Give me a dark, eerie ya horror/thriller with a woodsy backdrop near some kind of body of water integral to the story and I AM THERE! There is just something about the setting and the vibe that immediately propels me inside the book. Bring the character back to their creepy hometown to solve an unsolved mystery plaguing them...? Yes, please!

Mila can hear the dead. She can hear the voices of those who've died in the bog. When her brother went missing, she fled dreading hearing his voice. When her sister calls her back home, she returns to find that she has now gone missing, too.

Her mother has been swayed by the reverend who seems to be covering something up. The police are no help to Mila. She reluctantly turns to the reverend's estranged son to help her uncover the truth... what happened to her sister Agatha, what happened to her brother, Jed, among so many others who have gone missing.

Meanwhile, there is something dark and dreadful lurking in the bog and it is incredibly aware of Mila. She puts herself in grave danger looking for her siblings and finds forgiveness, betrayal, and answers along the way.

This was such a great read. I highly recommend it.

Spit Back the Bones delivers a moody, bog-drenched horror-romance debut that’s as much about family and grief as it is about things that go bump in the marsh. Equal parts eerie and emotional, it’s a novel that thrives in atmosphere but occasionally stumbles in tone.

We follow Mila Thomas, a woman haunted—literally and figuratively—by her brother’s disappearance years earlier. When her sister vanishes too, Mila is pulled back into the decay of her hometown and the secrets that fester in its waterlogged heart. The Thomas Bog is the novel’s biggest strength: it oozes dread and folklore, almost becoming a character of its own. King does a solid job weaving unsettling tension through the setting, and horror fans will find plenty to shiver at.

What’s most compelling is how the novel handles the psychological toll of trauma and loss. Mila’s complicated family dynamics and her repressed connection to the supernatural are handled with empathy, and her hesitant reconnection with the reverend’s estranged son adds a simmer of romance beneath the ghostly unease.

That said, the execution occasionally falters. The book sometimes feels like it's caught between YA and adult fiction—its characters are navigating adult trauma, but the dialogue and emotional arcs can skew younger in tone. The romance subplot is underdeveloped, leaving the central relationship more like an afterthought than a true spine to the story. And while the themes—grief, mental illness, religion, legacy—are ambitious, not all of them are fully fleshed out.

Still, for a debut, Spit Back the Bones has a lot to offer. If you like horror with a pulse of heartache, a hint of gothic romance, and a small-town mystery soaked in fog and folklore, you’ll find something to sink into here. Teagan Olivia King is a writer to watch, and I’ll be keeping an eye on what she conjures next.

I really liked the setting of the book because it was described as eerie, and I could easily imagine how the whole town would smell like the bog.
I also enjoyed the plot because it was interesting and at the same time a critique of the church.
However, I found the characters quite flat, and I couldn’t really connect with them, which made me enjoy the book less.
But if you’re more of a plot-driven reader, you might really like this book.

When I saw that the book was compared to Midnight Mass, I immediately signed up. And honestly, it was so much better!

Although I had some trouble getting into it at first, it was a rollercoaster of a story. The events follow each other so well that you just MUST continue reading. Each chapter reveals something new, makes the story more vivid.

Just as vivid as the bog! Its character is so unique and beautifully portrayed - the pain, the protective instinct about the girls and the messages it wanted to give them. Teagan so beautifully describes the horror the bog itself experiences, it adds even more power to the denouement at the end.

Mila, Roe and the rest are misfits first class, but fit together so well. I enjoyed reading their loyalties the most. Highly recommended!

3.5/5 Stars

Spit Back The Bones has a compelling story with spooky swamp vibes, family secrets, and a fiery main character. The action scenes are strong, but the writing leans too much on telling rather than showing, and the constant mention of the “bog” gets repetitive.

The plot is predictable but still enjoyable, though it doesn’t quite deliver on horror or scares. Overall, it’s a quick, easy read that could shine more with tighter editing and deeper character development.

I grabbed this book because the premise sounded super interesting. A girl who could hear the voices of the dead from the bog. A monster killing and the bog itself angry and wanting vengeance. The story was good but it wasn’t love for me.
Here are my thoughts:

Bog. The word is so overused in this story. The first 30% of the novel I swear the word was used every other sentence. I almost DNFed because of it. It was really bad. We need some editing here for sure.

The main character is just angry about everything. That’s her personality. Just mad. I would get it if it there was some reason for her to have that anger with her all the time but there isn’t.
The FMC acts like she has a history with one or two of the characters but we never get that in depth look. The FMC doesn’t have much development other than anger and she hates the bog.

The MMC. This boy is just crying in every scene. I think every time we see him he cries. I get it. He’s soft to her anger but cmon already. Roe is a decent character but we are told his history, not shown. This whole novel is about telling and not showing.

The action is actually pretty good. The scenes where something actually happens are done well and have a good spooky vibe. The creepy preacher, the gothic swamp vibes done well. I just wish we had more. More showing, more depth, less predictability, less slow motion.

