I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to this by the premise and the great cover. Unfortunately, I think the story could've benefited from another few rounds of editing, as the writing seemed disjointed and amateurish.

2.5 rounded up.

This was incredibly tedious to get into. It is somehow both overwritten and stilted. Very predictable.

Overall, it had a good premise and potential, but the execution fell flat.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Gaines has horrific visions and is able to sense paranormal oddities. When she and her mother move into an old farmhouse they soon learn that the farmhouse has a bloody past. Do Nora's visions hold the key to solving the mysterious murders from years ago?

This was a quick read which was structured very nicely, even if it was a bit obvious at times. Nora handles her situation quite well, I just wish we got more of the entities that she encounters. Her encounters with them tend to be few and far between, but the story within the story plotline was pretty good. My biggest gripe about this one is how Nora could go from investigative teenager to horndog in a matter of moments. She has a bit of a romance with one of the boys in town and the few bits of sexual content between the two of them seemed just thrown in at the last second. It didn't really mesh with the story.

If you're looking for a light and quick read with paranormal elements then this one is for you. I recommend for readers 14+ since there is sexual content, though nothing extra graphic. Four stars from me as the positives were great and my personal negatives weren't that massive.

After the divorce of her parents, Nora and her mother move to a off-the-beaten-path home. Very shortly after their arrival Nora begins to have disturbing visions of horrific things happening in the home.

This book immediately caught my eye with its beautiful cover. While The Upside-down of Nora Gaines is definitely a unique story, I had a very difficult time getting into it. The writing was strange. It seemed like the author looked up every word they wrote in a thesaurus and replaced it with the biggest one, regardless of if it made sense. I found the reading experience to be very clunky and couldn't seem to get immersed.

I found the various plot lines and characters difficult to follow - I wish more time was spent cultivating a few great characters rather than a ton of vague ones. All in all, I think this was a poor execution of a fun idea. Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

a unique read for sure! i enjoyed it for the most part but had a couple of issues here and there. the plot was all over the place, there were so many characters and storylines introduced that seemed kind of irrelevant? i couldn't see how they tied in or added to the story or reading experience. i know this is the genre but the annoying teenage drama getting thrown around every couple of chapters was just simply too much and i see i'm not the only one who thinks so. the ending was rushed and we don't get any resolution of what happened? it wasn't satisfying as all. however predictable it was, it was still fun to read.

The Upside Down of Nora Gaines is a YA supernatural/fantasy/romance that was a quick, enjoyable read. Nora and her mother move from Buffalo into an old farmhouse with a haunted past. While Nora meets a love interest in her new small town, she learns that her house has a long, fantastical past. A magical journal found in her attic weaves the story of Nora's present and the properties haunted past.
The premise for this book was intriguing and I found it easy to get into every time I picked it up. However, I did have some issues with the story telling and there were parts that seemed like unnecessary inclusions. The ending was somewhat rushed and didn't feel as final as I would've liked. Maybe a bit more editing would've helped tie everything together? Overall, enjoyable read because I did like the originality of the story and think it would be good for anyone who likes fantasy-esque YA.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

trigger warning
trigger warning
<spoiler> mention of rape, grooming, trauma, being orphaned, torture, being transformed, death by fire </spoiler>

After her parent's divorce, Nora Gaines and her mother move to a small village. They immediately sense weird vibes from the old farmhouse that now is supposed to be their home.

The book was very predictable, from the love interest to the actual plot to the ending of the book. I could have lived with that, were it not for the writing - it's badly overwritten, it felt like the author had leafed through a synonym dictionary for nearly every single sentence.
Especially when they chose to insert slang to make it more hip in the same part as all the multi syllable terms it felt off.

There is a story in a story, a diary that plays a huge role in this book, but the writing in the diary read like the normal narrator, only that it felt even more ridiculous to have every single breath taken mentioned. It's certainly not how I write in my diary.

I was very surprised as I finished the novel and got to the list of other works by the same author, because the whole thing does not read like it was written by an experienced author.

No recommendations, won't read anything more by this writer.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

Nora has visions of horrific things. Things that lurk in the shadows and feast on bones. After moving with her mother into an old farmhouse, Nora discovers a blank journal that fills itself with an ominous warning. A cursed beast is coming for her, and time is running out. When the blood moon rises, so shall the beast.

Local teen, Rebel, has his own trepidations about the house. His parents, both paranormal scientists, were investigating it when they died under mysterious circumstances. His growing feelings for Nora motivate him to battle the ghosts of his past, if it means keeping her safe.

Allies to turn to enemies. Fiction turns to fact. The past and the present collide. All in an epic battle to claim unfathomable power. Can Nora unlock the secrets buried within the farmhouse in time to save herself and those dear to her from a grisly fate?

I went into this completely blind after reading the blurb and this has turned into one of those wee accidental gems of a story that you really enjoy.

Constantine had me hooked from the start, spooky feels and an epic protagonist in feisty Nora Gaines, not to mention the continuous allure of the mysterious Rebel.

