What do you think?
Mean Spirited
An alcoholic teacher and father’s world spirals out of control when a former student is killed and he is left with her dog and the dark presence that follows it.
Matt Matheny teaches during the day, drinks at night, and barely hides his functioning alcoholism from his veterinarian ex-wife, Lucy, and his six-year-old son, Mikey. His world spirals out of control when a former student is killed, and he's left with her dog, Conehead. But something isn't right with Conehead. A dark presence follows him, and very soon, people around him die. Matt realizes the only way to protect his son is to sober up and work with Lucy to expose the dog’s mysterious past and face a secret so shocking—an evil so relentless—that it threatens to unleash hell on an entire town.
This horror novel pays homage to Stephen King’s Cujo, and films like It Follows and The Strangers. It is a haunting and suspenseful exploration of the unseen and the supernatural, set against the seemingly tranquil backdrop of rural West Virginia. Nick Roberts masterfully builds tension and atmosphere, creating a sense of impending doom with meticulous detailing and vivid imagery. The psychological exploration elevates the narrative, making Mean Spirited a compelling read for those who seek a blend of horror, mystery, and emotional depth.
Whether you are a seasoned fan of the genre or a curious newcomer, Mean Spirited promises a gripping and thought-provoking journey into the realms of the supernatural.
Matt Matheny teaches during the day, drinks at night, and barely hides his functioning alcoholism from his veterinarian ex-wife, Lucy, and his six-year-old son, Mikey. His world spirals out of control when a former student is killed, and he's left with her dog, Conehead. But something isn't right with Conehead. A dark presence follows him, and very soon, people around him die. Matt realizes the only way to protect his son is to sober up and work with Lucy to expose the dog’s mysterious past and face a secret so shocking—an evil so relentless—that it threatens to unleash hell on an entire town.
This horror novel pays homage to Stephen King’s Cujo, and films like It Follows and The Strangers. It is a haunting and suspenseful exploration of the unseen and the supernatural, set against the seemingly tranquil backdrop of rural West Virginia. Nick Roberts masterfully builds tension and atmosphere, creating a sense of impending doom with meticulous detailing and vivid imagery. The psychological exploration elevates the narrative, making Mean Spirited a compelling read for those who seek a blend of horror, mystery, and emotional depth.
Whether you are a seasoned fan of the genre or a curious newcomer, Mean Spirited promises a gripping and thought-provoking journey into the realms of the supernatural.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2024
About the author
Nick Roberts
30 books2,888 followersNick Roberts is a native West Virginian and a doctoral graduate of Marshall University. He is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and the Horror Authors Guild. His works include Anathema, The Exorcist's House, It Haunts the Mind & Other Stories, and Mean Spirited. He currently resides in South Carolina with his family and is an advocate for people in recovery from substance use disorder.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,577 reviews
July 3, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2
The late, great DMX once said “get at me dog, rrrrr arf arf”, and that pretty much sums up this book. Who knew Labradors could be so dread-inducing?
This was delirious and demented in all the best ways. Using the dog as a vessel for the supernatural was a unique angle, and Conehead stands out as one of the more memorable animal characters I’ve encountered. I mean the dog has a cone shaped head. That’s wild enough in and of itself, but some of the things that Conehead does in this book are among the most bonkers, bizarre, and unnerving I’ve read.
The only reason this doesn’t get a higher rating is that some of the scenes felt a bit repetitive towards the end. It felt like the same scene playing on replay with different victims. I could have used a bit more variety in the details of the supernatural sequences. It was still scary, and it was still unique, so I give it a bit of a pass.
I have yet to read a Nick Roberts book I didn’t love, and this is no exception. If you’re looking for a scary, unique and quick read, this one is probably for you…
The late, great DMX once said “get at me dog, rrrrr arf arf”, and that pretty much sums up this book. Who knew Labradors could be so dread-inducing?
This was delirious and demented in all the best ways. Using the dog as a vessel for the supernatural was a unique angle, and Conehead stands out as one of the more memorable animal characters I’ve encountered. I mean the dog has a cone shaped head. That’s wild enough in and of itself, but some of the things that Conehead does in this book are among the most bonkers, bizarre, and unnerving I’ve read.
The only reason this doesn’t get a higher rating is that some of the scenes felt a bit repetitive towards the end. It felt like the same scene playing on replay with different victims. I could have used a bit more variety in the details of the supernatural sequences. It was still scary, and it was still unique, so I give it a bit of a pass.
I have yet to read a Nick Roberts book I didn’t love, and this is no exception. If you’re looking for a scary, unique and quick read, this one is probably for you…
September 16, 2025
We're into the scary stuff straight from the off in the prologue, with Robbie and her dog, Conehead, encountering some... strange occurrences.
We then move forward a few days, and we meet our protagonist, Matt, a teacher who also happens to be an alcoholic. He has a 6-year-old son, Mikey (Michael), and is divorced from his ex-wife Lucy, a veterinarian.
Via ensuing circumstances, Matt ends up in possession of Conehead and takes him in to look after. Mikey, who has been pining for a dog, is thrilled.
It's pretty clear from quite early on that we're dealing with an evil presence and/or supernatural entity controlling Conehead. All is revealed as the story progresses as to the what and why.
There were a few discrepancies with the writing here and there; for instance, in one scene when Matt is at the vet with the dog, first it was on his lap, then it was at his feet, and in the next sentence it's back on his lap again. Minor, but it's things like this that can interrupt the reading flow and have you rereading back to double-check.
Bar a couple of niggles, this was a good horror read. The creepy tension kept mounting throughout, and there were some genuinely scary moments.
There were conflicting emotions in this because, well... I'm a dog lover. One minute you're screaming in your head, 'Don't kill the dog,' and then 'Just kill the evil dog.' ;)
I quite liked the ending; it fitted with what had happened throughout the rest of the story.
This Author definitely has a talent for writing horror. I jumped into this after reading The Exorcist's House a while ago, which I enjoyed (I need to move on to the sequels of that at some point). Whilst this one probably wasn't quite as good, it's still a pretty decent read.
Rating this one 3.5/5, but will round up.
We then move forward a few days, and we meet our protagonist, Matt, a teacher who also happens to be an alcoholic. He has a 6-year-old son, Mikey (Michael), and is divorced from his ex-wife Lucy, a veterinarian.
Via ensuing circumstances, Matt ends up in possession of Conehead and takes him in to look after. Mikey, who has been pining for a dog, is thrilled.
It's pretty clear from quite early on that we're dealing with an evil presence and/or supernatural entity controlling Conehead. All is revealed as the story progresses as to the what and why.
There were a few discrepancies with the writing here and there; for instance, in one scene when Matt is at the vet with the dog, first it was on his lap, then it was at his feet, and in the next sentence it's back on his lap again. Minor, but it's things like this that can interrupt the reading flow and have you rereading back to double-check.
Bar a couple of niggles, this was a good horror read. The creepy tension kept mounting throughout, and there were some genuinely scary moments.
There were conflicting emotions in this because, well... I'm a dog lover. One minute you're screaming in your head, 'Don't kill the dog,' and then 'Just kill the evil dog.' ;)
I quite liked the ending; it fitted with what had happened throughout the rest of the story.
This Author definitely has a talent for writing horror. I jumped into this after reading The Exorcist's House a while ago, which I enjoyed (I need to move on to the sequels of that at some point). Whilst this one probably wasn't quite as good, it's still a pretty decent read.
Rating this one 3.5/5, but will round up.
