I Bought a Haunted School

by Sam Whittaker

A Haunted School is No Place to Live… Especially if You’re a Little Girl.

Ava’s family has just moved into an abandoned school.

The empty hallways are as lonely as Ava feared. When she finds a raggedy stuffed rabbit, she feels like she’s finally made a friend.

But there are others within the eerie classrooms. They also want to be Ava’s friends. They’ve been in this old school a long time, and they have their own wicked ideas for Ava and her family…

"A creepy, fun ride through the echoing halls of a haunted school-turned-home. With every creak and whisper, the scare factor ramps up—I dare you to read this after dark!" - Ben Farthing, Author of I Found Puppets Living in My Apartment Walls.

Genres: Horror

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Cujo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family buys an closed down schoolhouse and concerts it into their new home. a local "crazy" women's warning, weird feelings of being watched, and objects disappearing and knocked over objects, and horrible dreams, are raised the red flags of the school being haunted.

Events in this book take place over the course of a couple weeks. Staring with the day the family moves in and concludes on the night, " all hell breaks loose". Events are seen thru the eyes of the family's 6 y/o daughter,( who honestly acts very immature even for a 6 y/o)

Tension in the house builds quickly, thanks to what appears to be a slightly manic mother's efforts to have what she hopes is a perfect diner party, the little girls inability to sleep due to nightmares and seeing shadow people in her room, and the daughters obsession with a old, dirty stuffed bunny she finds in one of the old classrooms....This book is definitely creepy. I just wish there was more back story on the ghosts that haunt the school.

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s start with what I really enjoyed about this book. It wasn’t overly long, making it an easy and quick read, and the plot kept a nice pace throughout. It also had some genuinely spooky moments and an intriguing backstory that kept me interested. I especially appreciated that the story was told from the perspective of a 6-year-old without feeling like it was aimed at middle school readers—a tricky balance that the author pulled off well. Oh, and I have to mention the cover—I absolutely loved it!

Now, onto the areas that I felt needed more work. Some of the dialogue didn’t quite hit the mark for me. For example, there’s a conversation between our 6-year-old FMC and an 8-year-old ghost boy, but his vocabulary and word choices sounded way too polished, more like an educated adult than a child. It just felt unrealistic and pulled me out of the story. I also noticed multiple spelling mistakes, which, while minor, made the book feel like it could’ve used a bit more proofreading.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely terrifying story! I would never think that using an abandoned school would be possible let alone advisable. Because children are so innocent it was really easy to believe that Ava could sense something was off about the school. When she found the ratty, stained rabbit her mom should have stuck with her gut and took the thing. But of course, parents love their children so mom just let her keep the rabbit. I was taken by surprise how quickly the terror began. When it started with little things: like the stuffed rabbit sitting on boxes instead of with Ava, the parents should have paid some attention to what little Ava told them. The parents would soon find out that ignoring warning signs would lead to disaster. The author did a great job of filling the pages with fear causing situations that remind the reader why abandoned places should remain abandoned.

[Milt Theo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure I enjoyed this, though I'd not dissuade anyone from giving it a go. It's seemingly written in a young adult spirit, but the last third of the book (the ending included) is far more cruel, pessimistic, graphic, and impactful than anything I'd suggest a young teenager should read. The title is also a tiny bit misleading: it's a family of three buying a haunted school, and the story isn't even told in first-person. That's fortunate, because following a horror story with this kind of ending through the eyes of a six-year old girl directly, would have made for a tale of very limited vision. The aspect I liked most was how the implications of the ending are never really drawn out; you have to read between the lines, and freak out when realization strikes.

[Kathy Brackin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanksgiving hits different with this book 😬

[Chiara Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ This was fun, but I think I expected a bit more creepiness and more plot in general.

I was immediately invested in the story and kept waiting for the increase in the creepy factor. Whilst I did feel eerie and I genuinely liked the child main protagonist Ava, I think I was expecting a bit more.

