The September House by Carissa Orlando
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Web ID: 17073707Wow! This was creepy.
A haunted house that really gets to you, mind and body. Especially during the month of September! Unnerving and disturbing. The main character, and since a widow, has had to carry weight of September House on her shoulders alone. She both lives with the horrors inside the house and the burden of covering them up whenever someone visits her home. A situation, for anyone, that would become untenable. Looking forward to more from this author!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A great haunted house read with a humorous twist.
Wow! This book was SO different from what I expected. "The September House" is a thriller/horror about a haunted house that adds a humorous spin to haunted houses, but it tips the scales more on the horror side. Kudos to anyone willing to spend September in this home! I received it as a birthday gift in an IG birthday group I was in last year. I intended to read it in October but couldn't squeeze it in. This would make an AMESOME spooky October read. Margaret and Hal are an older couple who feel like they've hit the jackpot when they find a beautiful Victorian house at a steal. Most of us have learned that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is, but sometimes excitement gets the best of us, and we overlook the red flags that slap us in the face. And there were many during their initial tour. But with time, you can get used to anything, right? "I received "The September House" as a birthday gift in an Instagram birthday group last year. I planned to read it in October, but couldn't manage to squeeze it in. The book is a thriller/horror story about a haunted house that adds a humorous twist to the thriller/horror genre. It tips the scales more towards the horror side, and it would be a great spooky read for October. Margaret and Hal are an older couple who feel like they hit the jackpot when they find a beautiful Victorian house at a steal. However, as most of us know, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Although there were many red flags during their initial tour of the house, excitement got the best of them. They decided to ignore the warning signs, assuming that they could get used to anything over time. #TheSeptemberHouse #CarissaOrlando #Horror #Haunting #BerkleyBooks #ThrillerBookLovers #pulsepoint #thepulse #ThePulseReviewer #ThePulseInfluencer #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerobsessedbookishclub #ReadersOfTheLateArc #TalkWordyToMeTeam #lovetoread #bookworm #lovebooks #booknerd #readaholic #bookstagrammer #booktok #booktoker #honestreview #bookreviewer #ARC
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Horror story full of HEART as much as ghosts
This is honestly a killer book, and my rating is closer to 4.5 than 4. If you enjoy horror, this is one of the handful of books in the genre that that I would actually recommend to you. Be aware, there ARE a lot of horrifying elements - I'll put a few trigger warnings at the bottom of this review. One of the best things this book does, in my opinion, is character development. There are several distinct personalities here, and they're all created expertly with subtety and nuance. This is one of those rare gems that actually gives its characters personalities. Even Katherine, who isn't my favorite character, had clear personality development from her past and the life that had shaped her. Margaret, the main character, was incredibly admirable. To quote her, she was "perfectly willing to make a heaven of any hell in which [she] found [herself]. But [she] would be [*gd-ed*] if [she] made [her] daughter endure it." Margaret is every bit the unsung hero of her own story. The plot of this novel is an ever-twisty thing that somehow gets twistier the more you read, with secrets, present and past, being uncovered page by page. Again, this is one of those rare books that was constantly surprising me, even when I was picking up on the oh-so-deliciously-subtle hints it was dropping, and, therefore, was constantly wanting to read more - I was often even thinking THE SEPTEMBER HOUSE and its characters when I WASN'T reading it. What seems direct and in your face in the beginning is not remotely the entire story, but it paces out so well I was always fed yet always hungry for more. I didn't really expect to love this book, and there's a high chance I wouldn't ever have picked it up were it not the book of the month for the horror discord bookclub I'm a part of (still mightn't have bothered, except my best friend was reading it, so I figured I might as well too). Why? Well, I got the impression this would be a fairly typical haunted house tale that's been done ad nauseam. This is not that. There're countless layers and depth. It's not just startling little ghosty jumpscares. It's... well, I can't tell you much without spoiling anything, but it's... personal and achingly impressive. If you're into horror reads, this is strong book that's both scary and a whole lot of fun. Highly recommend. Just find the TW's somewhere if you have triggers because they are plentiful. THE SEPTEMBER HOUSE ***Trigger Warnings*** (Some of the TW's below are ***POTENTIAL SPOILERS***): ~Blood, copious, excessive, constant ~Gore, excessive, from past ghost children and present circumstances (this includes mentions and occasionally descriptions of dismemberment, disembowlment, mutilations, broken bones, burns, dead bodies, being ripped apart etc.) ~Dead birds (they often slam against the house, and this is a recurring theme throughout the book. They aren't described in excessive detail, but they are discussed frequently) ~Past kidnapped and murdered children [~Non-consensual drugging with sleeping pills ~Alcoholism ~Abusive relationship (this is an EXTREMELY toxic relationship that includes verbal and physical abuse, and a HIGHLY controlling nature with rampant jealousy and aggression. It's from the past, but there are flashbacks, and it's mentioned and described frequently) ~Implied cannibalism (past, brief) ~Past suicide (with sleeping pills)
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The September House
The September House was such an amazing spooky read that I could not put down. The book was about Margaret who bought a Victorian home with her husband Hal for a great deal and she thought this house was her dream come true until September came. This was a great spooky read with amazing characters and was so well written. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend to other readers and to any horror fans this is one you do not want to miss.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Best Haunted House book I’ve Read in Ages
Words cannot express what an amazing surprise this book is. As a self professed “haunted house” addict, it feels like I’ve read/seen it all. (And somehow I’m still always hungry for more?) But “The September House” was SO FRESH and SO👏🏻 MUCH👏🏻FUN👏🏻 If you love the “haunted places” genre, I recommend going into blind. You’ll love all the surprises. But to say more because, I just want to . . . . . . . . . The brief description I’ll give is, you will get tastes of all of your favorite horror house tropes paired with a protagonist who just kind of doesn’t have the energy to care. Like- she finds is a bit wearisome but manages. But when her husband goes missing, her daughter is hell bent on finding him and comes to stay in the home so Mom is forced to deal with mitigation of the ghosts/demons. Comedy horror ensues. But it’s not campy or cheesy. It’s almost more lit fit in its humor. I love this character and feel like we can all kind of relate because the world is so freaking exhausting and it just hits. I loved it. 10/10. I devoured it in less than a day.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A haunted house story with TEETH!