August 12, 2026
First, check the trigger warnings before picking this up because there are some disturbing scenes, blood and gore, possession, and themes involving addiction and substance abuse. This was a seriously creepy read that pulled me in more and more as the story went on. The beginning was a little slow for me, but once things started happening, I found it really hard to put down. The atmosphere was dark and uncomfortable in the best way, and there were several moments that made me want to keep the lights on. I also really liked that the story dealt with addiction and showed how it can affect not only the person struggling with it but also the people around them. The characters were interesting, although I connected with some more than others. And then there was Conehead, the Labrador who completely stole my heart. Of course, getting attached to a dog in a horror book is basically asking for trouble, but I couldn't help it.
There were some genuinely disturbing moments that stuck with me, and the story had a good mix of horror, emotion, and even a little humor. The twist was superb, I had a feeling, but wasn't sure. It definitely gave me a few moments where I wanted to look over my shoulder. Nick, when's you're next bestseller coming out??
There were some genuinely disturbing moments that stuck with me, and the story had a good mix of horror, emotion, and even a little humor. The twist was superb, I had a feeling, but wasn't sure. It definitely gave me a few moments where I wanted to look over my shoulder. Nick, when's you're next bestseller coming out??
July 4, 2024
I want to preface by saying that despite hating this book, I truly don't mean to personally attack the author or be critical for the sake of being critical. For this exact reason I would like to justify some of the reasons for why I'm giving this a 1. I'm less irate by the quality of the book itself and more annoyed by the huge percentage of 10/10 reviews that set my expectations for a higher quality work.
I have never written a book review before but this story was SO frustrating that I just had to vent for my own sake. I also want to point out that I mention other books I've read throughout as good-quality examples of certain concepts that “mean spirited” tries to convey.
Horror elements and stereotypes that have a (in my opinion) a very high chance of turning goofy and ridiculous no matter how well the book is written:
-Smiling dogs, I think many people just think of the smiledog meme which became mocked with time.
-Pale figures with sunken black eyes, pretty stereotypical. I feel like the choice of appearance was lost potential for something scarier.
-Menace ghostkid with a good heart. A 10 year-old willingly became a criminal and then killed several people, but then acted like a sweet angel when he died and his soul inhabited the dog? The only thing that mildly saves this is that he made a sinister selfish choice in the ending.
-Basing an entire book on a facebook spirit summoning conspiracy that relies heavily on just using the power of love and friendship.
-Bipolar people are evil i guess? Im not denying that the disorder can cause behavior disruption but the mentally ill=evil stereotype is cheap and old.
-Laughing manically with head thrown back dramatically. It happens so. many. times. Nothing but comical at this point.
Dialogue:
I don't know how to word this nicely but it's some of the worst I've read. The choice of words in several discussions with 6 year old Mikey is odd and feels like it's written for an adult instead. The nonstop usage of “sport”, “buddy” etc was grating and made me start expecting a “buckaroo”.
The infodumping that's clearly meant for the reader is a turnoff. I don't buy that people would speak like that in those contexts.
I'm also aware that an addict's urges are constantly present but the reader can be aware without being reminded for the umpteenth time that Matt needs a hit. It gets whiny.
-A well written example of something that has dialogue which is tense and feels probable can be found in Stephen King's “Apt pupil”:
The length and writing style:
If this book gained an editor they would have possibly removed over ⅓ of the text since whole actions, scenes, and thoughts keep getting repeated and reused over and over again. It massively drags down the reading experience. At Least 6 people have the exact same horrified reaction of gasping in fear and dropping something from their hand. like 4 characters soil or almost soil themselves. Peanut shells are mentioned twice as a sound comparison.
The types of hauntings are all over the place and it feels like the author took a bunch of loosely related ideas and threw them together in a soup. It feels so forced that it kinda comes across as funny even with the plot explanation later on.
-A well written example in a story that involves repeated actions (that is short and does not overstay its welcome) can be found in Jaqueline Harpmans “I who have never known men”.
Characters choices and emotions:
Lucy wont stop crying holy damn! I'm a crybaby and still find this to be over the top. I think she cries like 12 times in the book. I'm all for people showing emotion, but when so damn many of the characters in the book shed tears I start rolling my eyes when even the hardened redneck starts crying too. One key to making a character's physical sorrow have an impact on the reader is to use the tears sparingly.
I keep doubting that the author has interacted much with kids, much less anxious traumatized kids. You really think a 6-year old would excitedly run back into a house the day after he and his family were attacked and nearly killed in there the night before? Kids are not dumb and they tend to value safety and familiarity over anything else which does not align with a lot of Mikeys actions/attitudes. He keeps wildly swinging between carefree and happy to terrorized. I also feel like he would be scared of the dog after the first or second demonic dog-transformation.
I didn't really give a damn that Matt seemed to risk losing access to his son after the attack at his home, which is bad if we are supposed to care about our protagonist. He actively made repeated bad choices at the cost of his son's safety. WHY should we care? At that point in the story he had no redeeming personal qualities.
-A well written example involving competence in a hopeless situation can be found in Naomi Salmans “Nothing but the rain”.
The dog problem:
One trick to making a reader like a horror character is to make them observant, smart, or proactive: our fear for their safety tends to stem from the horror of being in danger despite trying to escape or fight it.
Almost every adult in this story seems dumber than a bag of bricks and it gets enraging after a while. At some point you just lose any compassion for the person repeatedly shooting their foot. Matt gets multiple chances to change his choices regarding the dog while repeatedly witnessing a pattern of dangerous consequences surrounding it.
The motivation for a lot of these choices is because of 1) Mikey's love for a dog that he has known for a very short time and 2) The guilt of letting go of a dog and/or the guilt of prioritizing your human loved ones over a labrador that bit you the first time he met you.
I would argue that overriding your kid's wishes to keep them safe from murderous demonic entities is worth the cost of the kid's heartbreak, but I'm not a parent so what would I know?
I also think it's insane to bring in a large dog with a bite history into a forever home with a small child but I know some people would cuss me out over that attitude. It just made me detest Matt for his stupidity from the get-go.
My empathy for these characters disappeared the moment they clearly prioritized an animal's potential life over their own child's life. I feel like the author gives you NO incentive to have affection for Conehead beyond “dog cute” despite it being 100% confirmed to the parents that he is the source of the supernatural monsters.
-A well written example involving a dog who becomes possessed and is dealt with realistically in a life or death situation can be found in Gus Morenos “This thing between us”.
The plot solution to the problem:
Where and when was it exactly established that the dog's heart ceasing would be enough to close off the spirits? The original plan was to shoot Conehead, but obviously he would have fully died a.k.a become “biologically dead", which means complete death in both the brain and body. I think Lucy, who has medical knowledge, would have highly doubted this plan of so-called “clinical death” which only temporarily stopped the dogs heart. How could they be SO sure that spirits did not reside in his brain? So much of the lore within the story seems to focus heavily on mind over body so the entire solution feels like an illogical asspull to try and get a dramatic ending.
-A well written example following a curse/supernatural event which is technically solved but still backfires in the end can be found in Stephen King's “Thinner”.
Regarding the rape attempt:
I can handle reading about disturbing events if there is a narrative or atmosphere-based reason for it. I lose engagement if i feel like that shit was thrown in purely for shock factor, especially sexual violence, as this was. What enforced this was how the attempt consisted of 90% of Conehead yapping about what he was going to do when a properly written "show don't tell" would have made the moment seem less exploitative, which may sound contradictory. The just-shock-factor moment of the gas pump nozzle moment later on was so needlessly pornlike that it was beyond offensive. The funny part is that these scenes would have shocked me in an effective way if the antagonists who possessed these characters actually had a haunting pattern of a predatory nature, which they didn't.
-A well written example of an attempted assault evoking horror but not feeling unnecessary is the one in B.R. Yeargers “amygdalatropolis” which serves a major narrative role for the main character and his escalation into inhumanity.