On the other hand, I liked how the twist was handled and how the reader really has to work it out by themselves, as it’s never plainly explained. The reader is left with that indecisive feeling of knowing what happened but never fully. I liked that!

As always, this is my personal opinion, and I encourage you to read/listen to this as some elements were really fun! I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration by Christine LaChance.

Thanks to the author for the audiobook and this is my honest opinion.

[Sarah McKnight · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book while I was wandering around Powell Books during a visit to Portland, OR and the premise hooked me so I had to grab it!

That being said, I hate to do this, especially for a fellow indie author, but it would be a disservice to not leave my honest thoughts after reading.

This book had a lot of potential but sadly fell flat for me. On the surface, it could have benefited greatly from another round of two of editing. There were typos, awkward sentences, and inconsistencies with the spelling of one character's name everywhere. The concept was really cool, but I wanted more detail. I hoped for at least a little description on how the school was renovated before the family moved in. For example, were the bedrooms renovated to look more like typical bedrooms, or were they just putting bedroom furniture in old classrooms? Details like that would have really helped with my immersion in the setting.

The characters themselves all felt one-dimensional and wooden. There was a lot of head-hopping going on. A character who was meant to be around 8 years old spoke like a grown adult. The chapter where all was (allegedly) revealed was about 90% pure dialogue and was a slog to get through. It would have really served much better as a flashback. It also didn't feel like there was enough buildup to the big ending.

The twist at the end was really interesting, but I do feel like it could have been executed better.

All that being said, I didn't hate the book. I think there is tons of potential here, but this read more like a first draft than a completed work. The author clearly has good ideas and knows how to come up with a compelling story. My disappointment with this book in particular wouldn't deter from checking out more of his work in the future. I don't regret reading, I just think it could have been a much stronger book with a bit more editing and work.

[Jim Donohue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a horror tale, told in two separate, shall we say, subgenres.
The first 2/3 of this book delivers the creepy factor to spare, right from the opening scene. Chilling, that sense of dread that you look for in a "haunted novel"
The last 1/3 of the book is more of a slasher story, with a bit of a twist. Blood and gore galore, and if that's not your thing, you may be in for a surprise when it hits.
Stay with it.
Ava, and her mom and dad, move into a new house that once was a school with a dark past. It's not long before the fun begins, and the reader is taken for quite an enjoyable ride, right through to the brutal ending.
The payoff comes from who is orchestrating the mayhem.
I personally liked the way the book deviated into something I didn't expect.
I look forward to more from this author.

[Ali O · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Bought A Haunted School by Sam Whittaker
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really enjoyed this creepy & twisty horror story!
Ava a 6 year old little girl, is moving into an old school building with her parents. It’s an odd place to make a home, and Ava quickly feels that things aren’t right in the old building. This school has some dark and scary history! Is the school haunted? Is Ava seeing ghosts? Will her parents believe her worries?

This is my first book from this author and I can’t wait to read more! It’s a fast read and I like the way the author tells a story.

Thank you to Sam Whittaker for an audio copy of this great book!! The narrator did an excellent job!

*The book is out now and I recommend reading this spooky story!!* 👻🔔🐰

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know if it was just because I was a nerdy kid who loved horror books, but I always fantasized about how scary and cool it would be to live in an old school when I was younger. Very glad that didn’t happen after reading this book!! I also really enjoyed the dynamics of the parents and thought they were very realistic.

[Angie Frakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the epitome of “F*** them kids” as a horror trope. Never trust a strange stuffed animal that you find in an abandoned building, because it’s never going to lead to anything but chaos and mayhem.

[Jacqueline Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book was corny. I liked the length but I struggled to get through it. It was like Five Nights At Freddy’s with a twist. A killer bunny rabbit…really? The only part I enjoyed was hearing about how Patrick was murdered. And the ending? I’m assuming the mom was the sister? Idk…This one just didn’t do it for me.8

[❤ArtfullySinful❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What is happening?” she demanded. “Your rabbit… that thing… it killed….” She couldn’t get a hold of a single line of thought and dissolved into sputtering and stammering.

