I hate to say this but I was bored for most of this book. I just kept waiting for something to happen and by the time it did, I had lost interest. I liked the tone of the book and thought it had a lot of potential but it failed to deliver.

This was a delightful Southern gothic horror. I enjoyed the humor and narration style, but I also found some scenes creepy and disturbing, which is just what I want from a gothic horror novel. I cannot wait to read more from T. Kingfisher!!

Thoroughly creepy -- T. Kingfisher is soooo good at making me go NOPE & put the book down for a second, while grinning in delight. However, this gets 3 stars because the ending fell kinda flat for me. This is something that also keeps happening for her books with me -- they either NAIL the ending, or they really don't, in my opinion. Def still recommend tho, especially if you like one-winged vultures being adorable.

"A House With Good Bones" by T. Kingfisher offers a blend of charm and mystery. The plot unfolds steadily, focusing on both the house's renovation and the protagonist's personal growth. Kingfisher's writing is engaging, though some narrative elements feel predictable. The book strikes a balance between warmth and intrigue, making for an enjoyable but not particularly groundbreaking read.

TW: Language, fat shaming, toxic relationships, abusive relationship parent death, drinking

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:"Mom seems off."Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.
Release Date: March 28th, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 233
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. References to 80s cartoons
2. I enjoyed the writing style - it flowed

What I Didn't Like:
1. All the references to bugs
2. Not horror
3. Sam comes off as a whiny person
4. Was boring

Overall Thoughts:
Take a drink everytime bug(s) is mentioned because I was absolutely annoyed at the 124 uses of bug, 83 bugs, 88 ladybug, and 57 ladybugs. It's too much! The book is only 233 pages. It's like this book is 45% the form of bug(s) & ladybug(s).

I kept waiting and waiting and WAITING for something to happen that was scary/creepy. How is this labeled horror?

I was just exhausted about reading about;
• Her mother's health
• Bugs
• Why the bugs aren't on the roses (seriously wtf does it matter that they aren't there?)

Final Thoughts:
I made it to page 117, so 50% into the book and I was just not having a good time. The writing is nice and I was curious about the story but it's just the subject manner that dragged this story down. I was so bored of it. It was like listening to the same person just complain over and over about the same thing.

I don't care about bugs and I didn't know her mother well enough from character development to care about how she used to be. The book keeps reminding you how the mother was but we are just told it and we never read about. Made it not have any feelings toward it.

3.5/5

I really enjoyed this book. T. Kingfisher is becoming a favorite.

While I did enjoy the book it took a bit of a turn at the end and feel apart a bit for me. It was slightly unexpected but not in a good way which is why this book is a 3.5 and not a 5. Overall I am glad I read it and am becoming a T. Kingfisher fan girl.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. T Kingfisher has become an absolute must read for me, perfect for fans of Good Omens and Grady Hendrix.

This book, where to start? I loved the story, I was looking for a good and creepy book and this hit the spot. WE have already purchased it for our library and it is getting lots of love!

This creepy story will resonate with anyone who has done battle with recalcitrant roses or recalcitrant family members. This is a perfect story for the long hot days of August when the flowers are in full bloom, but a hint of decay is right around the corner.

First of all, I have to say I loved the main character, Sam. She had the perfect level of snark that felt very real, complete with little tangents where her brain would seem to side track a bit before coming back to the task at hand. It made her feel very natural, very believable and very relatable.

The story itself builds the tension very well, and the resulting climax was a nail biter for sure. All in all this was a great read. Highly recommend.

"A House With Good Bones" by T. Kingfisher is a Southern Gothic horror tale that is as chilling as captivating. Kingfisher's unique blend of humor and horror makes for a reading experience that is both thrilling and enjoyable.

The protagonist, Sam, is a scientifically-minded archeologist who returns to her childhood home, only to find her mother acting strangely and the house filled with an eerie sense of unease. As Sam delves deeper into the mystery, the story unfolds into a chilling narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Kingfisher's writing style is engaging, with a perfect balance of suspense and humor. The characters are well-developed, and Sam's scientific perspective adds a unique twist to the traditional haunted house story. The book is filled with unexpected turns and creepy details, making it a truly memorable read.

What I appreciated most about this book was its ability to blend the mundane with the supernatural. The horror elements are subtly woven into the narrative, chilling the story. The book also explores themes of family trauma and the lasting effects of the past, adding depth to the horror elements.

I gave "A House With Good Bones" a solid 4 stars. It's a well-crafted horror story with a unique twist, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good scare with a side of humor. Kingfisher's unique blend of horror and humor makes for a reading experience that is both thrilling and enjoyable.

I absolutely loved this book! Generational trauma with plenty of creep induced twists! Kingfisher does it again!

I have so many Kingfisher books on my TBR, but this was my first. I can honestly say after ‘The House with Good Bones’ the rest will be making their way to the top of that pile!

Kingfisher blends horrific imagery and humour in that seamless and realistic way your favourite horror movie does. Horror lovers love to be scared, but its a non fact we will laugh in the face of the moments, crack a joke while scrambling to survive.

Regardless I loved this book, I want a pet vulture, and Ill always be thankful for Lady Beetles

Samantha, an archaeoentomologist who studies bugs in archaeological digs, temporarily moves back in with her mother into her late grandmother's house after the dig she was working on got put on hiatus. Pretty quickly Sam starts to notice odd changes in her mother's behaviors and she begins having nightmares. After noticing that there is not a single insect in the garden, Sam begins digging deeper into the mysteries of her mothers behaviors and the missing insects. What she finds is as unbelievable as it is horrifying.

