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She Waits Where Shadows Gather
Parents should pass down stories, not spirits…
Avery and Carlos Tam have built their lives on logic, not legends. Carlos, the host of a hit reality show that exposes paranormal hoaxes, has made a name disproving the supernatural.
But when they travel to his ancestral home in the Philippines, darkness clings to every corner. The mirrors are shrouded. The housekeeper won't stay in the house alone. And no one will speak of the tragedies the family has seen.
Then a brutal car crash leaves Carlos trapped in his own body—silent, helpless, and utterly vulnerable. As Avery tends to him, the house begins to stir. It watches. It listens. And it speaks—in a voice only Carlos can hear—offering a twisted kind of comfort.
And as the lies buried by Carlos and his family begin to surface, Avery must confront the if the past won't rest, their future may never begin.
Some inherit memories. Others inherit monsters.
Avery and Carlos Tam have built their lives on logic, not legends. Carlos, the host of a hit reality show that exposes paranormal hoaxes, has made a name disproving the supernatural.
But when they travel to his ancestral home in the Philippines, darkness clings to every corner. The mirrors are shrouded. The housekeeper won't stay in the house alone. And no one will speak of the tragedies the family has seen.
Then a brutal car crash leaves Carlos trapped in his own body—silent, helpless, and utterly vulnerable. As Avery tends to him, the house begins to stir. It watches. It listens. And it speaks—in a voice only Carlos can hear—offering a twisted kind of comfort.
And as the lies buried by Carlos and his family begin to surface, Avery must confront the if the past won't rest, their future may never begin.
Some inherit memories. Others inherit monsters.
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️ 3.75 ⭐️ The house is alive and its hungry for answers.
In short, She Waits Where Shadows Gather is a story about a married couple, Avery and Carlos, who travel to Manilla, Philippines to help Carlos's family sell an old family home. Salcedo House is NOT your typical vacation-house. Everything about this house feels wrong: servants refuse to stay after dark and family members don't like talking about it. The house is overall very creepy, pitch black and silent and Avery has a sensation that she is being watched. Carlos, a TV host of a show that exposes paranormal frauds, is completely skeptical and dismissive of Avery's unease. Shortly after, Carlos has an accident that leaves him completely handicapped. As Avery struggles to care for him, Carlos begins to experience supernatural encounters that feel very paranormal. Everything becomes intensified and the horrors begin to feel personal for both Avery and Carlos especially.
Filipino folklore mixed in with a haunted house is officially going down as one of my most favorite mythologies/lore woven into a classic haunted house framework. I was kind of creeped out and feeling the dread. The eerie atmosphere steadily mounted a sense of unease in me and I must say the haunted vibes were immaculate.
Carlos and Avery's relationship was not to my liking. From the very start, we know that their marriage is troubled. Their marriage is full of resentment from unmet expectations. Avery is struggling to conceive and going through infertility. She doesn't want to waste time and wants to begin IVF. Carlos is not on the same page as her. In fact, he is very dismissive, never wanted to have children and is presented as difficult to like from the get-go. He's frustrating, he's arrogant and emotionally reserved, always minimizing Avery's feelings. He honestly seemed like a loser. While they appear to be devoted to each other, they deeply resent one another. Their relationship frustrated me but I understand why the author, Michelle Tang, used their trouble marriage to explore themes of generational trauma, grief and control. The haunted house acted like a mirror to their troubled marriage, bringing their unresolved issues to the surface. At times, their troubles overshadowed the folklore, leaving very little room to further the development of other elements.
Overall, this was good and the novel questions how much of ourselves is given up during marriage and whether love can survive when truths begin to come out.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author, Michelle Tang for the early eARC!
Publication date: May 5, 2026
In short, She Waits Where Shadows Gather is a story about a married couple, Avery and Carlos, who travel to Manilla, Philippines to help Carlos's family sell an old family home. Salcedo House is NOT your typical vacation-house. Everything about this house feels wrong: servants refuse to stay after dark and family members don't like talking about it. The house is overall very creepy, pitch black and silent and Avery has a sensation that she is being watched. Carlos, a TV host of a show that exposes paranormal frauds, is completely skeptical and dismissive of Avery's unease. Shortly after, Carlos has an accident that leaves him completely handicapped. As Avery struggles to care for him, Carlos begins to experience supernatural encounters that feel very paranormal. Everything becomes intensified and the horrors begin to feel personal for both Avery and Carlos especially.
Filipino folklore mixed in with a haunted house is officially going down as one of my most favorite mythologies/lore woven into a classic haunted house framework. I was kind of creeped out and feeling the dread. The eerie atmosphere steadily mounted a sense of unease in me and I must say the haunted vibes were immaculate.
Carlos and Avery's relationship was not to my liking. From the very start, we know that their marriage is troubled. Their marriage is full of resentment from unmet expectations. Avery is struggling to conceive and going through infertility. She doesn't want to waste time and wants to begin IVF. Carlos is not on the same page as her. In fact, he is very dismissive, never wanted to have children and is presented as difficult to like from the get-go. He's frustrating, he's arrogant and emotionally reserved, always minimizing Avery's feelings. He honestly seemed like a loser. While they appear to be devoted to each other, they deeply resent one another. Their relationship frustrated me but I understand why the author, Michelle Tang, used their trouble marriage to explore themes of generational trauma, grief and control. The haunted house acted like a mirror to their troubled marriage, bringing their unresolved issues to the surface. At times, their troubles overshadowed the folklore, leaving very little room to further the development of other elements.
Overall, this was good and the novel questions how much of ourselves is given up during marriage and whether love can survive when truths begin to come out.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author, Michelle Tang for the early eARC!
Publication date: May 5, 2026
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2026
Carlos returns home when his relatives request his help with haunting in their family home. He decides to bring his wife with him in hopes of also repairing their relationship.
This story focuses mostly on their toxic marriage. Avery’s desire for a baby and Carlos’s contempt for her feelings which ends up exposing how incompatible they truly are.
Shortly after moving to the house, Carlos is injured in an accident and left to sulk in his bitterness. While Avery is forced to deal with the haunting presence alone.
While the premise is strong, the ghost lore feels very underdeveloped, turning the story into more of a strange marital drama with paranormal elements. With a larger focus on the family history, it could have been a truly effective gothic horror but as it stands, the result is just okay.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story focuses mostly on their toxic marriage. Avery’s desire for a baby and Carlos’s contempt for her feelings which ends up exposing how incompatible they truly are.
Shortly after moving to the house, Carlos is injured in an accident and left to sulk in his bitterness. While Avery is forced to deal with the haunting presence alone.
While the premise is strong, the ghost lore feels very underdeveloped, turning the story into more of a strange marital drama with paranormal elements. With a larger focus on the family history, it could have been a truly effective gothic horror but as it stands, the result is just okay.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2026
3/3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Paperback format 📚
I had to sit with this review/rating for a bit and enjoyed discussing it with my bookclub.
The atmosphere and supernatural elements in She Waits Where Shadows Gather is fantastic.
I think where I struggled with was the anticlimactic ending, some of the characters decisions, and a major plot point that I couldn't wrap my head around.
