First, I want to say thank you to the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC.

Rating: 2 stars

If I had to sum up this book in one sentence, it would be this, “This book isn’t bad, but it sure as heck isn’t great.”

Which is to say that I expected more. The cover is beautiful and eerie, and the synopsis is perfect.

Full review on my website:
https://kalagwrites.wordpress.com/2023/09/12/review-of-holly-horror-by-michelle-jabes-corpora/

This was a fairly quick simple dark read. As a YA horror book it definitely gave some creepy feels perfect for fall. The cover and even the artwork at the beginning of each chapter pulled the whole feel together. Overall I enjoyed this but I think there could have been more developed between characters and the pas could have been expanded on.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, this is a voluntary honest review.

Holly Horror is an incredible dark reimagining of a childhood favorite...Holly Hobbie. Never in my life would I have thought that Holly Hobbie and horror would cross paths, but dang am I glad it did! This is a face-paced gothic horror story with just the right amount of romance. I was so sad when this book ended, but then I remembered this is the first in a series. I'm so ready!

You might like this if you remember Hollie Hobbie growing up, love gothic horrors, and are a romantic at heart.

Thank you Penguin for this Arc
Trope-y characters, lack of horror, and a fast-paced story all came together to make a book I was so excited to read...a disappointment.
The characters all suffer from being very one dimensional, and a lot of them seem more reminiscent of tropes than actual complex characters. There is typical bleach blonde mean girl, and a lot of her dialogue seemed better suited to an 80s movie then to a teenager. In terms of "romance" there is your typical popular athlete, and him and Evie have maybe two interactions before kissing. They don't have any chemistry, and I really didn't even understand why it was included. Cringey at best, the conversations and interactions are not anything like how teenagers actually talk. I know the length of the book was probably a hindrance to creating more character development and lending less shallow relationships between them.
I am the world's biggest weenie when it comes to horror. I typically can't even read wikipedia summaries of scary books or movies without getting freaked out and needing a nightlight. I think the length of the book contributed to the lack of build up, and any scenes that were intended to be scary, didn't feel that way at all. Basically all the scenes were just missing the imagery or pacing necessary to convey the mood. I just kept waiting for horror, or to be scared. I was sorely disappointed. There isn't a lot of action going on, I felt like I was waiting and hoping for more creepy things to be happening.
A lot of the blame rests on my shoulders. I was so excited when I saw the authors name, I assumed a horror story with diversity and great BIPOC writing was in store. That was not the case. The BIPOC characters were painful to read, and it seems no research or time was put into making sure they actually read like BIPOC. There are a few characters where we get a one word descriptor, or maybe a last name that hints at diversity, but take that away and nothing about them reads anything other then white.
The writing style really surprised me. It was very easy to consume and simple, it would be better suited to a middle grade audience then a ya one. It made it really difficult to stay engaged, and a lot of times I felt myself just bored with the repetitive prose. I read an incredibly engaging middle grade book (I only mention this to show that my issue is not with different age group books, but just this one)earlier, one that is suited well for all ages and audiences, and Holly Horror does not share the same tone that I would recommend for the ya that it is being marketed for. If it was instead targeting a younger demographic, I believe it would find an audience more appreciative of its story.
I do like the cover, it's gorgeous, and is really creepy!
I personally would not recommend this book, nor would I read anything by this author again.

Holly Horror (Book #1) by Michelle Jabès Corpora
Published: August 15, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

>>Evie needs a fresh start after her parents' divorce and she hopes moving to Ravenglass will be just that. But when they move into Hobbie House (or Horror House) as the neighborhood calls it, strange things start happening as Evie digs deeper into what happened when Holly Hobbie mysteriously vanished from her room one night.
I was so stoked to be accepted for this book and it did not disappoint. I loved the character of Evie and even the side characters, like her friend Tina and Evie's elusive aunt. It was spooky in parts, just a little creepy in others. Perfect for those wanting to try out the "horror" genre without going full send. I got the goosebumps I was looking for without the nightmares. It was an easy, quick read and I'm already looking forward to book 2. This would be a great add to your spooky TBR.

I didn’t grow up on Holly Hobbie, though the imagery is iconic. It’s not difficult to recognize the sideways profile of the young girl, her face obscured by a blue bonnet. The cover of Holly Horror draws inspiration from that iconic silhouette, but ups the creep factor by about a million. The cover was one of the main reasons why I picked up this book, and I’m so glad I did.

