Such a chilling ghost story!
While Sam is trying to protect her mother from her mind slipping, her pregnant sister comes back to live at the family home.
Seeing a faceless boy in the hall, she starts to place the house and families history together by glimpses into the past.
This story will have you on the edge of your seat and so chilling not for the faint of heart. Soo good and definitely recommend if you are interested in a good Gothic story!

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Sam Wakefield is 'one of those Wakefields', she is attached to her ancestral home that lies in the swamp outside of the town of Shadydale. The townspeople stay away from Wakefield Manor because it is said that the ghosts of the past walk it's halls; that there a swamp witch that lives on the grounds, and that one could get lost in it's labyrinthine halls, built by one of Sam's 'mad' ancestors. It is no place for children, that much is for sure. So when Sam's sister, Elizabeth, shows up on the Manor's doorstep in the middle of the night, heavily pregnant, and vowing that she's left her husband Donovan, Sam is more than a little worried. It is only after Elizabeth comes to stay at the Manor, that Sam begins to see a new spirit, one that should not be, one that she should not be able to see, and one that should not be able to interact with her. She thinks she knows who the new spirit is, and if she is correct, she has a lot to worry about. A worry that makes her focus on the locked door, the one room in the house that her mother, Agnes, says has always been locked. Could the faceless boy who likes to threaten and torture animals, who hurts little girls, and who wanders the halls wielding a knife be connected to this locked room? Sam is running out of time to solve the mysteries of Wakefield Manor, and she may soon learn that some rooms, should remain locked...


I was pretty excited for my review request of this book to be accepted. It is said to be written in the vein of Shirley Jackson, Gothic horror at it's finest, and is likened to We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which is written by the late, great Shirley Jackson herself. I'm yet to read this story of hers, but I have read The Haunting of Hill House, and I found it to be incredibly creepy and eerie, especially for the time that it was written. So, hence my excitement.

I won't say that I was disappointed in this book, but it did take me a hell of a long time to read something that was less than 300 pages. Granted, I've had a lot of things happening in my personal life, between moving house, working a lot, society losing it's mind and some personal family things, I haven't had a whole lot of time for reading. So maybe this was the issue? I do feel that at times it felt like the story was stuck in the mud, and that there wasn't a whole lot happening. This is very descriptive, maybe too much so for my liking. However, Kaplan does a fantastic job at building atmosphere and I definitely got the creep vibes several times. So much so, that on the first night in the new house, I thought it a good idea NOT to read this one before bed, lest I wake up freaking out because, you know, new house, new house sounds, strange room, all that jazz. So it definitely gets a big point for the creep factor. There was some very unsettling circumstances in this book and I was here for it. However, here is where I will insert a trigger warning; there is cruelty to animals in this book in the form of a bird, and frogs. I for one can't handle animal cruelty in books, so I like to make it very clear to other readers who may suffer from the same thing. I know that it's incredibly annoying for me when it says there is some animal cruelty in a book, however that's the extent of it. I won't go into details. It's unsettling and I just skimmed over those parts, and unfortunately, I don't feel that they could have been left out because it really sets up the character of the faceless boy that Sam begins to see around Wakefield Manor.

The cast of characters were okay, rather dry, Sam I felt was like a blank canvas that didn't really have a personality, though she did obviously suffer from some form of anxiety or paranoia, this was honestly the only stand out thing about her character. Donovan was the most expressive, and I'll add another trigger in here for domestic violence, and I'm going to leave it at that. Otherwise the characters were very meh for me, and I'll probably forget them after not too long.

As said earlier the creep factor was definitely here and I applaud Kaplan for this. The author did a fantastic job of building up the atmosphere of Wakefield Manor, so much so, that it almost felt like a living entity, a character all of it's own, which is very remnant of Shirley Jackson. Kaplan is very adept at the craft of writing, and I am interested in checking out some other works in the future. The author did a fantastic job of building up the eeriness and making you feel cut off and alone, just like the characters at one point.

