Mommy drama but make it demon possession! Even though this is campy and a little ridiculous in the very best way, its message of friendship and the importance of being there for one another has no genre. The neighborhood mom characters were people anyone who has navigated school PTA can recognize in their own life, which was so fun. I'm not typically a horror reader, but this less intense creep factor was just right for me. The length seemed just right as well. It was a fun read! Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced reader copy.

Super cool novel. Very seek and fun - definitely a great read - I couldn’t put it down. Definitely pick it up and enjoy - you won’t regret it

Nestled in a tranquil Chicago suburb, a serene neighbourhood provides the ideal backdrop for the creation of a backyard She Shed, a haven for neighbours Amy, Liz, Jess, and Melissa to escape the daily demands of their spouses and children. However, as they embark on their project in Liz’s backyard, an eerie and unsettling presence seems to have infiltrated the idyllic suburbia, with Liz bearing the brunt of its sinister influence.

This book leans towards the lighter side of horror, offering a compelling blend of chills and chuckles. I relished the engaging banter and interactions among the characters, even finding myself bursting into laughter on multiple occasions throughout the story.

3.5 rounded upto 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fine, campy read. I liked certain elements of it, but overall, it didn't grip me the way I had hoped with its humor. Although I like my horror a bit more extreme, I enjoy campy horrors just as much, but this one didn't hold my attention, either because of the setting or the characters, I'm not 100% sure.

I'll definitely keep an eye on this author to check out her work in the future, but this was ultimately a fun but forgettable book for me.

Unbelievably camp. This is for people that like to have fun! Gossip and cheeky jokes and suburban moms and possession and wine. I do wish we had the opportunity to get to know all the suburban moms on a more personal level but that didn’t take away from my reading experience. This book doesn’t take itself too seriously and you shouldn’t either. Have a good time with it and enjoy how perfectly ridiculous this is!

This book was cute and quirky and will be an easy hand sell for me. I liked the characters and the plot. I think fans of Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires would like this one. I loved that it was like Big Little Lies with demons!

"Suburban Hell" was such a wild ride from start to finish! This book follows a group of friends who live in this seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood, but things quickly take a dark turn when they uncover the neighborhood's sinister secrets. It's like a mix of mystery and horror, and I was totally hooked from the first page. The characters are so relatable, and I found myself rooting for them the whole time. The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn't stop reading until I knew how it all ended. If you're into thrilling stories with a spooky twist, "Suburban Hell" is a must-read for sure! 🏡👻😱

Campy, cute and Desperate Housewives vibes? Yes, please! I enjoyed this fun read. It's a good palette cleanser from constant horror. My only complaint would be that it comes off a little YA at times.

I have to say that Suburban Hell is probably one of my favorite books so far lately. This is such a fun read and really keeps you on your toes. I can't wait to read more by Maureen Kilmer!

A Mother's only club house is the ideal escape. Right?! Guess again. It could have been prefect had teh ground breaking ceremony not unleased a demonic entity into the neighborhood. This is a light and fun horror/comedy.It is perfect, if horror frightens you. If you are looking for something fun and light, this is perfect..

iving in the 'burbs should be relaxing. What's not to love - a nice home, a nice yard, good schools, good friends, and Mom's nights out. Let's have a She Shed they said! Wouldn't that be fun? Like a man cave but better! Throw in a not so friendly demonic force and you have yourself one fun and slightly horrific book! Think desperate housewives meets the Amityville horror.

This was a fun book. Liz, Jess, and Melissa, have a fun night full of drinks and She Shed plans when it all hits the fan the next day and I am not talking hangovers, although they have them as well! I'm talking Liz is not acting quite herself, in fact she is acting over the top and her demeanor is bizarre. Is it the horrific smell coming from her backyard or is she possessed?

So clever! I enjoyed this book. It was a nice change to read a not so serious but very entertaining book. The author delivered and I found this to be a quick and satisfying read. Plus, my fingers are crossed that maybe just maybe there may be another book.

Fun. Dark. Funny. Creepy.


Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy to read.
I like this book alright. I thought the premise was a little silly but it's just cozy suburban mom story. This is a perfect pick if you are in the mood for a low stakes supernatural story set in the middle of suburban America. I love all the dynamics within the community and the drama between the mom. Im not a mom myself but it had me intrigued and laughing a bit. I found it hard to understand the supernatural aspect of the story. I would have wanted more supernatural instead of being inside the protagonist for so long. Overall a fun read for the summer season. I loved the small references to the 80S.

I just finished reading Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer. It was a one sitting read for me, and I can't wait to read more from this author. How far will you go to help your friends?

Amy, Jess, Melissa, and Liz all live in the same neighborhood. As moms with young children, they need adult time, so they have monthly "movie" nights with abundant adult beverages. Liz has the idea of a She-Shed in her backyard, so that they can have uninterrupted time.

