Many thanks to my partners @tornightfire @macmillan.audio @storygramtours for the #gifted copies

 

I’ve been craving a good haunted house story. And this one delivered. Totally creepy. So much unknown. Completely menacing.   

 

Right away, I became deeply invested in Eric and his girls. There’s a deep love and devotion between them. The way he nurtures his daughters.  The way they trust him.  Yet, why they are on the run? 

 

And that house! Built in anger. Baptized in spite. The Masson House is a character all its own. The idea that a structure can steal your very soul from your being is the stuff of nightmares. The house was a vivid depiction of danger that created a deep sense of foreboding.  With each page I read I kept pondering: while indignation is a powerful emotion, could it come alive in a way that harms even after its originator is gone?

 

With this horror story seeded in traumas of the past, Compton’s story reminds that history has lasting effects. 

 

With abundant POVs, the story did get a bit sidetracked at times.  While I was deeply invested in the main characters, the side characters didn’t add much substance in my opinion.  However, that didn’t prevent my overall enjoyment.  

 

This Black Southern Gothic read was an impressive debut, and I’ll be watching to see what Compton does next.   

 

🎧The audiobook is *excellently* narrated by Adam Lazard-White.  His deep, gravelly voice immediately pulled me in. And his ability to shift tone creates the perfect juxtaposition been disturbing (when talking about the haunted house) and endearing (when depicting Eric and his girls).