The pacing left a little to be desired. As said above, at times it felt like not a lot was happening at all. There was a couple of instances where I was interrupted in my reading, and when I came back to the page and began reading again, I found that I had skipped a few paragraphs, and to be honest, I didn't bother going back up because nothing new had been divulged and nothing had actually happened, it was like I had picked up right where I left off.

All in all, this was a good horror story and I really felt the creep factor. Kaplan did a fantastic job and I'm definitely interested in reading more by this author. If you love a good literary, Gothic horror, similar to that of Shirley Jackson, give this one a go, you won't be disappointed.

This book sounded right up my alley. I typically love horror stories. However, it was a bit too slow for me and hard to follow. There was too much going on with the memories, present, and future. If someone likes a slow burn horror, this may be for them.

Superlative ghost story that throws the genre rule book out the window

If you’re on the hunt for a haunted house story from the top drawer, then look to further than Jo Kaplan’s It Will Just Be Us which ticks just about every box. This particular subgenre is a very crowded marketplace, but this novel is so clever, effortlessly atmospheric, it deserves to find a wide audience beyond the traditional horror crowd. It’s broody, twisty, weaves lies and half-truths within the context of a very convincing first person narrative, which you will want to trust, but can never quite be sure whether you’re being sold a tall-tale or are part of a delusion.

I read a lot of haunted house stories and am probably harder to please than most reviewers and one of the first features I look out for is the location, it’s crucial to the story, and how it is described plays a big part to the atmosphere of the story. I’m interested in the colour of the wallpaper; tell me if its peeling? How many bedrooms are there? Are the doors locked? I demand details. I want to be able to feel the presence of this house surrounding around me in its mysteries, and for this Jo Kaplin scores a monster 10/10 as Wakefield Manor is one of the finest creations I’ve stumbled upon in a while. It is a monstrous creation which is vividly brought to life and described entirely through the eyes of Samantha Wakefield, the youngest of two daughters who live alone with their semi-hermit mother in the decrepit family home which is in badly need or repair. I love the fact that three people can rattle around the house for days and never bump into each other and be very comfortable with it. The Wakefield clan are not exactly a normal family, and that’s part of the fun.

It Will Just Be Us has an outstanding opening which is guaranteed to suck you in from the first page. Samantha’s unhealthy interest in a room, which she has only ever known to be locked, will soon have you reading between the lines looking for the true reasons. Why will her mother not give her a satisfactory reason why no key exists? Her mother is a mass of contradictions, who speaks in riddles, uses tarot cards and has effectively dropped out of society since the death of Sam’s father some years earlier, another enticing strand connected to the wider story. The plot continually revolves around this room and Sam’s fascination with it and the reader is pulled along.

The story effortlessly moves through time-periods and although it never explicitly says, Sam is probably aged around thirty in the present tense storyline, but as she narrates it moves backwards to her teenage years and earlier, with a deliberately jarring train of thought. The reader has the impression she is telling her story, or a confession, to an unknown figure in the room. This comes across as both very intimate and fragmented, at various times you’ll be hanging on Sam’s every word. You’ll also be following the story very closely, just in case she contradicts herself, or drops an extra clue, it’s that kind of book. As the plot moves on Sam gives lots of hints about herself and after a very vague opening, you’ll be eager as the gaps are slowly filled in, often giving lightbulb moments for things she might have hinted at earlier in the story.

Ghosts play a big part in It Will Just Be Us, but the plot cleverly bucks what you might find in the traditional haunted house tale by avoiding all clichés as Sam is not scared of ghosts at all, as she sees them all the time and they are part of her daily life. This house is full of ghosts from different periods, portrayed almost as memories, many of which are dead relatives. Some wander randomly, others appear connected to certain rooms, but the core of the story revolves around the appearance of a new ghost Sam begins to see which acts slightly different to all the apparitions. This little boy can most definitely see her and is not at all friendly. This is a very clever development as the familiar ghostly presences move from benign to something darker and the way in which this major part of the plot plays out is superb with some great shrouding of the later developments.

