"Bad things happened in this room. Good things too. But the bad things are so thick they've smothered the good"

This book is more than a horror story. It is an amazing story about grief, trauma and the tricks our minds can play. It is a psychological horror book that has a female main character that is being held captive by her controlling husband, Liam. I was immediately unsettled and put on edge, in the best way.

"Liam's presence never completely leave the house. Sometimes, it's a fleeting sight caught in the corner of an eye. Then, there are times when it fills each corner of every room, stealing the oxygen, making it hard to breathe"

I caught myself early trying to guess what was going to happen and enjoyed the book even more when I just let go and let it take me for a ride.

Thank you NetGalley, Rising Action Publishing Co and Marie Still for the ARC!

*quotes may be subject to change or removal in the final version.

Dark, eerie, and unsettling. I was hooked by the mystery and loved the blurred line between reality and madness. A haunting read with a chilling atmosphere.

This book just keeps going in circles and honestly? I considered not finishing it. The only reason I pushed through is due to some of the reviews saying the ending was great. The same thing being repeated over and over and over and over again until chapter 51.. No thanks. BUT! I have to admit I didn't see the ending coming, and my stomach did drop once I realised what was going on.
Basically, this is just a very sad book. And it might totally just be me who disliked it. But I'd say if you're struggling with the same, skip to the end. Because it's definetly a good ending.

Should you read this? Yes and I actually wonder if I would’ve had a better experience with this book in print. So I might give it a 5 star upon a second read.
It’s haunting and it’s eerie. Sometimes I wasn’t sure if I was lost or if that was kind of the whole point? Haha the only reason I went for 4 stars is because of that confusion where I wasn’t sure if it was getting a little too dragged on to the point of it feeling like okay…?
Def a great read for a spooky day!

Wow… just… wow.

Reviewing this without giving anything away is going to be tough. So I’ll keep it short and to the point. This is one of those stories you’re better off going into knowing as little as possible.

This book is beautifully devastating. I spent the entire time trying to piece together what was happening to this poor woman. What was real, what was in her mind, and what the hell had actually happened. When everything finally unraveled? My jaw hit the floor… and honestly, I think it’s still there.

I absolutely loved this story. It is unlike anything I have ever read. Without a doubt, this is going into my top five of 2025. I had a really hard time putting it down, and that is largely thanks to Marie Still’s incredible storytelling. She knows exactly how to hook a reader and never let go.

Sidenote: This one comes with some heavy trigger warnings, so definitely look them up if that is something you need. Otherwise, take the plunge and just go in blind. It is worth it.

What a fun read! I loved the dream-like writing (or really nightmare-like) and how it wasn't clear what is and isn't real. Willow, our main character, is definitely an unreliable narrator and she is also trying to remember what happened. It is obvious she is grieving, but what exactly is going on? Is her husband keeping her locked away in this house? Is she keeping herself there? It was a fun ride. I enjoyed every minute of it. And even though I figured out some of the things that happened I did not expect the last few pages so that was great. Really wonderful read and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Bad Things Happened in This Room is a psychological horror written the way I feel in some of my thickest, most vividly odd dreams. Willow’s mind is fractured and she is consumed with some sort of grief—as well as being obsessed with a missing girl from next door. This story is written so that you’re truly in it with Willow and you never know what is real and what is imagined—and neither does she. I whipped through this book and would absolutely recommend.

I dont know about Willow being in a fever dream?? or was it me, because wowza this book.i struggled to keep the chills and goosebumps off my skin. im not into horror and gore books. the books of horror i like are ones like this, where they freak out and scare the mind. this one certainly had that in buckets.
the tension and unease builds and doesn't stop throughout this book. you feel all at once that something bad is happening.or will happen. or might have happened? its intense and the characters captivating. the plot is paced just right with ebbs and flows where needed to keep you just on your edge.
Willow has what id call a hurt mind. she is trapped in her own home and is struggling with something in her past that she cant quite grasp. its there but its misty. so why can she only stay in the house and is it her or her husband making this so.
shes spiralling we know that, we see it, we feel it. she is confused, we are confused. she i questioning and so are we. she is desperate and we are almost desperate for her to figure out what is going on here.
this is a brilliant story. it takes you in and doesn't let go until the very end and even then you are left with the after 'readers effect' of it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co for the eARC!
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I can’t stop thinking about this book. The confusion, the paranoia, the repetition, the grotesque imagery, the claustrophobic atmosphere—it was done SO WELL. I honestly felt like I developed a mental illness whilst being inside Willow’s mind. I had no idea what was going on. I was anxious (but not in a bad way). I couldn’t stop reading. I was drawn in and I just couldn’t put the book down. Like Willow, I was desperate to find answers.
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Willow’s descent into madness was written with incredible detail. The psychological horror blended well with the supernatural, and even when you THINK you understand what’s going on, everything shifts and you’re back to square one, asking yourself: is any of this real? And I ATE IT UP.
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While some revelations were predictable, others completely caught me off guard. The ending? Wow. It all tied together so well. I’d love to do a reread to capture all the clues sprinkled throughout. It was just so cleverly done. Marie Still knows how to tell one hell of a story.
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BAD THINGS HAPPENED IN THIS ROOM releases September 16, 2025! A perfect read for your Fall/Halloween TBR!

