The House That Eats the Dead

by Max Doty

A family moves into their dream home—only to discover that it hides an insatiable hunger—in this dread-laced and darkly outrageous domestic horror novel.

The new house is a fresh start for Claire and her family. It's a move away from the cityscape of a declining San Francisco and towards the quiet suburban life she has craved since her turbulent childhood; a step up the corporate ladder for her husband, Tom; and a safe haven for their two children.

Yet as they unpack their boxes, she senses something is wrong. Fresh flowers dry up, store-bought eggs are inexplicably hollow, and her daughter's favorite toy disappears. Claire soon confronts a series of impossible The house is hungry. It's devouring anything that was once alive. And only Claire and Tom, the owners of the house, will remember that this "food" ever existed.

When Claire exploits the house's power in a moment of weakness, she and the house forge a fragile bond. But as its hunger intensifies and Claire loses control, she fears who else might be drawn to her home—and what sinister appetites they’ll bring.

Genres: Horror, Horror Thriller, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 18, 2026

About the author

Max Doty is a veteran game-writer who served as the Head of Content for Choices: Stories You Play and Surviving High School for which he also wrote two spin-off novels. His screenplay “Almost Kings” won Netflix’s inaugural “Find Your Voice” award and was made into a feature film.

Max regularly contributes to reddit’s NoSleep forum as scarymaxx, where his works often appear at the top of the charts.

He holds a BA and an MA from Stanford University as well as an MFA from Arizona State University.

His debut horror novel The House that Eats the Dead will be published by Tor Nightfire in the UK and by Bantam in the US in August 2026.

Reviews

[Liana Gold]

A dream home with insatiable hunger.
As you can probably tell by my recent reads, I'm in my era of domestic horror.


Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballentine and the author, Max Doty for an early ARC.

Publication date: August 18, 2026

[BookishKB]

🩸🕯️ The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty 🕯️🩸

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.

✨What to Expect
• Haunted house
• Suburban horror
• Family unraveling
• Psychological tension
• Morally gray MCs
• Disappearing memories
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 18, 2026
📝 Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come but as far as a fun concept and a truly fun read, this book ticked all the boxes. Definitely recommended for anyone who loves a good haunted house, isn’t triggered by the loss of a pet or people, and generally has ever thought “I wish they’d just disappear.” Despite the trigger warning the book is truly a fun fast read. Just don’t expect to sleep until you finish it. It’s compulsively fantastic!

[Rosemarie - Feeling Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Max Doty, and Ballantine/Bantam for giving me a digital ARC of “The House That Eats the Dead” in exchange for a review.

If you think you’ve read every haunted house story out there, think again. “The House That Eats the Dead” is one of the most original books I’ve picked up in a long time. It takes the classic idea of a family moving into their dream home and turns it into a total nightmare, but in the best way possible.

My favorite “character” is the house itself. In most horror stories, a house is just a place where ghosts live. Here, the house is its own character. It has a personality, emotions, and (most importantly) a stomach. Max Doty does an incredible job describing how the house "eats." It doesn’t just break things; it devours anything that was once alive. Seeing Claire realize that their fresh flowers are wilting instantly, eggs are turning up hollow, and even their wooden furniture is disappearing is genuinely unsettling.

From the moment Claire and her family move in, you can feel that something is off. The author uses simple but powerful language to make the rooms feel claustrophobic, like the walls are watching and waiting for their next meal. It’s not just scary; it’s also darkly funny in a weird way, especially when Claire tries form a friendship with her home by feeding it cow hearts to keep it happy.

The story moves fast and keeps you guessing. If you want a book that will make you look at your own walls a little differently at night, this is it.

[erica utti-hodge ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to NetGalley for this eARC!

The House That Eats the Dead is one part Rosemary’s Baby, one part haunted house, and one part commentary on class politics. that’s to say… i clearly highly enjoyed this book!!

claire seems believable, tom is insufferable (intentionally) and the kids are surprisingly not creepy. the house is unique and interesting, and i love how claire tests its limits and becomes its friend. it was hard to see plainly where tom’s character was going from the beginning, though. this is a common trope in this genre, and i understand why (it parallels most straight women’s experience of married life) but its hard to not want to grab claire by the shoulders and shake.

surprisingly, i found the ending to be extremely satisfying, which is rare for me in this genre. i’d definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for their next haunted house book!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I just finished The House That Eat the Dead and I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like it before. On the surface it look like a classic haunted house troupe, but the story is unique and fresh. I was hooked from the first page. Max Doty does a great job really making the reader feel the dread and uneasiness that the house exudes. I thought his character development was superb. Chaos Claire was wonderfully written and the house itself became a full fledged main character! Literally.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Thank you to NetGalley, Bantam, and Max Doty for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I can’t wait to tell everyone to pick up a copy as soon as it is released!

[Nicole Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“The House That Eats the Dead” by Max Doty is one of those horror books that takes a familiar idea with a family moving into a new house, and completely flips it into something weird, creepy, and honestly kind of addictive to read. Before going into this review, I do want to provide a content warning for dog death as the dog dies on page.

Right from the start, something is off about the house. Flowers die instantly, food disappears, and the house feels hungry. Not haunted—hungry. And that’s what makes this book stand out. The house isn’t just a setting; it’s basically a character with its own personality (and appetite). It eats anything organic, including bodies. The scariest part? Once something is eaten, it’s like it never existed. Everyone forgets, except the homeowners.

Claire, the main character, is super easy to connect with at first. She’s dealing with grief, trauma, and that weird stage of life where she’s trying to figure out who she is beyond being a mom. But as the story goes on, her relationship with the house gets a bit uncomfortable. She starts treating it almost like a pet, even feeding it, and watching her justify increasingly questionable decisions is both fascinating and frustrating. The moral gray area here is pretty wild; like, what would you do if you could literally erase people with no consequences? The choices Claire and her husband make are literally changing their children without their consent.

The book leans into that question hard, mixing horror with some surprisingly deep thoughts about grief, memory, and whether forgetting pain is actually a good thing. It also gets a little philosophical at times, which I wasn’t expecting for a horror book but actually kind of worked.

That said, it’s not perfect. The pacing in the first half can feel rushed, like big emotional moments don’t get enough time to land. Some characters come and go so quickly that you don’t really feel their impact. You definitely have to suspend your disbelief with some of the coincidences and how quickly things escalate; it’s like the house attracts bad people.

But once it gets going? It’s hard to put down. The second half is where things really shine with more mystery, more tension, and a deeper dive into how the house works (and how it messes with people). There’s also a twisty, satisfying ending that really drives home the idea that power, especially unchecked power, can seriously corrupt.

Overall, this is a super unique, slightly unhinged take on the haunted house genre. It’s creepy, a little darkly funny, and definitely makes you think. If you like horror that plays with big moral questions and isn’t afraid to get weird, this one’s worth picking up.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The House That Eats the Dead is a horror novel about a family who move into a dream home, only to find it has a special hunger. Claire feels like her family have made it when they move into a big house in the suburbs. Her two children love it, and and her lawyer husband Tom feels like it is the chance for him to move up the career ladder. As they unpack, they notice that things start to disappear. The house is hungry, and it can be fed. Can Claire, and anyone else who suspects the house's secret, resist the temptation to make use of its powers?

This is the kind of straightforward horror book that does what it says in the title. Some haunted house books have more twists when it comes to the house itself, but this one doesn't: the house eats the dead. It isn't a scary book, but any horror elements come more from people and what they would do with that concept than the house itself, which never feels malevolent, just doing what it does. The twists and turns of characters' plots are fairly predictable too, but that doesn't mean that they don't work for a fun read that hits the expected plot moments. I can imagine this book working well adapted into a film, and the house's "eating" would probably be more horrifying onscreen than it can be when reading it.

The main frustration with this book is that, other than Claire (and her sister) to some extent, there isn't much backstory for anyone, including the house. It feels like a bit like a horror story for people who don't like the amount of backstory that characters get from writers like Stephen King, if you find that there's too much information and not enough plot. The blurb I read compared this book to Grady Hendrix, but I think that in Hendrix's best works (including How to Sell a Haunted House), there is both emotional depth to the characters and more to the concept than the title. The concept at the heart of this book, and the realities that Claire faces, are dark and interesting (especially the idea that all of the serial killers and creeps want the house), but it could've gone deeper, even without making it a darker kind of horror.

I feel like this book is probably ideal for people taking their first steps into the horror genre or who don't like things that are too scary or disgusting. I think it does feel similar to Rachel Harrison's books, so it fits into that kind of fun horror with a supernatural concept and looking at what regular people do with that. However, for people who read a lot of horror, it can feel a bit one note, not really delving enough into the house itself.

[A Bookish Little Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: The House That Eats the Dead
By Steph | A Bookish Little Life
Triggers: Child loss, child abuse, death, violence, gore, and pet loss

The Premise:
Tom and Claire Morgan think they’ve found the ultimate sanctuary: a beautiful Queen Anne mansion purchased from the seemingly sweet Mrs. Chung. But the density in the air isn't just old-house charm. Something invisible is living in the walls—an entity that not only consumes organic matter and food, but also the very memories associated with whatever it eats.

My Thoughts:
What fascinated and appalled me most wasn't the creature itself, but the Morgans' unsettlingly easy acceptance of this "house deity." As a reader, I watched in horror as these parents allowed a supernatural force to blithely tinker with their children’s brains just for a little peace and quiet. 😳 Whether it’s a cherished teddy bear or a beloved family dog, once the House eats it, the children's grief is wiped clean along with the memory.

The story brilliantly explores the thin line between a pet-owner relationship and something much more predatory. Like owning an exotic reptile, there’s a sense of affection—but you never forget it could kill you. As the Morgans realize the House can eliminate the hurdles of their lives, the temptation to use its power becomes the ultimate undoing.

My Verdict:
The author plays a sadistic game of "What If?" that raises the stakes until it’s impossible to discern the true monster. The twist at the end was so well-camouflaged that I had to stop and re-read the tracks I’d missed. While I found myself yearning for a deeper dive into the long-ago owner who first subverted the House with rune-etched beams, the evolution of Claire from a terrified mother to the House’s deliberate provider is a disquieting transformation I won't soon forget.

My Likes:
* A captivating, fast-paced plot that made sleep impossible.
* Characters that were only too easy to hate.
* The witty yet dark exploration into human betrayal.

My Dislikes:
* I would have loved a fuller backstory on the original owner’s discovery and the true origin of the House’s abilities.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Pan Macmillan, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. My views are my own.

[Emily Davies (libraryofcalliope) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Pan McMillan for inviting me to review The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty!

The House That Eats the Dead is a haunted house story but what haunts this house is not your conventional ghost or poltergeist. This house is haunted by hunger. This is a house that is always spotless, where the house literally eats the dust. This is a house that might get to the groceries before you can. This is also a house that eats more than dust and groceries... It eats the dead.

The narrative follows a family moving into this mysterious house, as they experience both the good and the bad it has to offer them. But the question there seems no answer to is whether they can handle the hunger of the house?

I enjoyed a lot of the premise of this book. There were elements that really worked for me. I enjoyed the personification of the house as the protagonist got to know it better and learned how to build a relationship with it, especially the way it mirrored the relationship she had with her dog. I liked the more mysterious angle it went down regarding it's plot in the later part of the novel that I won't go too much into because of spoilers. The conceit of the novel was great.

Unfortunately, I think what let this novel down was its pacing. Especially in the first half, it felt like it was rushing to get to where they wanted to start the story. Like the set up was treated as a tedious chore rather than the foundations of the house. In this way, key emotional moments that occur to set up the moral questions at the heart of the book, aren't given space to emotionally breathe. Characters literally die but they are characters who were briefly established with which no emotional connection had been built yet. The narrative requires us to find these moments impactful but they are so rushed you just don't have time to sit with it. The second half of the novel is definitely stronger but the weak foundations were a real issue for me. There also wasn't hugely consistent lore, more vibes, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it sometimes felt a little frustrating.

[Linda Ayala · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars (ARC via NetGalley)

The House That Eats the Dead delivers exactly what I want from domestic horror, intimate, unsettling, and quietly spiraling.

From the opening pages, you’re pulled straight into the lives of Claire and Tom, an upper middle class couple searching for their dream home in California. We quickly meet their children, Derek and Grace, along with their dog, King, grounding the story in a familiar family dynamic before things begin to unravel.

And unravel they do.

What starts as a simple house-hunting story shifts into a deeply unsettling psychological descent. The house itself is more than just a setting, it’s a presence, one with a disturbing and very literal appetite. The horror here isn’t just external; it seeps into the family, subtly influencing their thoughts, decisions, and relationships.

What I appreciated most was how the story explores the moral erosion of the family. As the house tightens its grip, it begins to bring out both the best and worst in each of them, pushing them toward increasingly gray and dangerous choices. Watching that slow unraveling was where the tension really lived.

The pacing works well for a quick read (under 300 pages), and I found myself hooked from the beginning. It’s eerie without relying on excessive shock value, leaning more into psychological discomfort than outright horror.

