I listened to the audiobook of The September House by Carissa Orlando as I was painting my new-to-me office. I reclaimed a room in our house that was ostensibly for my kids’ recreation, but was consistently proving to be as empty as a ghost town most of the time. So the rec room became my play room. And like any good horror writer/fan, I decided the best way to infuse this room with the best kind of (creepy) creative vibes was to have a spooky story keep me company while I repainted.
I’d heard about The September House. It was one of those books with tons of buzz in the air. Touted as a gripping blend of psychological horror and domestic suspense, ideal for fans of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, it was a no-brainer for me. Anything that takes a dives deep into the unsettling experience of living in a haunted house, is a win for me. With paint supplies in place and the book downloaded, it was go time.
The story of Margaret, a woman resolutely staying in her dream home, despite the terrifying spirits that emerge every September had me hooked long before I was finished with the cutting in. By the time I was rolling on the first coat, Margaret’s daughter Katherine is on the scene and the horrors of interpersonal family struggles and buried (and not-so-buried) resentments almost rival the supernatural horrors that the forces in the house are raining down on them.
In my reviews, I’m always trying to give the readers just enough of a taste to see if it’s the kind of book they’d like to pick up. I’m not a fan of the plot summary reviews, so I’ll stop here.
I’ll just say this: long after the second coat was up at the paint had dried, this story lingers in the back of my mind, haunting me in the best possible way. September House doesn’t just offer supernatural scares, but also an exploration of the lengths people will go to preserve that which we hold dear. If you love horror that is as much about the natural struggles of the resilient human heart and the fragile human mind as it is about the supernatural, snap this one up. What better time than now?
Perfect Pairings:
The Spite House (Johnny Compton)
The House Next Door (Anne Rivers Siddons)
The Others (Nicole Kidman movie)
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