The main plot was interesting when you dug through the rest. Do I think this is a good story? Yes. Do I think it needs more edits to get to it? Yes. I hope this story gets a little more attention and it’ll shine.

Thank you to Turner Publishing Company/Keylight books and NetGalley for the arc.

This was my first exposure into bog horror. I’m not familiar with that part of the world. But the author did an amazing job building up the setting and creating the eerie, unearthly atmosphere. Spit Back the Bones blends grief, horror, and a slow-burn romance that feels raw and sincere. The author did a good job in telling the story of how the characters exploring their grief, traumas, familial relationships, existential crisis, and the weight of family history. Mila’s heartbreak for losing her loved ones is incontrovertible, her rage was also palpable, while she is struggling with her existential crisis and her grief. Roe is the soft, quiet, and exactly the kind of grounding presence Mila needed. I thought the premise of this story was really interesting, also the beginning and the end was quite decent for me. It was the middle part of the story for me that just lacked something. The bog lore is dark, creepy and so vivid, but the pacing dragged a bit and quite repetitive in the middle. Overall this book is quite easy to read with a good premise, it's a book that easily got me hooked by the way of the authot's story telling, and even when i'm not reading it, i keep on thinking about this book.

This book started off so promising, but by the halfway mark it had devolved into kind of annoying and repetitive. I kept reading just to see what would happen and the ending was not great so...

This is the story of Mila coming back to town and figuring out what is going on with the bog and trying to find her missing siblings. Now Mila is a bit of an unlikable character. At first she is super angry in a way that didn't make much sense, but I like myself an unlikable character so I didn't mind. Only she turned into a super annoying character that I couldn't stand by the end. She is not the most intelligent and cannot put 2 and 2 together to get 4. Everyhting is about the bog and her brother Jed. I swear if I had to read her going on about Jed one more time, especially when she doesn't know what happened to him, I was gonna scream. It's all Jed Jed Jed. And the bog. It also the bog the bog the bog and it gets so repetitive it loses any sense of tension or unease.

This is marketed as a horromance and the romance aspect was fine. It wasn't the worst romance I have read, but not the best either. Part of the problem is I didn't care about any of the characters, plus it was super obvious what was going on so hard to get into it. I would be interested in reading something else from the author to see how it goes. This one didn't work for me in the end which is a shame as I was really loving the beginning.

Ok so I thought the premise of this story was really interesting, and the beginning and end was decent. It was the middle part of the story for me that just lacked something. I felt like some of the reactions the characters had to things were a bit nonchalant, I also struggled a bit to follow exactly what was happening as it was written in a way that seemed quite rushed. There are horror elements in the story but I didn't find it scary. There is also a slight romance storyline but it felt very odd to me. Overall a good premise but the execution just didn't do it for me I'm afraid.

That cover grabbed my attention immediately and had me super excited for this book. It was a strong debut and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for what the author writes in the future.

This was my first foray into bog horror — I’m not familiar with the landscape or even that part of the world. But King did a fantastic job establishing the setting and creating the creepy, haunted atmosphere. The book did a great job exploring familial relationships, grief, self identity, religious trauma, and the weight of family history.

Not what I expected, but better! I don’t read much horror but this was one I couldn’t put Dow! When a young one returns to the town , her brother went missing in 3 years ago, she finds her sister is missing also. They just went into the bog and disappeared. The bog talks to her, when she will listen. Now she has to listen!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

*3.5 stars*

Fans of bog horror and religious horror will find much to love in Spit Back the Bones; this one should be on your TBR if you are looking for an eerie Fall read!

Mila doesn’t want to return to the small town where she grew up; all her memories of the place are wrapped up in the tragedy of her brother, who went missing years before. But when her little sister goes missing as well, she returns to her hometown, determined to find out what is happening and save her sister. Her search leads her to the ancient Thomas Bog, which seems to be the source of the mysterious disappearances that plague the community; but there is more to fear in the bog than the unstable ground. Something waits below the surface, and if Mila isn’t careful, it might come for her too.

There are a lot of themes in this book, but I would say Spit Back the Bones is at its heart an exploration of grief, and our reactions to it. The author lost her own brother, and as you read the story, you can feel the very real emotions that built this book. It makes the story a beautiful memorialization of the author’s love for her brother. This book also has religious horror, “horror-mance”, and (my favorite trope / genre), “Something is Wrong with the Bog”.

I knew I needed to read Spit Back the Bones as soon as I saw that it was a bog-horror; if a book is set in a bog, I will read it, whether it’s horror or a dark fairy tale. I think this story is a great addition to the bog horror genre; my favorite part was the bog setting, and the wonderfully spooky descriptions of the unnatural-natural world and the character’s reactions to it. This book does a great job building atmosphere and giving the reader a very strong sense of place. I struggled a bit with some of the writing itself; I felt that it tonally jumped back and forth between YA and adult in the writing style, which was distracting at times. However, this didn’t impact the overall reading experience for me, and I enjoyed the book. I am looking forward to seeing what this author writes next!

