A haunting that just won't stop!
Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review 8 Souls by Rachel Rust!
Spooky and ominous from the beginning; I was instantly hooked! Mysterious and recurring dreams about a house haunt Chessie; they have since she was little. These dreams were part of her life, to the point that she drew the house for her elementary teacher after she gave the students the assignment of drawing their dream house. Little does she know that Chessie dreams of a house where murders were committed over a century before. When Chessie draws her dream house scene, the teacher is worried and notifies her parents. She then ends up being sent to a psychiatrist. Ever since then, Chessie keeps her dreams to herself, even when she’s hearing voices. She finally confides in someone else and the two of them share the struggle of solving the haunting. 8 Souls is well-written, contains awesome characters and a haunting that won’t stop until justice is complete; 5 spooky stars!

8 Souls by Rachel Rust is a young adult read that is a paranormal fantasy with a bit of horror and a little romance. This fictional read is actually based on a real life tragedy that took place in Villisca, Iowa on the evening of June 10, 1912. Six members of a family and two guests staying with them were murdered in the Moore home.

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Chessie has spent her whole life having a reoccurring dream of an old farm house and learned early on in life not to let on to those around her or be forced back into therapy. Even though she let it slip out as a child that she had the dream she definitely never let on the house was real. And not only was it real but located across from her grandparents home that she is now being sent to for the summer while her parents divorce.

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Of course with Chessie being sent so close to this house of horrors things quickly escalate from a reoccurring dream to so much more. 8 Souls was one of those books that is best read with the lights on with an equal dose of creepy and creative. The author did a good job giving a whole new twist on an horrific cold case that kept the pages turning through the twists until the very end.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

'8 Souls' is a creepy and fantastic young adult horror novel that fans of the genre will devour. I'm a huge fan of YA horror and I'm also usually complaining that there isn't enough of it. When I read the description of this book, I was so excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It didn't disappoint in the least. I don't do spoilers in my reviews, so I can't really go into the plot much more than what the description says. Let's just say that things go from eerie to creepy to downright WTF and there are tons of twists and secrets that you don't see coming. I can normally guess these things pretty quickly, but this one had me puzzled for the majority of the book - which is actually a huge plus in my opinion. The characters were great - especially Chessie - and we get to know David and Mateo pretty well throughout the story. The rest of the characters are pretty two dimensional, but I didn't mind that much because the story wasn't really focused on them. A huge positive for me was the author's use of the first person POV. This is by far my favorite writing style because I can always connect with the narrator (in this case, Chessie) on a deeper level than third person. I loved getting to really know Chessie and everything about her - those horrific nightmares, the daymares, the almost constant paranormal activity that she has to go through - it felt so lifelike and realistic. Like I was right inside Chessie's mind seeing and feeling everything right along with her. This was a thrilling YA horror novel that I ended up reading in one sitting because I couldn't put it down - I got sucked into Chessie's world immediately from the start. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA horror, paranormal, fantasy, and even historical fiction, contemporary fiction and romance.

The atmosphere in the first couple chapters of this book was so unsettling I had to set it aside until daylight. The menace of those early chapters really messed with my head. I found it less frightening as the plot developed and we got the reincarnation elements. Regular ghosts are scarier, I think. Still fairly thrilling and an interesting take on a history mystery. I felt like this motivation needed a little more exploration though.

I loved this book!

The writing style immediately caught my attention. There is so much dark suspense surrounding the main character and her ability to see the murder of EIGHT people.

I really enjoyed seeing the intricate puzzle all come together throughout the book. There are tons of creepy nightmares and haunting scenes that make this a great book to read during my favorite Fall season.

I gave this book a full 5 out of 5 stars! This is definitely my cup of tea when it comes to bookish content. The psychological aspect helped to create a uniquely vivid world that I wish I could read more of and has perfectly complimented my Netflix binge of Criminal Minds.

I highly recommend this book to readers who love mystery, darkness, and a dash of romance.