My only critique is that I wanted more history about the house itself. The concept is so strong and intriguing that a deeper dive into its origins would have added even more weight to the story.

Overall, this is a solid, engaging domestic horror that delivers atmosphere, tension, and a creeping sense of dread that lingers.

Tropes & Themes:

• Haunted house
• Domestic horror
• Family unraveling
• Psychological descent
• Moral corruption
• Sentient house
• Suburban dread
• Slow-burn horror
• Descent into chaos

[Library Mouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty is a fun, fast-paced horror read with a genuinely intriguing premise that quickly pulls you in. It's a very quick read, which makes it perfect if you're after something gripping, unsettling, and easy to devour in a sitting or two.

The story follows a family who move into a new home, only to discover that the house has a disturbing appetite, consuming anything that was once alive. At first, it's merely inconvenient: food disappears from the fridge, and moving boxes disintegrate into nothing. But that initial annoyance quickly escalates into something far more sinister. They soon realise that what the house really wants is dead bodies, and it’s disturbingly good at persuading its occupants to provide them.

One of the standout elements for me was Claire. Learning about her past as "Chaos Claire" and contrasting that with the carefully controlled, picture-perfect suburban version of herself adds a really compelling layer to the story. Watching her navigate the unravelling of their seemingly idyllic life is gripping, especially as the house begins to push and accelerate that breakdown in increasingly disturbing ways.

The novel does a great job of taking a bizarre, almost absurd concept and turning it into something genuinely unsettling. As the cracks in both the house and the family dynamic widen, the tension builds and builds, until I was on the edge of my seat for the last 25%.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining, quick horror read with a creative concept and a compelling main character. Definitely worth picking up if you enjoy domestic horror.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC—my honest thoughts, as always, are my own.
Now let’s descend into the shadows...

Some houses don’t just hold the dead… they FEED on them.

And if there’s one thing I gravitate toward every single time, it’s stories where the setting isn’t just a backdrop—it’s something alive, something hungry, something deeply, deeply wrong.
This book delivers exactly that kind of suffocating, inescapable horror.
The atmosphere is relentless. There’s no real sense of safety here, no clean edges—just this constant, creeping feeling that the walls themselves are closing in, watching, waiting. The house doesn’t feel haunted in the traditional sense… it feels aware.
Like it’s consuming not just bodies, but memories, identities—anything it can get its hands on.
What really worked for me was how visceral it all felt. There’s a quiet kind of body horror woven throughout—nothing overly gratuitous, but enough to make your skin crawl if you let yourself sit with it. The tension builds in a way that feels almost claustrophobic, like you’re being pulled deeper into something you can’t escape.
This is definitely a slow, suffocating burn—the kind that doesn’t just unsettle you while you’re reading, but lingers afterward in that uncomfortable, “something isn’t right” kind of way.

**Content Warning:** Body horror, death, claustrophobic settings, psychological distress, and disturbing imagery.

If you like your horror oppressive, atmospheric, and quietly grotesque—this one will absolutely sink its teeth into you.

🕸️ I’m that weird girl who reads the shadows—and you’ll follow willingly.🕸️

[Nikki Kossaris · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are haunted houses and then there are houses that are actually hungry.

The House That Eats the Dead takes a familiar horror setup and pushes it somewhere strange and unsettling. Claire and her family move into what is supposed to be their fresh start, but it quickly becomes clear that the house has an appetite. It doesn’t just creak at night or slam doors. It consumes anything that was once alive, and once it’s eaten something, it disappears completely. Only the homeowners remember it ever existed.

What I liked most is that the story doesn’t spend forever questioning what’s going on. It leans right into the bizarre premise and lets the horror unfold from there. The tension comes from what Claire decides to do once she understands exactly what the house can do.

Claire is messy in a very human way. She makes choices that are understandable even when they start sliding into darker territory. Watching her relationship with the house change over time is where the story really gets interesting. It turns into something dangerous and morally complicated very quickly.

The horror here is creepy with a streak of dark humor and some moments that made me pause and think wow that escalated fast. It takes the haunted house trope and twists it into something that feels a little unhinged in the best way.

If you like haunted house stories that go weird and lean into the idea that the house itself might be the real monster, this one is worth picking up.

[Horror Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't your typical haunted house book. In fact, the house isn't haunted at all. But it is alive and sentient in a way which makes it as much of a character as any other.

