Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Michael Wehunt’s “The October Film Haunt” is a chilling, atmospheric horror book that feels tailor-made for fans of haunted films, occult mysteries, and creeping dread. Wehunt spins an unsettling tale of obsession, guilt, and supernatural terror that lingers long after the last page.

The story centers on Jorie Stroud, once a rising star in the horror blogging community thanks to her group, the October Film Haunt. Along with friends Beth and Colin, Jorie traveled to famous horror film locations, documenting their findings online—until a fateful visit to the set of a cult horror movie, “Proof of Demons,” led to tragedy and the implosion of their group. Now, a decade later, Jorie lives quietly with her young son, trying to distance herself from her past. But when mysterious VHS tapes and ominous notes tied to “Proof of Demons” begin appearing at her doorstep, Jorie realizes she can't outrun the horror she helped unleash.

Wehunt masterfully builds an immersive, slow-burn atmosphere, expertly layering psychological and supernatural terror. The story drips with paranoia and dread, evoking that eerie, back-of-the-neck sensation that someone—or something—is always watching. The occult themes surrounding the fictional “Proof of Demons” film and the Pine Arch Creature are imaginative and truly hair-raising, blending the horrors of cult cinema with cosmic dread.

The structure of the story is also worth noting. Interspersed with Jorie's perspective are blog posts, wiki articles, emails, and forum threads, providing a “found footage” feel that enhances the immersive, multimedia horror experience. The pacing does tend to bog down in the middle, with stretches of repetitive introspection and meandering narrative that could have been tightened.

Still, when “The October Film Haunt” is firing on all cylinders, it's mesmerizing. The ending is intense, emotional, and deeply unsettling, tying together the horror of the past and present with an almost inevitable sense of doom. Jorie and her son’s bond adds emotional stakes that elevate the terror beyond the supernatural.

Overall, “The October Film Haunt” is a flawed but unforgettable horror novel that rewards patient readers with a rich, terrifying experience. With its love letter to cult horror, found footage aesthetic, and exploration of guilt and obsession, Wehunt crafts a story that’s uniquely unsettling and disturbingly resonant.

This book was rough for me! I made it a little over half way through and had to force myself to read that far. The book was VERY slow, confusing (lots of film talk that a non film student did not always understand lol) and hard to follow with the multiple view points. The meta piece of it was a little out there for me, an older horror fan, but others may enjoy that piece. I just did not want to pick this book up and felt getting through the first half was a chore when I prefer to read for enjoyment so I stopped.

I appreciate NetGally & St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. The opinions are my own.

This was, unfortunately, a DNF for me. I found it slow moving and a bit confusing. While I appreciated the atmospheric quality, it just wasn't for me. I have a feeling that I just don't have enough interest in movies for this one to work.

The story follows Jorie who was part of a group called “The October Film Haunt” where she and her two friends went and visited sites of horror films and wrote a blog about it. After a terrible accident Jorie gives up her life of horror and moves to Vermont where she lives with her son Oli. Then one day a video tape shows up that changes everything.

The concept was great. I am a fan of found footage horror films and the nod to other horror films felt very nostalgic for me. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat. I was often very bored trying to get through the book. Some parts were intriguing, but it didn’t always make sense and I really had to push myself to keep reading. That’s never the feeling I want when reading a book so I can’t say I recommend this one.

*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

2

Setting: Vermont
Rep: n/a

I'm sorry, what was this?! when I started it I thought it had potential to be five star horror. it certainly has a lot of elements I usually love, but it went nowhere and did nothing and took FOREVER to do it. Goodreads, Netgalley and Amazon all claim this book is 336 pages but the only way that's true is if it is written in size 8 font because it was one hell of a slog, easily five hundred pages. The ending is infuriating and if you like things that make sense/have even the slightest semblance of resolution, you'll be majorly disappointed.

This was a super fun ride. A cult classic horror star who has fallen out of the limelight, pulled back in by an unseen/unknown villain. I loved that there was both reality based and supernatural horror throughout the book. It bends into many current societal elements like the additional anxiety caused by incessant filming of others and internet backlash. While the story is squarely current, it also does a lot of leaning into the classic horror vibes from 80s and 90s horrors.

This book keeps you guessing until the last second!

In her early twenties, Jorie and her two best friends formed the October Film Haunt, an online blog, where each October they set out to explore the set of an indie horror film. Under unfortunate circumstances the group falls apart and Jorie gives up the entire horror genre for ten years, until she is forced back into participation as a sequel of her last blog location is announced.

This novel includes a ton of different POVs but Jorie is heard the most. There are also blog posts included as chapters which I always enjoy! Social media is mentioned a lot which I don't mind, I found the jokes about them included super funny. Covid is mentioned as well, as the book is set in current day.

I'm not a horror movie buff by any means but read this book instead because I love horror literature. I was able to pick up on most of the references to movies just from common knowledge and didn't feel confused at all. The amount of explanation behind the structure of movie development world gave me a great grasp on what the characters were responsible for. I was honestly quaking in my boots reading this one, it gave me quite the scare. It had me looking behind my kindle to make sure a creature wasn't crouching there. It would be a great spooky Cctober read.

I would say that the first half of the book felt a lot quicker paced than the last half. The build up to the final scene had me expecting a little bit more. I also would have liked to see more from/about Agatha.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for letting me read this ARC!

This book has a creepy, dark undertone that is prominent throughout. However - I struggled very hard to get into it. I found myself wandering off thinking about other things while I was reading and then had to force myself to re-read what I had already read and, realizing I started doing this myself more and more, I finally had to admit defeat and give up this book.

The idea behind this is that it gives VHS / Blair Witch / Slenderman unsettling kind of vibe. Which I get, and I love because those movies are super creepy in their own right. But the story line just wasn’t grasping my attention. Thank you for the ability to review this book.

This was a delicious horror read. Chilling down to the marrow. It gave me Blair Witch vibes. And then the ending--BOOM! Masterful. Unsettling in the best way.

I was giving it 4 stars and then that ending 🤯. I am going to be mind blown for a few days. And i am thoroughly freaked the eff out.

Wehunt is notorious for writing ridiculously scary books, and he did not let me down with The October Film Haunt. You’ll be in a constant “what the hell am I reading?” state — but in the best way possible. It’s like The Ring meets The Blair Witch Project, and I am 100% here for it. I totally related to Jorie, the main character, whose love of scary movies and chasing that feeling of dread ends up pulling her into her own personal horror film. Creepy, smart, and unsettling in all the right ways.

The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt is a masterfully layered horror novel that blurs the line between obsession and reality, dragging readers into a chilling world where cult cinema and real-life terror collide. Jorie Stroud’s journey from beloved horror blogger to reluctant “final girl” is both emotionally compelling and deeply unsettling, as past sins and supernatural forces resurface with terrifying intensity. The atmosphere is thick with dread, and the eerie presence of the elusive director Hélène Enriquez adds an extra layer of menace. This book is a haunting meditation on fandom, fear, and the stories we choose to believe. Creepy, smart, and surprisingly moving, it delivers a slow-burn terror that lingers long after the final page.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I was excited for this book. It had such potential but unfortunately it just fell short for me. I’m a ferocious reader and can normally fly through books but it literally took me over a month to get through this one. I almost DNF’d it. I was intrigued at first but then it just hit a wall. It felt so long and drawn out. I wanted it to be over. I couldn’t connect with the characters. I still don’t even really know what I read. I get that it was a novel built off of a short story, so maybe the short story would do it more justice. It definitely did have some eerie tension filled moments but just not enough to salvage this book for me.

3 ⭐️

The premise of this book was SO intriguing, but unfortunately fell flat for me. The author, Michael Wehunt, writes beautifully descriptive narratives however the horror of the story didn’t hit for me like I hoped it would. There were a lot of filler chapters that didn’t seem to progress the plot, and a lot of POV switches that I had a hard time keeping up with. I felt like I couldn’t truly attach myself to any character. The ending of the book though was super creepy and pulled everything together, but wasn’t satisfying as it left me speculating about what could’ve happened next. It definitely didn’t need to be as long as it was either, the last 20-30% of the book things ramped up significantly. The build up was just a bit slow for me.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me this e-ARC to review!

It took me longer to read this book than what I expected. I kept having to put it down...it was so disturbingly creepy! I loved it! Great take on the haunted/cursed film horror sub-genre.

I think the concepts in this book were really interesting and presented in a unique way, combining online lore and urban legends, cults, and the supernatural in a refreshing way. The cast of characters gets a little bloated in the middle of the book and the pacing does get a bit slow. I think I would have enjoyed this one more if it had been just a touch shorter/edited down, but it was still a good read.

Definitely a recommend for folks (like me) who consume horror in any medium they come across. This is a love letter for the horror community with scattered references only we understand. Anyone looking to dip their toe in the genre might not enjoy this book as much as people firmly entrenched in the existing lore.

I absolutely love cursed film and found footage and this book uses both to really great effect. The first half of the book is an absolute masterclass in dread and slowly revealed clues. The film featured in this book, Proof of Demons, sounds absolutely terrifying and the scenes describing it are incredibly unnerving. There are scenes in the second half as well that are undeniably terrifying as well. It’s one of those books that just gets underneath your skin and stays there for days after you finish.

I wanted to like this book. I really wanted to be enthralled in this story and feel the fear with Jorie. Instead, I felt like this script went unedited. We’re introduced to Jorie Stroud, a former horror film enthusiast, years after an experience changed her and her friends’ lives. The story jumped between characters, and it felt incredibly jilted. It was too long, and the pacing was agonizing. Even in the last 10% of the book, I was not sure how the story would end. I enjoy thrillers and mysteries, but October Film Haunt was not the thriller for me.

I grabbed this up, because the cover caught my eye originally, but the synopsis was just as good.

We start off with Jorie, who created The October Film Haunt, and its great, until its not.
Tragedy strikes and completely destroys the group and ended fatally.
Not able to recover from something like that everyone splits off to live their life, until 10 years later.

Fast forward to a new life, and no contact with the old, but the past, just like a bad penny, always wants to pop back up, and she starts getting weird messages, and basically being stalked.

This book was dark and twisty, I really enjoyed it, I kept trying to decide who was the actual bad guy in all of this, is Jorie being tormented, or could she be the tormentor?

When you have to fight the paranormal, and the evil of humanity willing to do anything to destroy others, how can Jorie hope to survive with her son, she already lost almost everyone to this once..

Truly enjoyed this book! There was a lot going on and I had to take some breaks but ultimately it was a super interesting and creepy story that i absolutely loved!

This was an interesting read. I really thought the premise was really intriguing. However, I found it to be a pretty slow read for the majority of it. It is very description- heavy and has some complex ideas. This is not a casual quick read and actually may require multiple readings to absorb it all.

It was definitely creepy and I loved that it asked the question of which is scarier - a supernatural creature willed into creation, or the cultish humans who are willing to do anything, even murder, to bring the creature to life.

I would not recommend this to a casual horror fan, but if you are willing to dedicate some time to really absorb this, it is rewarding.