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

More than your typical haunted house story. Spite houses are a real thing and this story takes that trope in new and unexpected directions. The ghosts are frightening and the malevolence is real.

Recommended.

Let’s start with the fact that our Spite House is very creepy. I loved the whole concept of it and, yes I’ll admit it, I’d spend the night. I’d regret it, but I’d do it.

What’s going on in our haunted house is very unique – I loved the concept and was both horrified and heartsick.

However, the best part for me was when I found out just what our little family was running from. I absolutely didn’t see that coming.

The storytelling is engaging. While I could have done with a bit less when it came to dreams and flashbacks, I realize that it’s a personal preference. Those dreams and flashbacks did serve a purpose in the story. I think perhaps that I was just so wrapped up in the here and now of what was happening, that I didn’t like the breaks into the past.

This was a well written and definitely creepy novel. I can’t wait to see what the author brings us next!

• ARC via Publisher

”Something here has taken part of me and won’t give it back”

Eric Ross and his two daughters are on the run from their past, moving from state to state. He left his wife, house, and his whole life behind in Maryland. He’s desperate for money and will do almost anything to be able to take care of his girls.

He comes across a strange ad for a caretaker for the Masson House in Texas. The owner asks that someone lives there and records everything that happens in detail. She wants proof of paranormal activity at the house.

“The house would not let them live there without them doing what they were paid to do. The question was whether the money would be enough of a compensation for what the house might do to them”

There’s a huge payout so Eric decides to head over to Texas with his girls and go through with the interview. Eric finds out the homeowner is too afraid to do it herself. She’s already gone through a couple families who fled from the scene, unable to finish the job.

The homeowner, Eunice, hires him over the other interviewees and he immediately accepts. Eric and his girls quickly move in. On top of the possibility of a haunted house, it is also shaped oddly and very narrow. This makes it much more uncomfortable and just flat out weird. Soon enough, mysterious things begin to happen to the family.

“There are no dreams in this house”

Great debut of modern gothic horror! The writing flows and makes it enjoyable to read. There are multiple points of view but it works really well together. Definitely reminds me a bit of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and the Shining by Stephen King but with Compton’s own unique twist. Compton’s take on the haunted house is a little different than your average story. It’s about much more than a haunted house but also about anger, loss, how the past and others can affect us but also what a father will do to protect his children. I look forward to seeing what else Johnny Compton has in store for us!

This is overall a pretty average read. At the end I was left with some questions about things that maybe weren't addressed or things maybe I just missed.

I can absolutely see why The Spite House is getting so much attention. Also, I am blown away that this was a debut horror novel. From start to finish, the book gives you an inside look at Eric's life with his two daughters, Stacy and Dess.

The family is running from something, and we see the ups and downs they endure to stay together. Eric ends up doing odd jobs here and there to provide for himself and the girls. One day, he sees a very appealing add. People who are hired to house sit the Masson House, also known as The Spite House, are normally professionals. You see, the rumor is that the spite house is haunted and anyone who stays experiences unexplainable paranormal phenomena. This is where the Ross family comes in to play. They are offered an incredible financial opportunity so they can have a fresh start. Of course, that is if they can make it with their sanity intact. This book was absolutely incredible, I am a huge haunted house book lover, and this absolutely felt like I was there experiencing every uncomfortable and agonizing moment everyone endured. The spite house is an absolutely perfect book for horror lovers.

The American South is saturated with the ghosts of the past. The specters of racism and cruelty are omnipresent, preserved in old houses and monuments to cruelty and spite. Southern Gothic is all about the great rot that permeates Southern society, original sins that can never be outrun.

So it is with Johnny Compton’s debut, The Spite House. Eric Ross is a man on the run with his two daughters. A mysterious past haunts Eric, one he cannot escape. Caught up with a need to provide for his girls, Eric finds an ad to care for the Masson House in Degener, Texas. The only catch is the owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity.

Eric can’t resist. Lured by the secrets of the spite house, Eric wishes to understand Masson’s history in the hopes it will provide him with catharsis as to his own past. But the ghosts in Degener are not so easily quelled.

Compton writes like a man possessed, channeling the spirits of William Faulkner, Shirley Jackson, and Ralph Ellison to create a bleak picture of a house built for the purpose of spite. Masson is a towering, bizarre structure rumored to be one of the most haunted locations in all of Texas. The house itself is almost a character, as important as the ghosts it contains.

Eric and his daughters are fantastic leads, sympathetic and compelling with unfurling secrets that keep the pages turning. Compton balances the mysteries of the past with the complexities of the present, with answers that are more horrifying than the questions.

A sterling Southern Gothic that sticks with the reader.

Spitefully so.

I listened to the audiobook as well as read the physical copy. It is has a Gothic, creepy feel to it. I love books with haunted houses and I enjoyed this one. I didn’t know what a spite house was until this book and then realized I drove past one for years.

