When Spivy inherits his grandmother’s house after her bizarre death, he and his friends think it’s the perfect spot for one last summer together. But the house isn’t just old—it’s alive with secrets, and then there’s a vengeful presence lurking within, waiting to make itself known.

If you're in the mood for something creepy and scary, then this is the book for you! It has all the classic horror elements: a group of young friends, a mysterious island having eerie rules, and a haunted house with a furious presence. The author crafts a haunting tale that shifts between perspectives, each layer adding to the unsettling atmosphere. While some readers may find the pacing uneven, the novel's climax is both shocking and satisfying. Overall a solid addition to the horror genre.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was very impressed with this story line. I didn’t read about the book before I began reading it so I was completely unaware of the premise of the plot. I was quickly intrigued! J.D.Barker never disappoints me!!
Billy Hasler was an all around good teenager. Trying to be a the best athlete, student, friend, son and boyfriend. He is an easily likable main character. I found myself actually worrying about him!!
What made the book extra special for me was the author’s note included about 90% into the story. I was almost wishing it would have been at the beginning of the story but I I do see the shock value it had being where it is.
Overall, a captivating story !! This book would be an awesome movie!

This was a solid supernatural horror for fans of the genre. I wasn't as thrilled with it, as it seems to be more of a YA read. Great job at building tension and keeping you reading, Interesting setting. Yet there were quite a few too many things happening past and present in the plot. The ending was a bit confusing and drawn out. Would recommend to younger readers. #somethingikeepupstairs #jdbarker #netgalley #goodreads

A damn good ghost story.

JD Barker makes fiction out of actual historical events and the local lore of Wood Island, located just off the Coast of New Castle, New Hampshire, and spins a creepy tale that left me turning pages well past my bedtime, wanting to learn what happens next.

Told from the perspective of Billy Hasler, we learn of the horrible events that occur shortly after the death of Geraldine Rote. When they were 17, Billy’s best friend David inherits the house on Wood Island previously owned by his grandmother, Geraldine. Billy would come to regret ever setting foot on that island.

The island and house have been around for quite some time and Billy and his friends are not the first to want what it has to offer. Or, does the house want them?

Barker does an impressive job of connecting characters and events that span hundreds of years to tell this story of friendship, and sacrifice in a chilling and clever way.

Trigger Warnings:
Witchcraft
Suicide
Drug Abuse
Cancer

“Something I Keep Upstairs” by J.D. Barker is an awesome ghostly supernatural thriller! The story revolves around a group of teens who spend their summer in a haunted house on a secluded island across from New Castle, New Hampshire. One of the teens inherits the spooky house from his estranged grandmother, and as his stay at the house lengthens and more of his friends arrive, the sinister and deadly past history of the house and the towns occupants unravels.
There are so many twists and unexpected turns in these pages I never once guessed correctly where the story was going. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a “bump in the night” story but I can tell you that every time my house creeks now I jump!

Thank you NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press / Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Review Copy

Haunted house stories tend to be old and tired. But they haven't been written by J.D. Barker. SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS is a chilling story that deserves to be read along with THE STAND and IT.

While I won't tell you any of the terrifying details of the book, I will tell you to read the entire thing. It's odd. When you think it's finished and you're at the Author's Note, read it! Then continue reading.

If you're into horror, don't miss SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS. Enter the giveaway, preorder the book, then get into bed for a week and read. You will love it.

My thanks to Hampton Street Press, J.D. Barker and Netgalley.
You know, I fully expected to love the crap out of this story.
I didn't. I really disliked the characters and couldn't find any common ground.
I kept expecting greatness! Then I set my sights on really goodness! Then I lowered them to "for fuck's sake..edness!"
Yeah, not a word, but that's how I felt.
Sadly, at 75% I was waiting for that Barker, bezerker madness to come into play.
Sadly, here I am, finished. No nothing. Bummer dude.
Barker usually has his shit going on. Hmm....maybe next time.
Doesn't matter. He's still my favorite new author. I will read the crap outta anything he writes.
This however won't be in the cards for second read.

This was a coming of age horror story done right.

The story focuses on a group of teenagers who get together for one more summer of fun after their friend, Spivy, inherits a house from his grandmother after her strange death. Insert an ancient angry being with good character development and you get this book.

It kept me on my toes and was similarly paced to a Stephen King novel, so if you like his books this maybe one to give a try.

What's keeping me from rating it higher is that this is marketed as YA, and it does not feel like a YA horror (longer, more drawn out scenes and character development, more mature tones/scenes that I would not find inappropriate for this age group). It threw me off because I wasn't expecting it. That's not really on the author, more the marketing. Other than that, I enjoyed this book!

This book gave me the creeps..in a good way. Billy, his family and friends live in a very small New Hampshire town where even your parents and grandparents grew up together. Billy’s best friend Spivey inherits a house on an island the grandmother he only met once left him.. When Spivey and friends check it out they see it’s an amazing house that will be perfect for parties, but very strange rules must be followed. No one under 16, you can’t leave the island after dark, don’t lock the doors, or answer the phone, and make sure you feed Emerson. What follows is an intense story spanning generations. Barker deftly handles all the characters and the many layers of this novel , as each chapter the story becomes darker and more complicated than the chapter before. I felt the helplessness of the characters as they realize this is a nightmare that will never end.

