Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never knowingly read this author before but I will certainly read more from her. This book was a rarity nowadays in that I didn't get bored in "character development," and start skimming, The character development fit right in I read the book in its entirety. If you, or someone you buy gifts for like a spooky haunted house type book, where you are not sure if is it supernatural or is it an act of crime, then give this book a read.

4 Stars

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book drew me in on the premise of being about a haunted house and the need for the characters to face that horror to stop what was happening now. While there were some supernatural elements, or certainly seemed to be, it was more of a journey through guilt and grief. The main character, Clare, was returning to her chilhood home at the request of her former best friend, Abby's parents when Abby had fallen into a coma. I felt as though, overall, the book didn't really deliver. There is very little of the Octogon House even in it- just a lot of visited memories that point more toward human monsters than supernatural. And we end without having any real answers to the alleged haunting, just the reparation of old friendships and some new beginnings. While that is a valid story, the synopsis should have made it much more clear, because, honestly, I was here for a haunted house, not a journey of grief and guilt. Well written, but a disappointment.

What a great read going into autumn! I loved the layers of mystery and taut pacing. There was a terrific feeling of eerie dread that built up and the pages couldn’t fly fast enough!

I loved this book. Very suspenseful. It’s about a house and the effect it has in some people due to what happened there.

I ended up DNF'ing this one, but I'm still giving 3 stars as I think it's decent for some folks, it just wasn't for me. There was a good premise, with the woman returning to a spooky house of her childhood where something very spooky happened - both as children and now - to her previous best friend. The recipe is there, but I just wasn't drawn to actually finish the book, and I'm not sure if that was the page-turning-ness of the book or just me!

There's a LOT going on... with three past timelines, plus two present day timelines, all following different characters, I found it difficult to differentiate between who was who and what was going on, especially at first. I also am left with SO MANY QUESTIONS! There are some plot holes that I wish would've been further developed. However, I really enjoy a creepy house story with "characters return to past" tropes. I also enjoyed the small bit of romance too! All in all, I would highly recommend this book, even with all the chaos of trying to get straight who is who and what's going on.

A woman returns to her hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide at a local haunted house—the same place where a traumatic incident shattered their lives twenty years ago.

I found this to be pretty mid. It was fine; I didn't love it or hate it. A good beach read.

wow wow wow! The plot of this book had me hooked from the first chapter! While I wasn't anticipating alternate timelines or POVs it was a welcomed surprise. The only reason I'm giving this book 4 stars is that I feel the ending and the wrapping up of the plot was a bit rushed.

This one was just meh for me. The characters were okay, but the story didn't seem fleshed out enough. I still don't know if it was a real ending or a supernatural one. It was a decent read, but there are better thrillers out there.

I was really excited to read this book, however I felt like it was so drawn out and could have been a bit shorter without the extra fluff. The idea of a creepy abandoned house in the middle of the woods is scary enough but then you add in murder and it's even spookier.

I genuinely was hooked when reading this book. I feel like this is exactly what I needed to convince me to read all of her backlog. If kept me intrigued and on my toes!

This was a book that drew me in and held me hostage. Beautifully written with many twists and turns, I would highly recommend it.

I loved The synopsis of this book and was super excited to get approved for it! It started off really strong with the main character returning home after her childhood best friend attempts suicide. Suspicions around the situation heighten as their teenage years come into play and the reasons behind her friends actions become clearer. As I was Reading it was very reminiscent of another book by a popular horror author, and I think this one fell a bit flat. The end left me with some questions. Overall a likable read

So many creeps and thrills! I enjoyed this book but was hoping for a little bit more. It got slow at moments but it kept me on the edge of my seat!

Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett is a haunting and suspenseful novel that explores the lingering effects of childhood trauma. Set in the small town of Sumner's Mills, upstate New York, the story revolves around the Octagon House, a long-abandoned mansion where a man killed his wife and two young daughters years ago.

The protagonist, Clare, is a woman haunted by her past, having lost her childhood friend Abby when they were teenagers. When she learns that Abby has attempted suicide at the Octagon House and is now in a coma, Clare returns to Sumner's Mills to uncover the truth behind her friend's accident.

