The October Film Haunt is a perfect read for fans of cursed movies / films and possession stories! This was very much a cover-read for me at first, because wow, that cover is absolutely gorgeous and unsettling; and this turned into a great experience of judging a book by its cover.

Jorie and her friends once ran a successful internet group about their favorite films, sharing their love of movies through behind-the-scenes, on site explorations. But when they got on location for the infamous movie “Proof of Demons”, things went very wrong. Years later, a VHS tape is mailed to Jorie, and she learns that the nightmare that began that night is not over yet.

I really enjoyed the mixed-media elements in The October Film Haunt; I am a huge fan of mixed media incorporated into novels, especially horror books. It draws me into the story and makes everything feel unnervingly realistic, and I thought this book did that very well. For me, the atmosphere of The October Film Haunt is probably its strongest element; the whole book had this creeping sense of dread and paranoia that compliments the story beautifully.

There are parts of the book that were a little slower for me, but the pacing makes sense for the story; this book isn’t a slasher, it’s more of a dread-inducing slow burn. There were a few characters I didn’t relate to as much as others, but Josie the main character is very well written and sympathetic, so that balanced the story out for me.

I would recommend this book to fans of Silver Nitrate and Burn the Negative, as well as to readers who love stories about cursed films with elements of mixed media and dread-inducing pacing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc! All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Proof of Demons a mysterious film by an unknown occult film creature, the Pine Arch Creature, a demonic entity summoned by a transfiguration ritual that also opens up a moving hole that allows you to look into hell, the October Film Haunt, a group of three who travel to horror film locations and document their findings, COUNT ME IN!

After the October Film Haunts episode on The Proof of Demons leads to a teen death, harsh backlash from the online community, and the breakup of the group (Jorie, Beth, Colin) Jorie moves away with her young son trying to put it all in the past. Over ten years later a VHS film shows up and recommences the mystery of the film with the start of a potential sequel. Jorie is forced to play out the sequel and all its evilness in reality.

The set up was exceptional, Jorie the main character and her son were engaging, and the demonic entity was hair raising. The pacing lagged a bit in the middle of the book, could have cut a bit out, but the intensity of the ending makes up for it. The book was a nice blend of the supernatural, the occult, and reality. Fans of found footage films and books will definitely love this one. It was a very entertaining read so put this one on your list. The book was based on a short story in Greener Pastures written by Wehunt, I’ll need to read that as well. The book will be available September 30, 2025.

I wanted to love this one but unfortunately it was a struggle to finish. Some parts were amazing while other parts dragged and felt clunky. I loved the elements and overall premise but it also felt entirely predictable. It was more of a good try, not so good execution.

The October Film Haunt
Michael Wehunt
Publication Date: September 30

4.5 / 5
I friggin loved this book.

VERY ominous and creepy, atmospheric horror.
Nothing about this book is fast paced though, so it's not going to mesh with everyone's horror sensibilities, but I thought it worked perfectly as a super eerie, "haunted film", meta-horror slow burn.

A smorgasborg of horror... this book felt like a hybrid of Suzuki's Ringu, Tremblay's Horror Movie, Pessl's Night Film, and Danielewski's House of Leaves .... with a healthy dose of creepy pasta on the side.

If my comparisons intrigue you in any way, I urge you to pick it up, and give it a read... It's a hard novel to shake.

4.5 / 5

The title of this book is the name of a trio who visit horror film sites and blog about them. One film, titled ‘Proof of Demons,’ gains a hardcore following, and after a real life tragedy, a sequel is being made by a cult of the film’s fans. But now, Jorie, a member of the Film Haunt who has left the horror scene, is being forced to star in the sequel by the original film’s fans/cult and director, who have oddly enabled a supernatural creature to help them.

I’ve been loving the trend of horror film-themed novels, and author Wehunt blends this with another recent trend, Internet influence, and has created a genuinely unsettling tale where the reader is often required to decipher what’s actually happening or what is part of an otherworldly slant.

This could’ve used a bit of tightening up, as a few areas drag for a bit, making the story slow down at times, which is difficult to say about an otherwise very well-written novel. But the payoff is certainly worth the reader’s time, and one chapter features a possession scene from the human point of view that hasn’t been done this effectively since Michael Laimo’s novel THE DEMONOLOGIST 20 years ago.

A fine addition to the crop of horror film-themed horror novels, Wehunt’s debut was well worth the wait for those who have been following his short fiction (he has two published collections). I’m eager to see what’s next.

5 stars

Ten years ago Jorie Stroud, Beth Kowalczyk and Colin Davies made up the October Film Haunt, a popular online group that visited the locations of their favorite film haunts. They were really going places…until the night it all went bad, when they visited the Arden, North Carolina (my parents used to live there! It’s a suburb of Asheville.) graveyard location for the cult classic “Proof of Demons,” a film by Helene Enriquez. What did they see that night? What did they experience? And why did a high school student named Hannah Kim have to die?

Now Jorie lives life as a semi-recluse with her young son Oli when she gets a VHS tape in the mail. Is someone filming her? Is there a connection to “Proof of Demons?”

This horror story won’t necessarily work for everyone, but I absolutely loved everything about this. First, I’m a sucker for well done stories about haunted film…NIGHT FILM by Marsha Pessl is one of my all time favorites. This has that vibe. The story is told primarily from Jorie’s POV, but also from several others and there are also scattered Interludes which are articles, blog posts, etc. The story works as great horror but also has interesting things to say about religion and faith. It’s not a perfect book, but it was perfect for me and I appreciated everything the author had going on here. Gimme more!!!

I really struggled with this one. The writing felt clunky, making it hard to stay engaged, and the story dragged more than it built suspense. It’s definitely more in the realm of cultish, found-footage-style horror—think Blair Witch rather than anything remotely like Stephen King. The atmosphere was unsettling, but the execution didn’t work for me. The disjointed storytelling, mixed media elements, and slow pacing made it a challenge to push through. If you enjoy ambiguous, meta-style horror, this might be for you, but it wasn’t for me.

I was excited for this one. It’s been awhile since I read a good horror book.

This one had moments where you could see the glimmer of a good book but it never fully got there. The characters didn’t land for me and there were parts where I struggled to read them and times I considered DNF. I added an extra star since I did make it through the book.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really had high hopes for this novel—it seemed right up my alley, speaking to the "weird horror movie" fan in me. And while parts of it were fantastic, others just didn’t hold my attention. There were moments I really enjoyed, but others dragged, making the story feel sluggish. I had no clue what was going on for a good portion of the book—which is usually something I love—but by the end, when everything was finally introduced, I just felt... dissatisfied.

I definitely enjoyed the beginning more than the end. The storyline surrounding Jorie, Beth, and Olie kept me engaged, but the side stories with Coleman, Trevor, etc., while necessary for the final outcome, didn’t hold my interest. At times, I just wanted to push through to see how it all played out. Honestly, up until the final 20%, I had no idea if this would be a 1-star or a 5-star read. In the end, it landed at a solid 3 for me.

That said, I can see why others might rate it higher—maybe even a 4 or 5. It just didn’t hit that level for me. But don’t take my word for it! This might just not be my trope. If the summary intrigues you, give it a shot—what fell short for me might be a hidden gem for you.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
I want to start by expressing my gratitude for the effort and dedication that goes into being an author. It truly pains me to say this, but I did not enjoy this book at all. I almost put it down without finishing, but I felt it was important to complete it for a fair review. I struggled to engage with the story, as it often seemed to prioritize horror elements over delivering a compelling narrative. I was hoping for a deeper connection with the characters, but they felt more like props to enhance the atmosphere rather than fully realized individuals. I found myself confused by some of the characters, and it took me much longer to finish this book than I expected, despite its relatively short length.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin Press for allowing me to review this ARC.

This review is kind of hard to write because I thought the idea was good, and I liked a lot of the elements in the story, but for some reason, I just couldn’t get into it and stay into it, and I’m not sure why because this is the kind of book I usually can. It really has everything I want and enjoy in a book and a plot. I don’t know if it’s the way it was written. It seemed a little drawn out and repetitive at times. I felt like I was being talked at, if that makes sense. I also had a hard time keeping track of all the people and all the different things going on. There were a few POVs, which I usually don’t have issues with, but for some reason, I had a hard time with this one. Maybe it’s just because there were a few POVs that I wasn’t all that interested in. I just didn’t connect with all of the characters the same.

I did enjoy the premise of the story and the way that the internet, found footage, and epistolary media were included. It did give me an eerie, paranoid feeling as I read it. I wouldn’t say fever dream, necessarily, but a little bit like when you’re in a dream and things feel disjointed and just out of reach. I think he created a creepy and unbalanced (in a good way) atmosphere really well— because of that, I went ahead and gave it four stars. Just because I couldn’t get into it well, doesn’t mean someone else won’t be able to.

The end wasn’t what I was expecting, but it felt a little longer than necessary and there were a few times I had a hard time not being a little bored. It was mentioned in the acknowledgments it started as a short story, and I think maybe as a short story it would be great, but as a whole book it seemed a little long. I think I might revisit the book around Halloween and see what it does for me then.

With all that being said, I do think you should give it a try! It’s not a bad book at all!

P.S. Jorie Stroud? Laurie Strode? Eh?

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC.

This had a great premise, but I ended up feeling like the story dragged on a bit. I loved the twists and the plot, but felt it was a bit stereotypical and predictable, Didn't love it, but was still a fast paced thriller!

Something was missing through out this whole book. It took me out of the book many times and I just couldn't keep my mind in the universe of the book.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This book was so much fun. If you’re a fan of classic horror, you’ll love all the little references sprinkled throughout. The first one I noticed was the main character’s name — Jorie Stroud — an homage to Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) from Halloween. I’ll leave the rest for you to find.

The horror in this book is somehow both visceral and ambiguous. Like I could feel it in my bones while reading, but the actual horrors (to keep it spoiler free) kept morphing and changing in my mind. Not because of lacking descriptions, but because that was just the nature of it. A little glitchy like an old roll of film. I loved that.

If you prefer to have everything super concrete and spelled out for you, I don’t think this is the book for you. But if you’re willing to roll with the vibes and let your imagination run a little wild, definitely pick this one up.

Throughout reading this book I couldn’t help thinking about the show Supernatural, specifically Season 1 Episode 17, Hell House. The episode asks the question, is it possible to bring a monster into being simply because enough people believe in it? Is a viral post on the internet enough to make your worst nightmare a reality?

This book asked some similar questions and I’m still mulling them over well after finishing my read.

The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt is a bone chilling horror that will leave the reader questioning what is real, and what is in the minds of the characters.

I’m a bit torn on how I feel about this one, not entirely certain where I stand on how I felt about it. To start, I thought the creeping sense of horror and off kilter feeling that this book manifested were fantastically well done. It was impossible not to feel creeped out and filled with tension while reading this book, wondering what horror lurked around every page, and knowing none of the characters were safe. I felt very much a part of each character’s terror and the blur between what was real versus not and trying to distinguish between the two was visceral.

I also enjoyed the blending between past and present, with events taking place very reminiscent of the past and forcing characters to confront the things they did a decade previously. The past of the these characters also set up the story beautifully and created so much trauma that takes such a twisted turn in the present where the things that were make believe start to blur the lines of reality and leave them guessing whether they are imagining things, manifesting the past, or whether it is really happening and they are somehow paying for the past in truth now. This also leaves room for so much character growth, particularly in the main point of view character, Jorie, as she has all of this trauma to deal with, her past mistakes and the consequences of her actions, and overcoming said events to make better choices in the present and truly find herself as an individual when she has stifled who she is for a decade. These were all things that truly made me feel as if I could connect with her character, and her relationship with Beth, her once best friend who she is forced to revisit so many years later, after horribly betraying her and losing contact was perhaps my favourite part of the book.

On the other hand, at times I felt like there were too many insignificant points of view that I really didn’t care for. Not that they didn’t provide part of the story, they did, but I did not feel connected with most of them (besides Jorie and Beth), and they felt tedious at times, making me want to rush through them to get to the more interesting parts of the story, and the characters I actually cared about. It was difficult to feel that same connection with all of the point of view characters and the sheer length of the chapters at time for said characters felt overwhelming to endure.

I felt really intrigued about where this book was going, and fully invested in the horror and the plot, but it did lose me around the end. It kind of took a different turn that I hoped it would and lost some of the entrancing nature that the story had held to that point and I was left feeling uncertain about the turn. It did still maintain the sense of terror and general spookiness of the horrors occurring, I’m just not certain it went where I hoped it would.

Generally speaking I did enjoy The October Film Haunt, I think in the end it just left a little to be desired by my own personal preferences - and not necessarily the very end, but leading up to it. I still think this is a book to be enjoyed, particularly by horror fans as it takes the genre and runs with it, creating such a great atmosphere and managing the creeping sensation of feeling spooked even as the reader.

Things I liked about this book: It was a spooky, slasher story with scenes that were actually pretty creepy. There was also a large part of the book that included social media and its influence on people and their decisions, which provided its own "scary" part of the story.

Things I didn't like: After about halfway through, the story really dragged. Which was disappointing, because I was pretty into it. Some parts felt unnecessary, like the grocery store scene. Also, you're telling me that the cop didn't have a key to her house, while he was supposed to be protecting her? The cop was my least favorite character! And he almost immediately dies in the last scene.

Overall, I think this would be a great 200 page book. Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc.

This one was very very hard for me to get into and follow while trying hard not to get distracted while I was reading. I thought the description of this book was very interesting that is why I had requested it from NetGalley but it’s definitely not the book for me. That being said this book does give creepy cult vibes and is extremely descriptive about everything.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

This was a difficult one for me. I wanted so badly to love The October Film Haunt. But it took me a week to get through it, despite reading every night and the book not being THAT long. It just…was not good at holding my interest.

The first half of the book was, for me, very slow and hard to get through. Nothing of note really happened, and it was a lot of introspection for the characters in each of their chapters. The prose was also a bit…verbose. This can work, but not when there is nothing. Happening.

The story picks up significantly in the second half, and reading became more of a “ooh, it’s getting really good now!” “Wait, I’m bored again.” “Ooh, it’s getting good again!” My biggest issue, though, was with the ending. It just…ends. I turned the page expecting to continue the scene I was just reading, but…it was the acknowledgements page. So the story just sort of…stopped.

All of that being said, this had the bones of a really, really good story. I saw in prior reviews that this was an expanded version of a short story, and I’m interested to give the short story a try; part of the problem with this as a novel was that it felt SO LONG and drawn out. I feel like maybe the short story version might be a lot stronger.

I would also read more by this author, because even though “The October Film Haunt” ended up not being what I was hoping for, it definitely had potential and Michael Wehunt absolutely has talent!

The premise of this book instantly drew me in. Our main character lives a secluded life as struggling single mom in Vermont. One day she gets a mysterious VHS tape in the mail that is linked to an old horror movie and her past as a horror film connoisseur/blogger. From here, Wehunt does a great job of building the mystery. Is this a prank? Someone trying to scare her? Or is she just paranoid? I loved the themes of surrealism, paranoia, and surveillance.
This book is a love letter to old horror movies and internet creepy pasta. I struggled with some of the character’s choices- going off alone, not telling anyone where they’re going etc. I also feel the book could have been shorter, with some POVs skipped, and repetition edited out.