I almost want to give it four stars but that ending. The ending was too rushed and there was nothing satisfactory about the conclusion.

Book Review

Title: The Haunting by Natasha Preston

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Horror

Rating: 3.75 Stars

I have never read a Natasha Preston book before but I have heard some amazing things about her young adult thrillers and horror books. That being said, I have always preferred adult horror and thrillers because they can often go places book for teens can’t but I was intrigued by the premise of the book.

The bare bones of the plot is that the year prior to the opening of the book something happened that changed their lives forever. Our protagonist Penny has to watch as her boyfriend, Nash’s dad is arrested for the murders of several of their classmates. As the entire town turned against Nash, Penny has an internal battle about how people see Nash but is devastated when her parents stop her from seeing him even though he had nothing to do with the murders, he just happened to be related to the person that committed this horrible acts.

This Halloween, Penny is constantly finding herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and is stumbling over the bodies, sometimes literally but she also keeps running into Nash, which seems suspicious. This premise did remind me a lot of There’s Someone Inside Your House which I really enjoyed and had a really similar setup so I was excited to get into it. Like many young adult thrillers the book is designed to keep your attention focused where the author wants it and it keeps you on the edge or your seat throughout. It is definitely fast paced and perfect for the spooky season, especially those that want something quick, easy to read and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Preston has some amazing character work here because as events unfold we constantly switch between cheering the characters on and then becoming suspicious of them while the twists and turns come to light. The Haunting also has a lot of small town vibes providing an almost cozy atmosphere to the book which was a little strange at first but really enhanced the experience later on. If you’re a fan of movies like Halloween and Scream, then I would recommend this although it does tone down the horror and the gore elements despite there being several murders throughout the book.

Overall, The Haunting was a great introduction to her writing and character work but I was disappointed with the ending because it is left open to interpretation which I didn’t feel was needed. If like the title suggests, the book was paranormal in nature then an open ending might work and work well but here it only frustrated me as a reader which is the reason for my rating.

This was such a good book! I have all of Natasha's books and i have loved every last one. She has become one of my favorite writers. I can't wait to see what her next book as in store. The plot and characters are amazing.

"The Cellar" was one of the few books that got me into reading years ago by the same author, Natasha Preston. Thinking about that book still gives me chills. So, that's why I was so excited to read "The Haunting," and it didn't disappoint me at all.

It's nearing Halloween in Penny's town; the horror of last year's murders was in the minds of the town folks. This year, the murders start again. The anxiety Penny felt whenever there was a murder in the town was expressed so well and felt so real. The spooky vibes in the story lasted till the very end.

I loved the dynamics between Nash and Penny. They weren't together most of the time, but their connection was so heartfelt. The twist at the end was so unexpected. I guessed wrong, not once but many times, about who might be the killer.

The ending is a killer. I've never encountered a book with an open ending before. Now, I realize it's something I'll have to endure indefinitely, and it can be quite frustrating. It's just ended so suddenly. Actually, it didn't feel like it ended at all; it feels like the story is on pause, but it will never continue. I still can't process the fact that I don't get a proper ending.

Apart from that part, it's just an amazing page-turning thriller with worthy twists and likable characters.

I was super excited to read this book, both because of the blurb and because of the author, but it fell a bit short for me.

Last Halloween, Jackson Whitmore was arrested for murdering multiple teenagers over the course of the week leading up to Halloween. Penny was the girlfriend of Jackson’s son, Nash, but her parents forbade her from seeing him anymore. Since Jackson’s arrest, she has slowly dropped all of her interests and gone into her shell. This year, Penny is shopping for a costume when she discovers a body. From there unravels another round of serial murders.

I loved the atmosphere of the book, with the Halloween theme and haunted houses and fall carnivals. The overall setting really pulled me in. The characters, however, were a bit annoying, and I had a hard time empathizing with any of them. The ending wasn’t a huge twist, which wouldn’t be such a problem if I had enjoyed more of the development of the story.

This book was fine. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. It was just meh. If you’re looking for an atmospheric spooky read that’s pretty easy to get through, this might be one for you.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was fine. Preston’s writing isn’t usually for me, but the plot was spooky and Halloween-y enough to make it worth reading.

#NetGalleyARC I hadn’t read anything by this author before this one but so many of my students are fans so I had to give this a try. This was a perfect October read, creepy and thrilling. I could see this becoming a movie one day. Definitely worth the read!

