The Unhaunting

by Micaiah Johnson

Award-winning author Micaiah Johnson invites you to Abernathy House.

A house, itself, is nothing. It’s not a shelter until it is sheltering someone. A house is a housefire, waiting for its match. A house is a ghost story, waiting for its death.

At the end of the Civil War, a daughter of the confederacy made what she thought was an innocent wish: to build a house where nothing bad could happen. But peace came at a price, and one hundred and seventy years later Shantell and her friends are about to discover where all that darkness ended up.

When Shantell’s best friend, Avery, tells her he has inherited a house big enough to make their dreams of a sanctuary come true, she’s too cautious to be optimistic. A lifetime of loss — her father to the Iraq war, her brother to police violence, and her mother to suicide — has taught her cynicism, and even though Avery swears the house has never experienced a tragedy, she goes along expecting everything from black mold to evil spirits.

But not only is the house in better shape than they’d expected, it makes them better Shantell’s anxiety stops flaring up, terminally shallow Avery is suddenly capable of deeper emotions, and Tobias, Avery’s older brother and the contractor for the job, even quits chain smoking.

There’s an eeriness to the calm, and it’s almost a relief when they realize they do not walk alone in Abernathy House. If nothing bad has ever happened here, where are all these ghosts coming from? As they dig into the house’s history, Shantell, Avery, and Tobias discover that there’s only one thing worse than a house that’s haunted: a house that desperately wants to be.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Gothic, Adult, Haunted House, Horror Thriller, Halloween

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 29, 2026

About the author

Micaiah Johnson was raised in California's Mojave Desert surrounded by trees named Joshua and women who told stories.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside and her Master of Fine Arts in fiction from Rutgers-Camden. She now studies American Literature at Vanderbilt University where she focuses on critical race theory... and automatons.

Reviews

[Liana Gold]

A woman with a lifetime of loss inherits a house big enough for her dreams of sanctuary to come true... but soon enough realizes that she's not walking alone in that house.



Many thanks to NetGalley, Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons and the author, Micaiah Johnson for an early copy.

Publication date: September 29, 2026

[Ruxandra Grrr]

I am SEATED for all the books Micaiah Johnson writes until the end of time.

[Me, My Shelf, & I]

God, I don't even know how to begin rating or talking about this.

On the one hand, I found the first half difficult to get invested in. Like I could feel everything building, but that sense of unease really had to mount in both severity and frequency as the novel goes on. I knew there would be payoff and had a general idea of where we'd be heading, but I can't deny that my intrigue was initially slow to manifest. I only mention this because I hope others who might feel similarly will stick with it.

Once it gets going, however, I thought the read was entirely engrossing and well worth the destination. This shared a lot of similarities with Ready or Not and Get Out and even Starling House. But that ending in particular (not to mention the covers and release dates) really made me feel like this and Reliquary are sisters.

I need to go stew in my eomtions over this, and probably experience some very dreams, but this was a really good book.

Note: this is incredibly different than her debut and its sequel, and doesn't reach their heights and my love for those books. but I'm 0% mad I read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Victor Manibo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anxiety-inducing from start to twisty end, The Unhaunting kept me up all night! As only Micaiah Johnson can deliver, this ingenious spin on the haunted house story explores how privilege, much like Abernathy House, is as mesmerizing as it is cruel, and the price it exacts is nothing short of horrific. Come inside, if you dare.

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As expected of Micaiah Johnson, there were some lines that gave me chills, some that felt like a stiletto (the knife not the shoe) between the ribs, and a few that just felt clever (the “pop star cast in a period piece” was one I really liked).

I really loved how it didn’t shy from any darkness. But when have we known Johnson to shy from darkness? Shantell had such a rough go of things, a life of grief and pain and anxiety, and even as she started to forget it, we really couldn’t because it was such an indisputable fact of her personhood. Seeing how people chose their grief, their pain because it was THEM and not having it would cost pieces of themselves they wouldn’t be willing to lose… it felt heavy and true.

My one gripe was that it started to feel a little slow in the lead-up to the climax. The book isn’t long but it dragged when Shantell and Avery change things up (which I also didn’t like… it felt to me like it cheapened the depth of their friendship from before the house). I did however really love how Shantell and Tobias came to understand each other in the way they did.

