I’m late to the game but I finally finished one of the most hyped horror releases of the year — “The September House” by Carissa Orlando.
Published in, yep you guessed it, September, this was supposed to be the perfect fall/horror read. But apparently I’ve got some unpopular opinions because I was unimpressed.
It starts as a typical “haunted house” story with a couple, Margaret and Hal, who just moved into an old Victorian home of their dreams.
Things don’t go as planned as a plethora of ghosts, a housekeeper with a grisly axe wound, poltergeist children and a woman who screams like a banshee every time they use the fireplace, plague the couple with their quirks.
Tensions are high between Hal and Margaret as he was unable to cope with the stress that comes with the house and its hauntings, especially during the month of September when it peaks.
Hal goes missing and their estranged daughter Katherine comes home to find out what happened to him.
The mother-daughter dynamic is unhealthy yet Katherine is determined to find her dad. The main problem I had with this book is that none of the characters are likable and it made it hard for me to get into the story.
Even though Margaret is a little interesting, considering the fact that she made peace with the ghosts and ended up treating them like roommates, the rest of her personality is painfully dull. And Katherine is your typical angsty teenager (even though she’s almost 30) who treats her mother terribly and has a horrible attitude.
About halfway through the book, you find out Hal is abusive to Margaret and the reader is made to wonder whether the intense hauntings are legitimate or a product of her mental distress and trauma.
I appreciate the metaphor with Margaret’s mental state in comparison with the haunting in the house. Her response to the abuse could be similar to what she was experiencing in the depths of September. But the whole time I couldn’t figure out whether Orlando was going for horror, thriller or psychological thriller.
She went with all three and it was all over the place.
What was most disappointing was the fact that all the pieces were there to be a book I love: a Victorian, haunted home, some friendly (and not-so-friendly) ghosts and a little bit of history. All of the elements were pieced together in a way that didn’t flow together and I found myself eye-rolling through most of it.
But, most people love “The September House” and I am only a small, small portion of readers who didn’t care for it. I’ll let you be the judge of that.

A classic modern day haunted house story with several satisfying twists. Recommended for the Zillow browsers with a Victorian mansions saved search.

🍁 Book Review: The September House 🍁

⁉️: Who have been your favorite characters in any novel so far? And why?

Debut author Carrisa Orlando’s debut novel, The September House, invites us to spend time with Margaret, and her husband, Hal, and Katherine. When I began reading this novel, it was when we were watching a lot of HGTV. However, the novel was of course not what I expected to be. Having a doctorate in psychology, Orlando’s knowledge of the subject is revealing in the way Margaret is characterized in the novel. Every September, the house that both her and Hal dreamed of turns into one’s nightmare as it starts to bleed, ghosts show up (she calls them pranksters), and is determined to take ownership of her property. Each spirit in the house has a story, and one of the ghosts is Frederika, the housekeeper, who speaks and does the household chores.

As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that Margaret is a survivor and determined to keep her house. As Orlando says in an interview, “She has gone through so much in her life, and she knows how to adapt to survive.” As a feminist, it was hard not to notice the underlying theme of intimate partner violence that is embedded within the novel, and not obvious as the chaos unfolds during September.

I enjoy psychological horror and thriller novels, and Orlando’s debut did not disappoint. I loved hearing the stories of what happened to the spirits. The chaos in the novel reaches a crescendo at the end of the novel. While I loved every bit of the novel, I am not a big fan of gore and scenes when the body is mutilated though I know that’s often part of the package of horror novels. Regardless, I thought this was a brilliant debut and it earns a 5✨ from me.

Thank you @letstalkbookspromo and @berkleypub for the gifted e-arc!

#CarrisaOrlando #TheSeptemberHouse #BerkleyPub #BerkleyBuddyReads #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen #PenguinRandomHouse #LetsTalkBooksPromo

I was all up for a somewhat scary gothic read when I picked this one up. Margaret and her husband Hal find the perfect house. Sure, it has many different flaws, but they feel that this is an opportunity to really make this house theirs and spend time together in the process. Their daughter Katherine is off at college and they are looking for a way to reconnect. Things seem off but they can't put a finger on it. Until the walls start to bleed in September and the noises that ensue make them realize that something REALLY isn't right.

It was hard to believe that anyone would put up with this but 4 years pass. Things always feel wrong but September is when it is the worst. Hal is ready to leave but Margaret thinks they can make it work. But, Katherine comes in a panic looking for her father and Margaret can remember where he is. She is losing time and can't remember chunks of it.

This was an interesting premise for sure but there were just some things that didn't work for me. It wasn't a bad book, just not one that I loved.

Talk about a book that just pulls you in from the first chapter, I could not put this book down! The creepiness and the mystery just pulled me in and I wanted to know what was happening. I always had my guesses on thinking I knew what was going on but this one surprised me.

I cannot believe that this was a debut book for this author! I was impressed and cannot wait to see what she comes out with next!

I loved this somewhat unique take on the haunted house genre. Instead of wanting to move out of her house, Margaret has established rules and routines to more or less co-exist with the “pranksters” as she calls them.

There’s a lot of dark humor in the book that had me laughing out loud.