The family part of the story was also convincing, and the arrival of temperamental heavily pregnant elder sister Elizabeth gives both the reader and Sam a welcome change of pace. Without Elizabeth the novel may have become too heavily reliant on one character and after a terrible argument with her husband she returns to the family home and Sam reflects upon their childhood together and time away from the house. Keep a close eye on what Elizabeth says as it has a bearing on whether you believe Sam to be an unreliable narrator or not.

My only minor gripe of It Will Just Be Us was that it was relatively one paced. By the time I reached 80% on my Kindle I was expecting it to move up a gear, it did not really do that, and although it has a very satisfying ending, it took slightly too long getting there. I would not particularly call it a scary novel, but the introduction of the boy gave the story an edge and there was a scene where she watches the child ghost pick apart an injured bird which gives a fair indication that this ghost is of a different ilk from all the others.

It Will Just Be Us was a very stylish and original ghost story and although it may be a tad quiet for some tastes, if you’re a fan of thoughtful and atmospheric supernatural tales with a convincing narrative then you can’t go wrong. Highly recommended.

⚜Book Review⚜
📘 It Will Just Be Us By Jo Kaplan @joannapary
❇ I could not put this book down. Read it in 2 sittings. If it wasn't for life, It wouldn't have taken me that long.
❇ It's full of constant suspense. Constantly wanting to know what's next and if suspicions are right.
❇ The great thing is....the ending. Jo doesn't let you off easy or happy. It is fantastic writing on her part! Best book I've read in a while...Highly Reccomend 👏🖤
❇ Publication date August 11th 2020
📚 Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC!!
#netgalley #itwilljustbeus #booksaremylife #booksofig #booksarelife #bookreview #bookstagramer #booksaddict #bookstoread #booksofinstagram #booksgram #books📚 #booksofinsta #bookstagrammers #reviews #booksbooksbooks #bookslover #reviewer #bookslovers #reviewig #booksforlife

This was a ghost story about people who lived in an old house – Wakefield Manor on the edge of a swamp in Virginia. What got me interested was the locked room. Why was it locked and what was in the room? I had also just finished reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.
The family living in the house were haunted by their past and kept seeing ghosts of their life and the people who lived in the house before them.
Sam and her sister Elizabeth live with their mother at Wakefield Manor. The old house has many rooms haunted by memories.
The story and the house reminded me of a nightmare that I have had where I have wandered around and things change. I loved the creepiness, the feeling of being in a nightmare and always wondering what was in the locked room.

My excuses for the short review. Oh the joy of a broken arm! So much more time to read, so difficult to type when you can use only one hand ...

I know I repeat others by saying this book reminds me of <i>The Haunting of Hill House</i>, but it does. It gives the same heebie jeebies, by both the whole atmosphere and it being about so much more than ghosts. This book shines an eery light on family, home, grief and past, present and future. It is woven together into a magnificent story that gets under your skin.

A Gothic, slow moving horror novel that reminds me of the Haunting of Hill House but with its own twists. I really enjoyed the slow pace, allowing the characters to be fully fleshed out leading to a point where I had to keep reading constantly as I needed to know what happened! Recommended for ghost and horror fans.

First, can I just say, what a creepy cover this is? The sense of beauty in its creepiness is a very good way to illustrate the style of writing in this book of horror.
This story is about a family that lives in a very old house. Mainly about the two sisters, Sam and Elizabeth, after Elizabeth moves back home 8 months pregnant and separated from her husband. Sam is very different from her sister however, mainly in that she can see and hear the past inhabitants of her and her mother’s home. This does not start becoming really scary until after her sister’s arrival back home which somehow sparks the presence of a new ghost, a little faceless boy.
The past is just as haunting as the present in this thriller and even more so in the gorgeous style of storytelling the author uses that not only makes the reader feel like a part of this tale but see it clearly play out in the mind’s eye. The author truly builds this haunted house with their words and the fear just spills out from the pages.
I highly recommend this book for fans of horror! Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!

