Home School

by Casey Giltner

The debut novel from Casey Giltner.

Following the sudden, tragic death of her mother, fourteen-year-old Mira is forced to move across the country and live with her distant Aunt Vivian. Her Aunt, though warm and loving, is devoutly religious and a strict disciplinarian. She decides to home school Mira against her wishes, determined to keep tight control of every aspect of Mira's life. It soon becomes clear that the home school lessons are intended to indoctrinate her into a cult, one that has a particularly sinister obsession with Mira.

A coming-of-age, religious horror/thriller drawing inspiration from Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby and Stephen King's Carrie, Home School is a story of youth coming to terms with death, grief, and the mechanisms society and organized religion use to control and shape us.

Genres: Horror, Cult Classics, Religion, School, Psychological, Coming Of Age, Thriller

242 pages, Paperback

Published August 3, 2026

About the author

Casey Giltner is a Screenwriter and Novelist based in Minneapolis, MN. He is also a practicing attorney, high school soccer coach, husband, and father to two girls.

A veteran horror and thriller writer, his holiday horror feature spec On The First Day of Christmas made the 2021 BloodList and was purchased by Village Roadshow and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. His script “Felix” is currently in pre-production (Joe Carnahan producing, John Kissack directing). His debut novel Home School was recently released.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseygiltne...

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caseygiltnerw...

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ★

”May his prophecy be fulfilled.”

In Home School, Mira, a grieving teenager, is sent to live with her aunt, where her homeschool lessons reveal something far more sinister.

Before I get into the review itself, can we take a minute to appreciate this cover? It instantly caught my attention. The moment I learned the story centered around a cult, I was completely sold.

Starting with what I enjoyed, the pacing was especially strong, particularly in the opening chapters. The story wastes no time throwing readers into Mira’s devastating situation, and I found myself caring about her right away. I’ve read other books that jump straight into the action without giving readers time to connect with the characters, but that wasn’t the case here. Even with the fast pace, I genuinely cared about what happened to Mira from the very beginning.

I also loved many of the story’s core elements, including religious horror, cults, the uneasy relationship between Mira and her aunt, and the small town Wisconsin setting. Those are all things I naturally gravitate toward, so I was hooked from the beginning.

The writing was another highlight. It felt polished and handled some difficult topics with care, making the emotional moments land well throughout the novel.

While I enjoyed my overall experience, there were a few things that kept this from being a higher rated read for me.

I would have loved to see one or two additional perspectives throughout the story, especially from someone inside the cult or from its past. We learn a lot through Mira’s point of view, but I think expanding the perspective could have deepened the cult’s history, made it feel even more unsettling, and helped the story move at an even faster pace.

I also never fully bought Mira as a 14 year old. I know the story is told in third person, which may have contributed to that feeling, but I expected her voice and reactions to come across as younger than they did.

Lastly, I wish the horror elements had been pushed further. Based on the cover and synopsis, I expected something that leaned closer to extreme horror. Instead, most of the novel felt more like a mystery thriller with horror elements woven throughout. While there are definitely some unsettling scenes, I kept waiting for the story to go even darker.

Overall, I thought Home School was a solid debut. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a new cult-centered thriller to read.

Thank you to author and his publicist for sending me a copy of this thriller. As always, this review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

—

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[Nikki Lee (Nikkileethrillseeker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mira has to go live with her Aunt after her mother dies from a terrible accident. Her Aunt Vivian is a stranger to her. She doesn’t really know her. But Vivian assures her everything will be okay moving forward.

But after her arrival, she realizes Aunt Vivian is a religious freak. She begins to home school her and gives her a strict religious education. She can’t go outside, bedtime at 8, no tv, and no friends.

Soon, Mira will have to fight for her life to escape. The ending becomes unhinged and bloody glorious. I think the book could’ve been even longer and I would’ve enjoyed it.

I enjoyed it and if you’re a fan of cultish books with crazed religious themes… this is for you.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy.

[The Morbid Mama ☠︎︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Hereditary and Carrie had a baby, it would be Home School. Casey Giltner WILL BE an author that everyone will be flocking to after they get their hands on this one. Mark my words. I can’t even fathom that this is a debut book. I felt as though I was living through all of Mira’s hardships right there with her. This poor girl having to go through the unthinkable and lost her mom, just to be thrust into a fanatical cult. Home School has such unique perspective on religion and cults that kept me wanting MORE. But the thing that really solidified my love of this book, was chapter 47. It was brutal, bloody, and full of pure FERAL FEMININE RAGE. If this is just the beginning of Casey Giltner’s career as an author, I cannot WAIT to see what is to come!