A family gets a great deal on a beautiful home and feel like they've won the jackpot. It soon becomes apparent that there's something very wrong though. The house is hungry and eats only organic non-living things. From meat to cereal, from cardboard to sawdust and crumbs.

Over time, they discover its favorite meal is a human body. And once the body is devoured that person ceases to exist. No past, noone remembering they had ever existed.

But what will they do with this power? That's the thing about this extremely creepy novel, it asks what you would do with that kind of thing. Would you work with the house to give it what it needs or would you abuse it to basically kill with impunity as there would be no consequences once the house has eaten?

This and the changes which start to happen to this family are the main narrative focus but it's done so with a macabre and terrifying style that's unlike any other "haunted" house book you've read. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m in my creepy book era and this one really did it for me. The House That Eats the Dead follows Claire and her family moving into what they think is their dream home. It’s a bargain, the seller is weirdly keen for them to have it, and it’s way bigger than anything they should realistically be able to afford. Like everything has just fallen into place a bit too easily.

But almost straight away, things feel off. Moving boxes start disintegrating within hours, a beloved teddy goes missing, and then half the family can’t even remember it ever existed.

The house is clearly trying to communicate with them, it’s just not clear whether it’s a friend or foe.

I really enjoyed this one! It has a slow, unsettling vibe where everything seems a bit wrong and you can’t quite explain why. I kept wanting to pick it back up which is always a good sign, but I would have liked a bit more background when it came to the final reveal.

Also I somehow ended up emotionally attached to the house, and I hope it’s doing okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mya Joan Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty. It’s the kind of eerie, imaginative horror story that pulls you in quickly and keeps you curious about what might be hiding inside that unsettling house. I loved the strange, creeping atmosphere and the feeling that the house itself had a sinister personality.

I especially liked how the story slowly reveals its mysteries. The tension builds in a way that made it hard for me to stop reading, and I kept wanting to know what disturbing thing might happen next. The imagery is vivid and eerie, making the house feel like a living, breathing place filled with dark history.

I do wish a few parts had gone a little deeper, especially with some of the characters, but I still found the story incredibly entertaining and unique. I finished it feeling impressed by how imaginative and unsettling the concept was.

If you enjoy inventive haunted house stories with a creepy vibe and plenty of intrigue, I definitely recommend giving this one a try. It’s a fun, chilling read!

[Liza (LitLifewithLiza) Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not every house can be turned into a home. Claire and her family move into the house of their dreams, but it comes at a price. It's hungry and it won't rest until it's fed. It starts small with items disappearing and memories questioned, but it quickly turns dark when it becomes apparent that the house doesn't hold back on what it consumes. Who holds the real power, Claire or the house?

I have nothing but praise for this debut. The first 25% was so packed with thrills that I was skeptical at first about how could it possibly keep up this pace for the rest of the book! But it 100% delivered. Fast paced, disturbing, and an insatiable hunger.

The first half and second half felt like two distinct phases because of how much you learn about the house, so you go into the 2nd half with a different mindset towards the house AND it's occupants.

Power dynamics are at play, lives are on the line, and trust is questionable.

What message is the house trying to send? And can you decipher it before it's too late. 💀

Pub date: Aug 18, 2026

TW: animal death

[Kelly Lam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well the title pretty much sums this one up… it’s a house… and it eats the dead. When Claire and her family move in to what should be their dream home, she quickly realises that the house has an appetite and starts to spiral as Claire realises that she might be able to befriend the house, but as it brings out the darker sides of her and her family, will they be able to control it and themselves?

I struggled with the first 15% or so, It was just falling a bit flat for me and I wasn’t very invested, everything starts happening quite quickly but I wasn’t connected to the characters or setting enough by this point.
Then a certain event happened that made me mad and I put the book down for a good week! Eventually when I picked it back up I did end up enjoying it, although I didn’t find it exactly creepy, it was a unique concept and was interesting to see where the story would go and I was quite satisfied by the ending.

Thanks you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan and Max Doty for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and publisher for the early copy! I give permission for any part of this review to be used for promotional purposes.

This book literally had me crying over the possible feelings of a house. A HOUSE. AN OBJECT. No, I’m too autistic for this, my hyper empathy is SCREAMING. 🥲

Anyway yeah I loved this book. The spooky and haunting setting, the plot twist at the end, the FMC’s eventual descent into possible insanity. We love chaos Claire here, what an icon. I would’ve liked a little bit more about her unhinged behaviour, particularly in the past, but it was still so great. The plot twists were giving me whiplash for sure.
This book really pulled some deep emotion out of me which I wasn’t expecting. I love love loved how creepy this was. When I wasn’t reading this, I was thinking about it and it was just addicting to read. Loved this. Screw the patriarchy and anything that does not add to our lives!!

