Absolutely captivating! I could not put this down. I loved the story progression as the intensity gradually increased throughout the book. There was a reasonable explanation for every action of Suzan and Alex. As a reader, I could empathize with Suzan and at the same time, understand why Alex was perplexed. I liked that he stood by her and ultimately, they both had their kid, Emma's best interest in mind.
I liked the whole book more than the end. The end was not as spectacular as the build up. I would still recommend this book and thought it was very well written.

I didn't realize until I was well into "The Bonus Room" that this is a reissue (reworking?) of a 2011 story called "Bedbugs." To be honest, I might not have requested an ARC with that title! This is a short urban horror novel, and your skin will be crawling more and more desperately as you read. Winters does a great job ratcheting up the tension as Susan, a young mother who has just moved into a new apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone with her family, becomes afflicted with bugs that no one else can see. Unfortunately, I found Susan's character inauthentic and had trouble investing in her mounting horror. I love Winters's writing, so it makes sense that this is an earlier work where he is still finding his writing chops. The end dials up the horror and grotesqueness to 11, and I tend to prefer slightly more subtle horror. Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for a digital review copy.

𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 2⭐️
𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 3.8🌟

The Verdict: Started off great, but the 2nd half of the book fell totally flat. What could’ve been a totally different ending turned out to be bedbugs straight from hell. I recommend you skip this one, unfortunately 👎🏼

What to Expect:
- Early 2000’s NYC setting
- Creepy house vibes (at first)
- The feeling of creepy crawlers all over your skin 🪲🕷️🐞
- A new found dead of bedbugs

Thank you to Netgalley and Quirk Books for this ARC copy! Pick up your copy on Aug 1, 2023.

PLOT

Susan and Alex Wendt have found their dream apartment in a gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone.

Sure, the landlady is a little eccentric. And the elderly handyman drops some cryptic remarks about the basement. But the rent is so low, it’s too good to pass up.

Big mistake. Susan awakens every morning with fresh bug bites, but neither Alex nor their daughter, Emma, has a single welt. An exterminator searches the property and turns up nothing. The landlady insists her building is clean. Susan fears she’s going mad—until she makes a chilling discovery in the bonus room.

Filled with Hitchcockian suspense, The Bonus Room is a horrifying tale of a dream home that becomes a nightmare.

The Bonus Room is a creepy, pop-fiction tale of infestation and terror.

Susan and Alex Wendt find their dream apartment in Brooklyn at a bargain price but soon find out all is not quite as it seems.

At its foundations, Winter's novel is a strong, fast-paced tale with some really immersive, frantic passages, which I greatly enjoyed. It’s a good offering if you like a light touch, spooky story. The imagery of the bugs and the house were rich with detail and uncomfortable in a good way!

However, I found the main character, Susan, to be a bit unlikeable and confusing. At points, Walter's voice came through in some of Susan's observations, especially her interactions with and descriptions of their babysitter.

This is, of course, just my unprofessional opinion. It's a point that I don't feel detracts too much from the strength of an otherwise immersive narrative. But, if you are a fan of feminist fiction, this novel might not be the right choice for you.

Fundamentally, this is a great, retro romp back to the 80s and 90s horror genre but set in modern-day Brooklyn. I can see it making vintage horror fans giddy with excitement. So if you like creepy books that don't take themselves too seriously, then The Bonus Room might leave you 'itching' for more!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an e-arc of this book!

Definitely a quick and easy book to get through. The ending wasn’t quite what I was expecting but it certainly left me feeling itchy! An okay read but nothing mind blowing.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a trio of a thriller! Unreliable narrator, suspicious characters everywhere, who can you trust?

While a bit of a slow burn at times this was a fun read.

TW: if you hate bugs maybe skip this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

Ooh this book made my skin crawl!

A thriller/horror all about bedbugs. I'd never given bedbugs a lot of thought up until now, but after reading this book I think I'll be checking my bed every night 😂

First published in 2011 under the name Bedbugs, The Bonus Room felt like an old fashioned sort of horror novel to me. The tone and New York apartment setting reminded me of Rosemary's Baby and although the plot is not the same, there is the same sort of wondering if the main character Susan is a reliable narrator or not.