The cover and title may be a bit deceiving, but The Haunting was a perfect read for a rainy pre-Halloween afternoon. No literal ghosts, just haunting memories and plenty of teen slasher-y suspense. Penny and her friends are still feeling the heaviness of last year’s Halloween murder spree as the anniversary approaches. While they try to figure out how to move on and reconcile their feelings about their best friend after finding out his father was the murderer, a new killer in town and several fresh dead bodies are making it hard for them to forget…

While I questioned many of Penny’s decisions (and those of literally all of the parents and town officials…) the story unfolded like a classic teen horror movie. I won’t say it’s “cozy” obviously, because of all the murder, but it’s definitely nostalgic. Like reading this felt like a favorite season in high school with my own friends in my own little small town ❤️ This is a fast paced read to add to your spooky season TBR for sure. And that ending?! 😱

Natasha Preston once again has written a ya thriller masterpiece. Like her previous release The Island, I honestly did not expect the twist at the end! I look forward to her next novel and release. i hope it's soon!

I loved this book the perfect thing for a great Halloween read!!! It literally kept me guessing throughout questioning everyone's innocence or guilt! Definitely was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book! I highly recommend for all thriller lovers! You don't want to miss this one!

Much thanks to #netgalley and the publisher of allowing me to read and review this ARC.

If you enjoy the Scream franchise, you will enjoy this. As a teenager raised by Wes Craven, this book brought me to that special place only a nostalgic trip down slasher road could fill.

Thank you to publishers of The Haunting for the advanced copy. Natasha Preston is one of my favorite Young Adult thriller authors. While I deeply loved her other work, this one just wasn’t up to par for me. The plot was good, I enjoyed the characters and found them relatable but the story just took too long for me. I found myself getting distracted easily.

As always Natasha Preston knocks it out of the park!
This thriller follows Penny and her friends in their small town one year after a killing spree of highschoolers exactly 1 year ago. The killer happened to be her now ex-boyfriend's father, a week prior to Halloween.
The town shuns her now ex-boyfriend Nash and his sister Grace for their fathers wrongdoings. Even though they had nothing to do with it, and their father is now in prison. They have been outcasted and have no friends, and Pennys parents forbid her to see Nash anymore.
Everything in town goes back to normal once the killer is caught.
But one year later, the murders happening again the same way they as the year before. Is this a copycat killer?
Are Nash and Grace following their fathers path?

The twists and turns of this book kept me wanting more. I thought I knew who the killer was, I thought I knew who was being shady. But turns out I was only half right.

Another YA thriller, another win in my book!

As always her book ends on a cliffhanger, and I have a love hate relationship with that. But man did I wish I had closure with this one!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!

Natasha Preston's books are always short and bloody. I eat them up every time. The Haunting truly dove into the cup that is small town struck by tragedy and pulled out a tense and at times very scary slasher story.

These books are really short, but the character development is always so good. I immediately felt for Penny and the guilt she felt about her complicated situation. I loved how she handled Nash's anger and distrust of her like an emotionally intelligent person rather than just demanding her welcome her back with open arms. I felt like it was a realistic depiction of the dynamics that would happen in this situation.

I've read multiple of Natasha Preston's books and I've never successfully guessed who the killer was. I was really close with this one, but I talked myself out of it. The mystery is so masterful and the story makes it fun to guess and theorize. I love these books. The Haunting really gave classic teen slasher vibes and it was so nostalgic.

I don't know if it's me and my tiny, easily entertained brain, but I'm always shocked at the end of Preston's books. They never end the way I expect them to and The Haunting was no exception. I actually yelled out "NO WAY!" and then had to explain to my very confused husband my frustration. I love it. It keeps me coming back for more.

The Haunting was a short, bloody slasher perfect for the Halloween season. I can't wait to work my way through the rest of Natasha Preston's work.

If you’re looking for a Halloween themed YA horror novel, you won’t go wrong with The Haunting. But be warned, the title has nothing to do with ghosts.

Characters
We have a group of friends, one of them being ostracized by the town and the rest of the friend group – except for one person. They’re great characters, although you really only deal with two or three of them for most of the book. You’ll see Penny, Nash, and Zayn more than you’ll see any of the others, but they’re all mentioned several times as well. We don’t have a whole lot of background on any of them, but we don’t really need it and they’re written well enough that it doesn’t matter.

Atmosphere
It’s a serial killer at Halloween – what more could you ask for in an atmosphere? It isn’t Michael Myers (and we can all be thankful for that) but it doesn’t need to be. That being said, the atmosphere was fraught with tension because of the killings and it was pretty great.