I loved this mystery with a bit of paranormal thrown in. Chessie and David's relationship was just right for the story. Story line was woven together with the town's legend and Chessie's lifetime of dreaming the same dream. Ending was well done with good closure. Hard to say too much without giving anything away but I will say, go and get this one!

8 Souls by Rachel Rust follows Francesca 'Chessie' Carpenter who suffers from recurrent nightmares of a house, sometimes decrepit, sometimes new, but always the same and always beckoning of death. It's not just any house either. It's the Villisca Axe Murder House and her grandparents live right across from it. When she ends up being sent to Iowa for the summer so her parents can finalise a divorce, Chessie's dreams turn into something more. She starts having visions during the day, and spectral manifestations at night. The ghostly goings-on aren't relegated to just the Moore House either, but also to the death of a recently missing little girl. At her wit's end, Chessie contacts a local ghost hunting group, both the best and worst thing she could have done.

The subject first drew me to this book. The Villisca case, as with most cold cases, fascinates me. Forensics is a love if mine, even though my hopes of a job in the field of forensic anthropology were thwarted by medical issues. The case is the same in this story, though the modern state of the house is not. Far from being decrepit and abandoned, the house is furnished and open to visit, preserved as a historical site. Ghost groups conduct investigations there at times.

As I started reading, I rapidly fell into Chessie's world. The action is fairly fast-paced. While the haunting manifestations were creepy, overall, they weren't dangerous. Indeed, they were there to help and they tried to warn against danger. Chessie thought they were warning against David, when in truth they weren't. They needed her to help him. I don't want to give a major part away, so I'll avoid specifics. I did enjoy the hints of quantum entanglement threaded into the story, and that the major plot point was specifically *not* ascribed to God's punishment. It's that whole entanglement thing. (No pun on the publisher intended!) Overall, this was an awesome read! Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Teen Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed as part of the Chapter by Chapter blog Tour.

I did not find this book interesting. I thought I would be I did not find it interesting and did not finish the book. It wasn’t my style of book.

While this genre of book is not normally what I reach for 8 Souls exceeded my expectations. It starts out as a ghost story when Chessie begins hearing voices and giggles in her new bedroom at her grandparent’s house. Not to mention the nightly dreams she has about house filled with blood and dead bodies. The author threw a big twist at readers when Chessie finds out someone she cares about is not really who they say they are.

I really enjoyed this book and was glad I moved out of my “comfort zone” or book genres to find this one!

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the ARC.

I would like to give NetGalley and the publisher a massive thank you for providing me with an eARC of 8 Souls in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I quickly was drawn to this novel, the cover really appealed to me. It looks interesting and I was curious by the title and what it meant by “DEATH ISN’T ALWAYS FINAL”. So I requested it and soon, I started reading it.

I was hooked from the start. The story starts with the main character, Chessie, telling her story, how she has a secret: she has always dreamt of the “Axe Murder House”, a little white farmhouse where 8 people were slaughtered in 1912. Then, her parents’ divorce is being finalized so Chessie is sent to live with her grandparents for the summer, right across from her “dream house.” I was so interested in this novel!

8 Souls was very well written. The novel had this mysterious and horrific atmosphere which I was just LOVING! The setting was perfect for this kind of book, it was a little town where rumours spread quickly. I was hooked from the start and just wanted to keep reading, but little things like sleep and school came in the way. I loved the energy this book had it was such an enticing story. In the ending, when the antagonist was revealed, I had a feeling it was them but it was still such a thrilling scene.

8 Souls was quite a dark novel, and just how I thought it would be. I really enjoyed this book, it’s the first book I’ve read by Rachel Rust. I’ve looked through some of her books and they look really good so I might give them a try later on in the year.

I definitely recommend 8 Souls, it’s for sure a novel I know a lot of people would like. If you particularly like the paranormal, horror, thriller/mystery genre than I think you really need to check it out!

5 out of 5 stars.

This was a nice change of pace for me. I really liked the story, it was short, easy to follow along with and safe for younger readers. The paranormal aspect to it was gripping and suspenseful and the light romance was cute. Normally not into hauntings (I’m a scaredy-cat, what can I say) but this one worked for me. It gave just enough of a scary vibe to keep things interesting but not OTT that it turned me off reading it.

Overall this was a good read that I could definitely recommend. The murder mystery I felt was a bit rushed towards the end but everything was resolved towards the end so no biggie.

i love everything about the way this story plays out. the paranormal aspects and the romance, it's creepy and swoony all in one go.

there were moments where i found myself beyond creeped out by the thought of that true crime in villisca. even as rachel fictionalizes the story, she puts forth a theory that seems so plausible and real that it's enough to still give me the shivers. and then there's this sweet and fantastic romance that springs up between chessie and david. and it's just so dreamy.

the atmospheric writing that imbues this book just really resonates and chessie has a wonderful voice. unlike other ya protagonists, she sounds like a teenager. and there's something about the immediacy of this story that makes it all that much more poignant and scary..

Chessie has been having a recurring dream all of her life about a farmhouse. Seems innocent, save for the fact that farmhouse is across the street from her grandparent’s house and in 1912, eight people were murdered in it by someone with an axe. When Chessie is sent to spend the summer at her grandparent’s house, her nightmares become worse and she seeks out help from two local boys who claim to be ghost hunters.

This story was creepy. In the beginning of the novel, the dreams and spooky ghost instances lured me into the mystery. I wanted to find out why it was happening to Chessie. The characters were well-rounded for me, with Chessie being curious and brave despite the creepy things happening around her. The suspense in the story was built-up well. It was gradual and well-paced. Two issues that I did have with the story was that I called the twist way before it happened and that the romance was a case of “insta-love.” Besides the disappointing predictability and unnecessary romance, the story was a great quick horror read.

A copy of this book was provided by Entangled via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion.

I was looking for something different to read that I haven’t read before and found it in 8 Souls by Rachel Rust. This book has a mixture of mystery, paranormal and horror in one for a Young Adult book.

The main character Chessie is forced to stay in a small town called Villisca, which is located in Iowa for a while until her parents handle their divorce. Chessie though is not looking forward to the visit since her recurring dreams/nightmares are about the town or specifically about one house. This house happens to be across from her grandparents’ house, and it had a gruesome murder there back in 1912. Eight people were slaughtered, and the killer was never caught. Now Chessie is at her grandparents’ house, and she’s starting to see and hear things in her closet. Her summer at her grandparents’ house may become her worst nightmare, or she could finally find out why she keeps having the dreams about the gruesome murder of eight people. She’ll end up making friends along the way that believe her and want to help her, but can they be trusted.

I was immediately intrigued by the story since it had a mystery to solve with the murders and who killed them back in 1912 and why Chessie had dreams about it. Along the way the author threw in twists and turns I was not expecting, which is why I kept turning the pages until I found out the truth. Poor Chessie though went through a lot in this book for a seventeen-year-old. She witnessed a lot too. I enjoyed where the author went with the story though. I won’t go into details since I could end up spoiling something and I don’t like spoilers.

If you are looking for something different to read that involves nightmares, ghosts, murders, kidnappings, and secrets than this book is for you, it is a Young Adult book, so it will not have any steamy moments. It will have some sweet moments though between the main character and a particular character who she ends up meeting.

The only thing that bothered me about the book was how quick it wrapped up at the end. I wanted more. Now, though I’ll be checking out other books that Rachel Rust has wrote since I’m always looking for new authors to add my TBR and auto-buy list.

Story Rating: 4 stars
Standalone or part of series: Standalone
Do I recommend this book? Yes. If you are a fan of Young Adult with Mystery and Paranormal elements.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes
Tropes/Elements: Mystery; Murder; Paranormal; Kidnapping

This is the first book by Rachel I have read. I loved it. Murder, mystery, love, ghosts, what more can a person ask for in a suspense book. We first meet Chessie when she is going to stay with her grandparents for the summer so her parents can get a divorce. Chessies grandparents live across from what is known as the Ax murder house. This murder happened back in 1912 and Chessie has been dreaming about this house for as long as she can remember. Once in Villisca Iowa she meets David. David and Chessie become friends but he has secrets that he is reluctant to tell anyone. I really enjoyed this book as I was not sure what was going to happen next but I couldn't wait to see how it all ended.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks NetGalley!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I initially started this book. There were some slower chapters, but ultimately, this was quite the interesting read.

COVER: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 This cover is awesome. You usually associate pink as a happy color, right? Well, I'm loving that more creepy books are getting pink/hot pink covers. I love the blurred typography of the title and the large 8 in the center of the cover that looks like someone painted it on but was running out of paint. Behind that we see a silhouette of a girl standing in what appears to be a field, which definitely fits the small Iowa farm town setting.

Summary/Tagline: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 “Death isn't always final." - This adds to the paranormal vibe of the story before you even read the blurb. It brings forth visions of hauntings and ghosts and evil spirits...

Characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I really liked the main character in this book. Chessie has been plagued by recurring nightmares about an old farmhouse... but not just any old farmhouse. The Villisca Ax Murder House and these dreams would not be complete without blood, gore, and bodies strewn in front of windows. She's learned not to tell anyone she's still having these dreams because it would mean a one-way ticket back to a shrink. You would think that would make her unable to trust others and kind of spooky and weird right? But I actually liked her right off the bat. She's well rounded and a survivor in the manner of speaking that she doesn't let these nightmares (and eventually daymares) change who she is as a person.

Worldbuilding: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Imagine going to visit your grandparents in rural Iowa. I'm not sure if you've ever been to Iowa, but it can't be much different than rural Wisconsin - and there isn't much to do in rural Wisconsin. But then imagine finding out that your grandparents live across the street from a house infamous for a gruesome family massacre nearly 100 years earlier. A massacre that's culprit was never caught. Oh... and did I mention this is the house you've been having nightmares about for as long as you can remember? Welcome to Chessie's world! I thought the author perfectly incapsulated the feel of a small town and the history of Villisca's famous unsolved murder and the house that still remains to this day.

Actual photo of the Villisca Ax Murder House in Villisca, Iowa
Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I went into this one knowing a bit about the Villisca Ax Murders due to watching an episode of Ghost Adventures so I was really excited about the premise of this book. I think the author did a fantastic job building up the story with Chessie's recurring nightmares and the history of the house across the street from her grandparents as well as the recent disappearances of young girls. I liked the build-up with the creepy occurrences (like when Chessie hears someone say her name and ask for help though she's alone in her room) and loved the surprise at the end. I had high hopes for this book going in and it didn't let me down!

A quick, engrossing story that revolves around an axe murder house that will send chills down your spine and keep you from turning the lights off at night. I was pleasantly surprised with Rust's book that took me for a wild, creepy ride that shocked me and was full of secrets and twists.

I am one who has a weird fascination with the strange, creepy and macabre. Mainly it consists of watching horror movies , haunted houses, or going exploring in the middle of the night. I love the exhilaration that comes from scaring myself. Sadly I have not found many books that give me chills and make me second guess the noises I hear in the middle of the night. Although it wasn't the entire book, I definitely was getting creepy, chilly vibes at the beginning of the book and I really appreciated that.

I really enjoyed Rust's writing style and the voice that she created for Chessie. I felt like I was best friends with Chessie and that she was sitting next to me telling a story. The writing was just so easy and created a fast paced read that I flew through. I was driven by wanted to know what was going on and what was going to happen. Rust did a great job at sprinkling twists and secrets that kept the story moving forward. She was very straightforward with the writing that there was no unnecessary fluff.

