3.75⭐️

This book feels like a Halloween episode of Desperate Housewives. A group of moms in the Whispering Farms development get together regularly for movie night. Amy, the narrator, suggests they stray from the usual romcom and watch a horror movie, which is a not so subtle foreshadowing for the events that transpire later in the book. The others don’t agree. The kind-hearted, warm Liz is building a She Shed in her yard, and is supposed to begin construction soon. When they break ground, an awful smell like decaying flesh envelops the subdivision.

Liz begins acting strange. She’s not herself, showing up to a community party dressed sexier and acting meaner than she ever has. She begins neglecting her children and starts drifting away from her friend group. When Amy goes to check on Liz one night, Liz tries to push her into the hole in her yard where the She Shed is supposed to go and walks away, leaving Amy trying to scramble her way out of a 6 foot deep hole. It’s up to Amy, Melissa, and Jess to figure out what’s wrong with their friend. Is she having a breakdown? Or is it demonic possession?

I enjoyed this book, and it is sufficiently spooky for spooky season, but there is minimal horror (which is great if you aren’t a huge horror fan!). It is very Desperate Housewives-esque, and the entire time I was picturing each of the characters as a different character from the show. Overall, a great read for fall for people who like light horror!

This was a fun comedy-horror story that acknowledged the hard work of women and particularly mothers. This book definitely didn’t take itself too seriously - lots of ridiculousness and comic relief. I enjoyed the dynamic between the friends and could relate to the struggle of maintaining your personhood outside of your relationship to others (wife, mother, etc.) I only took off a star because of the length of time that passed - the book didn’t drag, but I was disappointed in how long it took for the friends to band together to banish the demon.

I was so lucky to be able to get access to this arc! And boy was it a good time! I wanted to broaden my horizons and read titles out of my comfort zone and this was the first of it's genre for me. Simply put, it did not disappoint.

First off, I need friends like the main characters in this book! They are loyal, funny, and down for anything! I never knew there could be such sinister beings lurking in a suburban neighborhood and women so eager to conquer their fears for their friends. I respect what the women did for one another throughout the book.

Secondly, this book was beautifully written and so much detail put into the characters and setting, that it felt as if I was watching a movie in my head. Every part of the story flowed effortlessly and I was more than satisfied with the ending.

4.5 stars! I definitely understand all the hype around this book, as well there should be! Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and author for this first time experience!

This was so much fun!! What a great debut. This was like a scary Real Housewives and I was all for it! I think this book is perfect for Grady Hendrix fans.

Desperate Housewives meets My Best Friends Exorcism. Lighthearted and not scary at all but in a fun way, if this is of interest to you I'd definitely reccomend it. It wasn't a book that will stick with me long term but I did have fun reading it.

This book is hilarious and spooky. Has the humor of Santa Clarita Diet but the spooky underlay of The Conjuring. I could not put this down. The plot stays at a steady and fun pace without giving you whiplash and while the humor is very much present, it did not overwhelm the story or make it too corny to enjoy or scare. The friendship dynamics were also soooo relateable to any of the "bad moms" out there.

I think this is the perfect book for those who enjoy some humor with their scares.

I had such a hard time putting this book down! A group of suburban moms is left to deal with the demonic possession of their good friend. The odds were against this group of ladies but I loved watching them tackle things that seemed impossible that they weren’t even sure that they believed. I found this story to be incredibly entertaining.

This story is told from Amy’s perspective. Amy is part of a group of 4 neighborhood women who do everything together. When Liz breaks ground on a She Shed for the group to use, things go horribly wrong for her. It is up to Amy, Melissa, and Jess to figure out what is going on and save their friend. There were quite a few strange happenings that kept the story incredibly interesting. I loved the mystery behind what was happening and really hoped to see the group find a way to save their friend.

I really liked the characters. I could relate to so much of their suburban mom life from juggling kids, trying to fit in, and trying to avoid the PTO. I loved how different each of these women was and liked the fact that their friendship felt very genuine. Amy’s husband, Mark, was awesome and seemed ready to support Amy no matter what. Amy’s kids even played a role that added some key pieces to the puzzle.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought it was a fun story that kept the surprises coming while keeping me glued to the pages. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

You know all of those books about suburban neighborhoods where everyone hangs out together and the women have wineclub? This is that, kind of. Maureen Kilmer takes that and reveals the true hell it can be. I mean really. I appreciate some humor with my horror. Who doesn’t? If you said, “Me!” then you should skip this. This is for the rest of us.

We've all done it. You're scrolling through Pinterest and the idea hits. Your favorite DIY blog or magazine features one and your brain starts to turn. A popular Instagram account features one boho inspired snippet and you're hooked. You're dreaming of your very own She Shed. 

