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A review by rainbowbookworm
The September House by Carissa Orlando
dark
medium-paced
3.5
Carissa Orlando’s September House is a twisty, compulsively readable debut that delves into the unnerving and the unexpected. The premise is intriguing: Margaret and her husband Hal buy their dream Victorian home on Hawthorn Street, only to discover that it’s a haunted nightmare. Every September, the house undergoes a grotesque transformation—walls drip with blood, ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and an ominous presence lurks in the basement. Despite these horrors, Margaret is determined to stay, a decision that ultimately strains her marriage.
The novel doesn’t fit neatly into the horror genre, despite its unsettling scenes and characters. Margaret’s nonchalant attitude towards the house’s September transformations creates a curious detachment. For her, these events are just part of the routine, while for the reader, it’s a first encounter with the house’s terrifying anomalies.
The suspense ramps up with the arrival of Margaret’s daughter, Katherine, who comes to find her missing father. Katherine is troubled by her father’s disappearance and her mother’s seemingly indifferent response. As Katherine searches for Hal, the hauntings grow more intense, and Margaret becomes increasingly entangled with the malevolent forces in the house and the ghosts’ disturbing secrets.
The climax of September House includes some strikingly grotesque body horror, and the book is rich in detailed descriptions of the ghosts’ tragic fates. For readers sensitive to such content, checking trigger warnings before diving in is advisable.
While I found the novel entertaining, I felt somewhat underwhelmed. However, Orlando’s background as a psychologist specializing in children and adolescents shines through, adding depth to the characters and contributing to the book’s notable strengths. If you’re looking for a psychological twist on haunted house lore, September House offers a compelling, if unconventional, read.
The novel doesn’t fit neatly into the horror genre, despite its unsettling scenes and characters. Margaret’s nonchalant attitude towards the house’s September transformations creates a curious detachment. For her, these events are just part of the routine, while for the reader, it’s a first encounter with the house’s terrifying anomalies.
The suspense ramps up with the arrival of Margaret’s daughter, Katherine, who comes to find her missing father. Katherine is troubled by her father’s disappearance and her mother’s seemingly indifferent response. As Katherine searches for Hal, the hauntings grow more intense, and Margaret becomes increasingly entangled with the malevolent forces in the house and the ghosts’ disturbing secrets.
The climax of September House includes some strikingly grotesque body horror, and the book is rich in detailed descriptions of the ghosts’ tragic fates. For readers sensitive to such content, checking trigger warnings before diving in is advisable.
While I found the novel entertaining, I felt somewhat underwhelmed. However, Orlando’s background as a psychologist specializing in children and adolescents shines through, adding depth to the characters and contributing to the book’s notable strengths. If you’re looking for a psychological twist on haunted house lore, September House offers a compelling, if unconventional, read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail