For some reason, I was not expecting this novel to have as many elements of horror as it did. It seemed very YA but had a lot of more adult elements. The writing style seemed a bit young and less complex than I'd prefer. This was a bit of a miss for me, even with the unexpected moments.

They Watch from Below is an atmospheric and gripping blend of mystery and horror that plunges readers into a chilling tale of campus secrets and ancient lore. With its eerie setting, complex characters, and steadily mounting tension, this book is perfect for fans of The Secret History and Ninth House, delivering a captivating story where the past’s shadows seep into the present.

Definitely enjoyed this read. Kept me engaged and wanting to know more! However the ending felt a little rushed and left me a little dissatisfied. Will be looking out for more from this author.

They Watch from Below - Katya de Becerra

Release Date: October 29, 2024
Genre and Sub Genre: Young Adult, Horror
Main Location(s): University of the Arches
TW/CWs: supernatural horror, folk horror, nightmares, darkness, underground setting, claustrophobia, anxious thoughts, underage drinking, smoking (observed), emotionally distant parents
On KU?: No
Rating: 3/5

Summary:
When Addie Velde is invited to an early orientation program at the University of the Arches, she’s thrilled to follow in her mother’s footsteps at the idyllic beachside campus. However, her excitement quickly fades when she moves into the eerie dorm known as The Crypt and discovers the school’s dark secrets. Drawn into the mystery of the shadowy “Buried Ones,” believed to be omens of death, Addie’s search for answers uncovers a vanished professor, a secret occult society, and unsettling connections to her own family. As danger looms, Addie must decide whether to confront the darkness or risk being consumed by it.

Review:
They Watch From Below by Katya de Becerra has an intriguing premise, blending dark academia, cult mysteries, and paranormal elements, but ultimately falls short of delivering on its potential. The story follows Addie Velde, who attends an early orientation at her mother’s alma mater, only to uncover a web of secrets involving legacy students, a creepy dorm nicknamed "the Crypt," and a connection to ancient gods. While the setting is atmospheric and the pacing is quick, the plot feels predictable, with little buildup of suspense or mystery. The characters lack depth, often feeling like stereotypes, and their relationships are underdeveloped, making it hard to feel invested in their fates.
Marketed as a mix of Ninth House and The Secret History, this book doesn’t hold up to those comparisons. The writing is solid, with moments of promise, but the overuse of certain words, like "esoteric," and a lack of subtlety in the reveals detract from the overall experience. For YA readers new to the genre, this might still be a fun and spooky read, but seasoned fans of dark academia or horror may find it underwhelming. While I appreciated the fast-paced chapters and the concept of underground gods, the lack of character development and genuine suspense made this a forgettable read for me.

They Watch From Below is a great horror story. It keeps you guessing as you try to figure out what is going on. Each character adds to the story in their 0wn way. The creepy story is a real page-turner you won't want to put down. Horror fans will enjoy this one. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for this E-arc. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

Girl goes away to college. Girl has seen strange things her whole life. Things happen. I want to know more.

To sum everything up I liked this book but at the same time it didn't feel "complete". I really liked the idea of found footage and getting to know Addie but think there were still parts missing. I felt that she and all the other characters were flat, they didn't really have personalities that set them apart to me besides a few quirks. I kept expecting to get more background on everyone including the twins, and the way it ends makes me think there may be a sequel? I have mixed feelings about the ending as the book was very slow to build and ends abruptly to me.

On the positive side I did enjoy the build up to the lore and all the atmospheric details stuffed into this book. Its my first time reading Mx. De Beccera's work and I enjoyed her writing style and how she's able to take all these details and weave such a tense air. That alone was creepy and honestly the imagery was riveting, I especially can appreciate some of the mentions of Vera being pregnant with Addie. Also, the premise of the these beings and the university was intriguing and although we don't find much about them I think it adds even more to the mystery.

I think this book overall was a 2.5/5 for me, that may be because it is a YA tittle and is meant for a younger audience. I did enjoy it, but it just doesn't feel like its all there yet and really wish we had more depth in the story/ending. The writing, concept and imagery though makes me look forward to read what this author writes next as the story was interesting!

This was a super fun, mystery/horror that kept me enthralled the entire time. I love a good novel about a school with dark secrets and this one hit all those notes for me. Young adult and dark academia for the win!

I absolutely loved the prose and the story in this one! Haunting, addicting, and awesome! I also adore the cover so much!