Rating; 4/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

This book is about Claire and her husband Tom buying a home for a fresh start, but weird things start to happen upon move in. Things start to go missing and food is disappearing without a trace expect for a wrapper.

I originally wasn’t sure what to expect when reading this book, but it was a very quick read from the start. My request for this book was because I liked the novel We Used To Live Here, and it seemed to have a similar type vibe.

I started this book at 3pm, and finished just after midnight because I needed to know how it was going to end.

The idea of a house literally eating the dead had me questioning so many things. The stories of all the people and the emotions behind them.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this novel before its release!

[LZW · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I wanted to get SOMETHING down as I just finished this MOST AMAZING & UNIQUE “haunted” house book! Seriously stunned post read, I devoured this as the house itself devours things, but this book? Very much living…breathing…all the emotions…such a wild chaotic fun trip…but also? Questions! I now need to know more about the kids & Tom…also Ava…..just the intentions behind “things” and what was shared in private with each occupant…can also not help but wonder… if I were in Claire’s position…the choices I would make. The morals I would stand ten toes down on, the unexpected things I would be prone to take advantage of…GAH! I need more! This took me wholly out of the biggest reading/loving slump ever!!!

[Fordie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so much a haunted house, but a hungry one! Domestic horror that was actually pretty quick to get through and despite its dark nature was actually quite enjoyable for want of a better word!. The style of writing and fast pacing makes for an easy to pick up read. At one point I was left pretty creeped out thinking no why, how could you do that and then I left all my rational thinking behind and just went with it as the house just pulled me in further along the story.

I liked the relationship aspect between the house and Claire..it gave it a bit more of a personal feel.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this.

[Becca Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book! I REALLY liked this book a lot- it was a fun creative twist on a haunted house story. I ripped through it in 2 days because I could not put it down or stop thinking about it! It took a turn that I didn’t anticipate and I appreciated that it answered questions I had while also leaving me wanting more. I think this is a really creative and fresh take on the haunted house scene and think it is super worth reading!!

[Larae Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a creepy and creative horror story! The concept of a house that literally eats the dead is unsettling in the best way, and the tension builds as the family realizes what they’re living with. The story mixes dark humor with genuine dread, and I loved how strange and unpredictable it became. Some parts moved a little slower for me, but overall it was a fun, eerie read that horror fans will definitely enjoy.

[Christina Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, it is one of the most original concepts I’ve read in a long time. I’m still not even 100% sure how I feel about the house itself. It’s unsettling and fascinating.
​The pacing is solid, and the writing really sucks you into that claustrophobic feeling of being trapped. Overall, it’s a strong 4/5 stars for me. It’s definitely a must-read if you’re in the mood for something that breaks the mold!

[Melissa Bramley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley!






The House That Eats the Dead is a slow-building, deeply unsettling horror story that gets under your skin. What starts as a strange house with unusual habits turns into something much darker as emotions intensify, memories blur, and relationships begin to crack.
The real horror is how quickly everything starts to feel normal.
Creepy, tense, and hard to put down—this one sticks with you.

[Megan Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this economy and the prices of groceries... could never be me, everyone would be on my sh*t list😂

I give this a 4.75, I absolutely devoured (LOL) this book. It was very well written, fast paced and constantly entertaining. There were a lot of lessons learned and you really love Claire and her relationship with the house and how she figures everything out. She has to weigh the good vs evil and fight the other "evil sources" in her life. I absolutely LOVED the ending 🖤

[Katie M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the house, I devoured this book in one sitting. The House That Eats the Dead is an incredibly unique haunted house story. It is pleasantly bizarre at times, but also has an emotional depth to it, and is quite thought provoking. The book makes you question your morals and how you'd use a house that eats dead things and erases them from reality. Can't wait to ask my friends about the moral quandaries of this book and have them ask "what the hell are you reading?"

I also think I want a pet house now?

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for a digital ARC of this book!

The House that Eats the Dead is unlike any haunted house book I have read before; and I have read a ton of haunted house books. I think my favorite part was the relationship between the house itself and the main characters.

If you like suburban/domestic horror with morally gray characters that start out relatively stable and then get progressively more unhinged, then this book is worth checking out.