This book kept me on my toes and made me feel an almost constant sense of dread, never knowing what was going to happen next to the characters that I had grown to love. The ending delivers a satisfying punch, balancing horror with an inevitable sense of escalation. I was hooked on this story, and had no idea where it might go, up until the very end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

At first I thought this was just going to be a typical mystery/supernatural thriller but WOW this book was SO much more!

I loved that it took place in the 90's. I felt right at home with the AOL dialup, song references, etc. Fantastic setting and characters.

Loved the storyline and the ending. The whole book was just fabulous and terrifying! What a great book!

This is such a nostalgic read! I grew up in the 90's and early 00's so this book was right up my alley! It's definitely one of those horror books that feels unique and I binge read it because I couldn't put it down! Really liked this one!

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book since Jimmy’s announcement and it did not disappoint! I absolutely adored the premise and he did a wonderful job transporting the reader back to those heady, lawless days of dial-up internet and Napster, online journals and that almost gleeful, giddy “what-if” while searching online! My heart ached for Avery and her mother and THAT ENDING! I’m saying nothing else but will be shouting about this book to everyone I know!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Jimmy Juliano's “13 Months Haunted” is a gripping, nostalgic, and spine-tingling blend of early 2000s digital paranoia and supernatural horror that will haunt you long after you turn the final page. Set in the tail-end of the Y2K era—when dial-up tones, burned CDs, AOL chatrooms, and Ask Jeeves were part of daily life—this eerie tale turns the relics of a bygone tech age into terrifying tools of dread. It’s essentially an extreme version of chain emails with computer viruses that come alive.

Told through a mix of traditional narrative and web journal entries, “13 Months Haunted” unfolds in two timelines. In the year 2000, twenty-two-year-old Piper Lowery is working at the small-town library in Clover Creek when she crosses paths with Avery Wallace—a ghostly eighth grader whose intense gaze and reclusive behavior make her the subject of chilling rumors. Piper, feeling drawn to the girl, soon realizes there’s something deeply wrong, and that Avery’s creepy short story submission for a Halloween contest may not be fiction at all. Fast-forward to the present day, where Anders—Piper’s relative—is writing a thesis on viral phenomena and stumbles across her long-forgotten web journal. What begins as academic curiosity soon morphs into a horrifying rediscovery of the viral curse that changed Piper’s life forever.

At the heart of “13 Months Haunted” is an original and deeply unsettling premise: a supernatural computer virus that infects those who view a cursed file. Victims die if they’re left alone, and the virus seems sentient—alive and hungry to spread. Think “The Ring” meets early-internet chain emails, with a heavy dose of digital possession. I really loved the unique aspects of the digital possession, like one scene that involves Avery muttering random, ad-like phrases as if she’s become a human pop-up ad—a haunting and clever metaphor for how invasive digital content can be.

The rules of the virus must be uncovered like a puzzle: Can it be broken? Rewritten? Forwarded to others like a deadly meme? These high-stakes questions keep the pacing brisk and the tension constantly simmering.

Juliano nails the tone of the era. The pop culture references—from The Matrix to Napster, Britney Spears to Walkmans—aren’t just Easter eggs for millennials, but effective tools to ground the horror in a nostalgic setting. The creeping unease of the early digital age is palpable, capturing that weird in-between era before smartphones and social media took over. If you lived through Y2K, this book will hit like a haunted time capsule. The mixed-media format—especially Piper’s web journal entries—adds emotional depth and a sense of realism to the unfolding events. It makes the horror feel like something you could find buried on an old Angelfire site or forgotten LiveJournal post.

Piper is a compelling protagonist—empathetic, curious, and just naïve enough to get pulled into something way over her head. Her bond with Avery is complicated, touching, and increasingly terrifying as the story progresses. Avery, meanwhile, is an unforgettable character: tragic, eerie, and mysterious, with just enough innocence to keep you guessing if she’s a victim or something much worse. And let’s not forget Ripley, the dog—yes, he survives, and yes, he’s a very good boy.

“13 Months Haunted” is a horror novel that knows how to play with dread. It's not just about jump scares or gore—it's about isolation, memory, digital footprints, and the terrifying things we invite into our lives through a screen. It's a chilling reflection on how fast information—and danger—can spread, even before social media dominated the world. The ending delivers a satisfying punch, balancing horror with an inevitable sense of escalation. If the virus ever truly went viral in today’s tech-saturated world, the consequences would be catastrophic—and Juliano doesn’t shy away from showing us just how close we are to that edge.

