It Will Just Be Us by Jo Kaplan
Description
A terrifying new gothic horror novel about two sisters and a haunted house that never sleeps, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
They say there's a door in Wakefield that never opens... Sam Wakefield's ancestral home, a decaying mansion built on the edge of a swamp, isn't a place for children. Its labyrinthine halls, built by her mad ancestors, are filled with echoes of the past: ghosts and memories knotted together as one. In the presence of phantoms, it's all Sam can do to disentangle past from present in her daily life. But when her pregnant sister Elizabeth moves in after a fight with her husband, something in the house shifts. Already navigating her tumultuous relationship with Elizabeth, Sam is even more unsettled by the appearance of a new ghost: a faceless boy who commits disturbing acts--threatening animals, terrorizing other children, and following Sam into the depths of the house wielding a knife. When it becomes clear the boy is connected to a locked, forgotten room, one which is never entered, Sam realizes this ghost is not like the others. This boy brings doom... As Elizabeth's due date approaches, Sam must unravel the mysteries of Wakefield before her sister brings new life into a house marked by death. But as the faceless boy grows stronger, Sam will learn that some doors should stay closed--and some secrets are safer locked away forever.
Advance Praise
"Kaplan conjures a bracing, surreal world in which the passage of time—properly understood—may herald the greatest horror of all...This mysterious world sucks you in and keeps you turning pages." —Scott Kenemore, author of Zombie Ohio “There are few new writing stars rising faster or shining brighter than Jo Kaplan...Beautifully hypnotic and eerie, this novel is a must-have for fans of the literary macabre.” —Eric J. Guignard, author of That Which Grows Wild “Jo Kaplan’s It Will Just Be Us is a chilling, poetic, modern Gothic masterpiece. Evocative and reflective, this is a story that haunted my imagination for many a night.” —John Palisano, Bram Stoker Award-Winning author of Ghost Heart, “In It Will Just Be Us, Jo Kaplan channels Shirley Jackson adding her own depth and haunting style. The best haunted house novel I've read since Sarah Langan's Audrey's Door.” —Daniel Braum, author of The Night Marchers and Other Stories “Kaplan writes with extraordinary skill and authority, balancing the supernatural with the psychological...A vibrant, thrilling novel of family love and conflict.” —S.P. Miskowski, author of I Wish I Was Like You
My Review
Oh, this was quite a read. One that felt like a deep descent into madness with darkness lurking everywhere. To say I wasn't sure where this was headed is an understatement! It's a page-turner that keeps you wondering what sickening thing will happen next and how. I LOVED it! Totally surprising with the most depth in a book that I've read in a very long time. Even though you'll have your answers, in the end, you'll still be shaking your head.