The tone of this horror novel was unique. Margaret’s almost unbothered reactions to her ghosts was funny and odd until you realize why. Like any good horror novel, it’s rooted in real traumas. The characters are full of depth (even the ghosts/pranksters!). A bit of a gory ending but satisfying nonetheless. Definitely recommend to horror aficionados and newbies alike.

Margaret and her husband Hal ignored the subtle warnings from the realtor about their dream house. There have been deaths, many deaths, but with a house that old, people are bound to have died there, right? Things seemed normal, until September, when the walls started to drip blood and the moaning/screams started. There’s also the ghosts of former inhabitants, who all met horrifying ends. And they never go into the basement. When Hal wants to leave, Margaret stands firm. This is her house, and she’s not leaving. Months after Hal left without her, Margaret’s daughter Katherine comes for a visit to find her father. Margaret is terrified about Katherine visiting in September, but when Katherine can’t see or hear anything that Margaret does, she begins to doubt her own sanity.

I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up solely on it being horror and a haunted house, but it was far quirkier than I anticipated, and I appreciated that. Margaret lives in what many would consider a hellish landscape, but she doesn’t mind following the rules. She even enjoys her routine, and September is really the only difficult month. She finally has a home of her own, and she doesn’t want to give it up. All of the supporting ghost characters were interesting, and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Bonus, a potential unreliable narrator situation always makes me happy. Definitely recommend for some solid horror with a side of family emotional and mental issues.

Honestly, I can't get over this is a debut! September House is so much more than a horror house novel. There was so much deeper meaning to everything that happened to Margaret. Honestly, at first, I couldn't understand why Margaret was so blase about all the horrors going on in her house. Without spoilers, everything makes so much sense as you read on. The payoff was well worth it and I loved the way that the author dealt with very heavy topics. There's so much beauty and tragedy in the book, I can't even describe how much I loved it. Five star read for sure!

I couldn’t get enough of this book. I felt like I was thrown with all the twists! Will definitely be recommending this thriller to my friends!

This was too gory for me, I liked the premise and I knew what I was getting into, but I had to skip to the end.

This was a great story told in a very engaging way. I loved the descriptions of what was happening in the house. I liked the descriptions of what Margaret felt as she interacted with the "residents" of the house. I did not expect that ending so I was very pleasantly surprised.

Wow. I think I just read my favorite book of the year. I loved Margaret and how nonchalant she was about everything. I was really questioning her sanity through most of the book. It was a take on a classic haunted house story with a bit of the power of a woman and mother.




Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!!

Margaret will not move, she refuses. This is her dream house and it's perfect, well for 11 months out of the year. The September HOus was a mess in the vibe of the story and the characters. From the very beginning, Margaret was annoying and uncaring. There is not much to feel sorry for nor her entitled and self-righteous daughter. If there was more back story to the ghost maybe hey would have had depth and a sense of belonging in the plot

Easily my favorite book of the year. This book manages to thread the horror-humor needle perfectly while still confronting really difficult content. Highly recommend!

This was one of my favorite books that I’ve read in 2023. This book is creepy but with humor and has a message of family uncertainty.

This was a great read to kick off spooky season! While it didn’t end up being a favorite for me, overall it was still entertaining and kept me turning pages. I’m not usually a horror reader so that may have played a part in my experience. The plot did drag for me at times and I didn’t find any characters that were particularly memorable. The ending is definitely worth pushing through for and I enjoyed the ride! I thought Margaret’s relationships with the various ghosts in the house were interesting and I loved reading about their backstories. I will say though, I didn’t realize this was supposed to read as dark humor until after the fact. Clearly I wasn’t the right reader for the book 🙃 I think fans of the horror genre will enjoy this book much more than I did!

It honestly took me awhile to decide how to rate this book because the twists kind of took me out. And I ended up deciding that I really liked it.

The September House seemed pretty straightforward from it's description. At least at first. We're told that Margaret and Hal have moved into a house that turns out to be haunted, but it's only really bad in the month of September. Margaret can handle it. She's always wanted a house and this house is hers, even if the walls drip blood and troublemakers are around. She's learned to live with it.

But then it turns out that her husband is missing and her daughter wants to visit.

At first I wasn't sure if this was your typical haunted house book. It definitely leant itself to being more of a psychological examination, unreliable narrator type of deal. I thought the author did a very good job of making you question Margaret's mental health. One of the twists, not really revealed until the ultimate climax of the book, was somewhat predicitable.

Then the book switched gears again and through me for a loop. Which I actually very much enjoyed.

However, it got a little gruesome there in the final scenes.

It is easy to see why this book is getting all the hype that it is, and the hype is well deserved. This book is one that kept me guessing and it had some genuinely creepy parts! The book also had a lot of heart- lots of laughs too. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would absolutely recommend it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The September House stands out as one of the best horror novels I've delved into this year—and considering the extensive list, that's saying something. This chilling tale takes the genre to new heights with its super creepy and twisted narrative. It's a story that's best experienced firsthand, as revealing too much would undoubtedly spoil the suspense. Suffice it to say, if you relish creepy tales with a well-executed splash of gore, this book is a must-read. The unsettling atmosphere and unexpected twists make it a truly gripping and memorable horror experience that promises to leave readers both disturbed and thoroughly satisfied.