Overall, “13 Months Haunted” is a nostalgic yet disturbingly relevant horror read that’s equal parts clever, creepy, and compulsively readable. Just don’t open any strange email attachments afterward.

If you're prone to scrolling reels, you've likely seen that early aughts style is back in focus... and in some cases, that is a derogatory statement. But what Jimmy Juliano has given us with 13 Months Haunted is that nostalgia factor in the best way possible. The references to some of technology from that time period are top notch and really work to set the stage of a story set during a time frame where people were just beginning to get hooked on developing social media and virality.

This book was such an incredibly fun binge read. Think of a The Ring meets Blair Witch cocktail, during a time when the first gifs were holding everyone's attention and when chain emails promised nefarious intent without the labor of a simple forward to 10 online contacts of your choice. ((Did they condition us with that? Is that why we all have to share every little thing we see online? Just thinking... ))

Fans of quirky horror and the land of Reddit nosleep- this one is for you! While this isn't aggressively scary horror, it is just eerie enough to get under your skin and poses the question: is our online activity keeping us haunted?

((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, Dutton Publishing, and Jimmy Juliano for this complimentary copy.))

In search of inspiration for his thesis on viral phenomenon from the early 2000s, Anders decides to interview his third cousin Piper, a woman that is mysteriously linked to multiple deaths. During the interview, Piper takes us back to the year 2000, when Piper was a librarian in small-town Clover Creek tasked with promoting the annual Spooktacular Scary Story Contest. Piper receives a particularly disturbing submission from Avery Wallace, a new 8th grade student surrounded by unsettling rumors and a mother who never leaves her side. After witnessing Avery being tormented by the bullies at her school, Piper feels sorry for Avery and decides to spend more time with her. However, Avery starts exhibiting strange behaviors, causing Piper to question if Avery’s spooky story was really just a story.

Juliano’s unique take on possession and supernatural elements had me hooked from the first chapter. This book kept me on my toes and made me feel an almost constant sense of dread, never knowing what was going to happen next to the characters that I had grown to love. The ending of 13 Months Haunted is probably one of the best endings that I have read in a very long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"13 Months Haunted" is an eerie, adrenaline-pumping horror novel that flawlessly blends early 2000s nostalgia with spine-chilling supernatural suspense. Jimmy Juliano masterfully weaves an unsettling tale of isolation, technology, and the kind of horror that lurks in the spaces we least expect.

Piper Lowery, a small-town librarian, never expected her job to lead her into a nightmare. But when she befriends Avery Wallace—the strange new eighth grader who refuses to touch technology and whose mother never leaves her side—her life takes a terrifying turn. As whispers of dark family secrets spread and unexplainable events unfold, Piper realizes that something sinister is following her. Something that won’t stop until it finds a new home.

Juliano’s storytelling is immersive, with fast-paced, tension-filled chapters and a clever mixed-media format that makes the horror feel disturbingly real. The book crackles with a creeping sense of dread, balancing psychological tension with moments that feel ripped from a late-night urban legend thread. And let’s talk about the setting—if you lived through the Y2K era, the references to dial-up internet, chatrooms, and pre-social media paranoia will hit you with both nostalgia and unease.

This isn’t just a ghost story—it’s a deeply unsettling exploration of fear, memory, and the digital imprints we leave behind. Fans of The Ring, Stranger Things, and Dead Eleven will devour this one. Just don’t read it alone at night—you’ve been warned.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for sharing this remarkable horror novel's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A haunting that spreads like code.

13 Months Haunted is a masterfully nostalgic horror novel that captures the jittery unease of the early 2000s and filters it through the flickering lens of supernatural dread. Set against the backdrop of dial-up tones, library card catalogs, and Y2K-era blogs, this eerie story blends a classic ghost tale with tech paranoia and small-town myth.

Our guide through the fog is Piper Lowery, a fresh-out-of-college librarian who stumbles into something much darker than late fees when she befriends Avery Wallace, the unnerving new girl at the local middle school. Avery won’t touch computers. Her mother never leaves her side. And her short stories are starting to feel like prophecies.

What begins as community engagement quickly spirals into an unraveling mystery, one that Piper documents on her anonymous blog as she tries to help Avery—and ends up inviting something ancient and angry into her own life.

Juliano nails the pacing: short, tight chapters that crackle with suspense and unease. The mixed media format—interspersing blog posts, journal entries, and chatroom fragments—makes the story feel like something found, like a digital relic hiding something cursed. It’s immersive, inventive, and just meta enough to be unsettling.

