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embermichele's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
I couldn't stop turning the pages! I LOVE ghost stories and I have had paranormal experiences. I love books where it's laid out as actually being paranormal and has history to the story like this one did.
I liked how it was mostly character driven and you follow the lives of these people and how one haunted night affected the rest of their lives.
I loved reading the different timelines and POVs to see what happened in this one house in the past.
I did feel like some little things didn't really get cleared up in the end but I really liked the overall ending of this book.
If you are a fan of Simone St. James who also writes paranormal suspense then you will probably like this!
I couldn't stop turning the pages! I LOVE ghost stories and I have had paranormal experiences. I love books where it's laid out as actually being paranormal and has history to the story like this one did.
I liked how it was mostly character driven and you follow the lives of these people and how one haunted night affected the rest of their lives.
I loved reading the different timelines and POVs to see what happened in this one house in the past.
I did feel like some little things didn't really get cleared up in the end but I really liked the overall ending of this book.
If you are a fan of Simone St. James who also writes paranormal suspense then you will probably like this!
stephisbooked's review against another edition
4.0
I was reading this book alone on a bright sunny day and something made a noise (my pipes?) and I almost jumped out of my seat. This is definitely a creepy, haunting, and atmospheric debut novel that will put you on edge. It has a slow burn but it very suspenseful throughout the entire story. I liked the childhood storyline the best - it reminded me a lot of when the characters were younger in It. Let’s just say I won’t be entering any abandoned houses anytime soon.
dylhar96's review against another edition
4.0
Special thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Atria books for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me for my opinions!
'Beneath The Stairs' is a great blend of paranormal mystery mixed with real life situations.
From the moment we meet Claire it's clear that she's dealing with issues involving past and present issues, and they all stem from one fateful summer when we discover the Octagon House. Every good haunted house story needs a house with a creepy name and description, and the Octagon House and its basement deliver heavily! You're filled with dread about the house from the prologue and that dread doesn't ease up until the end of the book!
We dive through Claire's story with the assistance of flashbacks to that summer in the Octagon House as well as flashes back to the man who build the house, and the only other family to live inside the house. These flashes really helped to drive the nefarious entity of the house further than just a myth that's passed from generation to generation.
I would have loved to see some of the loose ends that were hastily tied up have some more time and explanation. Several of the older characters in the book that give some of the strongest plot details to Claire are somewhat bulldozed over in the last 3 chapters or briefly mentioned.
Overall this was a very solid read! Genre fans will love it, and others who are drawn to it by the gorgeous cover and eerie description will not be disappointed! 3.5 stars rounded up!
'Beneath The Stairs' is a great blend of paranormal mystery mixed with real life situations.
From the moment we meet Claire it's clear that she's dealing with issues involving past and present issues, and they all stem from one fateful summer when we discover the Octagon House. Every good haunted house story needs a house with a creepy name and description, and the Octagon House and its basement deliver heavily! You're filled with dread about the house from the prologue and that dread doesn't ease up until the end of the book!
We dive through Claire's story with the assistance of flashbacks to that summer in the Octagon House as well as flashes back to the man who build the house, and the only other family to live inside the house. These flashes really helped to drive the nefarious entity of the house further than just a myth that's passed from generation to generation.
I would have loved to see some of the loose ends that were hastily tied up have some more time and explanation. Several of the older characters in the book that give some of the strongest plot details to Claire are somewhat bulldozed over in the last 3 chapters or briefly mentioned.
Overall this was a very solid read! Genre fans will love it, and others who are drawn to it by the gorgeous cover and eerie description will not be disappointed! 3.5 stars rounded up!
zizi822's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
arthuravalos's review against another edition
3.0
When a group of friend renter the infamous Octagon house two of them didn’t know they would be haunted forever by it. When one of them goes back and attempts suicide the other one comes home wondering what drove her back there.
It was a good book but not great. The high point was predictable. And then fizzled out fast. I enjoyed it and would love to see what else the author cooks up in the future.
It was a good book but not great. The high point was predictable. And then fizzled out fast. I enjoyed it and would love to see what else the author cooks up in the future.
bookpixcy's review against another edition
4.0
I really like books with dual timelines. I know they aren't for everyone but I enjoy them. This book was both suspenseful and atmospheric. I enjoyed all the timelines and the mystery interwoven between them all. It felt a bit like a coming of age story as well and I love those so this was a win for me.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
"Fear is real."
This is a fun little haunted house story. It flips between two main timelines - Clare as a young teen and Clare as an adult. Both timelines mainly take place in the same town and revolved around the same characters. There are are few other bried POV but they are just to round out the story and finish the telling.
Clare was an interesting MC. She's fiesty at times but also very unsure. She lacks almost any confidence and is constantly questioning what she herself is even doing. Her younger teen POV was also interesting, to learn what had happened and try to piece together what was going on and how it tied to the now.
The friendships were well flushed out even though they perspective is brief. I liked getting to know even the small parts of the small town and I appreciated the small side plot of the crush and how that all went. It was compelling and fascinating story and one I was driven to keep reading. It was so good, I'm so glad I read it. Oh, and I love that cover!
This is a fun little haunted house story. It flips between two main timelines - Clare as a young teen and Clare as an adult. Both timelines mainly take place in the same town and revolved around the same characters. There are are few other bried POV but they are just to round out the story and finish the telling.
Clare was an interesting MC. She's fiesty at times but also very unsure. She lacks almost any confidence and is constantly questioning what she herself is even doing. Her younger teen POV was also interesting, to learn what had happened and try to piece together what was going on and how it tied to the now.
The friendships were well flushed out even though they perspective is brief. I liked getting to know even the small parts of the small town and I appreciated the small side plot of the crush and how that all went. It was compelling and fascinating story and one I was driven to keep reading. It was so good, I'm so glad I read it. Oh, and I love that cover!
slsmyers's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
marleyshaddox's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5