I really enjoyed September House. The story is unique and tackles mental illness, family drama, love & loss - several topics. Margaret, the main character, is likeable. The other characters, including the dead ones, were interesting. This will be the perfect read during spooky season, but this book isn't too terrifying in my opinion (a benefit!). I'm not a big fan of super scary books and found this one to be just right.

After years of renting, Margaret has always dreamed of owning her own home. When she discovered a reasonably priced large Victorian home, she felt like her dream had come true.
Well almost. Until September came.

Every September, not only does blood start to drip down the walls but the spirits of the former residents of the home come back to life.
Margaret is adamant about staying in the home but her husband Hal has had enough. He cannot take any more sleepless nights of listening to the spirits scream all night and being randomly bitten by the ghost of a little boy. So Hal leaves.

Weeks go by and Margaret still hasn't heard from her husband. When Margaret and Hal’s adult daughter Katherine becomes concerned by her father’s disappearance, she decides to visit them. Which would be okay under normal circumstances but September is here and the hauntings are in full swing. Margaret has not told her daughter about the hauntings and tries to hide them when Katherine arrives. But the longer Katherine stays, the worse the hauntings get. And the mystery of Hal’s disappearance becomes even more unexplainable.

The September House is a highly entertaining, edge-of-your-seat, sleep-with-the-lights-on type of read! I loved Margaret’s character and how she was so jaded to the paranormal occurrences going on around her. I had so much fun reading this one. Not to mention the twist toward the end, had me reeling!

I've read a lot of stories about haunted houses through the years and The September House is entirely unique. The way the story is told, is far different than any other haunted house story that I've previously read. The September House will be the perfect atmospheric read for this fall!

The September House by Carissa Orlando will be available on September 5. Many than is to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

The September House is the first book in the past month that I have completely abandoned adult responsibilities to keep reading. A deliciously dark mix of horror, psychological thriller, and dark humor absolutely captivated me from the first page. I laughed far more often than I expected going in as Margaret treated these objectively horrifying occurrences in her home as mere day to day inconveniences. To be honest, I really want my own ghostly housekeeper now.

Orland expertly wove snippets of Margaret's history and relationships into the story. Between the lines we see a story of trauma, mental health struggles, and more. The dark humor remains throughout, but the atmosphere turns sinister as September unfolds and readers learn more about where Hal might be, their history, and the grisly history of the house itself.

My only complaint is the abrupt twist/shift at the end. I wish there had been some little hints just before to make it feel a bit less jarring. That said, I still enjoyed the whirlwind, bananas ending!

Overall, this was a fantastic, dark and twisty debut! In fact, Mr B. invaded our kindle and turned it into a buddy read with me because I kept nattering on about how wild it was. He ended up devouring it before I did!

Carissa Orlando will be on our authors-to-watch! Out in September (which I absolutely love) just in time for spooky season!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Berkley for my review copy!

This book was so creative! The format was completely unexpected. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like it. I love the relationship between the mother and daughter. I also really enjoyed how their personalities sat somewhere in a gray area.. not fully good, but not fully bad either. Like real life. The love the mother shows for her flawed daughter is really beautiful. What a strong woman. There was one surprise I did not expect and it was a good one. I would absolutely read more from this author and recommend this book!

Oh my goddess! What a read! I seriously could not stop reading this. My toes were curled under the covers the whole time. If you love dark and twisted haunted house books this must be your next read!

The September House is a wholly different take on a haunted house. It perfectly blends elements of dark comedy alongside the horror with a bit of mystery thrown in. Most of the characters have a sort of eccentricity that charm you the more you learn about them. Even with the humor throughout, the horror and gore are a constant. Take care, if you are alone while reading, you will find yourself jumping at any errant sound. Carissa Orlando has written the protagonist, Margaret, as endearing as she is practical. At first, the concessions that Margaret makes to stay in her haunted house feel extraordinary, but once the story fully unfolds, it makes perfect sense. Her story slowly but steadily ramps up until it is impossible to put the book down. All in all, this is an enjoyable scary read that is perfect for spooky season: a must read for anyone who enjoys their horror with a bit of quirkiness thrown in.

