The perfect combo of horror, psychological thriller, suspense… and so much more makes this read an intense page turner. I couldn’t put this book down and I’m certain others will feel the same. Plus, the way the book and characters are fleshed out is simply amazing. Ugh, loved it.

Margaret and her husband, Hal, bought an old Victorian house, their dream house really, and were so excited, until they found out that they weren't alone - the house had ghosts. Margaret is the prime person they interact with, but during September of every year, things get much, much worse. After three Septembers, Hal is ready to cut and run, but Margaret refuses to leave. How will they handle the fourth September, especially when Margaret finds out that her daughter is coming to visit.

This was a very unique horror story, which is why I enjoyed it so much. The characters were varied with good past history given for each. There were some twists and turns that I kind of figured out, but even more that I didn't, including the ending.

This was a very quick read and a very enjoyable one.

Highly recommend: 5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Carissa Orlando for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Hal, Margaret and Katherine. The Hartman's. Everything seemed to start working out for them. Hal, a write, was getting royalties for his work. Margaret, the artist, was selling pieces and had some displayed at a local gallery. And Katherine was just your average teenager. Hal and Margaret always talked about owning and living in a Victorian home when one day, they found it.

Who the fuck would stay in a house where in the month of September, there would be blood coming from the walls and the screaming?!?! The characters are totally cool with it since it only happens in the month of September. I just couldnt get past the fact that there were many red flags and the characters thought it was fine because in a month all was good.

The September House
By Carissa Orlando
I have read thousands of haunted houses books but this one is so unique! It has twists I didn't see coming, especially near the end, and I really liked some of the ghosts!
This had such excellent characters, including the dead ones! The atmosphere is made perfect for each part of the story! Well done! The author relates the history of the house and the characters also in intriguing ways.
I could not put this book down. When the book opens with the walls bleeding, well, how do you put the book down then?
Apparently, the walls bleeding was not new. Only in September! A lot more happens in September! The husband and wife had lived there through three previous Septembers and this would be their fourth. The man leaves, he just can't that it. The wife won't leave the house she loves.
Her daughter can't get a hold of her dad so she decides to come visit so she can track him down. Problem is, she doesn't know the house is haunted.
Pick up this terrific book and see what else happens in September! You won't be disappointed!
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this excellent book!

This was an unexpected treat. An impressive debut. The story gripped me right away with all of the rules and ghosts in the house, I mean who wouldn't be entranced by a beautiful house wheer the walls bleed and there's a collection of ghosts in the house who all abide by different rules.

The emotional note worked really well. Carissa Orlando is a great storyteller and I'm looking forward to more from her.

This was a fun read that was definitely creepy in many places. The story centers on Margaret, who buys her dream home only to find out that it's haunted. Like crazy haunted where gory specters cause pain to those who touch them and blood drips from the walls and down the stairs. Margaret's husband cannot deal with it but Margaret loves the house and always wanted her own home so she feels like this is just an inconvenience she can deal with. Then Hal goes missing and Katherine's daughter comes to stay, and everything comes to a head.

Margaret was quirky but I kind of enjoyed her even if I thought she made some frightfully terrible decisions. There were some legitimately scary stuff that happened, like the children pointing at the basement. The first half of the book was a bit repetitive but I saw the reasoning behind that, as I think the author was trying to get across what it was like to be in the house. The 2nd half was better, in my opinion, with the stuff Margaret did to hide the haunted happenings from her daughter downright hilarious at some points. There was lots of action at the end and a twisty ending that had me guessing. There is some gore, as an FYI for those that are deterred by it.

Overall, I thought the story was unique and I enjoyed that there was creepiness as well as humor. I liked the ending and appreciated that I wasn't sure how it was all going to end. I'd recommend it to those who like the horror genre. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The September House by Carissa Orlando

“So… Your house is haunted?”
“A bit.”

I’ll be honest, I didn’t care for this book until about the 70% mark and I almost DNF’d. BUT THAT LAST 30%?! Worth it.

As I said, the first 60-70% of the book were somewhat dull. I didn’t like Katherine’s character at all even though I did understand her more towards the end. A majority of the time focuses on Hal, Margaret’s missing husband and I just didn’t care about him. The fact that Margaret wasn’t worried at all about him made it a little predictable as to where the story would go with him.

I loved the imagery throughout, it definitely left me with chills. The ending was so good, Katherine finally taking a stand and control of her house was what I needed from her. The ghosts were great, Fredricka being my favorite character of the whole book.

I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed the world-building and felt the main characters were fully fleshed out and vivid. The two female characters are imperfect, but you understand their motivations through their thoughts and actions. The story came about organically, and I particularly enjoyed the little secrets and extra story details that came out slowly and surprisingly at different points as Margaret was sharing her story. ("Wait. What? Did I just read that? That changes things.") For instance, Hal - there was a building of his character that felt real, and then you come to realize it's a very different scenario that is happening in this marriage than you initially thought.

At many points in the book, I was scared. Some characters are very troubling, and as you learn more about them, you start to understand the truly terrifying situation Margaret and Hal are in (and later, Katherine). Your questions, such as "Why don't they just leave every September and come back in October?" are answered quite convincingly.

The book was so good that I was worried about how it would end. Would it be satisfying? A million times, yes. I finished the book at 3 am - not a particularly great time to finish a horror novel, but I couldn't put it down. Although I didn't want the characters to end in the situation they were in, it was bittersweet, it was exhausting, it was awful, it was sad, it was surprising, and it was satisfying.

The description of the book includes this line: "Margaret is not like most people." This is an understatement, and I'm happy to have made her acquaintance. I hope you enjoy this gem of a horror novel and the story the talented author has crafted.

Tight, creepy, thrilling,
psychological horror -
will keep you guessing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

I write haiku reviews on Instagram but can provide more feedback, if desired.

Well, this was different, and I mean that in a really good way! Margaret and Hal are married ,but haven’t had the perfect life. When their daughter Katherine leaves the nest, they find the most gorgeous Victorian house. Almost before the real estate agent can share some of the more tragic aspects of its history, they are sold. But flash forward a few years later, and while Margaret still loves her home, except during the month of September, Hal has had enough and left. She doesn’t agree with him, after all, if you just follow the rules it is a wonderful home.
What kind of rules you say? Well just dealing with pranksters. Not neighborhood children in the usual sense, but dead ones who still live in the house, mostly harmless and certainly manageable. If you just, follow the rules.
Once Katherine arrives to search for her father, Margaret’s plans get tossed aside. Between trying to keep things from her daughter, and well, things like blood running out of the faucet, and the terrible man who lives in the basement, soon Margaret isn’t sure how she can keep the status quo and manage to keep Katherine in the dark.
Holy September House! This was such an intriguing story. How Margaret could accept all the bad things while rejoicing in the good parts will slowly be revealed. As for Katherine, I really wished she would just leave for most of the story. But as the family history was revealed, I wound up feeling sorry for her, and her character became less annoying. A story of what makes a life and what one will endure to have some place to call home.
Yes, it’s horror,but with quite a bit of humor and more than a bit of abuse. The pages turned themselves, almost as if my Kindle was haunted. I loved it. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to ShelfAware, NetGalley and Berkshire Publishing Group for this early copy of The September House for review.

"Everything is survivable. There are rules to these things."

"When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Margaret is not most people.

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep."


Carissa Orlando has hit it out of the park with her debut novel, "The September House."
Fans of Grady Hendrix will thoroughly enjoy this book as it creates a perfect blend of horror, psychological thrills, and dark comedy while examining the harsh realities of domestic violence and mental health. The twists and turns that develop as this novel builds up steam are delightfully surprising and terrifying as Margaret rises to the challenges she must face to make this haunted house a home. The sacrifices and commitment Margaret endures to maintain the status quo among the "resident pranksters" and the singular dark force that plagues the center of this woeful tale is brilliantly paralleled with the dark and troubled relationships she endures within her own family. The final chapters of this book really pay offs and will leave you breathless!

Reader beware! Mark your calendars and book your reservations early for a horrifying stay in The September House! And should you survive, keep a watchful out on the rising star that I am confident Claire Orlando will become with her future works.

This was a wild, ridiculous and off the wall read… and I loved every single second of it!

This was a very psychological rollercoaster. I was contemplating reality and/or punching my fist into the air at any given time. And the visual horror was fantastic. I love how the author has acknowledged how people could get used to the craziest things of dosed in small increments. And the juxtaposition of horror and mental health was iconic.

