I really enjoyed this haunted horror. I did find it took a while to get into the story but once I was in I was hooked. Thank you to Netgalley and Hampton Creek Press/Simon &, Schuster for ARC.

If you like supernatural themes in your thrillers, check out JD Barker’s Something I Keep Upstairs. Barker knows how to weave a twisted plot, and I love that his books span many different themes and sub-genres of thrillers. I was intrigued by the supernatural elements of this book. When David Spivey inherits an old house on a secluded island, it seems like he and his friends are going to have the best summer, but things are not always what they appear when dark and sinister forces are at work. Did David Spivey, Billy Hasler, and friends unleash an ancient evil, or has it been on the island waiting for them for years?

For Fans of:
✩ Haunted Houses
✩ The Occult
✩ Isolated locations

David Spivey wasn’t dealt the best hand in life, having suffered from health problems growing up. Then his luck seems to change when at the age of seventeen, he unexpectedly inherits a small island. This is going to be the best summer for Spivey and his friends— it’s their last summer before senior year!
However, the house and the rest of the island that he inherited comes with some strange set of rules. No kids under sixteen are allowed on the island, no locking doors, no answering the phone, and most importantly - Emerson must be fed. But who is Emerson?!?

The farther you get in this book, the weirder it gets. 🤯

This was a complex, spine-chilling horror book. It was well put together from beginning to end.
I did get kind of bored though. The first half was really good and then it slowed right down. However, the complexity of the book and the way it ends does make it worth pushing through.

The author’s note and historical tie-ins were a really good touch to the ending! 🤌🏻


✨Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Ever had one of those books that you wanted to re-read as soon as you finished. Well, this was that book for me. I love a good, haunted house story.... and this was one of the best I've read in a very long time. I can see the house and island when I close my eyes. I feel the rain beating down on me...and I can see the sharks swirling around. I feel the dampness of the basement and the terror of the widows walk. I see Benny digging holes and I feel the tension and terror as it builds to the point that I am no longer reading a book...but right there in the middle of the action, pushing and running and fighting along with them.

And then, just when you think that you know what is going on.... guess again. AWESOME!!

I finished the book and then read the authors notes. Made the story even better. I love J D Barkers books and can't wait for more (hopefully along similar supernatural based lines).

Thanks to NetGalley and JD Barker for making this book available as an ARC.

Something I Keep Upstairs is a paranormal thriller that tells the tale of a mysterious house on an isolated island off the coast of a small New Hampshire town. When Billy’s friend Spivey inherits the house from his estranged reclusive grandmother their small group of friends find themselves caught in a dark pact that has existed for centuries. The house on Wood Island has rules and their consequences are dire.

The introduction to the story is by our main narrator, Billy, who is haunted by what happened at the house on Wood Island when he was just a teenager. When Billy and his friends were seventeen the idea that Spivey was inheriting a whole island was a teenage dream. What group of teenagers wouldn’t find see an island as a parent-free paradise to do whatever they please? However, despite coming into such an inheritance Spivey learns there are rules for his new found property and a mysterious lawyer who is at the helm of the island’s conservatorship. Even still, Spivey is a young man with a terrible relationship with his parents and island rules or no he gladly takes his keys to his kingdom. Oddly enough, his late grandmother forbade Spivey’s parents from stepping foot on the island and thus it seemed like a safe haven for him and his friends. However, stepping foot on Wood Island would change things forever.

I knew nothing about the story going into Something I Keep Upstairs and as I sunk into the story I was immediately intrigued. Paranormal Thrillers are my personal favorite so the second the haunted vibes appeared I needed to know more about this house and this island. I wouldn’t quite call this a haunted house story as the house isn’t quite the center of the mystery but rather Wood Island itself. I love a good sinister mystery and I was really pleasantly surprised at how much this story stuck its claws in me.

I’m not always a fan of following teenage protagonists and Billy and his friends did make me want to rip the hair out of my head several times. However, I think in a story like this teens are the best ones because they are irrational and short sighted by nature. The considerations you might make or any reservations you might have as an adult they simply don’t. They infuriate you because they think they know what they’re doing when in reality they’re simply digging themselves a hole so big they’ll never climb out of it. Part of me felt bad for these poor dumb kids and the other part was ready to shout at them for being so ignorant. I felt very helpless as a reader as things went from bad to worse with seemingly nothing and no one to stop it.

For me I think this book really had a good mix of character interest, super creepy paranormal happenings, and high stakes. Oftentimes I think thrillers can succeed in one area but fall flat in others leaving me a bit disappointed but I was really engaged and pretty desperate to get to the ending. I needed to know what happened and how all of the pieces fit together so I just couldn't put it down. I have to say that when I did get to the end of the book I was emotionally distraught and I had to sit with my thoughts for awhile. I wonder what sort of choices I would have made in any of the character's shoes.