Product placement
A part of me died everytime a dated franchise or nonrelevant event was mentioned, which felt like it was often (minions movie, cereal brands, COVID with several lengthy paragraphs going over what it was and how it existentially impacted the new generations for some reason).
I have never written a book review before but this story was SO frustrating that I just had to vent for my own sake. I also want to point out that I mention other books I've read throughout as good-quality examples of certain concepts that “mean spirited” tries to convey.
Horror elements and stereotypes that have a (in my opinion) a very high chance of turning goofy and ridiculous no matter how well the book is written:
-Smiling dogs, I think many people just think of the smiledog meme which became mocked with time.
-Pale figures with sunken black eyes, pretty stereotypical. I feel like the choice of appearance was lost potential for something scarier.
-Menace ghostkid with a good heart. A 10 year-old willingly became a criminal and then killed several people, but then acted like a sweet angel when he died and his soul inhabited the dog? The only thing that mildly saves this is that he made a sinister selfish choice in the ending.
-Basing an entire book on a facebook spirit summoning conspiracy that relies heavily on just using the power of love and friendship.
-Bipolar people are evil i guess? Im not denying that the disorder can cause behavior disruption but the mentally ill=evil stereotype is cheap and old.
-Laughing manically with head thrown back dramatically. It happens so. many. times. Nothing but comical at this point.
Dialogue:
I don't know how to word this nicely but it's some of the worst I've read. The choice of words in several discussions with 6 year old Mikey is odd and feels like it's written for an adult instead. The nonstop usage of “sport”, “buddy” etc was grating and made me start expecting a “buckaroo”.
The infodumping that's clearly meant for the reader is a turnoff. I don't buy that people would speak like that in those contexts.
I'm also aware that an addict's urges are constantly present but the reader can be aware without being reminded for the umpteenth time that Matt needs a hit. It gets whiny.
-A well written example of something that has dialogue which is tense and feels probable can be found in Stephen King's “Apt pupil”:
The length and writing style:
If this book gained an editor they would have possibly removed over ⅓ of the text since whole actions, scenes, and thoughts keep getting repeated and reused over and over again. It massively drags down the reading experience. At Least 6 people have the exact same horrified reaction of gasping in fear and dropping something from their hand. like 4 characters soil or almost soil themselves. Peanut shells are mentioned twice as a sound comparison.
The types of hauntings are all over the place and it feels like the author took a bunch of loosely related ideas and threw them together in a soup. It feels so forced that it kinda comes across as funny even with the plot explanation later on.
-A well written example in a story that involves repeated actions (that is short and does not overstay its welcome) can be found in Jaqueline Harpmans “I who have never known men”.
Characters choices and emotions:
Lucy wont stop crying holy damn! I'm a crybaby and still find this to be over the top. I think she cries like 12 times in the book. I'm all for people showing emotion, but when so damn many of the characters in the book shed tears I start rolling my eyes when even the hardened redneck starts crying too. One key to making a character's physical sorrow have an impact on the reader is to use the tears sparingly.
I keep doubting that the author has interacted much with kids, much less anxious traumatized kids. You really think a 6-year old would excitedly run back into a house the day after he and his family were attacked and nearly killed in there the night before? Kids are not dumb and they tend to value safety and familiarity over anything else which does not align with a lot of Mikeys actions/attitudes. He keeps wildly swinging between carefree and happy to terrorized. I also feel like he would be scared of the dog after the first or second demonic dog-transformation.
I didn't really give a damn that Matt seemed to risk losing access to his son after the attack at his home, which is bad if we are supposed to care about our protagonist. He actively made repeated bad choices at the cost of his son's safety. WHY should we care? At that point in the story he had no redeeming personal qualities.
-A well written example involving competence in a hopeless situation can be found in Naomi Salmans “Nothing but the rain”.
The dog problem:
One trick to making a reader like a horror character is to make them observant, smart, or proactive: our fear for their safety tends to stem from the horror of being in danger despite trying to escape or fight it.
Almost every adult in this story seems dumber than a bag of bricks and it gets enraging after a while. At some point you just lose any compassion for the person repeatedly shooting their foot. Matt gets multiple chances to change his choices regarding the dog while repeatedly witnessing a pattern of dangerous consequences surrounding it.
The motivation for a lot of these choices is because of 1) Mikey's love for a dog that he has known for a very short time and 2) The guilt of letting go of a dog and/or the guilt of prioritizing your human loved ones over a labrador that bit you the first time he met you.
I would argue that overriding your kid's wishes to keep them safe from murderous demonic entities is worth the cost of the kid's heartbreak, but I'm not a parent so what would I know?
I also think it's insane to bring in a large dog with a bite history into a forever home with a small child but I know some people would cuss me out over that attitude. It just made me detest Matt for his stupidity from the get-go.
My empathy for these characters disappeared the moment they clearly prioritized an animal's potential life over their own child's life. I feel like the author gives you NO incentive to have affection for Conehead beyond “dog cute” despite it being 100% confirmed to the parents that he is the source of the supernatural monsters.
-A well written example involving a dog who becomes possessed and is dealt with realistically in a life or death situation can be found in Gus Morenos “This thing between us”.
The plot solution to the problem:
Where and when was it exactly established that the dog's heart ceasing would be enough to close off the spirits? The original plan was to shoot Conehead, but obviously he would have fully died a.k.a become “biologically dead", which means complete death in both the brain and body. I think Lucy, who has medical knowledge, would have highly doubted this plan of so-called “clinical death” which only temporarily stopped the dogs heart. How could they be SO sure that spirits did not reside in his brain? So much of the lore within the story seems to focus heavily on mind over body so the entire solution feels like an illogical asspull to try and get a dramatic ending.
-A well written example following a curse/supernatural event which is technically solved but still backfires in the end can be found in Stephen King's “Thinner”.
Regarding the rape attempt:
I can handle reading about disturbing events if there is a narrative or atmosphere-based reason for it. I lose engagement if i feel like that shit was thrown in purely for shock factor, especially sexual violence, as this was. What enforced this was how the attempt consisted of 90% of Conehead yapping about what he was going to do when a properly written "show don't tell" would have made the moment seem less exploitative, which may sound contradictory. The just-shock-factor moment of the gas pump nozzle moment later on was so needlessly pornlike that it was beyond offensive. The funny part is that these scenes would have shocked me in an effective way if the antagonists who possessed these characters actually had a haunting pattern of a predatory nature, which they didn't.
-A well written example of an attempted assault evoking horror but not feeling unnecessary is the one in B.R. Yeargers “amygdalatropolis” which serves a major narrative role for the main character and his escalation into inhumanity.
Product placement
A part of me died everytime a dated franchise or nonrelevant event was mentioned, which felt like it was often (minions movie, cereal brands, COVID with several lengthy paragraphs going over what it was and how it existentially impacted the new generations for some reason).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2025
This is now my second book by this author, and I am becoming a fan. This was straight out of a really good B horror movie. In the blurb, it's described as Cujo meets It Follows and that is actually a PERFECT description. (check triggers 💀)
While this didn't outright scare me, this was still creepy, had some truly disturbing scenes, and entertained me from beginning to end. Speaking of the end... Mr. Roberts.. just why?😅 Also, shoutout to the audiobook narrator for his creepy demon voice👹
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pre-read
This cover is absolutely horrifying, so I HAVE to read this😅
While this didn't outright scare me, this was still creepy, had some truly disturbing scenes, and entertained me from beginning to end. Speaking of the end... Mr. Roberts.. just why?😅 Also, shoutout to the audiobook narrator for his creepy demon voice👹
__________________________________________________
pre-read
This cover is absolutely horrifying, so I HAVE to read this😅
July 28, 2025
Mean Spirited ended up being a surprisingly great book. It started off strong with the prologue. The horror was intense.
