Wow. What a great read. Could not put it down. Thank you for letting me read this in advance. I stayed up way to late trying to get to the end.

really well done paranormal story about the aftermath of past injustices to native americans. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I really wanted to love this book, but the writing felt very juvenile and superficial at times, which took me away from the story.

If you love your ghost stories with a side of heartache, history, and hard truths, this one’s for you. Olivia Becente never wanted her sister’s gift of seeing the dead. But after Naiche’s sudden death, she gets more than visions—she gets questions. Years later, Olivia is Denver’s top paranormal investigator, but one case at the Brown Palace Hotel brings her face-to-face with something far darker than just spirits.

This book owns its space as a paranormal thriller, balancing chills with cultural depth. The spooky vibes hit you right away and never fully let up. But what I loved most was how Wurth weaves in the deeper reasons for those hauntings—colonialism, white supremacy, and the violent erasure of Native lives. It’s the kind of horror that stays with you because it’s rooted in real history.

The blend of spiritual practices also stood out to me. It felt like those underdog dance movies where the winning routine mixes styles—only here, it’s ceremony and belief coming together in a way that feels both raw and beautiful.

And Olivia? She’s everything I want in a main character—tough, sharp, and real. Her hyper-independence makes sense once you see her pain, and it makes her resilience hit even harder. I also found her connection to her heritage especially relatable. I know my family’s Yaquí roots, but like Olivia, the edges are fuzzy, and sometimes that leaves me questioning my place. It’s rare to see that nuance explored so well.

Pacing-wise, it’s mostly medium with a few slower stretches, but the tension never fades. You’re always bracing for the next chill—or the next truth. If you want a thriller that haunts you and makes you think, this one belongs on your shelf.

There’s a reason that I always read the author’s notes at the end of a book. They give me an insight into the author’s thoughts, and I almost always come away with a deeper understanding of what I read, but rarely do they make me get teary-eyed. This is what Erika Wurth wrote; “This last part is dedicated to every Native person who felt that they didn’t belong, and to every nerd who was told that what they loved was silly. You belong. What you love isn’t silly. And art is everything. It makes us able to love the world.”

That spoke to me, because Haunting is a true piece of art. Although there are descriptions of terrible things, specifically involving the Sand Creek Massacre, the character of Olivia gave me hope, and, even though this book is classified as horror, it’s also uplifting, which I realize is probably a bizarre feeling to have, but isn’t that what great art does? It gives you all the feels. All the stars to Haunting of Room 904.

This is a classic case of loving the concept but being disappointed by the execution. Bottom line is that there is just too much going on and the transitions were not smooth. It's a shame because the book started off by immediately grabbing my attention. There are definitely creepy elements, but its like it couldnt figure out where it wanted to go and overly detailed where it went.

This book helped kick me out of a reading slump!
My absolute favorite thing about this novel is that within the context of the supernatural, the vast majority of the characters were already on board and up to speed about hauntings and paranormal experiences, It felt refreshing after some of the fatigue I've felt in the past about characters who have to spend pages convincing other people about hauntings, etc..
The mysteries of the story are compelling, and deeply heartbreaking, while ultimately providing some degree of satisfying resolution in the face of irreparable tragedy and trauma. Olivia is a fun character to spend time with, and her circle of friends and support is engaging too, enough so that I hope this ends up being a first book in a series.
I both read the digital edition and listened to the audiobook, and enjoyed both throughly- especially as the audiobook provided pronunciations for names and words from the Tribal nations.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for my e-ARX of The Haunting of Room 904!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🪞 believe mirrors are portals to other worlds
👻 love ghost stories
🐴 enjoyed her novel, White Horse
🔍 like a mystery mixed with paranormal elements

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Olivia Becente was never supposed to have the gift. The ability to commune with the dead was the specialty of her sister, Naiche. But when Naiche dies unexpectedly and under strange circumstances, somehow Olivia suddenly can’t stop seeing and hearing from spirits.

A few years later, she’s the most in-demand paranormal investigator in Denver. She’s good at her job, but the loss of Naiche haunts her. That’s when she hears from the Brown Palace, a landmark Denver hotel. The owner can’t explain it, but every few years, a girl is found dead in room 904, no matter what room she checked into the night before. As Olivia tries to understand these disturbing deaths, the past and the present collide as Olivia’s investigation forces her to confront a mysterious and possibly dangerous cult, a vindictive journalist, betrayal by her friends, and shocking revelations about her sister’s secret life.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

I loved White Horse, so I knew that I would need to read her newest book! I absolutely love her blend of mystery and history with the paranormal. I also enjoy learning more about Native American history and she does a fantastic job of bringing awareness to these topics. It makes me sick that the indigenous peoples were treated with such disregard and contempt, so I enjoy these stories where they end up getting revenge, even hundreds of years after the fact. The story was a bit confusing at times for me because of the metaphors, but overall, it flowed well and it all ended up connecting. If you’re a fan of the paranormal, I think you’ll really enjoy this story.

Stars: 3.5 rounded up

I really enjoyed The Haunting of Room 904. The story was engaging, and the ending tied everything up nicely. The pacing was great, keeping me hooked without feeling slow.

The writing style wasn’t my favorite—some phrases felt repetitive, which pulled me out of the story at times. It didn’t ruin the book, but it did slow things down a bit.

Overall, it’s a solid paranormal horror that kept me interested, and I’m definitely open to reading more from this author. If you enjoy the genre, it’s definitely worth checking out!

Thanks to NetGalley & Flatiron Books for an advanced audiobook in exchange for my review!

I don't think this one was for me. From reading the synopsis, I was expecting this to be different than it was. At times, this felt more like a young adult read, which wasn't my favorite. Scenes that I think were written to be scary and tense, lacked that feeling.

Erika T. Wurth is one of the most exciting writers in horror right now, and it’s easy to see why. From the very start of her latest, The Haunting of Room 904, you’re on the edge of your seat as we follow Olivia, a real deal clairvoyant and the best in the business. But a few emotional encounters with spirits, she’s set on a path to investigate something truly dark and twisted that may just reveal something about her sister’s tragic death years earlier. If that’s not enough, it’s all tied in with the slaughter of the Cheyenne people at the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and the vengeful spirits that created. At their core, all ghost stories are about trauma and loss, and in The Haunting of Room 904, Wurth explores this on multiple levels—both cultural and generational, and personal trauma. But perhaps the most compelling part of this novel is the way care, friendship, and atonement remain present alongside the horrors. Wurth’s latest hits on multiple levels, and is sure to keep you turning pages. Just make sure to keep the lights on.