For the first 60% not a huge amount happens, which was fine as I was enjoying the characters and the writing style anyway. Then it ramps up a gear and goes into full horror mode with a few surprises and shocks! I found the whole book to be such addictive reading, I didn't know what to believe and it really gripped me!

It's a short book at around 250 pages so I definitely recommend giving this horror novel a go, as long as you don't have a big fear of bugs/insects 😳

Susan and Alex Wendt found their dream apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone. Despite some oddities from the landlady and handyman, they decide to take the apartment because of the low rent. Susan wakes up every morning with fresh bug bites, but there are no signs of bugs on the property. Susan eventually discovers a horrifying truth in the bonus room.

I don't like being negative about the books, but unfortunately nothing about this worked for me. Premise was fairly promising, but the lack of likeable characters or any character development, weak plot and disjointed writing brought the whole thing down, the whole book felt off and I did not enjoy my time reading it.

This is my kind of book, fast paced and creepy! I loved how the author kept us guessing, not knowing what was going on but so invested in the story that you HAVE to finish it in one sitting. Would love to read this author again!

This was a fun, fast read. The Bonus Room begins in classic horror fashion: with a family moving into a new home that seems too good to be true. The price is incredibly cheap, the building is great, and the landlady is fun and quirky. As you might guess, it is definitely to good to be true, and watching everything unravel was great (and gross) fun.

I will say that this is not the book for you if you have a bug phobia—the author states that the original title was Bedbugs (shudder) and it lives up to that name. After I finished I wanted to check my sheets and mattress for creepy crawlies. Pick this one up if you’re in the mood for a riff on classic horror…but maybe make sure you’ve got an exterminator on speed dial.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

I thought this book was okay. It was a very fast read, around 250 pages but it left me feeling unsatisfied.

The bugs definitely creeped me out and made me itchy. I have a fear of bed bugs and this DEFINITELY did not make that fear any better. The entire book I had a feeling of unease and anxiety. I felt like I was going crazy along with our main character, Susan.

The book went in a direction that I was not suspecting, but I just wanted more from it. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!

I. Cannot. Stop. Itching. However, this was an absolute delight to read. I appreciate how the author combined psychological and body horror, it was done so well and kept the pacing quick and interesting. The descent into Susan’s “madness” was terrifying, I had to stop reading at some points because I didn’t like being in her head. It’s the mark of a great horror writer and storyteller when the reader becomes disturbed by what is on the page, yet can’t help but to devour the story to find out what happens next.

The writing was great, the premise original, the descriptions the author wrote chilling, but I couldn’t handle this book because of the subject matter. I couldn’t read it without my skin crawling, which is a compliment to the author, but it was not for me.

This was a bit of an odd one.

Overall this was an okay read, it just didn't really blow me away or have me completely hooked.

Okay, I'm itchy now. Haha I really enjoyed this read. It made me so uneasy and paranoid about bugs on me while I was reading. This was shorter than 250 pages. Quick and easy read!

The book was fine, just not my favorite

~This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I just love that kind of horror! Creepy stuff at your own home is something that can make everybody's skin crawl. This is a republished book, so keep that in mind, but those who haven't read this should totally check it out.

I've enjoyed several books by Mr. Winters, enough that when I saw an ARC of his forthcoming novel available, I didn't hesitate to check it out.

I read half this book thinking, "Wow, weird that this author would write a second book about bedbugs...." If only I'd read to the end of the synopsis, I would have found this essential info: "Previously published in 2011 as Bedbugs."

I gave it 5 stars when it was originally published, but I guess I'm a harsher grader now. Plus, it tricked me! Mean, republished book.

This was great, a really gripping, suspenseful thriller. I read this is one sitting I just could not put it down. The disconcerting horror vibe is so well written and will keep you thinking about it long after you've read the book. I don't want to spoil anything but I have to say this is a must read for horror fans. It's also short and fast paced so great for getting you out of a reading slump.

Rosemary’s Baby/BUG vibes here! Loved the cast of characters and the slow, creeping dread. I would recommend this to people who are just starting their horror journey.