I really liked the premise of this book, and the writing was excellent as was the character building. I was really enjoying it for the first half, and at the midpoint there's a major event that felt like it was signalling the conclusion coming before long. But in the second half I started to get book fatigue. I understand now why so many reviews talk about the book dragging, because it did feel like a slog the second half. For what's listed as a 336-page novel, it felt like it was a good 150 pages more than that. I really wanted to enjoy it more, mostly because of the strong prose, but entire chapters really needed to be excised to leave a stronger, tighter story.

This was a cool book. Slightly receptive in some scene. I l9ve the haunted movie type books so that's a plus. This author will do great things in the future I'm sure.

Jorie is a former horror fanatic. But 15 years ago her blog October Film Haunt with her two friends came to a tragic end when Jorie embellished a post and it caused a high school girl to die.

Now Jorie has an 8 year old boy and shelters herself and him from any form of horror. That is untilshe is sent a horror film that caused all her problems, but now there are very small differences. Now Jorie is thrown into a real life horror movie. Are these just demented fans of the movie that have now decided to live out their horror movie dreams, or are they really summoning demons. Or is it a combination of both?

The story is interesting, but it is slow in places and there is a lot of jumping around that can be a bit confusing and hard to follow.

The premise of this book sounded interesting.
However, I tried to read this and I had no idea what was going on in the story even 1/4th was through. Therefore, I did not finish the book.
I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

This was everything I never knew I wanted and needed in a horror novel. As someone who loves paranormal horror films, as well as the classic slasher film, this book appealed to every part of my creepy heart. Excited for more books from this author! I’ll read every single one.

What I liked about it:
The mixed media was definitely a fun part to the book, the use of old VHS tapes, the participation of online media and the POV of the main character all merged together really well.

The whole plot surrounding a small group of horror lovers who showed up to the filming locations of their favourite horror movies was a unique storyline for me and one that caught my interest.

There are definitely a lot of eery scenes that will creep you out as to be expected in a horror book 😂

What didn’t work for me:

Overall this book felt a little too long and a little too slow at times. The plot was there and the characters were interesting I just wished we could have kept a fast paced momentum from beginning to end.

Thank you to St Martin’s press and Michael Wehunt for the EARC!

Publish date - September 30th 2025

3.5* rounded up to 4. I really enjoyed the set-up and the characters, particularly Beth and Jorie. The premise is great - I love found footage horror movies and books that explore this, and there are elements of both cosmic horror and folk horror in here that really appealed to me. I was reminded of both Experimental Film by Gemma Files and the movie Sinister. There are also plenty of scares. The images of the Rickies in particular...super creepy and well done.

However, this lost steam for me somewhere along the way. I feel like this could have been quite a bit shorter and it would have packed more of a punch. It's hard to put my finger on what didn't work for me. Jorie's anxieties started to feel repetitive and some of her decisions didn't feel believable. There are some abrupt plot moves that felt premature and anti-climatic. I wanted either less or more of the side characters.

Overall, this was an entertaining read that fell a little short for me but it was definitely worth the read and the fusion of folk and cosmic horror with found footage horror elements was done well.

Thanks for the ARC!

October Film Haunt is an online group consisting of Jorie, Beth, and Colin. The group has amassed a large following by visiting filming locations of cult horror movies, searching for any lingering energy from the eerie movies they love. The group’s fame comes crashing down after their visit to the filming location of Proof of Demons, an eerie cult classic directed by the elusive Helene Enriquez. Their downfall begins when Jorie claims that they successfully summoned the Pine Arch Creature, the demonic entity from Proof of Demons. This claim led their followers to attempt to summon the Pine Arch Creature themselves, ultimately leading to the death of Hannah Kim and the world blaming Jorie, Beth, and Colin. Years later, a now-reclusive Jorie receives a mysterious VHS tape in the mail with an alternate copy of Proof of Demons at her house in Vermont, catapulting her into a sequel that she did not sign up for.

I personally LOVE books that incorporate the online world to help drive the storyline. October Film Haunt has a good combination of different types of mixed media, ultimately helping make the story feel more immersive. Wehunt did an excellent job at creating an eerie atmosphere, making me feel scared to look out of my windows at night or check my closet. The bedroom scene towards the end.... pure nightmare fuel!!

The only drawback was how long the book felt, though this may have been because my copy did not have page numbers. While the story isn’t meant to be fast-paced, the first half moved quickly, making the slower second half feel even longer. However, the pacing suits the storyline and flows well overall.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book concept was good and creepy, but I just couldn’t get into it.

