4 5 stars rounded up. A can't put down thriller that will keep you reading late into the night. Twists and turns and who dun it. And that ending. Oh my gosh, I'm still reeling. Highly suggested for a quick read thriller.

Nail biting story of a girl who should have listened to her parent. Read was suspenseful and good but unbelievable in parts when a 17year old girl repeatedly outwits the FBI in an effort to date her boyfriend. I rated it a four because I liked how the author supported the scary stories troupe and went beyond. Also, the ending is abrupt and slightly unsatisfying but that’s because I had become invested in the story.

Natasha Preston has done it again. This book drew me in from the start, and it was the perfect book to kick off spooky season. The tension throughout the whole book kept me on the edge of my seat. I had a feeling that the book would follow along with others that she has written and end with a cliffhanger, which makes me so mad (but not mad enough to stop reading her books 😂) and I was right. Thankfully this one ended much better than The Island. I’d still like some resolution, though. I always feel cheated when I read the whole book and then I’m left thinking “what next?” Still recommend to anyone looking for a quick read!

What's your favourite scary movie?

If you liked the Scream series, this would be great for you. The Haunting is the perfect spooky season read now that October is here. I have been a fan of Natasha Preston's work and how the books always leave you on the edge of your seat.

This book is slightly different from her other works in that the killer strikes slowly and the whole event takes place over days. I liked this style better as we were introduced to Penny, Nash - her ex who is the son of the original Halloween killer, and her whole group of friends, to really build into the story of a Halloween serial killer who strikes again on the one year anniversary of the town's murders.

It is quite clear who the main suspects are as you get through the book, but figuring out the motive is hard to decipher. Everyone seemed a little sus with their personality and quirks. And oh of course, as with every serial killer story, teens are still running around despite a killer on the loose. 😂

The book kept me guessing who the killer was, whether it was one or multiple, and which combination of characters it could be and why. Honestly I didn't even get it right until just near the reveal. The only thing that irked me was the classic cliffhanger ending that she ends her books with though this time felt more open ended than the rest.

Do you prefer stories that end with everyone dead or some alive? I like to believe there is always at least one person who makes it out in the end.

One day while doom scrolling through book suggestions, I happened upon Natasha Preston's The Cellar. 6 hours later, I had finished it and have kept up with her releases ever since. As we head into "Spooky Season", I received an ARC for her newest release, "The Haunting". A town recovering from the series of murders last Halloween when they suddenly start back up..again. Yep, this book was right up my alley. I wanted to love it but it just fell a little flat for me. I didn't really feel anything for the characters and there were quite a few of them. Penny and Nash's history is never really explored beyond a few sentences and I feel like it would have helped. Adi, Zayn and Omar felt like filler and I kept getting lost in the dialogue. As the story went on, I found myself skimming more than reading just to get to the ending. The ending was a little predictable then it was just THE END. I'm sure there are people out there who will love this book. I will keep looking at future Natasha Preston releases but THE HAUNTING just isn't the one for me.

A perfect spooky season, Halloween vibe read. If you like the Scream movies, this gives you that makes killer killing off dumb teens thing you know you crave. It actually made me go watch some Scream movies.
Just like in teen thriller books/thrasher movies, you'll find yourself yelling at Penny. Why are you doing this? Don't do that. Ugh just listen to the adults and police for a change. But as always, teems know best.

This would've been a 5 star read for me had the author finished the book. Like I get cliffhangers and I am completely fine with them. But not finishing that page was just mean spirited. I recognize the author is known for this type of think but I found myself flipping through the last pages on my kindle wondering where my end was. This one doesn't feel like a cliffhanger so much as well, let's see how far I can take not ending the story.

The Haunting is an entertaining thriller that captivated me from the very beginning, keeping me engrossed until the very end with its unexpected twists and turns.

The Haunting is the perfect read for fall and Halloween. The vibes were perfect, Halloween AND a murder mystery! I suspected several characters of being the killer and was still surprised by the twist at the end.

Penny lives in a small town where, one year ago, a series of murders started on the days leading up to Halloween. Her boyfriend’s dad was arrested for the murders of five teens. A year later, there seems to be a copycat killer. Or was the original killer never caught? This story will keep you guessing up until the end.

I really enjoyed this quick, spooky read. I am only taking away one star because of the abrupt ending. I KNOW Preston’s books always end on a cliffhanger, but this one was especially frustrating. Still a great and entertaining read. I was completely invested. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for the eARC! Four stars!

I would recommend "The Haunting" to anyone looking for a fast-paced Halloween Slasher in the YA Genre.
I've read all of the author's books and true to her style the storyline will grab ahold of your attention and keep you turning pages up until the ending which will undoubtedly leave you stunned. If you've read any of her books you know exactly what I am talking about.
Overall I found this book to pretty enjoyable and I think it's going to do really well with both her fanbase and intended audience. Another solid Mystery Thriller!

Thank you Natasha Preston, Net Galley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I completely understand that all of Natasha Preston’s books end in cliffhangers and yet, I continue to read them.

With that being said, the premise of this was calling out to me, so I just had to answer. I mean, c’mon, it’s the perfect read for spooky season!

It’s Halloween and thus marks the first anniversary of the killing spree Nash’s father went on where he killed five students. Penny happens to be Nash’s ex (unwillingly) and can’t stop thinking about how he’s feeling with the whole town ostracizing him and his sister. But when yet another student ends up dead, who are they gonna blame with Jackson Whitmore behind bars?

Soon, bodies start popping up one by one and Penny keeps finding them. She has even had her fair share of run ins with the killer themselves. No matter what she does, she can’t figure out who it is and she’s running out of people to trust. Will she be able to crack the case before the next target is someone she loves or worse?

While vain and sometimes incredibly annoying, I enjoyed the characters in this book and felt like they each added something. I loved the spooky vibes and how the story had me second guessing everything. I figured out who the killer was early on, but this still had my head spinning.

This was fast paced and captivating with just the right amount of teen drama. I was hooked until the very last word. The word that had me rolling my eyes, telling myself I knew it. Just once I would like a real ending, a sequel, an epilogue, SOMETHING!

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Penny has a great group of friends but she can't shake her feelings for ex, Nash. Nash's father was arrested last year for the murders of four teens. Now Penny is banned from seeing Nash, and the whole town treats Nash like a parirah. The town can't seem to understand that Nash and his sister Grace aren't their father. Now it's Halloween season and the one year anniversary of the murders is approaching. But what starts of as an ordinary day for Penny turns into a nightmare. Penny stumbles across the body of a classmate and now she is racing to figure out who the killer is. Can there really be a copy cat killer following in the foot steps of Nash's dad? Penny is now Ina cat and mouse chase with the killer. Will she be able to solve who it is in time?



What I enjoyed:
- this was a quick read for me and I was able to finish it in a couple of hours
- Loved the Halloween setting and spooky vibes! Minus all the murder, her town actually sounds super festive!
- Kept me on the toes and second guessing the whole time

What a fun little spooky, Halloween read! This was perfect for the season. I throughly enjoyed it too. This was a quick paced book that had you feeling creeped out at times. I swear I didn't feel like I was being watched while reading this. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars out of 5! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As the town rebounds from the trauma of last year's spree killing, this group of teenagers is getting ready for the annual Halloween event. Then, one of the group is killed in the same manner as the spree killer's. Now they must work together to find the killer before more of their friends die.

I thought the premise sounded interesting, but I struggled with this one. The ending was unsatisfying and abrupt. Everything felt a bit average, and nothing will stick with me now that I've finished the book. I found the main character annoying, which made it hard to stay engaged or care about the outcome.

I know I’m not the intended audience. But I adored Natasha Preston’s first 3 books. I was OBSESSED. Ever since then I feel like I’ve been chasing the high. She’s had a few books that have circled around what I love about her story telling. But this one? I think I figured it out. Her style is like an alien writing what it thinks teenagers want to read. The voice is off and that’s what it making it difficult to become absorbed. I know my students will like this so of course I will recommend. I just wish I could get back how on the edge of my seat I was during the Cellar or The Twin.

Last Halloween the town was turned upside down by a string of murders. Penny’s boyfriends dad was accused of killing his son, Nash’a, classmates. A year later as Halloween comes back around, it’s happening again but how when the murder is spending life in prison? Penny was for ed to distance herself from Nash when his dad was sentenced to prison but now people think he is following in his fathers footsteps. It Penny knows that’s not true. Who is committing the newest string of murders and why are they targeting Penny?

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and amazing author for my ARC!

This was the perfect book to start the Halloween season! A fast paced thriller told from the point of view of the murderer’s son’s ex girlfriend. Interesting perspective, right? As Penny, the ex gf, struggles with her feelings toward Nash, the son, a new murder takes place. Is there a copycat on the loose? This book has lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The perfect book for entering spooky season!! Halloween, murder, small town, outcast family, the girl who can’t stay away…

I loved this book even though I knew the ending would get me. Every time. All the questions. I need answers.

I also want to say I love Nash and your heart will break for him so many times. He is my favorite Natasha Preston character to date regardless of how this book turns out.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Penny will always be known as the ex-girlfriend of the son of the serial killer. Last year, Jackson Whitmore killed several people leading up to Halloween. This year his kids, Nash and Grace are ostracized. Penny still has feelings for Nash though, but those feelings become complicated when more dead bodies start turning up. Is Nash finishing what his dad started?

This teen slasher synopsis drew me in along with the title. I was expecting something supernatural, but the title is misleading. This is just a typical whodunnit mystery novel. It’s predictable with the teenagers making really reckless decisions, but the settings and Halloween activities were fun to read. As with all Natasha Preston books, it doesn’t really end. The final sentence is a mid scene cliffhanger. I just wish one of her books would have an actual conclusion.

This was such a good Halloween read! The Haunting was such an atmospheric read for the spooky season and I really enjoyed it. I was drawn in to the story right away and it kept me guessing until the end. There were many times I thought I had it figured out, but then something would happen to change my thoughts. In the end I did end up guessing whodunnit, but not why or how. This one definitely ends on a cliffhanger, so be prepared for that!

This book follows Penny a year after her ex boyfriend’s father goes on a mass killing spree in their small town the week before Halloween. Everyone in their town has ostracized Nash and his sister Grace because of their dad’s actions. Everything seemed to have gone back to normal until the killings started happening again. No one knows if it’s a copycat killer or if Nash and Grace are following in their dad’s footsteps.

Overall was was a fun quick whodunnit type young adult horror. If you like spooky vibes, mystery and suspense I recommend adding this one to your fall tbr.

This was quite the page-turning thriller! Set one year after a set of murders in her small town, Penny and her friends are just starting to feel like things are kind of going back to normal. That is until she stumbles across a body, and the police and most everyone else suspects the son of the man convicted of the first killings. But not Penny, she and Nash used to date, and she hasn't stopped thinking about him since her parents made her stop seeing him after the first murders, and she knows he had nothing to do with this.

This took me on a twisty-turny ride, a proper slasher which was a lot of fun. I suspected everyone close to Penny, and while I started to get an inkling of who the killer could be towards the end I was still surprised by how it all played out. And while I can get behind this author's choice to just leave the story where it doesn't seem finished, I really wish we could have gotten a proper ending with this one. Still even with that abrupt ending I really enjoyed this story, it sucked me in from the beginning and I loved the journey to figure out who the killer actually was.