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A House Unsettled
“Who built this house? Whose money? Whose blood?”
Ghosts aren’t the only thing that can haunt a house. Trynne Delaney’s debut novel explores the insidious legacies of violence and oppression—and how Black, queer love and resistance can disrupt them.
With her dad’s incarceration, escalating fights with her mom, and an overbearing stepdad she’s not sure she can trust, Asha is desperate for the fresh start promised by a move to the country. Her great aunt Aggie’s crumbling, pest-ridden house isn’t exactly what she had in mind, but the immediate connection she makes with her new neighbor Cole seems like a good sign. Soon, though, Asha’s optimism is shadowed by strange and disturbing occurrences within the old house’s walls: footsteps stalking the halls; a persistent chill; cold hands around her neck in the middle of the night . . .
Fearing for her loved ones’ safety—and her own—Asha seeks out the source of these terrifying incidents and uncovers secrets from the past that connect her and Cole’s families and reach into the present. But as tensions with her mom and stepdad rise and Cole withdraws, Asha is left alone to try and break the cycle of violence that holds them all in its haunting grip.
Ghosts aren’t the only thing that can haunt a house. Trynne Delaney’s debut novel explores the insidious legacies of violence and oppression—and how Black, queer love and resistance can disrupt them.
With her dad’s incarceration, escalating fights with her mom, and an overbearing stepdad she’s not sure she can trust, Asha is desperate for the fresh start promised by a move to the country. Her great aunt Aggie’s crumbling, pest-ridden house isn’t exactly what she had in mind, but the immediate connection she makes with her new neighbor Cole seems like a good sign. Soon, though, Asha’s optimism is shadowed by strange and disturbing occurrences within the old house’s walls: footsteps stalking the halls; a persistent chill; cold hands around her neck in the middle of the night . . .
Fearing for her loved ones’ safety—and her own—Asha seeks out the source of these terrifying incidents and uncovers secrets from the past that connect her and Cole’s families and reach into the present. But as tensions with her mom and stepdad rise and Cole withdraws, Asha is left alone to try and break the cycle of violence that holds them all in its haunting grip.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2022
15 people are currently reading
700 people want to read
About the author
Trynne Delaney
2 books20 followersTrynne Delaney is a writer currently based in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal). They are the author of the half-drowned (winner of the QWF First Book Prize) and A House Unsettled. In their spare time they like to garden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
September 1, 2022
Asha and her mom have moved back to her mom’s hometown in the country after her dad’s recent incarceration. They move into her great aunt’s house, which has seen better days after sitting empty for quite a while. While tensions rise and fights increase between Asha and her mom, she’s able to balance it by making friends with her new neighbor. But as she tries to settle into her new normal, she begins to realize that something is off about the house and its history.
I enjoyed this YA read overall. The author did a great job at incorporating suspense and creating moments that really spooked me. The atmosphere and setting descriptions were well written, creating an immersive read. I also quite liked the author’s writing style and turn of phrase – some of the descriptions were quite poetic with evocative imagery, which I highly enjoyed.
The characters overall were okay. Asha and Cole felt like the only two characters who were given any depth and development; Traci and Jeff were lacking to the point where it began to detract from the work. There were also some instances where Asha’s thoughts and decisions just didn’t make sense. For example, she was adamant she didn’t believe in ghosts at the beginning of the work. After a supernatural encounter, she just kind of accepts it without questioning anything, then a bit later decides it was just a dream. Instances like this made Asha feel less relatable and realistic as a character.
The author tried to tackle a lot of difficult themes with this work – having an incarcerated parent, having a poor relationship with a parent, racism, bigotry, queerness, generational trauma, and identity. On top of exploring these issues, the work is also supposed to be one of horror/suspense. I think because so much was packed into this work, none of these topics was able to be fully explored, which did detract from the book a bit.
Overall, this was a good, easy read that I enjoyed. I recommend it to fans of YA and light supernatural reads. My thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press for allowing me to read and review this book, which will be published on October 11th, 2022. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I enjoyed this YA read overall. The author did a great job at incorporating suspense and creating moments that really spooked me. The atmosphere and setting descriptions were well written, creating an immersive read. I also quite liked the author’s writing style and turn of phrase – some of the descriptions were quite poetic with evocative imagery, which I highly enjoyed.
The characters overall were okay. Asha and Cole felt like the only two characters who were given any depth and development; Traci and Jeff were lacking to the point where it began to detract from the work. There were also some instances where Asha’s thoughts and decisions just didn’t make sense. For example, she was adamant she didn’t believe in ghosts at the beginning of the work. After a supernatural encounter, she just kind of accepts it without questioning anything, then a bit later decides it was just a dream. Instances like this made Asha feel less relatable and realistic as a character.
The author tried to tackle a lot of difficult themes with this work – having an incarcerated parent, having a poor relationship with a parent, racism, bigotry, queerness, generational trauma, and identity. On top of exploring these issues, the work is also supposed to be one of horror/suspense. I think because so much was packed into this work, none of these topics was able to be fully explored, which did detract from the book a bit.
Overall, this was a good, easy read that I enjoyed. I recommend it to fans of YA and light supernatural reads. My thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press for allowing me to read and review this book, which will be published on October 11th, 2022. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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May 23, 2022
A House Unsettled was a pretty solid debut novel! The writing was engaging and there was a lot of emotion and frustration packed into Asha's perspective throughout the story.