I wasn’t sure how scary the book would be, given that it’s for a young adult audience ranging from 12 to 17 years old. I’m new to the horror genre, and I’ll admit that it doesn’t take much to make my skin crawl. Keep that in mind when I tell you this book was creepy! It was never too scary that I needed to put it down, but there were a few times I regretted reading it right before bed.

This book pulled me in with the first chapter and wouldn’t let go until I got to the very last page. Sprinkled with bits of horror, interesting local history, stand-out characters, and a mystery that kept me guessing, the epic conclusion was even more enjoyable once all the threads Corpora had been weaving from page one came together to reveal the final tapestry.

But fair warning: This book ends on a major cliffhanger! As cruel as that particular scene was, there's no way I'm NOT picking up the sequel as soon as it publishes.

Holly Horror is a spooky haunted house story set in a small town in Virginia. The sleepy little town has a colorful history dating back to the gold rush, and a granite quarry, plus their local legend of The Patchwork Girl who’s said to have disappeared after her father was found dead. The house of legend, Hobbie House aka Horror House, definitely keeps its secrets and the town whispering gossip.

When Evie, Stan and their mother movie in after their parents get divorced, Evie starts to experience odd things around the house and see a far off girl dressed in bonnet and victorian gown. Is she seeing things again or is Hobbie House trying to ensare her in its secrets?

This was a great YA Horror for readers who just want to dip their toes in to a little spooky. There were a few really well written moments that gave me the goosebumps that creep up your back, but overall the book is low on “horror” and more suspenseful which is to be expected in the YA Genre. I really enjoyed the aspect of facing your fears, and not hiding from your troubles. Touching ever so lightly on mental health, grief, broken households and family drama.

I’ll be curious to see where the author takes the storyline in book 2, as we do end on a cliffhanger in Holly Horror. Definitely recommend this one to anyone who wants a fun easy light horror read for Spooky Season!!

Do you like ghost stories and YA horror books? If you answered yes, then Holly Horror is one you need to add to your TBR!

From the start of this book you can feel that something strange is happening, not only in the Horror House, but also in the town. I loved how the ghost story premise evolved into so much more, weaving in other secondary characters to fuel Evie’s journey towards an extremely tense ending. Evie is a multi-faceted character dealing with a series of emotional events, to include her move to this new town, bullying, and her parent’s recent divorce. The reader watches as Evie tries to find herself among these events while also battling a supernatural force that seems hellbent on connecting with her.

There’s a great mix of town lure and past town/house history that crafts the backstory of our haunting. I loved digging into the past with Evie and trying to make sense of everything. There were definitely a few moments and twists that I saw coming just from putting these pieces together. Watching with one eye open and I hoped Evie would also hit these conclusions before chaos struck was a fun ride. Everything comes crashing together with a tense and fulfilling ending. But there’s just one thing…a cliffhanger that has me eagerly anticipating the release of book two! I can’t wait to see what comes next for this series and will definitely be placing a pre-order as soon as book two comes available.

A huge thank you to Penguin Teen for my gifted copy!

4.5 stars rounded up
This was exactly the sort of creepy haunted house story I was looking for as we wrap up the summer and head into fall. Is it a tropey YA novel? Sure, but for me that didn't detract from the reading experience and I think this is an excellent option for people dipping their toes into the horror genre. There were a few scenes I found genuinely a bit scary, but there's great buildup of suspense and uncertainty of whether the creepy things are real or hallucinations. Is this new house actually haunted? Or is it a metaphor for the trauma of her parents divorce and her own sense of guilt and abandonment? Or maybe both?

Holly Horror also does a good job of playing on childhood to make it scary with the children's song "come out and play with me, climb up my apple tree..." I really enjoyed the way it wove the song lyrics into the narrative, but in a disturbing way. I found this to be a really excellent start to what will hopefully be a series. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Ooh, this was such a fun paranormal YA read! I was genuinely creeped out. I also really liked the family/friend relationships in this book, they were realistic without being annoying in the way that teen friendships sometimes get to me. The story is mostly wrapped up but there is an opening for a sequel!!

This book genuinely scared me. At first, I was scared that the main character was going to be insufferable since she is a teen girl; and authors typically stick to teen stereotypes but as a teen girl myself, I found her relatable. I was also scared that I was going to guess all of the plot twists but almost all of them caught me off guard. This book is the perfect, page turning, quick read for the upcoming fall and Halloween season.