{Thank you Putnam for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a brilliant and unique twist on the standard haunted house. Having said that, I liked the concept of the story more than I connected with it.

Something about this just didn’t work for me. While the characters were well fleshed out, I just didn’t become attached to them. I think this also stopped me from feeling any real suspense or tension building, and it took me longer to read than it should have. I just wasn’t reaching for it.

With that being said, I can see how this would resonate with and be enjoyed by others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC provided in exchange for my honest review

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was an unexpected twist on the haunted house concept. This was a slow burn to start with but once it hit the halfway mark I was utterly invested and deeply fascinated. The book gradually pulls you into its storyline and prose.

Abernathy House is not your usual home. Built with a purpose and layered with mystery and very much a life (and death) of its own. At the end of the American Civil War the daughter of the confederacy built a home where nothing bad could happen, a hopeful wish but one that had dire long term consequences.

Enter our two main characters - Avery and Shantell. Best of friends, joined at the hip, know each other inside out. When Avery inherits this big house and decides to renovate it Shantell is eager to come along with the hope of a fresh start. Her life is not going to plan and she sees this as a way to break free from old habits. Their relationship dynamic is a whole story in itself and one I found to be very realistic.

Right from the start the house unsettles the reader. Strange idiosyncrasies and tiny differences that initially don’t seem to be of any great importance. However as the house begins to reveal its secrets all those earlier scenes piece together like a jigsaw puzzle. Avery’s brother Tobias also joins the two of them in making this huge house improved and beautiful. I really few to like his character, initially seeming somewhat unlikeable but by the end I was definitely on his team.

Yes there are ghostly happenings, yes there are dark moments and creepy imagery, all that you want in a haunted house story. But this is definitely something unique. I was fixed on the book so much in the latter half I lost track of time. So hold on there if finding it a bit slow to start.

The house begins to have different effects on those inside its walls and eventually we learn why which is a creative bit of genius in itself. The house serves a purpose, the house makes the rules and the house won’t rest until it gets what it wants.

This is a really intriguing book. The reveals and plot twists and sublime scenes are excellent and the characters those you hold onto and get invested in. If the book had not had such a slow burn start it would definitely be a 5 star read.

I definitely recommend this one of this style of book is your cup of tea or even if it’s not. Let Abernathy House reveal its secrets and true purpose to you word by word and page by page!

Many thanks to the publisher for my ARC via NetGalley.

Thanks so much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻 Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more book reviews.

If you are an Author or Publisher and would like to ask me to review any books my email address is in my bio.

[Bethany J · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to the publisher for an e-arc via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*

I'm not sure what I expected from this book given that the author's previous books were sci-fi. However, I knew going into it that I was going to get some excellent writing and themes. As expected, this author delivered. Though I will say that I think the book could've been a smidge longer to fix some of the pacing and flesh out a bit more of Shantell and Avery's relationship. Despite that, this is a book that packs a punch.

This is a book that deals heavily with Black grief and generational trauma. The narrative style of this book is very interesting and one I quite liked, though I think it might be a bit divisive. This is a horror novel where the haunting takes center stage, as a narrator and a character. I found that bit really fascinating and really liked what the author did with it, particularly when the author drove parallels between this haunting and how people become consumers of grief themselves.

While I wish Avery and Shantell had a bit more developing of their relationship before diving into the house, I did like the parallels between their struggles and character arcs. Shantell is a very interesting character--somewhere on the autism spectrum (I believe) and dealing with agoraphobia and some heavy, heavy grief. Avery is her only friend and family, really, and, for the most part, I liked their relationship.

The horror elements of the story weren't... outwardly scary? At least in the way the author wrote them. They're certainly horrific, but there were only a few moments that made my hair stand on end. Again, I think it was due to the writing style not really playing much with formatting or drawing things out. There's a bit of bluntness/matter-of-factness to how some of the hauntings are played out. This ended up making it feel less scary and more "this is a thing that's happening right now". Some people might not like that, but I wasn't terribly bothered by it. There were some elements that creeped me out, for sure, but I think, despite the length, this is more of a horror novel that simmers rather than boils over with tension, if that makes sense.