The pace was a little slow, though, and I did think there were a bit too many things going on? There were the hauntings, the family struggles, and the romance in addition to the book also tackling queerness and racism/oppression. I felt like some of those subjects could have been more well developed and more of a focus in the story, but ended up being sidelined a little in favor of other things that needed to happen.
I was also a little bummed that I didn't find the haunted house aspect scary at all. :/
The pace was a little slow, though, and I did think there were a bit too many things going on? There were the hauntings, the family struggles, and the romance in addition to the book also tackling queerness and racism/oppression. I felt like some of those subjects could have been more well developed and more of a focus in the story, but ended up being sidelined a little in favor of other things that needed to happen.
I was also a little bummed that I didn't find the haunted house aspect scary at all. :/
March 9, 2025
A house unsettled but in many different ways. It involves a ghost story but takes on many issues. I enjoyed the writing style.
July 18, 2023
I love the cover and the premise. The writing style and character development were a little too simple for me. It took too long to get into the story and it definitely took too long for the first scary encounter to happen. Overall it was a mediocre book but I think the first person POV was the nail in the coffin as it made the story feel extremely one dimensional.
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February 23, 2024This cover stole me away and I love it! I’m not sure what’s with the reviews of ‘I’m not the target audience’ because this does cover lots of layers of racism, complex parental relationships with biracial parents and also a very blatant coming of age story. If you are a living human being then you’re the target audience.
So if reading of actual racism makes you clutch your pearls then yeah maybe you need to unpack some things before you read.
I don’t mean to shame but it’s an important story that can provide so much insight for my fellow mayonnaise people and the lack of empathy is a red flag for me.
Asha and her semi-estranged mom move into Great Aunt Auggie’s place which is her mother’s ancestral home if you will. It is a symbol in the community of white privilege and has a torrid past which includes a Black man’s false accusation of a missing girl. Asha’s neighbor, Cole, is sure that the house is haunted but the ghosts that walk the halls hold more secrets than what’s on the surface.
Asha at 17 is still figuring herself out which proves difficult while she tries to mend fences with her mother. However, her mother continues to side with her husband which leads to many fights and outbursts. When the house begins to affect her in unsuspecting ways, she learns she’s capable of more growth than she’s ever given herself credit for.
I found Asha incredibly relatable and often had to pause to reflect upon my own childhood. Maybe I should be getting some therapy lol
For fans of ‘When the Reckoning Comes’ this will be a great YA in similar vibes.
This is a horror story with important lessons and experiences.
So if reading of actual racism makes you clutch your pearls then yeah maybe you need to unpack some things before you read.
I don’t mean to shame but it’s an important story that can provide so much insight for my fellow mayonnaise people and the lack of empathy is a red flag for me.
Asha and her semi-estranged mom move into Great Aunt Auggie’s place which is her mother’s ancestral home if you will. It is a symbol in the community of white privilege and has a torrid past which includes a Black man’s false accusation of a missing girl. Asha’s neighbor, Cole, is sure that the house is haunted but the ghosts that walk the halls hold more secrets than what’s on the surface.
Asha at 17 is still figuring herself out which proves difficult while she tries to mend fences with her mother. However, her mother continues to side with her husband which leads to many fights and outbursts. When the house begins to affect her in unsuspecting ways, she learns she’s capable of more growth than she’s ever given herself credit for.
I found Asha incredibly relatable and often had to pause to reflect upon my own childhood. Maybe I should be getting some therapy lol
For fans of ‘When the Reckoning Comes’ this will be a great YA in similar vibes.
This is a horror story with important lessons and experiences.
April 1, 2022
Alright, I feel that I need to start this review by stating bluntly, I am not the target audience for this story. There are a lot of themes that I feel are incredibly important, but that I cannot praise or critique as I am not in those communities. There is a strong look at growing up as a modern-day teen, an in-depth discussion on race, police politics, as well as queer identities and relationships. I will say I do feel this book is a great read for the Young Adults that will pick this up in that it will make them think about perspectives that differ from their own in some manner as a significant number of views and circumstances are covered in this book.
At first glance, this is a story of a girl moving into a small town, and the house she moves into? It's haunted. This was enough to win me over in and of itself. However, the dive into family history, as well as the entire town's, and the exploration of social issues intertwines beautifully with the restless spirits. I was really left thinking about what I read.
I did have a few things that stood out to me in a 'meh' way. Our main character Asha refers to her mother by her given name, and that just did not sit well with me. The entire story I would have this thought "do teenagers really do this?" It really messed with the scenes between mother and daughter, I feel this was to emphasize a strained relationship, but it really just seemed unnecessarily hurtful and disrespectful. I also would have liked to have had some description of Asha earlier and more clearly. I love that she has a complex history, but I was confused for a while as to her history (finally confirmed after being halfway done), which in this story was incredibly relevant to the plot. We get details on her friend Cole's appearance and heritage so I felt there was a little bit of a disconnect.
Again, the voice for this book is not one I have any significant experience with. As such, I can't say if things were handled with care and sensitivity or not. I am not a member of the BIPOC community, I am not from Canada, and the aspects of LGBTQ that are present are not communities I am in. However, based on the author's bio they are which leaves me very hopeful. I will be curious about thoughts from those in those communities on how they view the portrayal. I will state again, I think this is a great book for young people to read. Hopefully, they will either find comfort in being represented or they will have questions and a way to start a conversation revolving around these topics.
