This was a super interesting title! I found it to be super reminiscent of Mike Flanagan’s shows for Netflix. That being said, I think it would work better as a limited series or tv show. The concepts were there, but I truly thinking that a novel was not the format to make this story shine.

8114 by Joshua Hull

4 stars

Thank you to the author/Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book.

This was a fantastically creepy book to read. I just finished it and I'm sitting here a little stunned.

For me it started off a little slow, but that was definitely the slow burn this needed. Once it picked up it went full steam ahead all the way through the end. Also once it picked up I had a never ending sense of dread for what was going to come next, and somehow it just continued to get worse and worse and the ending really kept up that sense of impending doom and dread.

My only main complaint, and this is rare that I will say this, I kind of wish this book was a little longer. It felt a little too quick and maybe could have used a bit more fluff and filler, more back story, more dread leading into the climax of the story. But that's fairly minor for me, I just think it could have been closer to a five star read if it had had just a little more meat on its bones.

Also I almost never read the afterwords etc, but I did on this one. Interesting to know some of the lore/backstory/inspiration behind this story. Honestly all of that just made it creepier though haha.

Anyway, this is a great spooky time read. I read it in December 2024 as an arc read, but it would be a great September/October read, and that's when it is slated to be released next year which is excellent timing! Anyway, give this a shot if you want a quick, creepy, spooky read for Halloween (or just in general) especially if you like generational type horror stories or supernatural ones!

Vibes you’ll get from reading this:

-The Haunting of Hill House
-Sinister
-Smile

As my first horror read, this book has set the bar incredibly high! While I’ve always been a horror fanatic—consuming movies and shows like candy—I didn’t realize how much I needed to experience horror in book form until now. Huge thanks to #NetGallery and #ClashBooks for the ARC!

There’s so much I want to discuss, but I’ll keep this spoiler-free to nudge you into adding it to your TBR. Trust me—read it, form your own opinions, and then let's talk about all the things!

What I Loved:

- Chapter endings that hook you:
The author masterfully builds suspense throughout each chapter, only to deliver a burst of tension at the end that demands you keep reading.

- Narration style:
The story is told through the perspective of Paul Early, our main character. His thought process swings between eerie, terrifying observations and well-timed humor. Some readers might find the humor distracting, but as someone who cracks jokes when uncomfortable, I found it incredibly relatable and even more engaging.

- Meta vibes & pop culture references:
The meta commentary and pop culture nods made this so much fun. It’s the kind of book you can totally see being adapted into a movie—something fresh and creative that we desperately need in horror cinema right now.

- Podcast elements:
The inclusion of podcast scripts broke up the traditional prose in a fun, creative way. It added layers to the narrative and kept things dynamic.

- Imagery that sticks:
The vivid descriptions brought the horror to life—so much so that reading it at midnight might not be the best idea. I genuinely felt spooked, imagining things creeping in the dark. Was it my overactive imagination or the power of the story? Either way, I couldn’t put it down.

What I Wanted More Of:

- Clarity in the ending:
While the showdown was intense, I felt it could have been a bit more fleshed out for better understanding.

- Paul’s backstory:
I would’ve loved deeper insight into Paul’s history—it could have added even more depth to his character.

This book is a wild ride, and as soon as it releases, we need to have discussions about it! There’s so much to unpack, interpret!! And before I forget, don't forget to read the author note! you might get the chills.

Hands down this is the best horror book I’ve read this year.

Let's talk about 8114.

Paul gets the news that one of his best friends has passed and decides to go back to the town where he grew up for the funeral.
The same town where people are not happy with the podcast he has made about the disappearance of a kid he knew from school.

As if this was not complicated enough he soon finds out that the house he used to live in, hides a very dark secret, and why not use it. It's the perfect story for his next podcast.
Suddenly this story starts to take over his life and not only he starts seeing things that don't exist, the people he talks to start to pass away.

I have to say that even though the writing is quite laidback, and very funny sometimes (I loved all the name drop of horror characters), it's the first book that I read that actually made me feel uneasy and pondering whether or not to turn the light on.

So if there’s a horror book that you need to add to your 2025 tbr is definitely this one.

This book will be out in August next year and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that will have an audiobook edition. I think it would be a lot or fun.. or some sleepless nights...

Very suspenseful book. Perfect for spooky season. I did genuinely get scared a few times throughout the book. It was fast paced but at times I wasn’t sure if it was me or if I wasn’t following the whole story. Some things felt like there weren’t connecting but otherwise if you want a spooky read this is for you

✔️Podcast
✔️Small Town
✔️Haunted House
✔️Body Horror

Scanlines meets Episode 13 in this terrifyingly gross and funny read. Paul hosts a podcast, but when something happens back in his home town, the past is brought back up and he is drawn back to his old childhood home - 🏚️8114🏚️

There’s a podcast element to this book which I loved and the whole book read like a screenplay with surreal imagery. One minute I was chuckling to myself, the next moment I was scared shitless at some of the descriptions in this. Some of it is a little out there but I really think this authors writing style is for me as I just breezed through this book and was so into the story. If you love a supernatural and want to be thoroughly creeped out by “the blackened lady” then save this review and run to get this in August.

Oh and don’t miss the authors note on this one!

4 stars

This book definitely lived up to the early hype. It was dark and disturbing. Haunted house done just right. My eye is on this author now.

This book takes haunted house (property) to a whole new level! It is so disturbing and wicked!

