This was just boring. And I don’t think it had much horror in it for a horror book. This missed the mark for me.

Nate and his family have moved yet again. The reasons why will slowly be revealed. The one thing Nate knows is that he must keep his head down and avoid making friends. But what exactly is this 16-year-old boy afraid of?
Then Nate lowers his guard when he meets Max. She and her friends have an urban legends club where they attempt to see if the scary stories are true. The more I read the more questions I had about Nate and his family. I did feel that it dragged a bit in the middle, but once the first twist was revealed, I was right back in page flipping mode. About the ending, let’s just say, it fit with the overall tone of the story. 3.5 stars

"One House Left" by Vincent Ralph, and I'm still reeling from the experience. This paranormal thriller had me hooked from start to finish, and I found myself staying up until 2:30 am to see how the story would unfold.

As a fan of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series as a child, I was thrilled to discover that this book captured the same eerie atmosphere and sense of unease. The plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, keeping you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very end.

What I loved most about "One House Left" is how it lingered in my mind long after I finished reading. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters, the plot, and the subtle clues that I might have missed the first time around. The ending, in particular, left me with a "WTF?" moment that has me itching to re-read the book just to see what I might have missed.

If you're a fan of paranormal thrillers or just looking for a book that will keep you up all night, "One House Left" is a must-read. Just be prepared to sleep with the lights on afterwards!

Okay, so I will say this book isn't bad. It was a fun horror thriller with an interesting cast of characters and a light read.

But, the mistake the marketing team made is comparing it to RL Stine. I went expecting something mind blowing and honestly I just got decent. Not that it was bad, but I feel like it was oversold. The characters definitely read YA, and not in a good girls guide to murder YA way but in a Harry Potter kind of way. Which again, isn't bad. The story was intriguing and I was able to read it in one setting. I did enjoy it, but the marketing is what made me frustrated because it wasn't what I was sold.

Overall, I recommend it and TBH I will probably read it again, but don't think it should have been compared to Stine.

"One House Left" was a decent book, better than many "horror" novels. I liked that it focused on urban legends and a group of teenagers that enjoy exploring urban legends, sort of wanting them to be true for the shock factor but knowing that they are really just stories. Also, using the exploration of urban legends as a way to temporarily escape their own losses, traumas, or problems. The story does focus on an urban legend, that at least in the book, is "real", although the supernatural being has some very "not supernatural" assistance. The book has some pretty good twists.

One House Left
Vincent Ralph
I was excited to read this book. I found the name enticing and the synopsis was interesting. The synopsis was more exciting than the actual book. This tale has a very slow pace. The characters lacked depth.
A sixty-year-old legend, has it Murder Road is cursed by The Hiding Boy, an evil spirit. Every few years a house/family has something bad happen. Nate and his family are afraid of the curse and are trying to run from it. It seems the curse is hunting them. Nate has made friends with a group of teens involved in urban legends and he becomes involved.
The characters in this book lack development. The characters didn’t have individual personalities. I felt very little connection with the characters or the plot. I don’t like giving less than positive reviews.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a review copy.

Mysteries written in the first person naturally leave out a lot of information and in many ways, that's what can make or break a thriller like this. How much does the narrator tell the reader? How much do they hold back? No one likes a book that ends with "The butler did it" when there was no butler in the story until the last chapter.

This novel sucked me in with the writing and kept me guessing for a long time. Too long? Maybe. I think I would have liked some answers about the Hiding Boy, about the family's strange behaviors, about the reason they move, a little earlier. Or maybe a reason we *can't* know the truth?

Readers of RL Stine's YA books will enjoy this. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

A group of kids obsessed with urban legends is the foundation for One House Left, this spooky YA thriller. Nate is new to town and falls in with a group of kids obsessed with urban legends. It isn't long before the group realize that Nate is a conduit to the other world. I loved how atmospheric and chilling story set in a small town. I was invested from the beginning and needed to see how this one would play out. The ending was unexpected and took me by complete surprise. I love a good ending and this book truly delivered. I recommend this one for YA horror lovers.

Book: One House Left
Author: Vincent Ralph
Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC. I loved Secrets Never Die by this author. I read it last year and thought the horror elements of it were well done. I was super excited when I got offered an ARC for this one. However, it ended up being a miss for me and I am very sad about it. I do hate it whenever I end up not enjoying a book.

In this one, we follow Nate, who grew up on Murder Road, which is exactly like it sounds. It is said that the street is cursed by an evil spirit called the Hiding Boy. Every couple of years for the past sixty years, a house is chosen and something bad happens. Once your house is chosen, there is escaping it. He and his family have been running for a long time. They fear the curse and have to get away from it. Nate has learned that it is best not to put down roots because the curse always finds them. Everything seems okay in this new town. Nate has even made friends, which is something that he normally does not do. However, these new friends are the local urban legend club and he quickly finds himself sucked into it. Now, it seems that what he has been trying to get away from has found him or is it just another story?

Vincent does a great job at setting the scene and this is no different. We are given this story about Murder Road, then we are transported into Nate’s world. We don’t have a full understanding of what is going on. We know Nate’s family is running from some big secret. We don’t know if it’s supernatural or not, but something is very wrong in his family. I love it whenever books hide things from their readers. I know a lot of readers do not like this, but I find that it does add to the story. It adds a sense of mystery and unknownness to the book.

