This book started strong but by the end I still had questions and was left confused. We are promised a gothic paranormal horror and while we get a feel for that atmosphere I wish there was still more. There were deliciously creepy paranormal moments and the house sets a great scene but it lacked the ability to really make me feel like I was there and a part of the story, which is what I was expecting. The characters are flawed, but in a relatable and likeable kind of way, though, none of them really stood out to me and I wasn't necessarily rooting for anyone. The writing was done well, minus a few times when the dialogue felt a bit awkward or clunky, and I even saved a few of the quotes. The moments that I feel should/could have been shocking or at least surprising fell a little flat for me. This was a decently quick and enjoyable read overall, especially for a debut novel, and I don't discourage anyone from picking it up. I hope to see more from this author in the future. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love a haunted house story where the house itself is a character!! And what a character it is!!

I really loved the family in this book and the way their secrets were slowly revealed. Kinda gave me The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig vibes, but the house was creepier. Truly different from a typical haunted house story in an unexpected way.

Many thanks to my partners @tornightfire @macmillan.audio @storygramtours for the #gifted copies

I’ve been craving a good haunted house story. And this one delivered. Totally creepy. So much unknown. Completely menacing.

Right away, I became deeply invested in Eric and his girls. There’s a deep love and devotion between them. The way he nurtures his daughters. The way they trust him. Yet, why they are on the run?

And that house! Built in anger. Baptized in spite. The Masson House is a character all its own. The idea that a structure can steal your very soul from your being is the stuff of nightmares. The house was a vivid depiction of danger that created a deep sense of foreboding. With each page I read I kept pondering: while indignation is a powerful emotion, could it come alive in a way that harms even after its originator is gone?

With this horror story seeded in traumas of the past, Compton’s story reminds that history has lasting effects.

With abundant POVs, the story did get a bit sidetracked at times. While I was deeply invested in the main characters, the side characters didn’t add much substance in my opinion. However, that didn’t prevent my overall enjoyment.

This Black Southern Gothic read was an impressive debut, and I’ll be watching to see what Compton does next.

🎧The audiobook is *excellently* narrated by Adam Lazard-White. His deep, gravelly voice immediately pulled me in. And his ability to shift tone creates the perfect juxtaposition been disturbing (when talking about the haunted house) and endearing (when depicting Eric and his girls).

An awesome debut novel from Johnny Compton!

Off the bat, I learned about spite houses which is one of the most petty yet fascinating things i’ve ever heard of. Building a house just to be an annoyance or eyesore to other people? Amazing.

That’s what this book focuses on. A father Eric and his two daughter, Dess and Stacy, take up a deal go stay at the possibly haunted Masson house. They are currently on the run for mysterious reasons and the woman who hired them may have ulterior motives to why she brought them in.

Overall, i think this is a solid read. I saw a few reviews say that this book isn’t southern gothic but i would have to disagree with that. There’s a lot of references to the civil war and the ghosts featured are older spirits. I think it was refreshing that this was set in modern day but had that old-school feel to it.

Similar to another book I read recently, I felt like there were two many different point of view chapters. If you’re going to do multiple POVS, each person has to be compelling and that was not the case. I feel like the author really should have just focused on the family rather than giving POVS to multiple side characters.

That being said, the family were very well written and developed characters. Also, along with spite houses, the themes of spite and revenge appear throughout the whole story. The scares and creepy moments really got me. The author built a great atmosphere within the home and I was left wondering how the story was going to end. There were a couple questions left unanswered but I’m willing to forgive that because this was such a fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the digital ARC of this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy.

Had an enjoyable time reading this book.

I’m a sucker for a haunted house story, and with a delightfully creepy cover like that, how could I resist this book?