This was still an eerie book that shines new Philippine mythology to the classic paranormal/gothic genre and I loved that. We need more folklore like this in horror!
Paperback format 📚
I had to sit with this review/rating for a bit and enjoyed discussing it with my bookclub.
The atmosphere and supernatural elements in She Waits Where Shadows Gather is fantastic.
I think where I struggled with was the anticlimactic ending, some of the characters decisions, and a major plot point that I couldn't wrap my head around.
This was still an eerie book that shines new Philippine mythology to the classic paranormal/gothic genre and I loved that. We need more folklore like this in horror!
December 9, 2025
I really love it when I read a book that has very little fanfare, and it blows me away. This was definitely the case with Michelle Tang’s debut novel, She Waits Where Shadows Gather.
Avery and Carlos’s marriage is on the rocks. Avery badly wants a child, whereas narcissistic Carlos cannot deal with having to share his wife’s affections with anyone else. The couple moves to Carlos’s childhood home in the Philippines. Carlos, a TV paranormal investigator, has some dark secrets he wants to investigate in his family home.
Understandably, Avery isn’t too keen on the house. The house staff won’t go there alone, and several mirrors are dramatically covered. But things get infinitely worse when Carlos is involved in a life-changing accident.
One of my favorite tropes is “paranormal investigator gets more than they bargained for”, and this book checked that box. But that was just a minor part of my enjoyment of this novel. Avery is an incredibly relatable character; desperate for happiness, incredibly isolated, but strong. On the opposite side, Carlos is so repulsive, he is strangely engaging.
There are some genuinely scary moments in this novel. The house at the center of the novel has shadows lurking in every corner, but when Avery ventures up to the attic, I had to switch a few lights on. I also enjoyed learning a little about Philippine mythology and folklore.
A great combo of a compelling human narrative and supernatural tension.
Avery and Carlos’s marriage is on the rocks. Avery badly wants a child, whereas narcissistic Carlos cannot deal with having to share his wife’s affections with anyone else. The couple moves to Carlos’s childhood home in the Philippines. Carlos, a TV paranormal investigator, has some dark secrets he wants to investigate in his family home.
Understandably, Avery isn’t too keen on the house. The house staff won’t go there alone, and several mirrors are dramatically covered. But things get infinitely worse when Carlos is involved in a life-changing accident.
One of my favorite tropes is “paranormal investigator gets more than they bargained for”, and this book checked that box. But that was just a minor part of my enjoyment of this novel. Avery is an incredibly relatable character; desperate for happiness, incredibly isolated, but strong. On the opposite side, Carlos is so repulsive, he is strangely engaging.
There are some genuinely scary moments in this novel. The house at the center of the novel has shadows lurking in every corner, but when Avery ventures up to the attic, I had to switch a few lights on. I also enjoyed learning a little about Philippine mythology and folklore.
A great combo of a compelling human narrative and supernatural tension.
September 24, 2026
DNF'd 20% in.
I actually cannot stand both Avery and Carlos. He lies to his wife about why they're moving across the world (Canada to the Philippines) and she's got a one track mind of having a baby. Even when he has a car accident and his recovery could take up to 2 years, all she can think about is what that means for them having a baby. Also there are way too many metaphors and similies in here. The story is just incredibly slow and the folk tales are interesting but so far there isn't any horror or atmosphere. Its essentially about these two just hating each other for the most part. I WANT HORROR.
I actually cannot stand both Avery and Carlos. He lies to his wife about why they're moving across the world (Canada to the Philippines) and she's got a one track mind of having a baby. Even when he has a car accident and his recovery could take up to 2 years, all she can think about is what that means for them having a baby. Also there are way too many metaphors and similies in here. The story is just incredibly slow and the folk tales are interesting but so far there isn't any horror or atmosphere. Its essentially about these two just hating each other for the most part. I WANT HORROR.
May 13, 2026
She Waits Where Shadows Gather blends Filipino folklore with the traditional haunted house setting popularized by Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House, but instead it spends a lot of time creating a domestic melodrama surrounding a married couple, Avery and Carlos, who, turns out, are quite unhappy together.
From its very beginning, the book relies on uninspired and repetitive metaphors. Avery's jet lag is described as a "gremlin" hanging onto her shoulders. In the span of just a few pages, this imagery keeps coming back:
This is where the gothic atmosphere dissipated for me. You could even say this whole metaphor was a gremlin I couldn't shake off as I kept reading. Even so, the book reminded me that "the house's energy was still heavy as hell, though", at which point I had to laugh and give up on the promise of a Hill House vibe.
Unfortunately, the gremlin is hardly an isolated example. Throughout the novel, emotions and realizations are constantly transformed into physical sensations — "icy fingers of disbelief" crawl between shoulder blades, apprehension is described as "squatting behind her sternum" — which I found distracting as I kept on reading.
For a horror novel, the story is incredibly slow and lacking tension. We spend so much time focused on Carlos and Avery's failed marriage, his rather insignificant ghost hunting show, and her desperate, at times obsessive, desire to have children. These are both elements which have driven the two characters to hate each other. Carlos only gets more exhausting as the narrative moves forward: whether he's sizing up a priest based on how well he might perform on camera compared to him, or internally congratulating himself for manipulating and berating his wife, he remains relentlessly self-absorbed.
, his internal monologues are driven by bitter resentment toward Avery:
The supernatural elements are diluted by the overwhelming focus on Avery's fertility struggles. Roughly half the narrative is consumed by exhaustive, repetitive discussions and internal monologues about her intense desire to conceive. We spend page after page reading about ovulation windows and emotional cycles,
or about Avery's shame for not being a mother,
The problem isn't that Avery's fertility struggles are present in the novel; in theory, they should complement its themes of family and legacy. Rather, the issue is that the narrative returns to them so frequently that they overshadow everything else, including the horror.
Neither the domestic drama nor the tentative supernatural plot were compelling enough to carry the novel for me. While readers primarily interested in family conflicts and marriage troubles may find more to appreciate here, those hoping for a tense haunted house novel may be left disappointed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.
From its very beginning, the book relies on uninspired and repetitive metaphors. Avery's jet lag is described as a "gremlin" hanging onto her shoulders. In the span of just a few pages, this imagery keeps coming back:
Fatigue was a gremlin waiting in every plane cabin, latching onto her as soon as she sat down and holding on for days.
...the gremlin gripping Avery's shoulders could not be shaken off.
...and the fatigue gremlin that had attached to her on the plane could be playing tricks on her senses.
This is where the gothic atmosphere dissipated for me. You could even say this whole metaphor was a gremlin I couldn't shake off as I kept reading. Even so, the book reminded me that "the house's energy was still heavy as hell, though", at which point I had to laugh and give up on the promise of a Hill House vibe.
Unfortunately, the gremlin is hardly an isolated example. Throughout the novel, emotions and realizations are constantly transformed into physical sensations — "icy fingers of disbelief" crawl between shoulder blades, apprehension is described as "squatting behind her sternum" — which I found distracting as I kept on reading.