Special thanks to NetGalley for this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions!
At first glance, this is a story of a girl moving into a small town, and the house she moves into? It's haunted. This was enough to win me over in and of itself. However, the dive into family history, as well as the entire town's, and the exploration of social issues intertwines beautifully with the restless spirits. I was really left thinking about what I read.
I did have a few things that stood out to me in a 'meh' way. Our main character Asha refers to her mother by her given name, and that just did not sit well with me. The entire story I would have this thought "do teenagers really do this?" It really messed with the scenes between mother and daughter, I feel this was to emphasize a strained relationship, but it really just seemed unnecessarily hurtful and disrespectful. I also would have liked to have had some description of Asha earlier and more clearly. I love that she has a complex history, but I was confused for a while as to her history (finally confirmed after being halfway done), which in this story was incredibly relevant to the plot. We get details on her friend Cole's appearance and heritage so I felt there was a little bit of a disconnect.
Again, the voice for this book is not one I have any significant experience with. As such, I can't say if things were handled with care and sensitivity or not. I am not a member of the BIPOC community, I am not from Canada, and the aspects of LGBTQ that are present are not communities I am in. However, based on the author's bio they are which leaves me very hopeful. I will be curious about thoughts from those in those communities on how they view the portrayal. I will state again, I think this is a great book for young people to read. Hopefully, they will either find comfort in being represented or they will have questions and a way to start a conversation revolving around these topics.
Special thanks to NetGalley for this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions!
April 18, 2023
Unpopular opinion but I hated this book. Usually I can make it at least to page 100 before deciding to drop. This time I barely made it to 50. What makes me the maddest is that I really, really did want to like this one. The writing style itself was amazing and I loved the imagery and descriptions. I loved the concept as well. But there is one thing that just made it unreadable for me; I hate, hate, hate when books try to lecture me or tell me how to feel. Just tell the story and assume that the reader is smart enough to pick up on the morals & messages in the story.
I am an LGBT woman myself. But I still found myself getting so annoyed by lines like "you don't need to make me out to be the patriarchy here." Like okay, one or two incidents and quotes like this are fine, I don't mind that. But it was sprinkled very generously throughout what I read of the book. If I wanted to read that I would just log onto tumblr.
Delaney has some important themes in there and they've got some good messages to share but I felt like they went about it in an unsatisfactory way that just pulled me out of the story and made me feel like I was on twitter or something. In my opinion two books that tackled racism and generational trauma well are Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Both authors did a great job of showing the horrors of racism and weaving it into horror novel tropes. Instead of constantly saying "racism and sexism are bad" they just told the damn story and as it unfolded the reader could very clearly understand that x racist or sexist action was done by the antagonist and is therefore not good.
Basically my beef with A House Unsettled is that it felt, at least to me, as though the author was (even if unintentionally) being condescending/assumed that readers wouldn't pick up on the horrors of racism, sexism, and homophobia without bluntly spelling it out for them. It pulled me out of the story completely. I'd very much recommend Lovecraft Country or The Only Good Indians if you're looking for a spooky read with pro-LGBT or anti-racism themes. I'd also highly recommend anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. She is a Mexican-Canadian author who is fantastic at telling a good horror story with some deep messages.
I'd probably give this author another chance because I loved their prose, but A House Unsettled just didn't do it for me.
I am an LGBT woman myself. But I still found myself getting so annoyed by lines like "you don't need to make me out to be the patriarchy here." Like okay, one or two incidents and quotes like this are fine, I don't mind that. But it was sprinkled very generously throughout what I read of the book. If I wanted to read that I would just log onto tumblr.
Delaney has some important themes in there and they've got some good messages to share but I felt like they went about it in an unsatisfactory way that just pulled me out of the story and made me feel like I was on twitter or something. In my opinion two books that tackled racism and generational trauma well are Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Both authors did a great job of showing the horrors of racism and weaving it into horror novel tropes. Instead of constantly saying "racism and sexism are bad" they just told the damn story and as it unfolded the reader could very clearly understand that x racist or sexist action was done by the antagonist and is therefore not good.
Basically my beef with A House Unsettled is that it felt, at least to me, as though the author was (even if unintentionally) being condescending/assumed that readers wouldn't pick up on the horrors of racism, sexism, and homophobia without bluntly spelling it out for them. It pulled me out of the story completely. I'd very much recommend Lovecraft Country or The Only Good Indians if you're looking for a spooky read with pro-LGBT or anti-racism themes. I'd also highly recommend anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. She is a Mexican-Canadian author who is fantastic at telling a good horror story with some deep messages.
I'd probably give this author another chance because I loved their prose, but A House Unsettled just didn't do it for me.
October 23, 2022
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: themes of institutionalized racism, referenced police violence, dead animals (baby bunnies), referenced fatal car accident, referenced hate crimes, fire/arson
3.7
This book has some important themes- the generational trauma that comes from a culture of racism, and what legacies and scars you inherit. I think the concept of this story is a good one, and the framing with the antagonist and the way he possesses others culpable is an effective, compelling idea.
This book also has plenty of interesting and popular themes. It's marginalized horror, it stars a queer romance (or two) and two different trans character living parallel. That combined with the ghostly haunted house really makes this a story I can see finding its audience in this moments of book trends.
