3.75 🌟 rounded up
As soon as I saw saw that I was approved to read this ARC, I immediately dove right into the book. I've been on a fall/Halloween book kick. This booked checked all those boxes. It the me for a couple curve balls that I didn't expect.

Penny is dealing surg the aftermath after her exes father went on a killing spree right before last Halloween. It's now a year later and it starts happening all over again.
I felt the ending was a bit rushed though.
Please keep in mind this is a YA novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'd like to thank netgalley and the publishers for the m this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This book is perfect for spooky season! I really enjoyed the banter between the teenagers and thought it really added to the overall story. There are twists and turns in this murder mystery and is perfect for teens. It does end on a cliffhanger. This is a fun read so give it a go.

A YA Halloween thriller for sure. I particularly enjoyed the banter between the teenagers and what they were all going through. The depth of each individual character and their relationship to each other was made known as the story progressed. Each time I had a question - it was answered.

I wold recommend this one to an under 18 year old crowd hands down. For those readers (me for sure) that need a more gothic gory scary readers - this just isn’t enough. But my teens loved it

This was a fun Halloween murder mystery. The dialogue and human interactions all felt very natural and unforced, which gave the book a great flow. I did partially figure out the who-done-it early on, but there was still enough of a twist at the end to leave me pleasantly surprised.

But the ending... wtf. Let me just say that the ending was abrupt. I liked the book a whole lot more before I got to the end. It was a solid 4 stars before that. But it's impossible to ignore a let down ending, so I had to bump off another star for that.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange of honest review. I absolutely love Natasha Preston. Her book the Cellar got me back into reading after not reading a book since high school. I was so excited to receive this copy. But hesitant because after reading the Island. But this book was absolutely amazing! The twists and turns. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen I was thrown through a loop. It’s perfect for spooky season. Most people complain about the cliff hanger in every one of her books that’s why I give it a 4.5 star. I wish she would stop doing that. Or make another book to follow up and give us a complete ending. But overall I definitely recommend this book. She is an amazing writer.

This was one heck of a story all the way through until the very end. The ending definitely left me wanting, it was so incredibly abrupt. Parts of this were a little confusing, but all in all, worked out. I can’t get over how abrupt the ending was. That kind of wrecked it for me because I want to know what happens in the aftermath.

I loved this book! It’s a thriller that will keep you guessing and the perfect read for this Halloween season!

It follows the main character Penny, a year after her boyfriend’s father murdered several people around Halloween. Everything had seemed to go back to normal (except for her boyfriend Nash and his sister Grace being outcast by their community) until the killings start happening again around Halloween this year.

This book sucked me in from the beginning and the twist at the end was great! Natasha Preston always writes great thrillers, the only part i didn’t like was the cliffhanger at the end!

If you’re looking for a thrilling Halloween vibe book, I highly recommend reading The Haunting. It’s out now!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A great read to start spooky month! A classic Natasha Preston with many jaw dropping moments and an ending that leaves you hanging. My favorite kind of thriller!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title to review. All opinions are my own.

Was this the best book I have ever read? No.
Will I order it for my middle school library? Yes.

This was campy, middle-school slasher fun. The writing isn't the best, but you can easily overlook that since it isn't meant to be literature. This is meant to be a spooky season read, a homage to horror flicks, and a reminder to not go out alone when there is a killer on the loose.

This quick and fun read follows the slasher formula and is set during Halloween. I enjoyed the author’s previous novel, so I was excited about this new book and it delivered, to a point. Firstly, it requires a considerable suspension of disbelief, because it’s about a town that celebrates Halloween a year after a serial killer murdered several teens during this same holiday. Mostly, it was the characters that were hard to root for. They are teenagers so it’s understandable that they will run up the stairs or hide behind the chainsaws, making the worst decision at every possible moment. They drove me crazy at every step of the way. That said, the plot is sufficiently entertaining and creepy, so that I kept turning the pages.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Random House Children's, Delacorte Press!

This was such a fantastic read. I love allll things teen slasher and this one totally live up to the genre. One year after a horrific string of murders happened things are picking back up but the original perpetrator is in prison. Told from Penny’s perspective (the ex of the killer’s son) we get a classic epic slasher.