For a horror novel, the story is incredibly slow and lacking tension. We spend so much time focused on Carlos and Avery's failed marriage, his rather insignificant ghost hunting show, and her desperate, at times obsessive, desire to have children. These are both elements which have driven the two characters to hate each other. Carlos only gets more exhausting as the narrative moves forward: whether he's sizing up a priest based on how well he might perform on camera compared to him, or internally congratulating himself for manipulating and berating his wife, he remains relentlessly self-absorbed.
, his internal monologues are driven by bitter resentment toward Avery:
He would behave himself, use her love for him, until he didn't need her anymore . . . To pretend he didn't despise her. That he still loved her, even. . . . Carlos took a deep breath and reached toward the newspaper again, using the impotent rage he held for his wife to fuel him.
The supernatural elements are diluted by the overwhelming focus on Avery's fertility struggles. Roughly half the narrative is consumed by exhaustive, repetitive discussions and internal monologues about her intense desire to conceive. We spend page after page reading about ovulation windows and emotional cycles,
Technically, she had a seventy-two hour window in which she could be fertile, but already her left ovary was spasming... Once the egg had left the ovary, they only had a day to fertilize it before it became nonviable.
or about Avery's shame for not being a mother,
Avery leaned forward to address the young woman perched on the chair. “Fatima, what is your experience with children?”
Carlos fought to keep his annoyance off his face.
“Oh, I love children.” The young woman’s eyes lit up. “How many do you have?”
Avery recoiled. She placed a protective hand against her stomach and hunched over, as if to hide its flatness. Carlos turned away from Avery’s rapid blinking; he fought the overwhelming urge to comfort her.
The problem isn't that Avery's fertility struggles are present in the novel; in theory, they should complement its themes of family and legacy. Rather, the issue is that the narrative returns to them so frequently that they overshadow everything else, including the horror.
Neither the domestic drama nor the tentative supernatural plot were compelling enough to carry the novel for me. While readers primarily interested in family conflicts and marriage troubles may find more to appreciate here, those hoping for a tense haunted house novel may be left disappointed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.
July 18, 2026
huh. i don’t know what i was expecting, but boy i was underwhelmed. i have to admit the writing was good, but omg carlos got on my every last nerve!!
May 11, 2026
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#SheWaitsWhereShadowsGather #NetGalley #ePub #ARC #ARCReview #horror #folklore #MichelleTang #hauntedhouse
💠RELEASE DATE: 5 May 2026
💠VIBES: Mike Flanigan's The Haunting of Hill House series, but with Filipino folklore.
💠QUOTE(S):
💠OVERALL THOUGHTS:
• Tang took her time to flesh out the characters into believable, complex people who felt real - enough to ellicit physiological reactions. As I read through Carlos' manipulative & arrogant perspective, I realized my jaw was clenched and my eyes were narrowed. I was seething. I hated Carlos with a passion, as if he had wronged a close friend of mine in real life.
• Beautiful imagery and incredible world-building. I've never been to the Philippines - not yet, anyways - but reading the descriptions made me feel like I temporarily transported there. And the atmosphere house? Creepy as fuck. We can all picture a dilapidated house whose creaks and groans may be from its age and state of disrepair; but, the way the darkness looms in neglected corners feels too watchful to not be something supernatural. Experiencing the house through Avery's eyes, and even through Carlos' eyes, was a slow-burn of dread. I knew something terrible was going to happen, but I didn't know when and I didn't know what.
• I... didn't really understand the climax. (No spoilers here; I'll be careful what I say.) It was sort of explained - why things happened the way they did - but the mechanics of it just didn't make sense to me. It didn't feel... warranted? Like, how could this happen narratively? It is possible I missed something, but it felt completely out of left field for me.
💠REVIEW SUMMARY: She Waits Where Shadows Gather is a haunted house horror novel that poignantly depicts unhealed grief and the deep roots of familial trauma. Although I did not understand the ending, I still enjoyed the book overall.
💠RECOMMEND?: Yes.
💠OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
(4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up)
#SheWaitsWhereShadowsGather #NetGalley #ePub #ARC #ARCReview #horror #folklore #MichelleTang #hauntedhouse
💠RELEASE DATE: 5 May 2026
💠VIBES: Mike Flanigan's The Haunting of Hill House series, but with Filipino folklore.
💠QUOTE(S):
The house transformed light. Whether it was the hue of the paint or the type of old glass in the windows, even the tropical sunlight beaming full blast into a room diluted into a wan yellow. It was the color of sickness, of urine-soaked sheets or jaundiced skin, and [Avery] could understand why the gullible might believe this place was haunted.
💠OVERALL THOUGHTS:
• Tang took her time to flesh out the characters into believable, complex people who felt real - enough to ellicit physiological reactions. As I read through Carlos' manipulative & arrogant perspective, I realized my jaw was clenched and my eyes were narrowed. I was seething. I hated Carlos with a passion, as if he had wronged a close friend of mine in real life.
• Beautiful imagery and incredible world-building. I've never been to the Philippines - not yet, anyways - but reading the descriptions made me feel like I temporarily transported there. And the atmosphere house? Creepy as fuck. We can all picture a dilapidated house whose creaks and groans may be from its age and state of disrepair; but, the way the darkness looms in neglected corners feels too watchful to not be something supernatural. Experiencing the house through Avery's eyes, and even through Carlos' eyes, was a slow-burn of dread. I knew something terrible was going to happen, but I didn't know when and I didn't know what.
• I... didn't really understand the climax. (No spoilers here; I'll be careful what I say.) It was sort of explained - why things happened the way they did - but the mechanics of it just didn't make sense to me. It didn't feel... warranted? Like, how could this happen narratively? It is possible I missed something, but it felt completely out of left field for me.
💠REVIEW SUMMARY: She Waits Where Shadows Gather is a haunted house horror novel that poignantly depicts unhealed grief and the deep roots of familial trauma. Although I did not understand the ending, I still enjoyed the book overall.
💠RECOMMEND?: Yes.
💠OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
(4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up)
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review in the April 2026 issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: Spotlight on International horror lore, intense unease, dual points of view
Also-- troubled marriage, family secrets, haunted house, souls
Draft Review: Canadian spouses Avery and Carlos, both of Chinese-Filipino descent, arrive in Manila for an indefinite stay. Carlos is moving his popular show, disproving the supernatural, back to his family’s haunted manor house. Told from both Carlos and Avery’s perspectives, readers are aware from the start that there is unease about the move and the status of their relationship, but the house– its covered mirrors, phantom knockings in the night, and history of restless souls– makes itself heard immediately. After a home cleansing ceremony, Carlos is left bedridden by a car accident, triggering the release of generations of secrets, ghosts, and mortal danger forcing Carlos and Avery to fight for both their relationship and their lives. Filled with terrifying Filipino horror folklore, readers will enjoy uncovering a different culture of chills while being consumed by the drama unfolding in front of their eyes.
Verdict: A twisty and immersive haunted house story featuring sinister ghosts, who will use whatever fractures they can find in human relationships to gain a foothold in the mortal world like in The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo** and We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough.
This is a solid haunted house story where the danger is real, the ghosts are active, and the problems they bring to the humans are tangible.