I wrote that before I finished the book. I changed my mind. After around 75% everything went downhill. The plot dragged out, everything was predictable, and it felt very middle grade versus young adult. To put that in perspective, I am 16 so the book is supposed to appeal to my age group.

All in all, I would recommend this book to a middle schooler or if you just go into knowing it’s a little immature.

It’s hard for me to pass up a horror novel – especially with a cover like this one. Full confession – when I was a young girl my mom, without asking for my opinion, redecorated my bedroom with Holly Hobbie pink and white gingham. That was an entirely different situation than portrayed in this book, but no less of a horror story for me.

After Evie’s parents’ divorce, she, her mother, and younger brother relocate to a small town and move into an old house that’s been in the family for many years. Even though the locals call it Horror House, it’s rent free which works perfectly for their current finances. The house has your standard creepy attic and cellar, and it’s not long before Evie starts hearing voices. Despite that, she’s interested in learning more about the house’s history and uncovering what might have happened to Holly Hobbie. She disappeared from her bedroom, now Evie’s bedroom, years ago without a trace. In exploring the house Evie discovers an old chest in the attic containing Holly’s diary that sheds more light on her disappearance and an old doll – that speaks to Evie.

Besides all the chilling happenings in the house, Evie’s family isn’t in the best place right now – her mom’s new job requires long hours, her younger brother is hanging out with troublesome new friends, and none of them are handling the divorce well. She’s also being threatened by a mean girl at school over a boy and begins to react to situations in uncharacteristic ways. Evie turns to her psychic aunt who also lives in town, but refuses to go into the Horror House. She performs a tarot card reading for Evie that parallels what’s currently happening along with disturbing results for her future.

This is a light horror read that felt more like middle grade than YA to me, and I’d recommend it for the lower end of the YA spectrum. For some reason I thought it was a standalone, but it ends on a cliffhanger and another book is coming. I’d recommend this for readers who prefer their horror more eerie than terrifying.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a digital copy ARC of this book and the opportunity to read and review based on my own personal opinions. 


please note, I am fairly picky about the books I choose to read and don't always jump on the most popular buzz of books being thrown around online. Between the description and the cover, I was very interested in reading this book.


This book is said to be a nod to a beloved classic Holly Hobbie reimagined with a dark twist.  😏Color me intrigued... 

🌑This YA Horror (leaning more toward younger than adult) revolves around teenager Evie Archer who moves from the big and busy city of New York to the small quiet New England town of Ravenglass, Massachusetts, with her mother and brother after her parent's divorce.  This is meant for a fresh start for the family in an old abandoned family home previously owned by her mother's Aunt and Uncle. Her new home however is known in the local community as the "Horror House" and small towns tend to talk.  Yikes! 😲


👤The home has a dark past after learning about Holly Hobbie, who vanished from her bedroom one night.  This mystery starts to weave itself into Evie's life and a strange shadow starts following her everywhere.  What happened to the lost girl?  What's real?  Things start getting strange as soon as she arrives in this sleepy little town.  Trying to fit in as the new girl is hard enough, but being the new girl living in a haunted house is challenging.  Evie also struggles with her relationship with her mother but this story is from her POV so you only see what Evie feels regarding her mother's disregard to the rumors of ghosts.  


😱Traces of Holly linger in the Horror House and slowly begin to take over Evie's life as she struggles to get answers to her disappearance. A strange shadow follows her everywhere she goes, and Evie starts to lose sight of what's real and what isn't the more she learns about "The Lost Girl".  A teen who is thrown into a new school trying to make friends, dealing with a broken family, and a house with a dark past that hasn't seemed to go away over time. Can Evie find out what happened the night of Holly's disappearance, or will history repeat itself and confirm its wicked nickname "The Horror House" given by the people in this little town? 


👀I don't know about anyone else, but in my own personal experience, I have had odd feelings of being watched and in some cases, I was and saw the person staring at me.  At other times no one was there but I still got that same feeling which is super icky, to say the least.  This book has that creep factor which makes it more interesting for me.  It goes at a medium pace with all sorts of odd things happening but then a little slower in the middle but be patient, it ends with a banger.  


😵Beware because this is the first book and there is a cliffhanger which I should have expected since it said #1 after the title online, but if you just look at the cover you may think it's a stand-alone book.  I hope that the other characters in this story are more developed in the second book because they weren't quite there in this first book which lowered my rating.  I do like a bit more when it comes to characters in a book otherwise they are forgotten as the story progresses. They might be in the second book and this first book scratched the surface of their involvement with Evie.  


