The Spirits

by Bonnie Jo Campbell

The best-selling author of The Waters (a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick) returns with a tale of love, transgression, and the miraculous healing power of the holiday table.

Bonnie Jo Campbell, a master of rural American fiction, brings us a hair-raising winter tale to warm us by the fireside. In this contemporary Christmas Carol, Campbell has created a gritty, spooky, and ultimately heartening holiday story that unfolds in an isolated farmhouse. It is the night before Christmas in a small town in Michigan, and a young woman is haunted by her father’s death. She has been silently penitent for nine years, but her guilt and grief have estranged her from her community and her family. She has taken refuge in the natural world of the plants and trees she tends, but on this anniversary of the tragedy, the supernatural landscape is rattling its chains.

When a surprise guest appears at the (dreaded) Christmas Eve dinner, the family begins to open up and reveal dangerous secrets and crimes nobody is willing to face. Within this darkest chaos, a sliver of light appears, showing a way to reclaim communion and even a sense of humor. While redemption is never easy or wholesale, the story that a family creates together can heal wounds.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Holiday, Horror, Retellings, Literary Fiction, Contemporary

244 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2026

About the author

Bonnie Jo Campbell is the author of the National Book Award finalist American Salvage, Women & Other Animals, and the novels Q Road and Once Upon a River. She is the winner of a Pushcart Prize, the AWP Award for Short Fiction, and Southern Review’s 2008 Eudora Welty Prize for “The Inventor, 1972,” which is included in American Salvage. Her work has appeared in Southern Review, Kenyon Review, and Ontario Review. She lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she studies kobudo, the art of Okinawan weapons, and hangs out with her two donkeys, Jack and Don Quixote.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

From across the kitchen, the bottle of brandy was singing to Sister, an elixir that would help her expose her guilt fully. Then, finally, she could face the consequences she had been hiding from.

A family gathers to celebrate Christmas Eve. Alcohol WILL be necessary. For while there is much love present at the table, there are also secrets, lies, old resentments, anger, hatred, and maybe even a ghost. Could it be the ghost of the abusive father whose spirit hangs heavy over the occasion? True, it was nine years ago this very night when he died, struck by lightning as he was burying his beloved dog.

Yikes! Even the Waltons didn't have it that bad.

Perhaps this is a Christmas book for people who really don't like Christmas . . .

I must admit, it took me a while to warm up to this tale of sorrow, confrontation, and eventual redemption, but in the end - I loved it.

Your satisfaction with this book will probably depend on whether or not you like the character of Sister, a strong, nature-loving, independent woman, and the eldest daughter in this family of four siblings. With her mother weak and cowed by her tyrant husband, Sister has spent her life feeling responsible for the well-being of her brothers and sister. Even with her father gone for almost a decade, Sister can still feel (and fear) his presence.

My god, can Campbell ever write! . Nearly all of the action takes place within a few hours as the family gathers for dinner; there are some flashbacks to the previous Christmas when Sister, a borderline alcoholic, had a bit of a breakdown, and to the fatal holiday nine years earlier. Everyone has secrets they're dying to confess. You can feel the claustrophobia of so much emotion in one small overheated room. I was riveted.

It also helped that the book has what I, a dog lover, consider to be one of the best last lines EVER: As she grew sleepier, the sound she had heard all evening softened to become the contented thumping of the dog's tail against the floor. Aww. 'Tis a merry Christmas, after all.

This is quite possibly my favorite book of the year.



*Be warned - there are disturbing scenes of child abuse and endangerment.



Many thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton for sharing, though my review is of the hardback copy purchased for the library where I work.

[Jill · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

THE SPIRITS
By Bonnie Jo Campbell

A Quietly Dark Christmas Story

A contemporary Christmas Carol, set in a rural farmhouse in a small Michigan town. It’s Christmas Eve, and a young woman, Sister, is still haunted by the death of her father nine years earlier. During the family’s Christmas Eve dinner, a guest arrives, and as the evening unfolds, secrets from nine years ago begin to come to light.