I quite liked the ending, though I think parts leading up to it were a little rushed. Honestly, I quite liked this and would be down to read it again and find things that I missed. It wasn't perfect, but I think it's a book that says so much and carries a message that needs to be heard. I'm pretty much down to read anything this author writes, no matter the genre, and definitely encourage other people to pick this one up when it comes out!

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

When Shantell's best friend, Avery, inherits a large house in the south from a distant relative, and invites her to move in with him, she thinks it may be the fresh start she's been looking for.

When they arrive, it quickly becomes apparent that Abernathy House is far from ordinary. Avery seems to mature overnight; his brother stops chain-smoking and Shantell's crippling anxiety attacks seem to disappear.

At first, it seems like the sanctuary they've talked about since they were children.

It's been passed down through Avery's family that nothing bad can happen in Abernathy House. For an area that's seen more than its fair share of tragedy and death over the years, it's almost miraculous that none of it has happened under the roof of their new home.

It's just too good to be true.

I've come across a few books this year where the haunted house concept has been approached in unique ways, and I'm happy to say that The Unhaunting by Micaiah Johnson successfully takes the idea and turns it on its head.

The idea of a house so starved of misery that it hungers for nothing else, was an intriguing one, and Johnson executed it very well.

While The Unhaunting didn't shy away from gruesome and disturbing imagery with moments of dread, there were no real scares as such. The real horror was much quieter; it was baked into the characters' existences and carved into the past, unavoidable and undeniable.

This was a book far more interested in exploring how the house impacted individuals who encountered it, and their relationships, than in casting its gaze on things that go bump in the night. Personally, I thought Johnson struck a good balance, but some who want a more traditional horror story may come away disappointed.

I also want to say how much I appreciated each character's development throughout the novel and was delighted that nobody went outside of themselves for the sake of a plot point. Each action and motivation made sense.

Admittedly, I did feel that The Unhaunting had a bit too much padding around the middle and did run around in circles a little, but the ending more than made up for it. I came away more than satisfied by how wonderfully it tied into one of the book's main themes.

Recommended.

With thanks to Penguin for the ARC.

[J. L. R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an angry, sad truth about the festering heart of American racism, bluntly dressed up in a shallow sketch of a haunted house story. It is rarely anything but a metaphor, where every character and every twist of the plot clearly maps on to its central message. The narrator explicitly tells you about 99% of the theme of the story very early on, continues to do so, and then, somehow, says the remaining 1% of the truth with the voice of someone dropping a huge twist. That’s not to say that its central message isn’t necessary, true, or difficult to hear – especially to someone like me, who has benefited from structural racism as a white American.

My personal line for blunt metaphors in fiction has been getting easier and easier to cross lately, and I admit it’s not the same for many other people, judging by other reviews I’ve read of this and many other recent stories. If your tolerance for this is greater than mine, you may still get a lot out of this book. If you’re a white American, especially one who’s living a pretty good life, and you don’t often grapple with your own complicity, this may be an uncomfortable but important wake up call. I think it’s something I’ve been made aware of many years ago, but it’s impossible to imagine my reaction to this book isn’t influenced by my race. And if you’re not white, especially if you’re black, you find a lot of catharsis in our main character Chantell’s struggle to fully embrace her own traumatic experiences instead of trying to hide and forget about them, even at the cost of feeling overwhelming grief.

I just couldn’t unsee the metaphor of this one. I don’t want us to tell stories that don’t grapple with the injustices of the world, and I definitely don’t want writers of color to refrain from telling stories filled with anger and grief about America and the evil in its very bones. I just want the monsters in these horror stories to stand as both monsters AND metaphors. I want to be surprised by something. I want to feel like these characters are real people. I want a story like this to feel visceral and scary. The Unhaunting just didn't do that for me.

I did quite love Johnson's first book, The Space Between Worlds, which also is quite blunt about its message but wraps it in an exciting story with good characters and a cool sci-fi premise.

[Dima · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book follows two friends, Avery (the heir to a wealthy white family in the American South) and Shantel (a young Black woman whose family has suffered from the horrors inflicted on Black Americans). The story begins when Avery decides to renovate his family's old house with the help of Shantel and his older brother, Tobias. The house turns out to be far more than any of them bargained for, affecting everyone who comes near it in surprising ways. As the emotional pressure it exerts increases, the protagonists begin to change, while the house's history and needs slowly become clear.

