Ratings10
Average rating3.4
In this spine-tingling, atmospheric “nail-biter of a novel” (Shelf Awareness), a woman returns to her hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide at an alleged haunted house—the same place where a traumatic incident shattered their lives twenty years ago. Few in sleepy Sumner’s Mills have stumbled across the Octagon House hidden deep in the woods. Even fewer are brave enough to trespass. A man had killed his wife and two young daughters there, a shocking, gruesome crime that the sleepy upstate New York town tried to bury. One summer night, an emboldened fourteen-year-old Clare and her best friend, Abby, ventured into the Octagon House. Clare came out, but a piece of Abby never did. Twenty years later, Clare receives word that Abby has attempted suicide at the Octagon House and now lies in a coma. With little to lose, Clare returns to her roots to uncover the darkness responsible for ruining their lives. A “spellbinding horror story, where the terror comes not from ghosts, but from the haunted places we find within ourselves” (Elizabeth Brundage, author of The Vanishing Point), Beneath the Stairs is perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon, Simone St. James, and Chris Bohjalian.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was sort of a let down, after the build up I had been hearing about it. To be fair, this sat on my to read list for wayyyyy to long, as I got swamped with life, moving, and Covid.
However, I did power through, and while it was good, it wasn't an over the top for me. There was some creep factor, but nothing to really turn the lights on about.
A good weekend read, for those that are looking for something a little different.
“I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me, but whatever, I'm not going to question it.”
My experience with this book.
A really excellent blend of suspense and ghost story. The main characters of Clare (and later Mitchell) were well-drawn, the writing flowed, and the story line kept me intrigued. I could have used a bit less of the retelling several times of the basement story but the author did a great job of pulling it all together in the ending chapters and I would definitely read whatever Jennifer Fawcett writes next. She's got a real talent for creating believable characters who have hidden depths to them and aren't just cardboard cut-outs. By the end, I felt as though Lori, Abby, Taylor, and particularly Clare were recognizable, flawed humans who I was glad I'd spent time with. .