The story focuses on the Canadian Chinese-Filipino couple Avery and Carlos as they are arriving in Manila. It is intensely uneasy from the start. Avery is on the POV and is talking about souls separating from their bodies when they travel long distances. Clearly she is nervous about moving to the Philippines. She has never lived there and her and her husband are also having some issues-- readers can tell but don't know.
Carlos has moved his popular internet show where he disproves supernatural happening back to his home where he hasn't lived for decades. His family is uneasy about the two of them living in the haunted family home.
The POV moves between the two as family secrets are slowly revealed. As Carlos is seriously injured (it's in the publisher description) and Avery must live in the house and work against the ghosts and Carlos' injuries.
The fact that Avery and Carlos love each other but there is something in their relationship that is causing problems. Readers think at first that it is Avery's struggles with infertility, but they both know it is deeper than that. When the very real world truth is revealed-- that allows for the horror aspects to also be fully exposed.
Readers will learn about some very cool monsters and ghosts from Filipino folklore. Also learn about the Chinese-Filipino community. And like all good haunted house stories set in a family villa-- watch the secrets and ghosts reveal themselves. And there are many restless souls in this house.
This is a great example of a satisfying horror story that shines a light on new (to western readers) horror traditions. It adds an extra layer of originality and enjoyment. Allowing the novel to be both familiar and new.
This is also a story where the 2 points of view telling are KEY. It is not just a narrative device, it adds to the story in key ways, ways that keep the readers as unsteady as the characters.
For fans of the growing body of Filipino Horror for fans of The Villa, Once Beloved by Manibo more so than The House of Monstrous Women by Fama (which is excellent but not a readalike beyond being Filipino-- do not fall for that but the way, not all white horror is the same so why would all Filipino horror be the same).
Also a haunted house story very much for fans of We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough. Like the Manibo-- all three of these haunted house stories have a troubled relationship at their core and very sinister, patient, long waiting ghosts trying to use the fractures in their relationships to get themselves a foothold in the real world.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Spotlight on International horror lore, intense unease, dual points of view
Also-- troubled marriage, family secrets, haunted house, souls
Draft Review: Canadian spouses Avery and Carlos, both of Chinese-Filipino descent, arrive in Manila for an indefinite stay. Carlos is moving his popular show, disproving the supernatural, back to his family’s haunted manor house. Told from both Carlos and Avery’s perspectives, readers are aware from the start that there is unease about the move and the status of their relationship, but the house– its covered mirrors, phantom knockings in the night, and history of restless souls– makes itself heard immediately. After a home cleansing ceremony, Carlos is left bedridden by a car accident, triggering the release of generations of secrets, ghosts, and mortal danger forcing Carlos and Avery to fight for both their relationship and their lives. Filled with terrifying Filipino horror folklore, readers will enjoy uncovering a different culture of chills while being consumed by the drama unfolding in front of their eyes.
Verdict: A twisty and immersive haunted house story featuring sinister ghosts, who will use whatever fractures they can find in human relationships to gain a foothold in the mortal world like in The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo** and We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough.
This is a solid haunted house story where the danger is real, the ghosts are active, and the problems they bring to the humans are tangible.
The story focuses on the Canadian Chinese-Filipino couple Avery and Carlos as they are arriving in Manila. It is intensely uneasy from the start. Avery is on the POV and is talking about souls separating from their bodies when they travel long distances. Clearly she is nervous about moving to the Philippines. She has never lived there and her and her husband are also having some issues-- readers can tell but don't know.
Carlos has moved his popular internet show where he disproves supernatural happening back to his home where he hasn't lived for decades. His family is uneasy about the two of them living in the haunted family home.
The POV moves between the two as family secrets are slowly revealed. As Carlos is seriously injured (it's in the publisher description) and Avery must live in the house and work against the ghosts and Carlos' injuries.
The fact that Avery and Carlos love each other but there is something in their relationship that is causing problems. Readers think at first that it is Avery's struggles with infertility, but they both know it is deeper than that. When the very real world truth is revealed-- that allows for the horror aspects to also be fully exposed.
Readers will learn about some very cool monsters and ghosts from Filipino folklore. Also learn about the Chinese-Filipino community. And like all good haunted house stories set in a family villa-- watch the secrets and ghosts reveal themselves. And there are many restless souls in this house.
This is a great example of a satisfying horror story that shines a light on new (to western readers) horror traditions. It adds an extra layer of originality and enjoyment. Allowing the novel to be both familiar and new.
This is also a story where the 2 points of view telling are KEY. It is not just a narrative device, it adds to the story in key ways, ways that keep the readers as unsteady as the characters.
For fans of the growing body of Filipino Horror for fans of The Villa, Once Beloved by Manibo more so than The House of Monstrous Women by Fama (which is excellent but not a readalike beyond being Filipino-- do not fall for that but the way, not all white horror is the same so why would all Filipino horror be the same).
Also a haunted house story very much for fans of We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough. Like the Manibo-- all three of these haunted house stories have a troubled relationship at their core and very sinister, patient, long waiting ghosts trying to use the fractures in their relationships to get themselves a foothold in the real world.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Poisened Pen Press for providing this ARC.
It's so unfortunate that I couldn't really get into She Waits Where Shadows Gather, because the premise was so enticing. For me, this novel was a strong example of excellent concept with lackluster execution.
To first touch on the characters, I found our two leads, Avery and Carlos, to be really underbaked. I feel as if I never really got to know them, that there wasn't enough dimension to their identities. Each of the two were simply personified by base qualities - a yearning for one another's attention. Though decent in theory, it just felt like we were going in circles regarding their selfishness. I never really bought into their relationship; they didn't feel like a couple that had grown distant and was now struggling to reconnect.
Similarly, I think the haunting elements present in the Tam home were really underwhelming, too. I think the narrative would have been more unsettling, engaging, and suspenseful with more oomph earlier in the story. The only moment of this book that I found vaguely chilling was And even then, it wasn't particularly scary.
The one true praise I have for this book is the twist near the end, as it was wonderfully unexpected.
It's so unfortunate that I couldn't really get into She Waits Where Shadows Gather, because the premise was so enticing. For me, this novel was a strong example of excellent concept with lackluster execution.
To first touch on the characters, I found our two leads, Avery and Carlos, to be really underbaked. I feel as if I never really got to know them, that there wasn't enough dimension to their identities. Each of the two were simply personified by base qualities - a yearning for one another's attention. Though decent in theory, it just felt like we were going in circles regarding their selfishness. I never really bought into their relationship; they didn't feel like a couple that had grown distant and was now struggling to reconnect.
Similarly, I think the haunting elements present in the Tam home were really underwhelming, too. I think the narrative would have been more unsettling, engaging, and suspenseful with more oomph earlier in the story. The only moment of this book that I found vaguely chilling was And even then, it wasn't particularly scary.
The one true praise I have for this book is the twist near the end, as it was wonderfully unexpected.