I would recommend Spit Back the Bones to readers who enjoyed books like My Throat an Open Grave, The Toll, and Revelator, as well as to fans of bog horror, religious horror, and female rage.

Thank you to NetGalley & Turner Publishing Company for the arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.

Unfortunately this book was mostly vibes, with a rushed and very predictable plot.
I'm not sure what the disconnect was, but I didn't feel even a strong pull to the characters. It felt almost identical to Midnight Mass, but in a very surface level way. The plot, when it was progressing, was predictable and the main conflict far too easily solved. The same descriptions being used over and over was also distracting.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free ARC in return for an honest review.

In the essence, this story is fun: A cursed bog, missing people and a creepy atmosphere. I think as a reader you could tell too soon what was going on or what would be the clue of the story. That makes it, that the books reads very young adult, as I was frustrated why the characters themselves could not connect the dots.

As this is presented as an adult horror, I do think all through the story it felt more YA. The characterd all felt like high schoolers to me in their actiond and reactions and I had trouble seeing them as adults.

The main character, Mila, annoyed me to no end. She was rude and annoying and I don't really feel like her character had any growth at all. The romance fell a little flat for me and felt like it was only put in because the author wanted romance. I did not see the tension between Roe and Mila.

Overall, I think the story was a fun read, liked the bog vibes, but ultimately would've enjoyed it more if I would've gone in expecting something YA.

This one surprised me in the best way. Spit Back the Bones blends grief, horror, and a slow burn romance that feels raw and real, all wrapped in an atmosphere so haunting it practically breathes. Mila’s rage and heartbreak are palpable, and Roe is soft, steady, and exactly the kind of grounding presence this story needed. The bog lore is creepy and vivid (like, “check behind you” creepy), but the pacing dragged a bit in the middle and I wanted more from the ending. Still, for a horromance, it hits hard and stays with you.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A small town with a supernatural bog and missing people sign me up! Mila returns home three years after her brother went missing to find that her sister is also missing. With the sheriff being absolutely no help, only person that wants to help her is the reverend’s estranged son. Why are more and more people being taken by the bog? While this book was atmospheric, chilling, and emotional, it wasn’t my favorite. The writing leaned more toward YA and it just felt like something was missing. Maybe the romance could have gone up a notch.

Great folk horror. Had enough twists and turns to keep me occupied, even when it didnt really feel unpredictable. The paranormal parts seemed a little confusing, but the story was there and it was built beautifully.

Thank you netgalley and Turner Publishing for an advanced reader copy of Spit Back the Bones.

What a fun ride this was in a small town in northern Michigan. I have lived in Michigan my whole life and often spent my summers up north so this was the perfect summer read for me. I found this to be totally atmospheric and eerie in the best way. I could literally feel the humidity and cloudy conditions and smell an oncoming storm (iykyk).

Our main character Mila exudes female rage, which just so happens to be one of my favorite tropes! She is fierce, determined, and may or may definitely not know how to express her feelings.

Speaking of feelings; Roe and Mila. He’s sweet as can be and she’s awkward as can be and yes, I did find myself kicking my feet in the air and giggling at their banter. (And don’t even get me started on Agatha and Camille, SWOON).

I loved how this had a folklorish undertone with the stories about the bog and the Thomas family history. Not to mention the religious trauma these characters have been through at the hands of a small town church and a greedy reverend.

While I don’t think this was the scariest thing I’ve read, I still found what happened in the bog to be chilling and I’d love to read more from Teagan. I came for the over all premise and stayed for the setting and atmosphere. Her writing is almost poetic, which I felt like added to the overall mood of the book.

Bog books seem to be having their moment right now and this is definitely a top contender in my opinion.

I definitely struggled with this book… I found myself feeling like I was going to snap if I read one more description of the bog…

It felt very YA at times but then Adult at other times and it was very confusing what vibe to get into.

Mila was very much an unlikable MC.

Unfortunately this book just was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

This title will be released September 23, 2025!

A horror book with a side of romance? Always a yes for me… also let’s talk about the cover art because it is just awesome the illustrator absolutely nailed the graphics and its initially what drew me to the book before reading the synopsis.

The synopsis - “ For fans of Midnight Mass comes a haunting new horromance. Something dreadful is festering in the old Thomas Bog. For years, it’s done what it has been taught to do—it swallows. But it’s done following orders.”

I personally was a fan of midnight mass, especially that ending, sheesh 😬 Bogs also intrigue me there’s just something naturally eery about them, the unknown of what’s inside and if there is danger lurking.

This book has many layers and themes such as love, grief, loss, religion, power, mental health and family. For a debut novel the author definition took on a large task of exploring all of these themes within a niche genre, and to give the author credit I think she did a great job and I look forward to following her career. There were times the writing style seemed to almost slip between YA and adult as though the author couldn’t really decide which direction to take, but I think with a little help from editing and experience she’s on to a promising career.

The content of the plot definitely came through on the creepy side which is excellent as that’s what you want from a horror book pertaining bog themes. If you read at night time prepare to be a little more on edge 😆

Thank you for the gifted copy!

Publishes - September 23rd