The horror in this book is really well-done. There are fantastic moments of suspense and an underlying sense of wrong-ness. The characters are fully fleshed and wonderful. The premise is really well-executed. The main character was very relatable and easy to root for. This book was fantastic, and I highly recommend it.

Suburban Hell is a fun parody of MLM, PTA, and moms having to do everything. It is also about friends, family, and community. A few lol moments and I could see this as a movie with Anna Faris, Kristen Bell, Reese, and maybe Zoe Saldana or Jurnee Smollett. Reminiscent of Grady Hendrix The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires and The Final Girl Support Group. Quick easy read, would read more by this author.

Favorite quotes:
“The plant will be kept alive by witnessing our friendship”

"...many applications of sunscreen (the spray kind, for which I would always get a few dirty looks as I applied it, because other children only wore sunscreen that was nontoxic, made from fairy dust and recycled water bottles)"

“The eighties called and want their Satanic Panic back.”

...the neighbors talked so dramatically you would have thought something actually serious had happened, like garbage day being moved.

“She did something last night.” I swallowed hard. “Something terrible to me.” Jess gave a laugh. “What, did she make you go to a Nickelback concert?”

"All they’ll do is tell us to make a large donation to their church and maybe give us some fake holy water and a plastic crucifix made in China by five-year-old laborers.”

“The Exorcist. Another reason not to use that Ouija board. The demon contacted the little girl through the board and then she started doing unnatural things with a crucifix,” Melissa said. “That would be a badass stripper routine.”

Two weeks ago, she’d wanted to run a nursing home for swingers but then realized there were hurdles like insurance and licensing. (Not to mention the potential medical costs of elderly swingers’ breaking their hips.)

"I’d learned long ago that distraction is better than anticipation"

Susie, who she said was a half-unicorn, half-tiger who wanted to make melted crayon art.

"I have to go back to the office and lead a team meeting on not sending porn emails on company accounts.”

...looked like an Instagram filter that had taken a picture of a much younger woman and aged her.

Catching flies with honey when vinegar was available had never been her style.

“Grew up in a religious laser-light-show cult.”

The forces of darkness beware, for we have wine and snacks.

A quiet suburb of Chicago becomes the battleground for a fight between good and evil in Suburban Hell, when a group of PTA drop-out moms take on the demon that has possessed their friend.

Amy Foster and her friends just wanted a space of their own to enjoy their monthly wine nights, away from their hapless husbands and their needy kids. But when they break ground on their new She Shed in Liz's backyard, they dig up more than just piles of dirt. When Liz begins acting strangely, they realize that she's possessed by an ancient evil -- and only they can save her from its clutches.

If Grady Hendrix was a script writer for Desperate Housewives, the result would probably be something like Suburban Hell. This was such a fun read. It's a book that doesn't take itself too seriously while also striking the perfect balance between horror, humor, and heart. There are frightening scenes, but they involve the trappings of suburbia, like vacuums and Target runs. I was creeped out, but also laughing.

It's over the top and utterly ridiculous, but also rooted in reality by the authentic, touching bond shared by the four central characters. By placing these women in increasingly outlandish scenarios, Maureen Kilmer makes some thoughtful points about the importance of friendship, community, and autonomy for mothers.

Suburban Hell is darkly funny, touching, and thoroughly entertaining. I'd read an entire series about these women and their demon-exorcising adventures.

*Clink* is the sound of a cheers with margaritas among friends one evening.
*Clank* is the sound of your secluded She-Shed door shutting.
*CLUNG* is the sound of your heart stopping because the sweet suburbs now has a neighborhood PTA mom possessed by a demon!!!

That escalated. 🫢 This book was hysterically frightening. I love that we have a group of moms who are the typical over sharing bunch trying to survive motherhood with small kids in tow. Now we add in demonic possession and things get a whole lot harder. This never had a dull moment in it, and I am never getting a robot vaccum.

This book is trying way to hard to be the next The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires and failing miserably. It was poorly written and a struggle to get through.

Suburban Hell is a fun comedy mixed with hints of horror. I liked the focus on four strong women who love and support each other, even though, well... hell! LOL.

The premise of this story is about a possession, demons, friends, women, and home. The story has a great pace, every page flowed well into the next and there was a hint of fear in every chapter. I enjoyed the women's growth, their personalities and how individual and fun they each were in their lives. It is so fun to read about women without the backstabbing, fighting and the like that so often follows women relationships. These women were strong and friends and found family.

The horror was on the lighter side, much more about the humor and had a women's fiction feeling; but the scenes it was in were a joy. I like that this story wasn't full bore dark bloody and vicious. It was such a fun read.

