A very fun weekend read with a mixed media element. I tend to really love Sarah Pinsker's shorter form stories and this is no exception. I loved the blending of the supernatural TV with fake hauntings paired with a haunting for our main character to sort out and how that haunting intersected with their own issues. I don't want to mention anything else out of fear of spoiling the experience but if you like introspective horror that is just a tad creepy to read in a day I recommend this one!

A wonderful use of horror to give an in depth character study! A fun, fast paced read - the setting provides the most interesting backdrop for the events that transpire. Surprisingly cozy!

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Sarah Pinsker’s Haunt Sweet Home takes a while to unfold and show you the SF/F side: at first it feels like a coming of age story, albeit one which occurs on the set of a show that tries to renovate people’s houses while convincing them that they’re haunted. The main character, Mara, hasn’t yet managed to achieve anything she set out to do, and her family view her as a bit of a loser — but her cousin manages to give her a spot in the show, and an opportunity to prove herself.

The rest develops a bit more slowly, but give it time; I found it pretty satisfying, and at novella length, it doesn’t take that long to reveal the real haunting. Meanwhile, Mara’s well written; I feel like a lot of us know her type, and instantly find her familiar.

There are some lovely descriptions of Mara’s grandmother’s carving, and the process of creativity around woodworking, etc, too, which will stick with me.

I did find one particular thing a little obvious, but it was still fun to stick around and watch it properly unfold.

HGTV meets horror in Haunt Sweet Home. If you prefer eerie horror to graphic and gory horror, this would be a great short title to pick up! I had fun reading this one and used it as a palate cleanser to some serious literary fiction.

A spooky, quirky story that felt right out of a 1980s horror movie. Perfect for ghost lovers with a fresh helping of complex characters and families.

Thank you to Sarah Pinsker (author), Jennifer Blom (narrator); Jess Nahikian (narrator); Matt Godfrey (narrator); Robb Moreira (narrator), Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for this advanced listener copy of "Haunt Sweet Home" for an honest review.

This was a delightfully spooky little read, and it was fun watching the slowly evolving haunting of Mara, while she's working on what's obviously a faked haunted house show. It was so surreal to watch it start coming to life, both through Jo and the ghost in the haunted library. I loved the evolution of Mara's place in her family and the ownership of choosing to grow even if your life has had too many dead ends before now. I felt my heart swell as Mara showed signs of taking up her grandmother's mantle, not simply with the figure that became her chair, but with callbacks to her childhood and the book's evocative, beautiful last lines.

I do feel sad it was only a novella, as I feel it ends where it should be counting itself as a middle or a 75% mark, but I was pleased to get what we did.

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Audio Quality:
This narration was a blast to listen to! You could tell they were having the time of their lives. The characters are all starkly different, and I felt it was so easy to tell them apart, even when the prose hadn't clarified a new person who walked into the current scene.
Looking forward to everything else I might hear them in for the future of Macmillian Audio! <3

In Haunt Sweet Home, Mara lands a job as a night shift production assistant on her cousin’s show, a ghost hunting/home makeover combo show. Sounds weird, right? It’s all smoke and mirrors. In fact, it’s Mara’s job to plant some of the smoke and mirror elements to make the set seem more creepy. That is, until actual mysterious and creepy things start to happen. She makes somewhat of an ally on set, but there’s something not quite right about the coworker, and Mara will have to figure out if who she’s been hiding from is herself.

This book was just fine. I picked it for the premise of ghost hunting/home makeover show. I love a little bit of meta horror ala ghost hunting where the nonbelievers experience perhaps some real things. There’s an aimless main character who gets in a little over her head and discovers a paranormal mystery to solve. It moved pretty quickly and had some interesting reveals. I didn’t love it, but if you’re looking for something that combines your love of horror and ghosts with your love of HGTV, then it might be right up your alley.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a woman who works on a show all about house hauntings. She is the one in charge of creating the hauntings and things go awry when she meets a coworker who is not as she seems.

I was not a big fan of this book. I'll start with the good first. I love the cover and I think the book started out good.

On the other hand, our main character was just so annoying to me. She was like in her 30s but acted like a spoiled teenager. The whole time she just whined about everything and it drove me nuts. What grown adult gets jealous when their friend gets along with her family? I don't understand.

Also, the main "twist" of this book was just dumb and didn't make a lot of sense to me. This book had a lot of potential but it just didn't work.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This enjoyable horror novella features Mara, a young woman seeking her identity as a production assistant for a haunted house reality show. Her night shifts raise intriguing questions about the authenticity of the scares she helps create.

Mara's character development is rewarding as she uncovers her skills and interests. The haunted house setting offers a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes process of crafting scares.