Eric is on the run with his daughters Dess and Stacy. Moving from town to town, accepting jobs that pay in cash, Eric’s looking for somewhere safe to take his kids. When he sees a posting for a job promising a large amount of money for staying in a supposedly haunted house? Well, it almost seems too good to be true. But the rich, eccentric old lady who owns it seems serious enough and that money – just for keeping notes on his experiences! – would set his family up for quite some time. But from the moment they step foot in the Masson house – the spite house – things start going wrong and Eric begins to question whether they should ever have come to this town – or if they’ll ever leave.

“And he’d kept Dess and Stacy safe so far, hadn’t he? Kept them protected from real-world threats. He could do the same when it came to otherworldly ones, especially considering he had recent reason to believe that the dead meant no harm, irrespective of his doubts about that.”


From the beginning, we know that Eric and his family are hiding something. Eric is the picture of a loving father even if he does make desperate choices in order to keep his daughters safe. Stacy is a sweet child who loves crafts and coloring. Dess, her eighteen-year-old sister, was my favorite though. She veered between being frustrated by their situation and protective of Stacy. The question of why the three were on the run added a good amount of tension to the first half of the story, the feeling that something was very wrong but being unable to put a finger on exactly what. The spite house itself is an excellent character as well. Tall and spindly, with weirdly broken up rooms and a strange corridor addition, the house is eerie even without being haunted.

“And even a lie can reveal a truth if you find out why someone is telling it.”


The beginning was excellent, and the suspense of what exactly would make a man so desperate to move his daughters into a purportedly haunted house kept me on the edge of my seat. But towards the halfway point, as more is explained about the house, the plot began losing momentum. Part of it was that there were too many characters and POVs. There’s Eric and his family, of course, plus Eunice (the house’s owner), her employees Dana and Lafonda, and Millie, another townsperson. I’m not entirely sure all of them were necessary. My main interest was on Des and the rest of her family and I think the pacing would have felt tighter if it focused more on them. In particular, there’s some interesting parallels between Eric’s history and that of the house’s original owner that I would’ve liked to have seen explored more. The book picks up speed again as it nears the end, and I thought the ending was fantastic, but I wished it had maintained that same pacing throughout.

“It’s okay, Stacy. I’m here. Now you get up, you come right over to me, and do not look behind you.”


Overall, I’d give this 3.5 stars. While I found the plot and pacing uneven, there’s enough promise that I’ll definitely be checking out this author’s next work.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Spite House follows dedicated father, Eric, who is on the run with his two daughters, Dess and Stacy. Starting in Maryland, the family has made it to Texas without major incident, but will that luck hold? The road isn't an easy place, with Eric only taking unreliable jobs paying cash where he can. It's unclear exactly what they're running from, but it is clear that it's imperative they don't get caught.

They're living in hotels, barely getting by, when Eric discovers an ad for a live-in position at the Masson House, in Degener, Texas. The pay is six-figures, the hazards...it's haunted. Reputedly, the most haunted house in Texas. Haunted or not, Eric and his girls don't have a lot of choices. Eric is intrigued. All they have to do is live at the property and report to the owner any paranormal happenings they might observe.

The exciting pay rate is one thing, but Eric has his own additional reasons for wanting to explore the potentially supernatural nature of the house.

This story follows the perspectives of Eric, Dess and Stacy, in the days leading up to and including their time at the Masson House. There's a few other perspectives as well. There's Eunice, the lady who hires them, Lafonda, Eunice's employee, Millie, Max, the children; there's actually a lot of different perspectives helping to build out this story. While I understand why the author chose to tell it this way, it was actually the story's biggest downfall for me personally.

It felt a little crowded. I'll admit to finding it hard to track in certain places. Never Eric, Dess or Stacy. They were clear and distinct throughout. I even really enjoyed having Eunice and Lafonda's insights, but for me personally, it could have ended there as far as perspectives were concerned.

The story itself was delightful in its sense of place. I loved the Southern vibe carried throughout, including the fantastic narration of the audiobook by Adam Lazarre-White.

Additionally, the themes and topics explored were unique and well-presented. The nature of the hauntings allowed Compton to build a sense of dread that really never let up. This was one of my favorite parts of this. It was eerie start-to-finish.