A young family moved into a schoolhouse filled with thirty years of tragedy and unknowingly stumbled upon a death sentence. Six year old Ava, her father Michael and mother Candace purchased the Cedar Park School with hopes to turn it into their forever home and a studio for Candace's aspiring music career. From the first step inside Ava felt a deep sense of foreboding, while her parents both busied themselves with the unpacking and settling in. Seeing shadows that moved on their own and even the spirit of a young boy, her young mind couldn't wrap around the paranormal fully. While exploring one of the wings of the school, she encountered a dilapidated and dirty stuffed rabbit she affectionately named Floppy. While her mother felt disgusted and worried about the appearance of the toy, her daughter was determined to keep it no matter what. Always at her side and tucked in beside her at bedtime, it began moving across the room in the middle of the night and would leave her facing her now opened bedroom door. Seeing the young boy, Patrick Reginald Harris (8 years old) holding upthe toy and staring in terror, she quickly would wake her parents up by screaming in the middle of the night. The moment they appear, the shadows and the boy wild vanish and leave them worried about her night terrors.

“That’s what I call him. He’s a scary-looking man in a black robe who walks up and down the street once a day, ringing his bell. He uses it to call the dead, like me. I think he’s supposed to collect us, and we go with him somewhere else. But he scares me, and I don’t want to go with him. So, I stay away from him.”

In the late nineties, eight year old Patrick was attending the school when bullies literally pummeled him and left him for dead in a closet. Bullied relentlessly and left defenseless, Joe would take things much too far that last round when he left the boy so battered he passed away alone over the weekend. Patrick's father worked as the school's janitor and within days of the death of his son would drag Joe right back and strangle him to death after beating him nearly to death. Haunted by everything, Patrick was forced to watch the removal of his body as well as the school shutting its doors for the last time. With each new family to move in, they wouldn't last very long before their murders would begin. Refusing to listen to anyone regarding the dark history, her parents continued life as normal and even attempted to host a dinner party for three guests (Charlies, Mary and Rosy) as she tried to gain their attention with her music. Spying Floppy walking on his own, Ava was too scared of her mother's reaction to alert them to what was happening. As he got closer and closer, she excused herself and that's when Floppy truly began moving on its own.

Floppy was hunched forward and cast quick looks around the table. His attention landed on Rosy and stayed on her. With tremendous speed, the stuffed creature lurched forward. Along the way, Floppy reached down and snatched the steak knife up from Rosy’s place setting. As the rabbit approached, instinct kicked in and she attempted to back away, but too late. In the space of a heartbeat, the rabbit finished his journey and rammed the knife into one of Rosy’s widening eyes. It went up to the hilt. She jerked and threw herself back so hard she sent her chair arcing away. She crashed into the ground, her body convulsing, her hands forming into claws. Her mouth worked for a few more seconds in a soundless scream, then she went still.

Swiping a knife from the dinner plate, he stabbed Mary through the eye and left the reaming guests cornered and scared. Rushing to the upstairs studio, Mary Rosy would be pushed down the stairs and slaughtered while Charles would be killed as he tried to spare time to the other three survivors. As Floppy finally got through the locked door to the studio, Ava watched her father get hung and killed and her mother electrocuted. Managing to walk right out the door with Floppy sitting on the porch, she was found later by a concerned police officer tasked with the massacre of five adults inside the house. Still seeing the ghost of Patrick sitting beside her, the nightmare is so far from over. Unknown to Ava, Patrick had a lengthy rap sheet of being a naughty child, one who did a lot of bullying and harassment before it eventually caught back up to him.

That’s when she thought she saw the momentary reflection of two eyes, standing in the corner of her room. They were attached to a vague shape that was only slightly darker than the shadows surrounding.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ava and her parents have just moved into an abandoned school. As soon as they get settled into their home, strange things start to happen. Ava finds a filthy stuffed rabbit that she names Floppy and then "meets" a young boy who turns out to be a ghost! Although a local woman tries to warn them that they shouldn't live in the school, she doesn't elaborate about the past history of it.

The story moved a fairly fast pace, but I did have a few issues with it. First of all, I didn't care for the story being told from the POV of a six year old. When Ava finally encounters the ghost boy, he tells her (in gruesome detail) all about his murder, along with the subsequent murder of another boy. Ava doesn't react in a way that seemed normal to me for a six year old when being told about the violence surrounding the school.

Also, I was expecting a haunted house-type story, but it turned into more of a slasher ala Child's Play. The ending was pretty predictable, especially since the book starts out with the end result, then goes back to fill in the events leading to this end. I also had a problem with Ava's mother, Candace, who was one of the most insufferable women I have read recently!

The narrator did a pretty good job and kept my interest. All in all, it was a quick read and fairly entertaining, but it could have been much better IMO.

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six year old Ava and her parents have moved into a school. The ground floor is for them to live on, the next floor is for her mums music studio. Before they're fully moved in, a woman warns them it isn't safe, but naturally they think she's a kook. Soon, Ava starts feeling like she's being watched, she finds herself frightened often and suddenly has a new friend that only she can see. But how long before they find out whether the rumours about the school are true or not?

This was soooo good. It took a little while for the real action to take place, but it was eery from the very beginning. The first chapter absolutely pulled me in, and I read this in just over 2 hours. It was creepy, and I had to put my sons plushies in another room so I could finish reading. And I loved the way it ended, but I truly hope there's going to be a second book. I don't want a second book, I need it.
This book is due out at the end of this month, so go and get your pre-orders in or keep an eye on it for release day.

[Angel Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book because I enjoy reading about haunted places. It's one of my favorite tropes in horror. This was a fun read. However, it seemed the book went in a different direction. So the first half or 2/3 of the story is a creepy horror, which is what I expect from a book like this. The last third of the book turns into a gore/slasher fest. I mean it was fun, but it felt off. It's hard to explain and I don't want to sound like I'm negative, but the shift in tone did throw me off a bit.

I felt the story might have been told in a first-person tone in Ava's mind, but I'm aware that it would have given us a limited scope.

Despite the shift in tone, I think everyone should read this solid haunted house/school book. Ava was a well-developed main character, which kept me engaged and cheering for her. I must warn you, the ending is a bit dark/down.

Still this is a solid 4/5 star read that you should get.

[Stormy Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an arc copy (i think) for kindle, and I was thoroughly invested during the first part of the story. There was a couple of spelling and grammatical issues I found but it didn’t really bother me that much.

What kinda bothered me was how “immediate” the ending was. It felt it was kinda rushed. It had potential to be a longer story but because it was a short one, the ending was fully packed making it looked like it was rushed.

There were explanations for the characters and why it happened the way it was, but it felt like it could need more. Like the lore of the haunted school could be delved more. It would have been nice if there was more to the background story of the school.

I enjoyed the short read, personally I wouldn’t have mind if it was longer if it meant I could have a detailed background as to why the school is a no-go zone.

[Tabs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A+++++. What a great read!!!

I LOVE this book!!!! My bf and I have a little tradition of reading Sam’s books together before bed, a few chapters per night or one chapter per night If we do the advent style read alone like on his f b group. We just finished this one and WOW what a story!!!
Sam sure knows how to scare the heck out of me!! Again, I read these before bed and the amount of nightmares I’ve had….. wow that’s how you know the story is phenomenal when it follows me into my dreams.
This story is definitely a 5 star read and I can not wait to read another Sam Whittaker book!!!!

Sam; PLEASE keep writing!!! Everything is so fantastic!!! Thanksgiving table… Christmas tree farm… this!!! So so good!!! I keep recommending these books to everyone I speak to. If you’re thinking on it and need a sign well, here it is….. READ IT!!!!