I enjoyed the atmospheric feel of this story. Campbell’s writing is descriptive, with a quiet darkness running throughout it. I especially liked how she delved into the characters and their complicated family relationships. This is definitely more character-driven than plot-driven, with the focus on the people, their pasts, the secrets they carry, and what the future holds.

Bonnie Jo Campbell’s writing is definitely unique. It’s raw, gritty, atmospheric, and a little quirky, and there’s something about her style that really draws you into the story.

Thank you to BookBrowse for the ARC of this.

[Rebecca · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

I received this book as an audio ARC from NetGalley thank you to all involved.

I rated this book 2.5 stars ⭐️

The audio book itself was narrated by Christina Delaine. I found the performance to be well done and clear. I enjoyed her voice and it brought life to the characters.

This book was a take on the Christmas carol that was unique and much more Dark than the original. All of the characters are hiding dark secrets but to be 100% honest it didn’t make them more human it made them really annoying to me.i feel like a lot of it got really repetitive. I also kept checking to see if this was a book in a series because the already familiar way the characters were introduced. And Sister talking about that poinsettia and tree that got cut down for the first 30% of the book like she lost a dog was honestly not it for me. I think this might be a book for someone else but it wasn’t for me.

[Melissa · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑰𝑻𝑺 𝒃𝒚 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝑱𝒐 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆 is my first Holiday read of the season thanks to @w.w.norton #NortonFlock @rbmediaaudio & @netgalley which came out October 13th!

A Christmas Dinner becomes the setting for one woman's family to come together and discover deep secrets and wounds that refuse to stay buried, even as the Patriarch's ghost flits in and out of her vision.

Sister has been holding guilt for nine years, propelling her to estrange herself from her family until this Christmas, when not only is she facing the family who knows nothing about her deeds, a newcomer appears and somehow cracks open the deeply held hurts of this family.

Described as a loose, rural retelling of Dickens famous holiday tome, this one had me looking too much for similarities at first. Once I quit trying to match it all, I could relax into this family drama, in as far as one can with Sister's tensions holding the family on edge. As the dinner progressed and the harrowing past came forth, I was even more engaged and felt this was where the story lost its lighterl storytelling and got me to a place of enjoyment.

The added audio was a nice addition. I wasn't sure I loved all the voices for the family, but that felt true to life at times! I think I was trying to get a feel for this one and that took me a bit out of the narration as well. I kept waiting for more sinister beings with the cover drips, but it did come in a way I didn't expect.

While this took me a while to gain my footing, it ended up being a good tale of haunting and healing. For those who are looking for more of a family drama, this will be a win.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is no Christmas Carol reprise. Readers who hope for a new take on Ebeneezer’s near death experience and redemption may be disappointed. There are shadows of wisps of threads of the original story, but Campbell weaves a darker yarn.

Filled with family trauma, frustrated by silences and secrets, The Spirits centers on a Christmas Eve dinner. Our protagonist family is at a breaking point. Through flashbacks, we experience the family’s dark journey.

I found this story too dark for a holiday story, and the long conversation repetitive and overwrought. But I did empathize with the characters and find interest in their plights.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promoted as a Christmas story in the spirit of A Christmas Carol, The Spirits turned out to be darker and more psychologically complex than I initially expected. Rather than offering a straightforward festive tale, Bonnie Jo Campbell explores the lingering effects of trauma, the complicated dynamics of family relationships, and the difficult process of confronting the experiences that continue to haunt us. Although the seasonal framing initially suggested a more traditional Christmas story, I found the deeper psychological themes far more compelling than I anticipated.

At the heart of the novel is the arrival of a new guest who helps a family begin confronting the trauma they have carried with them. Through this encounter, the characters are challenged to reconsider their experiences, their relationships, and the assumptions they have made about one another. What I found particularly meaningful was the exploration of how people can experience the same event at the same time yet come away with entirely different memories, interpretations, and emotional responses. We often assume that sharing an experience means sharing an understanding of it, but that is not necessarily the case. Without honest communication, important pieces of the story can remain hidden, leaving people disconnected even when they have endured the same hardships.

The novel's emphasis on communication as a path toward understanding and healing was especially effective. Confronting trauma requires more than simply remembering what happened; it also means being willing to listen to other perspectives, acknowledge painful truths, and recognize the ways our experiences shape how we see ourselves and others. In this sense, the spirits of the story can be understood not only as something external, but also as the unresolved pain, memories, and fears that people carry within themselves. Healing begins when these things are finally brought into the open rather than left unspoken.

I appreciated that Campbell's approach felt more interested in the emotional complexities of healing than in offering easy answers. Families can share a history without sharing the same understanding of it, and even well-intentioned people can hurt one another when they cannot communicate what they have experienced. The possibility of moving forward comes through a willingness to confront those differences, however uncomfortable that process may be. This gives the story a more reflective and sobering quality than I would typically associate with a Christmas read, but it also makes its themes feel meaningful beyond the holiday season.

The audiobook narration was another strength. The narrator held my attention throughout and conveyed the emotional expression the story required, helping distinguish its quieter, reflective moments from its more intense passages. The performance supported the psychological depth of the material and made the characters' emotional struggles engaging to listen to.

Overall, The Spirits was darker and more introspective than I expected from a Christmas story inspired by A Christmas Carol. Its real strength lies in its examination of trauma, family relationships, and the possibility of healing through honest communication. It is a reminder that the past can continue to haunt us in many forms, but that listening to one another and being willing to confront difficult truths can help us begin to understand those spirits—both within ourselves and around us.

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for providing this ALC. This is my honest review.

[Rachel Hultquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. This is a Christmas Eve slice of life in which a family reminisces about the Christmas nine years earlier when their father died after being struck by lightning. Everyone in the family has their own secrets, their own type of grief and relief. This book is slow moving, and sad in some ways, but there’s a familial warmth throughout that fights off the shadows. A lovely Christmas book for those of us who still treasure the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, and the lessons of compassion they teach.
TW: domestic abuse of children, domestic abuse, gun violence, animal cruelty, miscarriage, infidelity

[Diane Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Campbell's newest novel isn't a cheery Christmas novel with its Dicken's type ghost haunting the home, yet, one part of me could see this novel becoming a Christmas movie special, one where the viewers who were expecting a happy Christmas Eve gathering were somewhat disappointed by the darkness, fortunately too dark for Hallmark, but maybe just right for another venue. Readers are forewarned throughout the novel about the oldest sister's dark secret, and if they are impatient readers like me, will start formulating ideas about this secret, somewhat wishing we'd get to the end sooner to satisfy our curiosity.. Instead we watch this family get together, wary about last year's Christmas, when Sis, the oldest sibling, left the family gathering in shambles. But the true story begins nine years earlier on another Christmas Eve, when their father dies, and all the guilt, relief, and secrets evolved around this angry, dangerous father, the spirit that returns to haunt the family, as they all keep secrets, even Beth, the teenaged daughter, who has an uncanny memory of all details, and a deep quest to have the family forgive and forget, which finally more or less happens in this novel. A Lifetime version of this holiday novel would begin where this novel ends; but, alas, that's not how this story tumbles. It's a novel that reflects on families, how often family members are left to feel like damaged goods, yet, as Doug's girlfriend points out, they are a family of brave survivors, truly a marvel.

[Nancy Harte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t care for this dark Christmas story. The storyline was way too long and only encompassed one day …. The day before Christmas. A family gathers for their Christmas Eve “celebration” but it’s actually the ninth anniversary of the death of the very abusive father of the four children and his wife who was also abused. A new girlfriend accompanies the older brother to the family gathering and, in my opinion, she seems to be a bit too nosy and wants to find out what all the family secrets are. And every one in the family has secrets leading up to the night that the family patriarch was killed. It all comes out in the end but before it does, there is lots of repetition about the circumstances and everything gets talked about and rehashed over and over again. Lots of bickering goes on and it’s just not a pleasant “Christmas” story.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is billed as a contemporary Christmas Carol and....I guess I see where that's coming from. As a literal-minded person, I was looking for more direct mapping onto the original characters, but this follows a looser theme: there's a ghost, and a living person who wants to change their ways, and Christmas. I almost think this would be stronger standing on its own, without the specter of Dickins looming - it's a decent story of family trauma, redemption, and exorcising demons that has a lot of its own ideas going on. It was okay. I'm not sure it delivers the cozy holiday vibes I was seeking.
The audio was also decent - the narrator was doing a lot of work inhabiting the various family characters, and while a few of them were grating to my ears, it fit the mood of the story well. It wasn't the audiobook I personally wanted, but I think I could recommend this to patrons with decent confidence.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

[BookishAdventuresWithJules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very intrigued by the premise of The Spirits by Bonnie Jo Campbell and the book did not disappoint. Family secrets, the oppression of lingering trauma, and the healing power of speaking the truth creates a story that is hard to put down. The supernatural elements add so much to the story, revealing the ways in which the past haunts the present, both literally and figuratively.

Christmas is a challenging holiday for many people, but it can also provide an opportunity to come together with the potential to heal and forgive. The complicated mix of love, guilt, alienation and the desire to truly belong feels familiar and drew me right in.

Ghosts and family history are woven throughout the story, bridging past and present seamlessly. The ominous presence of Daddy permeates the narrative and I appreciated how his role in the family emerged gradually over the course of the novel. Lingering violence and the psychological impacts also haunt the characters, and the resolution the novel builds towards is very cathartic.

I especially enjoyed Sister's character and arc, her role as the family protector and her approach to storytelling was very compelling. The choices we make and the fallout and distance this creates with the people we love is a focal point of this book. Mary, as the stranger in their midst creates a point of connection and her outside perspective helps recontextualize their experience in a way that feels necessary for resolution.

The narration by Christina Delaine was fantastic. The timber of her voice felt exactly right for the story, and added to my enjoyment of the narrative. It is heavy material, and listening to the audiobook made me feel less alone in my experience of it.

Trigger warnings: this novel contains psychological abuse, domestic violence and family trauma.

I received an ARC copy of this audiobook via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Karna Converse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Midwestern family who suffered years of abuse at the hands of the husband/father come together for Christmas Eve but ham and green bean casserole aren't enough to exorcise his ghost from the room.

I loved Campbell's 2024 book, The Waters so added this book to my TBR list immediately after I learned of it. Unfortunately, it did not deliver in the way I assumed it would.

Family violence and the long-lasting effects on its victims are at the core of this story--and the details of the abuse are harrowing. For nine years, Linda Whitby and her four children have been carrying secrets about what happened on the night Mr. Henry Cecil Whitby died and they've more or less been estranged since the previous Christmas Eve when Sister, the oldest child, tried to talk about her secret but was shouted down. This year, however, there's a guest and she innocently asks probing questions to draw the nine-year-old event (which Linda has always, and only, referred to as: "Everything was so confusing that night") out into the open and expose the details that bring the night into focus for all. In the end, family members reconcile in a Tiny Tim-sort of way.

[Nancy · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Nobody did anything wrong. What a lie that was—as it turned out, they had all done terrible and wrongs things that night. from The Spirits by Bonnie Jo Campbell

The Victorian poinsettia illustration on the cover may mislead you to think that this tale of a family’s dinner on Christmas Eve is a cozy one, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Doug Whitby and his girlfriend Mary traveled from the University of Chicago to remote Paw Paw, Michigan, so Mary could finally met his family. Mary came from privilege, but is a survivor of a crippling accident. Doug’s widowed mother struggle to raise her children. Mary is determined to admire her, and to love Doug’s siblings.

But the past haunts the holiday table like fog or smoke, each sibling bringing their own version of their father’s tragic death nine years previous. He was a troubled man, often violent toward Doug and cold toward everyone but the eldest, Sister. Each sibling had a different memory of what happened; each carry a feeling of guilt and shame.

Finally saying out loud what actually occurred allows the truth to emerge, and healing to begin.

From the darkness of separation to the light of a family restored, it is an emotional and haunting read.

Thanks to W. W. Norton for a free book through NetGalley.

[Andy Mozina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rich, powerful, and original novel. I love how complex both Daddy and Sis are. Campbell does a great job of showing how entangled Sis gets with Daddy and that supercharges my interest in the events of the novel. Campbell goes right after the tough stuff that affects us deeply every day. She shows both what separates us and what we need to do to connect.

[Sharon M · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley, WW Norton & Co., and Recorded Books Media for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this contemporary Christmas Carol by Bonnie Jo Campbell, with the audiobook narrated by Christina Delaine. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.25 stars!

It is the night before Christmas, and a family has gathered at an isolated farmhouse in Michigan. Sister is haunted by her father's death and has estranged herself from everyone, taking refuge in the plants and trees she tends. A surprise guest appears for dinner, and the family begins to open up and talk about the event that changed all their lives.

This is a dark tale of a family haunted by the secrets and lies they each have kept. It moves slowly as we learn what happened nine years ago, as well as all the trauma the family has endured. It's very character driven and the atmosphere is dripping with foreboding, as each of the family members eventually shares their version of events. While quite different from Dickens' version, it's still a tale of redemption and compassion for others, with a nod to the past, present and future. The narration of this story added to the haunting feel of the narrative.

[Kym · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

I requested a NetGalley ARC edition of The Spirits, Bonnie Jo Campbell’s newest book release, for two reasons. First, Bonnie Jo Campbell is a local author for me, and I have enjoyed some of her previous writing. Second, I was hooked by the book description touting The Spirits as a “contemporary Christmas Carol," which sounded intriguing to me.

Like A Christmas Carol, The Spirits unfolds in one night (Christmas Eve), but that is where the similarities end. The Spirits is quite a dark tale, which doesn’t easily lend itself to a holiday read. The entire tale is told through dialogue – an ongoing, dragged out conversation which slowly reveals family trauma and deeply held secrets. The writing is repetitive and overwrought. For such a short book (256 pages), it took a long time for me to read, and because the story happens all in one location, the pacing left me feeling claustrophobic. That said, the characters are well-drawn and their story is interesting. I think the conversational focus was not the best way to share their tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Co. for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This novel will be published October 13, 2026.


2.5 stars

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you loved The Waters, I think this one will satisfy your Bonnie Jo Campbell fix.
A family dinner that happens to be at Christmas, a death that happened to happen on Christmas, but this is not a Christmas story. It’s a story about a family who lives on the fringes, maybe in ways people reading this book don’t realize their neighbors actually live.
Another book with themes of everyone is someone’s someone, even the monsters. This wasn’t a happy read.
There were hints of Barkskin and Murder on the Orient Express.

I believe this is supposed to be an A Christmas Carol retelling. I don’t get it but that’s probably a me problem and didn’t detract from my reading.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

To unveil the event on Christmas Eve nine years ago that shattered the Whitby family into separate pieces, Bonnie Jo Campbell writes the story as if they are seated together for their traditional dinner in 'The Spirits'. As the story unfolds for the eldest son's girlfriend, each person shares their recollections of that night. In doing so, the family is reunited with a new understanding of one another. Truly a touching story.

Thank you W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc in return for an honest review.

[Susie Williams · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

(Thank you to the publisher for my copy of this book!)

This is the kind of book that I didn't really enjoy until I was probably close to 3/4 of the way through. And then as more and more revelations started coming out, I started enjoying it more and understanding how it all came together.

The Spirits takes place over one evening, Christmas Eve at the farmhouse of a family in Michigan. Siblings Sister (literally her name), Doug, Beth, and Trav are together with their mother for the holiday for the first time since last Christmas Eve. We know a big fight happened last year and that much of it was driven by Sister who drank too much and conversation about the death of their father 9 years prior.

This year, Doug has brought his girlfriend Mary home with him and she's extremely interested in the family and learning about Doug's childhood. Much of the book takes place around the dinner table with lots of tension, conversation about the past, and deciphering memories of which some of the siblings are too young to even remember much.

There were parts early in the book that I thought "what's the point?" I generally love a slow book and don't really need much plot in my fiction, but this conversation was getting a little boring to me. But then suddenly everything kind of came together as we learn more and more about the night the siblings' father died and each of their roles or perceived roles in it.

Bonnie Jo Campbell is a very clever and eloquent written and though I have a feeling this book won't get a ton of attention, I think it's very well written and definitely worth a read. Especially for anymore more interested in character-driven stories with slow revelations.

[Dennis Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonnie Jo Campbell brings an intriguing blend of haunting mystery, family drama, and unexpected warmth to *The Spirits*. Set on Christmas Eve in an isolated Michigan farmhouse, this atmospheric story explores how grief, guilt, and long-buried secrets can separate people from the families and communities they need most.

One of the most compelling elements is the young woman at the heart of the story, who has spent nine years struggling with the emotional weight of her father’s death. Her connection to the plants and trees she tends offers a quiet refuge from her pain, but the arrival of a surprise guest begins to unsettle the carefully maintained silence surrounding her family. As secrets and unresolved wrongs emerge, the story becomes a powerful exploration of what it takes to confront the past.

The comparison to *A Christmas Carol* is especially intriguing, with its supernatural atmosphere and the possibility of transformation amid uncomfortable truths. Yet the story also promises something distinctly human: the awkwardness of family gatherings, the danger of secrets, and the possibility that even in the middle of painful revelations, humor and connection can find their way back in.

What makes this premise particularly appealing is its recognition that healing rarely comes easily or completely. Instead, Campbell explores how shared stories, honest confrontation, and the simple act of gathering around a holiday table might begin to repair fractured relationships.

For readers who enjoy literary fiction with eerie undertones, emotionally complex family stories, and unconventional holiday tales, *The Spirits* offers an intriguing combination of darkness, tenderness, and hope.

[Margaret · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

The Spirits by Bonnie Jo Campbell is a haunting contemporary Christmas tale set in an isolated Michigan farmhouse on Christmas Eve.
At its center is a young woman who has spent nine years carrying guilt and grief following her father's death, withdrawing from her family and community into the natural world she tends.
When an unexpected guest arrives for the family's Christmas dinner, long-suppressed secrets and unresolved wrongdoing begin to surface, challenging the silence that has kept everyone apart.
Blending supernatural unease, rural realism, dark humor, and emotional tenderness, Campbell explores the difficult possibilities of forgiveness, reconciliation, and shared healing.
At 256 pages, this hardcover offers readers a distinctive holiday story in which the gathering of a fractured family becomes an unexpected opportunity for connection and redemption.

[Miriam Downey · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

If you have read any of Bonnie Jo Campbell’s fiction, or been on her Facebook page, as I have, you know that nature plays a very significant role in her life—as well as in her fiction. Because she is a local author (Kalamazoo, MI), I have read all of her books. This book’s site is a farm near Paw Paw, Michigan, although the site doesn’t play a significant role in the novel.