When the story switches to the point of view of Matt Matheney, I felt the pace slow and things started to get repetitive. Lots of doors were opening or closing on their own just before lights went out, etc., etc. I was close to walking away from the story when the plot took a new twist and I was completely hooked through to the end.
The character writing is good. We get to see some great growth in Matt. Conehead, the dog is quite endearing when he's being a good boy. Roberts did a great job pouring doggy characteristics into the goofy Lab.
The horror aspects were strong enough to give me bad dreams. I was on the edge of my seat throughout much of the book.
I need to read more from Nick Roberts. I'd give Mean Spirited five stars if I didn't have a hard time getting into the story at the beginning. But once it got going, it was difficult to walk away from. I'm settling on 4 stars.
When the story switches to the point of view of Matt Matheney, I felt the pace slow and things started to get repetitive. Lots of doors were opening or closing on their own just before lights went out, etc., etc. I was close to walking away from the story when the plot took a new twist and I was completely hooked through to the end.
The character writing is good. We get to see some great growth in Matt. Conehead, the dog is quite endearing when he's being a good boy. Roberts did a great job pouring doggy characteristics into the goofy Lab.
The horror aspects were strong enough to give me bad dreams. I was on the edge of my seat throughout much of the book.
I need to read more from Nick Roberts. I'd give Mean Spirited five stars if I didn't have a hard time getting into the story at the beginning. But once it got going, it was difficult to walk away from. I'm settling on 4 stars.
December 29, 2023
I was pleasantly surprised (not surprised really, this author is phenomenal) at how absolutely creepy this book was. Right from the beginning we are thrown into a horrifying scenario. The author expertly portrays themes of addiction, supernatural entities and possession throughout this novel. The scary factor is off the charts. I am forever haunted by the imagery and character portrayals. We are introduced to Matt—an alcoholic former teacher and father— who is mourning the untimely death of a former student, and stumbles upon the goodest boy ever— Conehead. As the story unfolds, things don’t seem quite right with the dog, but on several occasions he’s a savior to the family. If you have dogs, love dogs, this may be an extra creepy read for you. Roberts is one of very few authors able to give me nightmares… even a year after reading one of his works. I wholeheartedly recommend —and implore— that you read this book if you want to fear the dark, the unknown corners of your land, or your faithful furry friend.
January 19, 2024
To be quite honest, this book scared the hell out of me. With characters so three-dimensional and palpable, you’ll hear them knocking around your house, Mean Spirited doesn’t just crawl under your skin, it chews it up and spits it out. This is Nick Roberts at his finest.
August 23, 2026
Will everyone think this is the scariest book ever? No. But I'm a sucker for ghosts and possession. They will terrify me 100% of the time. Throw in a creepy kid crawling on the ceiling and it's guaranteed I won't be able to read it at night. There were several times I had to pause cause it scared the ever loving shit outta me. So why 4 stars? I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Idk I need to sit with it. But whatta ride.
October 21, 2024
Well I think I’m alone on this so please read other reviews! I thought this was really cliche and it never brought any emotional or horror level of interest for me. Oh well, probably a case of me not him.
April 24, 2025
2.5/5 ✨ rounded down.
this could have been sent in an email...after chapter nine or ten it gets repetitive to the point i already knew what was going to happen every time there was something "creepy" happening.
i wasn't a fan of the writing style or dialogue throughout & was bored for majority of the time. i ended up skimming the last 80ish pages just so i could be done.
don't get me started on the gas station part cause what even was that???
this could have been sent in an email...after chapter nine or ten it gets repetitive to the point i already knew what was going to happen every time there was something "creepy" happening.
i wasn't a fan of the writing style or dialogue throughout & was bored for majority of the time. i ended up skimming the last 80ish pages just so i could be done.
don't get me started on the gas station part cause what even was that???
March 17, 2024
My first read of Nick Roberts and reading all the positive reviews I was looking forward to this one- the premise was interesting and the inclusion of a dog with supernatural events sounded great. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the creepiness was executed well enough to illicit the dread I was hoping for. If anything, I found some of the scenes quite comedic - on several occasions the dog stands on two legs and grins. Now, yes, that may be creepy, but for some reason I found it amusing instead and thus, took all scariness away. That will serve me right for getting taken in by reviews that claim "this is the creepiest book I've ever read" - huh, I dread to think what your back catalogue of reading has been. Maybe I'm just desensitised to a lot of things these days.
I might be doing Nick an injustice here but, for me, the book was also filled with pointless "filler" info that had me skim reading through pages. I've not done that for a long time in a book.
Just didn't hit the spot for me.
I might be doing Nick an injustice here but, for me, the book was also filled with pointless "filler" info that had me skim reading through pages. I've not done that for a long time in a book.
Just didn't hit the spot for me.
December 26, 2023
"𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒔𝒐𝒏...𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒔."
Nick Roberts engages the author from the first sentence. No exposition, no extra words or unnecessary descriptions, just one hell of a story that had me looking over my shoulder in the light of day.
When alcoholic English teacher Matt gets the news that a former student of his was killed, he frames one of her poems he had filed away, intending to leave it at her home for a relative to pick up. Instead, Matt ends up leaving with her dog, a Lab named Conehead. He hasn't even left the driveway when he starts seeing odd things. He chalks the odd visuals up to needing a drink and takes the dog to his ex-wife's veterinarian practice to have it checked out before gifting it to his young son, Mikey. But when monstrous things happen in the dog's presence, Matt can't tell at first if the dog is responsible for the acts or if he's a vessel for something not of this world.
This story had everything I love in a horror tale...deeply flawed, realistic characters; a supernatural element; genuinely scary moments; a fast-paced plot; and an ending that made me spew a string of profanities because the author had the absolute audacity to go there and pull it off.
Thank you so much to the author for the early copy and for my place on his ARC team. Coming March 15, 2024.
Nick Roberts engages the author from the first sentence. No exposition, no extra words or unnecessary descriptions, just one hell of a story that had me looking over my shoulder in the light of day.
When alcoholic English teacher Matt gets the news that a former student of his was killed, he frames one of her poems he had filed away, intending to leave it at her home for a relative to pick up. Instead, Matt ends up leaving with her dog, a Lab named Conehead. He hasn't even left the driveway when he starts seeing odd things. He chalks the odd visuals up to needing a drink and takes the dog to his ex-wife's veterinarian practice to have it checked out before gifting it to his young son, Mikey. But when monstrous things happen in the dog's presence, Matt can't tell at first if the dog is responsible for the acts or if he's a vessel for something not of this world.
This story had everything I love in a horror tale...deeply flawed, realistic characters; a supernatural element; genuinely scary moments; a fast-paced plot; and an ending that made me spew a string of profanities because the author had the absolute audacity to go there and pull it off.
Thank you so much to the author for the early copy and for my place on his ARC team. Coming March 15, 2024.
January 18, 2024
I've read most of Roberts' work and can honestly say that it's a joy to watch him raise the bar each time. The character development in Mean Spirited is fantastic, and the author really captured the emotion throughout. I cried twice while reading the final few chapters, and again as I sorted through my emotions after finishing the book.
There are some unsettling scenes throughout, most of which come at the reader with little or no warning. If jump scares in books are a thing, this one is littered with them! I think Roberts has always had a knack for creating unsettling imagery within his writing, and it's a skill that he continues to perfect.
I look forward to watching his writing career flourish. I may even use this time between releases to check out his anthology appearances that I've yet to pick up!
If you're looking for a horror book that has it all, Mean Spirited is a very strong contender. From a creeping sense of foreboding to wonderfully satisfying character arcs to an ending you won't anticipate, this is a novel that will be talked about frequently and favourably in the months ahead!