Lastly, I would just like to give a big thank you to Mia McMurray and Casey Giltner for the opportunity to arc read this bad boy!

[Kayda Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn, was this well written. The pacing was absolute perfection for what this debut was intending to portray. That slow-burning, creeping, tense atmosphere throughout as each little thing happened, building right up until the very end where fury was absolutely unleashed? Yeah…I’ll gobble that up every time. Something about a religious cult read/watch that just leaves dread lingering in my brain until I’m finished. I really felt for Mira, being thrown into this completely opposite environment, and basically being gaslit and brainwashed into something she so fiercely fought against. Phew 😮‍💨 yeah, this one will stick with me.

Big shoutout to the author and to Mia for sending me a copy of this one. If you’re a culty horror lover, put this on your radar!

[Annelise]

"Guilt can be very powerful. And dangerous."

14-year old Mira has witnessed the tragic and sudden loss of her Mother and is temporarily thrown into a group home until her elusive and exceptionally devout Aunt Vivian shows up at the funeral and decides to take guardianship of her. Mira reluctantly packs up her belongings and leaves the only home she's ever known to start anew with Vivian. Upon arriving at New Hope Mira is immediately thrust into homeschooling lessons with Vivian and the town church where the congregation seems to have been preparing for her arrival for quite some time..
This story gets increasingly darker with each chapter and I love Giltner's fresh take on religious horror. While tense the entire ride, the last pages were absolutely suffocating and I was completely unprepared for what ensued.

-Coming of Age
-Religious Horror
-Grief Horror
-Cult
-Family Trauma

Thank you to the author, Casey Giltner, and Mia for the E-ARC and opportunity to read this early.

[Marissa (holdme.thrillme) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think everyone that glimpses this book can agree that this cover is extremely creepy and eye catching. Absolutely horrific! So is the story that’s within. Mira experienced the tragic loss of her mother and is then thrown into a whole other crazy situation involving a religious cult that escalates extremely quickly. Being a teenager is hard enough without grief, a crazy relative, and a cult complicating things. The ending was absolutely insane and wasn’t at all what I was expecting. This is a short book at just 242 pages so if you want something quick that will whet your horror loving appetite, this book is for you! It has:

🐐 Grief
🐐 Cult
🐐 Religious horror
🐐 Horror at home
🐐 Creepy experiences

[Caitlin Stucky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for this ARC!

This is a fast paced, wildly uncomfortable story that follows a young girl after she has to move in with her ultra religious aunt. Give me any cult vibes and I’m into it! This was such a fun read!

[Court.readz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible 👏🏻 super gripping and mesmerising! Loved it

[Grim-Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mothers, Daughter, the Daughter, a new community, prophecy, rules and tenants and a whole mess of creepy people. Home School grabs you from the very start and keeps you going with several wtf moments. Trauma and religion twist together for Mira who isn’t quite sure where she belongs but knows something isn’t right.

This is a fast read that left me wanting to know what’s next.
Highly recommend. Pub day is 8.3.26 - let’s go!

[Sarah Workman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolute binge worthy debut novel! I was hooked from the very first chapter. You’re thrown into this eerie and fanatical religious cult right along with the main character Mia and believe me, it’s a wild ride. From the homeschool lessons, to the trapdoor, to the bleeding paintings, it all just leaves chills on your skin.

The ending is what bumped my 4 stars to 4.5. The feminine rage that Mia unleashed was everything. What a critique of those who claim to “love the Lord” but do the complete opposite. Mia said NOPE, you’re the worst kind of people and I’m going to destroy you for it. They all got what they deserved.

I read this book was originally a screenplay and if that ever comes to fruition, I would 100% be in line for the movie.

Thanks to the author and Mia for gifting me this early copy! So so happy I get to share my love for this book before its release.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

*paperback

‼️🚨𝗗𝗘𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧🚨‼️

Thanks to Casey Giltner for my gifted copy of HOME SCHOOL.

This one just came out on 08/03/2026 and You’re definitely going to want to snag a copy if you’re into culty religious horror.

Mira is 14 years old when she loses her mother tragically. Her odd ball Aunt Vivian steps in to help raise her but she gets weirder and weirder.