However, even with good bones and some really nice moments of writing, this story just didn't feel complete to me. There was something a bit unfinished, things came together to easily and quickly after slowly dragging themselves into view, and the ending didn't feel satisfying. The concepts here are good and I think Delaney is going to grow into a writer you want to quote constantly, but this debut didn't quite find its footing.
TW: themes of institutionalized racism, referenced police violence, dead animals (baby bunnies), referenced fatal car accident, referenced hate crimes, fire/arson
3.7
This book has some important themes- the generational trauma that comes from a culture of racism, and what legacies and scars you inherit. I think the concept of this story is a good one, and the framing with the antagonist and the way he possesses others culpable is an effective, compelling idea.
This book also has plenty of interesting and popular themes. It's marginalized horror, it stars a queer romance (or two) and two different trans character living parallel. That combined with the ghostly haunted house really makes this a story I can see finding its audience in this moments of book trends.
However, even with good bones and some really nice moments of writing, this story just didn't feel complete to me. There was something a bit unfinished, things came together to easily and quickly after slowly dragging themselves into view, and the ending didn't feel satisfying. The concepts here are good and I think Delaney is going to grow into a writer you want to quote constantly, but this debut didn't quite find its footing.
April 20, 2023
4.25⭐️
I really enjoyed this one. I hope Trynne Delaney continues to write because this was a great debut Novel! Definitely less “horror” and more mystery, family drama, coming of age, historical with ghosts haha. Loved all of the conversations that went on in this book. Sometimes the drama/fights frustrated me but overall a really engaging read.
I really enjoyed this one. I hope Trynne Delaney continues to write because this was a great debut Novel! Definitely less “horror” and more mystery, family drama, coming of age, historical with ghosts haha. Loved all of the conversations that went on in this book. Sometimes the drama/fights frustrated me but overall a really engaging read.
October 23, 2022
I thought A HOUSE UNSETTLED was a good story that excellently put a lot of things into perspective. Asha’s situation as a mixed race kid with only her white mom around, moving her back to her ancestral home that’s ancestral in a rich white sort of way and a conscripted Black sort of way, is a situation I can’t possibly understand. But I thought it was worked into the story beautifully. How the ghosts centered around this primary theme, plus added patriarchy and obligatory heterosexuality and binary gender conformity, all added depth to the story that made it something more than a ghost story.
The focus was less on the haunting of the house and more on how history haunts a person, so I didn’t find much of it particularly scary. But it definitely gave me WHITE SMOKE vibes from time to time. Where WHITE SMOKE was much more of a horror story supported by racial issues, A HOUSE UNSETTLED is more of a racial issues book supported by a horror story. The horror is secondary, but it works for the book.
I thought Asha was a wonderful character and while I thought she was irrational at times, I got why. Not only because of basic teenager stuff, but Delaney did a great job of building the pressure on top of Asha in a slow but steady way. By the end of the book, she was on the verge of breaking and I honestly couldn’t see how it all was going to pan out. But I think everything worked out the way it should have, if not in the happiest of ways.
While not my favorite horror story, I can appreciate the breadth of storytelling here, and it really is a great, intricate story. Immensely impactful and at times chilling, I couldn’t stop reading it.
4
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The focus was less on the haunting of the house and more on how history haunts a person, so I didn’t find much of it particularly scary. But it definitely gave me WHITE SMOKE vibes from time to time. Where WHITE SMOKE was much more of a horror story supported by racial issues, A HOUSE UNSETTLED is more of a racial issues book supported by a horror story. The horror is secondary, but it works for the book.
I thought Asha was a wonderful character and while I thought she was irrational at times, I got why. Not only because of basic teenager stuff, but Delaney did a great job of building the pressure on top of Asha in a slow but steady way. By the end of the book, she was on the verge of breaking and I honestly couldn’t see how it all was going to pan out. But I think everything worked out the way it should have, if not in the happiest of ways.
While not my favorite horror story, I can appreciate the breadth of storytelling here, and it really is a great, intricate story. Immensely impactful and at times chilling, I couldn’t stop reading it.
4
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2022
A House Unsettled is a thriller with ghosts that tell a story of more than just a haunting.
Initially, I assumed this book would read younger just because of the cover, but that wasn't the case. It's a mature book that covers a variety of topics while tying them all together. The house Asha and her mother move into is haunted of course, but there's a lot of blood on the land that has little to do with the ghosts. The story explores racism in a small town, and how generational trauma can carry through no matter how much time has passed. Asha has to reconcile her Blackness and her queerness with this new town and with the sordid history of her ancestors - both white and Black - and how that relates to and changes how she sees things in the house and in the town.
The book was a bit slow in parts, and there's a lot going on with the different moving parts of the story so, at the end, I wondered why some aspects were included. But overall, a great thriller with a full plot.
Initially, I assumed this book would read younger just because of the cover, but that wasn't the case. It's a mature book that covers a variety of topics while tying them all together. The house Asha and her mother move into is haunted of course, but there's a lot of blood on the land that has little to do with the ghosts. The story explores racism in a small town, and how generational trauma can carry through no matter how much time has passed. Asha has to reconcile her Blackness and her queerness with this new town and with the sordid history of her ancestors - both white and Black - and how that relates to and changes how she sees things in the house and in the town.
The book was a bit slow in parts, and there's a lot going on with the different moving parts of the story so, at the end, I wondered why some aspects were included. But overall, a great thriller with a full plot.
