While One House Left is more thriller than horror, it is still a fun YA read. The pacing is fast and the action comes in at all the right moments to keep the story moving.

The urban legends work well within the overall story and some of them were even ones I had not heard of before, which is always a good thing. I would have liked more on the creepy factor, but I still recommend this paranormal thriller.

I tried so hard to get into One House Left. I loved the idea of the folklore and the creepy house that made a town so infamous for its brutality of horrific happenings. I really did enjoy all the incorporations of the urban legends and there were definitely some creepy momenets. However the band of characters just made it fell flat for me. It could have been a truly terrifying book if the characters didn't also make it feel like a high school horror drama. I think other readers will be able to get past this and enjoy the story and the horrors it has to offer, I just couldn't get past the characters.

My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

This one is billed as R.L Stine meets Urban Legend, and that alone was enough to intrigue me as I passed my collection of Fear Street novels down to my children. And in some aspects, I was reminded of those novels, but in others I felt pretty let down.

To begin with Cherry Tree Lane aka Murder Road doesn't exactly feature prominently in the first half of this story. Sure, we get a few crumbs here and there about people who have died (or in one case nearly died) and the legend of the hiding boy, but then the story changes gears to what could be any other small town in America as Nate and his family have once again had to move, but what isn't made clear is what exactly is chasing them. The family has rules about not getting attached to places or people, but somehow Nate is unable to stay away from Max, and her two other friends Tyler and Seb aka the Hell Chasers - a group of friends who explore urban legends trying to prove (or more often than not disprove) whether or not urban legends are true.

And this is where I started running into issues. All of the characters lacked depth for me, including Nate and his family. I didn't care about any of them, or their supposed issues. Frankly, when the group found themselves in danger, I didn't care about that either, or whether any of them would survive.

The haunted house aspect of it, didn't grip me the way I feel the author intended for it to either, at times pushing too much in your face when a more subtle approach I feel would have worked better. Even with everything going on, there wasn't an urgency for me much less anything resembling anything other than mild interest. In fact, I put this novel down in the middle of the big event and went to sleep if that tells you anything.

However, the twist was surprising and not something that I saw coming, so I will say that saved this one for me a bit. I just wish the rest of the novel would have lived up to the potential that I saw in certain chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

The description touts One House Left as an "R.L. Stine meets Urban Legend" novel. But it's not even close to the spine tingliness of an R.L. Stine book.

I expected more based on the description as I wanted a nail-biting horror story that would keep me turning the pages. Instead, all I got was a lukewarm and boring teen drama that left me shaking my head.

The characters are fairly vanilla and nothing about any of them stands out. Except for maybe the female club member whose character I remember simply because of her masculine name, Max.

Needless to say, I wasn't impressed with what I read, and at 33% I have up forging ahead. I'll probably read the author's prior novel just to see if my perception changes. Until then, however, One House Left is a one star DNF for me.

I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

A creepy and gripping read about a group of friends who decide to check out a mysterious old house with a dark history. As they dig into its secrets, things get really intense and scary. Ralph does a great job creating a spooky atmosphere that keeps you hooked and on edge.
The mix of suspense and supernatural twists makes the book a thrilling ride. If you’re into creepy thrillers and enjoy a good scare, this book is definitely worth checking out!

This paranormal thriller with horror elements left me with mixed feelings. Despite the rave reviews, I was expecting a more groundbreaking experience, and it wasn't until the final third of the book that things started to make sense. Until then, I was perplexed by numerous unresolved questions: the mystery of the hiding boy, the reasons behind the family's flight, and why a group of kids seemed obsessed with confronting urban legends as if they were seeking their own demise.

I also struggled to connect with the characters, who felt somewhat underdeveloped. Nate's infatuation with Max seemed unconvincing, and it wasn't clear what made her stand out. As the story progresses, we learn more about the trio: Max's compassion for a neighbor with dementia and her husband, Tyler's struggle between sports and science amidst high family expectations, and Seb's ongoing grief over his brother’s tragic death.

Nate, potentially the hero, comes from a dysfunctional family with a mysterious link to Murder Road—a place plagued by tragedies and tied to the urban legend of the hiding boy. The family's insomnia adds another layer of unease. I found myself questioning why Nate, a shy and introverted 16-year-old, would go to such lengths to avoid joining the trio’s group.

Until the last third, I felt like I was wandering in the dark, piecing together clues and hoping for a twist to make the slow-burn horror more engaging. While there were intriguing moments, such as the eerie news columns and the group's exploration of urban legends, the plot's twists and explanations in the final third, though not entirely surprising, brought some resolution. The conclusion, while irritating, fit well with the story's overall tone.

Overall, the book was slow-paced and its characters didn't evoke much empathy, but the unique writing style and the fresh approach to the genre were commendable. There were no clichés or predictable scenarios, which kept me engaged despite initial impatience. The main twist was unpredictable, which enhanced my enjoyment.