Overall, the novella balances depth and spookiness, making it a fun read that appeals to many. While some tense moments could be enhanced, the engaging premise and character growth make it a solid addition to the genre.

This is a fun novella with spooky vibes and an entertaining ghost story. When a young woman begins a job working as part of the crew of a show about haunted houses, she's the one that ends up haunted.

Haunt Sweet Home wasn't overly complex and felt like a campfire ghost story. Like something I could have watched on a Saturday night as a preteen on Are You Afraid of the Dark ( I know I'm really aging myself here). It was a perfectly nostalgic ghostly read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a short and sweet little adventure. Is the haunted TV show real? Not exactly but some parts may be. I throughly enjoyed the story and the main character.

This novella had a clever premise and creepy atmosphere, but the ending felt too abrupt and rushed.

Haunt Sweet Home was creative, spooky, and packed a punch! I loved the main character in this novel because she was so vulnerable about her insecurities and finding her way. It was heart wrenching to watch her struggle, and I loved figuring out what the supernatural presence on set had to do with the story. Mysterious with a satisfying resolution, this book packed a punch with great pacing.

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

I loved the idea of this book!!

I didn't love it as I thought I would but I didn't dislike it either. While it wasn't a win for me, I loved the writing and the premise. I didn't get too attached to any characters and could see the twists and scares coming. It was a short, quick read. I will try this author again.

Sarah Pinsker’s Home Sweet Home is a compelling exploration of community, identity, and the meaning of belonging, set against the backdrop of a near-future society transformed by radical technological and societal shifts. Pinsker’s storytelling excels in weaving deeply human struggles into speculative settings, and this book is no exception.

Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker has a unique and compelling premise, but ultimately, it didn’t quite live up to its potential. The story centers around Mara, a disillusioned twenty-something working on a ghost-hunting reality TV show, where staged scares begin to blur into something much more sinister. There’s a lot to love in the concept, but the execution left me feeling conflicted.

First, let’s talk about the positives. The twist in the plot is intriguing and definitely caught me off guard. As the eerie events unfold on set, it becomes clear that something darker is happening, and the mystery surrounding the blurred lines between reality and performance kept me engaged. I also appreciated the script-like portions of the story. These sections, with their behind-the-scenes look at the TV show, added a fun and dynamic layer to the narrative, and they were a clever way to build tension while also providing a bit of comic relief.

However, Haunt Sweet Home is far from perfect. The tone felt inconsistent at times, and I struggled to stay fully immersed in the story. The mix of eerie supernatural elements with the more mundane, everyday struggles of Mara's life felt disjointed, which made the pacing uneven. Some parts of the book were engaging, while others lagged, and I found myself losing interest during the slower sections. Additionally, while the story touches on interesting themes of self-deception and personal growth, these ideas weren’t as fully developed as I would have liked.

Despite its flaws, the book is a quick read, and the creepy atmosphere surrounding the reality TV set did keep me turning pages. But overall, Haunt Sweet Home didn’t completely capture my attention or deliver the emotional impact I was hoping for. It’s an interesting take on the haunted house genre, but it ultimately fell short in execution.

I’m giving it 2 stars—there’s promise here, but the tonal inconsistencies and lack of deeper character development held it back for me.

3.75 stars

PropertyBros meets GhostBros in this cozy, supernatural novella from Sarah Pinsker.

Mara doesn't have a lot going on when her cousin Jeremy, the host of a ghost hunting home renovation tv show, gets her a job as night PA on set. It blows, but staging fake haunts for views isn't all that terrible. Mara realizes she's kinda good at it (and for someone who feels as if she's failed at most things up until this point in her young life, it feels really satisfying). But things start getting weird when the haunts aren't so scripted.

I liked this. It's definitely a cozy "horror", and I dug it for the vibe it brought. It's pretty wholesome and heartwarming, and I would recommend it for any of you who are having an actual fall season right now and not dying of 94 degree weather in November.

Mara, a twenty-something who has spent years trying to find her footing herself in life. She finally gets her chance at another fresh start when her cousin Jeremy offers her a job as a night-time production assistant on his ghost-hunting/house makeover mashup reality program. At first, she has no idea what to expect. Mara shows up at her first shift on set and is met by the others on the night crew, who give her the rundown of their responsibilities. Jo, a fellow production assistant whom she befriends, reveals that most of the show is about manufactured scares. The night folks help stage exaggerate and straight-up phony ghostly encounters to make the show more interesting. What does Mara think?

The author writes a fun premise featuring a crew of a haunted house reality TV show mixed up in some family drama.but truth be told, iThe story provided some intrigue and suspense which I enjoyed. It is eerie. “Haunt Sweet Home” is a multifaceted, supernatural investigation.