Book Review/Reaction – The Spite House by Johnny Compton

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Description

A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father’s love, Johnny Compton’s The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making–The Babadook meets A Head Full of Ghosts in Texas Hill Country.

Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he’s desperate for money–it’s not easy to find steady, safe work when you can’t provide references, you can’t stay in one place for long, and you’re paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.

When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.

The job calls to Eric, not just because there’s a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it’ll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running.

Book Reaction Navigation

The Gist

What Worked For Me

What Did Not Work For Me

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Gist

If you are like me and don’t know what a spite house is, you’ll know after reading this horror novel.

Aside from introducing readers to something they may have never considered the existence of; The Spite House is an embodiment of a horror novel with suspense woven in from all angles. The author crafts a sinister horror story with entanglements of questionable characters with even more questionable motives. I applaud it for its ability to sit with me and change my overall rating of enjoyment. Thus, I’ve concurrently and affectionately nicknamed it a “fester book.” Trust me, that’s a good thing. 😉

With the spirit of undiluted desperation, Eric Ross upends his family from Maryland, travels to Texas, and accepts a questionable caretaking job at a spite house. This job opportunity might be the best he can do for his family, as he’s seeking financial stability without the requirement of usual formalities, like reference and background checks. Despite persistent warnings from the townspeople and the spite house owner’s evasive behavior, Eric views the job as an answer to all of his and his family’s problems. The promise of an egregious payment motivates him to ignore the risks he may be taking in accepting this job. At face value, this is an offer he sensibly cannot refuse. Short-lived, as the story unfurls, and the past and present merge, all hell breaks loose before Eric’s once positive outlook of being a recipient of such an “advantageous” opportunity, quickly becomes inauspicious in more ways than Eric and his family could ever imagine.

What Worked for Me

Atmosphere and Descriptions

It would be an understatement if I said seeing things was the only thing I experienced after reading this book. Depending on your gauge for horror, you may have a similar experience. Admittedly, the description of the spite house and its suspected paranormal activity did not affect me until I was in the dark. The feeling of being unsettled was upon me soon after finishing. Hats off to my imagination and the author’s ability to summon these feelings of horror.

What Did Not Work for Me

Multiple Points of View

Although utilizing multiple points of view to carry the story worked, it seemed that because it had too many, the story took a lick from me. I felt that it obstructed the opportunity for more character development. The characters felt one-dimensional, flat, or surface. I’m not a writer (clearly), but based on my personal reading experience, the story would have been more impactful if the multiple points of view provided an additional narrative to enhance the chances of an emotional attachment to the characters.

Note: I do not think this particular characteristic of the book will affect all readers, only the ones that read similarly to me. If anything, we can chuck up this minute observation to my gravitation for character development.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

4.0 Stars, I recommend this book for its ability to arouse thoughts and fears of residing in houses with haunting histories, affecting its inhabitants beyond literal return.

Furthermore, I must share this because it’s on my heart and mind to do so.

Experiences that changed my rating from a 3.5 to a 4.0:

Ya’ll, I swear I didn’t think the book would affect me the way it did. The morning I finished (01/02/2023), I was slightly ambivalent about how I felt about the book. Same day but sitting in the dark and thinking about it…perspective CHANGED. To give you context, I wear glasses, and when I don’t have them on, the appearance of things is drastically skewed. I scared myself into thinking something was in the corner of our bedroom, and I had the HARDEST time falling asleep.

In addition to that, the entire week after reading the book, I felt like something was in that same corner. And the sounds of a building settling didn’t help to lessen the creep factor. I was a jumpy mess (lol).

I say all that to say, read in the dark if you want to up the ante on your horror experience.

Memories/fears that dredged up because of this book:

There are parts of the book that caused me to recollect my unreasonable fear of doppelgängers. Not just any doppelgängers. Specifically, Emilie Sagée’s doppelgänger. I’ve seen many videos and read many articles on the topic of doppelgängers, and for whatever reason, Emilie Sagée’s doppelgänger story stands out the most and it creeps me OUT.

Below is a video if you’re interested. After watching, you’ll understand why the existence of doppelgängers scares me.

Many thanks to Tor Nightfire, Johnny Compton, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. My review/reaction is voluntary, all thoughts are mine and unbiased, and receiving the Advanced Review Copy does not influence my rating and/or recommendation.