This includes Eric, Dess and Stacy's situation. You know something is going on there, but at first, it's not clear what it is. I liked how Compton chose to reveal that side of the story and it definitely helped to amplify the situation at Masson House. I also found the history of the Masson House, and the property it sits on, fascinating. I love when land holds on to these sorts of generational traumas and carries it through to a modern-day perspective, or situation.

There's something unsettling about that. I think we've all been to places that hold a certain feeling and I love watching that play out in fiction. Considering what could be behind those vibes. It's so interesting to me. Overall, I felt this was a unique and engaging story with a fabulously narrated audiobook. The Spite House should be on every Horror Lovers immediate TBR. You do not want to miss out on this one.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I am so excited to read more from Johnny Compton in the future. If this book is any indication, he has a long and successful career ahead of him!

This was an interesting read that grew deeper as more of the plot was revealed. I was hoping for some "answers", but maybe some of the plot being left unexplained is what has made the story haunt me.

How far would you go to spite someone? Would you build an entire house simply out of spite?

In this debut novel by Johnny Compton, Eric and his two daughters are on the run. But, they need money to keep going. So, when Eric is promised a huge payout to stay in a supposedly haunted house and record what happens, he accepts. After all, they are tough, they've been through some stuff, and if it gets too bad, they can just leave, right?

From the very first few pages, I was hooked, and my curiosity was peaked! What made them run away??? I had to know. The book turned into a slow burn, and it took quite awhile to get some answers. However, I was definitely not expecting it when it finally hit.

It wasn't exactly scary, but all the best elements of a haunted house story were there and done in an original way. I loved the multiple POVs and the family dynamics.

I have loved plenty of books that didn't end with everything wrapped up and a happily ever after, but I wasn't happy with the way this one ended. It was clever, but I wanted more. I need to know what happens next! I'm rounding my rating up to four stars, because of how much I cared about the characters.

Thank you Tor Publishing Group for the copy of this book to read and review.

Is there anything better than a haunted house story? Not in my opinion! And I absolutely LOVED The Spite House! The Masson House was creepy from the beginning, just from the description of the shape and the fact that it resides on top of a hill overlooking the town. But then there are the strange things happening, the weird sounds, and that bizarre third-floor hallway. Eric and his two daughters are on the run. When he finds the ad in the paper about staying in the Spite House for pay in the six figures, he has to check it out. But Eric and his girls have their own secrets and their own experiences with the dead. This book was so creepy, but had such an emotional aspect that I was not expecting. And what the Spite House was up to? Brilliant twist! I cannot wait to read more from Johnny Compton!!

I absolutely love a good haunted house story and I also love when a book honors other great classics that have come before. Compton’s Spite House checks both boxes. I also love seeing Black authors and protagonists being represented in the horror genre🙌

The Spite House has all the elements of a gothic thriller: family secrets, unresolved pasts, ghosts out for revenge, wonky architecture. It also has some great characters who I grew to love. Eric and his two daughters are very compelling and I cared about each one. The descriptions of the house itself made me feel claustrophobic, but weren’t particularly creepy, but more unsettling.

This one moved kind of slow and there were moments were I felt a little lost in all the different plot points and point of views, but overall I appreciated and enjoyed the experience! Don’t expect the ending to be wrapped up in a neat, little bow. Questions remain, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I look forward to Compton’s next book!

This book has so many layers. There's the family Eric Ross and his daughters Dess and Stacey, and there is the ex wife and mother they left behind (along with family and friends). The reader learns these 3 members of the Ross family are on the run, trying to escape something from their past and avoiding most people and police.

Another layer is Eric's past and his experiences with the supernatural that greatly affected him.

Next, there is Eunice, an older woman and the last of her family to survive. Eunice is looking for people that have more to offer than amateur ghost hunters to live at the Spite House and keep a journal of any supernatural happenings for a hefty sum of money. Eric, looking to take care of his family, applies for this position. Eunice sees something in Eric and his girls and gives him the job.

