...𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒙 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒌𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑼-𝑯𝒂𝒖𝒍. 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅𝒔, 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒇 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔. 𝑨𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒃𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒏, 𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒚𝒆𝒕.

If the movie The Craft and every comedic episode of Supernatural had a baby, SUBURBAN HELL would be its spawn. Despite her misgivings, Amy Foster acclimates quickly to suburbia. She finds a close group of friends and enjoys monthly wine nights. One night her friend Liz announces her grand plan for a She Shed that will be completely off-limits to kids and spouses. Soon after the ladies raise their glasses in a toast, things start to feel off, primarily with Liz. Being possessed by a demon is surely against the PTA by-laws.

This book has humorous moments that entail both a possessed Roomba and a piece of lawn equipment; there is also a rather disturbing event concerning a Barbie doll. And if little kids weren't already inherently creepy enough, Amy's daughter definitely senses something isn't right with her mom's friend...because "the lady" told her.

While this book had plenty of laugh out loud moments, there were also some sobering ones as well about the power of connection and friendship. When Amy finds out who is behind the possession, instead of fearing her, she feels compassion for her: 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦...𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥...𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘢, 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.

I would love for this book to become a series, but if not, whatever this author comes up with next, I'm in! Publishes August 30, 2022, from Putnam.

Have you ever thought about building a She Shed for those Girls Nights? This book will have you second guessing that decision! Suburban moms meet My Best Friend’s Exorcism! This book flew by! I wish there was more! There were so many tense and creepy moments where I couldn’t wait to find out what happens next! This was very well-written and a page turner.

I did feel like the ending was almost handled too quickly but in the end I really enjoyed this read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

“None of this would have happened if it weren’t for the She Shed…It was the She Shed that started it all, a blissfully ignorant idea that transformed our cheery suburban enclave into something demonic. The suburbs were hell…literally.”

The Basics: A group of neighborhood friends—who get together to blow off the stream from jobs, husbands, and kids—decide they need a She Shed. After christening the dirt of the chosen spot with a little booze, something awakens. A demon? Hell yeah! Soon, one of the ladies begins to act a little erratic and dangerous, so it’s up to the others to save the friend and their suburban homes.

Y’all! This book is more fun than that proverbial barrel of monkeys. The opening lines perfectly set the stage for the rollicking good time ahead. While never losing its whimsical lighthearted tone, it still manages to deliver some chills, some thrills, and some disturbing visuals. Its balance between a cozy tale of friendship and a horror-lite tale of demonic possession is flawless.

Whether it’s the middle of Spooky Season or any other time of the year, this book is a great choice. Grab it. Get comfortable. Enjoy your ride with some wonderful characters who you’ll wish you could hang out with in real-life. But be careful: sometimes things really do go bump in the night.

This isn’t necessarily the kind of book I read often but I’m really glad that I read this one. It was creepy yet funny as hell. I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy horror comedies. I would be interested in reading other books by the author as well.

Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer

I had SO much fun with this ARC from @netgalley and want to thank Netgalley and the publisher @penguinrandomhouse for the opportunity to read and share my thoughts on this book! First off, I immediately found myself relating to the main character and her small group of mom-friends in the suburbs of Chicago. Born and raised in the suburbs of Dallas, TX right here! Anyway, this book has major Grady Hendrix vibes – think: My Best Friend’s Exorcism mixed with The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires! And I LOVED IT! Beneath all the supernatural forces and past gothic horror is the underlying theme of women gradually becoming less of themselves after marriage, kids, mortgage etc. Grown-ups have it rough, and Amy’s friend Liz is a shining example, albeit a bit of a gory example, of what can happen to young moms who are doing their dead-level best to keep up with all the demands of being a wife, mom, PTA sponsor, school bake sale coordinator…you get the gist. Enter Amy and her ragtag crew of mom-besties to save Liz from her eternal damnation…not to mention, saving the entire neighborhood, Exorcism-style!

Really enjoyed this fun read and would love to read more from this author!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 out of 5 (Rounded up)

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

Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer is an original and exciting blend of horror and comedy. It will appeal to fans of The Stepford Wives or The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. The story revolves around a group of moms who get together for wine every month. They're the best of friends, until one day, Liz, one of the moms, starts acting a bit weird. Is Liz going through a phase or has she been possessed by a demon? It's up to Amy, Jess, and Melissa to fight back before the whole neighborhood goes to hell.

Here is a slightly humorous, slightly horrifying excerpt from Chapter 1:

"NONE OF THIS would have happened if it weren’t for the She Shed. We thought it would be a place to have our ladies’ nights in peace—away from the children waking up at midnight, away from the husbands giving a cursory wave before heading upstairs to watch sports in the dark, away from the dirty dishes piled in the sink. All we wanted was a place to call our own. To have something that belonged to us. What we got was our lives and homes ripped into bloody shreds.
It was the She Shed that started it all, a blissfully ignorant idea that transformed our cheery suburban enclave into something demonic.
The suburbs were hell . . . literally."