You think it'll be a place where you can get away with your friends, forget about work, have some delicious appetizers, or even have a few glasses of wine out there but what happens when that dream turns into a nightmare for the whole neighborhood? When breaking ground in your long awaited personal space wakes something up, what will it cost to save suburbia?

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the entire year and I LOVED IT. The writing was engaging and driven, the characters were enjoyable, and the story was creepy, quirky, and unique.

I received a copy of Suburban Hell from NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnem in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a horror story with other moments about a suburban mother who after finding a group of outcasts who don’t quite fit in with other mothers. Whether they have a slightly unconventional family, aren’t quite as rich as everyone else, or just see through the BS, all four of the women found friends in each other and plan on making She Shed in Liz’s backyard for somewhere they can get away from everything just to have some time to themselves.

However, when the ground is broken, a smell like death fills the air, and Liz starts acting even more aggressively, even toward her friends, and the stress of life becomes even harder on the friends and their lives.

I went into this looking for a comedic horror story with maybe a bit of reflection on suburban life, especially for women, and that’s how it starts, but besides moments where a roomba goes crazy and little moments like that, most of the story is rather serious in its tone. Liz herself only makes a few poignant cameos after she starts acting strange, and the reveal of what happened both makes sense, but I would have liked to see her interactions more.

The story takes a lot of time reflecting on Amy and her life as she spends most of her time taking care of her children, cooking for them and her husband, taking them to playdates and to different places to play, trying to take on running a carnival for the PTA, and looking for a job, which I’m not sure when she’d have time for when she only has a job to look for a job between looking after her children and keeping up with cleaning, cooking, and everything else. Not to mention, she looking to be a social worker.

It doesn’t just sound exhausting, it sounds impossible, even when her children go back to school.

The thing is, that part of the book is the meat of the book, with the horror of the book is just frosting. A bit there to emphasize parts of what is going on and the themes, but mostly lost in the book overall for long parts that made it feel like it stretched out into infinity. And that’s what made the story more of a 3-star for me. Perhaps if I was a suburban mother, the story just didn’t grab me. I found myself wanting the horror to draw me into the themes of the story, and instead, it was left to the side to connect to the character looking for a job and dealing with raising her children without connecting to them while weird things happened every once in a while as she snarked at them every once in a while and her friends made their own contributions here and there.

This cute little suburban romp is centered around four friends in a tight knit yet cliquey neighborhood in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. With a little possession and horror thrown in this mixes funny, and scary so well I want to read it again.

This was definitely my kind of book. I never knew that quirky, sarcastic possession stories were my thing until now and I’m hoping for more of anything from this author. The women in the story Amy, Liz, Jess, and Melissa and the group you want to be apart of, they mock the PTA crowd that is always perfect every time they leave their houses and somehow do everything and then some and just all around seem perfect. This group after a tough meeting decided to drink a little wine and get some much deserved girl-time in and in the midst of the get together Liz decides to build a “she-shed” for them all for their now monthly meetings.

What happens next turns this funny mom/family story into a horror story. Can this neighborhood withstand a demon possessing one of its own? I was definitely creeped out during a few of the scenes but could totally picture myself doing everything they all were doing. The characters were well developed and I wanted to get to know each and every one of them more. I love when a conversations in books feel real and this felt like i was a fly on the wall with these lovely ladies. I binged this read in under a day and wanted more and more.

This book has it all and then some. Great fun characters a serious plot with some great snark. The cover is amazing and best of all this is a debut from it’s author. Can’t wait to see what comes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam / G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this provided copy in exchange for my honest review.

Suburban Hell is equal parts kitschy, terrifying and heartwarming. It's a satire-horror crossover about a group of suburban Moms dealing with demons. It has some shades of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, so if you loved that Hendrix class then you'll be a fan of this one!

I loved how fun this book was! It's the perfect Halloween read with just the right balance between creep and fun. I'd describe this as being similar to Grady Hendrix's novels, specifically Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. Amy, Liz, Jess, and Melissa were such a fun group to follow and I loved seeing the parallels between real life and the mystical that they were dealing with. I'd recommend this for someone looking for a quick, spooky read that isn't too scary or anyone who likes Grady Hendrix and needs someone to tide them over before the next novel.

Amy, Liz, Jess and Melissa are a tight-knit group of friends and neighbors who get together for a monthly wine night. Liz is having a She Shed built for them in her back yard so they can briefly escape the mundanity of their lives. As construction begins, the excavators unearth a long-buried demonic force and Liz seemingly turns into a cruel bombshell overnight. Initially, the ladies think Liz might just be going through a mid-life crisis but when the demon begins to threaten them and their families, they band together to save their gentle, selfless friend and cast the spirit back to hell.

