Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I think that was fun. I had a few issues but not enough to detract from the book as a whole. I think this would a good addition to a collection that had similar titles.

Great read for October in particular.

This was a great little comedy-horror. It felt like a mom version of My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. There was some decent amount of backstory for Amy, our protagonist, as well as the underlying theme of friendship and bonds. There were a couple of laugh out loud moments as well, like the whole Darlene incident (no spoilers!).

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Suburban Hell.

There's a feeling of nostalgia reading Suburban Hell. As a child growing up in the '80s, horror consisted of Poltergeist, Freddy Kreuger, Mike Myers, and the movie It. Like most things, the genre has seemed to evolve. It's darker and twisted, a sense of shock value exists that wasn't present for me in '80s horror. I think what I've realized is, it's not the far-fetched, supernatural stories that scare me, it's the real-life depictions that are too close to being true that are produced in film and books today that give me fear. Suburban Hell is a nice break from that. It's funny and creative. The darkness that's felt in the book isn't something that produces fear but curiosity. Don't get me wrong, the story has its moments. I found myself reading faster through many parts of the story just to find out how twisted it gets and it did not disappoint!

Suburban Hell feels like '80s horror. There's a comedic feel to '80s horror, you can't help but read or watch, and tell yourself that what you're reading is entirely impossible and so far-fetched that's what makes the story one that you just can't seem to put down, because you wait around waiting for the next " what the hell" moment. I think the world has had its fair share of realistic horror in the two years that the supernatural, twisted yet funny story is welcome.

I really enjoyed the characters and their friendship in Suburban Hell. I think the author Maureen Kilmer did a really great job introducing each of the characters to the reader in a way that made you feel like each of these women could be a friend or neighbor in one way or another to the reader. If I'm ever possessed by an erratic demonic being, I'm hoping I've got an Amy in my circle of friends.

I enjoyed the book, and recommend it to anyone looking for something different and unique to read.

⭐️4 stars⭐️

This was such a fun read! The group of women was my favorite part of the book. I loved their friendship so much (and I feel like they would definitely be my people if I lived in their neighborhood! Even though this is a Horror novel I laughed out loud multiple times as I was reading! Such a fun read for fall or any time of year!

Thanks to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

… It all started with a she shed.

This book was everything I hoped it would be and more. I expected dark satire/horror comedy about wine moms and the absolute hell it is living in suburbia (AKA, “where dreams go to die”), and this book delivered that with a sly edge of pop culture indulgence and social commentary on how lonely motherhood can be, how much work moms do without any recognition or gratitude from their spouses, and how living in suburbia means you also have a certain outside appearance that must be maintained in both your house (mandated by your HOA) and your neighbors (because lord forbid you not be the only mom on the block not wearing the latest trend in atheleisure).

The book is extremely entertaining and definitely a page turner. Do I feel like it’s a book with wide appeal? No. This book is definitely a niche market book. It’s not going to resonate the same with everyone simply due to the main themes of motherhood and female friendship. But as that one mom that was always the odd one out on every block I’ve lived on because I could care less for what everyone else was wearing or what the latest food trends this book definitely feel into my pop-culture and horror infused soul and mixed with my morbid humor loving heart.

The cons would be that Kilmer does tend to beat some points over the head and some things do feel a bit too on the nose. The book could have also used a bit more tightening up, though it’s not too loose in the pacing. I did have some questions that could qualify as plot holes, but I don’t know if that’s just me being overly analytical or not.

Overall, it’s a fantastically dark and whimsical book that takes the idea of suburban hell and notches it to 11. It’s one hell of a time.

Thanks to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for granting me access to this title.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4!

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Suburban Hell follows Amy Foster, a suburban mother who has finally felt at home in her Chicago cul-de-sac with her neighbors, Liz, Jess, and Melissa. In fact, Liz just made a She Shed for them in order for them to have a place just to relax without their spouses or kids.

Things all go wrong when Liz's She Shed releases a demon that turns their nice cul-de-sac into a nightmare. Amy has to figure out how to stop it before the the demon-and the HOA-chase her out.

The vibe of this description did make me feel like this would be a very humorous and silly book and it definitely delivered! I thought this was a great debut horror novel, and I completely flew through this book. At times I did want to be a little more scared, I think this book definitely did what it set out to do, and I will definitely read more from this author!

A playful horror story with the atmosphere of a light-hearted comedy. This is a nice, easy read about a stay-at-home mom who feels like an outsider in her suburban life, except in the company of her three best mom friends. Life is shaken up when one of those friends starts to demonstrate signs of demonic possession.

A fun and creepy book. Possession has hit the neighborhood and what are these suburban moms to do. An entertaining read and if you love Grady Hendrix, then definitely check out this book!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy for an honest review.

A clever and wicked funny novel that I would recommend to those that enjoy light horror, comedy-horror, killer roomba's, relatable characters, life in suburbia for an outsider, strong friendships, parenting woe's.

Very fun read and would love to see more from Maureen Kilmer!

In this snappy debut of diet horror, Maureen Kilmer gives readers a fun look at the chills of suburban life in 'Suburban Hell'.

