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rachelunabridged's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
[ Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC! ]
This book had an amazing start. The author did a fantastic job setting up the story and characters + getting the reader invested in the Ross family. He drops all of these delicious breadcrumbs that really pulled me in and had me asking all kinds of questions + getting excited about learning the answers.
I also really loved what he did with the sisters in this story. Adore seeing positive sisterly relationships in my reads~
While the book started out strong, it didn't take very long for it to start to drag for me. I felt like there were too many exposition dumps that I wished were more organically woven into the narrative rather than dropped on the reader all at once. I was also surprised about how little time was spent in the titular house + felt my attention wavering in the sections spent away. Additionally, there were a lot of side character POV switches, and I felt like it really brought down the mood and the pacing.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read, but not something that I would revisit. And while this read wasn't a new favorite for me, I'm still looking forward to seeing what this author has in store for us in the future.
Would recommend this to readers who enjoy stories about haunted houses, generational trauma, and family bonds.
This book had an amazing start. The author did a fantastic job setting up the story and characters + getting the reader invested in the Ross family. He drops all of these delicious breadcrumbs that really pulled me in and had me asking all kinds of questions + getting excited about learning the answers.
I also really loved what he did with the sisters in this story. Adore seeing positive sisterly relationships in my reads~
While the book started out strong, it didn't take very long for it to start to drag for me. I felt like there were too many exposition dumps that I wished were more organically woven into the narrative rather than dropped on the reader all at once. I was also surprised about how little time was spent in the titular house + felt my attention wavering in the sections spent away. Additionally, there were a lot of side character POV switches, and I felt like it really brought down the mood and the pacing.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read, but not something that I would revisit. And while this read wasn't a new favorite for me, I'm still looking forward to seeing what this author has in store for us in the future.
Would recommend this to readers who enjoy stories about haunted houses, generational trauma, and family bonds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, and Classism
Minor: War
reading_beyond_the_book_cover's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Full Review: https://readingbeyondthebookcover.com/book-review-reaction-the-spite-house-by-johnny-compton/
If you are like me and don't know what a spite house is, you'll know after reading this horror novel.
Aside from introducing readers to something they may have never considered the existence of; The Spite House is an embodiment of a horror novel with suspense woven in from all angles. The author crafts a sinister horror story with entanglements of questionable characters with even more questionable motives. I applaud it for its ability to sit with me and change my overall rating of enjoyment. Thus, I've concurrently and affectionately nicknamed it a "fester book." Trust me, that's a good thing. ;-)
With the spirit of undiluted desperation, Eric Ross upends his family from Maryland, travels to Texas, and accepts a questionable caretaking job at a spite house. This job opportunity might be the best he can do for his family, as he's seeking financial stability without the requirement of usual formalities, like reference and background checks. Despite persistent warnings from the townspeople and the spite house owner's evasive behavior, Eric views the job as an answer to all of his and his family’s problems. The promise of an egregious payment motivates him to ignore the risks he may be taking in accepting this job. At face value, this is an offer he sensibly cannot refuse. Short-lived, as the story unfurls, and the past and present merge, all hell breaks loose before Eric's once positive outlook of being a recipient of such an "advantageous" opportunity, quickly becomes inauspicious in more ways than Eric and his family could ever imagine.
4.0 Stars, I recommend this book for its ability to arouse thoughts and fears of residing in houses with haunting histories, affecting its inhabitants beyond literal return.
Many thanks to Tor Nightfire, Johnny Compton, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you are like me and don't know what a spite house is, you'll know after reading this horror novel.
Aside from introducing readers to something they may have never considered the existence of; The Spite House is an embodiment of a horror novel with suspense woven in from all angles. The author crafts a sinister horror story with entanglements of questionable characters with even more questionable motives. I applaud it for its ability to sit with me and change my overall rating of enjoyment. Thus, I've concurrently and affectionately nicknamed it a "fester book." Trust me, that's a good thing. ;-)
With the spirit of undiluted desperation, Eric Ross upends his family from Maryland, travels to Texas, and accepts a questionable caretaking job at a spite house. This job opportunity might be the best he can do for his family, as he's seeking financial stability without the requirement of usual formalities, like reference and background checks. Despite persistent warnings from the townspeople and the spite house owner's evasive behavior, Eric views the job as an answer to all of his and his family’s problems. The promise of an egregious payment motivates him to ignore the risks he may be taking in accepting this job. At face value, this is an offer he sensibly cannot refuse. Short-lived, as the story unfurls, and the past and present merge, all hell breaks loose before Eric's once positive outlook of being a recipient of such an "advantageous" opportunity, quickly becomes inauspicious in more ways than Eric and his family could ever imagine.
4.0 Stars, I recommend this book for its ability to arouse thoughts and fears of residing in houses with haunting histories, affecting its inhabitants beyond literal return.
Many thanks to Tor Nightfire, Johnny Compton, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Minor: War
starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Spite House is a gothic horror tale revolving around parental love & protection, ancestral hauntings, and complicated karmic seeds.
We follow the Ross family (dad Eric and daughters Dess and Stacy) as they run from their mysterious past, desperate to improve their circumstances and find some stability. When an eccentric billionaire offers them a small fortune to stay inside a mysterious house and record potential hauntings, it’s too good of an offer to pass up. But of course everything isn’t quite so simple, and vengeful ghosts and complicated family histories soon intertwine in a deadly way.
If you tend to get irritated by horror story protagonists making absurd choices for no reason, you won’t find that here. The Ross family aren’t foolish risk-takers. They’re not intentionally charging into danger. They’re thoughtful and do safety drills. They’re logical and calculated. And they’re forced into the house out of desperation – which makes this story all the more compelling.
I enjoyed the multiple POVs, but could have gone without the one-offs of side characters and antagonizers. I would have appreciated being kept to a more limited viewpoint - so that I as the reader could uncover truths alongside the three Ross’, instead of being given reveals from the secret-keepers surrounding them.
I thought the pacing + flow was very well done. However, I would have loved more scenes of action & atmospheric horror inside the house. We actually didn’t spend a whole lot of time between its walls. Additionally, the history of the house was well thought out, but became a bit convoluted. This was a 300 page book and a lot of info was squished in.
Overall, this was an engaging read and a chilling story – I only wish the plotting & POVs were little less complicated and more expansiveness was given to the central family and terrifying spite house;
CW: death (incl. child death), gore, murder, child abuse, psychosis, war, racism, gun violence, mental illness, kidnapping, confinement
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War
elliotvanz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This might be one of the most claustrophobic books I have ever read. Between the Ross family looking over their shoulders, the secrets being kept, and the narrow walls of the spite house itself closing in around them, this book is a tense gothic tale with plenty of hidden layers. Each secret revealed feels like a dust cloth being pulled from an old piece of furniture, the shape and impression of the thing gaining sudden stark detail. This is a classic haunted house yarn with a family that you root for as they walk into the danger not out of some stupid notion but out of desperation. Reading this feels like Hill House by way of Jordan Peele.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War