Something I Keep Upstairs is a book that left me feeling like I was hanging on by my fingernails. I think this is a great recommendation for paranormal thriller fans and honestly quite a tension filled reading experience.

My thanks to Hampton Press/Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, J.D. Barker, Hampton Creek Press, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

J.D. Barker is back with another thriller from his world of unpredictable stories. I can usually rely on Barker to create a dark and addictive story that has me reading well into the night, all in hopes of discovering what he has going on. In a piece that centres around an isolated house in rural New Hampshire, a group of teenagers take possession and set things up like their own private clubhouse. However, evil lurks in the shadows and what begins as a great getaway soon takes a perilous turn towards the macabre. A chilling piece that had some great moments to showcase J.D. Barker's abilities.

The town of New Castle, New Hampshire is as bucolic as it sounds. Sleepy and free from most any disturbance, the locals thrive on the sense that little of interest creates much of a stir. All that changes for Billy Hasler one day and he doesn't even know it's coming. Billy's best friend, David Spivey is contacted by the authorities to say that he's been given a house on a nearby island by his dead grandmother. David is unsure what to do with it, but Billy knows that this could be an adventure for their group of friends. They take a journey out to Wood Island and inspect the property, which is in great condition. This could be the ideal place to spend together before the hectic world of college commences in the fall. For now, Billy and David will gather their friends for a chance to party, live away from others, and create wonderful memories together.

When something seems off at the house, Billy and the group commence their own investigation, which soon spirals out of control. A number of things take place, putting not only the group ill at ease, but creates a sense of danger for everyone. What that house contains is more than simply family memories for David, but a collection of nightmares from which no one is safe. J.D. Barker crafts this story to keep the reader enthralled until the very end, as they try to decipher truth from chilling distraction.

I have long enjoyed the writing of J.D. Barker and his various story ideas. Some work their way into my mind like an earwig, while others are less impactful. It all comes down to the calibre of the story's foundation, the narrative. Barker sets the scene from the opening pages with a strong base and builds on it from there. Things definitely develop from there, though there are times when the tires appear to spin rather than propel the reader forward. Decent character introduction and development keeps the story on point and the reader wondering what awaits them. While the book was divided into parts, one for each day, this was less effective in the story's presentation, as one day held the bulk (perhaps eighty percent) of the entire piece. I might have liked to see things better chapterised or parts divided in a more balanced manner, though this did not ruin the reading experience by any manner. Plot points worked well, though I found myself bogged down at times and seeking resolution to ensure some progress and added hype. I am pleased to have had the time to read this book and cannot wait to see what's to come for Barker, both independently and with his various collaborators.

Kudos, Mr. Barker, for an eerie story in an intriguing presentation.

I’ve enjoyed other books by this author so was excited to read this one and it did not disappoint. I was hooked straight away. J D Barker is great at building tension and really keeps you wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next.

I’d highly recommend if you are a horror fan and enjoy haunted house stories. Also, make sure to read the author’s note once you have finished

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley and JD Barker for the ARC digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. This thriller has a healthy sprinkle of everything you crave. Nostalgia. Underdogs. Justice. Ghosts. A bit of romance and spice. A few twists and shocks. I need to read more from this author 💕💕💕

This was such a wild ride. It is always interesting to see how thriller authors can spin a horror story. And i must admit that JD Barker did it well!

This has a lot of scary stuff and also psychological. You can't be indifferent. Some chapters made me feel uneasy when i was reading them at night.

And the most unique thing was the authors note before the last chapter. I suggest you read it too and don't abandon the book before finishing cause there will be a lot of interesting facts about the choice of the location.

I totally recommend this to every horror fan and also thriller fans, and, of course, JD Barker fans.

Thanj you Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Something I Keep Upstairs
By: J.D. Barker

5 Stars

This book is about a boy named Billy. It is "his truth" in a world full of unbelievable things. An island with a scary past, a group of teens, and an old evil that wants its dead close.That is what you will find in these pages. A story that puts emphasis on sacrifice, love, and above all friendship. It manages this while also spinning a dark and twisty tale full of ghosts, magic, and evil.

This book was genuinely scary. When I first started, I felt like I was getting lost, but that was the magic. It was dropping little bits here and there. I wasn't missing anything. It was just pulling me in. I have heard of Mr. Barker, but this is the first book of his that I have had the pleasure of reading, and I was deeply impressed. It was a book that had history, both truth and legend. It painted "evil" in a very chilling and all enticing light. It was by far the scariest book I have read in a long while. This was my first book by this author, but it will not be my last.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

JD Barker will forever remain one of my favorite authors and this book just solidified that!