Mira is grieving the loss of her mother and feeling totally isolated, she moved to a new town where the school just cannot accommodate one more student so she has to be homeschooled.

She quickly realizes there are some alter our motives / destinations for her future and things unravel from there.

QOTD: Do you have any new authors you’re excited about ?

#Homeschool #CaseyGiltner #indieauthor #HorrorNovel #cultbooks

[Jennifer Larkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, thrilling, bingeworthy, beautifully terrifying! There’s nothing better than a book that keeps you guessing the entire time and Home School does just that. I could not turn the pages fast enough!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Blaiz Ferrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what they say... the book is always better than the movie. And after reading Home School, I am SO glad Casey Giltner decided to go the novel route because this thing was DARK.

Fresh. Sinister. Creepy as hell.

From the very first pages, I could feel every ounce of grief, loneliness, and confusion Mira was carrying after the sudden death of her mother. Watching her get pulled deeper into Aunt Vivian's world had me completely hooked, and somehow with every chapter things just kept getting darker and darker.

And can we talk about religious horror for a second? Because when it hits, IT HITS. The creeping dread the "something is very wrong here but nobody else seems concerned" vibes? LOVEEED IT

Every chapter somehow managed to get darker and darker until I was yelling GIRL RUN at my book!
Cult, religious horror and family trauma did its big one with this one!


Huge thank you to Mia for reaching out and sending me a gifted copy. I am so ridiculously grateful I got to experience this one early.

Home School follows fourteen year old Mira after the sudden death of her mother forces her to move across the country to live with her distant Aunt Vivian. Warm but deeply devout, Vivian decides to homeschool Mira against her wishes, determined to control every aspect of her life. But it quickly becomes clear these lessons aren't education—they're indoctrination into a cult with a chilling obsession with Mira herself.

A coming of age religious horror that slowly tightens the screws until you're screaming internally.

If this is Casey Giltner's DEBUT as an author?! I genuinely cannot wait to see what nightmare he cooks up next.

[turnthedamnpage · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳.”

My biggest fear in life: dying before my children are adults. They’ve lost one parent already. One is already too much. To be a child left with no one…

“𝙈𝙞𝙧𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚.
𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚.
𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮.”

I don’t know if I devoured this book or if, maybe, it devoured me instead.

HO-LY SH—

Home School started with a joyful bike ride and very quickly shifted to me in bed next to my snoring husband, in tears as 14 year old Mira survives an accident that took her mother from her. Her only parent. I was prepared for a backstory, sure. But tears were not on my list. (I have a …certain list… for horror that’s made me cry. Home School just got bumped to the top, pal. 👊🏻)

By 19% of the way through - yes, I looked - I was uncomfortable. The unease setting in made me want to chug along even more than before, though.

This was a fantastic read. I couldn’t put it down once I picked it back up. It was all-consuming. I made my smoothie, book in hand. I drank my smoothie, book in hand. I cleaned my kitchen, book in hand. Everything I did was done reading. As silly as that sounds, I couldn’t pause for longer than a blink’s worth of time.

I absolutely must have a copy of this on my shelf at some point. Well freakin’ done, Casey. Well. Freakin’. Done. Thank you and your team a thousand times over for sending this my way.

[Courtney S · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if your only parent died tragically and you were forced to move in with an aunt you barely know… only to realize she’s part of a cult that is obsessed with YOU?

That’s exactly what happens in Home School by @caseygiltnerwrites and I was immediately shook.

I loved this one!

Like genuinely could not put it down. Every single chapter ended and I immediately ran to the next one because I had to know what was going to happen to Mira.

I felt everything with her…..when she was grieving, I was grieving. When she was confused, I was confused. When she started realizing something wasn’t right, I felt that shift too. And when she finally started pushing back? I was rooting so hard for her it wasn’t even funny.

📕 After her mom’s sudden death, Mira is sent across the country to live with her Aunt Vivian. At first it almost feels okay. Controlled, strict, overly structured but still “safe.” And that’s what makes it so unsettling. Because it doesn’t start loud. It starts quiet. And then it starts shrinking her world piece by piece.

And the horror here isn’t just what’s happening, it’s how normal it’s made to look. The control is framed as care. The isolation is framed as protection. And Mira is stuck in the middle trying to trust her instincts while everyone around her insists she’s fine.