I had a very difficult time connecting to the characters. I know that I just said that I like it whenever we don’t know everything. However, I like having enough to connect with the characters. I felt that the characters were a bit underdeveloped. They all blended. Now, Vincent did try to give them all a voice and their personality, but I just didn’t mesh with them.

The plot is slow. Normally, I don’t mind a slow book, but the pacing didn’t fit with the story. This setup does require a bit of a faster pace. I get having a slower pace to set up the world and the premise, but I don’t know. I found that it didn’t work for me. It made the whole thing, again, seem underdeveloped and flat. I thought that the start of the book did set up the story wonderfully, but it felt like it didn’t advance beyond that. It’s hard to put this into words without spoiling the story too much. Just know that it didn’t work for me.

Overall, this was a miss for me. I am interested in reading more by this author because I did enjoy another book by him.

This book comes out on August 27, 2024.

One House Left by Vincent Ralph is a captivating blend of paranormal thriller and horror novel that left me with mixed emotions. This gripping story combines elements of coming-of-age, family trauma, and terrifying supernatural encounters that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a thrilling and chilling read.

"R.L. Stine meets Urban Legend" - say no more...

"One House Left" has all the ingredients for the perfect YA horror novel. If you're looking for a break from your usual reads, this book offers plenty of urban legends to capture your interest and enough eerie elements to give you chills.

The story follows a dysfunctional family constantly on the move due to a dark secret that makes them act strangely and suspiciously.

When the new kid quickly befriends a group at school, they share all the urban legends and ghost stories surrounding the town. As these tales begin to intertwine with the ones Nate's family is trying to escape, the question arises: can he and his family outrun their past this time?

This was an enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for an adventurous paranormal thriller.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, Vincent Ralph, and NetGalley for the EARC!

This book gives me mixed feelings. The first part went smoothly. I also really like the writing style of it, the way the main character's , Nate, thoughts were captured. The way he and his siblings lived through an urban legend and handled it all differently. The way he hides everything within himself and is so hesitant to get close with others. The group of friends he make, the Hell Chasers, and the way they dwelve into urban legends. Everything is so intricately written and has me wanting and yearning for more, to understand what is it that Nate is hiding. Then we get to the heart of the Hiding Boy, the second part. The second part has me lost, a bit confused with all the multiple perspectives. I'll be honest, I didn't feel truly scared or the horror of the house, the fear the characters felt. But to each their own. Then, in the third part, everything falls into pieces, explaining everything. Overall, this book is well written, and I would recommend it.

This had me at RL Stine meets Urban legend! However, it did not quite live up to my expectations. The mid-way twist was a good one, but everything else kind of fell flat. It was a quick read though, so not a bad way to spend a few days. Would recommend for a fun, semi-spooky quick read.

thank you to netgalley for the eARC.
**2.5 stars on storygraph**

when i received the ARC to this book, i didn’t realize that i had read a book by this author before until i read a few chapters and noticed that the way the chapters were written and paced was familiar. i rated that book three stars and finished it fairly quickly, but this book was a different story.

the synopsis sounded interesting to me, i really enjoy the idea of hauntings whether it be big places or small objects they come in contact with often. once i started reading, i felt let down a bit.

nate is the main character the story follows and he felt like the least developed character. even his sister who showed up very few times seemed more developed than he was. all of his dialogue felt very unnatural along with his relationships. i cared very little for the characters with the exception of one, max.

i normally enjoy short chapters, but i think the length of them played a part in highlighting how weak the storyline was. it wasn’t until the 73% mark when i was slightly interested in where the story was going and even then, it wasn’t by much.

i do typically give authors second chances, sometimes thirds, but the problems in this book seemed to be the same as the other book i read months ago by this author. this writing style, pacing, and author just might not be for me.

A thriller like any other. I found nothing special about this book. That doesn't take away from the fact that it was an enjoyable read. However easily forgettable.

Creepy story of teens obsessed with urban legends who find one that is a little too real. Packs a really good third act twist but is a little confusing at times.

Oh, I had such high hopes for this one but had a really difficult time connecting with the characters and their decisions. So much confusion until the last part, and I constantly felt like I was missing something important.

I was entertained and enjoyed the spooks, but I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped to.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this young adult thriller. It’s the perfect read for the spooky season and it gave me major Fear Street vibes.

This book is about a group of kids that are obsessed with urban legends and finding out if they are true. This seems like a good idea until someone ends up dead.

If you are a fan of the paranormal or urban legends this is one worth picking up.

A special thanks to NetGalley for this free electronic ARC. I really enjoyed this book all the way through. This was an easy read with short and entertaining chapters that left you unable to put the book down.

All the main characters were intriguing, as was the unknown reason why Nate and his family were on the run. I can honestly say I had no idea where this book was going but I enjoyed the ride. A lot of the events that occurred were extremely creepy and kept me questioning what was going to happen next. I loved the idea of the different urban legends and could not figured out how they all connected to Nate and his family.

I loved the ending and enjoyed where this story went. I am hoping this is not the end of Nate and his family’s story. Definitely recommend for a spooky read.

This is my fourth book by the author and I have to say, they just keep getting better and better. I like the slow burn of the new kid in town, not really wanting to make friends with anyone. And then slowly letting people in. I could never have guessed where this story was going. It's definitely a bit darker than his prior books.
I feel like I can't say too much without spoiling anything, but if you like YA Horror definitely give this one a try.