This was the perfect book to read to get me pumped up for the upcoming spooky season. Its a quick read I was able to finish in a day. This book is the real housewives meets the exorcist. I enjoyed the fact that the main characters weren’t considered the perfect pta, and that they had a strong bond. I would like to read more from this author

A book that I thought I would love, but had to put down at the 25% mark. This is one of those books that I gravitated toward because it reminded me of a great small town, funny, rich people drama, with a side of cozy mystery. But, I found that the writing was a bit hard for me to get through. I am hoping to pick this up another time. Just wasn't the book that I needed at the time.

So this wasn't that great unfortunately. I loved the cover. I loved the synopsis. But it took me several days to finish this one. It just moved so freaking slow. And I just didn't care about any of the characters. I kept hoping that something would happen, but nothing really does except for a scene about some baby rabbits. I just thought the whole book dragged and was hoping for a book more similar to "The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires" and this was not it. 

"Suburban Hell" follows Amy Foster and her three closest friends who live in the suburbs of Chicago. Amy is still trying to get back into working, and finds the only thing that keeps her going are her friends Liz, Melissa, and Jess who all live in the same upper middle class cul-de-sac. When the four friends have one of their wine girl nights, they go out to have a toast to the she-shed that Liz is having built for their togethers. But something weird happens that is followed by a bad smell. After that Liz is off and then Amy starts thinking that Liz may be possessed by a demon (just go with it). The book follows Amy, Melissa, and Jessa as they try to think of some way of saving Liz.

I get this was supposed to be funny, but I didn't laugh or smile once. Everything felt dreary. And after a while I got sick of Amy who talked "crap" on everyone, but her friends. I thought she was so judgmental and even wondered why she cared at all about Liz. The book doesn't do a great job of showing what brought these women together and even why they continued to hang out. Amy goes on and on about how without Liz around they all are not the best versions of themselves. But I kept going, so you all were jerks ands he put up with it? Sounds about right. 

And the whole possessed by a demon thing? I expected more gore honestly. And even without that, this demon seemed really lame. Just threatened a lot. At one point I went, so is it going to do something or??? And it seemed to be or. Maybe it would have been more interesting if we got a chance to see if the whole neighborhood would come together. But they really don't. It's just the three women who keep floundering around and not really wanting to do anything and Amy telling her husband about every event with him going well maybe this is what is happening. 

I thought the backstory on the whole demon was interesting, but even that wasn't really delved into much before the book drags on forever before we get to a confrontation. I think the book focused way too much on the mom dynamics and Amy hosting a freaking carnival or whatever it was. It just didn't add anything and started to feel like filler towards the end. 

The ending seems to be setting up a sequel I am going to pass on.

this one was a lot of fun! I personally wish it went a ~little~ further in the end but i had a great time with this campy horror. perfect for fans of Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

Suburban Hell follows a group of women who get together monthly. During their monthly get together one of the women Liz tells the ladies that she is building a clubhouse from them called the She Shed. But there is just one problem: the building of this She Shed releases a demonic force and Liz gets possessed and strange things start happening in the neighborhood. And now they have to find a way to get rid of this demonic force. 

This was a really interesting book. This was one that I was unsure if I was going to like it but ended up enjoying it. This book reminded me a lot of Grady Hendrix's book The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. I think this would be a really good book to read during spooky season. Overall I thought it was a good horror book, I liked the overall story, and it was a super fast read. Thank you Netgalley, Putman books, and Maureen Kilmer for the ARC of this book.

This was such a FUN and fast read. If you like horror with a sprinkle of mom drama this book is for you. Think the exorcist meets the real housewives. Who has a kitchen remodel reveal and do you bring gifts?? This group of friends must stick together through everything to help one of their own. Solidarity even when you are facing an evil entity who has been waiting hundreds of years to be set free. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!!!

Thank you so much to netgalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Maureen Kilmer for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Suburban Hell will hit shelves August 30th!

Amy, Liz, Jess, and Melissa became fast friends thanks to their proximity and personality differences to the rest of the neighborhood. After many nights spent together drinking and watching movies, the four women decided it was time for them to have a club house; The She She'd.

