A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher was a quick read with an engaging story..
When we first meet our main character, Sam, she's on her way to go and spend a few months with her mother who currently lives in the house that previously belonged to her late grandmother. As soon as she arrives she quickly realizes that something is off and from there we're taken on a journey to find out just what it is that's wrong.
I enjoyed this story a lot. I liked the writing style and enjoyed the pacing.
Please find attached my spoiler free youtube review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S80uzet1fqI

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Initially, I was excited for this book. I like T. Kingfisher, and the book summary seemed intriguing.

What went wrong?

Sam started to annoy me. It felt very repetitive. We hear about insects a lot because she's a archaeoentomologist. We are forced to hear her "comedic thoughts" which just irk me for some reason. It felt pushy, over the top. Overly sarcastic.

It's also boring. Nothing really happens. For a REALLY LONG TIME. There's not a lot of conflict or suspense to keep your interest.

Sam is visiting her mother while her job is on standby. Her mother is acting strange. Something is going on. Her brother is also worried. What is up with mom?

Strange and subtle things are happening. A vulture, ladybug swarm in her bedroom, no insects in the garden... a jar of teeth. The pacing seems off with this one for me. I don't know. I usually like Kingfisher's work.

This haunted house story fell flat for me.

Sam Montgomery's a successful entomologists between digs, so she heads for home to her mother's house in North Carolina. Her brother thinks that something is strange with her mother... and when Sam gets home things are off kilter. There are no bugs at all in the roses and there's a vulture standing watch at the mailbox.

Why I started this book: Kingfisher is one of my new favorite authors, so I jumped at reading an ARC even if southern gothic is not my usual genre.

Why I finished it: Serious creepy vibes, and the book is at its best before the monsters show up. The slowly building tension is delicious and worth reading. Plus I love that Sam's an entomologist and that her scientific training and practicality both works as a shield and a hinderance to understanding just what is happening at her mother's house.

To say that Sam is prepared for returning home to her grandmother's house in North Carolina would be the understatement of the century.

But, now that her Gran Mae has passed, what could possibly be awry in that quiet neighborhood?
Her mother, after all, has been living in the house alone for awhile now.
There does, however, seem to be something unsettling about Gran Mae's house, now that Sam thinks about it.
Why is there a vulture on the mailbox? The walls painted a lifeless white? Gran Mae's creepy and morally-problematic artwork still hanging on the walls?
Most of all, why does Sam's mom seem to think something, or someone, is watching them?

"A House with Good Bones," though marketed as a general fiction/horror novel, is really just a pile of hilarious, suspense-laden fun. Readers going into this hoping for the true horror that they found in T. Kingfishers retelling "What Moves the Dead" may find themselves let down by this one, but having caught on to the lighter, more jovial tone from the first chapter, I really loved this story.

Woven together with wit, well-formed characters, and a great sense of atmosphere, "A House with Good Bones" is a "light" horror read that readers will fly through as they grow to love Sam and work out the mystery of Gran Mae's house. What's not to love about a boxed wine-loving, woefully-sarcastic, passionate entomologist with an affinity for ladybugs?

Well this was wild. I learned a lot about bugs and roses. I’m pretty sure despite the creepy garden they’re still my favorite flower. I was not expecting what I got reading this. Kingfisher has once again made my skin crawl and race through this novel in morbid fascination. The pacing was perfect. I loved Sam’s personality and how she handled herself throughout this book. Fantastic read and definitely worth a read. I will be picking up a copy when This one comes out.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a eARC of this novel.

When Samantha’s archaeology dig gets postponed, she moves back into her grandma’s home with her mother. Although her grandma has long been dead, Samantha noticed lots of changes in the home back to how it was when her grandma was alive. Her mother also seems off, anxious as if she’s being watched. Vultures sit all over the neighborhood seemingly watching Samantha, her mom, and the house. This leads Samantha to try to figure out if she or her mother is starting to lose it, or if there’s something darker beneath the surface. This story moves at a great pace and leads the reader down an original and mysterious path. It has left me wanting more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the advanced copy.

