This was a such a fantastic read! I loved it from the very beginning. The author did a fantastic job of pulling the reader in and immersing them into the story.

This book pulled me into the complexities of both the paranormal and the mind. I spent the whole book jumping back and forth trying to decide what was real and what was an illusion. It was sad, dark, and bittersweet all rolled into one. It touched something in me, while also filling me with unease. A very interesting read.

These was a fantastic horror story. It’s rare that a bleak story can be so captivating for me since I mostly enjoy HEA. There were so many twists and horrendous plot lines that kept me riveted until the end.

Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!

I really liked this book, not as much as I thought I would but it was still enjoyable and dark and I'd recommend it to readers wanting darker books

Give me a creepy gothic tale involving women and I will make it my whole entire life. Such a tragic, queerly beautiful book.

This book was utterly haunting. At times I was so wound up in the tension that formed between Roos and Agnes that I was surprised by all the turns the novel took. I loved the atmosphere of the crumbling estate, it very much so reminded me of Crimson Peak!

3.5 stars

I always want to love Gothic novels more than I usually end up loving them. The ideas of the spirit companions like Ruth and Peter explored in this novel were super fascinating. I was also a big fan of the sapphic romance (both with Agnes and with her ghost companion). My favorite element was the interviews before Roos's trial over the events that culminate at the end of the novel. I enjoyed a lot of elements of this story, but it didn't always grip me and some writing choices didn't make much sense to me. I also think Roos is a fool. (view spoiler) I'm glad I did read this one (with a book club) because it's not a book I was running to pick up even though I was interested in the plot.

This book is the dark, sapphic, gothic romance we didn’t know we needed (or maybe some of us did)... Roos and her spirit companion have been inseparable for years, but when Anges, a recent widow, attends a seance she’s hosting with her mother (their main source of income), things become a bit complicated. Agnes is like no one Roos has ever met before, and she becomes enamoured with her. But Agnes has a spirit companion of her own, and carries many more secrets than young Roos can imagine.
It was odd, unique, mysterious, intricately written …. It was a whole bunch of things. I was head over heels for this book - it was weird and pulled at my heart strings. It was so pure at times, and at others, it was a bit horrifying. The balance was beautiful. I can’t wait to read Johanna’s upcoming novel - I already know I’ll be a fan!
Thank you NetGalley, Johanna van Veen and Poison Penned Press for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A hauntingly poetic and atmospheric masterpiece. From the very first page, this novel transported me into its eerie, spellbinding world—one of restless spirits, decaying mansions, and love tangled in mystery. The writing is absolutely stunning, both lyrical and immersive, dripping with atmosphere in a way that made every moment feel cinematic. The descriptions are so rich that I could almost smell the damp, crumbling estate and feel the chill of death lingering in the dark.

At its heart, this is a story of love and attachment, but also of the assumptions we make—sometimes to please those who care for us, sometimes because we don’t know how else to survive.

Roos is a deeply compelling protagonist, caught between worlds: the living and the dead, the past and the present, belief and sanity. Her relationship with Ruth, the spirit who has been her constant companion, is both haunting and heartbreakingly tender. And then there’s Agnes, drawing Roos into a new world.

The novel also offers a fascinating, nuanced look at mental health, particularly schizophrenia. If given the option to take medicine to silence the spirits, would Roos erase the only love and reality she’s ever known? The inclusion of psychiatrist notes interspersed throughout Roos’s story adds an unsettling, layered perspective to the well-paced narrative.

And the twists—wow. The pacing is perfect, building tension with precision, and the haunted house vibes are truly chilling.

If you love gothic horror, deeply psychological narratives, and stories that blur the line between the supernatural and the mind, this book is an absolute must-read. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

this was such a great, gothic read! an atmospheric, spooky, unsettling slow burn.

cw: rape, incest, child abuse, infant death, racism

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH, i think about it a lot, the cover is great, the writing is amazing, the plot and characters are so creepy.