In this suspenseful story the main character, Billy, encounters a situation with his friends that can only be called otherworldly. Together they encounter an ancient entity and have to manage (or not manage) their own destinies. Some characters are super reliable, and you will like their integrity right away. Others......not so much. Wood Island is both beautiful and terrifying.

The author does an amazing job creating a world that can be seen, and horror and suspense that can be felt. The structure of this book reminds me of Stephen King with long chapters with multiple sub-sections. The narration goes back and forth between people and builds with intensity throughout. It is fast paced and will keep you reading late into the night. 4.5/5 stars. Amazing characters! Highly recommend.

Wow! This is a book that I will be thinking about for a long time.

JD Barker has crafted a beautiful haunted house story. It shifts between view points to give the book an extra eerie element. The story gives nightmare-inducing details, and grips you from the get-go.

We follow a teenage boy caught up with his best friends in an unlikely inheritance and the rules that come with the estate. The other POV is the chief in the town that realizes something is amiss and wants to solve it before time runs out.

Haunting, chilling, captivating!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

What the actual fudge did I just read??
Give yourself to Emerson?
Oh wow. What a ride. JD barker strikes again

I always swear that I hate coming-of-age stories. And then I read one like this one and realize that, done right, they're amazing.

This one was amazing.

This is a dark and horrific story, but there's also something wistful and sad about it.

Once you truly realize the plot, it's an unusual one - and this is a most unusual house.

The book is almost 500 pages and I could have happily read 500 more.

I want to read the author again.

Something I Keep Upstairs by JD Barker
For those that love the eerie, spine tingling, hair standing up on the back of your neck kind of books, this may be for you.
This story is mainly centered around a group of high school kids. ‘Spivy’ inherits his (unknown to him) grandmother’s house out on wood island after her strange death. His folks are livid about this. But Spivy and his friends are excited to have a new place to hang out. The house comes with a lot of strange rules but the kids are intent to have fun. A lot of people don’t want them near that island and they can’t figure out quite why.- Until they do. It’s a good read especially if you like to sleep with the light on at night. Pry would make a good movie.

Something I Kept Upstairs by Author J.D. Barker is a Haunting story taking place in New Hampshire.

This story started off on a high for me, it was rolling along at a good pace and kept my interest for the most part.

I did however start to lose some interest as it went along.

I will read anything that this author writes, however this one was just ok for me.

The premise is about mysterious house on an island, which is inherited by a teenager after his grandmother dies.

It’s spooky and mysterious, and is all about friendships.

In my opinion there was just too much going on and was really meant for a young adult reader.

The dark past of the house, island and area are all interesting though.

Thank You to Hampton Creek Press, NetGalley, and Author P.D. James for my advanced copy to read and review!

Great book, very dark and scary. This would a great autumn/halloween time read. I love the authors writing style so will look forward to picking up more books by JD Barker. Thanks for the early access!

While I love J.D. Barker when he writes with James Patterson, this novel was really good as his own. And while it's not as good as his Fourth Monkey trilogy, it was a good stand alone novel.

Complex, cerebral, creepy, and genuinely disturbing in it's closeness to reality, leaving you hanging by a thread - maybe it is real, or not. Fans who like real horror that creeps from the shadows and breathes emotion from the dark, this is for you.

JD Barker has done it again. Totally opposite end of the spectrum from his 4MK trilogy, but with all the thrills, twists and suspense you’ve come to love from a Barker novel.

The book details a group of high school kids who are looking for one last fun summer together before they enter in their last year together and go off their separate ways for college. Spivey (David) inherits an island with a house on it from his grandmother. The house contains a list of rules that he tries to stick by, but ultimately their friends end up breaking. Once in the house, the story jumps back between Billy’s storyline and Whaler, decoding between a missing teen, ghost sacrifices and more. These characters are developed so well and the further you get into the story, the more layers are peeled back revealing just how much this storyline and the past is webbed together.
Towards the end I couldn’t read fast enough. All of the events taking place on the island with Billy and his friends while jumping chapters with Whaler trying to help locate the missing girl and learning more of the islands past. I felt the excitement and tension building up in myself just wanting to get to the end and see how it all plays out. The ending did not miss and the closer you got, the more I kept going no way!

Thank you NetGalley and Mr. Barker and his team for the ARC. This novel did not miss.

One last thing, Please feed Emerson..

J.D. Barker is a masterful storyteller whose latest novel, Something I Keep Upstairs, is a haunted house ghost story that is dark and creepy in the best sense. The plot is slow to unfold, but once the pieces start to fall into place, what emerges is a tale that is both chilling and mind-blowing. It's best to go into this one without spoilers to enjoy it fully. Don't miss the Author's Note at the end.

Thank you to Hampton Creek Press/Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.