I will devour anything that T. Kingfisher writes and A House with Good Bones is no exception!

I loved Sam the unstoppable, humorous, and very relatable main character! Sam shined through the pages and I completely enjoyed following her down the dark rabbit hole.

Overall a thoroughly fun and entertaining tale!

This was my second read from T. Kingfisher and I have to say I've become very fond of her writing. Her books are always so much fun to read and that's true for her newest release as well. A House With Good Bones is essentially a haunted house story but it's not actually scary. Rather, it's incredibly entertaining and exeptionally funny with lots of quirky moments, which I love. I had a great time while reading and will definitely check out more of this author's work in the future. If you love supernatural stories with a good dose of humor I can highly recommend reading A House With Good Bones when it comes out next March!

Oh my! I'm in love, I can't even tell ya'll how much I loved this. I loved What Moves the Dead and I adored this just as much. As someone who loves all the little critter friends (they are, without exaggeration, one of the most integral components to what keeps the world running... without them, we would literally cease to exist), I related so much to Sam; it was awesome that Kingfisher made Sam's passion and career as a bug lady such a central part of the story, Perfect amounts of creep, touch of grossness, and smart, witty humor. I couldn't have built a more perfect book for myself!!

I know a house with good bones is a real estate term, but this book could have been called a house with mysterious bones or a house with bad bones or even Where'd This Jar of Teeth Come Froom?

Yes! All kinds of calcified things are buried around this house. There's more! A mean ghost, a distraught mother, a nice witch, and an archeologist. The protagonist is fat. Yay for chubby heroines! And there are vultures. Lots and lots of vultures. There's a disabled vulture who resembles a pancake. Let's not forget the human males, a grumpy neighbor and his hot, handyman grandson.

With a lineup like that, this story goes places. Mainly underground, but underground is a place. A place with underground children. Hungry, hungry underground children.

There's also a cute running gag about the size of Texas.

Likeable characters (except for the mean ghost.) Even the pancake vulture is loveable. Fast paced action toward the end. Read this book or the underground children will get you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor/Nightfire for allowing me to read and review an eARC of A House With Good Bones.

"A House With Good Bones" is a southern gothic filtered through gen X and I loved it. Deliciously creepy (rather than outright horror), funny, and the most sympathetic portrayal of a vulture that I've ever read.

It's also about family and how sometimes we can recognize that family members were awful people and you don't actually have to forgive them for that and that's okay.

T. Kingfisher is one of my must-buy authors and I've never been disappointed (scared out of my ever-loving mind, I"m looking at you "The Twisted Ones"!) by a book of hers.

If T. Kingfisher writes it, I'm going to be thrilled to keep reading it... this was terrifying and hilarious and bonus points for the vultures. I love the protagonist in this, the supporting characters, the novella format of the story was structured, paced, and wrapped up well!

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an advance reading copy <3

This was, like all of T. Kingfisher’s novels I have read, completely delightful. While it is classified as horror, I feel like the horror element is gentle enough for even a more sensitive reader (like me). Instead, we get a narrator whose voice is so naturally conversational and whose interests are so specific that you can’t help but love her (bugs! and archeology! and British murder mystery shows! and drinking boxed wine with her mother!). It’s a testament to Kingfisher that while the thought of insects makes my skin crawl, the narrator’s total (and totally geeky) love for them made me look up different species online (and it still made my skin crawl, but baby steps). In terms of plot, the book moved at a healthy pace, though it is a bit of a slow burn. And the story was great, though I was left wishing for more story: more history of the family, more about the different generations’ relationships, and more about the vultures (I loved the vultures). While I usually enjoy books that are concise, I would have enjoyed even more of this novel. If recommending this for horror fans, be sure to temper expectations (slow burn and not terribly scary), but anyone looking for a contemporary speculative novel, with wonderful side characters and a smart, humorous, and resourceful protagonist should give this a shot.

This is my first book by this author. It was a struggle. This book started off sooo slow and boring. I also struggled getting attached to any of the characters. I loved Sam's career, definitely not one that you read about everyday. So I thought that was neat. The story builds quickly towards the end but getting there took awhile. Maybe this just isn't my type of book but I will be continuing to try out this author because the writing is done very well.