There was animal death and harm as well as blood, death. Nothing that was too detailed or graphic but still there. I would recommend this story to those looking for a lighter really fun read. I received an ARC via NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons and I am leaving an honest review.

The woman of Whispering Farms have a problem. Evil has come to their cozy suburban neighborhood and it’s up to three friends to banish the darkness and save one of their own.

As hilarious as it is creepy, this book is sure to appeal to fans of Grady Hendrix or anyone who likes their horror with a large dollop of humor.

Highly recommended.

Easiest 5/5 I’ve given all year. Very southern book club guides to slaying vampires esque. This was so fun and a debut? 😮 Can’t wait to see what she writes next - highly recommend

Amy has 3 close friends that live in her quienessential family neighborhood - Melissa, Liz, and Jess. They have a monthly get together to destress from motherhood and plan to build a She Shed so they don’t ever have to be disturbed. In the midst of contrasting the She Shed, a demonic force comes from underneath Liz’s backyard and possess her. Now it’s up to Amy, Melissa, and Jess to save their friend from being possessed from the forces of a long ago neighborhood tragedy and save their neighborhood from turning into a suburban hell!

This was a fun comedic horror story with friendship and family at the forefront. Each character had their own personality and opinions and didn’t immediately agree with the main character which I thought was well written and realistic. The demonic scenes were so fun to read and I loved the strong friendships these character had. In conclusion, mom’s save the day, once again.

I recommend reading if you enjoy:

- possessions
- demonic forces
- strong friendships
- suburbia vibes
- a splash of comedy
- mom’s saving the day

Amy, Liz, Jess, and Melissa are suburban moms and best of friends. They live in an idyllic neighborhood, a cul-de-sac, in which you can find children running through sprinklers, woman sipping wine on patio's while the menfolk chug beers around a bonfire. A place anyone would be happy to call home. A nice place. A safe place.

During ladies night at Liz's house and after drinking copious amounts of wine she decides what they need is a She Shed. A place for the ladies to get together without children nagging them and without their husbands eavesdropping on their inappropriate conversations and jokes.

What they hadn't bargained for is the She Shed summoning a demon. A demon that decides to inhabit Liz's body. At first they assume she's having a mid-life crisis but when strange things begin to happen and Amy's daughter begins having visions of death and destruction they know this isn't the midlife crisis they were assuming and they now have to band together to exorcise the demon to save the neighborhood from calamity. Did I mention they are demon hunting all while planning the summer carnival? A women's work is never done!

This book doesn't take itself seriously and neither should the reader. It's absurd in the best way possible. It's a book whose sole purpose is to put a smile on your face and it most definitely succeeds. It gave me The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires vibes for sure. Well written, humorous, and with likable characters this book is sure to be a hit. Also, two 👍👍 to that amazing cover! 😍 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group- Putnam for my complimentary copy.

Suburban Hell is a great summer horror read. The story is about a group of women who live in a calm environment which is threatened by the presence of a demon after trying to create a “she shed”. Perfectly atmospheric and relatable. The writing was approachable and the story felt like it could happen in any suburb. The women in the story are such a solid group of personalities which helps the reader understand that although they are flawed at times, their friendship is solid. This is a great possession story.

Thank you to Netgalley,and the publisher for a chance to review this book.



I had fun with this book. It was funny,and had some horror elements to it too. Not much scares me anymore, but I still enjoy horror. I'm not a mom....to human children anyway, (my child is a cat) so some of the dialogue or jokes, etc I might not of fully got the jist of, but I still enjoyed this book.

The cover art is awesome too. a demon zombie hand coming out of the ground. While housewives look in the background is totally eye catching. I also love the use of colors in the cover.

Again, not a mom to human children, so I don't know what it's like to sit in the carpool lane, but I can picture someone reading this while waiting for their spawns to come running from the halls to the minivan.

Check this book out!

This horror-comedy has my heart! It was such a fun and refreshing read! I laugh out loud at some points and was actually kept on my toes! I love the demonic/paranormal quality of the book being a magic and supernatural lover and it was just a fun and fantastic read! If you read this your in for horror, friendship, good times and so much fun!!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Um okay - I have not read a book like this in a long time. First, it was SO much scarier than I thought it would be,. If you do not like paranormal activity, demons, ghosts, etc., then this isn't the book for you. That being said, I loved this book so much and could not put it down. The story follows the main character Amy and her three best friends, Liz, Jess and Melissa. One day, Liz starts acting strange, and it doesn't take long to find out she's been possessed. Amy, Melissa and Jess are willing to go to great lengths to save Liz....but at what cost. Fair warning, there is kids' imaginary friends that are actually evil, a full-on exorcism, and so much more in this book, so go into it with that knowledge.

This was a super spooky book and I would highly recommend it. Thank you so much, NetGalley for the early look!

This book was so much scarier than I thought it would be - do not let the cartoon cover fool you! I loved this story so much though - it was super conversational and you truly felt like a part of their group. Amy and her three best friends, Liz, Jess and Melissa all live on the same block, And then one day, Liz starts acting strange, and it doesn't take long to find out she's been possessed. Amy, Melissa and Jess are willing to go to great lengths to save Liz....but at what cost.

This was a super spooky book and I would highly recommend it. Thank you so much, NetGalley for the early look!

Do you like horror comedy? If so, this book is for you. This group of women who meet regularly in their suburban neighborhood for wine night are the kind of friends we all know or may have! Kids, husbands, PTA meetings and now demons…life is busy for these women! This book is written well and I enjoyed a lot of the premise, character building and the author’s writing style. Do remember that horror is in the name of this genre because some parts of this book are just that—which were great to keep this book interesting. Overall, a fantastic read!

Alright, I scoffed when all the drama began around the building of a 'she shed' but as I immersed myself into the story of Suburban Hell centered around four suburban moms/wives, I found myself rushing to the finish line.

When one of their friends starts acting a bit funky, Amy, Jess and Melissa take it upon themselves to discover what's wrong. But, Liz is suffering something much stranger than 'suburbia'. You can't help but fall in love with all of them and who they are as people -- especially with the us vs them mentality; where they don't want to be the 'norm' of their neighborhood. At the center of it all, there is a lot of heart amidst the terror where the tethers of friendship and sisterhood run deep.

This was a savvy, modern twist on a tale of demonic possession happening in the suburbs of Chicago with many chuckles to be had -- think Stepford Wives...but with demons.

Reluctant Winchester suburbanite Amy and her band of other "outcast" moms Liz, Jess, and Melissa get together for frequent ladies movie nights as a brief reprieve from their normal lives. A glass of wine and a bad late 90's or early 2000's rom-com and some time with the girls. One night which is particularly heavy-on-the-wine finds the friends discussing how cool it would be to have a She Shed; a place fully their own, away from work, their husbands and their kids. A fun dream but maybe not very realistic.

come the next ladies night, Liz surprises the rest of the group with the fact that she and her husband Tim are actually breaking ground on the She Shed the next day. Little does she know that is going to unleash an evil upon the neighborhood.

Liz changes over night. She is no longer the helpful caretaker. Now her skin is dripping off her face. Can Amy, Jess and Melissa save her friend and the neighborhood from this strange evil?

Honestly this book was absolutely incredible. I was swayed to request this ARC like three lines into the blurb. I love books like this. It has a very heavy The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires (Grady Hendrix) vibe. I live for the female hero who doesn't fit the stereotype. Like Buffy Summers, too. I loved every second of this book.

The characters are strong and distinct. Heather (the insufferable HOA mom) is as insufferable as you would think. Jess, the slightly younger (and thus ostracized by the friends of the ex-wife) girlfriend of Del is unapologetically herself and someone I would love to be friends with myself.

The horror vibe is strong. While some of it is obviously a little silly (because possessed suburban mom) there are really strong horror elements in the book. There is a lot of comedy as well. I laughed out loud at points.

I fully recommend checking this book out if the blurb and anything above makes you even a little intrigued. This book will deliver on all expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Group for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I adored the concept. I think suburban horror is on the rise and this fits right into the genre. I did find the voice to be a bit too flat to stir up any real engagement with the storyline, though. It seemed to take a long time for anything to really happen or for me to get interested in what was happening.

Suburban Hell
3⭐️
Read this if you enjoy: creepy beach reads, feel-good horror, female-leads

The story: group of moms desperate from a respite from the monotonous, yet stressful life in the Chicago suburbs. Hoping to swap screaming children for a glass of wine (or 2) and a night out seems harmless enough…until the demon showed up.

The good: The author captures the struggles suburban society places on women: the need to balance it all (often far more so than a male partner is expected to) while appearing practically perfect in every way. The sisterhood developed by the friends feels genuine and heartfelt.
Overall, the integration of suburbia and fighting demonic entities is fun if not truly “horrific”. But I gotta say the idea of certain haunted appliances made for some entertaining images.

The iffy: this is definitely aimed pretty heavily at a target audience. I would’ve liked to see more diversity in both character types and backgrounds. So, some of the struggles of daily life for the characters may be less relatable to some readers and become a bit tedious.

All that being said, this was solid beach read for horror lite fans. I will be checking out future books by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.