This is a twist on the tried-and-true haunted house story, with some insight into being in an abusive relationship. Very horrifying, on multiple layers. A bit too much at the end. ( )

2.5/5
The idea of a woman living in a haunted home and making it work is awesome. The notion of discussing abuse and it's elements is essential and hopeful for exposure and change.
I felt the story was being presented a certain way, aside from the exerpts shared by Claire, that felt a bit like a YA. It made sense after I sought out info on the author ( )

I have to say I did not expect this book to be all that it was. I thought it was just going to be your basic ghost/haunted house story... and boy it was not that at all. It was honestly a masterpiece in the way it tackled some tough topics. Margaret may be one of my new favorite characters of all time. She has had a past that is far from ideal and it shows in that she's just like "oh cool we have ghosts." I loved how Margaret had developed these rules for living with the ghosts, an easy task for her considering her entire relationship with Hal is built on these rules. We get a sense pretty early on in the story that Margaret knows where Hal is given her lack of concern when Katherine comes searching for him.

I think it was interesting to see how both Katherine and Margaret were victims of Hal's abuse but reacted in such different ways. Margaret has made her life about rules and following them and Katherine has become this angry almost child... at least seen through Margaret's eyes. I think the ghost element was done really well in this book. It was the perfect level of creepy and wait a minute.. is this even real? I think the author took an interesting tactic, because once Katherine comes into the picture we start to question whether or not Margaret is even sane.. It's this beautiful balance of wait a minute what to I even believe is happening right now.

I absoultely loved that I only knew one element of this book... and in all fairness it was a pretty obvious one. This whole book took me by surprise to be honest. I adored Margaret even when I was questioning her sanity, because I was like well yeah no wonder. I was rooting for her the whole time. She is probably one of the strongest character's that I have seen written in a long time. And I loved the little ways the author juxtaposed her strength compared to Hal. I went through about 95 theories in the last three chapters of this book. It was insane. The only issue I had was that I wished a few other things had been cleared up or explained more at the end. But overall, this is a killer horror. ( )

Wow, this book was wild! Margaret and Hal are finally able to afford their dream home, a lovely Victorian purchased for a steal, but there’s a catch — it’s haunted. Even with a malevolent presence stirring up trouble, especially during the month of September, Margaret refuses to move out. After a few Septembers, Hal has had enough and leaves. Then their daughter Katherine (unaware of the hauntings) arrives looking for her dad, and oh, dear!

This was an entertaining yet disturbing horror novel that managed to pull the rug out from under me. I was truly invested in the plight of these characters and their complicated relationships, particularly the mother and daughter. Secrets are gradually revealed, and puzzle pieces click into place, or so it seems! At one point I did feel like things were getting repetitive, and I wanted to give the plot a push forward. Overall, though, I enjoyed this darkly humorous and unsettling gothic horror debut.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book. Opinions are my own. ( )

One of my favorite types of horror is where the protagonist calmly accepts things that we would find strange or terrifying (I've taken to calling it "everyday horror", but surely there's a better name.)

The September House is full of such things. They are just parts of Margaret's everyday life. A ghostly maid who likes to make tea and change the bedsheets and occasionally rearrange furniture in the most unhelpful ways. The ghost of a young boy who has razor teeth and will bite anyone who gets near. Blood dripping out of the walls and pouring down the stairs.

Margaret's not going to give up her dream house over such inconveniences. She will learn to live with them, figure out the correct rules for coexistence. However, her adult daughter visiting could put that in jeopardy. If Katherine learns what living in this house is really like, she would insist that Margaret move. And Margaret cannot let that happen. Katherine must be shielded from the September House.

As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the "everyday horror" of The September House and the dry humor associated with it. But, there is much more to this story than that. Carissa Orlando has created a novel that perfectly weaves together comfort and fear, love and anger, happiness and heartbreak. ( )