I didn't think that I would ever give a horror book five stars, but this one is getting five stars. One of the most immersive horror stories that I've ever read. I felt like I was right in that haunted mansion with that family.

atmospheric southern gothic haunted house story. enjoyed the world building of the house & how these people live there with visual echoes that get repeated over and over. (not even truly ghosts because the residents will sometimes see younger versions of themselves wandering around.) a nice little twist to the haunted house trope, imo.

melancholy, creepy, and at times grotesque. it did have a Shirley Jackson-esque quality which i always appreciate.

This is one of the creepiest books I have ever read!

I don’t want to go into too much detail because of spoilers.

This is about a house on the edge of a swamp. The house stores memories of what transpires within its walls and replays them to the occupants. These memories can not see the present, and you can’t interact with them. Until one occupant starts seeing things that have not yet come to pass.

As I was reading this book, I noted that the start of the book is slow with a long-drawn-out build-up. This is fine as you do get to know the characters, which are distinct and well-written, even if I could not stand a single one of them. I also think certain decisions made by one specific character were super dumb.

There is a moment of humour somewhere in the middle that I found quite amusing and really well delivered. I thought the ending was fantastic, so freaky and dark.

If you plan your monthly TBR in advance and are looking for some spooky Halloween vibes for October, I would highly recommend this book.

Sam has lived her entire life in Wakefield, a decaying mansion built by her ancestors at the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp. The rotting hallways and rooms shift and change. The building is filled with ghosts. Sam and her mother and her sister, Liz, have always known that. They speak softly so that they won't have to hear their conversations repeated later...because they are surrounded not only by the ghosts of the dead, but by apparitions their own younger selves. It took me a while to figure out what was going on in the house, but once I did understand how the hauntings and apparitions worked, I started to enjoy the book a lot more. There's cruelty, which I found hard to read, and a lot of dense, elaborate descriptive prose, but once the plot really picked up, it gave me chills.

A really entertaining gothic horror novel. This one is interesting in a few ways. First of all, the narrator knew that the house was haunted, which is something I've never seen. It was very cool to see her interacting with the "memories" of the house and her knowledge (or gaps in her knowledge) about what was happening throughout. It added another layer of tension and uncertainty to the plot.

Second, this wasn't a book that was scary as I read it. There were some creepy elements, and some scenes that gave me chills, but it wasn't until after I read the book and took it all in and then had to go about my day that these things became truly scary.

Overall this was a quick, gripping read!

A haunted ancestral manor, a swamp, malevolent spirits, a locked room no one ever enters, sisters (one pregnant) ... yes, yes please! Well crafted. Dark. Gothic. A great read for a gloomy rainy day (or night) in bed. I started and finished this one in a single session (with minimal interruptions by a demanding toddler and two canines - each greatly resented and handled as quickly as possible so I could get back to reading!)

This book has all of my favorite thriller/horror elements but failed to deliver. I like to get the tingles at least 4 chapters in. It seemed to take forever to spook me and the ending was just overdone. This had great potential but fell short.

It is rare to read a book and come away with nothing but praise for it. This is one of those rare times.

It Will Just Be Us is a nesting box of horror. It is a haunted house story, a folkloric tale of the mysteries of the swampland on which the house is built. It is a story of the horror of what humans inflict on each other, and the psychological horrors we inflict on ourselves and those we love.

The Wakefield House, perched on its marshy swampland, is a place of undying memories, and Samantha Wakefield, returned home as an adult, is about to find out that not even the memories are to be trusted. A strange boy with a half formed face haunts the halls of the ancestral home, and Sam will go to extremes to stop this boy from ever becoming reality.

The story is atmospheric, claustrophobic, dark and close and shivery. You're never really alone in Wakefield House, and you will feel the presence of its ethereal inhabitants leaning in close as you read.

An excellent, excellent story, five stars all the way, and sure to be in my Top Ten for the year.

Living with ghosts, swamp witches, history boring deep into the bones of the inhabitants of an old rickety manse, this story has lovely elements of gothic horror, including spooky children. I highly recommend it. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy from the publisher Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I read this book with the Night Worms review team. The book was enjoyable enough. A solid three star book.

Sam Wakefield lives with her mother in their ancestral home in Virginia, outside a small town where the Wakefields have gotten the reputation of being particularly spooky, even witches. Makes sense, as their sprawling mansion is haunted by a century and a half of Wakefield ghosts, with whom Sam and her mother get along just fine. But when Sam's pregnant sister comes to stay after a fight with her husband, the ghosts take on a new and scarier method of haunting, offering unnerving glimpses of Sam's unborn nephew. While she wants to avoid the sources of these particular spooks, Sam's not sure how to do it safely, for herself and her family.

This is a Shirley Jackson-esque gothic ghost story, but with a twist that turns the horror up to 11. A fantastically creepy tale, though not one to be read at night. *shudder*

This book definitely has its moments of haunted house creepiness and there were a few moments I really enjoyed. Overall I found quite a lot of it to be almost over-written and it took way too long for me to get invested in the story. Sometimes less is more. The book draws from very familiar tales in the HH sub genre, ones I truly love, but it just didn’t work for me. I think other readers may still have a good time.

Ancestral homes truly are one of the best settings for Gothic fiction. Give me a slightly crumbling facade, marshy lands, a lake, a musty basement, and creaky attic and I'm done for. Of course family secrets will fester here. Of course the dead will linger. Of course I will stay up late and read this and therefore be jumpy the next day. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing will get you like generational trauma, especially if somehow the generations all stay around like ghosts. I'm fascinated by houses that hold on to their inhabitants and refuse to let the past go. Although we're all made up of what has come before, the ability to let go and move on is essential for survival. Surrounded by the ghosts of the past, Kaplan's protagonist cannot move on or heal from anything. Her mother has long withdrawn into herself and no longer differentiates between the memories she sees and the reality she misses. It Will Just Be Us battles with the fear that no matter how hard you try, everything is already set in stone. Your premonitions won't help you, you're bound to go down a certain path regardless and tragedy will find you. It is a fear not many books engage in, partly because it doesn't allow for much fun. But when done well, as Kaplan does, it allows for a thrilling reading experience.

The Wakefield women are just about keeping it together, it being both themselves and the house. Sam is newly returned home after being robbed, her mother refuses to leave the house, and her pregnant sister, Elizabeth, would prefer never to enter it again. For Sam, an archaeology professor, the past is always present. Ghosts are a common occurrence for her and she is fascinated by the nearby swamps and its witchy history. But Sam is also on edge, especially once Elizabeth moves back in and a faceless boy appears to haunt Sam. He is bad news and she begins to fear the worst. On top of that, the door in the attic which was always locked is now, in fact, open. As past and present begin to meld and everything starts to unravel, Sam can't help but wonder whether the future is just as set as the past. Kaplan builds up to a tense ending, slowly but surely ramping up the tension and the scares until you will find yourself spellbound. The scares in It Will Just Be Us work almost shockingly well. I've read quite a few horror and thriller books, but the tension Kaplan creates is something else. You will be on the edge of your seat throughout.

The connection to Shirley Jackson in the blurb isn't entirely misplaced. Echoes of both We Have Always Lived in the Castle and the Netflix adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House can be found in Kaplan's novel. There is the eerie sense of being already doomed that both Jackon's Nell and Kaplan's Sam carry with them. There is also the stubborn clinging to pretense that both the Blackwood and Wakefield family engage in. While Shirley excels at striking a balance between drama and exaggeration, It Will Just Be Us occasionally gets lost in itself. The framework is great and Sam is a fascinating protagonist. However, the supporting characters aren't fully fleshed-out and as the plot gets more complicated it becomes a little harder to follow. This is coupled to the fact that at times the prose is occasionally rather purple, which means the momentum of the plot gets weighed down. However, despite that, I simply couldn't put It Will Just Be Us down. There are images from this novel that have stuck for me since I've read it, images that pop up unbidden, usually late at night. That in and of itself is proof of the effectiveness of the story Kaplan tells. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for further books from her.

It Will Just Be Us is a perfect scary, Gothic read that should be enjoyed during a thunderstorm. Anyone looking for a thrilling read that will bring you to the edge of a heart-attack and keep you there should give Kaplan's novel a go.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was given an advance copy of this by NetGalley for an honest review. To start with based on the description I was hoping for quite the story. The sad truth for me was this book didn’t pick up or keep me entertained until about the last thirty pages. I usually don’t stick with a book this long but given that it was an advanced copy I had to stick with it. If you are a reader that likes a really slow burn then this is for you. The horror twists at the end are quite good which is why I gave it the three stars.

Happy reading!

A creepy story that ends up being just a bit overly dramatic. The first half of the book seemed to drag and I found myself zoning out. Toward the end the story did pick up and I enjoyed the ending. There are definitely some great creepy elements to this story. I would definitely consider reading another book by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

On the surface, It Will Just Be Us has all the elements of a successful paranormal horror book for me – it is set in a decaying mansion filled with ghosts and features a creepy/dangerous ghost child that only one character can see. I enjoyed the way the house became a character and how rather than just floating around, the ghosts show the “memories” of the house. Unfortunately though, I didn’t end up liking the book. I found it overly descriptive in places, thought there were too many storylines and “spooky” plot points/tropes thrown in just because, and was left completely unsatisfied by the ending.

For anyone that wants a good haunted house book, this title is for you. I was drawn in quickly and overall enjoyed the read. Only part that I didn't like, was the animal abuse, but that didn't ruin the entire book for me.

While I am grateful to the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this title, a busy schedule got in the way, and I was unable to read it before it was archived on Netgalley. I will be looking for a physical copy of this title at my local bookstore!

Wakefield Manor, a mansion at the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia, where Sam currently lives with her mother Agnes. Both of them have grown accustomed to seeing shadows of the past. Things take a sinister twist when Sam's sister Elizabeth moves into the manor.

Oh man do I love a good solid gothic haunted house novel! I really enjoyed Jo Kaplan's writing. The atmosphere of the mansion mixed with the horrific things happening is why I love a good gothic horror novel. There's a little mix of madness and paranoia that you as the reader start experience which just amped up the creepiness of the story. I did find the first half of the book to have a little part that was lagging but I was so invested in the story that I kept reading and I'm glad I did! Also, the boy with no face is something nightmares are made of.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Land Books for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.