Another layer is the history of the land and the atrocities that took place there, the history of the house (including who owned it and why it was built) and the history of Eunice's family and the curse she believes plagued them.

As I said, many layers. The chapters change between character POVs and past and present times that all eventually come together to complete an expansive timeline (and a very complex story). Most questions are answered and loose ends tied, except for one large one surrounding one of the daughters. But, perhaps some questions are best left for the reader's to answer based on their own beliefs.

This book kept me interested, wanting to know more and see what happens next. I read this in hopes of getting a good haunted house story and I got that and much more.
I give this 4.25⭐️.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher and author for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book.

Happy Pub Day to The Spite House, one of my new favorite horror novels!

It takes a lot for a book to actually creep me out, but this southern gothic haunted house story quickly had me feeling unsettled the moment the family moved into this strange, haunted house. I enjoyed the multiple point of views from the family, and how easy Compton made it to slide into each of their headspace's. The MC's paranoia rubbed easily off on me, questioning noises from the depths of my own apartment. And that twist! That twist I most certainly did not see coming and had to reread a couple of times to process it but I loved that supernatural element that it added.

Though I found the house and history of the family behind a little hard to follow at times and I still have some unanswered questions, this might very well be one of my favorite haunted house novels. The Haunting of Hill House (show/season one) vibes were strong with this one and I loved it.

Thanks so much to Tor publishing for the arc!

really fascinating horror debut from Compton - i had no idea what a ‘spite house’ was going into this. I do think the book suffered at times from too kany POVs, I wish it was tightened up a bit, but i can tell Compton is one to watch out for.

This is one heck of a ghost story. We start out with a family on the run. Exactly why they are on the run isn’t explained right away, but what we do know is that all Eric Ross wants is a safe/stable environment for him and his girls and a chance to earn some money. Well it might not be exactly what he’s looking for, but his latest job over will certainly give him the opportunity to earn some serious cash. What’s the job? Take up residence in a haunted house and document the goings on. Right from the start there is activity and it becomes quite clear it’s most definitely not a safe environment for his daughters, especially his youngest. I really enjoyed this one. Eric is an excellent character. It’s easy to connect with him and his desire to keep his family safe. It’s an excellent story, intense at times, with just the right amount of creepy menace. I can’t wait to see what Mr. Compton does next. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-spite-house-johnny-compton/1141344169?ean=9781250841414&bvnotificationId=7a32b428-a70d-11ed-b1dc-1241fdad4659&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/240215146

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!~

The Spite House by Johnny Compton follows Eric, Odessa (Dess), and Stacy - a family on the run with no discernible reason for them to be. Eric is doing his best to find odd jobs in order to keep him and his daughters fed, all with an end goal of arriving back in Odessa, Texas at the home of his great grandfather. Eric just wants his family to be happy, but he's also looking for answers. When he interviews for a job with a potential big payout, he knows he has no choice except to accept the offer, but at what cost? When he and the girls arrive at The Spite House, they realize that this house might actually be a little more haunted than they expected (they also learn what a "spite house" is). Is the rich owner of the spite house, Eunice, keeping secrets to herself? Is Eric able to do anything to keep his family safe? Why are they on the run and why are they so protective of little Stacy?

For a book that takes inspiration from Shirley Jackson's, The Haunting, Compton had big shoes to fill. While the writing style is quite different, the story he crafted is quite chilling. I do feel like we get more ghostly interaction versus just suspense in comparison to The Haunting, which I am a huge fan of. I never guessed along the way why they may be on the run, but after determining her "powers", it all makes a lot of sense now. I really liked Odessa and Stacy's relationship, they clearly love each other so very much and that shows. I also think it's a very good representation of how a father would set fire to everything in order to keep his children safe. The world-building was good and the supernatural elements were quite spooky when they did happen.