I DNF this book around the 50% mark therefore I will not be rating this book in its entirety.
I felt no emotional attachment to the characters and it put me in a massive reading slump.
The whole book felt very juvenile, from the way the characters are portrayed to the way they all interacted with one another. I know it is a YA novel, but I’ve still read YA horror that does a good job at telling a story and keeping my attention.
The story itself was interesting, but could have been executed so much better with better writing. There were a few moments that I just could not even believe what I had read due to its absurdity.

I saw a review which says this is a lighter version of pet sematary and I'm sold. The cover art is stunning and drew me in and set the vibes and tone for what's to come. Overall, the execution could have been more better but I still enjoyed this.

✨ARC Review✨

This is an entertaining young adult, dark academia story about a young woman attending her orientation week at the University of the Arches. Her mother’s alma mater, the Arches, has always been a point of interest for Addie and her mother never talks about it despite donating frequently and generously.

When Addie gets to the Arches, she’s immediately filled with dread and curiosity. She’s scanning the shadows for dark figures and becoming friendly with other “legacies.” How does her mother and the notebooks she shared with Addie lead her to the dark society and the mystery of what happened to someone at the school twenty years ago?

The mystery is compelling, the school is a character itself, the side characters are interesting, and the resolution feels like I want more of it. What’s next?

I received this eARC via #netgalley and #pagestreetya @pagestreetpublishing. All thoughts are mine alone.

#yahorror #youngadultbooks #yaparanormal #theywatchfrombelow #katyadebercerra #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram

Really liked the vibes on this one as it went on, getting darker and darker. 4 stars, would recommend, tysm for the arc.

Addie Velde is thrilled when she’s invited to an orientation program at University of the Arches, her mother’s prestigious alma mater. However, her excitement quickly turns to dread as she uncovers a sinister secret lurking within the university—one that endangers not only her life but also the lives of her classmates.

While I don’t typically read much dark academia, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the mystery and the horror elements throughout the book. Parts of the story were really creepy!

I thought this was a very atmospheric and engrossing read. I recommend this book to fans of dark academia and ya horror. I love the author’s writing and I can’t wait to dive into her other books.


3.5⭐️


Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC of this book via NetGalley for review.

I liked this . I thought that this book was atmospheric, and the campus was interesting--the quirks of the campus and the other students were pretty well integrated into the story. I also thought that the characterization of our main characters was interesting but needed a bit more depth to make me really feel them, but I enjoyed watching them interact with their surroundings. The one major thing that I didn't enjoy about this story was the ending. I was hoping to see the ending come to a slow build and climax, but it ultimately felt very rushed. I also felt a little confused at the very end about a few things--the Buried Ones, some of the side characters, how this setting fit into the world at large, etc. Also, comparing this book to Ninth House, an adult dark academia book, was really a detriment to it--this book is firmly YA, which is okay but don't set the expectation that it's going to be something else.

Overall, this was not horrible. I do wish that the book had more depth to it because it could feel a little boring at moments, but I would definitely read more from this author. This was such an interesting idea, so I'm interested to see what this author puts out next.

I want to start off by saying I think this book has a really interesting premise, but unfortunately I don't think it was well-executed. It felt more like a first draft than a completed book. This book was very slow paced. I feel like a ton of the beginning chapters could've been condensed because nothing important happened. There was a lot of telling, but not much showing. This is especially disappointing to me because part of the appeal of dark academia is the lush descriptions of setting. I don't feel like I had any clue what this college looked like at all. Similarly, there wasn't much characterization. Addie didn't seem to have much personality and all of the side characters felt flat, too. I kept hoping this book would pick up for me, but it never did.

This was a quick read that I couldn’t seem to put down. This book follows Adria as she follows her mother’s foot steps by attending her mother’s Alma mater. This book takes place during a bit of an orientation week where Adria gets an introduction to the campus, its oddities, and other legacy students. There is a strange connection between them all as they all attempt to put together all the weird things happening since arriving to campus. The first half of the book had a lot of potential. However, the ending felt rushed and still didn’t get a true understanding of what the purpose of the Buried Ones. I wish we would have gotten to have more insight into the side characters as they had a lot of potential but felt superficial. However, this didn’t take away from the horror aspect of this book and the pacing was excellent.

The University of the Arches has been calling Addie Velde's name ever since she can remember, she feels as if it's been ‘circling her all her life, breathing down her neck.’ Like many college freshmen, she plans to attend her parent's alma mater; in this case, her alum mother Vera Velde seems to still have a weird connection to the Arches, which has added to her anxiety about going, but also inexplicably draws her in deeper to explore its mysteries.
Addie attends a freshman orientation there and connects with other ‘legacy’ students whose parents also attended the college—one that’s laden with myths and secrets—including handsome twins Alister and Nick. The legacy cohort discovers their connection may be rooted to a secret society that worships ‘at the altar of the Buried Ones,’ who dwell in tunnels below the college. But what do these ‘gods’ want? Will Addie finally find out why her mom has hidden so much about her time at the Arches?