Overall, Suburban Hell is a horror-comedy that you won't be able to put down. One highlight of this book is the exciting blend of funny moments and scary moments. I wouldn't say that this is straight horror or straight comedy. If you're looking for just one genre, then you might be disappointed. However, if you're looking for a blend of both genres a la Grady Hendrix's books, then this is the perfect book for you. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September!

As a mom who is anti Mom-Mafia (ya know, the snooty cul-de-sac queens of the PTA) this book was comical and sweet on friendships (but not the eye roll kind of sweet) and a touch creepy. Most of us can relate to at least one character.
Will definitely read more from Maureen Kilmer!

This was a fun read. It's all about the setting. The horror story is one we've heard many times over the years. The cast of characters are people we've met before in sitcoms and novels with small groups of tight knit friends. The setting, however, gives these the absolute right spin. It's funny but not so much it overshadows the horror. Same the other way around. The writing was fantastic and kept me reading from start to finish. Excellent book.

I really enjoyed this book. I love horror movies and have been trying to read more horror books. The writing was good and it kept me intrigued throughout the book. I could not put it down. My only complaint is that I never truly felt scared. These are the movies that tend to really scare me. Anything supernatural and I can’t sleep at night…which I love! This just didn’t get me to that level. But if you enjoy horror, particularly Grady Hendrix, this has that sort of feel. You would probably really enjoy this book as much as I did.

This was the most fun I have had reading a book in a long time. I inhaled it one sitting! Loved every second of it! Demonic housewives is a whole vibe and I’m here for it.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Penguin Group Putnam and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Horror, comedy. A little bit of everything in this one. It was definitely worth the read.

Suburban mom- gone haunted.
These moms just wanted a place to hang and call their own and The Shed was born.
What they didn't realize was the demon they dug up with that dirt.
Amy, Jess, and Melissa soon realize their friend Liz is acting SUPER odd... things happening to her, their children, their homes- what is going on!?

The 3 Moms need to stop this and get their friend back- what will it take?

I didn't want to put this book down! Gave me serious Desperate Housewives meets My best Friend's exorcism!
I related to this so much as a mother and wife, I absolutely loved it. I will most definitely be reading more books by Maureen Kilmer in the future! I know this was a horror-comedy but some really good points were made through the book, once things have begun to come to light, and it really is relatable as a mom who has gone through postpartum depression and anxiety- so easy to lose yourself when you're a mom/ wife.

The ending was also awesome!

“Moms were the ones who had to fix problems. From small things like a skinned knee, to bigger ones like supernatural forces trying to take over our families. It was up to us to save the neighborhood. “

When a demon is unleashed on a neighborhood during construction of a She Shed, a group of moms has to find out how to save their friend.

I blew through this in a day. Categorized as a light horror book, it reads the way most contemporary romances do and will keep you from wanting to put it down. With a comedic tone to it at times, it’ll appeal to fans of comedic horror movies like “Werewolf Within” or “Scare Me”.

Be on the look out for this one at the end of September.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of this!

Suburban Hell was a book I could not resist based on title alone. I enjoy stories about the darker side of suburbia in general…so finding something by this title in the horror section of NetGalley lured me into reading this fun book.

The author lures the reader into this horror comedy with strong female characters who struggle with a work/family balance and the banalities of suburban life. For comfort and escape, they develop their own fringe community/club called the She Shed. The dynamic that the women share in this setting is reminiscent of Grady Hendrix’s The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. (And fans of his work will definitely enjoy this book) However, Suburban Hell still manages to be a very original story.

The first half of this book reads more like a comedy on everyday life of PTA moms struggling to fit into the suburban culture. The snappy dialogue and witty observations make it feel like a light, breezy read….until the first horror hits.

The horrific incident that makes the plot suspenseful involves violence to animals. However, the violence itself is not exposed, rather the evidence of the violence is. People who find themselves sensitive to innocent animals being killed (like myself) might find this troublesome, however the author does an excellent job interweaving dark humor with the situation immediately afterward. Not going too deep into the disturbing nature of this but focusing on hilarity of interchanges around this situation made this novel read more like a comedy.

However, some of my favorite supernatural horror tropes are still woven throughout the story: playing with Ouija boards, imaginary friends that are not imaginary and demons play a role in the story as well. The notion of demons initially gets a character who grew up in a conservative mega church but has denounced that upbringing and is discussed yet again when another neighbor tries to proselytize the main character. The author maintains a very lighthearted approach to these supernatural themes throughout the whole book.
Suburban Hell checked off a lot of boxes on a lot of my favorite things in horror fiction, so I found it impossible to put down. Maureen Kilmer has a gift for comedy, I laughed so much while reading this story. This is a very impressive debut novel that I would recommend to anyone in the mood for a light, humorous read with supernatural themes.

Five stars! What a fun ride! In this novel, four best friends in a Chicago suburban subdivision get together monthly for a wine, ahem movie, night. They decide to build a She Shed in one of their backyards. When they christen the construction spot and break ground a foul smell is released and the next day their friend Liz is seemingly possessed. The other three women must figure out what has happened while dealing with demonic assaults and running their normal suburban mom lives. A perfect mix of scary and snarky. The women were fleshed out, not caricatures, and their friendship really shown through. The ending was slightly anticlimactic but it didn't spoil the book.