This book was excellent. Suffice it to say that I will be checking out T Kingfisher and Ursula Vernon’s backlist. As a former archeologist, I enjoyed the comments to my past career.

Sam was an amazing main character and this book was surprisingly funny for a horror. I’ve already recommended it a bunch and have preordered several copies. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a good story and especially for those who love a haunted house trope!

Paleo-entomologist Sam Montgomery returns to her grandmother’s (now her mother’s) home to stay for a while. Upon stepping in she realizes her brother’s words were correct, “Mom seems off.”
This book had me hooked from the second it began. A backyard full of roses but sans bugs, neighborhood vultures, and weird neighbors. The creepy foreshadowing had me making guesses left and right. I devoured this book and I think you will too. I loved the MC and her scientific way of thinking, her inner thoughts are so relatable.

Thank you to Tornightfire for providing me with this arc!

Within the first couple of pages I loved this author’s writing. So funny and clever. I wasn’t completely satisfied with where the story went and I wish I would’ve felt the gothic atmosphere a little bit more, but overall this was a fun read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Nightfire and T. Kingfisher for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. A House With Good Bones will be published March 28, 2023.

*4.5 stars.

I really, really enjoyed this book. T. Kingfisher's writing style just works so well for me. I loved the main character and her internal witty banter. The anthropologist in me also really enjoyed the little drops of archaeology throughout as well. I thought the story was pretty unique; it even had me going "what the heck is happening" a few times. Overall, I had a great time with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

T. Kingfisher does it again. I just love how well she writes the creepy and absurd. This whole novel is straight out of left field and it is freaking marvelous. Gothic atmosphere on point. Evil grandmother, haunted house, vultures, and a female scientist protagonist with body positivity? Who writes this kind of genius? T. Kingfisher. Every time.

The narrative is a magnificent blend of horror and humor. Sam is a great protagonist and I love her buggy background. Everything about this book felt unique and interesting. There is some mild predictability to the plot, but I actually didn't mind that. And Sam's continuous search for a scientific or medical explanation to everything had me nodding with understanding while at the same time basically yelling at her to wake up and figure it out. Putting normal people in paranormal situations is just Kingfisher's forte.

Super fun and quick read. A great ride.

Hmm where to start here. I really enjoy T. Kingfisher's writing. This one reminded me the most of Hollow Places with the super quirky characters and set up. This book did a great job of subtle lead up that amped up the creep factor. Unfortunately, at about the 70% mark it took a turn I really didn't like. It felt like it came out of left field for me, and I wasn't a fan. I do think this will definitely have it's audience though, and would recommend it to Hollow Places fans.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first T. Kingfisher book and, boy, what a ride! It's a story about a haunted house that ended up going in a different and weird direction. Even though the whole story was set in a modern house in an essentially normal neighborhood, Kingfisher did an amazing job at setting up an eerie vibe throughout. I love that there was a fake climax within this story. When it lead to the point that I expect these stories to usually end at, I noticed that there was still 20% left in the book. And I could not guess where it was going to continue going!

However, I found the first half of the book to be very slow as the plots and characters were being introduced. And once we were past the 60% mark, the plot felt very rushed in trying to try everything up. But the writing style and the characters saved it from being dry.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. 3.5 stars

A creeping book that manages to stay whimsical, how I wish it were autumn when I started in on this. Kingfisher is a delight and this title is no different, I am glad to have had a chance at it. Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity with this title.

Going back to one’s childhood home after years away can be a strange experience. It’s not home anymore but you can still remember where everything goes, how long to stand scrunched up against the wall of the shower while the water gets hot, and which threadbare oven mitt to avoid when helping in the kitchen. But when Sam temporarily moves home in T. Kingfisher’s astoundingly good novel, A House with Good Bones, she finds a childhood house transformed. That’s when Kingfisher starts peeling away the onion layers of Sam’s family. Sam is baffled, then unsettled, then horrified—taking us with her into a disturbing family mystery.