This was such a fantastic book that I didn’t want to end… but end it did… in such an explosive way that the last 20% had me breathless. I am in awe of this author’s ability to take such a unique twist on the traditional haunted house story.

I was very entertained while reading this one. This house is haunted and the haunting month is SEPTEMBER. The walls start bleeding and the moaning and screaming gets progressively worse as the month progresses. The details of the ghosts in the house were creepy AF! 😱 Each ghost in the book clearly has their own personality and way of interacting with the owners of the house. I didn't know where this story was going to take me and I was pleasantly surprised by plenty of unexpected twists. I had fun reading this one!

Out September 5.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes.

Wow, what a really good, riviting story! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I had no idea where this story was going! I was creeped out during this entire read. The ghosts were so scary and there were a lot of them. The characters are well developed and interesting. September is the haunting month and all the characters have their own method of expressing themselves. The author intelligently combined different genres to create a perfect and addictive read. Perfect for fans of creepy houses and horror books. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something fresh, unusual, and unique. I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of this book.

This book is like no other! I’m not sure I would ever love a house so much that I would choose to live there once I found it is haunted…oh yeah…and the walls bleed! Love the mystery of Hal. Where is he and why doesn’t Margaret seem to care that he walked out?

Thank you @berkleypub, @netgalley, and Carissa Orlando for providing me this outstanding ARC to read your debut novel of The September House.

I am a lover of the thriller and mystery genre and have recently started reading more horror novels. This one did not disappoint. I loved the story and character development. Have years of abuse and a familial history of mental illness caused Margaret to dissociate and cause all this chaos or is there truly something sinister in this house? OUTSTANDING!

This book was haunting and captivating and everything you want from a horror novel.

review will be posted on IG on May 4, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and Carissa Orlando for an ARC of this fantastic novel. Carissa Orlando totally hit the ground running with her debut novel The September House.

I am an avid horror reader, and The September House contains everything I look for in a horror novel. It's got those classic horror elements (blood, gore, ghosts) that I love as well as psychological elements that take the book to another level. Orlando's ability to seamlessly mesh classic and psychological horror elements doesn't come to a surprise; she holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and studied creative writing.

The plot and storytelling have the potential to set a standard in modern horror or to be a complete flop. The September House absolutely falls into the former. I felt creeped out more than once!

Regarding the readability, Orlando used language and words that made it seem like living with ghosts is totally and inherently normal: "She had been buried out of the woods underneath a half-dead oak tree and it was a pain in the neck to find the first time I dug her up, let me tell you." To me, a "pain in the neck" describes refolding clothes from a knocked bushel of laundry -- but I found myself thinking "oh of course -- I am sure that was a pain!" regarding the main character digging up human remains. Orlando developed her main character as someone who routinely deals with ghosts, and the language and word choices lend themselves to that. As I was reading, I found myself thinking that living with ghosts is just a normal part of life.

The implied themes sealed the deal on my five star rating. Throughout the story, one can easily deduce the author's subtle message that unresolved violence and trauma is both generational and cyclical. Trauma within a family of origin must be deal with, or it will continue to haunt us for generations.

And just remember: Needs must when the devil drives.

The September House is a spooky, Victorian house with a turret tale that kept me up reading most of the night. Never has a haunted house given shelter to so many ghosts who have died in so many horrible ways. Even the ways in which they interact with the living residents of the house are unique. The month of September brings out their worst haunting behaviors when the house itself joins the ghosts in a frightening crescendo of frenzied activity. Readers who enjoy a scary tale with lots of plot twists and turns are sure to find this book hard to put down.

I really enjoyed this book. I found myself looking forward to reading it just to find out what was going to happen next. Margaret and Hal find the house of their dreams, but the house is haunted by a wide variety of characters. The characters are well developed and interesting. September is the haunting month and all the characters have their own method of expressing themselves. The house bleeds and of course, there is a basement that has its own horror. (less)

I loved, loved, loved this book! A haunted house story with some unexpected depth thanks to the great lead character Margaret! She was so lovingly created and so authentic that I could not put this book down.. This book delivers the gross, the scares, and the heart along with a dash of wit and humor. Expertly written and paced for suspense, this book also addresses domestic violence and alcoholism in families in a way that felt compassionate and real. A great read and I can't wait to start recommending it to patrons when it comes out in September! Thanks to the publisher for letting me read this one early!