[★ 3.0 stars]

the story starts with the main character brad a true-crime reporter attempting to kill himself. he doesn't succeed right away and while trying to figure things out he stumbles into a small town called three summers. it's deserted and eerie. he finds his way to a strange house and once he's there he begins to witness very strange events. brad and his soon-to-be wife missy move in and discover more than they ever could have been looking for.

i haven't read much horror but this book is creepy, unsettling, and the first few chapters grabbed my attention right away. it did get a bit confusing at times with alternating pov's and i had to go back more than once to make sure i hadn't misread something. maybe southern gothic isn't exactly my style of horror, but i did enjoy it. all of the mysteries came together in the end and i feel like i will remember certain parts of this book for a while. thank you to netgalley for this arc!

Through Net Galley, I read and advanced copy of The House of Dust by Noah Broyles. This Southern Gothic novel jumps back and forth through time following characters dealing with whatever it is that has a grip over the town of Three Summers in rural Tennessee. Suitably creepy and atmospheric, this debut novel follows a number of damaged characters as they navigate the mysteries of a small town controlled by unseen forces.

The story was a bit difficult to follow at times especially during transition from character to character and places in time. That said, Mr. Broyles brings it all together in the end for a satisfying read.

This one gets 4 stars from me and I expect that we’ll see great things from this talented young writer in the future.

I tried reading this one, but it was to my reading tastes so I have decided to DNF this one rather than force myself through only to give it a mediocre review. I will update this review if I try it again later and feel differently.

Great story, completely enthralling and just the right amount of gothic mystery. But the switches between POVs was confusing and could have been much clearer. There was also quite a bit of issues with the editing which I assume will be fixed before the novel’s official release. Overall, I would categorize this one as a good read.

The House of Dust is a sobering southern gothic with a religious horror twist. There’s no need for readers to have a religious background, but the horror aspects will be much more effective for those who find cults creepy. The deftly painted scenes are so mysterious and bizarre that there’s a sense of dread that the whole tragic story will never come into focus.

Right off the bat, main character Brad intentionally overdoses. He stumbles into some godforsaken hole of a town called Three Summers in a chemical haze, barely grasping his surroundings. Everything feels ominous and surreal as he tries to keep his eyes open and he is utterly unable to make sense of the few snippets of information that make it into his head. Still, he’s intrigued by these scraps and becomes absorbed in the town’s history. This chemical confusion translates from the page to the reader who slowly makes sense of the story as though emerging from their own chemical fog. The effect is spectacular and it’s something I don’t think I’ve experienced in literature before.

Yes, it’s a confusing way to start a book, but it makes the crystallizing of the story that much better. Readers should dedicate a weekend to this book to get the full effect of living inside Brad's head. About halfway through, the story clarifies, and the other main character, Missy, becomes dominant. The parallel timelines keep things moving, but sometimes the interruptions jarred me out of the storyline and I lost momentum.

The House of Dust relies heavily on mystery, but there were some secrets that didn’t really need to be kept. Brad’s fiance’s name, for example. For half the book, she’s just his fiance, but suddenly she has a name. There’s no fanfare, no introduction, and I can only assume this is part of the overall clarifying technique the author started in the beginning of the book. Other mysteries were all clues and no reveal. Some characters’ backstories, for example, had a ton of buildup only to be summarized in a couple paragraphs at the end.

I’m not quite the target audience for this book since I don’t usually read rural horror or bleak tragedies, but the writing style really worked for me. It’s so artful and emotional. From a feminist viewpoint, The House of Dust does raise an eyebrow; there’s a common denominator of damaged goods. But to be fair, none of the characters are shown in their best light. They’re all at rock bottom, so to speak.

Overall, I feel that as a southern gothic, the book succeeds. It’s a bit over-mysterious at some points, and dreary at others. It’s such an original concept, though, that I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Between the sweeping plantation house, claustrophobic rural setting, bizarre rituals, and creeping supernatural elements, The House of Dust truly terrifies.

CW: I started to write a list of potential triggering themes in this book, but it quickly became a paragraph full of spoilers. Long story short, skip this title if you’re a sensitive reader. Phobias and emotional triggers abound.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was interesting. Some parts I was able to stay with the story, other parts were confusing. I was very intrigued by the blurb I read but I am not sure this book is ready for publication.