This isn’t just a ghost story. It’s a commentary on fear, memory, and the way technology lets our stories (and mistakes) live forever. For fans of The Ring, Dead Eleven, and Are You Afraid of the Dark? with a modern edge, this is the kind of horror that lingers—like a virus you can't debug. #13monthshaunted #jimmyjuliano #penguinbooks #dutton

In the early 2000s, Piper Lowery finds herself (and her dog) in a new town, where she snags a job as a public library clerk. One of her tasks is to run the library's scary story contest, prompting her to visit the local middle school in order to find kids who would like to enter. There she meets the mysterious Avery Wallace and her mother, Susan, who quite literally never leaves Avery's side. Piper soon learns that something paranormal is going on with them, and what follows is an amazing and nostalgic tale of a haunting. I absolutely adored this book and I couldn't read it fast enough! The story was eerie, creepy, and super interesting. I was hooked from the beginning, and I know my patrons will love this read!

"The Ring" & "Stranger Things" Had A Baby - Introducing "13 Months Haunted".
In the mood for a creepy Y2K thriller? Jimmy Juliano's got you. The author of Dead Eleven has done it again with a eery page-turner that won't let you go.
Enter Piper, a library clerk tasked as a liason for the local middle school. She's immediately drawn to a new student, Avery, whose mother never leaves her side, not even to use the restroom. Unlike the other kids, Avery is withdrawn and never touches electronics, especially computers.
Rumors have swirled since Avery and her mother Susan moved into town. Susan is a witch? Avery's dad and sister died in a supernatural way? A strange virus killed them?
Piper befriends the lonely preteen and quickly realizes it's a terrible mistake. Something is haunting Avery and it's only spreading.
The early 2000s setting was fun to experience in such an ominous way (think of feeling a dark presence breathing down your neck as you wait for AOL to dial up). 
I enjoyed the pacing of this novel as it's pretty quick, with chapters as short as four minutes that you want to eat right up. There were some points where technical details and dialogue slowed the story down but just as it does BOOM! in comes a twist or jump scare.
Without giving too much away, the premise really felt like one of my favorite horror films, The Ring. I'm thinking of the haunting shared experience traveling from one person to another and how utterly intense that may feel.
I regret reading this book in the dark.
"It comes when you're alone…"
This book gets a solid 4.25/5 stars, as it felt just a bit longer than I needed it to be.

13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano is a chilling and atmospheric horror novel that expertly builds tension from the very first page. With an eerie premise and a slow-burning sense of dread, Juliano crafts a story that keeps readers on edge, blending supernatural horror with psychological unease. The writing is immersive, pulling you into a haunting mystery that unfolds with a steady, unsettling rhythm.

The characters are well-developed, particularly the protagonist, whose descent into fear and uncertainty feels raw and believable. Juliano does an excellent job of layering suspense, using small, eerie details to build an overwhelming sense of paranoia. While some moments lean into familiar horror tropes, the novel’s strong execution and creeping unease keep the story engaging. The structure adds to the tension, making it feel like a ghost story unraveling in real time.

The pacing is mostly strong, though a few sections slow down more than necessary before the novel delivers its haunting and satisfying conclusion. 13 Months Haunted is a gripping and unsettling read that lingers long after the final page. A solid 4-star novel—perfect for fans of atmospheric horror with a psychological edge.

Are you pining for the early aughts? Do you miss the days of dial-up internet and NSYNC? Because, if so, I've got the book for you! This book is so early 2000s that it made me want to go put on some low-rise jeans and a Gap tee and pop Jagged Little Pill into the CD player. In the first few chapters alone, there's mention of AOL and “You've Got Mail!” and Napster and web journals and ER and The Matrix and Y2K and Ask Jeeves and Yahoo and Britney Spears and The Blair Witch Project and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Walkman cassette players and burning music CDs and, well, you get the point. I'm a little surprised that Christina Aguilera herself didn't magically pop out of this book and read it to me out loud.

But, yeah, overall this was an entertaining read. It's creepy but not scary-scary, and it certainly has an original premise. It's perhaps not the most plausible storyline – it definitely requires some (okay, a lot of) suspension of disbelief to accept the eventual explanation for what's happening to Avery – but it's a horror novel so I suppose that's to be expected to a certain extent. It does get rather sci-fi-y toward the end, so that's something to be aware of if you're not a fan of the genre. I'm not entirely sure how plausible the technology-related bits are, but since I was an English major, eh, whatever. It works for me.