MY DARLING DREADFUL THING is a haunting ghost story packed with chills, classic Gothic tropes, and an ominous atmosphere.
I love a gothic tale, and I initially picked this one up because of the sapphic romance. As it turned out, while the romance was an important part, I’d say that the platonic, almost familial relationship between Roos and her sprit companion, Ruth, was where the really compelling and complex dynamic lay. There’s also a really interesting look at the relationship between Roos and her mother, and a look at how childhood abuse and trauma affect a person.
The story plays out in flashbacks, as Roos is interviewed by a doctor while awaiting trial for murder. Van Veen does a masterful job of keeping up the tension and macabre attitude throughout the story, and keeps the reader teetering just on the edge of the question as to how much of the tale is true and how much is a product of mental instability: from any or all of the three women involved.

2.5* rounded up.

Unfortunately, after all that dark and moody atmosphere and prose, there was very little pay off. Not to mention that the blatant attempt at trying to misdirect was just that - far too blatant. This book was inspired and carried by so many other classic stories that it failed to obtain its own identity outside of them.

The characters needed more time to shine, and the sapphic relationship definitely required more time to develop. Everything was bogged down by the back and forth between the doctor's interview and the story itself. The interview did little to intrigue me, merely made me roll my eyes and wish to move on to the next part.

I would only recommend this to people who prefer atmosphere to substance.

I read this with high hopes. I usually love spooky books. The cover is gorgeous. The title is amazing. But, sadly, I had to stop reading it mid book because it just creeped me out too bad. It was a good premise and very intriguing but I just couldn't finish it. I was too scared. Something about the book just keep freaking me out too much. For those braver than me, happy reading.

My Darling Dreadful Thing is a classic gothic horror tale brimming with suspense and mystery. The story weaves an eerie narrative that follows Roosje, a troubled young girl with a spirit companion, while also presenting the reader with her doctor’s notes, which provide an analytical and unsettling perspective.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its exploration of mental health. It raises profound questions about how mental illness can shape a person’s reality and whether a belief in spirits is a sign of madness or something more mysterious. Even after finishing the book, I found myself grappling with what was real and what was imagined—a testament to the author’s ability to craft a story that lingers.

The characters are beautifully developed, with the relationship between Roosje and Agnes standing out as a poignant thread in the narrative. Despite the dark and oppressive tone of the story, their bond offers a glimmer of hope and humanity, adding emotional depth to the otherwise chilling plot.

The structure of the book is another strength. The chapters are perfectly paced, and the inclusion of the doctor’s notes provides an intriguing break in the narrative. This clever format enhances the tension and keeps the reader engaged.

While I appreciated the haunting atmosphere and complex characters, the story didn’t fully captivate me to start which is why I’d rate it 3 out of 5 stars. However, fans of gothic horror and psychological intrigue will likely find My Darling Dreadful Thing a worthwhile read.

Dark, twisted, weird, and psychologically provoking! There were a lot of aspects that I liked about this book and appreciated the deeper meaning behind it. I especially liked the story being broken up with the main character speaking with a psychiatrist. It made the reader question what was real and what wasn't. Is this all a figment of the imagination? A defense mechanism to cope with abuse? Something more sinister? I had to take one point off since the book lulled a bit in the middle and the ending wasn't as intense as I'd expected. I figured there would be a cliffhanger to make you second-guess everything you thought you figured out. Overall, a creepy, yet loveable story with themes around friendship, motherhood, family, life, and death.

'My Darling Dreadful Thing' by Johanna van Veen is a macabre debut horror novel. The writer nails the gothic presence and tells an enthralling love story in the midst of murder and manipulation.

Definitely purchasing this for my YA readers! I don't usually read horror/mystery books, but this title really left me in awe.

A dark and moody gothic horror. Part possession story, part love story nd the way a mind deals with trauma. It was beautifully written and had some unique takes on the genre. I highly recommend this one at spooky season especially.