Jorie and two of her friends had an internet group showing behind of scenes of their favorite horror movies. They came to a location of “proof of demons” when things didn’t go quiet as planned. Years later after one of the group members passed and Jorie became estranged from the other, a VHS tape arrives and her last nightmares come back.

If you are a film junkie and a horror fan this book is definitely for you!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the arc!

La historia sigue a Jorie Stroud, quien, junto a sus amigos Beth Kowalczyk y Colin Davies, formó hace diez años un exitoso blog llamado October Film Haunt. Este grupo de entusiastas del cine visitaba locaciones de películas de terror famosas, buscando si los mitos y leyendas urbanas relacionadas con ellas eran reales. Sin embargo, tras una visita al cementerio donde se filmó Proof of Demons, una película de culto dirigida por Hélène Enriquez, su vida cambió drásticamente. Un trágico incidente en el que una joven murió al intentar recrear un rito de la película los llevó a la oscuridad, separando al grupo y dejando a Jorie alejada del mundo del cine de terror.

Diez años después, Jorie vive en una tranquila casa en Vermont con su hijo Oli, intentando dejar atrás su pasado y la controversia que desató su entrada en el mundo viral. Sin embargo, todo toma un giro perturbador cuando recibe un VHS con imágenes inquietantes, y pronto descubre que está siendo observada por un culto obsesionado con Proof of Demons, liderado por la misteriosa directora Hélène Enriquez. Lo peor está por venir, pues Jorie se ve arrastrada de nuevo al horror, en un giro escalofriante donde la realidad y la ficción se confunden.







Disfrute de la historia, aunque hubo algunos capítulos que me desconectaba. Los povs de Trevor y Coleman se me hicieron innecesarios.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"This riveting and layered horror novel unleashes supernatural terror in a world where truth can be manipulated, and nothing is as it seems. Beautiful and horrifying, with an unforgettable cast of characters, The October Film Haunt will shock and delight readers all the way to its breathless final page."
Honestly, I wish Proof of Demons was a real film and that I could be magically whisked away into this book! Ok, maybe as an observer and not a main character. I love cult horror cinema, and this book was absolutely fabulous at capturing the atmosphere. This was an absolute 5 star read for me! Definitely a must read for horror fans!

So technically this was 3.5⭐️ but rounded up. Now let’s chat about the book! First I want to thank NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for approving this ARC. This story had me pulling the covers over my eyes the 1st half of the book. I do feel it fell a little flat toward the end though. It was really all over the place with the multiple POVs but I did enjoy the story & I think it will be a great spooky read when it releases in September!

The story reminds me of what would happen if The Blair Witch Project, The Ring & Scream all got together & had a baby! This story follows Jorie & her 2 friends Beth & Colin. Years ago they created The October Film Haunt & they’d visit former sites of haunted scary movies to see if the haunts were “real” & that turned them into an internet sensation.
On the heels of this stardom fans quickly became obsessed with a film called Proof of Demons by a filmmaker named Helene Enriquez & sadly a recreation caused a girl to die. That girls family blamed Jorie & her group causing them to leave the limelight & their friendships severed. Flash forward to present time & Jorie now lives in her grandparents house in a quiet town in Vermont with her son Oliver. Oli has become “attached” to a creepy doll found in the attic named Agatha (this comes into play later). Jorie starts noticing things happening & figures out she being watched & learns she’s being “cast” into a sequel film of Proof of Demons with a neighbor that isn’t quite who she thought she was. This story had some twists & turns that had my hands over my mouth gasping but overall a thrilling read.

Again this book was gripping & freaked me out a little so I’d definitely recommend it! Thanks again to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

5 stars

Fans of Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay are going to love this book!

The story is told from multiple points of view, including some epistolary sections which read like portions of a screenplay or scenes from a movie. The basic premise revolves around a cult-classic horror movie called Proof of Demons. Our main character, Jorie, along with friends Colin and Beth, created a web show/blog called October Film Haunts. The trio would camp out at the filming locations of famous horror movies, including a segment on Proof of Demons. This episode was the catalyst for the death of a teenage girl named Hannah, who in a "Slender Man" style with her friends, tried to recreate the summoning of a the demon from the movie.

Colin died and Beth and Jorie became estranged, with Jorie now trying to create a life with her 8 year old son Olie in Vermont. But apparently there is a sequel to Proof of Demons in the works and Jorie is part of the cast, whether she knows it or not.

