Sam returns to her family home to find her mother trapped by the ghost of her racist grandmother and all the horrors of her past. The cheerful, cluttered home she knew has been replaced by a sterile, flat show place where the garden has no bugs and the roses drink blood. Creepy and deep, A House With Good Bones is about generational trauma and the fears that trap us in place. Similar to Sarah Gailey's Just Like Home, a good choice for those who like their horror domestic and all the more terrifying for it.

You can add A House With Good Bones to the never-ending list of fantastic books by T. Kingfisher. It's weird, it's creepy and it keeps you hooked right up until the end.

Oh my. This was a fun one. This is my first book by Kingfisher and I definitely may need to go through their backlist. I truly enjoyed this one. The horror elements were just enough. The old haunted creepy house is usually a winner for me.

I cannot get enough T. Kingfisher. She is amazing at slow burn atmospheric horror and relatable, funny characters that don't follow annoying conventions of MC's in horror books. She has a way of writing that comes across as a friend telling you a story and the magical realism is so well developed that you can't help but be pulled in by the story. I love that her books have super creepy elements without tons of gratuitous gore. The mix of science is really fun too although I might be a bit biased as a biologist. It has the same feel as The Hollow Places and Twisted Ones but each story is so unique and gripping. I really enjoyed this book and will forever have T. Kingfisher as an auto buy author.

Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan for this ARC!

This was a fun take on a haunted house novel. It reminded me (in vibes) a lot of Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt, where the house is haunted less by ghosts and more by the area’s past. It’s a lot different in plot, but I am enjoying the hyper specific “house haunted by bad vibes” genre.

Samantha Montgomery has to briefly move in with her mother while her archeological dig is postponed because of human remains. Instantly, she can tell something is wrong with her mom. She’s not as bright and cheerful as she used to be, and she’s embracing ideals that are very unlike her. Sam starts digging into what’s going on, and as a scientist, she finds stuff that she just does not believe.

I love a good story about familial trauma and breaking generational trauma. This definitely falls into that category. It also directly tackles fat phobia, which is rare in horror stories. It was also just… creepy. Sam is an archeoentomologist, meaning she deals with old bugs. So warning, there’s bugs. I also loved the vultures in this story. The book also takes place in North Carolina and tackles stuff like systemic and generational racism.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. My only real issue, hence the .5 star reduction, is a bit of a spoiler but it had to do with the ending. It was just kind of too easy. Otherwise, T. Kingfisher blows me away yet again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the chance to read this advanced review copy. A House with Good Bones is available now.

CW for fat phobia, body shaming, racism, medical trauma, entemophobia, child abuse, emotional abuse, fire, injury description, blood, gore, and death

T. Kingfisher does it again. Atmospheric and gripping, this novel is a slow burn that becomes a raging fire by the final pages. If you are looking for a modern Southern Gothic with witchy elements and down-home family drama, this is the book for you.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

3.5

This was extremely well written and I was hooked from the beginning. However, I found myself losing interest when it took 100 pages for anything to really happen. It’s a real slow burn and because I’m in a reading slump, I just really didn’t stay engaged. I did really like the characters though.

Inter-generational trauma. Mother-daughter bonds. Feminine magic. Roses.
Witty, smart, and thought provoking. This newest offering from T Kingfisher is my new favorite, even more than The Hollow Ones! Fast paced and absorbing this was a quick read that I found myself sneaking back to every chance I got.
After a change in plans leads Samantha back to her mom's home she realizes that something is off with her normally bubbly mom. Why is Samantha's mom bringing back things that haven't been seen/done since Gran Mae died? What's behind the seemingly revisionist history her mom now seems attached to? A tale of the ways we carry the past into the future, Kingfisher is at her finest with Samantha Montgomery's clever, relatable, and evolving protagonist leading us on this Southern Gothic thrill.

Book Summary:

Sam Montgomery is a paleoentomologist, which is basically the fancy way of saying she studies insects found in ancient sites. She loves the work, even if it occasionally results in her getting furloughed for indeterminate amounts of time.