May 29, 2026
Good lord. I have never in my life been so let down by a work of fiction. The premise was so promising- a haunted family home, unsettled spirits, skepticism meeting ancestral beliefs, etc, etc- but the writing was genuinely insufferable, the pacing was off, and the characterization was annoying as all get-out. I appreciate books about complicated and unlikeable characters, but they need to be actually complicated and actually well-written for it to work, and this was not that. Carlos was cartoonishly petty and self-absorbed and insufferable and the casual mentions of his childhood to explain why he was the way he was could make it remotely tolerable. Yes, I know it was because [spoiler]. Unfortunately, by the time that reveal comes around, I’ve spent so long hating his guts that I don’t give a single fuck. Audrey was also annoying and whiny, and though her motivations made more sense, they were not handled with the balance that would have made them believable or sympathetic. The writing was so painfully explanatory that I felt my brain cells dying as I read. Have you ever wanted to know exactly what the characters are thinking, narrated in the most elementary prose possible? Do you like writing that is so unsubtle you may as well be bashed over the head with a mallet? Me neither.
Did Not Finish
June 23, 2026I’m so tired of the “let’s move into this haunted house and fix our marriage, but all we do is spend every chapter talking about how much we hate each other and how miserable we are” trope.
May 14, 2026
Thank you to Goodreads and the author for sending a review copy in exchange for a fair review. This book is a horror novel but it isn't gory. It builds slowly and is a fairly quick read. It is very well written and I found the story to be very entertaining. I am looking forward to more from this author. 4.25 🌟
January 12, 2026
One of my absolute favourite book plots is paranormal investigators. I genuinely find it more exciting / suspenseful to read about than when on tv 😅
In this book Carlos is the paranormal investigator, he moves himself and Avery to his creepy family home. You know things are suss when all of the locals act weird around the house.
Carlos himself is a very dislikable character, so when he is injured in an accident it’s easy not to feel a lot of empathy for him. Except now they’re stuck in this house and things kick up a notch and get very unsettling very fast.
I enjoy a potentially haunted / possessed home.. safe to say I enjoyed this book!
In this book Carlos is the paranormal investigator, he moves himself and Avery to his creepy family home. You know things are suss when all of the locals act weird around the house.
Carlos himself is a very dislikable character, so when he is injured in an accident it’s easy not to feel a lot of empathy for him. Except now they’re stuck in this house and things kick up a notch and get very unsettling very fast.
I enjoy a potentially haunted / possessed home.. safe to say I enjoyed this book!
Read
November 26, 2025A big thank you to the publisher for an ARC of the book!!
SHE WAITS WHERE SHADOWS GATHER is a gothic novel reminiscent of Stephen King’s THE SHINING. Tang creates a haunted house lingering with generational ghosts in every corner, lies and unspoken secrets hidden in its threadbare walls, toxic and fragile bonds that rattle the floorboards, regret and revenge ravaging each room, with characters who desire to return to the past and who must learn how to grab hold of the courage to move forward.
SHE WAITS WHERE SHADOWS GATHER is a gothic novel reminiscent of Stephen King’s THE SHINING. Tang creates a haunted house lingering with generational ghosts in every corner, lies and unspoken secrets hidden in its threadbare walls, toxic and fragile bonds that rattle the floorboards, regret and revenge ravaging each room, with characters who desire to return to the past and who must learn how to grab hold of the courage to move forward.
September 25, 2026
"Everyone is capable of sinning, but not everyone is capable of remorse."
This book spoke to my spooky little soul when I spotted it at the bookstore, so it came home with me. I find myself enjoying ghostly tales because it’s what I know and have experienced many times in my life.
It started off very promising but quickly slid into this back and forth funk of pointlessness. The twist was interesting but that’s all it really was. Parts felt way underdeveloped and Carlos was a terrible husband. The last fifty or so pages were very skim-able. After a certain point the story seemed to drag into soporific territory. That’s where you lost me.
The way this started, I assumed that it was going to make me sleep with the lights on and never look into a mirror ever again. Instead, I’ll look into the mirror and shrug. Ghouls! Take me away!
This book spoke to my spooky little soul when I spotted it at the bookstore, so it came home with me. I find myself enjoying ghostly tales because it’s what I know and have experienced many times in my life.
It started off very promising but quickly slid into this back and forth funk of pointlessness. The twist was interesting but that’s all it really was. Parts felt way underdeveloped and Carlos was a terrible husband. The last fifty or so pages were very skim-able. After a certain point the story seemed to drag into soporific territory. That’s where you lost me.
The way this started, I assumed that it was going to make me sleep with the lights on and never look into a mirror ever again. Instead, I’ll look into the mirror and shrug. Ghouls! Take me away!
May 19, 2026
A unique, and at times creepy, ghosts/haunting story. It was interesting reading some of the Filipino folklore and superstitions, which helped the overall setting and mood. Not one of the best, but readable.
As always this is just my opinion.
You may have a different experience/point of view, with any book I review. Please judge for yourself.
*I gratefully received this book from the publisher and author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
As always this is just my opinion.
You may have a different experience/point of view, with any book I review. Please judge for yourself.
*I gratefully received this book from the publisher and author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
May 8, 2026
I have never had a book piss me off so much that I immediately posted an Instagram story about it and started reading excerpts out loud to my husband.
Boy. Where do I even begin.
I almost DNF’d this at 40%, but then I remembered I paid almost CA$30 for the physical copy, so unfortunately I persevered.
I was genuinely excited for a Chinese Southeast Asian story steeped in superstition and folklore. What I didn’t sign up for was being dragged back into the exact kind of Southeast Asian family dynamics that are ruled entirely by superstition and religion instead of common sense. As a Chinese Southeast Asian who shipped myself to Canada because of that very reason, this book unlocked a level of PTSD I was absolutely not prepared for, so… thanks for that.
The Filipino folklore and paranormal elements also felt painfully underexplained. For a horror novel, it somehow kept forgetting to actually be horrifying. It read more like a family telenovela with occasional ghosts lurking in the background.
And CARLOS.
What an absolute manchild. Narcissistic, misogynistic, useless beyond belief. Every single one of his chapters made me roll my eyes so hard I could feel a migraine coming on. He is the final boss of the stereotypical Asian mama’s boy whose entire existence depends on being adored and served because without that, he brings literally nothing to the table.
And that twist near the end? Come on now. At some point I genuinely had to ask myself whether this book was trying to cleanse a haunted house or cleanse a failing marriage?
I’ve never been this angry at a book before. Angry at the money I spent, the time I lost, and the trauma it managed to resurrect.
At this point, “generational trauma” deserves its own horror subgenre.
Not for me, fam.
Boy. Where do I even begin.
I almost DNF’d this at 40%, but then I remembered I paid almost CA$30 for the physical copy, so unfortunately I persevered.
I was genuinely excited for a Chinese Southeast Asian story steeped in superstition and folklore. What I didn’t sign up for was being dragged back into the exact kind of Southeast Asian family dynamics that are ruled entirely by superstition and religion instead of common sense. As a Chinese Southeast Asian who shipped myself to Canada because of that very reason, this book unlocked a level of PTSD I was absolutely not prepared for, so… thanks for that.
The Filipino folklore and paranormal elements also felt painfully underexplained. For a horror novel, it somehow kept forgetting to actually be horrifying. It read more like a family telenovela with occasional ghosts lurking in the background.