I sadly couldn't get into this story.
I did like the writing story however, and I think that I'd definitely try another story by this author

A psychological horror that digs into the deceptive twisty mind of a woman as she digs around for the truth about her child, her husband, and her tentative grasp on reality.

Willow is burdened by thoughts and nightmares. Her husband throughout this novel is sometimes viewed as compassionate and loving and sometimes as an abusive man who is manipulating and taking advantage of her mental illness. It's written from Willows first person perspective so you're left wondering exactly how much is real and how much is a psychotic episode.

The creepiness slithers off the pages as we're taken on a nightmarish fever dream of children who are missing or dead, a possible conspiricy between police, another girl's mother, and her husband, and the walls of her house talking to her and sending cryptic messages carved into the walls.

But Willows declining mental state might just be making it all up and, as the reader, we're right there trying to decipher her hellish existence inside her head.

Or, maybe some of it is true...

While I felt the book was perhaps a tad too long for the story (quite a bit of going over the same ground at times) it's still bone chilling, engaging, and will have you reading until the end. I highly recommend it.

So be mindful of trigger warnings, but this is definitely recommended if your type of psychological horror is feeling like you're going a bit mad with the lead of the story. I had a fun time with this. It definitely explores grief, and kept me hooked from beginning to end. A solid thriller, with good writing.

The idea of the story is wonderful and the author did an amazing job on making willow very confused and unreliable. Her confusion bled into me so much that I found myself just as lost and frustrated that I didn’t understand what was happening.
The story was a little too slow of a burn for my taste and I was hoping for a little more of a crescendo at the end. The author did a good job, and I can see why lots of people are really enjoying it, I just prefer more horror and faster paced stories.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc copy!

Holy fever dream! This was so good. Emotional and dark. I couldn't put the book down. One scene just bled into the next so seamlessly *chefs kiss* If you love psychological horror this is the book for you!

I loved this!! Easily a 5 ⭐ read. It left me questioning everything while reading. I loved the haunted house type vibes, and the fever dream feel of reading this book. I don't think anything is scarier to me than not being able to trust your own thoughts and memories.

This book takes you through so many emotions while dealing with trauma, loss, and mental illness. I loved the creepy feel of some of the scenes. What really got me was the ending! This is one book I would love to see made as a movie!

If you like psychological horror, definitely pick this up! (Please check trigger warnings!)

I’m so glad I read the Yellow Wallpaper before this. Bad Things Happened in This Room is a perfect follow up to YW. This was tragic and depressing, but in an impactful way. This book will stick with me for years.

I’ve read so many haunted house / paranormal books lately im having the best time 😆 these are definitely perfect reads for spooky season if you want to read them closer to October 🙏🏻

“Bad things happened in this room” definitely gives fever dream vibes, the narrator is unreliable to the extreme and the plot is dark, twisty and a little disturbing 🫣

This can absolutely be a one sitting read, you will find yourself fully immersed in the intensity of the writing. I read this book at night time and let’s just say I was totally creeped out 😂.

You will question everything you know with the psychological horror themes that seep under your skin. There is some mystery and some emotional components that blend seamlessly into the overall genre,

I definitely recommend the read if you want to experience something that will stick with you for a while after you’re done reading.

Thank you to Rising Action Publishing #partner for the #gifted copy!

Publishes on: September 16th

This book had me asking myself a few times What am I reading? This books makes you question what’s real in the story and what’s not. I felt like I was in a fever dream the entire time. The ending was great and fit perfectly.

**Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for a digital ARC of this book.

What did I just read?! And I mean that in a good way. Let me explain...

I do not really know how to summarize this one without spoiling anything. We follow an unreliable main character. Is she dead? Is she alive? Is her husband keeping her hostage? Who is responsible of the missing little girl? WHAT IS GOING ON?! The story is very chaotic and all over the place. Crazy enough, it all makes sense in the end. Hear me out.

I almost put this book down a couple of times. I was so confused. I had no idea what was going on and the more I read the more confused I got. I am sooooo glad that I finished this book! It all came together and made sense in the end. I feel like you won't understand what I mean until you read it. The reason behind it all is so sad. I mean, pulled my heartstrings big time. And the twist at the end... WELL DONE!

I do highly recommend this book. Just trust me when I tell you to FINISH THE BOOK! The end brings it all together and makes all the confusion worth. Very well done, Marie Still. I look forward to reading more of your work. :) I really enjoyed reading something different from everything else I have read, especially one that came down to the ending that it did. This book will be staying in my head for years to come.

5⭐️- This just became one of my favorite horror/psychological thriller books ever! Truly couldn’t stop thinking about this book while reading it.

Things I loved:

-Right up to the very end, you don’t know what’s real, what’s hallucination, what’s internal world vs external. And yet, every single thing that Willow says- you believe fully and completely. No matter how many times you learn she’s an unreliable narrator, you can’t help but believe her again.
- The motif of flowers, vines & bugs throughout the story really drives home the fragility of Willow’s psyche.
- I loved the personification of the house & the room with the wallpaper.

Things I didn’t like:

- I felt a couple passages were a bit longer than necessary and offered little more to the story than reiterating things that had already been established.

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Thank you Rising Action Publishing, Mary Still & NetGalley for this ARC ♥️