The book blends several themes. Naturally, at its core is the tension between Black and white communities in the American South, with the house acting as an allegory of sorts for the costs white families inflicted first on their Black slaves and later on their Black neighbours in order to sustain their happy-go-lucky lifestyles. In addition, there is an overlay of Gen-Z concerns, including relationships, mental distress, and the search for purpose. There is also some romance.

I did not care for the book, despite absolutely loving the author's previous work. Admittedly, I am not a great fan of ghost fiction in any form (it is very difficult to make it not sound silly, in my view). That aside, while the change in genre is a significant part of the problem, the execution also falls far short of my expectations.

The main issue is the quality of the writing. There is something almost infantile about the dialogue, plot development, and many of the individual scenes. While it improves during the final 10% of the novel, most of the book displays little of the quality that made the author's previous work stand out. It may be that the writing was sacrificed at the altar of conveying a sociopolitical message (its relevance notwithstanding). At times, the novel felt almost like a blatant attempt to write the screenplay for the next Jordan Peele film.

While I managed to finish it (its brevity helped, as did the pacing, which was not half bad), it was an experience I would gladly have missed. 2.5 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of the book in return for an honest review.

[Cassie Ardent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shantell is black and has lost all her immediate family. Avery is white and while his life isn’t fully sunshine-and-rainbows, his family is well off. Avery isn’t like them and other rich folks though, as Shantell would fiercely defend.

When they move to the rundown house in the South that Avery has inherited, they quickly find ghosts. But the ghosts don’t harm them. The house is weird. But perhaps, it is making them better versions of themselves?

This is a story about how everything has a price, and oftentimes, it’s not those benefitting who pay it. This is also a story about a house that wants to feel suffering and won’t let go.

I loved the concept of the book. As a woman of color, I empathized with the rage Shantell holds inside her because of what the world is. The beginning narration, as you find out who the narrator is, sucks you in. And I don’t want to give away too much, but I found the theme of complicity truly poignant - that while some people don’t directly cause the suffering, they uphold it since they still benefit.

The execution was done well, but some thoughts I had:
* it was very obvious to the characters from the start that the house was haunted. There wasn’t much of a ramp before them seeing the ghosts.
* Much of the middle felt kinda repetitive? They were more instances of haunting and coping with it.
* The house’s foreshadowing threats felt a little heavy-handed.
* I thought that finding out the history of the house and what was going on was a little information-dump-like since it was just people telling the main characters about the house.
* I don’t know if the thing about what Avery said in the trance at the beginning about his uncle being dead was explained?
* What was the thing about the house and names?

I found this read sufficiently spooky, and it kept me on my toes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Micaiah Johnson has a very distinct narrative voice that compliments the haunted house genre well. It did take some getting used to--her story telling is not exactly linear and she likes to pause conversations to make room for expository paragraphs, but once I got used to the cadence I could not put it down. This writing style, along with the occasional moments of speaking directly to the reader, was what made me dnf her last book, but I really think that it works here, and I appreciate that she gave the narration a structure that made the fourth wall breaks less jarring.

The Unhaunting is part haunted house story and part creative essay about racial inequality. At first things feel a little disconnected, but everything ties together and hits with a punch at the end that makes you sit and contemplate where you fit in the story. As a white person living in the South, it's really easy to just go about daily life and not notice the inherited injustices that people around me deal with every day. I appreciated Johnson showing different ways white people can process/act on this information once they have it. Every once in a while there's a sentence that feels like slam poetry driving the point a little too hard, but overall it was a good reading experience.

In terms of the horror, I was sufficiently spooked and drawn in by the story. The ending also felt appropriate for the genre. Can't really say much about that without giving things away.

I don't think her writing style is for everyone, and I'm not sure how readily I will pick up her next book, but I'm glad I read this one and I'd recommend it to someone looking for a short horror novel from a black perspective. If you prefer more subtly in prose or if you've already covered this topic in other readings then you may enjoy it a little less.

[ruhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stories of a house. Especially when the house is kind of alive and not the nicest. I love horror that focuses on the house and subverts our idea of what it means to be haunted. The Unhaunting delivers on all these parameters I had in my mind.