I do wish we were able to explore Stacy's abilities more as they pulled me in from the beginning. I also want to know how all these people came back!! What's waiting in Odessa, Texas?? There are a decent amount of unanswered questions that I want to know more information on! This is a multiple POV scenario, but I do think we have a few too many people we were switching between. I think this is more of a personal preference, as it takes me out of the story more when i have to switch between so many character dynamics.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read! I really likes all of the characters and the hauntings that happened on and near this house! A great debut from a new author! I will be picking up more of his work in the future.

Have you ever heard of a spite house before? I had no idea it was a real term for a house built to get revenge. In this case the Masson House was built on a small ledge of land to get revenge for the owner's family estate being sold without his approval. That’s just one of the small details that go into this intricate haunted house meets Southern Gothic tale.

The Spite House is told through alternating narratives from a wide cast of characters that range from Eric’s family, the home’s current owner, and individuals you’ll want to know from the past. I loved getting so many different perspectives, which I genuinely think brought this story to life. My favorites were those of Eric and his daughters where I was able to observe their close bond while also unpacking why they are on the run. The house itself gives off major Hill House/Hell House vibes and I loved the way it was able to have a direct influence on characters. This story is so rich in detail that at times I found myself a little lost and having to reread sections, but despite that I never stopped being invested.

Compton has a true gift with words and I look forward to reading whatever he comes up with next!

A huge thank you to Tor Nightfire for my gifted copy!

I really don't know how to talk about this plot at all without giving anything away. I will say it is not the haunted house story I expected, but something totally different and unique. I had never heard of a spite house before picking up this book. According to google "A spite house is a building constructed or substantially modified to irritate neighbors or any party with land stakes." If you look it up be sure to click on images because there are some doozies. They really do exist. Anyway...
Eric Ross and his daughters are in dire straights. They've been hiding out for unknown reasons, and money is running out. The youngest daughter has been taught that if Eric or the older daughter says run, it means she must run and hide and not come out until they find her. We are not told at this juncture what they would need her to hide from, but it was not at all what I suspected.
When Eric sees an ad that promises a huge payout just to stay for free in a spite house and record any strange goings on it seems like just the break his family needs. This is where I thought the bumps in the night would lead to a typical haunting but instead, this story travels down a more unusual and twisty path.
The story is told from multiple points of view, which at times made it a bit frustrating. I would have preferred fewer chapters that veered away from Eric and his daughters. Still, it was a good read in "spite" of that. The ending had my jaw dropping!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I really wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, but I beyond pleasantly surprised. Eric and his daughters, Dess and Stacy, have been living out of sketchy motels while Eric supports them by doing unsavory work. They're on the run, but from what, we aren't immediately told. Eric finds a newspaper article with an offer that appears to be too good to be true - stay in "The Spite House" and report his findings and leave $100,000 richer. Eunice, the woman offering this job, Eric, his daughters, and the house itself all have their secrets, so it's difficult to know who they can trust. This isn't your run of the mill haunted house story though. The story rotates narrators so it's interesting to find out bits and pieces of everyone's backgrounds, motives, and experiences that have brought them together. I do wish there was more of the Rosses experiences in the house with the haunting, but what was there filled me with unease and made me want to "nope" right out.

It also felt SO much more realistic than most horror stories where the decisions the characters make are unrealistic and downright stupid. Don't get me wrong, this book had its share of "what are you doing?!" moments, but the reader is made very aware that everything that Eric does is for his kids and that his sole goal is to protect them. There were some questions I had that I felt I didn't get an answer to, but overall I felt like this book did a really good job at explaining the mysteries we're presented with at the beginning and also leaving some things open to interpretation.

This is gothic horror at its finest, so don't go in expecting 250 pages of ghosts, ghouls, and demons. It's definitely got its moments of that, but a lot of what makes this book scary is the atmosphere, so if that's not what you're into you probably won't enjoy this one. All that said, I was blown away by the fact that this is Johnny Compton's debut novel, and I'm already excited to pick up anything he publishes in the future.

Oh how I wanted to like this! I love a good ghost story but there were too many alternating points of view and the spooky bits didn't really come in until the end. Kind of disappointing