Christmas Eve, when many families try to get together. Sister (the only name she has in the novel) knows that her family will be together, but because she had a horrible experience last Christmas Eve, she faces this event with great foreboding. However, her brother brings his new girlfriend to dinner, so everything takes on a different tone, as they try to get acquainted with her by telling her family stories, many of them horrific.

Frankly, the family has an evening so exhausting that I thought several times, “I can’t read any more.” But because Bonnie Jo is such a great writer, and the book so philosophical in tone, I picked it up time and again to see how the conflicts resolve themselves.

In the end, I was encouraged to see how the family came together to support and encourage each other. Finally, a Christmas story!

[PeggySue · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Spirits by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Narrator, Christine Delaine
I have never read this author before and I am not sure I have the mental or emotional energy to ever do so again. I did finish this book because it is compelling, in a horrible emotional train wreck kind of way. Seriously all these people need therapy both separately and together.
The blurb is a big lie because the only thing like a Christmas Carol is the epigraph at the beginning then it descends into a never ending nightmare. It was more reminiscent of Poe’s Telltale Heart than Dickens.
I did not like any of the characters but Trevor and Beth were especially annoying. They act like small children not a teen and a tween. The dead father was a monster and deserved to die in umpteen different ways, I never have liked mincemeat but now I think of it as being creepy not just unappetizing. The book cover is really pretty though.
The book was well written but just not for me.
Narrator was good.
Thanks to NetGalley

[Gabi · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

A NOIR Christmas…

Based on the book description I expected a story of a dysfunctional family at Christmas and in that regards, the book delivered. However, never having read this author, I anticipated a light-hearted bent to the book and not a peek into a darker side of family dynamics. Additionally, this book was likened to a re-telling of Dickens’s Christmas Carol in previews. The mere presence of a spirit and a sense of redemption doesn’t make it so.

Was it a good read? Yes, it was well-written and when I finally realized it was not a Griswald-family Christmas type book, I found the book to be a page-turner. For those who don’t mind their Christmas stories to not be cozy and Hallmark-ready, this is a short, engaging read with lots of family drama. (Trigger warning: Domestic abuse is a theme throughout.)

3.25 - 3.5🌟

[Janine · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

I was granted access to the audiobook book (my thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books). It was beautifully narrated and accentuated the depth and complexity to this heartwarming Christmas story.

The story starts out in an isolated farm house around Paw Paw. Michigan. It’s Christmas Eve and an unexpected guest comes to the Whitby house. Oldest child, Doug, brings his girlfriend, Mary, who is friendly, engaging and empathetic. She knows the family has had some rough times but she’s excited by the charm of the house and even the atmospheric graveyard next door. Everyone is there even Sissy who’s been estranged for a while. Guided by Mary’s curiosity, she encourages the family to talk to one another. While this opens up a can of worms and tempers flare, Mary somehow helps to ease the tensions and the family somehow comes together.

This is a character driven book. The taut setting of a meal is “punctuated” by flashbacks, especially those with their angry, abusive father. Sissy shares she’s seen her father’s ghost, Doug strives to establish his place at the table, Beth, the younger sister, tries to play nice and Trevor is a bit of a brat. A disliked casserole from the last Christmas dinner when their father was alive unlocks all the secrets that have been hidden for many years.

It’s not easy to write a summary of this arresting novel - it’s dark but ends on a hopeful note; it’s gritty but has an essence of hope that threads it way through the telling (everyone senses Mary’s warmth and nonjudgmental stance so the open up on some pretty tough stuff). But when the story ended I felt a peace pervading over all that contentiousness. It’s this flavor of a ying and yang struggle that you know because its Christmas will resolve.

I liked the book. It’s not a Christmas Carol or Christmas Story but it has a Christmas spirit.

[Dahlia (ofpagesandprint) · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

The Spirits is a poignant, cinematic novel.