The good/bad news is that Sam will be spending some time with her mom. Unfortunately, something isn't right. There's a lingering feeling of wrongness in her mom's house. Not to mention that her mom seems to be constantly on edge. What could it be?

My Review:

Man, does T. Kingfisher know how to create the perfect setting for a horror story. You'd think something as banal as a home in a small neighborhood wouldn't be so creepy. But when it's done right... I'm trying to say that A House with Good Bones is a must-read for all paranormal and horror fans.

I think all the familiar elements help create that profoundly unsettling feeling. We all have that one family member with extremely outdated (read: racist) views. Likewise, who doesn't have an attic a little too full of junk?

This sets the tone for everything that follows, as Sam and her mother quickly find themselves in the center of something much darker. Interestingly, there's a lot of depth and layers to this horror/paranormal incident. That made it all the more compelling. Not everything is so black and white - even in the paranormal world.

Bonus points for having a paleoentomologist main character that is unashamed of her weight and the potential romantic subplot. Sam's character is perfect, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.

Highlights:
Ghost Story
Horror
Gothic Fantasy
Paranormal

Trigger Warnings:
Familial Trauma
Mental Health Concerns
Food/Fat Shaming

Reader Beware: Do you like bugs? Proceed. Do you dislike bugs or are you specifically terrified of lady bugs? Run, especially to your local bookstore or library if you love to bring yourself discomfort.

Personal Backstory: my sister-in-law is genuinely terrified of lady bugs and I always thought it was kind of funny but leave it to T Kingfisher to prove me wrong. There is a limit to the amount of lady bugs I will tolerate and I have met that limit within this book. In signature style, T Kingfisher has written another hit. At once contemporary and gothic with the house *nearly* acting as main character this book was disturbing. I feel like with the alchemical thread of this book T Kingfisher and Seanan McGuire need to team up. I won't give too much away, read the blurb if you must or jump in blind because you're in for a ride either way.

This is the first T. Kingfisher book I’ve ever read, and I can definitely say it won’t be the last. The atmosphere created in A House With Good Bones is incredible. The narrative voice we have in Sam is witty and easy to connect with. I think one of the things that bumped this book down to 4 stars for me is the fact that I tend to prefer character driven stories. While A House With Good Bones does a fantastic job of building complex and realistic characters, they were kind of there to have the events of the plot happen to them more than anything else. I also would not have categorized this as gothic; it has more of a lovecraftian flavor. In fact, it reminded me a lot of a specific Lovecraft story, but I won’t say which to avoid spoilers. Overall, this book went by quickly and I will absolutely be watching the library for other T. Kingfisher titles to read when I’m in the mood for a spooky afternoon.

This is only my second T. Kingfisher book with my first being Nettle & Bone. I really enjoyed A House with Good Bones! The first half was a bit slow but once the action started going, I could not put this book down. Literally - I had tacos ready for dinner but I made them sit while I finished up the final chapter. I really enjoyed all the bug and rose content and it makes me want to watch a bunch of science YouTube videos immediately. You should definitely check out this book if you like weird things.

This is a compact novella, but since this is my second T. Kingfisher book I'm learning that she easily crafts a full story even with limited pages. I enjoyed this Southern Gothic tale, filled with really interesting characters that feel fully developed, again something not easy to do in a novella. I loved the fat MC rep, and that she was a smartass. I wanted it to get a little creepier sooner, it is definitely a slow burn, but the end is a wild ride. This story is filled with bugs, vultures, roses, and teeth! Would definitely be a fun spooky season read, or anytime read if you like horror year round like me :)

CW: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Blood, Dementia, Fire, Cannibalism, Bugs

Thanks to net galley and the publisher for the advanced e-copy.