November 3, 2024
This is the perfect haunted house book that deals generational trauma?? Especially I think because the author doesn’t shy away from generational trauma as something that’s limited to the protagonist but EVERYONE. I don’t really understand the low rating but I feel like it actually has something to do with ppl not being able to handle the main character having anger that is honestly rightfully justified. I rarely FELT everything a protagonist felt in a YA book anymore but I felt EVERYTHING when I read through this novel. It feels so real and raw in a way that I was angry when the protagonist was stuck in her complicated family home, her parents being claustrophobic and even her conflict with her love interest was so emotional to me. This whole book reminded me why I loved reading and why I loved ghost stories. And I think I’ll be chasing after the high that was the reading experience of this book and every sentence within it like a haunting.
November 27, 2024
I really enjoyed this audiobook and found the narrator really pleasant to listen to. I loved that this was set in Canada with some commentary on the socio-political aspects of the location. I appreciated all the characters and the development of the relationship between Asha and her mom.
Where this story fell a little short for me was in the prose. It's got a more snappy, YA vibe (which i understand, it is YA) but I want my Gothic horror novels featuring haunted houses to ooze off the page in all their decadent decay and I just didn't feel this as much with this one. I think other readers will prefer this stylistic approach, but I really needed more poetic description to truly feel as haunted as the characters were. That said, I'd be keen to read more by this author but it seems Delaney has retired from fiction writing ?
Where this story fell a little short for me was in the prose. It's got a more snappy, YA vibe (which i understand, it is YA) but I want my Gothic horror novels featuring haunted houses to ooze off the page in all their decadent decay and I just didn't feel this as much with this one. I think other readers will prefer this stylistic approach, but I really needed more poetic description to truly feel as haunted as the characters were. That said, I'd be keen to read more by this author but it seems Delaney has retired from fiction writing ?
October 14, 2022
3 stars :p
i miss reading without having to worry about work. This book was a super slow read where the plot was almost non-existent to me in the start....however it did get better by the end. I liked how Asha evolved as a character and how the writing all came together in the end. I did not really like this book in the start, but i suppose it was hard not to like by the end of it. The way Trynne brought everything together in the end with her beautiful descriptions really made me raise my rating of this book.
i got a physical copy from my teacher for book club. we're going for a field trip tomorrow to meet the author and have fun. so excited. slay xx
i miss reading without having to worry about work. This book was a super slow read where the plot was almost non-existent to me in the start....however it did get better by the end. I liked how Asha evolved as a character and how the writing all came together in the end. I did not really like this book in the start, but i suppose it was hard not to like by the end of it. The way Trynne brought everything together in the end with her beautiful descriptions really made me raise my rating of this book.
i got a physical copy from my teacher for book club. we're going for a field trip tomorrow to meet the author and have fun. so excited. slay xx
May 21, 2023
This was a decent debut novel.
I think the main character's voice was written very well. I just struggled a little bit with the pacing and I though the horror element could've been developped in a more unsettling way.
July 24, 2023
A good effort but there are a few too many holes in the plot for me. The character building was good, as was the setting. The plot holes were big and the climax rushed. Overall, it is still a good creepy story my youngest teen students will enjoy.
March 4, 2024
i loved this a lot, no notes
November 3, 2022
I will gladly add this book to IF YOU ARE DEMONICALLY CRITICAL OF THIS BOOK OR YOU CAN NOT COMPREHEND...ITS NOT FOR YOU list. Anyone got some superglue my heart has cracks in it.
October 28, 2022
My hopes were high for this book so when I received the ARC, I was so excited!
Unfortunately, that excitement ended quickly. This was confusing. I felt like there were too many "non-characters" for lack of a better term in the mix that really took away from our main characters.
Our two main girls Asha and Cole annoyed me.
I felt like Asha was entirely too negative for what she had going on. Yes, something sad and awful happened to her but she still had family and friends by her side. The way she acted was as if she was the only person left with any love to give in the world. I found myself rolling my eyes at her often. I think Asha's grandma said it best:
The other one, Cole, I found to be hypocritical. She'd show up at Asha's house whenever demanding these weird adventures out of nowhere but if Asha did the same it was an "invasion" or "too much" or was told to "let it go."
I have to say if I were Asha, I'd also despise my mom and outright hate her fiancé. He was so petty! It was like a competition between siblings only the sibling is the petty adult about to be her stepdad. Weird comparison, I know. But that's what it felt like! He'd get her in trouble and the whole vibe was like a big "HA HA!" When her mom would turn around. So annoying.
Then there were our ghosts. I've read a ton of books about the supernatural and such but I've never heard of ghosts like these. One that just hangs into the ceiling? Looking at you? And then others who can just "drop" into you to talk to one another? But no one around you noticed? It's weird! And it didn't really make sense to me.
I also laughed that the ghost in the ceiling who could do nothing was the owner of the house! How would she not be the most powerful considering?
In terms of the story, this was more of a self-discovery than a mystery. The whole book you ask yourself what's going on only to realize it's REALLY about the two girls discovering they're into each other and not the mystery that gets wrapped up with a neat little bow at the VERY end.
I don't know. I just felt this could be better and I don't have much to say other than that. Nothing happened. It didn't scare me. I was never shocked with a good twist. It just didn't do it for me sadly. What got it three stars instead of two, was the description of the house. I love a house with some history to it.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Annick Press , for providing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest opinion.
Please check out this review (publishing 10/28) and many others on my blog, sweetbooksomine.com
Unfortunately, that excitement ended quickly. This was confusing. I felt like there were too many "non-characters" for lack of a better term in the mix that really took away from our main characters.
Our two main girls Asha and Cole annoyed me.
I felt like Asha was entirely too negative for what she had going on. Yes, something sad and awful happened to her but she still had family and friends by her side. The way she acted was as if she was the only person left with any love to give in the world. I found myself rolling my eyes at her often. I think Asha's grandma said it best:
"I know you're going to take good care of yourself and those around you because it's what I taught your father, and it's what your mother and father taught you. Look, we all get into wrong things at different moments in our life, but it's your choice to move forward wishing others well. Justice comes fast sometimes, but most times it's slow and not a straight line."
The other one, Cole, I found to be hypocritical. She'd show up at Asha's house whenever demanding these weird adventures out of nowhere but if Asha did the same it was an "invasion" or "too much" or was told to "let it go."
I have to say if I were Asha, I'd also despise my mom and outright hate her fiancé. He was so petty! It was like a competition between siblings only the sibling is the petty adult about to be her stepdad. Weird comparison, I know. But that's what it felt like! He'd get her in trouble and the whole vibe was like a big "HA HA!" When her mom would turn around. So annoying.
Then there were our ghosts. I've read a ton of books about the supernatural and such but I've never heard of ghosts like these. One that just hangs into the ceiling? Looking at you? And then others who can just "drop" into you to talk to one another? But no one around you noticed? It's weird! And it didn't really make sense to me.
I also laughed that the ghost in the ceiling who could do nothing was the owner of the house! How would she not be the most powerful considering?
In terms of the story, this was more of a self-discovery than a mystery. The whole book you ask yourself what's going on only to realize it's REALLY about the two girls discovering they're into each other and not the mystery that gets wrapped up with a neat little bow at the VERY end.
I don't know. I just felt this could be better and I don't have much to say other than that. Nothing happened. It didn't scare me. I was never shocked with a good twist. It just didn't do it for me sadly. What got it three stars instead of two, was the description of the house. I love a house with some history to it.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Annick Press , for providing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest opinion.
Please check out this review (publishing 10/28) and many others on my blog, sweetbooksomine.com
February 10, 2023
this one took me a while to get into.
This story had a lot of potential, I think. It wanted to cover a LOT of ground, some of which it succeeded and most others it didn't. That resulted in a bit of an over-baked beginning and middle with a very rushed ending. This book could've been about 1/3 shorter than it ended up being, or about twice as long.
I think Delaney could have used a bit more time and a bit more pages to flesh out this story they wanted to tell with all its interwoven elements. Looking forward to reading what they write next.
August 21, 2025
#ahouseunsettled #trynnedelaney
Hello everyone, you know I can never resist when it comes to the #hauntedhouse #hauntedhome theme.
Asha is a mixed-race Black girl. After her father is imprisoned, she moves with her mother and her mother’s new husband into a house that belonged to her mother’s aunt. Asha doesn’t really want to leave her old life behind, but she also sees this move as a chance to get closer to her mother, Traci. The place they go to is a predominantly white area, and the house itself is very neglected. Asha remembers playing around the house with her cousin when she was younger. She soon grows close to Nicole, the girl next door.
As time goes on, strange things start happening in the house. A figure that resembles Aggie begins to visit Asha. She develops a rash on her wrist that she keeps scratching. Behind the wallpaper, she finds a photo of Cole’s grandmother, the neighbor’s grandmother. Dead baby rabbits appear in Traci’s bed. Curtains that were supposed to be thrown away show up hung back up. All of this mystery, along with her stepfather’s hatred towards her, her exploration of her sexuality and orientation, start to collide. What really happened between her great-aunt and Cole’s grandmother? Is she seeing her aunt because she’s trying to protect her from some other evil in the house?
at the beginning the writing feels a bit heavy, but then it really picks up. The book isn’t scary; instead, it’s more about the struggles of growing up, while also touching on #queer life, #racism, and #discrimination. There’s also a strong family drama aspect. If you’re looking to be scared, this isn’t the right choice.
Hello everyone, you know I can never resist when it comes to the #hauntedhouse #hauntedhome theme.
Asha is a mixed-race Black girl. After her father is imprisoned, she moves with her mother and her mother’s new husband into a house that belonged to her mother’s aunt. Asha doesn’t really want to leave her old life behind, but she also sees this move as a chance to get closer to her mother, Traci. The place they go to is a predominantly white area, and the house itself is very neglected. Asha remembers playing around the house with her cousin when she was younger. She soon grows close to Nicole, the girl next door.
As time goes on, strange things start happening in the house. A figure that resembles Aggie begins to visit Asha. She develops a rash on her wrist that she keeps scratching. Behind the wallpaper, she finds a photo of Cole’s grandmother, the neighbor’s grandmother. Dead baby rabbits appear in Traci’s bed. Curtains that were supposed to be thrown away show up hung back up. All of this mystery, along with her stepfather’s hatred towards her, her exploration of her sexuality and orientation, start to collide. What really happened between her great-aunt and Cole’s grandmother? Is she seeing her aunt because she’s trying to protect her from some other evil in the house?
at the beginning the writing feels a bit heavy, but then it really picks up. The book isn’t scary; instead, it’s more about the struggles of growing up, while also touching on #queer life, #racism, and #discrimination. There’s also a strong family drama aspect. If you’re looking to be scared, this isn’t the right choice.
March 19, 2023
This novel accomplished something I haven't experienced much, and that's introducing extended and diverse family trees without being overly complicated. There are three generations of relationships and life stories being unraveled and explored at the same time, and I was impressed with the author's ability to keep things straight and voices individual.
There was also something about the relatability of the main character that really engaged me. Delaney captured a burgeoning YA protagonist without making them obnoxious. Of course, she has moments of angst and less-than-mature reactions to things, but they all feel reasonable to her capacity, life experiences, and temperament.
I don't think the ending needed to provide more answers, per-se, but I would have liked to spend more time with the characters in the aftermath to wrap things up. That said, I quite enjoyed the journey.
I commend this work for its inclusion and discussions about diversity, both for race and sexuality. However, I had several moments throughout the book where I had to re-evaluate my perception of a character because their race was not previously disclosed to it being relevant. It felt very much like the author spent so much time with their characters, describing that aspect of them was delivered as an afterthought (in some cases, mostly of side characters). Which would be totally fine, if a large theme in the book wasn't about discussion and perception of race. Great inclusion with a mild lack of foresight.
There was also something about the relatability of the main character that really engaged me. Delaney captured a burgeoning YA protagonist without making them obnoxious. Of course, she has moments of angst and less-than-mature reactions to things, but they all feel reasonable to her capacity, life experiences, and temperament.
I don't think the ending needed to provide more answers, per-se, but I would have liked to spend more time with the characters in the aftermath to wrap things up. That said, I quite enjoyed the journey.
I commend this work for its inclusion and discussions about diversity, both for race and sexuality. However, I had several moments throughout the book where I had to re-evaluate my perception of a character because their race was not previously disclosed to it being relevant. It felt very much like the author spent so much time with their characters, describing that aspect of them was delivered as an afterthought (in some cases, mostly of side characters). Which would be totally fine, if a large theme in the book wasn't about discussion and perception of race. Great inclusion with a mild lack of foresight.
April 23, 2023
Real Rating: 3.5 stars
I quite enjoyed this book - it was definitely more paranormal mystery than gothic horror, but it had all the right ingredients to build a strong, nuanced story about generational trauma, identity, and family.
A large part of the story is rooted in identity and understanding who is who. Who built the house? Who is guilty of killing the missing women? Who is Asha in all of this? There's a lot of reconciliation of Asha's family history, on both sides of where she comes from - her father's side, where both her grandfather and her father have (in Asha's belief) been wrongly accused and incarcerated for different crimes based on them being Black; and her mother's side, which was more well-off and landowners (among other things). Queerness also comes into play as Asha begins to understand her history, her story, and herself.
While I did find certain areas a bit slower, this story contends with a lot of hard hitting topics and issues that I think are handled extremely well and with respect. All in all, a dark, moody read - great for a rainy day.
Rep: biracial, queer MC; enby, queer secondary character
TW: racism, violence, fire, injury detail; mentions dead animals (baby rabbits), infidelity, injury, lesbophobia, transphobia, murder, sexual harassment
Finished copy gifted by Annick Press in exchange for an honest review.
I quite enjoyed this book - it was definitely more paranormal mystery than gothic horror, but it had all the right ingredients to build a strong, nuanced story about generational trauma, identity, and family.
A large part of the story is rooted in identity and understanding who is who. Who built the house? Who is guilty of killing the missing women? Who is Asha in all of this? There's a lot of reconciliation of Asha's family history, on both sides of where she comes from - her father's side, where both her grandfather and her father have (in Asha's belief) been wrongly accused and incarcerated for different crimes based on them being Black; and her mother's side, which was more well-off and landowners (among other things). Queerness also comes into play as Asha begins to understand her history, her story, and herself.
While I did find certain areas a bit slower, this story contends with a lot of hard hitting topics and issues that I think are handled extremely well and with respect. All in all, a dark, moody read - great for a rainy day.
Rep: biracial, queer MC; enby, queer secondary character
TW: racism, violence, fire, injury detail; mentions dead animals (baby rabbits), infidelity, injury, lesbophobia, transphobia, murder, sexual harassment
Finished copy gifted by Annick Press in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2022
Seventeen years old Asha Walker is dealing with her father in prison for embezzlement at his work. Her mother is taking Asha with her to the inherited house from Aunt Agatha in New Brunswick. They are both hoping for a new start. Locals believe the house is haunted. Asha agrees that it is. Asha doesn’t like her mother’s boyfriend moving in . Asha doesn’t feel welcome due to the racial prejudice of the town’s history. (Her mother is white and her father is black.). Asha is attracted to Cole, her next door neighbor. However, she is unsettled by having more encounters with ghosts of her family’s dark past.
Themes that the author touched on are: police violence, white privilege and colonialism. The plot of this story is slow paced. It does have creepy moments that I enjoyed. I m would had like more ghosts in the story. Overall it is a classic haunted house story. . It’s also a powerful coming of age story, with difficult family and social dynamics as well as an incisive exploration of race, gender,and sexuality.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
Themes that the author touched on are: police violence, white privilege and colonialism. The plot of this story is slow paced. It does have creepy moments that I enjoyed. I m would had like more ghosts in the story. Overall it is a classic haunted house story. . It’s also a powerful coming of age story, with difficult family and social dynamics as well as an incisive exploration of race, gender,and sexuality.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
September 26, 2022
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It was a really interesting story, but there were parts that just left me confused. Mostly the confusion stems from a lack of description/story building of the main characters.