There are some unsettling scenes throughout, most of which come at the reader with little or no warning. If jump scares in books are a thing, this one is littered with them! I think Roberts has always had a knack for creating unsettling imagery within his writing, and it's a skill that he continues to perfect.
I look forward to watching his writing career flourish. I may even use this time between releases to check out his anthology appearances that I've yet to pick up!
If you're looking for a horror book that has it all, Mean Spirited is a very strong contender. From a creeping sense of foreboding to wonderfully satisfying character arcs to an ending you won't anticipate, this is a novel that will be talked about frequently and favourably in the months ahead!
September 28, 2026
TW/CW: Language, gory scenes, blood, violence, alcoholism, divorce, drinking, dog death (gory), animal death, toxic family relationships, smoking, grieving, bullying, suicide, attempted rape scene
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Release Date:
An alcoholic teacher and father’s world spirals out of control when a former student is killed and he is left with her dog and the dark presence that follows it.Matt Matheny teaches during the day, drinks at night, and barely hides his functioning alcoholism from his veterinarian ex-wife, Lucy, and his six-year-old son, Mikey. His world spirals out of control when a former student is killed, and he's left with her dog, Conehead. But something isn't right with Conehead. A dark presence follows him, and very soon, people around him die. Matt realizes the only way to protect his son is to sober up and work with Lucy to expose the dog’s mysterious past and face a secret so shocking—an evil so relentless—that it threatens to unleash hell on an entire town.
Release Date: March 15, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 270
Rating: ⭐ ( I wish I could give it 0)
What I Liked:
1. Some seriously creepy scenes
What I Didn't Like:
1. Lots of plot holes
2. Characters have no personalities
3. Everyone does stupid things for no reason
4. A lot of parts felt repeative and redundant
5. Matt is text book selfish addict who thinks the world revolves around him
6. Stupid ending
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
I'm already annoyed because there was no reason to take the dog home to go wash the dog to take the dog to the vet. It's a clear reason to set the book up for having to have this Spirit go to his house where a normal person would have just took the dog that's acting very aggressive toward him and moody right to the vet, this guy decides he's going to bathe the dog then take the dog to the vet.
This guy is an idiot with Conehead. The door to his house is closed and now opened but he sees it slam shut so he calls the dog stupid.
Now I'm annoyed because he has taken an aggressive dog to the vet and not even put it on a leash. So his only concern was that the dog didn't smell he doesn't even care about the safety of the other dogs around him or other people. A normal person would have gotten a leash for the dog anything really it could have been rope he already has a collar on.
The continuity in this book is so wrong. One section says "he let out a sigh and maneuvered his phone out of his pocket without disturbing Conehead at his feet". The 4 paragraphs later he says "his stomach tightened he lifted his hands like he was being mugged and used his legs to shimmy the dog off his lap". But you just said the dog was at your feet how was the dog now on your lap?
For some odd reason Matt decides rather than finding someone within the family of the woman who died he's going to just take the dog. Matt also mentions that the dog had nipped at him and was aggressive and he was worried about it being around their son. What does Lucy say? She tells him "I don't want the dog going to the pound", which is an odd thing to say when you don't know this dog and you've learned the dog can be aggressive.
Look I've never worked in at that office so I don't know 100% what that entails but I can't imagine leaving an injured dog that's missing half of its leg there unsupervised is normal behavior for a vet office. And yeah Casey is there but she says there to clean and then she's leaving after a few hours. I just find it odd that they wouldn't schedule someone to stay with the dog and keep an eye on it. What did it mean like an IV with antibiotics so it's leg doesn't get infected? Casey even says there's an animal hospital across town and for the love of me I can't imagine why Lucy wouldn't have sent the dog to the animal hospital so it could be supervised through the night. It feels weird just leave and enter an animal like that and it's kennel doped up.
He walks out of a movie theater with popcorn and cherry slushie after seeing a movie that's an hour and a half long plus trailers? Does this author not edit his books? How is he able to have drinks and popcorn and they walk away hand in hand. Maybe they threw them away when exiting the theater outside BUT that's weird when there are so many trash cans inside.
The dog missing his leg has chewed off his other leg and is now dead.
Why is the dog on a diet? Why is she living what he eats when Matt found the dog he said his stomach was sunken in and taut which indicated starvation so why would he be on a diet that limits his food and intake? I've never owned a dog and I've never been in Starvation mode is it like a thing or if you overfeed the dog I can get sick so you have to slowly get back to feeding the dog a normal amount? Also how is the dog this starved when its owner has only been dead for a day?
I also don't understand how this entity takes over because for Ronnie she had the dog for 2 months before anything weird happened and she was murdered but everyone else in contact with it is killed within a few hours.
No joke when Lewis called Matt I thought he was going to say that Lucy was feeling under weather and he was calling for her to say that maybe they would hold off on the dog for another day. That would have been so creepy.
I hate Matt. He's an alcoholic with a bad temper and he like yells at his kid all the time. He's over here mad that Lewis called Mikey and Matt to talk about the dog and how happy he was for them. Of course Matt freaks out and gets annoyed with Lewis and wants to get off the phone acting like Lewis is a prick. Lewis sounds like an amazing man. Matt even brings his son into this asking wasn't that weird that he would call. The ever so adorable Mikey responds back "why? He's nice. He says he just wants to be my friend because I already have a great dad". When I read that I was like aw that's so sweet of Lewis to say that and not to blur the lines for Mikey. Of course Matt has to talk himself down off the ledge after this.
Ohhh Matt. This dude witnesses so many creepy things happen plus his child is dragged outside by a dog hitting his head on every stair and his child doesn't know what's happened he's completely blacked out at everything but does Matt take his child to an emergency room to get checked out? No. They just stay in the house and sleep on the couch with the lights on. Which is completely crazy after all the things he's witnessed. Oh and Matt downs the rest of the bottle of Maker's Mark because what do you need more than anything right now but alcohol. Father of the year right here!
Upon waking up we find out that Matt did not want to take Mikey to the emergency room because he has stayed up all night drinking and so he was completely wasted and he didn't want that to look bad when he took his child to the emergency room and then maybe would lose his job as a teacher. I'll just completely selfish reasons it's always about him. He says he doesn't see any thing physically wrong with Mikey so I guess that's good enough. But hey it's nice to know that a stray dog he found got more attention by seeing a doctor than his own child.
This book is dragging for me and it's hard to believe I'm only a third of the way through. How am I only on 100 pages? How do I still have almost 200 pages left?
Rick just casually seeing in the dark in the country enough to see facial expressions.
Lucy lives in a bigger house but she put her 6 year old upstairs on the 3rd floor. That's odd. Mikey barely says mommy and she's able to hear him and come running. She also gives him a room with steep and dangerous spiral stairs. Are these people trying to kill their son?
I don't understand this haunting force. It kills random people that spend 5 minutes around Conehead but Lucy is not even being touched by it. I also can't understand how Matt and Mikey are given so much time and chances to survive.
I keep wondering if these shadows were the previous owners that were killed by Conehead. I can't get why Conehead would save Mikey but then endanger him and others.
Finally something happened to Lucy...
Oh Lucy just happens to have medicine at her house that can mimic the same medicine that they give to alcoholics. That is so random.
This book is seriously too long. I still have another 100 pages. I'm sad.
Oh Lucy's mom Sue also has a wraparound porch too and I am starting to wonder if the author has a fetish for them since almost all the characters have one.
Oh and like everyone in town lives in the middle of nowhere they all just live out in the woods. There is like no neighbors and they couldn't even hear you scream...
Page after page of them retelling everything we've already read in the book to Evan was so cumbersome.