Another stellar T. Kingfisher. I come to her works for characters that I find engaging and fun character interactions and I stay to see what story she want to tell me. This one was her take on a modern day haunted house. I tend to enjoy haunted house stories, and although this one isn't my favorite of all time I had a blast. I would say that this is potentially cozy horror. Like things are creepy, and the tension and action does ramp up at the end but I felt so comfortable with the characters and their interactions and the lay out of each day that it was comfortable and cozy to me as well. Also I did not know vultures could be so cute until I read this story, cause once again the animals in a T. Kingfisher are just as important as the people, and this is another thing I value in her story telling. Basically if you like T. Kingfisher give it a shot, if you are looking to try and don't mind some creepy imagery give it a shot. I would say if you want a bone chilling horror, this probably isn't the haunted house story for you but I still think its a fantastic story worth reading!

This novella was somehow both unsettling and cozy at the same time. This is the first T. Kingfisher books I've read and I'm definitely excited to check out more of her work. I would compare the vibes of this book to to Coraline (the movie, I have yet to read the book), but through a more adult lens. Our protagonist returns to her childhood home to help out her mother, and encounters increasingly strange and unsettling occurrences in the house. Initially she feels like she's the only one noticing the strangeness, and she really tries to find the logical explanation for what is happening. Eventually she confides in some new allies and digs up enough details about her family's past to confront the paranormal forces that threaten her mother and her home. The writing has a strong flavor of sarcastic humor, we have memorable, (mostly) charming characters, a complicated but strong family bond, and a strange but satisfying ending.

T. Kingfisher is one of the most entertaining authors I have read. After reading What Moves the Dead, I knew I would be picking up the next book immediately and I was NOT disappointed.
This was such a fun read, and I loved the format. It's written as Sam telling the story of what happened, but with no shortage of crazy curse word strings and her awesome personality.
Sam is going home to live with her mom for a few months while waiting for her archeology dig to open back up (bones were found and shut it down). But her mom, Edie, is acting VERY weird. She's not the fun loving, wild mom Sam grew up with. She's acting scared, as if she's being watched or stalked. And crazy stuff is happening around the house. Like the flock of vultures constantly watching the house. Or the fact that there are a ton of beautiful rose bushes surrounding the house but not a single bug. Sam is a scientist though, so she's sure there's an explanation that's *normal*. Like industrial grade pesticides or something...

This was a slow-ish burn done just right because by the time anything is happening, you're already so far in you don't even realize it until your heart is racing.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. When Sam came home to her mother's house, she never expected to be greeted by a vulture. That was the very tip of the what the heck iceberg that would be revealed during her trip, and what a trip it turned out to be.
T.Kingfisher's authorial voice is absolutely top notch. For a book that has such a creeping, slow burn sense of horror, Sam's internal dialog cracked me up throughout the story. Sam is a great character, and the atmosphere of the book slowly infused me with dread. For a relatively short book, she manages to really pack in a lot of opportunities for the reader to want to nope out and shudder. I loved it, but I will never look at roses or vultures the same way.

Interesting premise and story. I liked the setup and the characters.

My biggest issue was that it was not at all the tone/ambiance I was expecting so I struggled to feel engaged. I wanted it to be more suspenseful vibes and instead, it was more creepy, quirky vibes.

Another great T. Kingfisher novel! What Moves the Dead was the first T. Kingfisher novel I read and I loved the creepy, atmospheric prose and the chills and thrills it brings, and A House with Good Bones definitely brings that to the table, along with some humour sprinkled in with the main character's demeanor.

This was a fast-paced, chilling read. I enjoyed Sam as a character and narrator. She is smart, quirky, funny, is always searching for a logical explanation to everything, and embraces her flaws. The plot was a bit of a slow burn, predictable at moments and a little crazy towards the end, but I enjoyed it. The atmosphere was fantastic-- creepy, tense and gothic, and had me saying "one more chapter" more than once. If you are a fan of T. Kingfisher this is one you want to pick up!

This was great. There's some dark humor overlaying the horror of what's happening. Kowal does a marvelous job of making the MC sound authentic. Bonus: fat representation