I requested this book because it has an amazing cover. Seeing the cover itself gave me chills!
And the story! MY GOD! It is one of the scariest stories I have ever read! I read the whole book in a single sitting, because I don't know what possessed me, I wasn't able to stop myself from turning the page. This book was so full of gothic horror that my whole body got goosebumps while I was reading it. This book is creepy, scary, frightening, terrifying, petrifying, daunting, disturbing, hair-raising, spine-chilling and what not. If anybody thinks that they can't be scared by anything in this world (or other world to be precise) give this book a try!
But this book (according to me) has only one flaw: the slow pace. Apart from that this book is really good and I would recommend everybody to give it a try.
P.s.- I hope the faceless boy isn't after me while I write this review

A thoroughly creepy and disturbing read!

This felt like a classic Southern gothic and it was absolutely oozing with atmosphere and horrifying characters. I loved how the past and the future tangled together inside the house by way of spectral visions. The sense of dread and horror was also artfully woven throughout the story, pulling you through the narrative even when you were afraid to read on.

It was definitely full of moments so scary or grotesque that I felt thoroughly creeped out, as one should by a gothic horror novel. I loved the odd family dynamic and found the whole thing to be a chilling read.

However, my main issue was that the nods to Shirley Jackson (We Have Always Lived in the Castle/Haunting of Hill House) along with hints at The Shining were laid on a bit thick at times, to the point that I felt like the book was standing more on homage to other stories than standing on its own two feet. Maybe if you're not as familiar with the stories it takes inspiration from the reading experience would be more satisfying.

I also felt there was a slight tonal issue, mixing a more old-fashioned voice into a modern character so at times I felt the prose clashed with the dialogue.

I was also put off by a scene of animal abuse but I kept on reading and enjoyed the book, but if you're sensitive it's something to be aware of.

Overall, if you're in the mood for a seriously eerie horror story, pick this up!

What if your house had a memory? What if the previous inhabitants would occasionally appear, or if you could catch glimpses or your younger self playing guitar or frolicking in the yard? What if you had to be careful what you did int he house because you know that every act could appear again, as a memory? The Wakefield women live in such a house. Agnes has lived there all her life and her daughters, Sam and Elizabeth also grew up there. And as adults, they come home - Sam because her options are limited and Elizabeth because she is pregnant and her divorce from her husband imminent. But when Sam starts to see someone new in the house, she suspects that she may be seeing the future, not the past, and what she sees is not good. But memories, or even premonitions, can't hurt you, right?Atmospheric and creepy beyond belief, IT WILL JUST BE US is a truly original ghost story that has stayed with me since I read it. And, since I live in a house that is more than a hundred years old, I've become a little jumpy when things go bump in the night. Is it just the house settling or previous memories coming to life?

It wasn’t t until after I read this that I became aware reviewers were drawing comparisons to We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but from the first sentence, It Will Just Be Us immediately set an atmosphere on par with Shirley Jackson’s rarely matched abilities. Jo Kaplan managed to produce a work worthy of Jackson fans while maintaining an original voice and modern themes . She also produced a work that demonstrates that plot twists and jump scares are not what make a great thriller. I loved this book and can’t wait to read more from this author!

