4 stars

This book definitely lived up to the early hype. It was dark and disturbing. Haunted house done just right. My eye is on this author now.

This book takes haunted house (property) to a whole new level! It is so disturbing and wicked!

Paul returns to his small hometown to take a break after his failed podcast put lives in jeopardy. Upon his return, he quickly learns that a close friend has committed suicide in his childhood home. 8114, the house that always attracted death. He decides to record a new podcast to investigate 8114 focusing on the history of the property and what could have driven his friend to kill himself. Paul begins to feel like he is going crazy as he starts to see the dead and he soon learns the dire consequences for people who have connection to 8114 including himself.

I was really excited to get an ARC of 8114 and it didn’t disappoint. It is so creepy, and it took things further than I think I was expecting. It is gruesome, unsettling and I seriously cannot stop picturing the pig barn! Read the author’s note. It is spooky AF.

Highly recommend to all horror fans!

Welp this was an interesting ride for me a quite frankly the quickest I have ever made it through an ARC read. It kept me interested and wanting to read more. Now that I have finished the book, I get why it's titled the way it is, but I still don't care too much for the Title. It doesn't easily roll off the tongue.

This book was definitely suspenseful and at times very creepy and I really wanted to know the background (which I think could have been developed a little deeper). I was really looking to understand they why in everything. I guess we do get somewhat of a glimpse of it at the end. The best thing about it, is it kept me reading.

Although this book is undeniably creepy, I could just not get along with it, because of the narrative style. The lead character, Paul, was so unlikeable and millennial in outlook, that I really struggled to keep going. Luckily, the book was quite short, or I might have just given up in exasperation at the tone. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

"8114" by Joshua Hull is an unsettling, spine-chilling masterpiece that left a lasting impression—so much so that it gave me nightmares! It's rare for a book to evoke such a visceral reaction, but Hull's masterful blend of suspense and terror delivers an experience that's both deeply creepy and irresistibly thrilling.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy.

DNF at 27%.

Paul, the host of a podcast, has returned to his hometown to find that a longtime friend has taken his own life in the ruins of Paul’s childhood home. To try to find closure, Paul interviews friends and other locals. Why did his friend take this step and is something wicked going on?

Well, I don’t know. Paul has a plant and mold growing in his arm within about twenty seconds of returning to town, and that seems pretty bad. However, he just goes blithely on with his little podcast, I guess he figures all that will just work itself out. Oh, and he just….forgets that a dead man called him a little earlier. And left him a voice mail. I mean, NOBODY calls anymore, amirite? That might be the scariest thing. All that, plus it’s poorly written? No, thanks.

Oh man. Where to even begin? I was really looking forward to this as it’s set in an area I have family in. I love books that I have an immediate connection to. Wow. This one did not disappoint.

From the very first page I was hooked. A missing kid that wasn’t really missing. A podcast that went so terribly off the rails that the host decided to “take a break”? Yep, I’m in.

I think this is the kind of book that you’re better off going into completely blind. Do yourself a favor and avoid spoilery reviews. Trust me. So with that in mind, that’s all I’m going to say. Intrigued? You absolutely should be. Check this one out because you’re gonna love it.

Pretty creepy stuff here. A tad bit of lag in the middle, but that was the only weakness.

This is probably an author worth watching.

Dark and disturbing. Just the way I like it! The only negative about this horror book galoer is that it's too short. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Haunting! I feel like I categorize my horror into the ominous feelings or the scary action. This is certainly one I would put in the latter. Don't let that fool you into thinking Hall cannot create the spookiest of atmospheres, however. Small town, creepy house, random deaths? Spooky vibes-check.
That, however, is the first chapter. We haven't even met any dead people yet!
I'm a pretty harsh critic on character development to book length ratio, and I felt this one was a perfect blend. The overall book is short and plot driven, but that does not mean we don't get to learn what we need to about each character. Loved the people, places, and plot- definitely recommend for a quick horror read!

Paul's back in his hometown, confronting the darkness of his past after his friend's heartbreaking suicide. I loved every minute of this quick, eerie read - a must for haunted house fans like me!

Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher, for providing a free ARC. I'm happy to share my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH Books for this ARC.

8114 tells the story of a somewhat disgraced true-crime Podcast host who returns to his hometown after being away from it for ten years to discover a series of dark evens with his childhood home at their centre, and we follow him as he discovers more about the history of the house and the situation for him and the rest of the town gets increasingly dire.