Creepy and gripping, this southern gothic novella was a fun read and inspired me to look into other T. Kingfisher stories, but I think I expected it to go a little further than it did? There was one memorably revolting, horrifying dining room set-piece involving roses that I won't readily forget, but my expectation in this genre is for a little more survival horror than we got – and a little more backstory only hinted at here regarding the g-grandfather, etc. Maybe in a novel version of this story, there'd be room for that? Ultimately, I really enjoyed the atmosphere, writing, and the eerie supernatural elements and will definitely take a look at Kingfisher's other books. Think this is a treat of a one-sitting novella.

This was my first T. Kingfisher book, but I can confidently say it won't be my last!

Horror is pretty hit or miss for me, but I absolutely devoured A House With Good Bones. There was a lot of build up and suspense, which made the creepy moments hit that much harder when they did occur. As someone who lives in North Carolina, occasionally has sleep paralysis and has recently had a ton of vultures in their yard, this book got to me in a way that no other horror book ever has. I always read at night, and I was genuinely spooked during some of the scenes.

One of the reasons horror is hit or miss for me is because I feel like as soon as the "monster" or entity or whatever you want to call it is revealed, any unease I felt immediately disappears. This was not the case with A House With Good Bones. The Gran Mae scene was genuinely creepy and the underground children even more so.

Unexpectedly, there was a lot of humor in this book, which I greatly appreciated at 2 am. Sam had me laughing out loud multiple times. Her dry wit, bluntness and fascination with bugs reminded me so much of my sister it was uncanny. Her head was a delightful place to be in. Such a great protagonist, and I really enjoyed the side characters as well!

Overall, this was a great spooky read and I definitely recommend!

Special thanks to netgalley and tornightfire for the arc of this book.

Sam Montgomery is worried about her mother. Her mother is acting strange. She’s changing the decor in her house back to how their overbearing grandmother used to keep it. Sam decides to come stay with her mother until she can figure out what all is going on with her. But while she’s there, she soon finds that something strange is happening inside the house. Vultures are staring at the house. Jars filled with teeth are found in the garden. Mysterious figures are popping up in family pictures. Will Sam be able to get to the bottom of the mystery before it’s too late?

This book was an absolute blast. I have read several of T. Kingfisher’s books and have loved every single one of them. Like the others before it, this book expertly blends horror with humor, keeping readers on the edge of their seats while still letting out a laugh or two. I really enjoyed the haunted house aspect of the novel, while still having a unique twist to it. I also loved Sam’s job as an entomologist. It was fun seeing some insights on big species.

I gave this book 4.5 stars. It was a delight from beginning to end and highly recommend it.

A House With Good Bones is the latest horror offering from T. Kingfisher. I had previously read The Twisted Ones and The Hollow Places, so I had a good idea of what to expect in terms of terror. Bones is told from the first person perspective of Samantha “Sam” Montgomery and is set in a quiet North Carolina suburb with Southern Gothic trappings, including vultures that watch over her mother’s house and a greenwitch who lives down the street. The house itself, very much like the one from The Haunting of Hill House, is a character of its own, and seems to be angry at something, or someone. Sam notices her mother acting out of character and sets out to find out why. What she uncovers is a roiling underbelly of family history better left buried. Bones, at its heart, is about unhappy families, the harm they can do even across generations, and how to get free from their iron grip. This is a slower burn than some of Kingfisher’s books with a strong focus on psychological horror. Sam, a scientist, doesn’t believe the evidence of uncanny happenings right before her eyes, which can be frustrating for the reader who knows that something strange is going on. This is supposed to create an internal conflict but it feels forced and makes the protagonist seem not very smart. Overall, it was an enjoyable, terrifying read, and for the most part I enjoyed Sam’s quirky point of view. Recommended for fans of creepy Southern Gothic fiction.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

This is one of my favorite stories about the horrors of complicated families. Most people have some monsters in their family tree but this family takes it to a new level. The narration bordered a little too much on stream of consciousness for my taste but I really liked all of the characters. Especially Hermes!

Not my usual genre…but this was enjoyable reading although a bit bizarre. A humorous and odd take on the haunted house theme.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784409

I always look forward to a new T. Kingfisher book and this one doesn't disappoint! Perhaps a little more slight than her recent books, but a fun haunted house family trauma drama read. If anything I'd like it to be longer!

