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fictionmajorette's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Full thoughts: https://fictionmajorette.blogspot.com/2022/02/beneath-stairs-jennifer-fawcett.html
This book reminded me so much of Jennifer McMahon's The Drowning Kind (blog review here) - return to a quiet hometown after a tragedy, quiet supernatural horror elements, flashbacks to the past, very atmospheric. However, I did find Fawcett's debut novel to be a little messier in places but with a really solid foundation that kept me turning the pages. While I do think this book technically falls into the supernatural horror genre, it isn't as upfront and bold as it may seem. This certainly has more quiet horror elements and has a very strong themes of friendship and grief.
I really enjoyed the multi-timeline elements in this story. I'd say the story is about 60% in the present day timeline, 30% following Clare and Abby in 1998, and the last 10% split between 1965 and 1936. I think having the 1965/1936 timelines was really smart because it let us find out information that Clare would most likely never be able to know from her investigation. It also let the reader into the lives of these past characters and fleshed them out a bit to make them feel real instead of treating them like rumors.
I loved the characters and thought Fawcett does an excellent job at matching up characters from past to present. It was the literary equivalent of casting directors finding the perfect child actor to match an adult actor. Obviously, a lot changes between Clare when she is 14 years old in 1998 and now as a 34 year old returning to town. However, the characterization doesn't change so much that the two timelines (child Clare and adult Clare) are unrecognizable.
The tension, for me, was really uneven in this story and I think that has more to do with the horror elements often times taking a big step back and the more personal themes coming forward. When the story begins, the reader doesn't have a lot of information about the Octagon House and what connection Clare and Abby have to it. It felt like Fawcett wanted that to be a slower burn reveal where she sprinkled in some breadcrumbs in the story to try and make it sound very ominous.
I did enjoy the horror elements in the story and how they tied the different timelines together. I don't think anyone would be surprised that a supernatural story would have connections to the past and while there might not have been anything super unique about the way the supernatural elements unfolded, they still worked really well.
Overall, I enjoyed this quiet horror read. I loved the characters and supernatural elements. The multi-timeline elements worked well, for the most part. The tension was a bit uneven and the ending left me with a few more questions that I would have liked, but this was still a satisfying read and I'd read more from Fawcett in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC
Expected publication date is February 22, 2022
This book reminded me so much of Jennifer McMahon's The Drowning Kind (blog review here) - return to a quiet hometown after a tragedy, quiet supernatural horror elements, flashbacks to the past, very atmospheric. However, I did find Fawcett's debut novel to be a little messier in places but with a really solid foundation that kept me turning the pages. While I do think this book technically falls into the supernatural horror genre, it isn't as upfront and bold as it may seem. This certainly has more quiet horror elements and has a very strong themes of friendship and grief.
I really enjoyed the multi-timeline elements in this story. I'd say the story is about 60% in the present day timeline, 30% following Clare and Abby in 1998, and the last 10% split between 1965 and 1936. I think having the 1965/1936 timelines was really smart because it let us find out information that Clare would most likely never be able to know from her investigation. It also let the reader into the lives of these past characters and fleshed them out a bit to make them feel real instead of treating them like rumors.
I loved the characters and thought Fawcett does an excellent job at matching up characters from past to present. It was the literary equivalent of casting directors finding the perfect child actor to match an adult actor. Obviously, a lot changes between Clare when she is 14 years old in 1998 and now as a 34 year old returning to town. However, the characterization doesn't change so much that the two timelines (child Clare and adult Clare) are unrecognizable.
The tension, for me, was really uneven in this story and I think that has more to do with the horror elements often times taking a big step back and the more personal themes coming forward. When the story begins, the reader doesn't have a lot of information about the Octagon House and what connection Clare and Abby have to it. It felt like Fawcett wanted that to be a slower burn reveal where she sprinkled in some breadcrumbs in the story to try and make it sound very ominous.
I did enjoy the horror elements in the story and how they tied the different timelines together. I don't think anyone would be surprised that a supernatural story would have connections to the past and while there might not have been anything super unique about the way the supernatural elements unfolded, they still worked really well.
Overall, I enjoyed this quiet horror read. I loved the characters and supernatural elements. The multi-timeline elements worked well, for the most part. The tension was a bit uneven and the ending left me with a few more questions that I would have liked, but this was still a satisfying read and I'd read more from Fawcett in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC
Expected publication date is February 22, 2022
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Miscarriage
savvyrosereads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Out February 22, 2022! [Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!]
Rating: 4/5 stars
Beneath The Stairs is a horror/mystery centered on Clare, a young woman who returns home when her childhood best friend attempts suicide in the local haunted house—a place that played an important role in their adolescence and is now threatening the lives and minds of more than one person…including Clare herself.
Let me start by saying this book is GENUINELY creepy. I’m not usually scared by books, but I kept finding myself reading this one late at night and needing to turn the lights on. Overall, I loved the vibe and love when a horror novel can actually live up to its promise of eeriness, so even if that was all this book had to offer (it’s not) I’d be impressed.
In terms of the plot, I found it a little too straightforward in parts and would have liked a bit more mystery/surprise in the ending. But I was pulled in by the characters and found the story (particularly the history of the house and flashbacks to past timelines) gripping for the most part. It also gave me Haunting of Hill House vibes (both the novella and the show) that I REALLY appreciated. In short, a super solid debut you should check out—I’ll be eagerly anticipating whatever Fawcett does next!
Recommended for anyone, but especially those who like: horror literature; ghost stories; Haunting of Hill House.
CW: Suicide/self-harm; mental illness; death of a parent; pregnancy/miscarriage; death of a child; violence; murder; abandonment.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Beneath The Stairs is a horror/mystery centered on Clare, a young woman who returns home when her childhood best friend attempts suicide in the local haunted house—a place that played an important role in their adolescence and is now threatening the lives and minds of more than one person…including Clare herself.
Let me start by saying this book is GENUINELY creepy. I’m not usually scared by books, but I kept finding myself reading this one late at night and needing to turn the lights on. Overall, I loved the vibe and love when a horror novel can actually live up to its promise of eeriness, so even if that was all this book had to offer (it’s not) I’d be impressed.
In terms of the plot, I found it a little too straightforward in parts and would have liked a bit more mystery/surprise in the ending. But I was pulled in by the characters and found the story (particularly the history of the house and flashbacks to past timelines) gripping for the most part. It also gave me Haunting of Hill House vibes (both the novella and the show) that I REALLY appreciated. In short, a super solid debut you should check out—I’ll be eagerly anticipating whatever Fawcett does next!
Recommended for anyone, but especially those who like: horror literature; ghost stories; Haunting of Hill House.
CW: Suicide/self-harm; mental illness; death of a parent; pregnancy/miscarriage; death of a child; violence; murder; abandonment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abandonment, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Violence
cait_reads_and_drinks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
amandasbookreview's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Thank you to Goodreads, Atria Books, and Jennifer Fawcett for the opportunity to read this book! It will be released on February 22nd, 2022.
I just know I am going to be seeing Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett on everyone’s October TBR. It releases next month but it will make for the perfect Halloween read! Chloe and her three friends, Lori, Monica, and Abby are a typical group of teenage girls. Near Lori’s farm, there is an old house hidden in the woods. It is called the Octagon House and there are rumors about a horrible murder that happened there before they were born. So naturally, they go to check it out. It is eerie and broken down, but something sticks out…an old metal door that leads to the basement. Flash forward twenty years and the group has gone their different ways. Chloe gets a phone call from Abby’s parents saying that Abby had overdosed and was found in that old basement and the last name she spoke before losing consciousness was Chloe. Now Chloe is forced to face her past and the evil that lurks there.
Keep going. That is the advice I am going to give you. There are moments where the information feels repetitive and then there are the different jumps in points-of-view. Just keep going. It all comes together and quite cohesively. There are several TRIGGER WARNINGS: abuse, child murder, pregnancy loss, miscarriage, drug abuse, suicide.
This is really a great haunted house tale for adults. I found it pretty relatable, especially from the teenager’s perspective. We all dared each other to do stupid things. In this book, there is no way to know the repercussions of those dares. The girls are all different and are struggling to find themselves individually and within their family units. Then there is also the connection I have with the adult characters. The emotions that one goes through when having a miscarriage can range so drastically but there are really no words for the depth of grief and how we internalize it.
The book starts strong and ends strong. There is a bit of a lull in the middle but there are so many details that readers need to pay attention to. It may seem repetitive but the author is dropping more clues during this time and it just feels so complete at the end. Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars!
Keep going. That is the advice I am going to give you. There are moments where the information feels repetitive and then there are the different jumps in points-of-view. Just keep going. It all comes together and quite cohesively. There are several TRIGGER WARNINGS: abuse, child murder, pregnancy loss, miscarriage, drug abuse, suicide.
This is really a great haunted house tale for adults. I found it pretty relatable, especially from the teenager’s perspective. We all dared each other to do stupid things. In this book, there is no way to know the repercussions of those dares. The girls are all different and are struggling to find themselves individually and within their family units. Then there is also the connection I have with the adult characters. The emotions that one goes through when having a miscarriage can range so drastically but there are really no words for the depth of grief and how we internalize it.
The book starts strong and ends strong. There is a bit of a lull in the middle but there are so many details that readers need to pay attention to. It may seem repetitive but the author is dropping more clues during this time and it just feels so complete at the end. Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
letmetakea_shelfie_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
kaylasbookgram's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I’ve never been much of a horror fan and when I got this one from Simon & Schuster I was a bit nervous I wouldn’t like it.
I can say as I hit 60% this was not a book I should’ve read right before bed because I woke up screaming and terrified my husband 🤣
Altogether I enjoyed this book the paranormal aspect was a bit out of my comfort zone because I don’t believe in that type of stuff. I think this is a great horror/thriller book so keep your eye out for its release in February 2022.
I can say as I hit 60% this was not a book I should’ve read right before bed because I woke up screaming and terrified my husband 🤣
Altogether I enjoyed this book the paranormal aspect was a bit out of my comfort zone because I don’t believe in that type of stuff. I think this is a great horror/thriller book so keep your eye out for its release in February 2022.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
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