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

I loved this, it was so much fun! Fun isn't something I usually expect from a horror book, so I want to be clear that this was also very creepy & spooky, but something about T. Kingfisher's writing is just always such a pleasure to read, I can't help but describing the experience as "fun" every time I finish one of their books (of any genre).

I've been on a big "bad moms" kick here, and I'm going to have to broaden that scope to "bad grandmas" because WOW. Gran Mae really takes the cake as a terrifying grandma in this! I just love creepy old people and witchy, sorcerer-y ancestors. Bad vibes, 10/10, loved this.

Many thanks to Tor/Forge Books and Netgalley for this ARC!!!

Wow, where to start? I guess at the very beginning.

So, Samantha (Sam) is an archeo-entomologist (she studies bugs at archeological sites), but after her latest project is put on hold, she decides to travel from her home in Arizona to visit her mother in South Carolina. After making it through the nation that is Texas and traveling a bit more, she returns home to find that things aren't quite right with her mother. Long gone are the vibrant colors that she had painted the walls when she lived, as is the normal picture that was placed above the mantle (it's been replaced by a man in Confederate clothing with a woman who Sam refers to as "Rasputin"). Her mom scolds her for swearing when she use to join Sam in the use of colorful language, and her brother says that their mom told him "it's not safe" for his wife to visit with him. This isn't even mentioning the fact that the gorgeous rose bushes don't even have bugs on them. Not even ladybugs!! This is compounded by the fact that Sam has weird dreams and often awakens to find rose petals around, even when no one is there...

T. Kingfisher is back with another creepy, three-spoopy-five-me story that will definitely raise the hairs on the back of your neck when reading. What delights me about this book is that Samantha is extremely relatable: she's the daughter of an activist mother and a very overbearing and often demanding grandmother with whom she did not see eye-to-eye often. She was a grad student, and a bit awkward, but what resonated strongly with me and was the bane of her grandmother's existence, was she wasn't petite. To put it plainly, she's fat. Like me. Also, like me, her grandmother did not have a problem pointing that out at every chance. T. Kingfisher really portrays the annoyance and often the frustration of a grandchild who doesn't meet their grandparent's expectations and also, doesn't care. Yeah, she's fat, but it's a *you* problem, not a *her* problem, which I love. I love MCs who are plus-sized, chubby, fat, and still hold the story up because often in reading, I feel erased often when reading horror because they often kill off the plus-sized characters or make them comedic material, but T. Kingfisher doesn't do that. She crafted a very witty and capable character and I loved that. Her inner dialogues had me giggling throughout the night.

The horror is also more psychological and slow-building, like that feeling of walking into an abandoned house, where you know something is wrong, but you just can't quite place your finger on what. There is a little bit of gore, but not so much as to be off-putting. It's almost pleasant.

One thing that I did not comes around the climax with a particular character, but due to spoilers, I won't mention who. I just wish it was a little bit more drawn out, but this is bordering on novella/short novel territory, so I truly understand.

If you're looking for a somewhat short and shivery tale of roses, bug girls, and creepy pictures, I would definitely recommend this book, much like I would recommend most of T. Kingfisher's other works...and I'm not saying that because she gave me a hug at Anthrocon and signed my niece's book for me, either. ;P

T. Kingfisher always knocks it out of the park. A House with Good Bones is about Sam who returns home after a job at an archeaological site is delayed. However, the house isn't what she remembered and something her mom seems...off. Sam tries to ignore her mom's strange behavior, but soon it's impossible and she starts trying to discover the truth.
This was so creepy and so good. I love the way T. Kingfisher does horror.

This book was fantastic! I've enjoyed Kingfisher's other works, but this is probably my favorite of them all. This was a dark southern gothic book, and it was interspersed with a scientific main character. So there was a nice juxtaposition between the more gothic/creepy/mysterious elements and the more scientific ones. I very much enjoyed that.

It was an entirely creepy book, and I think is a PERFECT summer read. Read it on a hot night with something to drink and it'd be the perfect atmosphere for this book.

Sam is such a great and relatable character. She is a fat woman in her thirties, who comes home because her job is on furlough. Also her sense of humor. Absolutely hilarious.

The mystery revolves around family secrets and I loved the way that it entertwined ancient family drama with current family drama. It also tackled current social issues as well.

Overall, this was a well done book that anyone who is a fan of horror will love!

A haunted house story with a botanical twist, hilariously narrated and full of fun. This would definitely be a great match for fans of Grady Hendrix and readers looking for comedic horror.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
T. Kingfisher is a new favorite of mine. She is great at building worlds and creating characters who are very believable. I did like the characters in this story, and it was a great use of first-person POV. I wish there was a little more character development, and I found it sorta hard to understand all that was going on, but it was creepy and kept me guessing.

This was exactly what I want from a T. Kingfisher story. It’s creepy and atmospheric and I love that she’s not afraid to get weird. Overall this is really fun and I’ll be recommending it to others.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the galley!

I love T. Kingfisher's What Moves the Dead, so of course when I saw this available here on Netgalley, I had to request the opportunity to read it. While I loved the writing and the main character, I felt underwhelmed by the plot. Definitely planning on rereading this when it gets published.

A very enjoyable Southern Gothic story about mothers and daughters, and the sometimes twisted roots of a family. I like a story of ordinary people experiencing creepy, supernatural things and coming to terms with it, and loved the little touches: the local witch, somewhat stereotypical neighbours, and the many vultures. At times, I wished for a little more character depth and a little quicker speed, but it's still a great story and one I'll recommend.

I am a big fan of T. Kingfisher. I find her writing to be poignant and succinct. I appreciate her ability to create vivid stories without going overboard with page length. The main character in A House With Good Bones is likable and relatable and the overall story was entertaining. I did think that the story could have moved quicker into the horror portion and while I found the main character to be interesting, the side characters were a bit lacking. Much of the story was based on miscommunication or side characters just flat out keeping information from the main character, which would have been fine, but there was never a clear reason given for keeping that information secret. Overall, the story was entertaining and my library will be purchasing it.