This is a story of a house and of haunting - or the lack of it. It is the story of how racial ties have generational consequences. Of how selfishness can ripple out and harm anyone in its wake. But, it is also a story of grief and loss. I was so moved by the heart of this story, by how it verbalised the pain and hurt of grief while underscoring how this very emotion kept one alive.

Johnson has done an astounding job in writing this horror story. The role of the house was well-conceptualised and the characters were stark and heart-wrenching. Shantell was vivid and her experiences were visceral. The horror was of a quieter kind -a horror that was anchored in the atrocities of reality. The setting was an integral part of how this story played out and it was simultaneously inviting yet claustrophobic.

The core themes of the book and how Johnson expanded on how race, grief, pain and loss intertwined elevated the effectiveness of the narrative. I came away from this story, spent but satisfied.

Bottom line - houses are some of the most compelling aspects of horror and I am always keen to read engage with a new way of handling this motif.

[Igor DelRey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Unhaunting is, in my opinion, a mix of romance, drama, a haunted house horror story, with a lot of character development and a complex narrative.
The characters are either easily relatable or easy to empathise with. The horror scenes, per se, even though there aren't too many, they are, in general, effective and decently done.
This book is divided into parts and I, personally, most enjoyed the first one. The introduction of the characters, of the house and what lurks inside there really grasped my attention in the first part of this book.
Unfortunately, as the story progressed, my interest in the story started to plummet.
The more intricated the relationships among the characters got, the more emotionally distant I felt from them.
And that ended up contributing to my lack of enjoyment through the second half of this novel.
It's a *me* thing. I don't really believe there is anything essentially wrong with this book. I just wanted something else out of it.
I'm sure other readers will like it much more than I did.

If you enjoy a more character-driven story in a haunted house setting of a horror novel, you might consider picking this book up.
Thank you, NetGalley and Putnam, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Hennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Unhaunting is a unique blend of haunted house horror, drama, romance, and an exploration of grief and generational trauma. I somewhat enjoyed the first part of the book, the mystery surrounding Abernathy House hooked me, and I liked the idea of the haunting acting as both a presence and a narrator. But it just didn't deliver. The themes of Black grief, loss, and the lasting impact of history were thoughtfully explored and gave the story its emotional heart.

Unfortunately, as the book went on, I found myself becoming more disconnected. The frequent shifts in perspective, especially involving the ghosts, often left me confused, and I struggled to connect with the charactesr. As the relationships became more complex, I felt less invested in the characters rather than more.

As a horror novel, I wouldn't call it scary. It had some eerie and unsettling moments, but it never truly frightened me. Some scenes were okay, like the delusions part. But otherwise I didn't feel any "creepy" or "odd" feelings whilst reading.

Overall, I really appreciated the themes and the originality of the concept, but the execution didn't fully come together for me. A thoughtful and ambitious read, even if it wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

[Sid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for approving me for this ARC! This sounded like such an interesting concept and I was really excited to pick it up. A sentient house as the narrator is such a unique idea, and I was really intrigued by the way the story explored themes of racism, slavery, and the history tied to the house itself.

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t quite work for me. I did think the characters were interesting and there were definitely some really compelling ideas throughout the story, but I struggled to fully connect with them and become invested in what was happening.

The pacing was probably the biggest issue for me. The middle section started to feel quite slow and I found myself struggling to stay engaged. Usually, a book this length is something I could finish in a day if I really got into it, but this one took me around 4 days to finish, and that was after having to push myself to keep going.

I don’t think it was a bad book by any means, and I can definitely see why the concept would appeal to a lot of people. There were some really interesting ideas and a lot of potential here, but unfortunately it just wasn’t one of my favourites. I don’t think it’s something I’d reread, but I’m still glad I gave it a chance.

[Caity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC book.

This is such an unsettling story. The house as a character is so disturbing right from the start but the slow burn of exactly what it's motivations are and how the magic works was so well written and made it even darker. As the characters attempt to dig deeper the house actively distorts reality around them, and as they try to understand what is even happening its hard to differ between what is the house's doing compared to what can be explained by the wealth and privilege of the family. It was also interesting to see how the house effected the different characters both helping and hurting them in it's voyeuristic quest for suffering. This in turn also effected their view of the house and ultimately their relationships with each other in intriguing ways that kept me glued to the page. I also was captivated by the way the history of the house and The South was woven into the story. This in turn also tied into the character's differing views of the house. All around a really well done story that expertly weaves horror, history, and misery into the house and its haunting in a way that makes the book impossible to stop thinking about.