Something I Keep Upstairs is now my holy grail of haunted house books. I was gripped right from the beginning. After Spivey inherits his estranged grandma's house on an island just off the coast of their little town, spivey and his friends start to uncover the mysterious past of the house and island, as they dig deeper they discover the truly dark and haunting past and get consumed by it! This book had me on the edge of seat, audibly gasping. This book was truly haunting. A million stars out of 5!

Huge thanks to Netgally, J.D Barker and Hampton Creek Press for this EARC!


A review will be posted to my Instagram within the week @letsreadandreview89

First off, thank you to Netgally and Simon and Schuster for this ARC.

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. I actually went into it knowing nothing other than it was a small town horror story, which I’m a huge fan of.

This book tells the story of a high school student who inherits a house from his grandmother. The house is on an island and without spoiling it, there is something wrong with it.

Supernatural horror is where it’s at for me. This one was a lot of fun and had that urban legend vibe. Having spent a lot of my life in a small town, I love when people write them right. Basically, everyone always knows everything everyone else is doing. That’s how it is in this book. Plus, there’s always some secret the town is keeping.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that it got way too long in parts. It was split into days, with most days averaging about six chapters. Well, one day then ended up lasting sixty-six chapters which was way too long.

Overall though, it was a great read. It genuinely frightened me in parts. Then I ended up reading it when the power went out in my house during a blizzard. That’s a way to scare yourself.

I will definitely look into reading more JD Barker books after this.

Read this if you like:

✨Small town horror
✨Witchcraft
✨Books involving high school students

I've only read a few Barker titles, and that shouldn't be because I've loved everything I've read from him. This book, Something I Keep Upstairs, is no exception.
The story revolves around a secluded island located between New Hampshire and Maine, and owned by David Spivey's estranged grandmother. When she dies, the house and the island belong to David (not his parents, who are forbidden to set foot on the island). But this inheritance comes with a strange set of rules, which Grandma's attorney, the mysterious Mr. Marston, explains to David.
But David and his friends find that something is not right with this place. While most of David's friends buy into the idea of having a place to hang out, David's bestie, Billy is very hesitant.
And well he should be.
See, all would be fine at Wood Island, as long as they remember the rules, and especially one, in particular:
Emerson must be fed.
But who, or what, is Emerson? And what do you feed him?
Barker has created a nice mix of Mystery and Horror here that is sure to satisfy his fans, and hopefully draw in new fans. He is a top flight author who has written another top flight novel.
Yeah, I need to read more from this guy, for sure.

Holy cow! I could not put this book down. I just had to keep reading it to see what was going to happen next. I loved the incorporation of the tragic and terrifying history of the town. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the ending, though. I would've preferred a different conclusion. I would definitely recommend this book for lovers of suspense.

thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book prior to publication. I am a huge fan of J.D. Barker and this book was not a disappointment. It has a tiny bit of a slow start but once the story and action started I could not put it down, The multiple twists at the end came at quite the surprise. I highly recommend this to any fan of thrillers.

JD Barker as a solo author is one that I will read as soon as I get the (e)book. This book was not my favorite genre but it really gave me vibes of when I read SHE HAS A BROKEN THING WHERE HER HEART SHOULD BE. It went to scary, dark places with scary, dark people but it was a story that had a mysterious plot and the storytelling was what made it for me. Then the author puts some extra flavor into it along the way which is why I feel the way I do about him.

Thank you to both Netgalley and the author for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

A very thrilling read involving love friendship and sacrifice. The ending was a huge plot twist which we all love definitely recommend

Ah I love many JD Barker books. This one was about 100 pages too long for me. The concept of the book was great in a haunted house type of setting but just dragged on too much for me.

Thank you to Hampton Creek Press/Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy Something I Keep Upstairs. All opinions are my own.

J.D.Barker creates a very creepy, eerie, haunting story of friendship in Something I Keep Upstairs. I enjoyed delving deep into the characters, but some of the character connections and time traveling back and forth was a bit confusing and, honestly a bit distracting at times. I have loved everything I have read by J. D. Barker but this story was a tough read for me – a bit confusing and dragged on a bit too long.

This story has elements of supernatural and witchcraft told in a YA type format about a creepy old house on an island that is inherited by teenager, David Spivey. David and his closest friends find out that the house is much more than a party spot and becomes much more sinister.

I loved Barker’s 4MK series, but unfortunately this one didn’t live up to my expectations. My favorite part of the book was the author’s note at the end. Super creepy!

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Something I Keep Upstairs.
I Like JD Barkers book.
This new novel I think is more of YA novel. That’s fine and I liked it.
This is a scary story filled with suspense
All in all good book and a younger audience will love it