Margaret and husband Hal finally were able to buy their own home. The home was a beautiful, old Victorian house. Margaret loved the house so much so that even after discovering that her beautiful house was haunted, she refused to leave it. The month of September was always dreaded because during this month there was always more blood, more ghosts, and more chaos. As September approached again Hal suddenly disappeared and their daughter Katherine left her job to help Margaret find him. Margaret works diligently to keep Katherine from being affected by the ghosts and all the terrible things that take place in September. This is a huge undertaking for Margaret because the house is constantly being pounded by birds that pile up on the ground dead, blood flowing down the walls, a ghost that bites, and so much more. The story is well written and full of surprises. If you love haunted houses stories then this is the book for you.

Thanks Berkley for this impressive debut from Carissa Orlando. This is going to be a great read for haunted house/ghost story fans for the Fall season (which is when I most crave these stories!). What really worked for me was the blending of characters with the house/ghosts as characters as well, at least for me. A house only haunted in September? A wife not all that concerned with a missing husband? A dream house that's a nightmare but only for just that one part of the year? A daughter trying to figure out just what the (heck) is going on? I am always intrigued by books that have haunted story themes and liked that this on blended in marital strain/family relationships as that always adds an edginess, and interesting symbolism, that intensify the read for me.

A slow burn (but quick read) horror story that moves to an intense conclusion, this is a great read for anyone craving a haunted house horror story!

I love horror novels, so this was right up my alley. However, this book sits apart from the usual horror stories. The people in it. There is true horror in the inhabitants of the house that Hal and his wife, Katherine purchased. The couple hoped to enjoy their long-sought-after dream of owning their own home. The house of their dreams. But their dream soon turned into a nightmare of unexpected terror.

As the tale continues, we learn that along with a changing home, the people therein also change. The couple, Hal and Katherine, are not who we thought they were. The house is not the dream they thought it would be. And the inhabitants are totally unexpected.

And the writing is not as I expected. While the horror is well described and presented, and the apparitions are certainly frightening, the humor and pathos are unexpected. Katherine is a unique individual with a quirky understanding of her circumstances. Hal and Katherine’s daughter, Margaret, is not like most people and could be as off-putting as anyone you have ever encountered.

And that, fellow reader, makes for a frightening, fascinating, fun read. Be prepared for the unexpected and enjoy the ride.

This is a wild ride of a horror novel, varying in tone from high humor to brief, intense gore to incredibly disturbing domestic violence scenes. I appreciated some of the parallels the novel draws by the end (not going in to more detail so as to avoid spoilers), and I *really* appreciated the way the novel didn't end by leaning into a traditional 'twist' about mental illness or anything like that. I didn't find it fully satisfying, and it was hard to get through the intense middle sections about the main character's abusive marriage (content warning here for physical and emotional abuse, for sure). But overall I liked it and will be thinking about it for awhile.

What a great horror story! Vengeful ghosts, including a boy who loves to bite, one who makes dinner, and a vengeful spirit who wrecks havoc every September, blood streaming down the wall. Even the husband and daughter are a different kind of horror.
When Margaret and Hal find their dream home they’re excited to move in and begin again. It’s idyllic until that first September when hauntings and havoc begin in full force. By the third September Hal demands to leave, but Margaret insists this is home and all they have to do is follow the rules. When Hal disappears daughter Katherine decides to visit for the first time and brings another type of disturbance to an already horrific situation.
The descriptions are intense and detailed, the plot original, and the horror is perfect.

You are given an offer that’s too good to be true, but who doesn’t ignore some goosebumps when your dream home is within your grasp? That’s The September House.

I recommend this book to all horror lovers and those who love a good plot twist. Usually, when you pick up a horror book, the hauntings have just started and the main characters are terrified - not here. It was so refreshing to hear another take on hauntings with a main character who understands that the unsettling can become no longer unsettling if there are rules. Rules have protected Margaret thus far and they will continue to do so. Yes, there’s a ghostly maid, deceased prankster children, and something evil living in the basement, but this is HER house.

Overall, I had a hard time putting this book down. The author does a wonderful job weaving layers into this story that will keep you on your toes until the very end. It’s has a wonderful balance of humor, family tension, hidden secrets, and the supernatural. If you’re looking for something new, this is for you.