Stay at home mom, Amy Foster, begins to feel that something is amiss in her quaint suburb outside of Chicago. Her friend Liz, always the perfect hostess and the most thoughtful of all the neighborhood moms, has suddenly retreated into herself. The children are frightened of her, animals no longer cross her yard, and most grievous of all - her husband doesn't even seem to notice. Topping it all off is a horrific smell of sulfur emanating from Liz's backyard. Suddenly, Amy's idyllic and tranquil neighborhood seems to be anything but. Kilmer's quippy book explores the limits of the weird and the depth of adult female friendship beyond the PTA and superficial interactions that - I am led to believe - plague mommyhood. Certain moments made me laugh out loud, while others were painfully cringe and borderline sacrene.

While I didn't mean to, I couldn't help but compare this story to 'My Best Friend's Exorcism', and 'Suburban Hell' plays out much the same as Hendrix's book. However, unlike Hendrix's book which is set during our last collective experience (high school), Kilmer very clearly is writing for a specific demographic and experience set. There isn't anything wrong with that. I think there are some beautiful parts of her book that address loneliness, "baby blues", and the isolation that comes from generally being a mom. However, some might find the narrative lacking and strictly surface.

Please don't mistake me, this is by no means a "bad book", but it is definitely fluffy. All in all, I enjoyed it - I could listen to Melissa relive her traumatic childhood in a megachurch all day, the possessed roomba will legit haunt my dreams, and I appreciate Kilmer using the lens of horror to examine suburban isolation and mature female friendship.

Sincere thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. Very creepy, mysterious and, dare I say funny. This book is one I would read again and highlight my favorite parts. Spooky, scary read!!

This book is a total scream! I loved it. Hilarious horror is my jam and there's totally not enough of it, especially female focused. If you pick just one book to read for Spooky Season, make it Suburban Hell. I can't wait to see what else Maureen Kilmer has in store!

What a wonderful debut, I couldn’t put it down! What starts out as your normal girl’s night turns into something much more sinister. It was atmospheric, creepy and provided a couple good laughs. I enjoyed the bond between the group of women, I’m always a fan of strong women relationships in books! The ending was fantastic. Overall, this was such a fun book!

Decent writing but I've already forgotten what this book is about. Not my thing. Guess I need to write more before I can send this. This wasn't what I expected. Loved the front cover though.

I expected more from this book maybe because I did the one thing you should never do. Base a book on the cover, which I loved by the way! I just found it hard to get into the story and WANT to read it. It was an okay story that I don’t regret reading but I also wouldn’t say it was a huge page turner. I found each of the main characters to be very similar in terms of their family members, & pets? I wish it was a little more diversified.

Our main characters Amy, Liz, Melissa & Jess are suburban mom friends who found one another through their kids schooling. They’re the “outcast” of the moms in their town and don’t really care what anyone has to say about it but when one of them gets mixed up with some demonic force, the others have to find a solution and QUICK before everything goes south for not just one of them, but all of them!

If you’re looking for a seemingly innocent “horror” novel then this is for you. I found some scenes to bring in the more goofy side of the story than keeping it a straightforward terrifying read. If you’re huge on horror books as I am, I’d say you could easily put this one off and wouldn’t miss out on much?

This was a fun, scary little read. Set in Suburbia, a group of women with various commonalities face an ages-old curse, along with a more mundane fear- a group of friends falling apart as life takes them in different directions...like the grave.

Suburbia…every millennial’s worst nightmare.
Imagine you move to the suburb. You’ve decided to settle down outside the city and raise your family…but oh yeah, there’s a demon that took over your friend.
Honestly I thought this book was really fun. Imagine a combination of My Best Friend’s Exorcism and The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and you have Suburban Hell.
This book takes place in a suburb of Chicago, and as a Midwesterner, I really related to so much of it. I think you’ll especially like this book if you’re a mom and can relate to the struggles of the main characters surrounding motherhood. My only complaint is that I wish we had seen more of the demon. You see what the demon does, but you don’t get to see it perform these awful acts. I think that would’ve helped it pack a little bit more of a punch.
Overall, I really recommend this book. It’s perfect for the spooky season.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A book overflowing with character, but can get bogged down at times with genre tropes and the mundane. Would have loved more focus on the interesting world that the author created. Overall an enjoyable read, but I never felt truly invested in the outcome.

Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer is a unique blend of Chick-Lit and Horror, with a little humor thrown in. Amy, Liz, Jess, and Melissa are neighbors in a quiet Chicago suburb. These dear friends get together regularly for a girls’ night which involves watching movies and drinking wine. They watch each other’s children, enjoy neighborhood activities with their families, and try to avoid the PTA cliques. Each woman brings a unique perspective to the group.

Liz decides to build a She Shed in her backyard, and all hell breaks loose when a demon escapes from the newly excavated hole. Liz starts acting strangely and then terrible things start to happen including a Roomba gone rogue, dead bunnies, dying grass, and personal injuries. Amy, who has personal struggles of her own, is determined to free Liz of the demon and keep their girl group together.

I enjoyed the friendship aspect of the story a lot more than I did the horror. There are discussion questions at the end of the novel and this one made me laugh thinking about my answer:

“Amy realizes something is off with Liz when Liz fails to clean up her house after their movie night. What would be the first sign of demonic possession in your best friend?”

3.5-Stars rounded up. This book was published on August 30, 2022. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Suburban Hell was so much fun to read! I read it on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and could not put it down because it was so entertaining. While reading, I was reminded of Grady Hendrix horror comedy. This book is a celebration of female friendship and how important it is to nurture relationships, even when one of your best friends might accidentally get possessed by a demon from Hell. I highly recommend this exciting read. It would also make an excellent book club book.