Excited to live their greatest pinterest dreams, they toasted over the space and broke grown the next day. What they weren't expecting was awaking something that had long been buried - something evil and out for vengeance.

While struggling with the typical suburban mom life issues - planning community events, keeping after the kids, managing obnoxious neighbors - Amy now finds herself struggling with paranormal issues and at the center of it all is sweet, kind, unfortunate Liz.

This book was an extremely interesting, fun concept. I got strong 'Santa Clarita Diet' vibes in the first half - demonic posession but also get the kids out of the house and make sure Heather doesn't see you sweat. It was a snarky look at mom life mixed with the super natural and I loved that.

The disappointment came when the story suddenly took itself very seriously. I think if we had stuck to the dark humor side of things it would've blown me away, but suddenly it was supposed to be straight horror and I found I wasn't a fan.

Ultimately I did enjoy the book. I thought the characters were lovely, developed perfectly. I thought the plot moved smoothly and developed itself well. Maybe it tacked too much on in the second half, maybe it could've been a little less campy. But overall I found it unique and a good time!

I had so much fun reading this story. This was the perfect blend of funny suburban moms and demonic horror. The friendship between Amy, Jess, Melissa, and Liz is so genuine and beautiful. I was rooting for these ladies to save Liz from whatever was going on with her the whole time (beware of She Sheds apparently). This book is definitely all about the mantra “it takes a village” and I really appreciated how sincerely these women loved and protected one another.

There are also some truly chilling moments in this story. If possessions, creepy insightful kids, or vengeful spirits are your favorite, then I highly recommend checking this one out!

When Desperate Housewives meets My Best Friend’s Exorcism, you end up worth Suburban Hell. This one was cute and creepy but I wouldn’t really categorize it as horror. As a mom who lives in the suburbs, I found this so relatable, and I would totally love to get some girlfriends for girls night in a she-shed!

Liz is the perfect host, no one’s drinks are empty and she wants everything done perfectly but don’t you dare try to help, your her guest! When the christening of the ladies’ she-shed spot in Liz’s backyard goes wrong, the women find that their sweet and perfect friend is now a psychotic, violent b*tch. They teeter on the edge of saving her or simply selling their homes and running but Amy is determined to keep her friendship and neighborhood in tact.

I watched Desperate Housewives with my grandma so if you watched it too, this is who I compared the characters with:

Amy - Lynette
Melissa - Gabby (but a working Gabby)
Jess - Edie
Liz - Bree

Suburban Hell will be published 8/30. Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for my review copy.

This book was incredible! I was instantly hooked!

Suburban Hell is a horror/comedy about a mom group who has monthly wine nights. One night they decide to christen the area in the backyard where they have plans to build a “she-shed” but things start to feel a little off. As more and more days pass, one friend Liz is clearly not herself and dark things start happening in the suburbs.

I would definitely recommend Suburban Hell if you’re a fan of the horror/comedy genre (which I think is my favorite genre) and if you enjoy Grady Hendrix’s books! This sort of reminded me of Southern Bookclub meets My Best Friend’s Exorcism

Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for an advanced copy of Suburban Hell.

Suburban Hell is a comical, morbid jab at suburban living.
‘Burb life should be everything in your dreams, white picket fences, yards, golden retrievers, great school systems, and potlucks with the local Moms! And, perhaps, if you’re lucky, a demonic force that mirrors the Amityville horror.
Amityville horror gone suburban.
This book was clever and fun. Taking horror, and making it less serious will result in an entertaining and accessible reader for those interested in a casual fright.
Campy, funny, creepy and dark!

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Suburban Hell was a fun quick read! It reminded me of My Best Friend's Exorcism and Southern book Club's Guide but way less intense. I was never bored and I enjoyed the main character's pov. One my big issues with this one is the texting was mixed in with the dialogue- this will probably be fixed before the publishing date. I think this is a great book for horror beginners! It has spooks but it never got too scary ( well for me 😂 ) I do think I would have gotten more from this if I lived in the suburbs haha I'm a city girl still! 3.5/5
Thanks Netgalley!

