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Pixerina: A Haunting
Not yet published
Expected 28 Apr 26- GenresHorror
184 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 28, 2026
4 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Anderton
38 books7 followersJoanne Anderton writes speculative fiction for anyone who likes their worlds a little different. Her publications include the novels Debris, Suited and Guardian, and the short story collection The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories. She has won the Australian Shadows Award, the Ditmar and multiple Aurealis awards. Her most recent book is the children's picture book, The Flying Optometrist.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 26, 2026
Pixerina: A Haunting is a quiet, unsettling novella set in the Australian suburbs that reads like a half-remembered dream. It casts a light on the cost of creating and what that demands or devours (or both). Rebecca's artistic paralysis feels painfully real, and her slow unraveling inside the house on the hill named "Pixerina" is rendered with creeping, intimate dread. The relationship between Rebecca and Angelica is where the story truly begins sharpening the edge. Something tender quickly curdles into something far more disturbing. Anderton smartly blurs the lines, asking who needs whom, and whether inspiration can ever be fully innocent. There's is also a strong undercurrent on expectation, ambition, relevance, and sacrifice. Rebecca's desperation to remain visible in a world eager to forget adds a biting realism alongside the supernatural elements. Angelica's story is particularly gut-wrenching. Atmospheric and whisperingly devastating, Pixerina trades jump scares for emotional unease, delivering a haunting that feels devastatingly real and all the more unnerving for it. Thank you Bad Hand Books for sending me an ARC for review. You can preorder this little beauty, that comes with a signed book plate, directly from Bad Hand's website. It drops April 28th, 2026 so don't miss it!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A hauntingly beautiful and quietly unsettling tale, Pixerina by Joanne Anderton feels like stepping into an illustrated dream where the edges blur between the living and the dead, the seen and the imagined.
It’s an urban gothic tale that doesn’t rely on loud scares; instead, it lingers like a ghost, through atmosphere, emotion, and the slow tightening of a mystery that refuses to let go.
This is a story where obsession becomes its own kind of haunting.
Rebecca Bell, an artist drawn to the decaying house on the hill, becomes consumed by its history and by Angelica, the little girl whose spirit still clings to the grounds.
Their relationship is the novel’s most compelling thread. Tender, unsettling, and full of tension. Angelica wants a friend; Rebecca wants a muse. Watching these desires intertwine and collide gives the story emotional weight beyond its supernatural premise.
The house itself is a character as the author pens it as moody, atmospheric, and steeped in secrets. Anderton’s writing captures that perfect gothic blend of beauty and rot, where every creaking floorboard hints at a deeper truth. The sense of place is so strong that you feel the pull Rebecca feels, even as you sense the danger beneath it.
Thomas Brown’s artwork elevates the novel into something special. The illustrations add texture to the haunting, making Angelica’s presence feel both intimate and uncanny. The visual layer makes Pixerina feel like a modern gothic artifact, something you want to hold and pore over.
A fresh take on the ghost story, Pixerina is a beautifully crafted, atmospheric haunting, perfect for readers who love their ghost stories with emotional depth, artistic flair, and a slow, satisfying unraveling of secrets. It’s a book that stays with you, not because it shouts, but because it whispers.
It’s an urban gothic tale that doesn’t rely on loud scares; instead, it lingers like a ghost, through atmosphere, emotion, and the slow tightening of a mystery that refuses to let go.
This is a story where obsession becomes its own kind of haunting.
Rebecca Bell, an artist drawn to the decaying house on the hill, becomes consumed by its history and by Angelica, the little girl whose spirit still clings to the grounds.
Their relationship is the novel’s most compelling thread. Tender, unsettling, and full of tension. Angelica wants a friend; Rebecca wants a muse. Watching these desires intertwine and collide gives the story emotional weight beyond its supernatural premise.
The house itself is a character as the author pens it as moody, atmospheric, and steeped in secrets. Anderton’s writing captures that perfect gothic blend of beauty and rot, where every creaking floorboard hints at a deeper truth. The sense of place is so strong that you feel the pull Rebecca feels, even as you sense the danger beneath it.