And CARLOS.
What an absolute manchild. Narcissistic, misogynistic, useless beyond belief. Every single one of his chapters made me roll my eyes so hard I could feel a migraine coming on. He is the final boss of the stereotypical Asian mama’s boy whose entire existence depends on being adored and served because without that, he brings literally nothing to the table.
And that twist near the end? Come on now. At some point I genuinely had to ask myself whether this book was trying to cleanse a haunted house or cleanse a failing marriage?
I’ve never been this angry at a book before. Angry at the money I spent, the time I lost, and the trauma it managed to resurrect.
At this point, “generational trauma” deserves its own horror subgenre.
Not for me, fam.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
She Waits Where Shadows Gather
Michelle Tang
Publication Date: May 5th
4.5 / 5
Ok, so....
I'd been in a bit of a reading slump over the past two weeks.
This book got me together, with quickness.
I love eerie horror. Something that makes me feel uneasy and (safely) nervous. Not many horror novels do this for me anymore, due to my desensitization.
(The few that easily come to mind are We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer, Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman, Mean-Spirited by Nick Roberts, The Deep by Nick Cutter, A Child Alone with Strangers by Philip Fracassi and House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski)
This book had me feeling uneasy from the end of chapter one. By the end of chapter three, I was nervous, jumpy and loving it. "She who creeps between" really unnerved me.
4.5
(Full Review to come)
Highly Recommend
If horror is your jam, and you love scaring yourself senseless, give this one a try. May it rattle you the same way it did me.
Michelle Tang
Publication Date: May 5th
4.5 / 5
Ok, so....
I'd been in a bit of a reading slump over the past two weeks.
This book got me together, with quickness.
I love eerie horror. Something that makes me feel uneasy and (safely) nervous. Not many horror novels do this for me anymore, due to my desensitization.
(The few that easily come to mind are We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer, Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman, Mean-Spirited by Nick Roberts, The Deep by Nick Cutter, A Child Alone with Strangers by Philip Fracassi and House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski)
This book had me feeling uneasy from the end of chapter one. By the end of chapter three, I was nervous, jumpy and loving it. "She who creeps between" really unnerved me.
4.5
(Full Review to come)
Highly Recommend
If horror is your jam, and you love scaring yourself senseless, give this one a try. May it rattle you the same way it did me.
January 16, 2026
5/5
First of all, thanks to netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this e-ARC!
This book is scary. Take it seriously. But as much as it is about ghosts, it touches so many topics. It shows humanity, masculinity specifically, religion, culture and entire belief systems. It also shows love and grief. I loved every second of it, so if you like horror, ghosts stories and familial trauma, this one is for you!
First of all, thanks to netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this e-ARC!
This book is scary. Take it seriously. But as much as it is about ghosts, it touches so many topics. It shows humanity, masculinity specifically, religion, culture and entire belief systems. It also shows love and grief. I loved every second of it, so if you like horror, ghosts stories and familial trauma, this one is for you!
September 23, 2026
I won’t lie… this Canadian horror novel was a bit of a slog for me. It was a bit too contemporary for me. I’m sure there are many readers, especially women, that will enjoy this and perhaps relish in the oddly happy(ish?) ending. For me, it felt contrived, annoying and flat out unrealistic. Which may seem a silly thing to say about a ghost story that features witches, ghosts and other supernatural events; but some things should fall inside the realm of realism and if you want to root your book in contemporary life then your ghosts need to be a bit moderate or less dramatic than seen here, in my opinion.
I’ll also confess to be so very annoyed with the concept of love here. Both the selfish kind (I want her all for myself) and the devoted kind (I’d do anything until they lie). Each has its flaws, seen here, but also each leaves a weird feeling behind for me as love is so much more complex than this. You can in fact love someone you detest. And begrudge, even hate someone you love. A concept that Michelle Tang seems to avoid here. Instead it’s too black and white for my tastes, and the twists and turns just make the ultimate outcome even more awkward for me. Plus, a key point (in the end) is never explained!!
Maybe there are women, especially mothers, out there that will find something here. For me, as a childless woman, with a spouse of 18 years I can tell you that this just feels like another ‘women’s horror’ book written for the current trend of discussing motherhood. And I’m over it. In fact never loved the concept to start but was willing to concede it makes good sense to bring the horror of birth, loss, etc into this genre. Yet this past couple of years has really saturated the market and I’m over it. So I’ll put this one aside and likely not think of it again.
That said, if you want a contemporary, feminine look at generational family horror and how it might be passed down from generation to generation this could be for you. Just be ready to feel like you are ready a contemporary literature book and not an easy breezy horror one.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
I’ll also confess to be so very annoyed with the concept of love here. Both the selfish kind (I want her all for myself) and the devoted kind (I’d do anything until they lie). Each has its flaws, seen here, but also each leaves a weird feeling behind for me as love is so much more complex than this. You can in fact love someone you detest. And begrudge, even hate someone you love. A concept that Michelle Tang seems to avoid here. Instead it’s too black and white for my tastes, and the twists and turns just make the ultimate outcome even more awkward for me. Plus, a key point (in the end) is never explained!!
Maybe there are women, especially mothers, out there that will find something here. For me, as a childless woman, with a spouse of 18 years I can tell you that this just feels like another ‘women’s horror’ book written for the current trend of discussing motherhood. And I’m over it. In fact never loved the concept to start but was willing to concede it makes good sense to bring the horror of birth, loss, etc into this genre. Yet this past couple of years has really saturated the market and I’m over it. So I’ll put this one aside and likely not think of it again.
That said, if you want a contemporary, feminine look at generational family horror and how it might be passed down from generation to generation this could be for you. Just be ready to feel like you are ready a contemporary literature book and not an easy breezy horror one.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A compelling haunted house story that delivered a claustrophobic and comforting setting while weaving in Filipino lore and customs.
Carlos and Avery Tan return to Carlos’ daunting childhood home at his parents' request. Their already strained marriage is put to the test when an accident leaves Carlos bedridden and slow to recover. Avery is left to pick up the pieces of her new life and navigate the growing unexplainable incidents in her new home. Aided by Carlos' family and childhood maid, Avery's own belief system is tested as she is plunged into a world of ghosts and witches, supernatural and superstition.
This book oozed with vibes. The locations and settings were beautifully described and at times you could feel the sticky heat of Manila through the pages. I loved the different monsters and lore that was explored and was super interested in these southeastern ghouls. Unfortunately I don't know if the ghosts were developed as well as they could have been. I felt like there were some supernatural elements that weren't explored as much as I would have hoped. I'd say the same for a couple characters, specifically Carlos' parents (his father could have been removed without effect ) and Dolores could have had a lot more development.
I think the plot would have felt more flushed out if more time had been spent on these characters and plot points and less time focusing on the flaws of Avery and Carlos' toxic dynamic. It felt like maybe too many elements were added causing them to not be fully followed. Unfortunately this did cause some of the story threads to feel a bit muddled or twisted at points.
I thought overall it was an interesting story that kept me hooked, but I wish I got more from the characters, both alive and dead.