Blurb:
Amy Foster considers herself lucky. After she left the city and moved to the suburbs, she found her place quickly with neighbors Liz, Jess, and Melissa, snarking together from the outskirts of the PTA crowd. One night during their monthly wine get-together, the crew concoct a plan for a clubhouse She Shed in Liz's backyard--a space for just them, no spouses or kids allowed.

But the night after they christen the She Shed, things start to feel . . . off. They didn't expect Liz's little home-improvement project to release a demonic force that turns their quiet enclave into something out of a nightmare. And that's before the homeowners' association gets wind of it.

Even the calmest moms can't justify the strange burn marks, self-moving dolls, and horrible smells surrounding their possessed friend, Liz. Together, Amy, Jess, and Melissa must fight the evil spirit to save Liz and the neighborhood . . . before the suburbs go completely to hell.

“I swore the wound had its own heartbeat.” (Yeah that’s never good. I could feel my leg throbbing as I read this)

“Whoever said it’s best to just rip off a Band-Aid clearly never had to yank a bandage off a blistering infected wound caused by a supernatural force.”

This was a cool book to read during spooky season. It was an easy read. 👿

The cover was perfect.

There were definitely a few scenes that were really creepy.

I don’t think I’ll ever look at a roomba the way again.

It lagged a little in the middle and I felt that the ending was a little rushed BUT the epilogue redeemed it for me. I had to reread a few pages towards the end to try and figure out what exactly happened with Liz.

I thought the story would’ve had a few more laughable moments because it was compared
to Grady Hendrix’s campy / quirky horror writing style. The premise sounds like something he’d write but the book was more “desperate housewives” + possession movie and not his style at all.

so I swore i was never going to read another book about white suburbia because I am always disappointed in the outcome. The concept of this book won me over and I broke my rule. Sadly I learned yet again rules are not meant to be broke.
I was really hoping for a great horror with the backdrop of suburbia to create a brilliant jarring dynamic. This book didn't do that at all. It just felt like the kind of book a WASP would read to feel edgy while in reality this was just a boring rehash of things we've seen again and again.
I desperately wanted to like this book but it just felt to flat and formulaic.

This started out great for me. It felt like stranger things for suburban moms. I don’t know exactly when it lost me but it definitely did and it then felt like a chore to keep reading. It’s just a little too cliche BUT I think if I was a suburban mom I’d probably like it more. I am excited to talk to someone about this one.

This was a fun, sort of scary read. You move to the suburbs to be safe. Safe from everything but demons, that is. Now this group of moms are tasked with saving their friend from the demonic force along with their neighborhood.

I have discovered that supernatural suspense books are not for me. I thought the characters werent very likeable and the whole plot was very unresalistic.

Possession has come to the suburbs!

It's starts with an innocent She-Shed and ends with complete horror! This is a quick and fun book with a bit of humor laced into a story of possession and friendship. A group of suburban moms must work together when one of their own falls to the dark side.

Amy, Liz, Melissa, and Jess are likeable and realistic characters that come alive off the page. Their bond goes beyond playdates and picnics, which makes this a lovely story of sisterhood in the middle of creative horror elements. Readers who enjoyed My Best Friend's Exorcism will find Suburban Hell to be a similar plot but focused toward middle-aged moms. Overall, this is a fun one that readers will quickly consume!

A demonic Roomba
A possessed weed wacker
Moms that accost you at Target asking you to volunteer at school.

What could be scarier?

This book is both amusing and creepy, I plowed right through it. Definitely a 5 star read for me

I had to read this solely based on the fact it took place in a Chicago suburb (just like where I grew up). This book was so fun! Common theme scene in a lot of books, but didn't take away from the story. The characters are fun, relatable and reminded me of many characters form TV shows. Loved every second of it! Demonic housewives is a whole vibe and I’m here for it. The writing was fantastic and kept me reading from start to finish. Excellent book

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital arc