Fawcett's writing is taut and atmospheric, creating a palpable sense of dread that permeates every page. The descriptions of the Octagon House are especially chilling, and the author does an excellent job of building tension as Clare delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Abby's condition.

At its heart, Beneath the Stairs is a story about the lasting impact of trauma and the ways in which it can shape our lives. Clare's own struggles with grief and loss are interwoven with the larger narrative, adding depth and nuance to her character.

Overall, Beneath the Stairs is a gripping and well-crafted thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Fawcett's skillful blend of horror and psychological suspense makes for an eerie and unforgettable reading experience.

This one gave me serious heebie-jeebies. Dark basement, creepy doll, weird pull to the odd octagon-shaped house, strange shared dreams. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to yell "don't doooooo that" to the pages. It's been awhile since I've read something that gave me those anxious vibes, as I rarely get that from reading. But this gave me the willies for sure.

Really enjoyed this Jennifer Fawcett novel. Creepy and dark for sure. Loved the characters as they kept me turning pages into the night.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Beneath the Stars, by Jennifer Fawcett, is a creepy story, but not scary enough to really make me love it. There is a haunted house, a mystery, and the descriptions help me visualize the settings.  The overall storyline is good and I enjoyed reading it.  This one is more for the tame of heart. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A hounted house always intrigueds me. I enjoy the book. The story takes me to a place where I can picture the surroundings. I enjoyed the base idea for the story. The eerie feeling throughout the book intreeged me. I thought some parts were rambling that didn't need to be in the book. Like a few side stories going on that didn't really work for me in the book. The non linner timeline didn't work the greatest with this story. I got lost a few time with what year the story was talking about.

I like to think netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the arc.

Clare and Abby were the best of friends growing up until at the tender age of fourteen when the girls and a couple of other friends decided to visit the town's legendary haunted house, "The Octagon House". Abby really didn't want to go inside the house but she didn't have the courage to stand up to the other girls knowing they would think she was baby and that would hurt her feelings so she went inside against her better judgement. When one of the girls locked Abby in the basement she experienced a terror that permanently changed her and then her mental health just spiraled out of control. None of the girls understood or seemed to care except for Clare because now she felt so completely lost and alone without Abby and then suddenly Abby's family moved away leaving Clare with so many questions and losing the friend and family that she had loved and depended on through all her early years.

Twenty years later Abby's family reaches out to Clare to visit Abby since she almost died in a attempted suicide where she was found in the basement of the creepy " Octagon House". Since all of this doesn't make any sense, Clare rushes to the hospital to see Abby because she's now free to travel since she lost her job when she recently experienced a personal tragedy that led to her marriage ending as well as suffering depression and sleepless nights so she needs the distraction to help find out what can be behind this strange connection and pull that this old, dilapidated, seemingly haunted house has held over Abby through the years that would make her friend want to take her own life in that horrible and messed up "Octagon House" and also because Clare never admitted anything as a teenager but she also had heard and seen something that she couldn't make sense of at the time that has always troubled her so now she knows she must seek out this strange, spooky house again and find out all the history behind it if she is ever going to be able to help Abby and herself. If Abby and her family need her then Clare must go back to where it all started since she knows she was responsible for Abby getting trapped in that basement when they were just young girls!

This was a terrific coming of age story that I enjoyed very much, all while revolving around vulnerable teen girls and their insecurities and many secrets. The atmosphere concerning the "Octagon House" was eerie and creepy holding my interest while keeping the insidious secrets not to be revealed until the end of the book which really kept me intrigued. Jennifer Fawcett's writing captured the innocence and essence of youth and just how hard it is being young misunderstood teenagers who need extra love and support but they don't know how to verbalize their feelings to the adults into their lives who only want the best for their children only sometimes love is not enough.

Excellent storytelling! There were quite a few back stories concerning the who, what and why of the house becoming haunted with some tasty chills and thrills, so I felt this was a very original novel from start to finish. There were a few minor flaws but not enough to affect the goodness or the spookiness of an old fashioned haunted house story.

Possible Trigger: Suicide, Depression, Miscarriage, Death of a parent, Violence, Murder, Abuse.

I want to thank the publisher "Atria Books" and Net galley for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I given this book a rating of 4 CREEPY AND EMOTIONAL 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!