This book grabbed me from the start, even as it dipped into psychological unreliable narrator territory. There were slow burn elements of domestic abuse horror, both ongoing and in the past that created the horror that haunts this house. Orlando's world building is fantastic, especially as the whole story takes place with a small radius. Her mastery of graphic details gets her up near the masters of horror fiction and makes her a definite one to watch. Plus a ghost story that really has ghosts!! Mean ones too ...
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Fun, Creepy Read
Step inside The September House, if you dare. Let's divide this up: The first third was fun, eerie, and creepy. The second third was a little dragged out/repetitive for me, but still good. The final third was fasten-your-seatbelts wild! I love that this was much more than a haunted house story. We have character depth and plot complexities that add an emotional layer to the horror. And now I will be watching my walls, just in case! *Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the free copy!*
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A little gory but fascinating and compelling!
A couple move into an old house and discover that it’s haunted. When the husband leaves without warning, the wife is determined to try to live life normally—ghosts and all—until her somewhat-estranged daughter shows up demanding answers. Debut author Carissa Orlando uses her clinical psychology background to the fullest advantage in the thought-provoking book The September House. When Margaret Hartman and her husband, Hal, find the hundred-year-old Victorian, they know it’s the right house for them. Despite being married for 30 years, it’s the first time for home ownership for the couple and get settled in right away. Margaret, in particular, knows this is her forever home. Nothing will ever convince her to leave. Not even the ghosts. The Hartmans move into their new old house in May; in September, Margaret realizes the house isn’t just a place to live. It’s a vessel for old memories and the souls of people who died miserable deaths. The ghosts appear as they were in their last moments; Fredricka, the former housekeeper, has a cleaver through her head but seems to navigate just fine despite it. Although the presence of the ghosts is unsettling for Margaret, she knows how to live with unsettling things. Once a person learns the rules of a given situation and sticks to them, they can go on without much problem. Even when the walls drip blood in the month of September, Margaret knows she just needs to pick up a mop, a sturdy brush, and a bucket of water and everything will be fine. Less convinced is Hal. After four years of putting up with the house, Hal leaves. Although Margaret knows she should probably worry about him, with the month of September on the house once again she’s got bigger things to concern her. Then her daughter, Katherine, calls, and Margaret knows everything is about to get messy. Although Katherine has had an uneasy relationship with Margaret and a distant one with Hal, she worries that she hasn’t heard from Hal in several weeks. She announces she’ll be coming to visit, and nothing Margaret can say deters her. Margaret even consults next-door neighbor Edie on what to do with Katherine, but the friends don’t find a viable solution. When she arrives, Katherine is bound and determined to find her father. After reporting him missing to the local police, she insists on searching for him. She also demands that Margaret go with her. But Margaret doesn’t want to go. More importantly, the house doesn’t want her to go. As difficult as it is to deal with the ghosts, particularly the children who bite her or keep pointing to the basement and reminding Margaret that, “He’s down there,” Margaret knows leaving the house for long periods of time is asking for real trouble. Author Carissa Orlando leans into her experience in clinical psychology to shape the characters in this confident narrative. The novel doesn’t read like a debut at all; every word seems carefully placed for maximum impact. The result is a book that will draw readers in, gory details and all. Orlando settles comfortably in her chosen genre. There are enough supernatural elements and blood—literally—for fans of horror stories. The pitch-perfecting layering of the novel, however, means readers must face Margaret’s psychological horrors right along the physical ones. By the end, it’s hard to tell which are more terrifying. The author also accomplishes a near-impossible feat: presenting one perception and then completely flipping the narrative in such a way that readers feel as unmoored as the protagonist. Once readers begin to question everything they think they know about what’s happened, Orlando flips everything again. The plot device requires a delicate touch, which the author gets almost perfect. An excess of profanity and an ending that feels a little too much like a cheesy movie might deter some readers. Others will find this the perfect book for the upcoming spooky season.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com