T. Kingfisher's A House with Good Bones artfully crafts a family dynamic that was once one of love and light between mother and daughter to one shrouded in darkness by the family's matriarch. In true Kingfisher fashion, nature's elements are utilized as a metaphor for life and loss while also operating as a means of character and world building. It was truly an honor to get to know these characters and understand the dark lineage that plagues their present and potential future. Generally, the use of foliage and flowers creates a world that feels vibrant while the creatures that exist within it shroud their home with darkness. The twists were incredible and the unearthing of a hereditary curse was exquisitely executed. This is not a book you will want to miss. It kept me hook from start to finish with well-crafted characters, believable relationship dynamics, dark whimsy, phantasmic disbelief, ancient historical alchemy, and the powers that bind mysticism to family and places. I am looking forward to reading to again.

She did it again y'all! She did it again!
And here I thought she couldn't top her previous books.... Pshhhh! I was dead wrong!
A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher is her best yet IMO! I know it's my favorite.
The way she creates the atmosphere is so chilling and creepy.
Her writing as well was so intricately written, beautiful and just completely captivating. As usual.
T. Kingfisher certainly knows how to pack a punch and end with a bang that is both satisfying and leaves you craving more.
Dark, twisted, suspenseful, A House With Good Bones has all the elements of a Southern Gothic tale.

Give me more please!
It's official I will read anything she creates. She writes it, I'm reading it!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Nightfire,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES was simply...wonderful!

This is a tight novella with short chapters you can rip right through, and I'll warn you now, you probably will. The story is a compelling mix of southern family drama, Southern Gothic, witches, folk horror, humor and vultures. That's right, vultures.

This novella is so charming that it's easy to downplay the horrors of it, but horrors there are! Mark my words there are a few jaw dropping scenes here that I won't soon forget, nor will you. Kingfisher writes characters that you can easily relate to and care for, which helps to make those horrific incidents even more tension filled because you want these people to survive.

I'm relatively new to T. Kingfisher's work but the last two novellas of hers I've read worked so well for me, they've motivated me to read more of her work, and soon. As for now, I highly recommend A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES!

Available March 28, 2023

*Thanks to Tor Nightfire the paperback ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

Book Title: A House with Good Bones
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Macmillan-Tor/Forge Tor Nightfire
Genre: Horror/Gothic Thriller
Pub Date: March 28, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars!

I have not read anything by this author. I have to admit her caught my eye.
T. Kingfisher is the pen-name of Ursula Vernon. http://www.redwombatstudio.com/portfolio/writing/books-for-kids/
As Ursula Vernon, she writes children's books and comics; has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.
She states that T. Kingfisher is the name she uses when writing for grown-ups. I down loaded this because I liked her

Samantha "Sam" Montgomery knows creepy and crawly up close and personal. She's an archaeoentomologist currently living in Tucson, Arizona. Bugs are her thing. Sam is the expert when it comes to identifying insects that burrowed their way into ancient civilizations and cultures. Even things with hard shells that scurry along the floorboards nowadays get her attention.

Sometimes I am good with horror but sometimes not. Doesn’t mean this isn’t good ~ Perhaps right now I just might need a nice cozy mystery!

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge Tor Nightfire for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 28, 2023

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

There’s nothing worse than when an author tries to be hilarious and just bombs entirely. The constant forced comedy in the prose here does not land at all, and in contrast made the story pretty cringey and hard to read for me. This MC was relentlessly aggravating by trying to inject SO MANY pointless little sarcastic barbs that only made me roll my eyes—please stop trying so hard, it’s super distracting. I would describe the dynamic of the writing as style over substance (and even at that, the style is hollow). I wish the “look at how funny I am!!” one-liners were way toned down or edited out completely so I could have focused more on trying to get into the story as opposed to feeling embarrassed for the author for trying so hard to be quirky and relatable. I just couldn’t get into it.

The story became slightly more enjoyable after I started heavily scanning to pick up the key bits without the beating-a-dead-horse failed comedic gobbledegook. If this was longer I definitely wouldnt have been able to finish. I also felt like some of this plot was borrowed from the NoSleep story “Horsehair Bundles”, but that story is more atmospheric, scarier and more impactful in every way. I regretfully cannot recommend this one to anyone as I did not find it compelling in the least bit.