Paul returns to his small hometown to take a break after his failed podcast put lives in jeopardy. Upon his return, he quickly learns that a close friend has committed suicide in his childhood home. 8114, the house that always attracted death. He decides to record a new podcast to investigate 8114 focusing on the history of the property and what could have driven his friend to kill himself. Paul begins to feel like he is going crazy as he starts to see the dead and he soon learns the dire consequences for people who have connection to 8114 including himself.

I was really excited to get an ARC of 8114 and it didn’t disappoint. It is so creepy, and it took things further than I think I was expecting. It is gruesome, unsettling and I seriously cannot stop picturing the pig barn! Read the author’s note. It is spooky AF.

Highly recommend to all horror fans!

This was a great read, and it kept me on the toes, I enjoyed the way the author wrote the characters and how the story felt relatable. The twists were great, and I cannot wait to see what else the author writes.

Welp this was an interesting ride for me a quite frankly the quickest I have ever made it through an ARC read. It kept me interested and wanting to read more. Now that I have finished the book, I get why it's titled the way it is, but I still don't care too much for the Title. It doesn't easily roll off the tongue.

This book was definitely suspenseful and at times very creepy and I really wanted to know the background (which I think could have been developed a little deeper). I was really looking to understand they why in everything. I guess we do get somewhat of a glimpse of it at the end. The best thing about it, is it kept me reading.

Although this book is undeniably creepy, I could just not get along with it, because of the narrative style. The lead character, Paul, was so unlikeable and millennial in outlook, that I really struggled to keep going. Luckily, the book was quite short, or I might have just given up in exasperation at the tone. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

"8114" by Joshua Hull is an unsettling, spine-chilling masterpiece that left a lasting impression—so much so that it gave me nightmares! It's rare for a book to evoke such a visceral reaction, but Hull's masterful blend of suspense and terror delivers an experience that's both deeply creepy and irresistibly thrilling.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy.

DNF at 27%.

Paul, the host of a podcast, has returned to his hometown to find that a longtime friend has taken his own life in the ruins of Paul’s childhood home. To try to find closure, Paul interviews friends and other locals. Why did his friend take this step and is something wicked going on?

Well, I don’t know. Paul has a plant and mold growing in his arm within about twenty seconds of returning to town, and that seems pretty bad. However, he just goes blithely on with his little podcast, I guess he figures all that will just work itself out. Oh, and he just….forgets that a dead man called him a little earlier. And left him a voice mail. I mean, NOBODY calls anymore, amirite? That might be the scariest thing. All that, plus it’s poorly written? No, thanks.

Oh man. Where to even begin? I was really looking forward to this as it’s set in an area I have family in. I love books that I have an immediate connection to. Wow. This one did not disappoint.

From the very first page I was hooked. A missing kid that wasn’t really missing. A podcast that went so terribly off the rails that the host decided to “take a break”? Yep, I’m in.

I think this is the kind of book that you’re better off going into completely blind. Do yourself a favor and avoid spoilery reviews. Trust me. So with that in mind, that’s all I’m going to say. Intrigued? You absolutely should be. Check this one out because you’re gonna love it.

Pretty creepy stuff here. A tad bit of lag in the middle, but that was the only weakness.

This is probably an author worth watching.

Dark and disturbing. Just the way I like it! The only negative about this horror book galoer is that it's too short. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Haunting! I feel like I categorize my horror into the ominous feelings or the scary action. This is certainly one I would put in the latter. Don't let that fool you into thinking Hall cannot create the spookiest of atmospheres, however. Small town, creepy house, random deaths? Spooky vibes-check.
That, however, is the first chapter. We haven't even met any dead people yet!
I'm a pretty harsh critic on character development to book length ratio, and I felt this one was a perfect blend. The overall book is short and plot driven, but that does not mean we don't get to learn what we need to about each character. Loved the people, places, and plot- definitely recommend for a quick horror read!

Paul's back in his hometown, confronting the darkness of his past after his friend's heartbreaking suicide. I loved every minute of this quick, eerie read - a must for haunted house fans like me!

Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher, for providing a free ARC. I'm happy to share my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH Books for this ARC.

8114 tells the story of a somewhat disgraced true-crime Podcast host who returns to his hometown after being away from it for ten years to discover a series of dark evens with his childhood home at their centre, and we follow him as he discovers more about the history of the house and the situation for him and the rest of the town gets increasingly dire.

This was honestly a very fun horror read, and while at times I had a little bit of an issue with the writing style, which is very very millennial, I also wouldn’t really categorise this as a negative point, as long as you are aware what you’re getting into. Indeed I do think the millennial tone of voice works perfectly for the main character (who is indeed a millennial, if born the very first year of Gen Y) and also wonderfully for the context of the MC being a Podcast host, a group of people who in my experience often have a very distinct style of talking. While this certainly fit the story it also at times took you out of the atmosphere, because it is pretty hard to feel scared when you have this very early social media era way of speaking describe a situation to you and butt in with outdated references and writing embellishments (bold font is very liberally used).

Nonetheless I had a really good time with this once I got over the MC’s voice. I wish the book had been a little longer so we had some more time to really sit with and feel the horrors described to us, rather than jumping from one horror to the next in about the latter half of the book.

I think this book is scary enough but not too gorey, at least by my standards, so it should be a good read for anyone wanting to dive into horror fiction, and if you regularly listen to true crime Podcasts I think the way this story is told would be perfect for you.

I am a sucker for a haunted house story. Though, I'm still not entirely certain if this was a haunted house or a haunted person spreading a dark infection out into the community.

I liked the grossness and imagery here. No punches we're pulled with how far the evil would go.

After reading it, though, I felt like something was missing, part of the backstory, maybe? Part of the why?

I enjoyed my read. It just felt slightly incomplete to me.