Thomas Brown’s artwork elevates the novel into something special. The illustrations add texture to the haunting, making Angelica’s presence feel both intimate and uncanny. The visual layer makes Pixerina feel like a modern gothic artifact, something you want to hold and pore over.
A fresh take on the ghost story, Pixerina is a beautifully crafted, atmospheric haunting, perfect for readers who love their ghost stories with emotional depth, artistic flair, and a slow, satisfying unraveling of secrets. It’s a book that stays with you, not because it shouts, but because it whispers.
February 17, 2026
One of my favorite elements of this book was the art exhibit framing at the beginning of each section. It immediately reminded me of Green Fuse Burning, and I thought it was such an atmospheric touch. It added a layer of depth and gave the story a slightly gallery-like feel that fit well with Rebecca’s character as an artist.
The premise itself is strong, an old house on a hill with a lingering child spirit desperate to be seen, and an artist who may be more interested in inspiration than friendship. The alternating perspectives between Rebecca and Angelica offered an interesting twist on the traditional haunted house story, especially with the emotional imbalance between what each of them believes is happening.
That said, while all the pieces were there, the execution didn’t fully come together for me. The pacing felt slow, and at times I found myself disengaged from the story. The shifting timelines and layered history had potential, but by the end, it didn’t quite mesh in a satisfying way.
Overall, Pixerina has a haunting concept and some beautifully atmospheric elements, but it didn’t completely land for me as a cohesive whole.
*I read an ARC so i’m really hoping this book went through at least one more round of edits before its publish date because there were more than a few grammar errors. So much so that some of the sentences here and there don’t even make sense.
The premise itself is strong, an old house on a hill with a lingering child spirit desperate to be seen, and an artist who may be more interested in inspiration than friendship. The alternating perspectives between Rebecca and Angelica offered an interesting twist on the traditional haunted house story, especially with the emotional imbalance between what each of them believes is happening.
That said, while all the pieces were there, the execution didn’t fully come together for me. The pacing felt slow, and at times I found myself disengaged from the story. The shifting timelines and layered history had potential, but by the end, it didn’t quite mesh in a satisfying way.
Overall, Pixerina has a haunting concept and some beautifully atmospheric elements, but it didn’t completely land for me as a cohesive whole.
*I read an ARC so i’m really hoping this book went through at least one more round of edits before its publish date because there were more than a few grammar errors. So much so that some of the sentences here and there don’t even make sense.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Oh this was another new to me author I have now discovered thanks to Badhand Books, thank you!
This is quiet, dark and heavy on the spooky. It seems slow but the way the story creeps in before you know it, you too are obsessed with Angelica..
Rebecca is obsessed with this old falling down house, she's an artist looking for a muse, something to spark thst creativity that seems to be alluding her and what better place than a house haunted by a little girl, who is lonely.
The time lines mix and cross as we follow along, leaning about the history of the house and of Angelica.
Drawing you in deeper just like the obsession Rebecca has with searching for that spark, that idea to make her art flow again, but the desperation drives her deeper into the houses mysteries loosing herself.
Sometimes you don't need a ghost to haunt a place and sometimes you are your own haunting obsession.
Loved the art, it really lent to the vibes in this book as you read it.
This is quiet, dark and heavy on the spooky. It seems slow but the way the story creeps in before you know it, you too are obsessed with Angelica..
Rebecca is obsessed with this old falling down house, she's an artist looking for a muse, something to spark thst creativity that seems to be alluding her and what better place than a house haunted by a little girl, who is lonely.
The time lines mix and cross as we follow along, leaning about the history of the house and of Angelica.
Drawing you in deeper just like the obsession Rebecca has with searching for that spark, that idea to make her art flow again, but the desperation drives her deeper into the houses mysteries loosing herself.
Sometimes you don't need a ghost to haunt a place and sometimes you are your own haunting obsession.
Loved the art, it really lent to the vibes in this book as you read it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews