This book was just as fun if not more fun than Dead Eleven. the author has a way of bringing nostalgia to his writing and this book was everything I was hoping it would be and more! I look forward to seeing what else he has in store for us

Woah! What a crazy ride! First of all, I forgot that this was a story inside another storyline. Then I found myself going “nooo! Don’t do it!” Just as I would if I weee watching a scary movie. So well written and kept me on the edge of my seat.

13 Months Haunted is absolutely gripping! From the first page, it pulls you into a chilling, suspenseful world and won’t want to leave. It is mix of mystery and supernatural twists. It kept me turning pages late into the night. The characters are so descriptive. Their fears feel like your own, sometimes making me wonder if I should read the book during the daytime instead. This is easily one of the best spooky reads I’ve picked up recently. I highly recommend it!

There was so much nostalgia in this book!
The cover is also amazing.
Piper is a library clerk who befriends a new eight-grader, Avery. Avery’s family has a mysterious and tragic past which may involve supernatural things.
As they get closer, Piper learns more chilling things.

Atmospheric, nostalgic and creepy

Piper Lowery, a public library clerk in charge of liaising with the local middle school, can tell right away there’s something strange about the new girl in eighth grade. Avery Wallace won’t touch any kind of technology, not even the computers at the library, and her mother comes to school with her every day, refusing to leave her side—not even when Avery uses the restroom. Seeing how isolated and lonely Avery is, Piper befriends her but quickly realizes it might just be the worst decision she’s ever made.

I DNFd this book at 20%, because that’s my personal rule for ARCs. I was frustrated with the FMC. It felt like the author wanted to make her a librarian or teacher but didn't want to deal with job accuracy or the ethical obligations of those jobs, especially mandated reporting, so he just made her a library clerk. I understand she is in her early 20s for most of the story but her choices and lack of initiative were maddening. The attempts at placing the main part of the book in the early 2000s felt really clunky to me too. Also, the on-page child abuse that is absent from any descriptions or trigger warnings was disconcerting. I was a fan of Juliano's first book, but this one was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. 13 Months Haunted releases August 13th, 2025.

Piper is a library clerk at the public library. She is presenting the library's latest writing contest to an eighth grade class and notices there is a new student, Avery. When she asks the teacher about her, he confesses that it is a strange situation where Avery's aide is her mother. And not only does the mother help her in the classroom, but she accompanies her everywhere, even to the bathroom! This has prompted bullying and rumor-spreading among the other students. Piper learns that some of these rumors say that the Avery's father and sister died under mysterious circumstances, and that their former house was haunted. When Piper reads the Avery's submission for the scary story contest, she begins to wonder if something in the rumors are true. This sends Piper on a mission to learn more, including going to the house where the family used to live, and reporting on all she is learning in her blog. The repeated references to Napster got a little old, though. It was especially disappointing that anyone working in a library (even in a work of fiction) would be so flagrant in their copyright violations.

The story is unique, and takes unexpected turns. The author did a good job of ramping up the creepy factor. For me, the characters fell a little flat, though. I think if you like a ghost story, that this is one to put on your list.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest reviews.

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I wanted and nothing that I expected. For all of the horror and thriller books I read, this one was extremely refreshing, and I couldn't put it down.

The mixed media, the flashbacks - it was all beautifully pieced together to create a chilling story that went in directions and took turns I wasn't expecting. While everything came together nicely in the end, I still loved how we were all devastated at the same time. I love the nostalgia and Wisconsin setting.

This book is definitely deserving of more love and appreciation, and it's the perfect read for spooky season!

I love love loved Juliano’s debut novel “Dead Eleven.” I always recommend it. I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy of this one. This book had all the nostalgia of the early 90s that I was looking for. I also thought it was an incredibly unique premise. A girl creates a code that has a mind of its own and ends up haunting and killing people, brilliant.
Sadly the book fell a bit short for me. If I had to hear about downloading songs on Napster one more time I was going to gag. It was repetitive at times and took a really long time to get to the point. There is lots of potential here and I will absolutely read more by Juliano. I think there will be people who really enjoy this book. Unfortunately for me, I feel the author is still trying to find his footing away from the short story space and into a full novel. Lost if great ideas, but I needed more suspense and more action. Less mention of all the things that occurred in the 90s.

Thank you so much for the early copy,

13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano is a masterclass in modern horror, taking classic ghost story tropes and twisting them into a chilling, technologically-fueled nightmare. As a school librarian in Wisconsin, Piper is a compassionate and relatable protagonist who, while running a scary story competition, encounters Avery, a troubled student with a history of tragedy.
The novel's strength lies in its slow-burn suspense. From the moment Piper notices the sadness in Avery's eyes and the strange behavior of her overprotective mother, the dread builds. The story moves beyond typical hauntings, exploring a much more sinister and pervasive threat—an invisible force tied to a computer virus. This unique twist is what makes the book so "twisted" and "dark." The mystery of Avery's family deaths and the rumors of a haunted house keep you hooked, but the revelation that a malicious email is the true killer is a brilliant and unexpected turn.
The author expertly navigates the line between supernatural horror and tech-based terror, making the familiar feel deeply unsettling. The black, smoky mist is a terrifying visual, and the stakes are high as Piper must race to save Avery from a force that is actively trying to kill her. The emotional core of the story—Avery's grief and loneliness, and Piper's desire to protect her—makes the horror all the more effective.
I absolutely loved this book. It's a fresh and inventive take on the genre that will make you think twice before opening an email from an unknown sender. A huge thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this fantastic ARC!

I was excited by this one at first because a creepy little girl who seems off and a seemingly overbearing mother who moved to a new town with lots of rumors about them — sounds great as a premise! Plus, I love paranormal horror and the title suggests that it will be exactly that - however, it’s misleading. It’s not a paranormal horror but a cyber horror? The thing that plagues the MCs is a virus that the young girl creates, which may have supernatural elements but it’s not really a haunting and it’s kind of a “cheat” to call it such. The idea of it is interesting, but the actual execution of it was a miss. I don’t think the author did a great job of creating the story she wanted to make. It was disappointing, cheesy, and messy.

I have had this author's debut release sitting on my shelves since it was released. I don't know why I chose to read this one first, but I have no regrets and now feel better about circling around and picking up the other.

When the book opens, a young man is attending a family even and discussing his upcoming thesis for college surrounding viral videos. He learns of a relative he has no memory of who had some strange phenomenon occur to her and sets off to find her. Enter Piper and her husband. Piper starts telling the story of when she was a small-town librarian fresh off college graduation and meets a young 8th grader, Avery, and her mother at the local middle school. Piper befriends them but she soon realizes there is more to Avery than meets the eye. She is unable to be alone, and her mother follows her everywhere. Avery is picked on in school which makes Piper want to help her even more. What the reader eventually learns involves possible witchcraft, a cursed computer program and lots of 80's references. This is a far as I will go in order to avoid spoilers.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and unlike many other horror book topics I usually gravitate towards. I liked Piper as a character and although you really have to suspend your disbelief the more the book progresses, it is horror so sometimes you just have to expect that. I loved all the 80's references, especially regarding music and Napster, and was truly invested in what was happening to Avery. I will say that while the ending was satisfying, afterwards there was kind of a second ending involving the young man and his thesis which I didn't feel was needed. But that is just a personal preference and shouldn't impact anyone's overall enjoyment of the book.

Overall, if you enjoy horror and 80's nostalgia, I would highly recommend this book. One spoiler (I guess I lied) - the dog lives. And he is a very good boy! And yes, I had to find the answer to this question about 40% into the arc before I could proceed. Hey, I wonder if I could convince publishers to put a little tiny pawprint on the cover beneath the title to indicate pet friendly content. They could "x" it out if the content contained animal abuse. Just a thought.

I enjoyed the authors previous work so decided to give this one a try. It gives off vibes similar to the movie the ring and similarly is set in a bygone era of technology that younger readers might find hard to relate to. As someone who grew up in that time period though I found the book spooky and nostalgic.

This one is going to be fun to review lol I was a little iffy when I heard it was a horror novel set in the early 2000’s. Idk waht I was expecing with this, but it was all that and more. I had a really good time reading this and I think some of y’all will too.

Ok so the best thing about this was the world-building. It wasn’t a lot, but the small things added up. Like the casual mentions of people only being able to access a computer from the library. That felt wild. I think I remember a Walk-Man or Disc-Man being mentioned too? I felt so old to know this is actually now considered historical because it’s about 20 years old.

The characters were really sweet tho. Piper the librarian was so sweet! She took a special interest in that child and helped her as best she could. But her help came too late. She had already done something that would change her life forever. And let me just tell you, if you think you know, you don’t. This is unhinged, but it’s so good. When the rumors start about the girl’s family, Piper wants to know more. And when she finds out more, it was more than she bargained for.

OK so the creepy factor in this was legit. I kept thinking about all the bad videos that have crossed my phone while I read this. Hell there was one bad one that I watched yesterday after the Minnesota incident. It really shows how alone I’m sure Avery was and then Piper when she realized what was going in with them. And the fact that SO MANY people own technology now, I can’t imagine if this happened right now. This whole thing freaked me out and I can’t lie, I wasn’t ready for it lol It made me think so much about the things we watch, why we watch them, and what could happen to technology in the hands of those that aren’t responsible.

This book was so weird! But I loved it because of that. And the ending? I was yelling at that more than I was about the rest of the story. But it also threw me for a loop. Because it wasn’t until the ending where I remembered that this whole thing was an interview. I was sucked into the story just like she was sucked into the virus or whatever.

HOLYYYYY HELL this was a crazy one!!! This is about a completely unique haunting that occurs in the early 2000s. Think Napster, Britney, Leann Rimes, RollerCoaster Tycoon and just pure nostalgia with a sinister twist!

This story is about a librarian named Piper who just moved to a new town and is helping the school run a scary story contest. She comes across a truly spine-tingling story from a girl named Avery who she discovers is relentlessly bullied and has suffered major trauma. Her mom is ALWAYS with her (she isn’t even alone when using the bathroom) and there’s something truly odd about this relationship and haunting about this girl. On top of that, her sister and father tragically died less than a year earlier. Piper is intrigued by this girl and her family and one night when she stumbles upon something otherworldly she decides to find out what’s really going on. This turns out to be the biggest mistake of her life.

Think Blair Witch Project meets the Exorcist meets that Are You Afraid of the Dark episode called “The Tale of the Renegade Virus” (if you haven’t seen that episode it’s a MUST). This was so nostalgic and absolutely terrifying. This book gave me chills and the ending had me reeling.

This is THE spooky season book of 2025 - if you love hauntings, possession stories, nostalgic early 2000s vibes (especially if you were a kid starting to use a computer for the first time like I was) and enjoy when stories have mixed media (like blog posts) this is a must read!

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton books - this was a slam dunk!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Jimmy Juliano with only two books released, has quickly become one of my favorite authors. He released, Dead Eleven a couple of years ago and I have been singing it's praises since. 13 months haunted did not disappoint. I loved this book so much. The story is targeted for those of us who grew up in the early days of the internet when it felt more like a supernatural force that hardly anyone understood and at times feared. 13 Months Haunted combines a lot of things together and does it well. We get solid mixed media that really adds to the story. Jimmy creates a narrative here that will keep you up at night and questioning all the things you come across on the internet. We get a creative and interesting group of main and side characters to route for. I have no complaints about this story, I will read it again and again.

13 Months Haunted is a wonderfully atmospheric and unique entry into the supernatural horror genre. Jimmy Juliano masterfully blends early 2000s nostalgia with a genuinely creepy plot, creating a story that feels both familiar and deeply unsettling. The inclusion of online journal entries and other mixed-media elements adds a layer of authenticity that makes the terror feel all the more real.

The book is a fast-paced page-turner, building suspense through an ever-present sense of dread rather than relying on gore. The core mystery is clever and keeps you invested, and Piper Lowery is a likable protagonist who you can't help but root for. The constant references to dial-up internet and early social media are a fun throwback that makes the story feel unique.

While I really enjoyed the ride, the plot does require a significant suspension of disbelief, and the ending, while it ties things up, leans a little heavily into a sci-fi feel that might not be for everyone. Despite this, it's a smart and very entertaining book that I would highly recommend for fans of spooky stories and the era it's set in.

*Cue dial up internet sound*...............................................

Click on Napster, begin music download............................

Log into AOL....."You've got mail!".....................................

Open email, "Send this to _ amount of people...."

But be warned.....you shouldn't click the link in the email!

There is something off about a girl named Avery - why does her mom never leave her side (even at school), why does she avoid technology, why is she saying off the wall things and having scary and violent outbursts? The local librarian, Piper, decides to try and help the girl...but gets drawn into an internet rabbit hole that makes her wish she had stayed out of it.

With an entity whose only intention is to "Haunt, kill, spread", will Piper be able to save Avery in time? (Can a tech-orcism actually work?) Or will technology get the best of her?

This story had all the Y2K vibes, and the ending was worth the wait!

I loved all the early 2000s nostalgia! That alone made me love this book. The author did such a great job making my heart race and my eyes moving back and forth at record speed to see what would happen next. This authors writing was phenomenal! If you grew up in the 90s or early 2000s, I can guarantee you will love this book.

I enjoyed the horror and the nostalgia for the 2000s. The ending part of the book was really fun to arrive at. I sort of wish more time had been given to the present day, but the story was solid and enjoyable with a sympathetic, empathetic main character.

Prepare for Y2K Horror!!

13 Months Haunted is Jimmy Juliano’s latest horror adventure. Told through a long form flashback, readers learn that Piper, our caring librarian narrator, meets a mysterious young girl and things go downhill from there. The girl’s mother never leaves her side and she can’t touch a computer, and then the body count starts to rise. The story starts out uneasy, with suspense building with every page, until all hell breaks loose.

Jimmy Juliano is such a talented writer. From page 1 to the final twist in the epilogue, the story kept me ensnared. Plodding along methodically with exciting bouts of discovery which made me feel like I was solving a mystery with the characters. Another really excellent component of the story is how Juliano nails the time. I know it may feel strange to say considering this is 1999 and on, but it’s still firmly a period piece that captures the time in decadent writing. Those details also help drive the story, giving details and answers about what might be happening until it’s too late to eject the evil.

You don’t want to miss this story and I’ve almost had several heart attacks when it came to the puppy - be warned!