Sam Wakefield lives in a haunted house at the edge of a swamp with her mother. This is place where ghosts and memories appear daily. When pregnant sister Elizabeth comes to escape an abusive husband something changes. Rather than just being haunted by the images of the dead Sam is seeing what looks like the future.
I enjoyed the idea of just accepting and dealing with living in a haunted house. For example the furniture never gets moved. It can be confusing to walk into a room that is currently haunted by images from years past, you don't want to trip over the coffee table!
Poor Sam wonders if shes going crazy with all the changes, wonders if she has always been crazy. The imagery is dark but the plot is very predictable. Still, even knowing how things will end you want to keep reading to see it play out. Its old fashioned and atmospheric. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

wow this book was a trip. I picked this out on netgalley because of the comparisons to we have always lived in the castle, so I expected it to be kind of a rip off of that but it wasn’t. there were certainly a lot of fun easter eggs though, if you’re a shirley jackson fan. the dynamics between the sisters were totally different and so relatable. I also liked that their mother was also a major character, and that all of them had flaws. my issues with the book were that the pacing was off and the ending felt pretty rushed. I would have loved to see more of sam’s life after the climax of the novel. overall, though, this was a cool metaphor for how pain and trauma are passed down through generations. horror fans will get a kick out of it and it’ll make you think.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to review.

This is a really good haunted mansion/gothic story. Jo Kaplan did an excellent job with the details and bringing the haunted mansion to life. It was a little slow at first but kept my interest. Storyline was well thought out. Intriguing characters, chilling and very creepy.

I read dead people and they are in everywhere… That son of… faceless kid scared the living daylights out of me!!!

Another batshit crazy roller coaster ride I have, are you also in? Let’s dive into blurb:
Two daughters live with their mother at the haunted mansion built at the edge of the swamp. (Yeap, they should sue the real estate manager, oh, wait a minute, they inherited that place, my bad!) It is a place like same production designer of Netflix’s “Haunting of Hill House” worked on about the entire creepy, spooky details ( creaky stairs, labyrinth halls, echoes behind the walls, spirits of mad ancestors watching you).

One of the daughters leaves the place but then returns back because of the domestic disturbance at her marriage a few years later, pregnant, about to give a birth sooner. And a faceless boy feels the existence of a baby’s coming out, starts wandering around the house, disturbing the last crumbles of the peace, terrifying the children and animals, following Sam who never leaves the place (unlucky daughter)

Sam wants to run! Sam doesn’t want to live in terror, be afraid of her own shadow but she cannot leave her sister and her innocent baby.
This book gothic version of Shining dances with Shirley Jackson’s eerie, nail biter novels (the very same horrifying Netflix production that You’s Love plays I mentioned at the beginning and We Have Always Lived in the Castle). Only negative thing I felt about it was long and detailed descriptions slow down the pace and heart throbbing rhythm of the story-telling.

But it’s dazzling, surprising and it has also mouth dropping and smart ending which was quiet satisfying. If you’re big fans of dark, ominous, claustrophobic, irritating, nerve-bending, gothic stories, this book is definitely great choice for you (and also for me, too, even though it was a little bit slow burn thriller for my own taste)

So I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 and keep my lights open before go to sleep because the haunted mansion’s blood freezing, petrifying vibes will stay with you after you finish your reading.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sharing this gothic horror ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

Thanks for the ARC of this book. A very spooky book that kept me on edge. Loved it. Look forward to more by this author.

What a wild ride.

It took me a little bit to get into this. At the start I found the writing a bit pretentious I admit, the author substituting 20 words where one will do. The long flowery descriptions of everything was distracting and the sisters were bitchy and unlikeable. I had trouble getting into the story.

But that gradually changed. The long flowery descriptions became creepier, setting the scene for a thrilling ghost story that I devoured in two days. It has been a while since I read anything about ghosts that I really enjoyed, and I worried this would be more of the same. The haunted house. The family with a dark history. The fearful townspeople. While this has some of the typical elements that make up 99% of ghost stories I found myself really enjoying this one and the darkness within.

This was a very interesting, creepy gothic read that had me on every page. I stayed way to late in the night finishing this book because I couldn’t put it down. If you are a fan of Shirley Jackson then I highly recommend this book. It hold your attention throughout the whole story.