The September House

· Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Kimberly Farr
3.9
19 reviews
Audiobook
13 hr 31 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

“Why run from a haunted house when you can stay and ignore the ghosts? Just when you thought you'd seen everything a haunted house novel could do, The September House comes along and delivers an eerie, darkly funny, and emotionally grounded book about the ghosts that haunt houses and marriages."– Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House

A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.


When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee. 

Margaret is not most people. 

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.

Ratings and reviews

3.9
19 reviews
Crystal Stowers
September 16, 2024
I tried reading the actual book but found it so difficult, that I ended up buying the audiobook just to get through the story. While the story did intrigue me, it was so repetitive throughout that I struggled to read or even listen fully. The ending has a twist that I did appreciate. The story itself was good. It was a true horror one. But the use of "GDammit" was so constant that I wondered if the writer knew any other swears beside that and "F***." I get that curse words are used in most books, but geez. I blame the editor for this one being so dry and being dragged on so long. There was a lot that could have been done so much better and made this an easier and more appreciated read. This one will definitely never be replayed or re-read by me, for sure. If you like horror and a lot of the same swears and details over and over, you will enjoy this one. If you're looking for a scary read at a fast pace, I'd not bother.
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Summer Flores
August 28, 2024
The pace was a little off for me and it was difficult to believe some of the ways the main character responded in different situations. It did get there eventually but it was a little difficult determining what the character was saying out loud to people and what she was saying to herself. Otherwise the concept was good and ultimately ended how you would expect a book like this would end.
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Mike Chilcote
December 14, 2023
loved how everything tied together. just when I smugly thought I had this book figured out it hit me with curve after curve. well written
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About the author

Carissa Orlando has a doctorate in clinical-community psychology and specializes in work with children and adolescents. In her “day job,” Carissa works to improve the quality of and access to mental health care for children and their families. Prior to her career in psychology, Carissa studied creative writing in college and has written creatively in some form since she was a child. It was only a matter of time before Carissa, an avid horror fan for much of her life, merged her understanding of the human psyche and deep love for storytelling into a piece of fiction.

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