Eric and his two daughters move into what is considered the most haunted house in Texas, the Masson House. Eric is desperate for money so he agrees to the owners demands. The owner wants proof that the house is haunted. Eric and his two girls are not prepared for what happens next.

The Spite House is available February 7, 2023.

Thank you to netgalley and macmillian audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love haunted house stories, especially ones that think a little bit outside the box, and I felt that THE SPITE HOUSE had some really good beats and moments, as well as some things that made it drag a little bit. I will start with the positive, and that is that there are some really genuinely scary scenes and imageries in this book. I also liked how Compton gave some hints as to what was going on with Eric, Dess, and Stacy, and why they were running from the life they left behind, and yet it was a complete surprise and shock when we got our answer. I was caught totally off guard and I REALLY loved the reveal. That said, the pacing of it was a bit slow, as it may have been a little too drawn out, only to have a really fast climax, then a bit of a laggy descent towards the actual ending. It just felt a bit choppy. There were also a lot of perspectives, some of whom I felt didn't add as much to the story, and who were only there for a beat, when we could have been focusing on Eric, Dess, or Stacy as they dealt with the strange and terrifying happenings in the spite house.

Overall, I am eager to see what Compton writes next! There are some top notch horror moments in this book to be sure!

Scary, heartfelt, and unique- with one of the most satisfying haunted house origin stories I've ever read- THE SPITE HOUSE by Johnny Compton gleefully grabs you & headily haunts you, leaving you to ponder on humanity's propensity for malice and the power pain can unleash. Fantastic!

"Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he's desperate for money—it's not easy to find steady, safe work when you can't provide references, you can't stay in one place for long, and you're paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.

When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them."

I went into this story thinking it was a traditional haunted house story, expecting to get creepy vibes from the things that go bump in the night. I was wrong. This story was more of a mystery than a thriller/ horror and focused heavily on the things a father will do for his children. While the premise was interesting and did keep me engaged, it was a slow burn story. I did enjoy the characters and the storyline, I just wish that it went darker and creepier. If you enjoy a character driven mystery with a side of haunted house vibes, this one is for you.

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)

Thank you to @netgalley , @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for the gifted copy of this book.

Give me a haunted house, a cursed family, and add in a bit of a mystery and I’m hooked. Eric and his two daughters are on the run from something and to support them, Eric has to take some sketchy jobs. They basically end up in a small Texas town when Eric takes a job that entails living in a supposedly haunted house.

The story is told from multiple perspectives and throughout different time periods which works to give us a well-rounded and fleshed out story. The house itself is incredibly creepy and gives those Southern Gothic vibes that I love in books like THE ELEMENTALS.

It did end up being less of a ghost story than I initially anticipated, but the themes of loss, intergenerational trauma combined with the richness of the characters really worked their magic on me. I’m

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for sending this book as an ARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Full Review: https://readingbeyondthebookcover.com/book-review-reaction-the-spite-house-by-johnny-compton/

If you are like me and don't know what a spite house is, you'll know after reading this horror novel.

Aside from introducing readers to something they may have never considered the existence of; The Spite House is an embodiment of a horror novel with suspense woven in from all angles. The author crafts a sinister horror story with entanglements of questionable characters with even more questionable motives. I applaud it for its ability to sit with me and change my overall rating of enjoyment. Thus, I've concurrently and affectionately nicknamed it a "fester book." Trust me, that's a good thing. ;-)

With the spirit of undiluted desperation, Eric Ross upends his family from Maryland, travels to Texas, and accepts a questionable caretaking job at a spite house. This job opportunity might be the best he can do for his family, as he's seeking financial stability without the requirement of usual formalities, like reference and background checks. Despite persistent warnings from the townspeople and the spite house owner's evasive behavior, Eric views the job as an answer to all of his and his family’s problems. The promise of an egregious payment motivates him to ignore the risks he may be taking in accepting this job. At face value, this is an offer he sensibly cannot refuse. Short-lived, as the story unfurls, and the past and present merge, all hell breaks loose before Eric's once positive outlook of being a recipient of such an "advantageous" opportunity, quickly becomes inauspicious in more ways than Eric and his family could ever imagine.

I recommend this book for its ability to arouse thoughts and fears of residing in houses with haunting histories, affecting its inhabitants beyond literal return.

Many thanks to Tor Nightfire, Johnny Compton, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

I love a good haunted house story and The Spite House does not disappoint. The title gives you a good idea of what feeds the spirits in this skinny house.

I throughly enjoyed the characters in this novel. Johnny Compton did an amazing job building them out and letting the reader connect to each of them. Dess and Millie became my favorites.

The setting was thoughtful described and vibrant without being overworked. I could easily place myself in the floating hallway of the spite house.

The pace was good for me. I see a lot of folks saying it was slow. Yea it was in some parts but I felt it added suspense. By the last quarter of the book I was flying through the pages to find out what happens.

This was a fantastic debut by Johnny Compton. Make sure you keep him on your radar.

I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tore/Forge for a digital ARC.