This was honestly a very fun horror read, and while at times I had a little bit of an issue with the writing style, which is very very millennial, I also wouldn’t really categorise this as a negative point, as long as you are aware what you’re getting into. Indeed I do think the millennial tone of voice works perfectly for the main character (who is indeed a millennial, if born the very first year of Gen Y) and also wonderfully for the context of the MC being a Podcast host, a group of people who in my experience often have a very distinct style of talking. While this certainly fit the story it also at times took you out of the atmosphere, because it is pretty hard to feel scared when you have this very early social media era way of speaking describe a situation to you and butt in with outdated references and writing embellishments (bold font is very liberally used).

Nonetheless I had a really good time with this once I got over the MC’s voice. I wish the book had been a little longer so we had some more time to really sit with and feel the horrors described to us, rather than jumping from one horror to the next in about the latter half of the book.

I think this book is scary enough but not too gorey, at least by my standards, so it should be a good read for anyone wanting to dive into horror fiction, and if you regularly listen to true crime Podcasts I think the way this story is told would be perfect for you.

I am a sucker for a haunted house story. Though, I'm still not entirely certain if this was a haunted house or a haunted person spreading a dark infection out into the community.

I liked the grossness and imagery here. No punches we're pulled with how far the evil would go.

After reading it, though, I felt like something was missing, part of the backstory, maybe? Part of the why?

I enjoyed my read. It just felt slightly incomplete to me.

This book scared the everliving hell out of me.

Joshua Hull is going to become a staple on my bookshelf. What an incredibly well done horror! I loved it.

The entire backstory of Adam Benny going missing, then Paul's best friend dying... Everything that followed was pure genius and I couldn't look away. I loved the podcast premise and I have no doubt this will make an incredible audiobook as well.

The images this book depicts still stay with me to this day. Terrifyingly gruesome, this was what I love about horror. Paul has been notified that his childhood best friend has committed suicide in his childhood home, so Paul goes back to investigate, hoping for closure. I love when a protagonist is flawed, and he knows it. He knew his childhood home was haunted, and I loved every minute of this book. Definitely for those who love haunted houses.

Joshua Hull's "8114" is a nicely done haunted house story, giving very strong found footage vibes, with an unapologetically flawed podcaster as the main character. What stood out for me, weren't the scary, hallucinatory scenes (though there are many, and honestly quite chiiling and hair-raising), or the bleak and sinister atmosphere throughout; it was the fact that several times the story reached a very significant moment, taking me right to the edge, with the promise of a crucial revelation or the giving of some background information (the history of the house, for example) - and then the author pulls back and the picture is never really filled. Strangely, this technique works, and it heightens the tension. People die (often horribly), investigations are never completed (for equally horrible reasons), even the podcast featuring centrally in the plot never finds closure (or has much of a point, really). And yet the battle between the house and the podcaster only deepens, picking up steam and adding layers over layers (witchcraft, demons, possession, occult mysteries). The result is an extremely satisfying, morally suspect but haunting and disturbing horror story, with graceful prose, annoying wit, and natural-sounding dialogue. This is everything one would want from a good horror novel!

I quite literally had to put it down and breathe because what the actual f*ck. Like thank you for making me dream things I wasn't before because I love staying up late. In all seriousness, this was so insanely good! It quite literally feels like a fever dream that won't end (this is a good thing). I was stressed, shocked, everything in between and still want more.

This was a fascinating and haunting journey that delves deep into psychological horror with a fresh, clever perspective. The authors writing builds tension masterfully, keeping me hooked from the very first page with its eerie atmosphere and unpredictable twists.
8114 is an impressive read that delivers thrills and thought-provoking moments in equal measure. A must-read for fans of horror that challenges the mind and lingers long after the final page!

This was such a great spooky Halloween book! Supernatural, spooky, quick read. Loved that there were added elements of the podcast transcript throughout the book. It took me time to read this book simply because of traveling and kids. But once I picked this book up I could not put it down! The ending definitely had a twist that I did not see coming. The writing was fantastic; it helped create great imagery with tons of detail. I really enjoy the deeper message that came along with all of the horror and supernatural elements. It would be a great mini series or movie. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

It is an excellent premise and has a lot of potential. The scenes are unapologetically scary, gory, disturbing and chilling. The commentary at some places is smart and funny. The imagery is horrifying.

However I was very put off by the unnecessary interruptions of crucial scenes which led to negligible worldbuilding. Also the ending was pretty offputting. I had to reread the last chapter in case I missed a page or the final podcast episode. A slightly better execution could have blown this book upto a no doubt 5 star horror book for sure.