While this book had some creepy elements, I’m overall left wanting a lot more from the plot and writing quality. The dialogue, mostly the daughter’s, felt so awkward and forced and aggressive for no reason.

Overall, I did like the story ok, but the writing quality could use some tightening up!

This is a fun haunted house story that I really enjoyed. I think I read it in 2 days. I loved that the MC, Margaret, has just decided to leave with these "pranksters" as she calls them and talks so casually about the scary nonsense they're pulling. Made me giggle a little at the all around vibes.

I did *sort of* predict the ending, but I'm happy with it. 🖤

In this haunted house horror story, empty nesters and later-in-life couple, Hal and Margaret finally purchase a dream Victorian-style house in the middle of the country near (ish) a small town. At first, things are fine. They’re renovating and redecorating but then things start to go downhill. Isn’t that the way it always is for a haunted house?

If you like slow-build, unreliable narrator stories with quite a bit of gore, you’ll like The September House. This is Carissa Orlando’s debut novel and it packs quite the punch at the end. The storytelling isn’t linear so it’s a bit hard to keep up with at first. Margaret is telling the story and it seems that when she remembers things, she describes them as if they’re happening right now. Along with the horror aspects, Orlando touches on issues of alcoholism, domestic abuse, and mental illness. So if those things tend to be your triggers, you might want to stay away from this one. They are part and parcel of the entire story.

I enjoyed the book. I love unreliable narrators. It was scary enough for me that I had to put it down a couple times but then I can be a weenie. Some of Orlando’s descriptions reminded me of devices used in horror movies I’ve seen, so nothing really new there. The best part of the book as far as I’m concerned is the ending. I can see some good discussions arising from this.

My god this was WILD. The twists truly had me going until the very end. The tone of this is so odd, in the best way - the main character is basically incredibly blase about truly horrifying things happening in her home, and it's so funny to read from her perspective. Her daughter comes to visit, and she tries to hide the goings-on from her.

All the characters were really well fleshed out, I laughed and screamed internally throughout this. So good!

The September House is a quirky ghost story, but not quite a thriller. Actually in the beginning it was boring and I really had to make myself stay with reading it.

A Dream Home Becomes a Nightmare

When Margaret and Hal are finally able to purchase their dream home, they never expected their dream to become a nightmare. It turns out an evil presence resides in their basement and his victims haunt their home. Every September, the house comes alive with blood-soaked walls and very active apparitions.

While Margaret accepts the horrors of September and has learned to abide by the rules of the house, Hal, a recovering alcoholic, begins drinking again and begs Margaret to leave with him. She, however, is determined to remain in her dream home. Then Hal disappears. Their concerned daughter arrives at the house at the height of the September hijinks and Margaret tries desperately to hide the behavior of the house from her.

While I did enjoy the book, I felt it took too long to reach its conclusion—which I thought was well done. The author seems to have been a bit undecided about whether she wanted a clever book with a degree of horror or a horror book with a bit of cleverness. But, overall, not a bad way to while away a few hours.

I read a lot of thrillers, and not as much horror (especially supernatural horror), but a good haunted house story is hard to resist.

A few ghosts won't keep Margaret away from her dream home. Sure, they appear mangled based on how they were murdered, but the house is otherwise perfect! Well, aside from the blood dripping down the walls & the monster in the basement. Unfortunately her husband, Hal, wasn't willing to spend another second in the terrifying home. He left.

Margaret's daughter Katherine is determined to find her father. She takes time off work to visit her parents' new house for the first time and look for him. Margaret tries to hide the fact that the house is haunted from Katherine, but not everything can stay a secret.

It was difficult for me to relate to Margaret, as I'd definitely head for the hills at the first sign of blood dripping down my walls, but I still liked her. I also developed a fondness for a couple of the less-scary ghosts. Despite the gore, I really wanted to find out how the story ended so I was kept interested throughout.

A very twisty turn story to say the least. Held my interest all the way. Loved how the author was very descriptive of the characters. The husband’s character was most impressive as the author did a great job of slowly developing his story. I did not guess that he was that way. Completely shocked. Cannot say more as this would definitely be a spoiler.