Suburban Hell is a delectable blend of character-driven horror and humor with underlying themes of friendship, grief, loss and sexism. A few scenes gave me the creeps but the violence and gore are very mild and the humor makes it easy to swallow. This fun, delightful story highlights the strength of women and mothers who shoulder the invisible mental, emotional and physical load to keep everything running smoothly within their families and communities—all while exorcising demons from their friends bodies. If you enjoy campy, light horror with a side of dark humor, I highly recommend this one.

I had a good time reading this book. I thought that it was really relatable as a white suburban mom. The satire was really funny, the demonic possession was just the right amount of horror for me, and I thought the characters and their relationships were very believable. I would have liked to see some diversity, that alone is my reason for giving it a 3 instead of a 4. It did seem like a long journey and then everything coming to a head in the last handful of pages. It sets up for a potential continuation? I'm not sure if there are other books planned but I will probably read them.

3.5/5

I can give this one a mild rec but I think you have to really be into suburban horror to fully enjoy it. Otherwise it may seem a little annoying. For me though, it was a mostly fun experience.

Thank you for this opportunity!

🧟‍♀️ A R C • R E V I E W 🧟‍♀️
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Title: Suburban Hell
Author: Maureen Kilmer
Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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HAPPY PUB DAY to this gem of a book!!
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Suburban Hell is Maureen Kilmer's debut Horror novel that has the perfect amount of comedy thrown in there; this book was just fun. The characters were easily likeable, and the story flowed flawlessly . The witty dialogue and humor scattered through this one actually had me laughing out loud and really helped with the more suspenseful parts - and let me tell you some parts of this had my heart pounding out of my chest. I damn near had a heart attack at some of the really creepy parts Haha; it was awesome and everything that I definitely needed in a read this month!
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This is more than just a horror though, this story had depth to it. It was really unique in the fact that while it was a horror, it was also thrilling with the perfect comic relief, this also had some great messages thrown in there as well. This is a story about friendship, about dealing with one's losses, forgiving oneself and true growth in character. I really felt drawn to every aspect of this book and thoroughly enjoyed this one.
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I most definitely can see this one flying off the shelves as it has it all. Suburban Hell is going to be the perfect spooky season read but will also be the perfect book in between all of those extra scary reads! Suburban Hell is out today, and I highly recommend you don't sleep on this one!
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Huge thank you to @netgalley and @maureenkilmer and @penguingroupputname @gpputnamssons for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
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#pubdayreview #fourstars #fourstarreview #happypubday #netgalley #netgalleyreview #netgalleyearc #electronicadvancedreaderscopy #horrormixedwithcomedy #lessonsonfriendship #lessonsonforgivingoneself #truelaughoutloudmoments #wittydialogue #trulycreepyparts #sheshedgonewrong #demonicforces #seances #suburbanhell #maureenkilmer #penguingroupputnam #gpputnassons

This is like My Best Friend's Exorcism, Attack the Block and Bad Moms all wrapped into a fun horror ride. This book is everything you would expect it to be. We all know the suburbs can hide some big secrets, and this neighborhood is no exception.

Liz, Jess, Melissa, and Amy are best friends from the same suburb. Things start to turn weird though after they dedicate a spot in Liz’s backyard for their She Shed. Liz is acting weird and it’s up to Amy, Jess, and Melissa to figure things out. Can they save Liz, themselves, and their suburb from demonic clutches?

This book was great! I loved the characters so much; I feel like I would perfectly fit in with their mom group. This was a pretty quick read for me, because I had to know how it ended! I was surprised that the ending wrapped up so quickly; I thought we’d have a little more time with the ending events. Although, this didn’t take away from the story. I loved the aspect of this being a demon story but told within a mom group. I’m not a mom myself, but I’m older so I can still relate and see myself in this situation. It was a good spin to the genre. I hope this author sticks with writing horror stories. I’m really interested in seeing what they can cook up next!

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

I could quite possibly write a half-dozen books using this title, but with different themes. But none of them would be as good as this one, obviously.

Amy, Liz, Jess, and Melissa have forged a deep friendship. In fact, Liz is building a she-shed in her backyard to give them their own space. But soon after breaking ground, Liz starts behaving strangely. And weird things happen. Weird, supernatural things. Amy wonders if Liz is possessed; as ludicrous as it sounds, their research at the local historical society combined with Amy's conversation with the house's previous resident makes it seem not so impossible.

But how will they get their friend back?

Although this is described as a horror novel, it is equal parts satire and humor. Anyone who has had children and lived in the suburbs, willingly or not (both having children and living in the suburbs), will find it hilarious. The horror aspects will not frighten most people. Except perhaps people like me who already know there's a burial ground nearby that the builders didn't respect. #SuburbanHell #NetGalley