I’m rounding up from 3.5 to 4 stars for its originality and clever execution. I look forward to reading more from this author. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

This isn’t comparable to R. L. Sting in the slightest bit. Stone gives his readers a protagonist worth caring about, scenes that go somewhere, and good writing. The beginning of this book teases ideas without giving any substance. I failed to see what anyone enjoyed about this story.

I thought this story sounded like the perfect pick for a Summerween read. It had all the makings for a spooky read but it was disappointing to me. I had a hard time getting into a good flow with the writing style and it was confusing and repetitive at times. Sadly I don't think this story was for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read this in exchange of an honest review.

Paranormal thriller mixed with some horror, had me hooked from the beginning to the end due to the writing style.
Yes, there were a lot of unanswered questions at the beginning which kind of bothered me. But I found it a fast read, and once you got to the end, questions were being answered.
Parts of the story were slow. The characters were a bit hard to relate to at the beginning, but again, once you continued to read, you got to understand each character better. Broken families, perfect families, etc.
overall, I really enjoyed this story and the fact that it was based around urban legends.
I did not expect a large part of the storyline which made it that much better.

This was a fun story. I really enjoyed it. A 16 year old boy moves from a neighborhood where he grew up where every year a new house is hit with a tragedy. He moves with his family to a different neighborhood to find out it his new neighborhood there are other ghost stories. He can’t seem to outrun this.

Vincent Ralph is one of my favorite thriller writers! This one did not disappoint, full of creepy atmosphere and all the tension. I would love for it to be made into a mini series or tv movie!

One House Left
Publication date: August 27, 2024

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Ralph Vincent for this ARC eBook in exchange for my honest review.

4.75 / 5

Ok, so ...

I wish I had possessed this book when I was a young adult, along with the hundreds of other YA novels... But it was still an absolute pleasure reading it as a middle aged man, cuz this is one of the best YA horror novels I've read.

This book was so many wonderful things ...

The secrets we keep....
Our need for connection....
Our need for someone who sees and accepts us; imperfections and all....

A scary, beautiful, funny, touching coming of age story.
Lots of eerieness, atmosphere and heart.
(I've seen comparisons to R.L. Stein... but, objectively, this has much better writing.)

This was pure nostalgia... in the sense that this story reminded me of every great horror movie and novel I watched and read when I was younger. It had me thinking of so many of my favorites, and I was looking them up... This is the type of YA novel that truly reminded me of why I fell in love with horror in the first place.

(Full review and thoughts on publication date)

Thanks, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for the ARC!

This book was extremely interesting! I loved that there were urban legends, mystery, hauntings and horror tied throughout this book. Sometimes there were descriptions that drug on a little too long, but that's a personal preference. I will say, I didn't expect the twist at all! The ending felt a bit abrupt but overall I enjoyed this book.

3.5/5 ⭐️
Best way for me to describe this was that it was mid. It was fine. I kept reading. But it wasn’t great. The first big chunk had the tone of Billie Ellish’s new album: slow and melancholy. And while it took a hard pivot in the final 25% and I enjoyed part 3 the most, it still was mid and not at all scary or thrilling. I’ve read another book by this author and that one was way more thrilling than this. I liked the idea and the twist, but the lead up execution fell short. It was fine. I finished it and wasn’t dragging my feet. But it wasn’t great.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

A YA horror thriller that totally relates to the target audience and beyond. Urban legends, nightmares, paranormal activity and pure gut wrenching horror are found in every chapter. I loved how this played out from beginning to end.
The author did a great job of immersing the reader into these horrible situations. I could feel their fear and the grotesqueness of the situations. Loved it

A fast paced quick read for younger readers.

I enjoyed the story, but somehow it didn’t feel like it fit the title until the end.

Typically, I enjoy a YA novel every now and then and don’t feel like I’m reading “young,” but this book definitely was written for its target audience. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. It just lost my attention here and there because of the naivety of the characters.

More of a 3.5 read for me but I can see the younger audience absolutely loving this one.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Wednesday books for the eARC.

This read was a thriller that took you on a wild ride. If you are into a mysterious thriller having you wonder what is about to come next this is the book for you. There is a paranormal element coupled with urban legends thrill to the overall theme, if that is for you this is the book for you! The writing was easy and I would recommend this to teens and adults!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review This was a surprising book. I did not know what to expect. I think that we all have a little bit of interest in local urban legends. I can definitely see the group of teens hanging and planning their next excursion.

My heart went out to the family running from their past.

The switch of characters at the end was not something I foresaw and was can normally figure out the mystery before the end.

I have to say I enjoyed One House Left

One House Left has a very intriguing premise. Young adult mystery/thrillers are usually right up my alley. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this one but would still recommend for fans of the genre.

I wanted to love this book. The twist at the end of the book is what saved it for me. Nate and his family are on the run from the hiding boy. The hiding boy from murder lane where every hour is cursed to experience a tragedy.. Nate and his family start over in a new town when he meets max and becomes a part of the hell chasers, his first real friends. The hellchasers are obsessed with urban legends. Little does Max and the hell chasers know that evil can hide in plain sight. It’s worth a read the beginning is very slow and has lots of history.