A true-crime reporter and a prostitute take refuge from their normal lives on a plantation that is not as abandoned as they thought.

This book was southern gothic, through and through. The atmosphere was very vivid; the heat, the closed-off locals, the rural setting, the plantation house. I felt like I was right there with the characters. There were multiple POVs and I found it confusing for much of the book; it was hard to keep track of what was going on. Overall the story was very creepy and engaging and I really enjoyed the writing style.

Creepy, haunted, gothic, confusing, depressing, intriguing: The best adjectives I chose to define this book.

The main character Bradley Ellison, a crime writer who is assigned for his new article, declared his decision to end his life at the opening of first chapter. Wow! It was impactful and interestingly intense! Of course I was hooked!

From the melancholic, saddened tone, we realize he was just struggling with his dark past and tragedies changed his entire life. Because of flat tire wrecks, he misses his last interview with the police officer and he thinks it was the last strike.

He barely gathers his thoughts to find a best and less violent way to kill himself but coincidentally a hardly readable sign of an old town intrigues him. As he drives through the place and observes the abandoned stores, empty streets, he sees a ghost from his past and when he’s about to pass out, he startled with banging on the car window. A grey haired woman with grease stained fingers asks him if he’s a doctor. Interestingly he says yes and the woman points her out a strange house and tells him to drive there. That’s the eerie and mysterious opening of the story which also opens the can of worms.

The characterization and complex, lyrical way of storytelling kept my attention alert but I think I got lost and confused because of changing narrations. When the story started as a first person POV as Southern Gothic article writer and then it continued with third narration. The sudden switches between chapters were too compelling to concentrate to the main story.

The noir, mysterious writing style already reminds you of dark, metaphorical, mind bending, poetic David Lynch movies. Your head hurts! Your brain cells on fire! But it is still unique, different and enjoyable style with its creepy, bleak, dark, twisty turns.

Overall: if you love the combination surrealist Lynch style waltzes with dark, depressive, playful, twisty Fincher style : this book truly fits your expectations and fill all the boxes you desire for a original thriller reading.

The confusing narration parts, heavy and extra slow burn style made me lower some points but the uniqueness and boldness to present us creative style writing earned my 3.5 stars which are occasionally rounded up 4 claustrophobic, suicidal, dark past, gothic stars!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Inkshares for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

"I got off the interstate to commit suicide."

Set in Tennessee, Bradley Ellison is a depressed crime writer trying desperately to revive his failing career. After a flat tire wrecks his last prospect at an interview, Brad decides it's over. While looking for an appropriate place to kill himself, he sees a barely legible sign for an odd little town. Confused and groggy, he ends up at a strange house and finds himself knocking on the door. Down the rabbit hole they both go.

I was immediately sucked into the story but I confess to being totally lost by the middle of the book. Missy's name suddenly changes to Jennifer which was very confusing. I read half the book without realizing they were different people. It does eventually come together. The mystery and the author's poetic style of writing were great though. Told as part 'Southern Gothic' magazine article, the changes in point of view from the first person article, to the third person story kept reading interesting. I've learned from different books that I enjoy mixed media story telling but in this case, it did make following the timeline difficult. It was almost impossible to keep straight what was happening between the frequent pov changes. If I had to compare the vibe of this book to anything it'd have to be 'The Twilight Zone' or the 'Lost Highway' movie with it's strange, atmospheric, noir style. Overall I found it to be a very creepy, deliciously weird and suspenseful horror. Look for it to be released May 18, 2021. Thanks to Inkshares and author Noah Broyles for letting me review it.

Trigger warning for mental illness, suicidal thoughts and drug abuse, if that bothers you skip this book.

"Here, the windows looked out from the back of the porches like deep-socketed eyes, panes hazy with a history of dusty summers, stained curtains for eyelids stitched shut with cobwebs. But not dead. The house had been asleep for many years, he decided. Soon he would join it. Asleep. Eyelids closed forever in the dust."
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Such a haunting tale! Story woven through time and I found some of the transitions confusing but i hung in and it all came together so sadly. Creepy concept and characters rich in emotion made for a fascinating novel. I will look out for this author in the future.

Thank you netgalley for this arc

Started slow for me but I am glad I kept going. It was a pretty creepy book. I will definitely be on the lookout for more by author. This was a first time reading this particular author