As soon as ground is broken, an awful stench covers the neighborhood. It soon becomes apparent that something is dreadfully wrong with Liz. Amy is the first to see this and try to help Liz, and
guilts Jess and Melissa into helping.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to lovers of chick lit. It would also make a great beach read.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this book from Net Galley.

#SuburbanHell#MaureenKilmer#NetGalley

I was not expecting to enjoy this book. “So why did you request an ARC?”, you may be wondering. The answer is simple, I am weak and back when Penguin RH International used to send out e-ARCs blasts, I used to download everything even remotely interesting or intriguing. Which is how I found myself submerged with ARCs that I am still trying to read and review after more than a year. But alas, us readers need to get our serotonin boosts.
Anyway, I was saying… I am not usually a big horror reader, and most of the horror I try, I end up disliking or downright hating. However, I think I found my subgenre of horror, campy and ridiculous horror. Exhibit one is how much I loved the movie Freaky (2020). Exhibit two is that I had such a fun time with Suburban Hell, it was actually refreshing.
This book was completely over the top and I actually laughed out loud a few times, which rarely happens while I read. I tend to cry more than I laugh at books, but this one was funny.
I think the suburban setting is the perfect one for this kind of story. We don’t have that kind of “culture” here in Italy, but I have consumed enough USA media to know the drill by now, and I think Maureen Kilmer nailed it with this book.
My only small issue with this book, which is why I didn’t give it a higher rating, is that the characters weren’t exactly my type of character. Or, better said, I wasn’t invested in them. The plot was fun, and the shenaningans they were up to were engaging, but I did not feel anything towards them, which — if you know me — is a problem when I read something.
However, all the rest was very well done, in my opinion. It was a perfect blend of comedy and creepy atmosphere, and I believe this would make for such a great movie or mini series. I can totally picture it being adapted, and I hope it will happen sometimes in the future.
The writing style was nice, it kept me interested through the whole thing and, as I said, it made me laugh, which is not an easy feat for any book, especially adult ones, to accomplish.
Suburban Hell isn’t going to be for everyone, I can see that, but I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves comedy horror or even to those of you who want to like horror but are little scaredy cats who cannot handle heavier themes. This one is for you.
So, if you are looking for a fun, funny and original horror story, you should definitely give this one a try. If you like camp and over the top fiction, this book is definitely one for you. If you liked Freaky or any movie that’s similar to it, you should also give this one a try, trust me, you won’t regret it. And if you do regret it, I take full responsability.
That is going to be all for today, but if you have any recommendations for me in this same campy style, I’d love to hear them, because I think I want to read more of it.

As a suburban mom, I feel qualified to say that this is a fantastic summer read, with the story starting just as summer break kicks off for the families in this book. Don't be scared off by it being "horror", it's never too scary or gruesome (obviously everyone's mileage on that may vary). There's some snarky humor and nice friendship moments. My Midwestern self was laughing at the ways the author described some regionalisms (an excellent break down of Fleet Farm included). Maybe add this to your TBR and grab it when you're making that next snack run, summer break is here!

This book had so much potential and it fell short for me. It really never felt like there were true stakes.

The friendship between Amy, Liz, Jess and Melissa was incredible. Definite friendship goals. I couldn't relate to the aspects of motherhood, but I loved that they found each other and stuck together. They seemed like true friends and that came through the page. The demonic possession felt like a weird after thought. It was an incredible idea for a book that just fell flat and never went anywhere. Honestly at the very end (with the "cliffhanger") it kind of felt like Amy had lost touch with reality instead of there being an actual problem with demons trying to get into the world. I'm pretty sure that could easily relate back to the whole book feeling like there weren't really any stakes. I would only recommend this book in very specific circumstances because I just didn't like it.

Amy lives outside of Chicago in a cul-de-sac with three great friends Jess, Melissa and Liz. They have weekly get together and Liz decides to have a she-shed built in the backyard for their clubhouse. However, when the ground is broke it stirs up more than just dirt making the cup-de-sac a living hell.

I really enjoyed the plot line and the storytelling of the book. I wanted to know what was going to happen and if they were going to survive.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy.

Really enjoyed this debut novel by Kilmer.
As funny horror books go I think it is a winner. Spooky in all the right places and actually made me laugh out loud. Four moms who just want to build a she shed for some girl time inadvertently end up with one of them possessed!

I loved this book! I saw bits of myself and my girlfriends reflected in Liz, Melissa, Jess, and Amy, though we've never had to save our friend from demonic possession (that I know of). This was a well-written, fun, campy novel in the vein of Grady Hendrix - I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an ARC!
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Unfortunately I DNFed this, it just didn’t catch my attention and maybe I’ll get into it again when I’m in the perfect headspace to give this another try!