This is a tale steeped in folk horror, dark academia, and secret societies. Katya de Becerra has become a staple in YA horror, and as with all her other novels, They Watch From Below weaves in her vast knowledge of folklore, myths, and legends, along with the study of anthropology. Her characters are saddled with coming-of-age complexities such as family issues, relationships with friends, burgeoning romances, and finding their place in the world, all amid some very creepy and sinister circumstances. This all adds a layered approach to her storytelling, reminding the reader that there’s a thin line between horror and reality, the darkness feels omnipresent. The main character Addie has always felt like an outsider, as though something made her feel different. Even though we realize it’s something truly dark and unexplained, the feeling is relatable.

Like her previous novel When Ghosts Call Us Home Katya uses the device of video footage to tell some of the story; the sections are glimpses into Addie’s past, keeping pace with the short chapters that make up most of the novel. This is a fast read, and readers may want even more of Addie and the Arches when they reach the conclusion (as I did). Katya’s trademark writing style is rich in visceral and descriptive language; it has a way of enveloping you when you read her books and drawing you into the mystery. They Watch From Below is another strange, dark, and beautiful jaunt into Katya’s literary world; a perfect Halloween treat.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'll start off by giving my rating: 2/5 stars. This book was compared to Ninth House (which I absolutely loved) and another adult fantasy, so going into this I thought it would be written more like an adult book rather than YA, or at least like new adult. But it is very YA.

I really wanted to like this book, but it let me down. The premise of underground hungry gods at a college campus sounded so intriguing. But it felt so lackluster. Nothing was explained or felt climactic. It was slow and boring basically the whole book. None of the characters felt dynamic or interesting and their relationships were very out of place to me.

This was just overall a boring book with a horribly executed premise. I feel like it could've been so much more if the author actually thought about backstory and character development. And even imagery. Nothing was remotely scary besides maybe two small scenes.

Also, the word "vibe" was used on what felt like every page which was pretty annoying. There are definitely other words you could use.

Maybe if you're a YA who just wants an atmospheric slightly creepy story, this could be for you. But I wouldn't recommend it to the general population.

Book Review: They Watch From Below by Katya de Becerra

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Okay, so I just finished They Watch From Below, and wow, what a ride! First off, can we just take a moment to appreciate the cover? Seriously, it’s stunning! It immediately drew me in and set the tone for what was to come.

So, here’s the scoop—Addie Velde is our main character, and she’s kind of a vibe. She gets an invite to an early orientation at the University of the Arches, which is this gorgeous beachside campus that her mom adored. Naturally, Addie is super excited to make her own mark there. But things take a dark turn as soon as she steps foot on campus. Her dorm, ominously dubbed The Crypt, gives off major creepy vibes, and it’s not long before she realizes that there are some heavy secrets lurking in the shadows.

As she digs deeper, Addie stumbles upon a chilling campus mystery linked to these ominous figures called “The Buried Ones.” Legends say they’re harbingers of death, and with a missing professor and an occult society thrown into the mix, Addie finds herself in way over her head. It’s thrilling to see her unearth these secrets, especially since her own family might have ties to this eerie history.

I devoured this book in just two days because it was so engaging! The writing is sharp and fast-paced, making it impossible to put down. The setting is brilliantly crafted, with the blend of eerie symbols, old religious elements, and the land's haunting backstory adding an extra layer of creepiness.

The characters? Let’s just say they’re not one-dimensional—each one brings something unique to the table, making you genuinely invested in their journeys. And while the ending provides some closure (thank goodness!), there are still enough questions left dangling that keep you thinking about Addie’s fate long after you’ve turned the last page.

Overall, They Watch From Below is a perfect mix of mystery and horror that kept me on my toes. I absolutely loved it and can't wait to check out more from Katya de Becerra. If you’re into stories that weave together suspense and a touch of the supernatural, this one’s definitely worth picking up!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

If you're looking to get into more paranormal or horror and want to start somewhere gentler than Pet Sematary I highly recommend this book. I'm a "the scarier the better" person myself so this was more of a comfy horror for me, but I was not left wanting. Dark academia vibes, secret society, ancient gods and exceptional pacing. I will definitely be reading again.