I have been a voracious horror reader for over 50 years and this book was scary. There was a scene with Jorie in her home alone one night that was as close to a jump scare as I've experienced on the page. I stopped reading and replayed that scene in my head, how I thought it would play on a screen, and it scared me all over again.

The pacing of the book is excellent, in my opinion. The creepiness starts early and keeps going until the very, very end. The horror builds steadily, both the very human type along with paranormal. The thing that stands out the most to me is that the climax of the story does not devolve into the ridiculous, as so often happens in horror. The darkness emerges slowly and even as we get to the final section of the story, that darkness maintains it's mystery and believability.

If you enjoyed Burn the Negative by Josh Winning, How to Make A Horror Movie and Survive or Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie, or Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay, I really think you'll love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for the ARC copy. This book held my attention pretty well, but it dragged on for a long time. I was very intrigued with the premise but it fell flat for me unfortunately.

DNF, honestly it was my fault for requesting a horror book without having read many on this genre. I learned my lesson.

Thank you for the ARC.

I enjoyed this one! I liked Jorie's sections the most, but overall I really liked the whole book. I loved the portions about the film, and I thought it did atmospheric horror really well. I loved the interstitial sections! Very creepy and highly recommended, especially for people that love horror movies!

I really wanted to love this one. Despite the wonderfully eerie and ominous vibes of the story and despite the fact that I myself would have loved to join a young Jordi on her film haunts, I was left disappointed. The book ended up dragging and what I originally felt was atmospheric became tedious. I would be willing to give the author another chance in the future but unfortunately this one didn't work for me.

I think this concept had potential, but honestly I was bored by this book. I found myself wanting to skip long sections, especially the interlude chapters which didn’t feel like they added anything new to the lore we already got from the narrative. I also didn’t think that including Trevor’s POV was necessary; you could have removed all those chapters and the book would’ve had the same plot structure. [SPOILER HERE] Jorie wasn’t nearly freaked out enough by Beth’s death (which was so annoying because I actually liked Beth as a character) in my opinion. That scene was like two pages, but we spent ten reading blog posts about demons? [END SPOILER] The ending was way too abrupt, especially in a nearly 400 page book. It felt really unsatisfying to spend all that time and (sometimes excruciatingly slow) build up to kind of just… end. [SPOILER HERE] Also, the “Helene Enriquez is Leah Compton” reveal was somehow both entirely predictable and completely nonsensical since we got so little characterization of Leah beyond “she’s kind of a strange neighbor.” Plus Enriquez was SO corny as a villain at the end. [END SPOILER] The author clearly loves the analogue horror genre, and again I liked this concept and the imagery of the film, but overall I was not super engaged with this book.

"The October Film Haunt" is a short story by Michael Wehunt, an American author known for his work in the horror and weird fiction genres.

Michael Wehunt's work is often praised for its atmospheric and unsettling storytelling, and "The October Film Haunt" is no exception. The story explores themes of horror, nostalgia, and the power of film to shape our perceptions of reality.

Michael Wehunt's The October Film Haunt is a captivating horror novel that delves into the unsettling intersection of urban legends, the influence of media, and the collective psyche. The narrative centers around a cursed horror film that blurs the lines between fiction and reality, ensnaring its viewers in a web of fear and obsession.

Wehunt's prose is both poetic and chilling, creating an atmosphere that is as thought-provoking as it is terrifying. The novel's exploration of how shared beliefs can manifest tangible horrors is reminiscent of classic horror tales, yet it offers a fresh perspective that resonates with contemporary anxieties. The blending of past and present timelines adds depth to the story, allowing readers to witness the origins of the curse and its evolution over time.

The characters are well-developed, each grappling with their own demons and connections to the haunting film. Their personal journeys are intertwined with the overarching mystery, adding emotional weight to the suspenseful plot. The novel also raises intriguing questions about the nature of belief and the power of media in shaping our realities.

While some readers may find certain aspects of the plot predictable, the novel's emotional depth and exploration of modern themes offer a fresh take on the horror genre. The atmospheric storytelling and complex characters make it a worthwhile read for fans of psychological horror and those interested in the darker facets of human nature.

In conclusion, The October Film Haunt is a masterful blend of horror and psychological thriller, showcasing Michael Wehunt's talent for crafting stories that are both intellectually stimulating and genuinely frightening. The novel's exploration of media influence, collective belief, and personal trauma offers a compelling narrative that will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page.