[luceski · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Unhaunting by Micaiah Johnson

There was so much about the premise of The Unhaunting that pulled me in. Avery inherits a house in Mississippi from his namesake, and he and his childhood best friend Shantell decide to renovate it. Naturally, this is a terrible idea. 😂

As they start working on the house, strange things begin happening. There are unexplained markings, unsettling sightings, dead trees surrounding the property and a growing sense that the house is very much not empty.

I really liked the central concept and the way the house gradually revealed itself to be something much stranger than a typical haunted house. There are some genuinely creepy moments, and I was definitely hooked in the beginning because I wanted to know what the hell was going on.

However, I’m a little torn on this one.

I didn’t particularly connect with the characters, and I found myself much more interested in Tobias than Avery. Avery, in particular, got on my nerves a little. The story also felt like it could have benefited from being fleshed out more. There were some really interesting ideas here that I wanted to see explored further.

Overall, an intriguing and unusual haunted-house story with a great central concept, but one that didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

ARC from NetGalley

[Lucky · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nothing bad happens in the big house," is a statement that may initially seem an anticlimactic premise for a horror novel. But when one begins to further consider the implications, The Unhaunting is its sickening and inescapable result.

Unflinching and painfully compassionate, The Unhaunting is a book that lingers. Johnson's penetrating prose seeds questions about privilege, about generational trauma, about the absence of loss, and above all, about the toll of choosing to look away.

Shantell's deep sense of loyalty, clever and determined nature, and insecurity make her the most compelling possible narrator for this story. Her relationships with Avery and Tobias are as heartwrenching as they are worrisome—ma'am, please get out of there! The variability in her narration reliability becomes even more difficult to parse as the house sinks into her. No moment is absent of ambient threat when even comfort is a symptom of succumbing.

If you are looking for a haunted house story that examines race, privilege, love, and grief, I cannot recommend this book enough. Johnson has twice over proven herself a master of her craft, and I am eager to read whatever she writes next.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Unhaunting by Micaiah Johnson
⭐️⭐️ 2 stars
Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the eARC!

The description of this book immediately caught my attention, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I found myself struggling to stay engaged throughout most of the story.

The characters were difficult for me to connect with from the beginning. Shantell and Tobias felt flat, and at times their personalities came across as either too extreme or overly stereotypical, which made it hard for me to become invested in their journey.

The “unhaunted” house aspect also left me confused. The frequent shifts to the ghosts' perspectives or presence made it difficult to keep track of whose point of view I was reading, and instead of adding to the atmosphere, it pulled me out of the story. The scenes involving delusions, strangulation, and the nail scene also weren't something I enjoyed and made the reading experience even more disconnected for me.

Overall, this book just wasn't for me. While I can see that others may appreciate its unique approach to horror, it ultimately didn't resonate with me.

[Annie Adlington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micaiah Johnson takes the haunted house trope and does something so much smarter and more devastating with it; Abernathy House isn't just creepy, it's built on 170 years of buried history, and the way that history seeps into the present through Shantell, Avery, and their friendship is genuinely masterful. The blend of modern-day friendship dynamics with the weight of both historical and current racial tension is handled with so much care, and it never once feels like the horror elements are competing with the emotional/social depth - they're completely woven together. This is a haunted house book that actually has something to say.
Johnson has this way of writing that's atmospheric without being overwrought, sharp without losing warmth. I found myself rereading sentences just because of how they were constructed. Between the characters I got so attached to, the genuinely unsettling house, and writing this good, I'd be shocked if this doesn't end up a bestseller. One of my favourite reads of the year so far, easily. The Space Between Worlds is my next read, i'm already hooked on her writing!

[The Remedy Shelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

The Unhaunting has a brilliant premise: a genuinely clever and original twist on the haunted-house trope, one that opens up some fascinating ideas and gives the familiar genre framework something new to work with.

Unfortunately, I found myself more captivated by the concept than by the novel as a whole. I never became particularly attached to any of the characters and the romance felt largely unnecessary to me. I also struggled with the writing style, which ultimately kept me at a certain distance from the story and made it difficult to become fully immersed in it.