I had a wonderful time with this one. Every December, I re-read A Christmas Carol; Bonnie Jo Campbell thoughtfully drew upon the themes of Dickens’ story, as well as the signature character growth and development. The Spirits took place on Christmas Eve, but departed from elements of A Christmas Carol’s narrative structure. As with A Christmas Carol, The Spirits is a haunting, beautifully chilling, and tender story of ghosts and memories. The cast was vibrant and compelling, and Sister was an excellent main character. Campbell delivered a tender and thought-provoking exploration of trauma, abuse, family, grief, and love. I appreciated and admired the emphasis on the power of the natural world, with a powerful spotlight on trees, lightning, and poinsettias. The settings were vivid, threaded with an eerie holiday atmosphere and immersive descriptions of small-town Michigan. The plot was propulsive, and the pacing was engaging and urgent, although a few parts felt rushed. Although I longed for slightly more holiday joy, the ending fit the story nicely. Campbell’s prose was raw, emotionally charged, and sweeping. I absolutely recommend this one!

Christina Delaine was a fantastic narrator. Her voice captured the characters, atmosphere, and emotion wonderfully. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC and ARC!

[mads · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

Nine years ago Sister’s father died from being struck by lightning. He was a gruff, mean man and his death was not seen as a real loss to the family or the community. Despite his death having happened almost a decade ago, the family never talked about it. Now with the addition of her brother’s girlfriend, a nosy newcomer, they rehash the events of the day nine years ago and realize their father’s demise may not have been so straight forward.

I love a good family drama, but with this only being told from Sister’s point of view, I really found it lacking. It was also odd that it opened in Mary’s perspective, but never revisited it. Although I felt sympathy for each of the members of the family, they felt more like blank outlines than fully fledged characters. I also REALLY did not like Mary. She was a gawking outsider who cursed too much for having just met this conservative, church going family. There’s a good amount of foreshadowing in this book, so it was easy to predict everyone’s role in the saga. I was also thinking that there would be more of a paranormal element, but there really wasn’t.

The potential was there, but it never quite delivered.

[Kandace · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook copy of The Spirits. All thoughts are my own.

Twas the night before Christmas... in rural Michigan. Sister is haunted by her father's death that occurred years ago. Her guilt and grief over his death have torn her away from everyone, and she's taken company with the plants and trees she cares for. A surprise guest comes to the family Christmas dinner, and they begin opening up about secrets and crimes of the past.

3.75/5 stars. Honestly I enjoyed this. It was a little more telling you about the past than anything, But i enjoyed this tale of love and healing. Though I wish it would've delved a little bit more into the supernatural/paranormal element it was setting up at times?

[Alicia Girardeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spooky Christmas story? Yes, please! 🎄👻

I absolutely loved the storyline and premise of The Spirits! Set in a small Michigan town on Christmas Eve, the story follows a young woman haunted by her father’s death and years of guilt and grief. When an unexpected guest arrives for Christmas dinner, long-buried family secrets begin to unravel. It’s a wonderfully unusual blend of family drama, supernatural elements, grief, and the possibility of healing and redemption.

The writing was definitely a bit quirky and unconventional, but ya know what? It worked for me! I loved the eerie holiday atmosphere and the way the story balanced darker themes with moments of hope and humor.

And the audiobook? TOP TIER! 🎧 The narration truly elevated the entire experience, and I highly recommend listening to this one on audio!

4 stars! ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the opportunity to listen to this advance audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[meghin · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced listening copy of this book! I really had no idea what to expect but started it for the Christmas vibes.

The narrator, Christina Delaine, has such a huge range; her ability to voice each character and me being able to distinctly separate them all as individuals was almost too good.

the story was so descriptive and atmospheric. I found the author’s tone to be unique and steely. I really appreciated how character driven it was - I love a family drama plot. It’s definitely a slow burn but I enjoyed exploring everyone’s grief and secrets we got to explore. It’s not a cheerful Christmas story but much darker in tone but there’s healing in the end so it’s not all sad!