The paranormal elements are not seen very often in young adult, at least the books I have read. It was a unique addition to the overall story and I think Rust did so well with those elements. There was a moment at the end where I almost completely gave up on the book. I thought I would mark it lower because of that moment, but it redeemed itself! There was a nice and casual romance that was not insta-lovey or too cheesy. I really liked the characters and how their stories unfold.

Overall I found this to be a very quick and creepy read. If you are looking for a fun, unique story that involves some paranormal elements, creepy voices, and axe murder house and secrets. This is the book for you. It is not a book that will be the next modern classic. But is such an enjoyable, fun read that will keep you on the edge of your seat and your heart pounding.

Where to begin with this book. (This review is based on my own opinions, I was given an ARC by net galley)

Initially reading this book, I had no idea what it was going to be about, nor was I enjoying the writing much. Further into the story, the writing got better as the plot was developing. Throughout this story I was constantly being thrown off by the new plot points, and was not seeing things coming. It had a very good plot and was a pretty unique story. It isn't your run of the mill YA novel, it had some interesting aspects that I never expected to be in this book.

To say the least, I am pleasantly surprised. Overall, I enjoyed the characters. I think that they all had their own stories, and it made me like them each differently. For awhile the main character, Chessie, annoyed me. But then I decided to put myself into her shoes, and to try to see how I would feel in the positions she was put into. I would be scared sh*tless to say the least.

I loved that this book was also a wide range of genres. Mystery, paranormal, thriller, romance, and a bit of fantasy. It was such a quick and refreshing read, and I am so grateful that this was my first read from net galley. I am interested to see where this author goes, and what she comes out with next. I hope it is as good as this one was!

Overall Rating: 3.95 :)

Seventeen year old Chessie dreams about the old farmhouse every night. She learned to keep her mouth shut about her dream house when she was young; it turns out that telling people you have a recurring dream about a house where eight people were murdered can land you in a psychiatrist’s office.

Chessie is spending the summer with her grandparents in Villisca, Iowa. They live directly across from the Axe Murder House, the farmhouse in Chessie’s dreams.

‘Villisca is known for murder.
But other than that, it’s a cute town.’

The 1912 murders remain unsolved and haunt this small community. The townspeople are also on edge because some young girls have recently been reported missing. Soon after Chessie arrives in town she hears someone calling her name and asking for help, which wouldn’t be as scary if she wasn’t alone in her bedroom at the time.

During the summer Chessie gets to know David, who’s cute but has a secret, and Mateo, a wannabe Ghostbuster. Chessie hopes they will be able to help her discover out what her connection is to the farmhouse and whether there’s any connection between the 1912 murders and the girls that are currently missing.

“People are afraid of the devil when they really should be afraid of each other.”

I got into this book straight away and enjoyed trying to figure out what Chessie’s connection to the Axe Murder House was and the secret David was hiding. If I were Chessie I would have gone straight to the library to check out what the historical records could tell me about the 1912 murders but that could have taken some of the fun out of this read.

After the first round of reveals I was able to figure out where the book was heading, so wasn’t surprised by any of the subsequent reveals. While I can find predictable elements annoying in some books I didn’t have a problem with them here as it meant what I’d hoped would happen did.

I would have liked to have gotten to know Chessie’s grandparents more but was satisfied with learning the backstories of other characters. There wasn’t as much banter as I’m used to in books that have a romantic component but, given the characters are dealing with unsolved murders from the past and missing children, it wouldn’t have been overly appropriate.

Since it happens so infrequently in books, I’m always thrilled when book characters actually use the bathroom, so this book won realism points from me each time Chessie took a bathroom break.

I wasn’t that keen on how the final showdown was set up. Surely * SPOILER - if there’s a guy standing in the middle of the road and their car is parked on the shoulder, you could drive around them or through them. They had a gun so to make the characters stop the car so the subsequent confrontation could happen didn’t work for me. How was David able to drive anyway since he’d just woken up from being drugged? - SPOILER *

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen, an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC, for the opportunity to read this book. I’m interested in reading more books by this author.