I really enjoyed the way Constantine created the parallel worlds between the past and present which kept the pace of the book interesting and drove the plot forward, I literally couldn’t put the book down.

A perfect read for those who like ghost stories with a side order of cringey and passionate teenage love!

#bookreviewsbymrsc #theupsidedownofnoragaines #cathrinaconstantine

This was a splendid book!! Best horror book I have ever read (and I usually cry when reading them)
⋆┈┈｡ﾟ❃ུ۪ ❀ུ۪ ❁ུ۪ ❃ུ۪ ❀ུ۪ ﾟ｡┈┈⋆
This book follows Nora whose mother is a bestselling author, they relocate to a faraway village after her mom's divorce there she encounters ghost, her mind travels to past lives as she fights paranormal things. Oh and her love life is quite upside down ;)
A perfect combination of horror, drama and romance!
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book.
My rating ⊱ ─ {⋅. ✯5 stars✯ .⋅} ─ ⊰

In “The Upside Down of Nora Gaines” we follow Nora and her mother as they move to another town to an old farmhouse after her parents’ divorce. There, she finds a journal that writes itself with a tale about fighting a beast. A beast that’s coming for Nora, unless she does something about it. The premise was good enough to pique my interest but unfortunately the book itself wasn’t as good as I was expecting.

This was targeted as paranormal, but I felt I was reading fantasy all throughout the journal/diary portion of the book. The plot was all over the place, especially when it came to the whole beast/sorcerer plotline. There were also a lot of characters and storylines introduced that added nothing to the bigger picture. I’m still trying to figure out the point of the whole teenage drama that was thrown around for a couple of chapters. Another thing I didn’t enjoy is how everything was rushed in the end. What actually happened? Were they able to fix everything? Is someone coming back for them? I have so many questions!

Although it’s not my favorite book, it was nice and a little bit addictive. I couldn’t wait to find out more about what was happening, even if some its aspects were somewhat predictable. Also, getting to know more about Rebel’s parents transported me to a The Conjuring scenario, which I can’t complain about since it’s one of my favorite horror movies.

This book just wasn't for me. The writing style was very.....odd? Distracting? Word choice in writing is so important to how the story flows, and plays a huge part in total immersion in the story and this book had so, so many weird word choices that it was choppy, and jolted me out of total enjoyment of the book. Some of the words were just pretentious and didn't fit in with the story, and some didn't make any sense at all based on the context of the rest of the sentence. I couldn't get past that and it greatly affected the experience I had with the book.

Picked this up because of the cover. Love a good cover! This was an interesting read, my first paranormal read. There are immortal beings, love interests, magic, ghosts, and more. So I'd say it's more a mix of fantasy and paranormal than strictly paranormal.

I keep a list of new vocabulary with each read. This book had a long list of new-to-me words. The author also uses flowy descriptions. I particularly enjoyed this passage:

"She turned toward Poe kneading her pillow. Her mom had nearly blown a gasket when she’d brought the kitten in the house. It had taken one look into Poe’s round midnight-blue eyes to thaw her resolve like a snowball in the sunshine."

The beginning took a little bit to pick up for me. It did leave me wanting to know more what happened to Nora by way of paranormal experiences pre divorce.

During the middle I found myself more intrigued with Naveah than Nora. Then hating Atticus as much as Naveah. His curse was a little confusing. I also found myself sympathizing with the beast.

The ending wasn't a tied up with a perfect how kind of ending. Ominous enough to continue the story maybe. It could be neat to see Rebel and Nora go into paranormal investigating or something.

I give it 3 stars. It was a good read, had a few wordy spots but it kept me going to see the resolution.

This is my first time reading anything by Cathrina Constantine and it certainly won't be my last. The characters are intriguing and I love the beautiful descriptions provided throughout the book.

When Nora Gaines has to move to an old farmhouse in Walnut Grove along with her mother after her parents divorce, she is less than thrilled. She doesn't want to leave the city and her city friends behind to go and live in some countryside. Nora has a special power. She can see 'things'. She can see ghosts and other non human beings, because of which she was sometimes considered to be weird and strange.
But things start going awry when they arrive at the farmhouse and learn that it is rumoured to be haunted and Nora finds a strange self writing journal...
This book is a perfect read for fans of spooky, ghostly and supernatural things. The writing pace and speed is good and the entire book takes place within a span of few weeks.
Nora Gaines, our protagonist is a smart character, just the perfect kind needed for a horror book. She has her wits along with her and does not do unexplainable, stupid things.
Rebel, the love interest in this book and Nora's support in this book is well written character. He is dependable and smart and independent. And also extremely handsome. His backstory is also a well thought out one.
The ambience and the setting of the book is good, though at times it feels a bit underwhelming. I also felt there was a lack of subplots when it could have been easily utilized with the different characters we were introduced to in Walnut Grove. There was a very good potential of this when there was a fight between Rebel and one of his acquaintance and we are hinted at some backstory. But sadly we never get to know that.
All in all this is a short,fun read and the cover art is absolutely beautiful. A one time read.
Thank You to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book in return of an honest review.