Omg is Evan going to explain or is he going to just keep asking them questions and having them talk? I'm getting pretty annoyed at this situation it is dragging it out. He goes on and on and on and on talking about how babies and dogs can see ghosts oh but did you know that Matt?? Dude just tell us what you know!!
Are you kidding me??? These violent juvenile criminals are living with a dog in this juvenile correctional facility. And if they behave well for the week they get to sleep with this dog? Get out of here! There is nowhere that would let violent kids near a dog and trust them to not hurt it.!! Evan just said there was actual violent people in there even killers but they just have a dog on the floor. I can't with this author! This is so stupid!
Wyatt is doing so good that he gets to have the dog sleep with him every night. The other kids get jealous and threatened to kill him over this. This is ridiculous. First of all he writes to them telling them that he can't handle this and he's going to kill himself or escaping prison. Places like this they read your letters when you send them out and when you get them so they know what you're planning. When you write a letter out to the outside world you're not allowed to seal the letter because legally you can't open someone else's mail but if the letters never sealed you can read the letter so this place would know what he was thinking.
Find out that Wyatt somehow got out of his room and got a taser from a nurse's purse but how did he know she had a taser in her purse I have no idea? Also I've never known a place like this that didn't make people lock up their personal items since it is a juvenile psych floor. She wouldn't even have her purse with her. But somehow he gets a taser he knew about gets out steals a bunch of pills and then also somehow gets into the rooms because he has the key card and makes everyone swallow pills that kill them. Taser won't kill you. I am so sick of books acting like tasers can actually really hurt someone. All it is is a fast jolt of electricity. It's so annoying because he would have to get so close to these kids and then he would have to constantly I guess taser them over and over and over again but they would defend themselves. They're not going to sit there and swallow a bunch of pills just because you're shocking them. I just I find this ludicrous. This is the most asinine book. Just want to say I doubt very much this nurse even had a taser gun she probably had a stun gun but people in books and movies always mix these up. Plus plus plus I doubt she had the super voltage that a police officer would even use.
So why it's mom decided she was going to have a seance when they found the dog because she watched a show that said the dogs and animals can see spirits around them. And she wanted to see if why it's so stuck to this dog. I find this weird since the dog had already been let loose that why it's soul would be attached to the dog because the dog was already gone when Wyatt died but whatever facts don't matter here. Apparently when she said she would do anything for anyone to come back she opened up the door for the other kids that were murdered by Wyatt's soul to also come back. Those the ones that are attached to the dog and that's why they're killing people.
I dnfed after that. This was stupid I don't want to continue and I don't want to waste my precious time on this planet reading another 60 pages after that ridiculous story exclamation. I skimmed some pages and there is a stupid attempted rape scene from the dog. Why?????
Final Thoughts:
So many holes in the story and so many issues with the writer contradicting himself. The author would say one thing and then like a few chapters down it would be the opposite.
I hated how similar the names were to each other I felt like that at times could be confusing when reading the story. Names like;
• Lucy & Lewis
• Matt & Mikey/Michael
I felt like I was in a Marvel comic. There are so many names in the world why are we picking names that sound quite similar to one another.
The author has a way of writing some really creepy moments into the book but I feel like he can never sustain the momentum of what he's putting out there. It's like being on a roller coaster and it has two really great hills and the rest is just a few bumps.
I hated the how the souls got attached to the dog it was stupid. Completely full on plot holes. It just went on and on and on.
I just for the love of me can't understand how these kids are murderers but they would let them have dogs when animals are the first things that Killers experiment on killing. Plus they're leaving the dog they're overnight unsupervised just because they had a good week. I just it's so stupid. Is this author ever read about what a killer does?
I find it far fetched that a child that is being tormented by a dog and the house being haunted that he would be so excited to be around them and not traumatized.
What was that rape scene for?
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Release Date:
An alcoholic teacher and father’s world spirals out of control when a former student is killed and he is left with her dog and the dark presence that follows it.Matt Matheny teaches during the day, drinks at night, and barely hides his functioning alcoholism from his veterinarian ex-wife, Lucy, and his six-year-old son, Mikey. His world spirals out of control when a former student is killed, and he's left with her dog, Conehead. But something isn't right with Conehead. A dark presence follows him, and very soon, people around him die. Matt realizes the only way to protect his son is to sober up and work with Lucy to expose the dog’s mysterious past and face a secret so shocking—an evil so relentless—that it threatens to unleash hell on an entire town.
Release Date: March 15, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 270
Rating: ⭐ ( I wish I could give it 0)
What I Liked:
1. Some seriously creepy scenes
What I Didn't Like:
1. Lots of plot holes
2. Characters have no personalities
3. Everyone does stupid things for no reason
4. A lot of parts felt repeative and redundant
5. Matt is text book selfish addict who thinks the world revolves around him
6. Stupid ending
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
I'm already annoyed because there was no reason to take the dog home to go wash the dog to take the dog to the vet. It's a clear reason to set the book up for having to have this Spirit go to his house where a normal person would have just took the dog that's acting very aggressive toward him and moody right to the vet, this guy decides he's going to bathe the dog then take the dog to the vet.
This guy is an idiot with Conehead. The door to his house is closed and now opened but he sees it slam shut so he calls the dog stupid.
Now I'm annoyed because he has taken an aggressive dog to the vet and not even put it on a leash. So his only concern was that the dog didn't smell he doesn't even care about the safety of the other dogs around him or other people. A normal person would have gotten a leash for the dog anything really it could have been rope he already has a collar on.
The continuity in this book is so wrong. One section says "he let out a sigh and maneuvered his phone out of his pocket without disturbing Conehead at his feet". The 4 paragraphs later he says "his stomach tightened he lifted his hands like he was being mugged and used his legs to shimmy the dog off his lap". But you just said the dog was at your feet how was the dog now on your lap?
For some odd reason Matt decides rather than finding someone within the family of the woman who died he's going to just take the dog. Matt also mentions that the dog had nipped at him and was aggressive and he was worried about it being around their son. What does Lucy say? She tells him "I don't want the dog going to the pound", which is an odd thing to say when you don't know this dog and you've learned the dog can be aggressive.
Look I've never worked in at that office so I don't know 100% what that entails but I can't imagine leaving an injured dog that's missing half of its leg there unsupervised is normal behavior for a vet office. And yeah Casey is there but she says there to clean and then she's leaving after a few hours. I just find it odd that they wouldn't schedule someone to stay with the dog and keep an eye on it. What did it mean like an IV with antibiotics so it's leg doesn't get infected? Casey even says there's an animal hospital across town and for the love of me I can't imagine why Lucy wouldn't have sent the dog to the animal hospital so it could be supervised through the night. It feels weird just leave and enter an animal like that and it's kennel doped up.
He walks out of a movie theater with popcorn and cherry slushie after seeing a movie that's an hour and a half long plus trailers? Does this author not edit his books? How is he able to have drinks and popcorn and they walk away hand in hand. Maybe they threw them away when exiting the theater outside BUT that's weird when there are so many trash cans inside.
The dog missing his leg has chewed off his other leg and is now dead.
Why is the dog on a diet? Why is she living what he eats when Matt found the dog he said his stomach was sunken in and taut which indicated starvation so why would he be on a diet that limits his food and intake? I've never owned a dog and I've never been in Starvation mode is it like a thing or if you overfeed the dog I can get sick so you have to slowly get back to feeding the dog a normal amount? Also how is the dog this starved when its owner has only been dead for a day?
I also don't understand how this entity takes over because for Ronnie she had the dog for 2 months before anything weird happened and she was murdered but everyone else in contact with it is killed within a few hours.
No joke when Lewis called Matt I thought he was going to say that Lucy was feeling under weather and he was calling for her to say that maybe they would hold off on the dog for another day. That would have been so creepy.
I hate Matt. He's an alcoholic with a bad temper and he like yells at his kid all the time. He's over here mad that Lewis called Mikey and Matt to talk about the dog and how happy he was for them. Of course Matt freaks out and gets annoyed with Lewis and wants to get off the phone acting like Lewis is a prick. Lewis sounds like an amazing man. Matt even brings his son into this asking wasn't that weird that he would call. The ever so adorable Mikey responds back "why? He's nice. He says he just wants to be my friend because I already have a great dad". When I read that I was like aw that's so sweet of Lewis to say that and not to blur the lines for Mikey. Of course Matt has to talk himself down off the ledge after this.
Ohhh Matt. This dude witnesses so many creepy things happen plus his child is dragged outside by a dog hitting his head on every stair and his child doesn't know what's happened he's completely blacked out at everything but does Matt take his child to an emergency room to get checked out? No. They just stay in the house and sleep on the couch with the lights on. Which is completely crazy after all the things he's witnessed. Oh and Matt downs the rest of the bottle of Maker's Mark because what do you need more than anything right now but alcohol. Father of the year right here!
Upon waking up we find out that Matt did not want to take Mikey to the emergency room because he has stayed up all night drinking and so he was completely wasted and he didn't want that to look bad when he took his child to the emergency room and then maybe would lose his job as a teacher. I'll just completely selfish reasons it's always about him. He says he doesn't see any thing physically wrong with Mikey so I guess that's good enough. But hey it's nice to know that a stray dog he found got more attention by seeing a doctor than his own child.
This book is dragging for me and it's hard to believe I'm only a third of the way through. How am I only on 100 pages? How do I still have almost 200 pages left?
Rick just casually seeing in the dark in the country enough to see facial expressions.
Lucy lives in a bigger house but she put her 6 year old upstairs on the 3rd floor. That's odd. Mikey barely says mommy and she's able to hear him and come running. She also gives him a room with steep and dangerous spiral stairs. Are these people trying to kill their son?
I don't understand this haunting force. It kills random people that spend 5 minutes around Conehead but Lucy is not even being touched by it. I also can't understand how Matt and Mikey are given so much time and chances to survive.
I keep wondering if these shadows were the previous owners that were killed by Conehead. I can't get why Conehead would save Mikey but then endanger him and others.
Finally something happened to Lucy...
Oh Lucy just happens to have medicine at her house that can mimic the same medicine that they give to alcoholics. That is so random.
This book is seriously too long. I still have another 100 pages. I'm sad.
Oh Lucy's mom Sue also has a wraparound porch too and I am starting to wonder if the author has a fetish for them since almost all the characters have one.
Oh and like everyone in town lives in the middle of nowhere they all just live out in the woods. There is like no neighbors and they couldn't even hear you scream...
Page after page of them retelling everything we've already read in the book to Evan was so cumbersome.
Omg is Evan going to explain or is he going to just keep asking them questions and having them talk? I'm getting pretty annoyed at this situation it is dragging it out. He goes on and on and on and on talking about how babies and dogs can see ghosts oh but did you know that Matt?? Dude just tell us what you know!!
Are you kidding me??? These violent juvenile criminals are living with a dog in this juvenile correctional facility. And if they behave well for the week they get to sleep with this dog? Get out of here! There is nowhere that would let violent kids near a dog and trust them to not hurt it.!! Evan just said there was actual violent people in there even killers but they just have a dog on the floor. I can't with this author! This is so stupid!
Wyatt is doing so good that he gets to have the dog sleep with him every night. The other kids get jealous and threatened to kill him over this. This is ridiculous. First of all he writes to them telling them that he can't handle this and he's going to kill himself or escaping prison. Places like this they read your letters when you send them out and when you get them so they know what you're planning. When you write a letter out to the outside world you're not allowed to seal the letter because legally you can't open someone else's mail but if the letters never sealed you can read the letter so this place would know what he was thinking.
Find out that Wyatt somehow got out of his room and got a taser from a nurse's purse but how did he know she had a taser in her purse I have no idea? Also I've never known a place like this that didn't make people lock up their personal items since it is a juvenile psych floor. She wouldn't even have her purse with her. But somehow he gets a taser he knew about gets out steals a bunch of pills and then also somehow gets into the rooms because he has the key card and makes everyone swallow pills that kill them. Taser won't kill you. I am so sick of books acting like tasers can actually really hurt someone. All it is is a fast jolt of electricity. It's so annoying because he would have to get so close to these kids and then he would have to constantly I guess taser them over and over and over again but they would defend themselves. They're not going to sit there and swallow a bunch of pills just because you're shocking them. I just I find this ludicrous. This is the most asinine book. Just want to say I doubt very much this nurse even had a taser gun she probably had a stun gun but people in books and movies always mix these up. Plus plus plus I doubt she had the super voltage that a police officer would even use.
So why it's mom decided she was going to have a seance when they found the dog because she watched a show that said the dogs and animals can see spirits around them. And she wanted to see if why it's so stuck to this dog. I find this weird since the dog had already been let loose that why it's soul would be attached to the dog because the dog was already gone when Wyatt died but whatever facts don't matter here. Apparently when she said she would do anything for anyone to come back she opened up the door for the other kids that were murdered by Wyatt's soul to also come back. Those the ones that are attached to the dog and that's why they're killing people.
I dnfed after that. This was stupid I don't want to continue and I don't want to waste my precious time on this planet reading another 60 pages after that ridiculous story exclamation. I skimmed some pages and there is a stupid attempted rape scene from the dog. Why?????
Final Thoughts:
So many holes in the story and so many issues with the writer contradicting himself. The author would say one thing and then like a few chapters down it would be the opposite.
I hated how similar the names were to each other I felt like that at times could be confusing when reading the story. Names like;
• Lucy & Lewis
• Matt & Mikey/Michael
I felt like I was in a Marvel comic. There are so many names in the world why are we picking names that sound quite similar to one another.
The author has a way of writing some really creepy moments into the book but I feel like he can never sustain the momentum of what he's putting out there. It's like being on a roller coaster and it has two really great hills and the rest is just a few bumps.
I hated the how the souls got attached to the dog it was stupid. Completely full on plot holes. It just went on and on and on.
I just for the love of me can't understand how these kids are murderers but they would let them have dogs when animals are the first things that Killers experiment on killing. Plus they're leaving the dog they're overnight unsupervised just because they had a good week. I just it's so stupid. Is this author ever read about what a killer does?
I find it far fetched that a child that is being tormented by a dog and the house being haunted that he would be so excited to be around them and not traumatized.
What was that rape scene for?
IG | Blog
June 14, 2026
I seem to be in the minority here, but Mean Spirited just didn’t do it for me. Unfortunately, the execution never lived up to the concept. It got so, so repetitive. Instead of building dread, these moments became predictable. By the second half of the book, I felt like I was reading variations of the same scene over and over again. Like is it the dog or not.. and why did nobody act until the very end?
Also conversations often felt unnatural, as if characters were speaking for the reader’s benefit rather than talking to each other. The repetitive odd nicknames made me cringe as well
Another reason to be a cat person <3
Also conversations often felt unnatural, as if characters were speaking for the reader’s benefit rather than talking to each other. The repetitive odd nicknames made me cringe as well
Another reason to be a cat person <3
March 7, 2024
Jesus christ! It's one of the creepiest things I've read this year. Definitely had me side eyeing my own dog, though. Conehead will live in my head rent-free for a long time to come.
"Sometimes doing the right thing feels wrong."
Honestly, this book scared me shitless AND broke my mama heart....well played sir...well played indeed. Mean spirited truly pulls out all the punches and takes you on a wild and bloody ride. This book may frighten you, give you anxiety, make you cry, and even make you laugh. One thing is for sure, once it sinks its teeth into you....it won't let go.
"Sometimes doing the right thing feels wrong."
Honestly, this book scared me shitless AND broke my mama heart....well played sir...well played indeed. Mean spirited truly pulls out all the punches and takes you on a wild and bloody ride. This book may frighten you, give you anxiety, make you cry, and even make you laugh. One thing is for sure, once it sinks its teeth into you....it won't let go.
January 8, 2024
It only took a couple of experiences reading the work of Nick Roberts for him to become a favorite author for me. I was aggressively excited (that's a thing) to get my hands on his latest novel, Mean Spirited.
Mean Spirited starts out with one of the strongest, and scariest, prologues I've read in a long time. It sets the stage for a book that does what few horror books have been able to do. It scared me. The way Nick sets the scene and describes what the characters are seeing and feeling were extremely effective. My heart beat faster when theirs did, my breath hitched along with them. And I'm sure, at some point, I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
The characters, including Conehead the dog, are real and complex. You empathize with them all in some way. Matt, our human MC, is an alcoholic teacher. I was really cheering for this guy throughout the book to fight his inner demons as well as fight the hellish nightmare they were all experiencing. His ex-wife Lucy is understandably frustrated with Matt, as she wants him to be a better man for their son. 6 year old Mikey is a brave, amazing kid. And Conehead is an adorable Labrador that is very smart and protective...mostly.
There are twists and surprises, the pacing is unrelenting, and this book has some of the scariest imagery I've read. This is an absolute must read, highly recommend!
Mean Spirited starts out with one of the strongest, and scariest, prologues I've read in a long time. It sets the stage for a book that does what few horror books have been able to do. It scared me. The way Nick sets the scene and describes what the characters are seeing and feeling were extremely effective. My heart beat faster when theirs did, my breath hitched along with them. And I'm sure, at some point, I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
The characters, including Conehead the dog, are real and complex. You empathize with them all in some way. Matt, our human MC, is an alcoholic teacher. I was really cheering for this guy throughout the book to fight his inner demons as well as fight the hellish nightmare they were all experiencing. His ex-wife Lucy is understandably frustrated with Matt, as she wants him to be a better man for their son. 6 year old Mikey is a brave, amazing kid. And Conehead is an adorable Labrador that is very smart and protective...mostly.
There are twists and surprises, the pacing is unrelenting, and this book has some of the scariest imagery I've read. This is an absolute must read, highly recommend!
December 5, 2025
Fantastic horror in an economy of words. There are no pages-long build up to a blast of stone cold fright. Boom. There it is. Not like a jump-scare, just a statement of fact. A dad walks in to see his child crawling across the ceiling…. Stated very forward without the usual tropes of glowing eyes, dripping fangs, gaping maws, razor sharp claws, etc. Nope. Just a refreshingly simple approach to a scary story without pretentious hubbub.
Can recommend.
Can recommend.
Read
January 3, 2024Nick Roberts is one of the few authors who can consistently scare me. Full review to come.
July 26, 2025
One of the scariest books I've ever read. Avoid reading at night!
December 17, 2024
“NOW IT’S TIME TO PLAY WITH US.”
This story seriously scared me! My god, the scenes with poor Ronnie gave me nightmares. I felt spooked reading the rest of the bloody, supernatural events that happened to Matt & his family as well.
Poor Conehead- I was simultaneously terrified of him and deeply sorry for him. My parents have a wildly goofy yellow lab and he’s all I could picture while reading this. I stopped by their house midway through the story and was a little freaked out when their dog Clancy was happily greeting me; Conehead has completely changed my perspective now about him haha and I am slightly wary around him.
So, if you want a deeply disturbing, hauntingly creepy story centred around a (sometimes) sweet and gentle dog, this is the book for you!
Side note: sorry, but I could’ve smacked Mikey when he blurted the plan out in Chapter 29. C’MON KID EVERYONE’S LIFE IS AT RISK HERE!!!!
This story seriously scared me! My god, the scenes with poor Ronnie gave me nightmares. I felt spooked reading the rest of the bloody, supernatural events that happened to Matt & his family as well.
Poor Conehead- I was simultaneously terrified of him and deeply sorry for him. My parents have a wildly goofy yellow lab and he’s all I could picture while reading this. I stopped by their house midway through the story and was a little freaked out when their dog Clancy was happily greeting me; Conehead has completely changed my perspective now about him haha and I am slightly wary around him.
So, if you want a deeply disturbing, hauntingly creepy story centred around a (sometimes) sweet and gentle dog, this is the book for you!
Side note: sorry, but I could’ve smacked Mikey when he blurted the plan out in Chapter 29. C’MON KID EVERYONE’S LIFE IS AT RISK HERE!!!!
May 8, 2024
I was going to give this 2 stars until I came upon the part about the possessed dog wanting to r*pe the mom.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2024
3.5⭐️ rounded up bc I appreciate the amount of times the author worked dingleberry into the story
February 8, 2025
the ending had chills running down my spine. i don’t think i’ll ever get tired of nick’s writing.
July 18, 2025
This may be the scariest book I’ve ever read - and I don’t say that lightly. From page one, the dread crept in and never let up. The atmosphere was so thick with tension, I felt like I was living inside the haunting alongside the characters. The paranormal elements are terrifying, the pace was perfect, and the horror is deeply psychological, laced with moments that genuinely made my skin crawl.
What sets this book apart is how grounded the characters feel, making every supernatural encounter hit that much harder. I actually cared about what was happening to them, and I think that’s what made the horror so effective. It’s not just jump scares or gore for shock value, it’s the creeping realization that something is very wrong, and it’s not going away.
If you're looking for a book that will genuinely mess with your head and keep the lights on at night, Mean Spirited delivers. This is horror done right.
What sets this book apart is how grounded the characters feel, making every supernatural encounter hit that much harder. I actually cared about what was happening to them, and I think that’s what made the horror so effective. It’s not just jump scares or gore for shock value, it’s the creeping realization that something is very wrong, and it’s not going away.
If you're looking for a book that will genuinely mess with your head and keep the lights on at night, Mean Spirited delivers. This is horror done right.
November 5, 2025
The first thing I did when I opened this book was ask, “Does the dog die?” And while that question haunted me for a bit, it quickly faded to the background, because Mean Spirited had me from page one. I tore through this in a few hours. It’s that good.
After a family rescues a dog, things start going very, very wrong. We’re talking full-blown paranormal terror, deep emotional unraveling, and oh yeah… murders. The story spirals in the best possible way, and the characters? Flawed, raw, human. I found myself caring about each of them, even when they were making choices I wouldn't agree with.
What I appreciate most is that the dog is not merely a plot device or emotional bait; it serves as the catalyst. The story builds around this single act of kindness (rescuing a dog), and from there it becomes something much bigger and darker. The horror comes from the environment, choices, and desperation.
October 24, 2025
Okay, so this book actually scared me and gave me chills! The horror and supernatural elements were really well done. I loved how it started off strong and terrifying right from the prologue, and that ending twist was perfect. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you up at night, this is definitely the one.
We follow Matt, an alcoholic teacher and father, whose life spirals out of control after his former student is killed leaving him with her dog and the dark presence that comes with it.
We follow Matt, an alcoholic teacher and father, whose life spirals out of control after his former student is killed leaving him with her dog and the dark presence that comes with it.
March 30, 2024
One of the books that I read by this author, was The Exorcist's House. This was an excellent book. Mean Spirited, didn't take off until the second half of the book. The most important character in the book was the dog, Conehead. Connecting with the other characters was difficult. I was very surprised at the ending. I recommend this book, to all fans of horror.
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