I devoured this. I don’t say that lightly, I read it way faster than I normally read anything because I genuinely couldn’t stop. It played out like a movie in my head the entire time and I even caught myself casting Sadie Sink as Mira’s friend in my head because she felt that vivid and real.

The pacing is tight, the tension never lets up for long, and once it starts shifting darker, it just keeps going.

If you love religious horror, coming-of-age stories, cult obsession, psychological manipulation, slow-burn dread, and that “something is deeply wrong but I can’t prove it yet” feeling… this one is for you.

[Shelby Bubenchik · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨rounding up from 4.5✨

First, thank you so much Casey for sending me an advanced copy! I truly do appreciate you and wow, what a debut 😳

Home School follows Mira, a 14-year-old girl who’s just lost her mom in a violent hit-and-run and now must leave the comforts of her home to live with an aunt she doesn’t know in a different state. Things start taking a strange turn when her Aunt Vivian begins to home school her; she keeps finding reasons not to let Mira out of the house, forbids her to talk to anyone her age, and starts teaching her some weird religious shit that has her wondering… IS SHE IN A CULT??

Listen, this book had me locked in from the beginning. It really ramped up about halfway through and from then on, I couldn’t put it down - I had no idea what turn it was going to take or how it would end and I love when a book keeps me on the edge of my proverbial seat.

My bookish palette got hints of Carrie, Silent Hill, Hereditary, and Rosemary’s Baby. It truly made you feel terrified for the MC because when it comes to religious fanatics, you really don’t know the horrible things people are capable of doing in the name of their god.

Overall, I think this was a solid debut!

[Jason Giltner · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 stars for the book. 1 star because he’s my brother.

I first read Home School seven years ago, when it was a screenplay. And I’ve read it any countless number of times since as it has tightened and refined. All along it has remained a potent story about a daughter’s coming of age, a mother’s love, and the complex ways that our personal values - faith, justice, grief - shape the world we inhabit.

“Life is very often difficult. And it is rarely fair.”

Home School is brilliantly paced and uses a thorough understanding of the genre to balance familiarity with novelty. The prose is sharp - not flowery and verbose, but certainly not without space for color:

“From a distance, the dead trees gave the valley a purple-ish hue. A visible cancer, making its way strategically, methodically across the mountainside, one tree at a time.”

Mira, the protagonist, is a painfully real character to me. Her struggle to find confidence and identity in absence of her mooring posts is one that I suspect is universal - something we all grapple with at some time, at some level. Home School will make you sit with this, will make you consider any religious traumas you may be harboring, and will throw you some fun twists and turns along the way.

[Brett Giltner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home School was an extremely enjoyable read. It was difficult to put the book down, especially when things really kicked in to gear in the final third. And the ending was an absolute banger. The book was super suspenseful throughout with just the right amount of horror mixed in. On top of that, it’s really a coming-of-age story for Mira and how she navigates her changing life after her mom’s sudden death. Overall, I’d highly recommend this for any fans of suspense/thrillers/horror/cults. I’d love to see this adapted as a movie as well. 5 stars!

Other random thoughts:
• I thought the dynamic between Mira and Vivian was one of the stronger aspects of the book. With it being centered on Vivian’s home schooling of Mira this was a make-or-break relationship to get right.
• I loved everything to do with the church/cult and the lingering dread that builds as we find out more and more about it.
• For a fairly short book the town of New Hope is well developed and flushed out with a bunch of interesting side characters. It really feels like a real-life place.
• I love when the chapters have names, it just adds a bit of fun.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Casey Giltner and co., for gifting me an eARC of this debut!

ARCs and debuts can be really hit or miss for me, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The writing was well done, and the story itself was entertaining, compelling, and eerie. This really read like a YA mash up of Carrie, Rosemary’s Baby, the limited Netflix series Devil in Ohio (all of which I enjoyed), and even a little bit of Silent Hill.

The story follows our recently orphaned heroine, Mira, and her wildin’ auntie, Vivian. When Vivian can’t get Mira into her preferred private school, she starts Mira’s homeschooling education. And let’s just say, things get weird. What I found most enjoyable about Mira as a character was her gumption and sense of self. The writing also showcases a pretty moving look at her grief as well.

As with any debut novel, there is always room for some refining to make the story feel more polished. Based on his writing here, I think Giltner has a promising future! 3.5/5 rounded up

[Ashily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debut novel - releases 08/03

A beautifully horrific cover, I must say.

I found myself bingeing this one; first book in a long time that I've been able to sit and finish in just a day. I was just completely on the edge of my seat as our young FMC continued to face trauma after trauma and the circumstances got weirder and weirder.

As the cult-like religion became more obvious and inevitable, it felt a little hopeless for our FMC. It was hard to stomach what would possibly come next for her!

But, it all comes together in the end for the reader.

If you enjoy realistic horror that leaves you feeling a little unsettled, this may be a good book for you.

Certainly excited to see what comes next from this author!

Themes:
◇ less than 300 pages
◇ cults/organized religion
◇ navigating death/grief/trauma
◇ short bingeable chapters
◇ building feminine rage

[Cassius Cae · Rating 5 out of 5]

At 14 Mira’s mom has a sudden and tragic death forcing Mira to live with her aunt Vivian in a different state. As soon as she arrives things are a little weird, and she ends up having to be homeschooled because it’s in the middle of the semester.

Aunt Vivian fills Mira’s schedule with lessons, chores and studying including religious studies even though Mira is not religious.

This story throws you in from the beginning and it doesn’t stop. It’s got religious horror, body horror, the cult, the weird, and it was so good. I started this book in the evening, took it to work, and finished it when I got home. This is a fantastic debut, and I have a feeling this authors work will be in high demand.

If you like movies like Hereditary or Midsommar you need to read this. I truly enjoyed this read and I’m now searching for the next to scratch that same itch.

[Dom Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author/publisher for the early copy.

I’m so grateful I was able to read this early as I felt a culty horror book was what I was needing in my life right now.

This book had excellent pacing, very detailed writing and you could feel the dread ooze off the page from the first chapter. I saw this an A24 horror movie in my head and it delivered.

Casey Giltner’s writing was so immersive that I felt a movie would definitely be warranted in the future. Lo and behold, this was already optioned for film. After a string of misfortunes, he decided to just release his vision into novel form and it all made sense.

Highly recommend if you love creepy, religious culty and WTF kind of horror.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourteen year old Mira and her mother are best friends living in beautiful Colorado and enjoying the great outdoors whenever they can. They have each other and don’t need anyone else. But when a tragic accident takes her mom from her, Mira finds herself moving across the country to live with an aunt she barely remembers. She’s full of grief and without anything she once knew. At first, her aunt seems a little overbearing, but it quickly grows more sinister. Why does everyone in New Hope seem to be so… focused on her? She eventually uncovers the truth, and it’s a lot darker than she could have ever imagined.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey Giltner crafts an atmosphere that's equal parts unsettling and heartbreaking, pulling you into Mira's grief as she slowly realizes her aunt's version of love is really about control. The tension builds with every chapter as we watch Mira question everything around her while her aunt's church becomes increasingly obsessed with her.

If religious horror, cults, and psychological suspense are your thing, make sure this one is on your August TBR.

"And may his prophecy be fulfilled. We will share in the fruits of his works."

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Home School was such a fun read. A coming of age novel dealing with grief and acceptance. I found myself rooting for Mira even in her chaos phase. The Author, Casey Giltner, uses written stylistic emphasis throughout the novel which I found a really interesting way to convey emotion that isn’t often used by other writers in novels I’ve read. I loved the ending; Home School pulled no punches. I found myself kind of hoping for a continuation of more than one storyline.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to need a week to sit and truly process this work of art. It was completely encapsulating from start to finish. The author’s ability to weave themes of the damage and trauma caused by organized religion on society and humanity into a horrifying thriller, is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I don’t think I took a breath until The End. Truly an amazing read.

[Scott Dickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home School had me locked in from the beginning of Mira's journey into the world of her Aunt Vivian's fanatical church. The novel was fast paced and gripping from the fantastically troubling cover until the extremely creative and shocking ending. Well done, Casey Giltner, on your amazing debut novel!

[Steve Juetten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished the book in two days. To keep my attention like that shows it is an engaging book. Overall, I would read another one from this author. Good story line, although maybe a little predictable to my mind. However, how he got to the end took turns I wasn’t expecting. If he writes a sequel, it will be interesting what he does with certain characters.

[Jessica Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars but rounded to 4 ⭐️ If you know me then you know i absolutely love cult books!!! The books cover is terrifying enough. 🤣 but home school was eerie, terrifying, and it even had me saying WTF a few times (in a good way of course) if you love religious cult books then this is definitely for you!!!