This book starts with Nora and her mother Claire relocating to Willow Grove from Buffalo, New York after Claire's divorce from her husband. They move into what some would call charming, but most would call dilapidated farm house in the middle of nowhere. Is the house in serious need of some TLC? Yes, and also maybe an exorcist.

The beginning of the book was a little jumbled for me. I thought a lot of the exposition in the second chapter should have been in the first. I got confused and thought Claire was Nora's sister and not her mother, so I started the book thinking they were a family of three not two. We're quickly introduced to the fact that Nora can see supernatural entities, though this power has only ever gotten her trips to her local shrink. At this new house in Willow Grove she can sense something sinister. Her Spidey sense pays off when she finds a journal hidden in the attic under a floorboard. The journal proves to be a smart plot device that I really enjoyed throughout the story.

Within a day of arriving, they go to the local dinner and meet Rebel, the love interest for Nora. I had a few qualms with this. Instant attraction is easy to come by, but they seemed instantly in love and for no reason. I thought for sure there was going to be a prophecy or magic binding them together, but no such luck. Rebel has agreed to bring some friends to help clean the attic at Nora's new home. This promise is quickly followed up by a visit the next day by Rebel and his football friends. As they clean the attic, Rebel stumbles across the spot that Nora found the journal and finds a dagger. The two hide it from the other boys and later engage in a super passionate kiss.

From here the story really develops the supernatural plot introducing sorcerers, gods, nymphs, and magic. However, I felt that the author could have easily omitted unnecessary side characters like Nora's friends from Buffalo, in order to better develop the magic and main characters. It was difficult to understand what certain things meant, like what did it mean when someone was "innocent"? Were they a virgin or just not an asshole? Overall I liked this book, I found it to be a good supernatural tale.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I read it so quickly that I was kind of mad at myself that I didn’t slow down to savor it more. I might actually go back and read it later. Trust me when I say that it you should read it.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for this allowing me to read this book!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- LOVED this book!

You know sometimes you just read a book, and it is SO good, but you can't think of a lot to say about it other than "READ IT"? Yeah, this would be one of those times. This was just a thoroughly entertaining read. Well written. Well paced. Likable characters. Original engaging plot. Ghosts. Creepy house. Horny teenagers. Even the cover is outstanding. 😂 What more can you ask for? Actually, can I ask for another book featuring these characters? 👀

**ARC Via NetGalley**

I’ve been in such a thriller/horror mood recently and this book gave me everything I wanted! I don’t usually get scared from reading books but at one point I was reading this book at night and was like “well… I think it’s time I stop reading… until it’s light out again”.

I loved the way ghosts, a sorcerer, a curse, immortal gods, and a “regular” girl morphed together to create such an enthralling story!

Whoa! This one is original, promising, deliciously creative!

I always dreamed of opening my final draft program and observing the pages fill itself to form a blockbuster script concept! Okay, I think I’m gonna write different version of this unique story in near future.

Let’s focus on reviewing task: a haunted old farm house + an ominous blank journal magically fills its own pages with threatening words warning Nora who reluctantly moved to this place along with her mother, a cursed monster is unleashed, it’s coming to get her! So she’d better run! Time is ticking!

This is such an intriguing combination!! And Nora’s path crosses with Rebel who also has his own trepidations about approaching to the house because his parents were paranormal scientists ( which may be my second job choice because I still cannot find magical final draft application which fills its own pages) and they died during their search in suspicious circumstances.

He has feelings Nora which means he has to be brave enough to protect her and Nora should be determined enough to solve the mystery of haunted farm house. Thankfully she’s gifted to connect with ghosts and having special psychic dreams.

Overall: it’s fun, interesting, riveting YA paranormal novel. I didn’t find Nora and Rebel’s insta romance reliable. But instead of that: the story is well executed and kept my attention intact which earned my 4 haunted house theme never disappoints me, I see death people, paranormal activity stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Cathrina Constantine for providing me this arc in exchange my honest opinions.

This book has a BEAUTIFUL cover and an interesting premise. It had the potential to be fantastic and thrilling if done right. Unfortunately this book fell short for me.

Nora and her mother move to a mysterious house in a small town where the don’t know anyone. Nora quickly falls in with a crowd of local teens. She discovers a mysterious journal that gives her glimpses at the history of the house and the haunting rumors surrounding it.

Pros
> the haunted house plot line is quite interesting
>the concept of the journal is not something I’ve seen done before
>Nora has paranormal powers including communicating with ghosts and psychic dreams

Cons
>the romance sub plot is entirely unnecessary to moving the story forward. Nora’s relationship with Rebel is very forced and awkward for teens who just met. If Nora and Rebel remained friends the entire time, it would have done nothing to change the plot.
>so much toxic masculinity in this group of teen boys
>several of the journal scenes made me uncomfortable.