3.5/5
Carlos and Avery Tan return to Carlos’ daunting childhood home at his parents' request. Their already strained marriage is put to the test when an accident leaves Carlos bedridden and slow to recover. Avery is left to pick up the pieces of her new life and navigate the growing unexplainable incidents in her new home. Aided by Carlos' family and childhood maid, Avery's own belief system is tested as she is plunged into a world of ghosts and witches, supernatural and superstition.
This book oozed with vibes. The locations and settings were beautifully described and at times you could feel the sticky heat of Manila through the pages. I loved the different monsters and lore that was explored and was super interested in these southeastern ghouls. Unfortunately I don't know if the ghosts were developed as well as they could have been. I felt like there were some supernatural elements that weren't explored as much as I would have hoped. I'd say the same for a couple characters, specifically Carlos' parents (his father could have been removed without effect ) and Dolores could have had a lot more development.
I think the plot would have felt more flushed out if more time had been spent on these characters and plot points and less time focusing on the flaws of Avery and Carlos' toxic dynamic. It felt like maybe too many elements were added causing them to not be fully followed. Unfortunately this did cause some of the story threads to feel a bit muddled or twisted at points.
I thought overall it was an interesting story that kept me hooked, but I wish I got more from the characters, both alive and dead.
3.5/5
May 15, 2026
Kinda cheesy and I liked it. The last chapters sealed my rating.
May 1, 2026
This was a beautiful, tragic, and at times terrifying ghost story. I specifically took my time with this one to relish in the atmosphere. Manila was a fantastic setting and I loved learning about some Filipino folklore. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2026
i received this via netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
this book was frustratingly slow. it's told in two perspectives, averys' and carlos', and while i understand why the author did this, especially towards the end of the book, i hated it. carlos was such an unlikable character that his chapters were unpleasant to get through. i did enjoy learning about fillipino folklore throughout the book, but it felt like there was more of it in the last twenty percent of the book than the rest of it. rather than being revealed like a twist, it gave the vibe that the book had gone on too long and the ending was rushed. tang's writing style also was not my taste. the creepy scenes did not feel creepy. it was very telling, not very showing, if that makes sense. i feel like horror books like this need to feel very immersive and atmospheric to work, and i didn't get that from this.
this book was frustratingly slow. it's told in two perspectives, averys' and carlos', and while i understand why the author did this, especially towards the end of the book, i hated it. carlos was such an unlikable character that his chapters were unpleasant to get through. i did enjoy learning about fillipino folklore throughout the book, but it felt like there was more of it in the last twenty percent of the book than the rest of it. rather than being revealed like a twist, it gave the vibe that the book had gone on too long and the ending was rushed. tang's writing style also was not my taste. the creepy scenes did not feel creepy. it was very telling, not very showing, if that makes sense. i feel like horror books like this need to feel very immersive and atmospheric to work, and i didn't get that from this.
October 12, 2026
1.5 ⭐
Straight to jail. What the hell was all that. The writing was bad, the plot was a mess, the characters were uninteresting and paper thin, and the climax and resolution were so bad I kept repeating, "jesus.... jesus fucking christ" out loud to myself for the last 30 or so pages. Spoilers ahead because I don't think you should read this book.
The writing was laborious and uninspired. Similes that are not similes abound. "The realization hit her like a blow." [incorrect buzzer sounds] Everything is "like" something else instead of using descriptive language to get that point across. This issue isn't unique to this author, I notice it in a lot of new releases, but it pisses me off every time no matter what!
The plot was ridiculously boring and drawn out. The dual POVs ruined this book, in my opinion. If there was just Avery's POV, it would have been more engaging to read and more interesting to see the extremely basic plot play out. The inclusion of Carlos's POV stupefied me from the very first chapter to the very last...... whoever's idea it was to put that in the book,, they need an intervention. It made the twist about Carlos being the evil ghost everyone's afraid of so obvious, and the writing wasn't good enough to convey to the reader whether there was some dramatic irony going on or what. I could have sworn there were like 3 separate instances of Carlos realizing another spirit is possessing his body, but at the climax he realizes it yet again and it's played like he had no idea. And in all the Carlos POVs, the extremely ambiguous descriptions of physical movement in space stuck out so bad that there was no artful deception going on, there was no unreliable narrator, it was just a failed attempt at something like that.
And the characters.... it just doesn't make sense. These people don't make any sense. Avery and Carlos pretty obviously disdain and distrust each other. On what planet would Avery move across the globe and leave behind everything she knows for a husband who literally hates her without even getting his explicit promise that they will be starting a family there when that's the single thing on earth that she wants...? And why would Carlos try so hard to get her to move with him instead of just leaving her behind, if the move is only going to be temporary until the house gets sold? They keep thinking in their internal monologues that they love each other so much more than anything blah blah blah, but it's completely empty.
AND ANOTHER THING. At one point, while Avery is under stress of caring for her bedbound husband, she thinks she sees a ghost, and boom at that very instance a switch is flipped in her mind and she decides she is going to kill herself. AND SHE ATTEMPTS TO IMMEDIATELY. This person with no previous history of suicidal ideation or self harm... from one moment to the next... walks her little ass to the bathroom and tries to swallow a bottleful of pills. OKAY! Okay! WHATEVER! LMAO!! Carlos intervenes at the last minute and she never thinks about hurting or killing herself again for the rest of the book. I thought, "that's fucking ridiculous, but maybe at the end of the book it will turn out that there's a ghost spirit in the house that compels healthy people to commit suicide? anything is possible in a haunted house book." WRONG! Sis was in complete control of her thoughts when she decided to do this! I feel like I'm going crazy. Can anyone hear me?
Finally.. the time travel. Yeah i don't even know what to say. After Carlos drunk drives and totals his car, he spends several weeks in a coma of sorts and when he wakes up suddenly he's super nice and thoughtful and selfless and he loooooves his wife again. Avery basically immediately guesses that he's possessed but she doesn't really concern herself with it, which is the realest thing she does in the whole book even if it contradicts her previously established character but whatever. So for the rest of the book you're wondering ohhh which ghost is possessing Carlos? I thought, ummm maybe it's his grandpa cause that would be freaky and creepy, if Grampy and Avery are lowkey falling in love, that's an interesting turn. It turns out..... Carlos is being possessed by...... a future version of Carlos. Who is ten years older and has learned the error of his ways Scrooge style and came back at the moment of Carlos's car accident to repossess his younger body and make amends with Avery. AND HE EXPLAINS... THAT IN HIS TIMELINE.... AVERY TOOK THOSE PILLS AND SUCCEEDED IN TAKING HER OWN LIFE.... BTW.... And the Carlos whose POV we've been getting is the mean nasty Carlos of this timeline who has been turned into a ghost and is haunting the house, who also at the end sacrifices his life to rid the house of the other evil ghosts who live in it. I guess. What the fuck ever. Time skip 9+ months Avery and Carlos 2.0 have boy girl twins and a beautiful unhaunted house and 24/7 house staff because they're rich sorry I forgot to mention that in the whole rest of the review but yeah they're rich.
in conclusion............ i don't know guys but someone has to do something about Poisoned Pen Press and they need to do it ASAP.