When Sam left to pursue school and a career as a paleoentomologist (she studies the remains of insects at archaeological sites), her mother had replaced most of the signs of her mother (Sam’s grandmother) with bright colors and unusual art. Sam and her mother had mostly put the memory of Granny Mae to rest with relief. The old woman was sharp-tongued and fierce about maintaining traditional proprieties. Sam is shocked when she returns to her childhood home to find everything changed back to the way it was. At first, Sam looks forward to spending time with her mother, drinking boxed wine and watching British mysteries, while she waits for word about whether or not the dig she’d been planning on going to is permanently canceled or not. Sam’s hopes of rest and relaxation start to evaporate when she realizes that her mother is behaving as though Granny Mae is just around the corner, ready to swoop in with a scold or a put-down.

The tension tightens quickly as even stranger things start to happen. What’s up with all the vultures? Where are all the insects in the garden and why are there ladybugs in swarming in Sam’s room? Why won’t her mother be honest about what’s clearly going on? I loved how Kingfisher paced this story, with Sam’s scientific mind slowly accepting the definitely illogical and unnatural around her. Events happen quickly—but are never rushed—and build up to an absolutely outstanding climax. Readers, I inhaled this book.

I think even readers who aren’t into the supernatural element will enjoy A House with Good Bones because there is just so much here to love. Sam is such a wonderful character that I wish we could be friends. (I love her habit of wandering around hunting for bugs to identify.) Her relationship with her mother is beautiful to watch. It’s clear that these characters love and worry about each other, even if they don’t entirely understand each other. The hunky (and very helpful) landscaper Phil is just icing on the cake. This book is already one of my favorite reads of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was so FUN. I saw a woman on tiktok recently describe her love of "comfy horror", and I had no idea what she meant, but this is it to a tee. Scary, but funny, cool imagery, well written characters, it's just all around a treat to be in this fast talking, spooky world.

When Sam finds herself laid off from a an archeological dig, and her apartment already sublet by her roommates, she decides to check in on her mother in North Carolina. Her brother said she was acting "strange" last time he visited, but Sam was not prepared for just how "strange" her formerly vivacious and spirited mother really is behaving. At first, Sam, a scientist looks for logical explanations for the changes in Edith's behavior. But then as strange things continue to happen, she is forced to confront the possibility that he may be dealing with something a little more unworldly.

Is there such a thing as cozy horror? Because this book felt like it would fit nicely into that genre. It had all the suspense and chills of a good Southern gothic horror novel, but with a lot of lighter notes - Sam was downright funny, and I found myself laughing out loud at points. Wait 'til you meet Hermes! Try to hold it in then! Oh and - you know what? I'll let you read and figure it out.

But either way, this was really a great balance of genres and I enjoyed seeing things unfold, with small hints as to what was to come, but with some good twists that kept the ending enough of a surprise until the author was ready to fully reveal the full horror of the situation. It was really great. And the funny parts didn't take away from the scary, either.

This was a different kind of book, and I really enjoyed getting to experience it. I would 100 percent recommend it to others who are looking for something different or a nice change of pace. This was a breath of fresh air in the thriller genre, I have to say.

I'll be reading this author again!

This was spooky yall.

A House With Good Bones is the perfect southern gothic. It has the perfect amount of spooky with humor that I loved

Sam is staying with her mother for a few months due to human remains being found at a dig site for her job. But as she stays with her mother things appear to be...off. When her mother inherited the house from Sam's grandmother, she painted the walls fun bright colors. Now they're eggshell white. They look exactly like when her grandmother owned the house. Things continue to escalate and Sam has to unravel what is wrong with the house.

Another page-turner from T. Kingsfisher sure to satiate fans of her work. Punch-lines were a little repetitive and some character relationships lacking, but this would be a good adult book to recommend to YA horror fans looking for a more adult read.

So glad that I was gifted this ebook by NetGalley and Tor! This book is much sillier than I anticipated, and sometimes I wished it was more serious but I did giggle a few times. If you are interested in more positive horror novels this is for you. I loved the villian(s) and thought it was creative. I did get a little creeped out a couple times. I've only read one other book by this author and I intend to read more