I did really enjoy the ending of this book, which is a rarity for me and horror novels – that's where they always seem to fall apart, IMO. I can't say that it wasn't a little predictable, but how else was it going to end, really? Thanks, Obam ... Anders.

Oh, and if you're wondering if the dog lives: (view spoiler)

13 Months Haunted is a supernatural horror of a different sort, and I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it considering the unexpected route it took to its conclusion (for the most part, I am not a sci-fi fan). The premise is clever and the characters (mostly) likeable and Ripley deserves all the pets. 3.95 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is August 12, 2025.

Anders is writing a college thesis on the “viral phenomenon”: what makes things go viral and the history of the phenomenon, specifically in the ages of the early internet. His research brings him across a relative named Piper and that’s where our story really begins as we flashback the year 2000.

Twenty-two-year-old Piper Lowery is the local library clerk in small-town Clover Creek when she comes across Avery, a young girl who just moved to town. Immediately, rumors about the odd young girl and her family’s past begin to circle. When Piper hosts a scary story contest for Halloween, Avery enters a particularly unsettling story, one that Piper can’t shake. Feeling some pity and amazement toward Avery and her stories, Piper takes Avery under her wing but soon realizes that there is something much darker within the young girl.

Similar to Juliano’s previous novel Dead Eleven, 13 Months Haunted plays out with some epistolary pieces. Rather than a focus on the 90’s though, this time Juliano focused his sight on the early 2000’s, complete with remnants of the Y2K scare, online blogging, dial-up internet, ask jeeves, and illegal music downloads for CD burning.

It’s a fast-paced, easy to consume novel that didn’t feel anywhere close to its 384 pages; combining the horrors of early internet and a fresh, unique twist on the supernatural, plus an ending that is so deliciously satisfying.

Thank you Dutton Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Available Aug 12 2025

Great book! Couldn't stop reading it. Thank you for letting me read this in advance. I can't stop thinking about it. Searching more from this author now.

Thank you NetGalley and Jimmy Juliano for the ARC!! This was amazing and I could not put it down. I will be forty this year and the nastalgia this book gave me was incredible. The music references and the mention of Napster were totally my jam! The ghostly atmosphere is so eerie and gave me goosebumps the whole time, I was definitely looking over my shoulder. That ending!! What a movie style ending and I'm loving it. This is sure to thrill horror/paranormal fans!!

I absolutely loved Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano and this newest one is no exception! Piper Lowery, a public library clerk and a blogger in the 2000s, realizes there is something weird about the new girl in 8th grade, Avery Wallace. This was such a great read, and it is not easy to say much more without spoilers. This was such a creepy read, which I absolutely loved. It was atmospheric and I felt like I needed to know more. It definitely did not disappoint! I loved the 2000s and this was a great nod to some of the problems and horrors of the internet back then.

This is a great book! I love a good witchy story, and this book fit right into the theme. It was interesting, and entertaining, with a haunting feel to it. I think it was well written, and there were lots of suspenseful moments plus some twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This is a very fun yet creepy nostalgic and supernatural read. I enjoyed the author's writing style and this plot was definitely a bit unique. Being reminded of what computers were like back then just made me laugh and I can still hear AOL saying "you've got mail!"

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of 13 Months Haunted!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
💻 know how to code
👻 believe in ghosts
🦠 have ever had a computer virus
🎃 love Halloween

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Piper Lowery, a public library clerk in charge of liaising with the local middle school, can tell right away there’s something strange about the new girl in eighth grade. Avery Wallace won’t touch any kind of technology, not even the computers at the library, and her mother comes to school with her every day, refusing to leave her side—not even when Avery uses the restroom.

And then there are the rumors, the whispers Piper hears from kids in the hallway and parents around town: Avery’s mother is a witch. Her sister and father were killed by something supernatural. A strange virus killed them.

Seeing how isolated and lonely Avery is, Piper befriends her but quickly realizes it might just be the worst decision she’s ever made. Because there’s something dark inside Avery Wallace, and it’s spreading . . .

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was such a unique story! Everything about it was incredible. The parts that were named uniquely, the long but extensive and informative chapters, the incredible character building. Absolute perfection. I was hooked on this story, and had no idea where it might go, up until the very end (are you kidding me?!) but whew, the ending was also just perfection, particularly in this day and age. My favorite character was Piper - she was a no nonsense, matter of fact kind of woman. She did everything she could to help Avery out, I really admired that. I would have run in the opposite direction. The explanation behind the virus was my favorite part, so Sam was definitely a close second in favorite characters. This one is simply a mind boggler, and you need to preorder it now!