This gave me Scream, the tv show, vibes, even down to the nondescript white mask and I’m here for it! It read like a horror tv show and I loved it for that. So much happening in such a relatively short space doesn’t seem like it should work but that’s the genius of the slasher, it’s does. If you’re looking for a spooky, tense read I highly recommend!

If I ever recommend a horror/thriller author to anyone, my go-to is always Natasha Preston. I believe this was one of her best books yet. I was a huge fan of both Penny and Nash throughout this book and the plot kept me entertained the entire time. Per usual, Natasha Preston hit me with another insane cliff hanger.

I am so thankful for being able to read this book through NetGalley & The Haunting ARC book Club on Fable. I have been a long time Natasha Preston fan! Thank you, Natasha!! This was a fast-paced read always grabbing my attention. It has been a year since the Jackson Whitmore murders of 5 student on Halloween. Who is Jackson Whitmore? None other than the Father of Penny's Boyfriend Nash...well now ex-boyfriend. Would you let your daughter date a killer's son? It is Halloween again and the whole town is trying to enjoy it this year and put the past in the past. That is until BAM another murder. Who could it be? Isn't Jackson still in prison? You do not want to sleep on this book!! Go get your copy now!

This was a great ya thriller/horror that is perfect for the Halloween season! This story immediately had my attention and kept me guessing through the very end. I could not put this book down and ended up reading it in one sitting!

Read This Of You Like:

🏚️ Halloween
🏚️ Serial Killer Books
🏚️ Whodunnit Mysteries
🏚️ Slasher Horror

Overall this was a really good book, but be warned that it ends on a cliffhanger!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: YA thriller📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
If you’re a fan of Scream this one’s for you!

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Scream vibes
Small town
Halloween atmosphere
Creepy whodunnit
Fast paced thrillers
Shocking twists

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Quick read
Spooky vibes

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
The ending- I hat it when books end with cliffhangers
Predictable plot
There is not haunting in the book so I don’t really get the title

The Haunting by Natasha Preston is another entertaining YA thriller/mystery!
NP always creates an atmosphere that is freaking amazing.
This was an intriguing story with interesting characters. It's a real page turner that will keep you thinking. It's a real crafty mystery novel.
This fast-paced story did not disappoint.
I thought the writing was absolutely amazing! Intriguing, thought provoking plot and interesting characters! This book pulled me in from the beginning and made it hard for me to put it down!
Natasha Preston is a fantastic writer and her books while short are gripping and intriguing.

A heart-pounding, pulse-raising thriller perfect for readers looking for an entertaining YA thriller story with sneaky twists you won’t see coming!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Purchased for my high school library. My students love this author. I won’t see this book once it is in and processed. It will pass from hand to hand never making it into my return box, only to the checkout counter to switch people responsible for the copy.

Natasha Preston has once again proven her storytelling prowess with this gripping novel that had me captivated from the very beginning. It served as the perfect introduction to the spooky season, setting the tone for an exhilarating reading experience. The relentless tension woven throughout the narrative had me perched on the edge of my seat, eagerly devouring each page.

Given my familiarity with Preston's previous works, I had a hunch that this book might conclude with one of her trademark cliffhangers, which can be simultaneously frustrating and irresistible (but certainly not enough to deter me from reading more of her books 😂). True to form, my prediction held true, though I'm pleased to say that this ending felt more satisfying than some of her previous works, particularly "The Island." Nevertheless, a lingering desire for more resolution still tugs at me. It's always a bit disconcerting to invest in a story only to be left wondering, "What's next?"

Despite this, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking a quick and thrilling read. Natasha Preston's storytelling prowess shines once more, making it a must-read for those who appreciate engaging narratives that keep you eagerly turning the pages.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.
Loved this quick, fast paced thriller Until the end! Would have rated 5 ⭐️ but the ending left you hanging without a conclusion to this great story…

The Haunting was fast-paced young adult mystery thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. While I really enjoyed this book, there was something missing at the end for me. I highly recommend checking this one out!