Writing
Natasha Preston’s writing style is easy to read and makes it hard to put a book down. Honestly, it wasn’t the story or the writing that had me putting the book down, it was my iPad getting too heavy to hold up anymore. LOL I have another book of hers in my NetGalley queue and I’m really wanting to get to it now because she has a captivating writing style.

Plot
I really liked the plot to this book. A small town one year after a serial killer took the lives of five students. The killer, locked in a federal prison in another state. But now the killings have started up again. Is it a copycat or was the wrong person locked up for the first murders? And why is this killer focused so much on one of the friend group? It’s a great plot and very well executed.

Intrigue
I kept needing to know what was going to happen next. Would they find another body? If so, who would it be? Would it be someone we’d met in the story already or someone completely new? And who the heck was behind all this? I had my guesses on that one, but it took me a couple tries to get it right and there was a twist I never saw coming. So yeah, this book has intrigue.

Romance
You have to love the fact that neither Penny or Nash are really over each other – or out of love. No matter how cold Nash acts towards Penny, she still cares and Nash cares for her. It’s cute, it’s sweet, and it’s totally inappropriate with a serial killer on the loose… but that’s OK because they aren’t actually a couple at this point.

Ending
The ending is why this book got 4 stars instead of 5. I’m so angry about the ending… I can’t say much more because I’d spoil it but oh I was so mad I almost threw my iPad.

Conclusion
This book is a great read for the spooky season or any other time you like to read horror novels. There’s plenty of suspense and horror to go around with this one. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars and I do recommend it to anyone who likes horror novels during spooky season (or any other time).

I loved this! Just like all Natasha's book it was 5 star for me! The very first page gets you hooked & before you know you're about done & don't want it to end. I love her character building, the way she puts you in the story like you're seeing it happen in real life. Definitely won't be my last nastasha preston book! Thank you

The Haunting is a great YA thriller about a girl whose ex-boyfriend's father was arrested for the brutal murder of four teenagers a year ago. It looks like they have a copycat on their hands when a dead body shows up. I really enjoyed the plot and flew through this book. The atmosphere is super tense which really keeps you turning the pages. I think it is the perfect Halloween read, it really captures the feeling of the holiday and adds some mystery and murder. Yes, as many have stated the ending is a massive cliffhanger which is a bummer, but other than that I thought it was solid with plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing. I will have to check out this author's other books.

If you're a fan of the Scream movie franchise, this book is likely to be right up your alley. Personally, I don't have a taste for Scream, any of its sequels, or slasher movies. Therefore, "The Haunting" didn't resonate with me.

I found it challenging to form a vivid mental image of the characters or to develop any genuine emotional connection with them. The narrative appeared to lack substantial tension, relying primarily on the formula of "another dead body" for excitement. While I understand the author's penchant for cliffhanger endings, this particular one left me with a lingering sense of incompleteness.


2 stars

This felt like reading Scream and I can't tell if I like that or not. 🤔 For starters I really enjoyed the small town setting. It helped add to the eerie atmosphere and made you suspect everyone! I definitely could see the direction this was going very early on though and that made it easier to know who was to blame for the murders and what twists were coming.
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The characters were pretty well fleshed out, with distinct personalities but I didn't really hate or love any of them. Some of their actions seemed a bit childish but I do have to remember they are meant to be teenagers so that would make sense.
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The ending was not for me AT ALL and I feel like that's a running theme for Natasha Preston's books and me. If you are not a fan of an open ending then maybe don't read her books 😆 Me personally, I would've loved an epilogue to see how everything wrapped up. Is it necessary for the story? Not really. I just generally like to have loose ends tied up. I know a lot of people enjoy her endings though so you be the judge of whether you like that kind of thing or not.
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As a whole this was a quick and easy read and I enjoyed my time with this book. A nice horror/mystery for fall to give you creepy vibes and get you into the spooky time spirit.

What I liked:
🩸Halloween Vibe: PERFECT for this time of year! Halloween festivities, references to slasher films, a killer with a creepy mask whom Penny (our MC) sees lurking everywhere, and final girl vibes - such a fun book for an October book!
🩸Fast-Paced Plot: I read this over two days - short chapters, twisty plots, and tons of red herrings! I did need to suspend belief, but the tension-filled slasher-movie vibe kept me turning the pages.
🩸Ending: If you have read a Natasha Preston book, you know what I’m talking about. The Haunting is my first Preston story, so when I read the last word, I actually flipped the page to read the next chapter or epilogue. Nope. The end. And then nodded my head approvingly….I liked it.

I paired the book with the audiobook. Bailey Carr perfectly performs this Halloween thriller. You can’t go wrong with either format.