With a well placed sprinkling of humor, this frightening haunted house novel is a fun and exciting read that will keep you captivated until the very last page. I loved the main character and her sense of humor. I very much connected with her and her interests which are generally not that common in horror novels. This was a unique read that went in directions I did not expect! Highly recommend!

A House with Good Bones is a fun, quick read with some wonderfully eerie and strange moments. While a ghost story at the core, it’s also a story about a woman willing to dig up scandalous and dangerous family secrets in the hope of setting herself and her mother free from their grasp.

Obsessed. This entire book from start to finish was so entertaining and kept me completely enthralled. I've come to love T. Kingfisher's work and I truly believe each book has excited me more as I've come across them. I luckily got to listen to the audiobook while reading along with the ebook and I have to say the narrator on the audiobook did such a good job in keeping me drawn completely to the story. Learning about Sam, and her mom, and her grandmother had me making wild assumptions only to figure out my assumptions weren't correct. I cant recommend this enough.

4.5 stars.

This book had me laughing out loud to myself while it told a gothic tale about a woman who comes back to live with her mom in the house she grew up in but things are more than a little strange this go round. I loved Sam's character and her fun little insights about bugs and just life overall seemed so astute and relatable. I loved the way the story was told but Kingfisher has a great writing style that never disappoints so I'm not surprised! Admittedly, I'm not sure I ever truly understand the symbolism in gothic stories but I'm always happy to have read one...

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES by T. Kingfisher

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: THE TWISTED ONES, WHAT MOVES THE DEAD

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9781250829795

Release Date: March 28th, 2023

General Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller/Suspense, Southern Gothic

Sub-Genre/Themes: Comedy, Multi-Generational Family Saga, Mothers & Daughters, Magical Realism/Occult/Paranormal, Female POV

Writing Style: First-Person POV, Compelling, Intricately Plotted, Character-Driven, Dialogue

What You Need to Know: You need to know that I listened to the audiobook and I thought it was great. I had a tedious task that would take about 5-6 hours so I decided to listen to a book while I accomplished my task and this was what I chose. It was perfect because there is a small cast of important characters that are mostly all women and it was narrated by a woman, so there were no awkward child voices (which I hate). There was one male character, Phil, and the narrator chose to have a sort of dopey voice for him that I didn’t care for but that’s really my only complaint on the audiobook.
You also should know that while there are some creepy scenes, and a sense of dread building, for the most part, this book is light horror–even humorous. It doesn’t lean into traditional horror elements until the end

My Reading Experience: This will be a memorable experience for me. I needed to sign stacks upon stacks of my books which, by my estimation, was going to take about 5-6 hours. To keep my mind occupied, I decided to get an audiobook. Typically, I don’t have a lot of time for something like that, so I was eager to settle in with it. Over the course of three days (about 2 hours each day), I listened to this book and had the best time.
Sam is a quirky lady. We get the privilege of being inside her head as she heads out to rural neighborhood in North Carolina to spend some time with her mom in her deceased grandmother’s house.
Immediately she notices things are a bit “off”. Her mom is acting strange. During her stay, we get to know the family dynamics through scenes of hilarious dialogue and weird, random stuff happening in the house/garden. A few interesting characters are introduced, a neighbor who had a bit of an on-going competition with the deceased grandma and the gardener, Phil. Who may or may not be, a love interest for Sam.
If bugs give you the heebie-jeebies, this one is pretty unsettling. I loved all the fascinating trivia and descriptions but people who get wigged out over that stuff will have a difficult time. The building dread as Sam continues to uncover family secrets does unfurl slowly. Toward the end, things dive into horror headlong and it gets pretty gruesome but up to that point, I’d say this is a solid horror comedy; lighthearted and fun.

Final Recommendation: This is perfect for when you are craving something a little less dark and brooding. It’s a great summer read. The MC has a feisty, bubbly personality. Her asides and self-depricating humor sprinkled throughout keeps the mood of the book on the sunnier side. She’s an interesting, dynamic character with her quirky worldview and specialized job as an archaeoentomologist (studies historical bugs) There’s also witchcraft, family drama and secrets, and an exciting climax. A very entertaining, enjoyable read. I had a good time.

Comps: MOTHERTHING by Ainslie Hogarth, HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE by Grady Hendrix

For everyone who has felt like a house was hiding secrets, or felt that a house was holding on to the good or bad things that had happened within its walls, this book is for you. This felt like a return to old school T. Kingfisher and I was there for it! I enjoyed the family relationships and the descriptive language. This book was short, but it packed a punch when it comes to family and generational trauma, along with a healthy dose of healing and breaking the cycle. Loved it!

Nobody does creeping dread the way T. Kingfisher does.

More specifically, this story works SO WELL if you're genre aware because of how genre aware the protagonist isn't. Sam is a cheerful, bubbly, sensible entomologist who knows bugs and science and is able to absolutely miss all the warning signs that she is in a supernatural horror story in the best possible way. It creeps and it builds, and her pov is relentlessly cheerful and funny while you, the genre-aware reader keeps going oh no, oh NO.

So good. Absolutely fantastic horror here. Highly recommend.