[Terry and dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story. I read a story years ago, called The School, by TM Wright, and I found the location of a school, very cool and memorable. After reading this, I still think a school is a great place for a creepy story.
The characters were okay, we didn't get much history about them so I really didn't care what happened to them. The mom was not exactly a sympathetic character, and I didn't have much love for her. I would have loved a few more incidents, particularily some involving the parents, near the beginning of the story, so they were unsettled, I think it would have added to the atmosphere. The last part of the story gets much more exciting and gruesome and I really liked the ending. 3.8 rounded up.

[Shernina Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap! What a fast paced, creepy ride that was! It was amazing. It’s told from the POV of 6 yr old AVA which makes it better, because at that age she’s automatically considered an unreliable narrator.
AVAs parents made me so mad, because they just kept writing off AVAs fears, instead of soothing her more. Mom was definitely unstable and AVA seems to have a little of moms unstableness herself. I did not expect this story to go where it did at all. I didn’t even suspect that something was off until the last 10% of the book. Man, was that a shocker! I def recommend this book!

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all...this was creepy as hell, secondly I hate the mother... And third I don't want my stuffed rabbit anymore. 🫢

A couple and their daughter Ava move into an old school that they have made their home and music studio.

But what could go wrong? Why is a school up for sale? What happened here all those years ago? And why don't people listen to the warnings of others?

Absolutely brilliant, creepy and spine tingling. And I'm throwing away my stuffed rabbit 😅.

[Barbra Athill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy

I'm a new reader of this author, and this being the second book that I've read...... I can honestly say I'm a fan. The whole buying an old school and turning it into a home to reside in was diabolical go me, but this family was determined to make it work. At 6 years old, little Ava knew something wasn't right....her parents just wouldn't listen. Thank goodness for her stuffed friend Floppy. I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to read more by this author

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read I found while scrolling Facebook.

Its on KU so if you have that sub, absolutely give this a read, but it felt a little YA for me, which I dont mind , but I wanted more background information and more, horror ?

This was a decent haunted house read, and if you like that, absolutely check it out/

[Laia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I flew through this book. it was super readable and very creepy. The last bit of the book was pretty gruesome. I'm not sure that I like the view of the child for a whole book but it was a first. My one complaint would be the number of spelling errors.

I'd recommend for anyone wanting to read something quick and creepy.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is The Others, meets Chucky, meets Beetlejuice.

The editing was sloppy. There were several spelling and grammatical errors throughout the book.

The beginning was okay, it seemed a good pace, there was good build up, character forming was solid.

Why the crash and burn towards the end? It was like two different people wrote this book.

[Lisa Robbins]

An old school seems like an odd place to make a home in my opinion. I felt bad for Ava. She was just a little girl in a big weird place. Things only got worse with all the weird things that started happening. It was super creepy for most of the book. Just a warning that it gets pretty gory near the end. I enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to checking out more by Sam Whittaker.

[Kim F · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was not quite the way I thought it was going to go I really did enjoy it It was a very fast read I will be picking up some of the other books by this author because I did enjoy it. It gave the appearance of perhaps an imagination of children but I will tell you I will never look at a stuffed rabbit the same way again

[Cheri Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very intense!

A fantastic ghostly horror story! I enjoyed it immensely! Had me captivated right from the first page! An edge of your seat intenseness that draws you in and refuses to let go! Absolutely my kind of horror story! This author has earned my dedication to reading this whole series! It's phenomenal!

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

School

Ava's parents purchase an old school for their new home and studio. It has been closed a long time. No one stays there long. Ava begins to see things. What is haunting the old school? Are they safe? Chilling read.

[Vanessa Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start to finish I could not put this book down! Had to keep reading to see what was hiding around the next doorway. This was actually the first book from Sam Whitaker I have read at the urging of James Kaine and I will definitely be reading more!