, moody, or selfish. How struggles are so relatable and joining her on her journey is truly compelling.

For a YA book, it is absolutely fantastic and it kept me so entertained throughout, with both the good and the bad, along with the spooky!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book!

It was a little slow in some parts, but overall engaging enough to keep my attention to the end - and I’m glad I stuck it out! The twist was unexpected and it ended up being a great story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
I enjoyed this way more then I thought I would. Usually, anytime I see pop culture references it's an immediate DNF, but I decided to stick it out and boy am I glad I did.

This was a fast paced ya gothic horror that I finished in a single sitting. The pacing if phenomenal, there wasn't a single dull or wasted moment. Though predictable, it still gave me a few twists I didn't expect. The setting was creepy and the strange happenings were described perfectly. I enjoyed every moment!

Incredible. Read this in just one day, which is unusual for me. It gave me chills, frustration at boys (again) and made me genuinely curious for whats to come next.

Though the MC is only sixteen, she behaves very mature (very mindfull :)) and I related to her in many ways. I find it harder to read books about younger MC's as I grow older, but Rachel is written a lot more believable and not so childish. Know how you sometimes get ANNOYED when the MC makes an obvious wrong decision in horror novels/movies? Yeah, Rachel didn't do that. And somehow that made the story spookier!

The writing was nice and easy - there were no overly long poetic descriptions of the surroundings, but it did manage to create the spooky vibe very well. I am glad I read this during daytime... Also, the ending's a rollercoaster, and i'm here for it.

A perfect quick but chilling gothic read!

I am grateful to NetGalley for sending me the book's arc. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The narrative of Nicole Willson's "The keeper of the key" centers on sixteen-year-old Rachel, who must leave behind all of her old friends in order to move to a spooky gothic mansion owned by her mom's lover. Following her move, she continues to experience images of deceased women and eventually ends up in the basement, where a dark figure looms every day. However, the boyfriend of her mother has explicitly stated that the basement is off limits. The mother's boyfriend is a control freak who can't stop remarking on how she looks. In the hopes that her mother may decide to move out if she exposes him, Rachel searches for information. I kind of guessed the culprit but I never saw that plot twist coming. This is perfect for a spooky fall read.

The Keeper Of The Key gives spooky vibes and the subtle hints of inspiration from Bluebeard were fun. However, the book didn’t give me the type of goosebump scare that I was looking for. I also struggled to understand where the plot was going because it felt repetitive and like the events were disjointed. Considering it was a YA horror story, the focus on sexual intercourse made me a little uncomfortable, especially since Nick’s age was questionable. It definitely didn’t need to be as much of an emphasis as it was. To end on a bit of a better note, I did like Rachel as a character. She wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself and speak her mind.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc.

First of all wow this was perfect for spooky season! It was haunting and left me with chills. The MC was smart enough to realize something wasn't right with the house immediately and all signs pointed to the step dad so the twist at the end certainly crept up on you. I felt 16 again and feeling the fresh sting of first love. Mind you I didn't live in a haunted house. The familial dynamics was well written. Coming from someone who has a step family the trauma and conversations they all shared and their feelings really hit home for me. The mother daughter relationship was so raw and real. The step father adjusting to a family and navigating those dynamics was really interesting to read. Sometimes I forgot it was a spooky story I was swept up in the family drama.

When things got spooky they sure did. A mix of ghostly with a bit of grotesque horror but it wasn't overwhelming and definitely added to the story.

All in all it was a fantastic read. Highly recommend.

Sixteen year old Rachel lives with her mother. Her father died three years ago- her perfect father who gave them the perfect, completed family. They are very quickly whisked away to mom’s boyfriend Geoff’s gothic manor, Morgan House. No th sooner than Rachel is told she is forced to immediately relocate to Morgan House, where she is instantly met with spooky shenanigans and mysterious footsteps. The creep factor right away puts you in a chokehold- a miserable sixteen year old, forced to leave her school and friends behind, fits so well with the gothic vibes already giving full front display.
Geoff is at times controlling, as he was raised by your typical 80s-90s parents- you must be seen and not heard, you must only dye your hair regular colors, etc. very old fashioned and not diminutive at all.
Nick is the towns “we are the weirdos, mister” and truthfully I found him so loathsome. So stereotypical, and even reminiscent of Geoff’s control issues and egomaniacal abilities. I think i would have rather had a new friend in town, someone to replace Elena’s role.
I liked the pacing- it was very easy to keep up, short chapters, simple enough timelines and character placement (it is a YA, after all). I really did not like the back and forth/ wishy washy nature of the mother making promises such as “we can leave, I don’t have to marry him!” That felt so out of place and just didn’t ring true, with the plot unwinding as it did.
I LOVED the design- cover and chapters- of this book! Truly a stellar job capturing the essence and colors of the spookiest month around. Truly an enjoyable read, and a wonderful place to begin my Ber months line up!

Thank you so much to the Parliament House Press and NetGalley for the Earc.

A decent story with an enthralling atmosphere. At first, Rachel, the main character, felt insufferable, but I got used to her. I wasn’t a fan of the insta-love thing with Nick. Something felt off about this guy, but thankfully, everything resolved just right. The ending was very satisfying, and I enjoyed meeting the ghosts.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was thoroughly entertained by this one. Knowing it was geared a bit more to older YA readers, I adjusted my character experience and fully think Willson did a great job with the FMC. Immediately trusting a cute guy when your life was uprooted as a 16 year old? Sounds about right. I thought the twist was a little easy to figure out but still wasn’t sure how it would all fall into place which made me want to keep reading. Will recommend for spooky szn!