That said, there is so much here that I can see working much better for other readers. The central idea is inventive, the book raises some genuinely interesting questions, and even if this particular novel didn’t fully land for me, it only reinforces my impression of Micaiah Johnson as one of the most distinctive and exciting voices in contemporary speculative fiction.

3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into The Unhaunting not really knowing what to expect, and what I got was a really engaging, creepy, haunted house-like story that was truly unique and impossible to put down.

I loved Shantell and was really invested in her character and everything she was experiencing at the house. She, along with her best friend Avery, and his brother Tobias are working on fixing up a house Avery inherited. Oh, but it's not just any house. It's one that's been in his family for generations. A house where nothing bad can happen inside. What could be wrong with that? Um...a lot, it turns out.

The Unhaunting is a mix of creepiness, the supernatural, grief, love, generational trauma, and generational un-trauma all mixed together between siblings, best friends, not really friends, and all the messy relationships in between. One if my favorite books of 2026 so far.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, and to the author for telling a fantastic story.

[GJO AND PUPS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.

The writing was wonderfully immersive, and I could clearly picture each character, as well as the big old house they were living in. The tension built really well, and I found myself feeling increasingly anxious about what was unfolding. There was a definite sense that something wasn't quite right, and I was invested in finding out where it would all lead.

That being said, I did feel like the ending fell a little flat when it came to the big revelation. Despite the creepy elements throughout, I never quite reached that point of feeling genuinely horrified or unsettled. I think I was craving a little more darkness and unease.

The premise was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the historical elements woven throughout the story. I was also satisfied with where each character ended up, but ultimately, I just wanted more. More dread, more creepiness, and that lingering feeling of something is very, very wrong.

[Sam Rude · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unhaunting both is and isn’t a haunted house story, that’s what makes it so good. Shantell goes with her childhood friend Avery to ostensively fix us the house he’s gotten as an inheritance, a house that ought to be haunted and might be. As should be expected from Johnson’s work The Unhaunting is commenting on the kinds of things those in power (especially those who are rich and white in the South) believe to be true about themselves and their families. While it would be easy to see the topics covered and believe this book to be a simple Southern Gothic novel I think that it is so much more. To me conventions were flipped around and I audibly gasped while reading the book which is a pretty clear endorsement. I expected great things from Johnson and was not let down in the slightest.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[sophie blyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging and intricate horror novel, without the clichés of the genre, but self aware enough to reference them. The characters feel well-formed and their motivations make sense, which adds depth to the events that befall them; Shantell was a sympathetic protagonist who I easily could root for. I really enjoyed the way the horror aspects of this book worked as an analogy for trauma and the ways in which we despise and value it simultaneously. The racial aspects of the book were very well written and powerfully moving; nothing felt unnecessary or added for shock value. I felt that the ending made perfect sense for the characters and didn’t diminish from the overall stakes of the book.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it, despite not being a typical horror fan!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance e-copy.

[Alanna Metz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that you finish and just sit holding it for a bit while you digest what you just read. Such a good book. I don't even really know how to describe the experience of it, it was such a different type of horror book. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but it was even better than I could have hoped. "Nothing bad ever happens in the big house" is both a promise and a threat. Shantell was such a compelling character, I really felt for her and understood her. A person who is so haunted inhabiting a house that can't be haunted? Its really quite a tale.

I recieved an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Sarah Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Unhaunting” by Micaiah Johnson is a slow-burn Southern gothic novel about lifelong friends, Shantell and Avery, and Avery’s brother, Tobias, moving to Avery’s newly-inherited home. As the three characters start to work on the home, things start to arise that make you wonder “are things really as they seem?”

This book does a wonderful job of exploring the racism that our country was built on and that still happens to this day. To me, a good horror novel explores difficult real-life topics through the lens of horror, and this did just that.

This novel is great for readers who enjoy a suspenseful slow-burn.

[Dot🦋 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ Loved the creepy/haunting aspect of it I just never felt pulled in. It seemed like this was supposed to feel deeply emotional but it just didn't work for me. Writing at times had me a smidge confused I could tell there were underlying meanings but all I really wanted was an unsettling ghost story. The cover does not go with the overall theme which again I think threw me off.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from Netgalley. Still thankful for the opportunity to read early. All opinions are my own.