Straight to jail. What the hell was all that. The writing was bad, the plot was a mess, the characters were uninteresting and paper thin, and the climax and resolution were so bad I kept repeating, "jesus.... jesus fucking christ" out loud to myself for the last 30 or so pages. Spoilers ahead because I don't think you should read this book.
The writing was laborious and uninspired. Similes that are not similes abound. "The realization hit her like a blow." [incorrect buzzer sounds] Everything is "like" something else instead of using descriptive language to get that point across. This issue isn't unique to this author, I notice it in a lot of new releases, but it pisses me off every time no matter what!
The plot was ridiculously boring and drawn out. The dual POVs ruined this book, in my opinion. If there was just Avery's POV, it would have been more engaging to read and more interesting to see the extremely basic plot play out. The inclusion of Carlos's POV stupefied me from the very first chapter to the very last...... whoever's idea it was to put that in the book,, they need an intervention. It made the twist about Carlos being the evil ghost everyone's afraid of so obvious, and the writing wasn't good enough to convey to the reader whether there was some dramatic irony going on or what. I could have sworn there were like 3 separate instances of Carlos realizing another spirit is possessing his body, but at the climax he realizes it yet again and it's played like he had no idea. And in all the Carlos POVs, the extremely ambiguous descriptions of physical movement in space stuck out so bad that there was no artful deception going on, there was no unreliable narrator, it was just a failed attempt at something like that.
And the characters.... it just doesn't make sense. These people don't make any sense. Avery and Carlos pretty obviously disdain and distrust each other. On what planet would Avery move across the globe and leave behind everything she knows for a husband who literally hates her without even getting his explicit promise that they will be starting a family there when that's the single thing on earth that she wants...? And why would Carlos try so hard to get her to move with him instead of just leaving her behind, if the move is only going to be temporary until the house gets sold? They keep thinking in their internal monologues that they love each other so much more than anything blah blah blah, but it's completely empty.
AND ANOTHER THING. At one point, while Avery is under stress of caring for her bedbound husband, she thinks she sees a ghost, and boom at that very instance a switch is flipped in her mind and she decides she is going to kill herself. AND SHE ATTEMPTS TO IMMEDIATELY. This person with no previous history of suicidal ideation or self harm... from one moment to the next... walks her little ass to the bathroom and tries to swallow a bottleful of pills. OKAY! Okay! WHATEVER! LMAO!! Carlos intervenes at the last minute and she never thinks about hurting or killing herself again for the rest of the book. I thought, "that's fucking ridiculous, but maybe at the end of the book it will turn out that there's a ghost spirit in the house that compels healthy people to commit suicide? anything is possible in a haunted house book." WRONG! Sis was in complete control of her thoughts when she decided to do this! I feel like I'm going crazy. Can anyone hear me?
Finally.. the time travel. Yeah i don't even know what to say. After Carlos drunk drives and totals his car, he spends several weeks in a coma of sorts and when he wakes up suddenly he's super nice and thoughtful and selfless and he loooooves his wife again. Avery basically immediately guesses that he's possessed but she doesn't really concern herself with it, which is the realest thing she does in the whole book even if it contradicts her previously established character but whatever. So for the rest of the book you're wondering ohhh which ghost is possessing Carlos? I thought, ummm maybe it's his grandpa cause that would be freaky and creepy, if Grampy and Avery are lowkey falling in love, that's an interesting turn. It turns out..... Carlos is being possessed by...... a future version of Carlos. Who is ten years older and has learned the error of his ways Scrooge style and came back at the moment of Carlos's car accident to repossess his younger body and make amends with Avery. AND HE EXPLAINS... THAT IN HIS TIMELINE.... AVERY TOOK THOSE PILLS AND SUCCEEDED IN TAKING HER OWN LIFE.... BTW.... And the Carlos whose POV we've been getting is the mean nasty Carlos of this timeline who has been turned into a ghost and is haunting the house, who also at the end sacrifices his life to rid the house of the other evil ghosts who live in it. I guess. What the fuck ever. Time skip 9+ months Avery and Carlos 2.0 have boy girl twins and a beautiful unhaunted house and 24/7 house staff because they're rich sorry I forgot to mention that in the whole rest of the review but yeah they're rich.
in conclusion............ i don't know guys but someone has to do something about Poisoned Pen Press and they need to do it ASAP.
October 31, 2026
𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 4/5 ⭐️
She Waits Where Shadows Gather by Michelle Tang
This was such a good read for spooky season. Loved the haunted supernatural house atmosphere!
Thank you to Sourcebooks for the audio copy of this one!
The narration was so good! I loved the folklore and the emotional aspects of this book. I do think that with the marriage being the prime focus some of the other aspects dropped off a little but it ended up working out for me. Can’t say I really liked Carlos much but I did love Avery and her character.
She Waits Where Shadows Gather by Michelle Tang
This was such a good read for spooky season. Loved the haunted supernatural house atmosphere!
Thank you to Sourcebooks for the audio copy of this one!
The narration was so good! I loved the folklore and the emotional aspects of this book. I do think that with the marriage being the prime focus some of the other aspects dropped off a little but it ended up working out for me. Can’t say I really liked Carlos much but I did love Avery and her character.
August 18, 2026
Bought this on a whim because the cover was cool, tbh wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. Wouldn’t call it a horror by any means and the end was cringy af but still an enjoyable read
January 1, 2026
This book crept up on me, in the best way.
She Waits Where Shadows Gather is the kind of horror that doesn’t rely on cheap shocks but instead seeps under your skin and settles there. The haunted house isn’t just a setting; it’s a presence. From the covered mirrors to the silence around family tragedies, the atmosphere is thick with unease long before the supernatural fully reveals itself.
What really worked for me was the balance between human tension and horror. Avery and Carlos’s fractured marriage adds emotional weight, especially after Carlos’s devastating accident, which becomes a chilling turning point rather than a plot gimmick. Watching the power dynamics shift, while the house quite literally begins to speak, I was unsettling in a way that felt earned. The Filipino cultural elements and folklore elevate the story even further, grounding the terror in history, inheritance, and unspoken truths.
This is slow-burn, culturally rich horror that rewards patience. Creepy, emotionally layered, and quietly haunting,especially for readers who love when paranormal stories are about more than just ghosts.
She Waits Where Shadows Gather is the kind of horror that doesn’t rely on cheap shocks but instead seeps under your skin and settles there. The haunted house isn’t just a setting; it’s a presence. From the covered mirrors to the silence around family tragedies, the atmosphere is thick with unease long before the supernatural fully reveals itself.
What really worked for me was the balance between human tension and horror. Avery and Carlos’s fractured marriage adds emotional weight, especially after Carlos’s devastating accident, which becomes a chilling turning point rather than a plot gimmick. Watching the power dynamics shift, while the house quite literally begins to speak, I was unsettling in a way that felt earned. The Filipino cultural elements and folklore elevate the story even further, grounding the terror in history, inheritance, and unspoken truths.
This is slow-burn, culturally rich horror that rewards patience. Creepy, emotionally layered, and quietly haunting,especially for readers who love when paranormal stories are about more than just ghosts.
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