Suburban Hell had me intrigued as soon as I read the synopsis. Four mom friends unknowingly unleash a demon into their neighborhood? Um…count me in! I thought this was a great story. It has a little bit of everything in it; horror, comedy, life lessons, great friendships, mom and family struggles. It’s so relatable to everyday family life (besides the demon part) that it really pulled me into the story and made me feel connected to the characters. I thought this was an interesting plot for a book and really enjoyed reading the crazy mission this group of friends goes on to try and save their friend, families and neighborhood.

*(I received an e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changed or influenced my views or opinions.)

Yesss I will be buying a physical copy when this is released.

I flew through this. Such an easy read, would’ve been perfect around October. I loved the ending I just wish the exorcism would’ve been longer instead of just one chapter and that Amelia would’ve had a stronger role. The relationship between Amelia and the MC’s daughter was the perfect amount of creepy. I was happy to see a group of friends save the day and not the spouse. I mean the husband is usually clueless in these types of stories anyway but it was nice to read a book centered around friendship instead of romance

When I saw this cover on NetGalley, I clicked request immediately! This book was such a great combination of horror and humor and I loved it.
If you have ever seen the 1980s film, "The Burbs," this book reminded me of a modern female version of it!
Liz, Jess, Melissa, and Amy live in a cookie cutter neighborhood outside of Chicago. Everyone has the same grass, the moms are all part of the PTA, and wine nights are scheduled like clock work.
At their most recent wine night, the women toast to the groundbreaking of the new She Shed being built at Liz's house. The next day, things start to go array. Liz is acting strange, the air is foul, and threats are coming from all around them. The remaining three friends have to work together to save their neighborhood- and their lives.

I was captivated by this book from the very first chapter. There was no time wasted in getting to the ominous mood and I love that in my horrors. There was a lot of humor sprinkled throughout the book in a way that is very relatable to any wife or mom. Each character is likeable and I think any reader can identify themselves in one of these women, as they were written to cover a range of personalities and dynamics. This book is going to be a fantastic fall release and the cover is one of my favorite covers I have come across!

I cannot wait for more thrilling stories from Maureen Kilmer!

I honestly struggled with the star rating system here. I think if I were being completely honest, it would be like a 3.5/5 but I’m rounding up at this point. There was a lot to like with Suburban Hell but also quite a few things that made it a bit lackluster. And ironically enough some of it’s best parts are a part of it’s not so great parts.

I will always love a good wholesome story about the power of friendship, and especially one that’s about women friendship. We definitely need more representation of healthy female friendship that's not riddled with backstabbing, revolving around men, putting down other women, or stereotypical toxic women stereotypes, etc… in the media. And that’s where Suburban Hell shines. The friendship between Amy, Jess, Melissa, and Liz, is amazing. They’re supportive, fun, and always willing to help each other out. Hell, I wish I had friends like them! They’re all quite different in their own ways but that’s what works for them, and I really do think they all kind of round each other out.

The issue? It started to sound slightly preachy in some parts, and definitely cheesy in others. But hey it’s wholesome, and nice to read. The other issue is the ladies kind of each have their own suburban mom stereotype role that almost feels maybe a tad too “cookie cutter”. And to be honest Melissa just stole the whole show. I loved her, she’s a hoot! And her thinking? So relatable! Even more so than Amy, our main protagonist here. What about everyone else? Meh. Their husbands were all meh, even their kids were meh.

Another thing I loved, is as a Midwesterner it was nice and fun to read all the little nods and tidbits about the Midwest. But at the same time, I have a feeling if you weren’t from the Midwest or are familiar with the culture here, it might feel a bit like fillers. There are also a bit of references that seem to gear towards a very specific target audience. It almost feels like it boxed itself in a bit too much, when it could have had an opportunity to grasp a larger audience that would enjoy this book, if maybe they could catch and understand those little bits and pieces.

So for anyone who isn't a woman, a mom or familiar with the suburbs/Midwest, maybe this isn’t going to be their relatable cup of tea. But I really do think for the intended audience, this book would be quite enjoyable and a good read overall.
But I’m sorry to say, my only real pressing problem with Suburban Hell and had prevented me from rating this book any higher, is that it just wasn’t scary to me. The synopsis had my expectations going in a different direction than what the book actually delivered. I was looking forward to crazy suburban neighborhood mayhem, maybe a bit more blood and demonic activities.
Although, I really don’t think that’s on the author, and maybe more to do with me and my expectations going into the book.
Overall I still enjoyed it, if not a pinch disappointed as a hardcore horror fan, that I wasn’t more scared or disturbed after the reading.

And lastly, a big thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for this ARC.

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

When the seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood has a darkness set in that happens to be coming from Amy Foster’s neighbor she is determined to figure out what is happening to her friend.

This was a PAGE TURNER. I was so hooked from the get go. Amy and her tight knit circle of moms is thrown off when weird and often spooky things start happening with their friend Liz - who isn’t really seeming like the woman they’ve all come to know and love.

They endure A LOT of really intense and scary events which leads them to teaming up to protect the suburbs that they love and their friend.

There’s humor, some scares, and a whole lot of badass women. I loved it!