The September House – Book Review

A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee.

Margaret is not most people.

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.

I had always wanted to read this book and when the spooky season and month finally came, I decided to read this book during this month.

Trigger Warnings – Domestic abuse, suicide, animal abuse, child abuse, alcoholism

Margaret and her husband Hal bought a nice Victorian house at a price that they most certainly could afford. But there is something dark and sinister in their newly bought house. Every September, blood oozed out of the walls, making the place unlivable, and ghosts of former residents appear and all of them are terrified of what is lurking in the basement. Hal her husband couldn’t take anymore and wanted to leave but Margaret is determined to live in the house–she is not going to let the house be taken over by the demon named Master Vale.

The story is told in Margaret’s POV. I felt like I was watching an entire horror movie through by reading this book. The haunted house, its dark history, not to mention that no one literally believes you when you tell them about ghosts and demons! I actually did enjoy reading this book and couldn’t actually put the book down. It was also fast paced and I like that there are different types of ghosts lurking around in the house–Fredricka, who seemed to be the only sane ghost, the children, Elias who has his fangs and of course the dark demon Master Vale. I also liked the backstory behind the house as well. The fact that these dark supernatural things happen during the September is a mystery although it is revealed through the backstory why the events take place in September.

I like the main background story of this book as well. Hal who is Margaret’s husband couldn’t take it anymore that he mysteriously leaves the house. Katharine, who doesn’t really get along with her father however, thought it was weird that her father isn’t answering his phone that she returns to the house. Margaret meanwhile tries to protect Katharine from the ghosts while she is living in the house. There are some sensitive materials that is discussed in the book.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this horror book and couldn’t wait to read more books from this author–worth four stars.