This book had me HOOKED from the first few pages. I have read Tidepool by Nicole Willson and absolutely adored it, I rated it 5 stars, and it’s one of my favourite books. So I was excited to see that she was bringing out a Gothic Haunted House story, as they’re one of my most beloved type of stories. This is a book that will keep you turning the pages, I was so captivated by what was going to happen next, and the writing really keeps you enthralled and wanting to read on. The way Geoff was written, with all the niggling remarks reaaaaaally made me dislike him, and I really enjoy when a book can give me an emotional response like that.

This is a young adult book, which I don’t often reach for and did so because I have loved the author’s previous work Tidepool. I think it would be both a perfect starter book for someone just getting into Horror or Gothic fiction, and an eerie, enthralling fun read for fans of the genre. There are some really beautifully written haunting scenes, and I LOVE how strong willed the women in this book are.

This is a Gothic Ghost Story that will keep you guessing and turning the pages.

Pick this up if you like: gothic haunted house stories for spooky season, strong gothic heroines and la Beetlejuice’s Lydia Deetz, eerie haunted houses, ultra creepy ghosts and haunting scenes.

My review will also be posted on my Instagram & TikTok, this book will also be featured in my Autumn TBR TikTok.
I have also rated this book on StoryGraph

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ebook copy of “The Keeper of The Key”.

This story centers on our main character, Rachel, a sixteen-year-old who has to leave everything behind after her father’s unexpected death. She loathes her mother’s boyfriend, Geoff, but has no say in moving far from home to St. Mary, Virginia, to live in Morgan House -Geoff’s isolated and dreadful residence. I felt compelled to finish the book the minute I started reading it. I needed to know what the deal was with Morgan House and why the men in this book act so weirdly and annoyingly. While Rachel is no likable character herself, I like how outspoken she is, how stubborn and how well she gets along with her grandmother. What I didn’t like was how unfazed she seemed by the disturbing occurrences that happened to her. I like a courageous MC but I feel like she brushes off quite a lot of terrifying things to the point it makes her less credible.

The house is a character in its own right, doors close of their own volition, things fall and break, and teeth are scattered everywhere. The horror elements are gruesome and what you would expect from a horror read. But I wanted more. The fact that the horrific scenes ended swiftly made them less haunting. The text flows nicely, it is fast-paced but the alternation between “calm” dinner scenes and cold fingers on ankles feels a bit too sudden.

The book would have benefited from a few more pages. The creepy sounds and visions started way too early in the story before I had any time to get used to some sort of normalcy. I would have liked more space for descriptions of the town, the bookstore, the cemetery, or even Morgan House. I couldn’t immerse myself fully in these locations and see them vividly. I wish we had more descriptions of the characters as well. I understand the need to keep an air of mystery around Geoff and Nick, but I felt like Rachel and her mother’s relationship was underdeveloped which made me care less about what might happen to them. Overall, I enjoyed the plot, I enjoyed the characters but I wanted to know more about them so that when the ending hit, I could feel actual worry for them.

I would recommend this book to young adults, 15+ readers that are new to the genre, as it is not a laborious read.

Nicole did an excellent job writing this book. It had a good amount of tense moments, along with other light-hearted moments. It had very relatable content for young adults/older teens regarding relationships and family dynamics. After reading this book, I'm glad that I don't have basement😏 I enjoyed the book and would recommend to others.

super thrilling and downright addicting!! i loved this from start to finish. it was such a quick read because the content itself was so addicting you couldn't put the book down. i will definitely read more from this author.

As teens and young adults devour shows such as Wednesday and films like Beetlejuice are being revitalised for a new audience, a book like this is just perfect for right now. A pretty scary, gothic, haunted house mystery, where the floorboards creak, basement doors lock unexpectedly, and a creepy wannabe stepdad all combine to make a compelling YA read.

16 year old Rachel doesn't want to have to give up her old life to go and move with her mom to a creepy old house in the woods with her mom's new boyfriend. But she wants her mom to be happy and with her dyed black hair and penchant for wearing purple and black, with the occasional Cure t-shirt, many people think she'll be really happy in a big ole spooky house. But things get pretty terrifying pretty quickly, and with the help of the cute boy she meets in the bookshop in town, Rachel tries to solve the mystery of Morgan House.

I read this book in one sitting, it's a real page turner, and will be devoured by a teen audience.

YA gothic/horror/thriller
3.75 ⭐️
A suspenseful book with a creepy house at the center and mysterious and unusual happenings. At times the book reminded me of Starling House because of the focus on the house element and the house almost as a character itself. While I was interested in the plot, the characters were not as likable as I enjoy in my books. Overall, a fun and creepy read. Thank you NetGalley and Nicole Willson for the ARC!

Really interesting! definitely enjoyed this one. this kept me entertained for the most part. if you enjoy a little bit of a dark side to literature this is one of the books you would be guaranteed to liking.

Rachel's mom becomes serious with her partner Geoff and moves 16 year old Rachel into Geoff's home Morgan House. Immediately weird things start to happen in the home like noises and seeing dead women. Geoff and Rachel don't get along and to make matters worse Geoff thinks Rachel is faking the issues with the house to break up her mom and him.
Is Rachel faking or is the house haunted?

Rachel’s mum’s boyfriend is overbearing, with far too many rules, but Rachel can’t do anything to change her mum’s mind about them moving in with him. When Rachel moves to Morgan House, an hour away from her old life and everything that she knows, straightaway she experiences nightmares and horrific visions. The only saving grace of the move is Nick, a local guy who listens to Rachel and believes her.
Fast-paced and a great inclusion of so many gothic horror tropes alongside the intensity of being a teenager. This was a fun read!
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc.