Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Jimmy Juliano’s 13 Months Haunted!

There’s something strange about Avery Wallace…

When Piper Lowry starts her new job at the library of a small town, she immediately starts hearing rumors about another new-to-town family, Susan and Avery Wallace. Avery’s sister and father suddenly died, Susan never lets thirteen-year-old Avery out of her sight, and the other kids at school want nothing to do with her. Piper feels compelled to do what she can to help this girl, but quickly learns that others were right to keep their distance. There’s something sinister at work and Piper needs to figure it out before it’s too late.

I literally could NOT put this book down! I absolutely devoured it. Turning the page wasn’t a want but a need! The way this mystery is unraveled, piece by piece, through every creepy haunting and unsettling moment, was so thrilling. The only time I stopped reading was when it got dark and I was too creeped out to keep going! Of course, this novel is full of glorious early 2000s references. I was worried that it would be overwhelmingly cringy like some other books I’ve read, but for the most part, it actually didn’t feel forced at all. There was a couple references that felt a little cheesy but that entire era is (lovingly) a little cheesy so I think it’s unavoidable! It totally pulled things out of the depths of my memories (I haven’t thought about BabelFish in who even knows how long!) The writing was engaging and kept me guessing. I love when I can’t predict what will happen and I felt that throughout this story.
Overall, this was such a fun and spooky read. I would recommend it to fans of Stranger Things, The Ring, and nostalgia.

13 Months Haunted • Jimmy Juliano

Thank you @duttonbooks for the ARC 🙏🏼 I’ve been so excited for this book ! And it lived up to my expectations. Juliano really won me over when I read Dead Eleven a couple of years ago.

The early aughts nostalgia (see the second pic because I love that the timing of me reading this lined up with my ER binge watching) mixed with classic horror elements really did it for me.

Took me back to the days of chain emails that if you didn’t forward to 10 people within an hour, blood Mary would come for you. Perfect mix of horror, early internet days, and 00s vibes.

Pub date : August 12, 2025
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🏷️: #13monthshaunted #arcreview #bookstagram #readmorehorror

If you're looking for a horror novel that perfectly blends early 2000s nostalgia with genuinely unsettling dread, you need to grab Jimmy Juliano's 13 Months Haunted. This isn't your average ghost story; it's a super clever and creepy dive into how digital content can haunt us, long before social media took over.

Librarian Piper Lowery's life gets weird when she meets mysterious eighth-grader Avery, who's got some serious tech phobia. Soon, whispers of dark secrets and inexplicable events start, and Piper realizes something sinister is following her, looking for a new home. Juliano brilliantly turns something like spam chain emails into a terrifying plot device – genius!

The mixed-media format (blog entries, journals, online chats) is a huge highlight, making the escalating horror feel incredibly real and pulling you right into the story. For anyone who lived through the Y2K era, the vibe is spot-on: dial-up sounds, chatrooms, and pre-social media paranoia mix perfectly with the chills. And Piper herself is a fantastic protagonist – smart, compassionate, and willing to face the bizarre head-on.

This book is more than just scares; it's a disquieting look at fear, memory, and the digital imprints we leave behind. If you loved Juliano's previous novel, Dead Eleven, you'll love this just as much!

Highly recommend! Just maybe don't read it alone at night.

Are you longing for the nostalgia of the early 2000s? Do you find yourself reminiscing about the days of dial-up internet and the catchy hits of NSYNC? If so, I have the perfect book to transport you back! This tale is steeped in early 2000s charm, evoking a desire to slip into low-rise jeans, throw on a classic Gap tee, and pop "Jagged Little Pill" into the CD player.

From the very first chapters, you’ll encounter a treasure trove of references that define the era: the familiar chime of AOL’s “You've Got Mail!” echoes through your mind, while mentions of Napster and web journals evoke a sense of digital nostalgia. The story weaves in iconic elements such as the beloved TV show "ER," the dystopian allure of "The Matrix," the anxieties of Y2K, and quirky search engines like Ask Jeeves and Yahoo. It’s a whirlwind of memories featuring pop culture icons like Britney Spears, the eerie ambiance of "The Blair Witch Project," the energetic sounds of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the sometimes-tedious yet thrilling process of burning music onto CDs. Honestly, I half-expected Christina Aguilera to materialize from the pages and serenade me with her timeless hits.

Overall, this book provided an entertaining experience. It treads the line of creepy without fully plunging into horror, boasting a premise that's refreshingly original. While the storyline may stretch plausibility—requiring what I would describe as a significant (okay, perhaps a generous) suspension of disbelief concerning Avery's eerie situation—it fully embraces the quirks of the horror genre, especially as it ventures into the sci-fi territory toward the conclusion.

“13 Months Haunted” unfolds through a blend of traditional narrative and web journal entries, revealing a story set against two timelines. In 2000, we meet twenty-two-year-old Piper Lowery, whose days are spent at a quaint library in Clover Creek. There, she encounters Avery Wallace—a ghostly eighth grader whose piercing gaze and reclusive nature shroud her in unsettling legends. Piper, inexplicably drawn to Avery, begins to sense a haunting truth—the chilling short story Avery submitted for a Halloween contest might not be mere fiction at all.

Fast-forward to the present day, where Anders, a relative of Piper, is knee-deep in research for his thesis on viral phenomena. As he uncovers Piper's long-forgotten web journal, his initial academic curiosity spirals into a terrifying journey of rediscovery, unearthing the viral curse that irrevocably altered Piper's life. At the heart of this narrative is a deeply unsettling concept: a supernatural computer virus that preys on those who dare to view a cursed file. The grim reality is that victims meet a harrowing fate if left alone, and the virus appears sentient—alive and eager to propagate its dark influence.

Imagine “The Ring” intertwined with the eerie essence of early internet chain emails, infused with a hefty dose of digital possession. One of the most compelling aspects of this unique take is the portrayal of digital possession; I was particularly struck by a scene where Avery eerily mutters disjointed, commercial-like phrases, as if she has transformed into a haunting human pop-up ad—a clever, if unsettling, metaphor for the invasive nature of digital content.

Despite my excitement for the innovative premise, I found myself feeling somewhat indifferent by the end. While I appreciated the nostalgic setting of 2000, it did seem at times that Juliano overindulged in 90s pop culture references. However, the mixed media approach was a highlight, weaving together Piper’s blog entries, Avery’s journal, and Sam’s online explorations to present a multi-faceted narrative that kept things intriguing. Surprisingly, it struck me that a horror novel built around the theme of spam chain email threads hasn’t been more prevalent, and Juliano’s creative spin on this concept was compelling.

Piper emerges as a captivating protagonist; her inquisitive mind and compassionate heart make her an engaging figure willing to embrace the paranormal experiences that unfold around her.

*ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY*

13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano is a spooky slice of Y2K era internet nostalgia that unfortunately falls flat right at the end.

The novel centers on Piper recounting a viral blog she wrote in the fall of 2000 that resulted in ‘paranormal enthusiasts' flocking to a small town in northern Wisconsin. Juliano does a good job establishing a quintessential horror novel small town where not much happens until a mother and her teen daughter move in. The tragic backstory of the newcomers and their strange behavior draws the attention of the school bullies and that's where the problems begin. The seemingly inexplicable behavior of the teenage Avery Wallaceand her mother, Susan Wallace, piques Piper’s interest. She decides to blog about the strange things she's observing while endeavouring to find out what is happening with this family. The novel truly kicks off when Piper witnesses a horrifying death that forces her to reevaluate all the rumors surrounding the Wallaces, no matter how unbelievable.

This novel hooked me early and I was eagerly turning the pages trying to figure out what was going on. I consider this novel to be more spooky rather than scary. There's a general sense of unease throughout, but only a few actually scary moments. I enjoyed how focused the story was where I felt like I was constantly getting new clues to what was the cause of everything happening. I also appreciate that the supernatural element in this book was pretty unique and had me guessing until the end. However, after the reveal is when I started having more issues with this book. Because Juliano writes a unique supernatural element he has to the convince the reader why it happened and give some explanation of the rules. I feel like I generally bought into the ‘why’ and didn't have problems with it. The ‘rules’ on the other hand didn't make a lot of sense. The general premise made sense, but it felt like the rules changed based on what the author needed to happen without there being a satisfactory explanation of why they changed. But my biggest problem with this book by far is the epilogue. First of all, there's a jarring switch from the 2000 storyline back to present day and then an unsatisfying conclusion to Piper's story. Then the character that has been listening to Piper, who I don't care about, does several idiotic things. And finally Juliano makes the ending as unambiguous as possible I think to make it scarier. If the author had even just cut the last like 5-10 pages I would have given this book 4 stars rather than the 3 stars I'm giving it now. I liked this book and the ending just really annoyed me and cheapened the rest of the rest of the story.

This is an entertaining spooky story that would be better without the last 5-10 pages.

Piper Lowery, a library clerk who works closely with the local middle school, can tell there’s something off about the new eighth-grade girl, Avery Wallace. For one, she avoids all technology—like, won’t even touch the library computers—and her mother? Basically fused to her hip. She won’t leave Avery’s side, not even when she’s in the bathroom.
The rumors don’t help: whispers about witchcraft, a tragic supernatural backstory, and a mysterious virus that wiped out Avery’s sister and father. Piper decides to reach out—she sees how alone Avery is—but as the bond deepens, so does the creeping dread. There’s something dark inside Avery. And whatever it is, it’s spreading.
I’ll admit, I liked this more than I expected to. Juliano takes the old possession trope and gives it a fresh, unsettling twist—less The Exorcist, more psychological infection. It works not just as horror, but as a metaphor for modern anxieties: isolation, fear of contagion, and the way darkness—literal or emotional—can pass silently between us. Honestly, it stuck with me.
That said, the tension could have been dialed up a notch. The book flirts with that claustrophobic fear—the kind where you know something’s wrong, but can’t point to it—but it never quite tightens the screws. I wanted that creeping sense of dread to really sink in. Still, Juliano has a knack for turning subtle horror into something thoughtful, and if you're into unsettling reads that echo the real world just enough to make you squirm, I’d recommend giving this one a go.

Equal parts eerie and entertaining, this book pulls you in with its unsettling atmosphere and clever twists. Set in the small town of Clover Creek, the story centers on Piper, a curious local blogger investigating strange reports in the area. At the same time, we meet Avery—a quiet student with a vivid imagination and a gift for storytelling—who’s being haunted by more than just bullies at school. As Piper tries to connect with Avery, she runs into a protective mother, a growing sense of dread, and a web of mysteries that hint there’s far more going on than anyone’s willing to admit. Through Avery’s chilling perspective, we encounter black mist, a mysterious virus, and something far more terrifying than either of them can explain. It’s the kind of book that makes you glance over your shoulder—and maybe shut your laptop for a while.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I found this one very easy to read, even though in the final analysis I thought the story was less interesting than it should have felt, given how quickly I read it - if that makes any sense? It felt like things I'd read before (yes, The Ring, I'm talking to you), but that didn't stop me from enjoying most of the ride along the way. Juliano has a very engaging writing style and it's very easy to fall into his stories. I don't know that the plots themselves make a ton of sense when you stop to think about them (I'm thinking both of this one and his earlier title, Dead Eleven), but that's not really what most horror is about (at least for me), so I mostly don't mind.

If you want a blast from the past with fabulous retro vibes, he does a fantastic job setting the stage and throwing in details that ring clarion-true as far as the atmosphere of the timeframe he's utilizing, and that makes the books fun for me, having fond memories of both the early 2000s and 1994! I wavered between 3 and 4 stars on this one, but went 3 because of the ending and way everything tied together. I did enjoy it though, and it was a very fast and engaging read, especially if you read it just for the sheer fun of it and don't overthink it (which I can't help but do).

BTW, how fabulous is that cover?? I LOVE his cover art - both books definitely drew me in with their covers...

3.5 stars

Piper Lowery is a library clerk in Wisconsin (I think. Pretty sure it’s Wisconsin. Could be wrong about that, though. But it’s a Wisconsinish state.) and she comes into contact with Avery Wallace, an eighth grader new to her school who is having some issues. Her mother is with her 24/7, even in the bathroom, she won’t use any type of computer and she’s being bullied. Piper intervenes in a bullying episode and then finds the instigator dead in his home.

As Piper becomes closer to Avery and her mother, Susan, she learns more about their history and the frightening things that have been going on. Rumors about Avery are rampant because something is terribly wrong.

I loved Juliano’s DEAD ELEVEN so I was really looking forward to this. I liked that it was mostly set in 2000, heyday of Napster and dial up. While the big bad here didn’t seem like the most innovative choice in 2025 the book was done well and I liked the framework (a story told in present day, looking back twenty five years) and the ending. So, it was good, but just shy of great.

Jimmy juliano has done it again. I absolutely loved Dead Eleven and this book is another creepy paranormal realism story about a young girl who gets infected by a haunted malevolent code in 1999 right before the Y2K panic. The story is told mostly as a flashback retelling of someone being interviewed about their experience during the “infection”. As Piper revisits her involvement and the happenings in the small town during this time, it’s hard to guess what comes next and very easy to get creeped out. Paranormal + technology is such a great combination. The story is so captivating, creepy, horrific, and takes some amazing twists and turns. It’s hard to write a good review without spoilers for this one but if you like paranormal horror this is so for you.
I’m impatiently waiting another Jimmy Juliano book already because I love his storytelling so much!

Late 90s/early 00s chain email gone wrong, with big dose of nostalgia mix in.
I'm not usually a fan of a story within in a story kind of books but I was definitely drawn in from the beginning.
This book is mostly told from Pipers pov, while mixed in portions of Averys journal entry, Pipers, live journal entry, Sams internet scraping, etc. A good quick read, and the ending, another jaw drop for me, and wanting more.

4.25 stars

This is the second book I have read by this author and will continue to look forward to his writing. He's extremely talented. This novel skillfully blends elements of mystery and suspense, drawing readers into a chilling narrative that explores themes of friendship, trust, and the hidden dangers that can lie beneath the surface. Highly recommended.

Dare I say it wasn’t creepy enough for me? This was scary don’t get me wrong but I love SCARY SCARY.
The little bits of sci-fi at the end were different but I didn’t mind that. I did predict it so maybe that’s why I’m not 100% about this book?? I’ll buy it anyways to see if I get a different reaction with the final edit!

I was worried this book would come off as a buzzfeed list "top 100 things we forgot about from the 00's" as books set in this time tend to be but I was pleasantly surprised that it was not. Sure, there are call backs to napster, aol instant messaging and more but there sprinkled through out the book as fun reminders. I enjoyed this book a little bit more than Dead Eleven and I cant wait to see what's next from this author.

This book has ALL the small town nostalgic vibes. Love a good scary book with a librarian. This book literally gave me the chills torwards the end to the point where I would only read this if it was daylight outside. I loved Julianos last book Dead Eleven and this one was just as good! And can I just say the cover art for his books are 👌🏻.

I was so excited to receive this book in an advanced reader copy! Thank you to netgalley for proving me to read this book!

I absolutely devoured the story! It was so good and so captivating! I was on the edge of my seat!

I love this author’s writing style!!

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC copy of this book.

I was really excited to get a copy of this after very much enjoying Jimmy Juliano‘s first book, “Dead Eleven”. I originally heard about him from the NoSleep podcast and always enjoyed his work.

In summary, this book is about Piper, a woman who learns about Avery. Avery is a young girl who is new to town and has rumors swirling around her about the deaths of her family members. Rumors of her family being haunted or from living in a previously haunted house circulate at school. This leads to bullying and more speculation. It would be hard to speak of anymore on this without giving away any major plot points.

Both of this authors books have great nostalgia for those of us who grew up in the 90s. “Dead Eleven” did this with the 90s. “13 Months Haunted” did this with the feel of the late 90s and early 2000s. This was the era that I grew up in, so I felt very much at home reading this book. Coding is a huge part of this book and I was a major coding nerd in that time period.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is that the main character has a blog that she writes in all the time. For those of you that grew up in the 90s and the 2000s, you may remember LiveJournal. I LIVED on LiveJournal. Well, not specifically listed as LiveJournal in this book, it’s obviously the same thing. It even lists her current mood and what music she’s listening to at the bottom of the entries. Honestly, I can literally just see the Buffy and X-Files icons I used to make that I would put with my LiveJournal entries when I read it.

I very much enjoyed this book more than his first one. The pacing seemed a lot more even. I’m excited to see if he continues in his books with this 90s nostalgia or if he takes it to a different place.

Jimmy Juliano’s new book, 13 Months Haunted, is an engaging, readable book. It’s definitely spooky and really creepy as the story of a possibly supernatural computer virus unfolds. There is something very compelling about the nostalgia that develops when reading about the dawn of the computing age (circa 2000) and it’s amusing to read about the AOL free usage disks and Napster. The characters are all generally likable (except for the one guy who is meant to not be…) and the story progresses at a decent pace. I’m not sure the ending really landed for me; however, this is a suitably creepy book. My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

Jimmy Juliano's “13 Months Haunted” is a nostalgic, and creepy blend of early 2000s digital paranoia and supernatural horror. Set in the end of the Y2K era—when dial-up tones, burned CDs, and AOL chatrooms, were part of daily life—this story turns the relics of a bygone tech age into terrifying tools of dread. It’s an extreme version of chain emails with computer viruses that come alive.

Fantastic setting and characters. If you’re looking for a book that will take you back to the early days of internet culture, with a mystery centered around technology and a tale of possession, definitely consider reading this one!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book!

Loved the storyline and the ending. The whole book was just amazing.

The more I speak of it, the more I am losing my mind. This was so good! It matched all my expectations and the went on to shatter the. This story was genuinely scary; like the cannot stay alone in a room kind of scary. The characters are so well done and it was impossible to put it down. A triumph of horror!