🙀Based on the title and cover it may intrigue people looking for an adult horror but this book is not geared for the adult horror reader. If that is what you are looking for, this isn't for you.  Since I enjoy all sorts of genres, regardless of this leaning more toward a younger audience, I found it entertaining and look forward to the next book.  Side note, anything I rate a 3 or above I feel is worth reading. 


💭Final thoughts, this is a great book to read during the spooky season or listen to on audio with your friends for a spooky sleepover weekend (if it's offered in audio) for middle-aged kids. Honestly, I think if this is offered in audio form I will get it because the spooky factor is typically much better when listening to it in my opinion. Especially if they add some light spooky music in the background during the creepier parts.

Fully enjoyed this one! It was just the right amount of spooky. Holly Horror is perfect for the upcoming fall weather and spooky season!

In the small town of Ravenglalss sits an old abandoned house known The Hobbie House, but the people who reside there have been calling it The Horror House because of its haunted history. Evie’s parents divorced, and instead of downsizing in New York, her mom decides to move into her cousin’s old house, The Hobbie House. Evie’s aunt, Martha, has hired help to keep the house clean over the years, but she’s never felt comfortable stepping inside because of the strange energy coming from within.

There used to be a happy family that lived in Hobbie House years ago, but after their fifteen year old daughter vanished, they left their belongings and fled. The same thing happened over one hundred years ago to another family that lived in the home. Could the same thing happen to Evie?

The moment I saw the book cover, the description, and the artwork throughout the book when I read the first look on bookishfirst, I knew I would be hooked! I wouldn’t read this book at night because it will terrify you with its ghosts, spirits, and talking dolls.

I don’t want to give too much away about the storyline; but the characters were lovable, the setting was eerie, and Evie takes it upon herself to solve a decade old mystery even if the spirits try to take her too! It ended on a cliffhanger which the author executed amazingly; giving readers a glimpse of what’s next in the sequel, The Longest Night, which publishes next year!

3.5 Stars.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

First, this novel is getting a lot of bad reviews because at times it does seem to read like a Young Reader novel, rather than YA. I agree is some aspects that you can tell this author went from young reader and is attempting to get into YA, I would almost say this novel is like a young YA novel.

Second, although at times it reads as a young reader novel, the creep factor in this novel is GOOD! Super creepy and made my jaw drop and gasp out loud a few different times! Bravo!

The reason I gave it 3.5 stars as opposed to higher is because the creep factor was really good, it did read a little young for what I like in YA, however, it was intriguing and kept me entertained and wanting to continue the book. That is always a good sign. The ending was definitely one of those jaw dropping moments..... I don't know if I will pick up the next book, to be honest. I am a bit intrigued to continue the story, however, unsure if I will be impatiently waiting. Good, creepy novel over all!

3.75 rounded up to a 4!

I really enjoyed this! There was a bit at the end that I was a little confused by and exactly how the spirit world works, but I think all of that will be answered in future books. I completely ignored the fact that this was a series and was NOT expecting that insane cliffhanger! I feel like this book had some really compelling characters and I was shocked at how high stakes it felt. This is exactly what I love about YA horror and the creeping sense of dread that this book brought to the table.

Like I said, there were a few plot issues that confused me and sometimes the story dragged a bit in the middle of the book, but overall, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

Evie hopes for a fresh start in Massachusetts after her her parents painful divorce. But her new home, along with its name the Horror House isn’t looking as promising as she thought. There’s the story of Holly vanishing from her bedroom one night and traces of her still longer. Evie decides to solve what really happened in her new house.

This put me in the mood for spooky season! It has the classic tale reimagined and made modern. A haunted house and clues to solve make for such a paranormal adventure. I mean who doesn’t want to be their own ghost Hunter.

The concept and writing were very addicting and kept me reading. If I didn’t have an early morning I would have just finished it in one sitting. There were times Evie’s actions were a bit annoying, but we learn more about her and how in ways she felt like her and Holly were the same. There are some slow pacing but I felt it was needed to build the atmosphere.

All in all, I really enjoyed this YA horror.

I loved this book! It was so creepy and kept me on the edge of my seat anticipating what would happen next. A lot of what happened could have been avoided if some of the characters were more honest with each other. I wanna know what happens next so badly!!!!

A great ghost story and perfect for the fall season coming up! I'd definitely read it again. I found the plot to be engaging and it was very atmospheric.