I understand that Asha's relationship with her mom is strained, but I did not know that Traci was her mom until many pages into the book. At first I thought she was just an older sister, then I thought maybe Traci was a step-mom, but then it just turned out she was her birth mother.
I also wish that Asha would've gotten a more in depth character description at the beginning of the book. It would've made the transition to talking about racism and generational trauma a lot smoother. Cole's description happened right away, so it was just weird to me that Asha didn't really get the same treatment.
I still flew through the book though, since I was interested in knowing what was going to happen at the end. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a YA ghost story. This book also touches on racism, generational trauma, and queerness.
Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the ARC.
I understand that Asha's relationship with her mom is strained, but I did not know that Traci was her mom until many pages into the book. At first I thought she was just an older sister, then I thought maybe Traci was a step-mom, but then it just turned out she was her birth mother.
I also wish that Asha would've gotten a more in depth character description at the beginning of the book. It would've made the transition to talking about racism and generational trauma a lot smoother. Cole's description happened right away, so it was just weird to me that Asha didn't really get the same treatment.
I still flew through the book though, since I was interested in knowing what was going to happen at the end. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a YA ghost story. This book also touches on racism, generational trauma, and queerness.
Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the ARC.
October 11, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
A House Unsettled is the story of Asha and her mother who move into a relative's house after their passing. The house has a troubled past, however, and shows it through increasing paranormal happenings as they begin to restore the house. As Asha discovers more about what happened here, she can no longer ignore the past.
Usually I feel people are exaggerating when they say nothing happened in the first half of a book, but in this case it is absolutely true. Part 1 of the book adds little to the story, and could easily be condensed into a few chapters. I can easily forgive a slow start if it adds to the atmosphere of the novel or if the rest of the story is executed well, but unfortunately neither happened in A House Unsettled.
While I appreciated the attempts to tackle themes like bigotry, racism, and queerness in the novel, the execution took away from the impact these themes ultimately could have had. There is the root of a good message here, but it fell a bit flat and felt shoehorned into the final chapters.
A House Unsettled is the story of Asha and her mother who move into a relative's house after their passing. The house has a troubled past, however, and shows it through increasing paranormal happenings as they begin to restore the house. As Asha discovers more about what happened here, she can no longer ignore the past.
Usually I feel people are exaggerating when they say nothing happened in the first half of a book, but in this case it is absolutely true. Part 1 of the book adds little to the story, and could easily be condensed into a few chapters. I can easily forgive a slow start if it adds to the atmosphere of the novel or if the rest of the story is executed well, but unfortunately neither happened in A House Unsettled.
While I appreciated the attempts to tackle themes like bigotry, racism, and queerness in the novel, the execution took away from the impact these themes ultimately could have had. There is the root of a good message here, but it fell a bit flat and felt shoehorned into the final chapters.
November 22, 2022
The premise of this story pulled me in but I had some trouble following the execution of the plot. It took longer than it should have for me to be told that Traci is the main character's mom, and I spent several pages wondering if Jeff was her brother or something before finding out that he's Traci's significant other. There seemed to be inconsistencies with how the ghost thing worked and little explanation as to why or how, and in general a number of inconsistencies with plot or character actions that seemed to be for convenience despite not making total sense. On several occasions it felt like significant things were being glossed over.
But overall, I had an enjoyable enough time reading. I wouldn't reread it myself but I would suggest it to others if it seemed a better fit for them than it was for me. The characters were likable enough for the most part, the mystery itself was easy to follow for someone who likes a simpler mystery (which unfortunately is not me), and LGBT+ representation is always appreciated.
I received an eARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions written here are my own.
But overall, I had an enjoyable enough time reading. I wouldn't reread it myself but I would suggest it to others if it seemed a better fit for them than it was for me. The characters were likable enough for the most part, the mystery itself was easy to follow for someone who likes a simpler mystery (which unfortunately is not me), and LGBT+ representation is always appreciated.
I received an eARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions written here are my own.
October 3, 2022
After her father is arrested for embezzlement, Asha and her white mother Traci move from the city to Traci’s family’s home. It’s an old, neglected house, located in the country, and as Asha and Traci begin the job of cleaning it up, Asha finds a spectral presence there.
Pretty soon, she discovers how her Black father’s family built much of the town, but were never welcome there, and her paternal great grandfather was wrongfully arrested for her neighbour Cole’s grandmother’s (Sabrina) murder. Also, Traci’s ancestors Aggie and Ellis, as well Sabrina all are haunting Aggie’s home.
To further heighten the tension, Asha’s stepdad Jeff and she are not getting along, and she and Cole are trying to figure out how they feel about each other.
There is a lot going on here. The writing was a little choppy, so I was not always understanding what was going on. The pacing also felt a little inconsistent. And though I knew the setting was in Canada, it took a lot longer than I expected to realize this was taking place in the Maritimes. I would have enjoyed this book more without these small complaints.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Annick Press Ltd. for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Pretty soon, she discovers how her Black father’s family built much of the town, but were never welcome there, and her paternal great grandfather was wrongfully arrested for her neighbour Cole’s grandmother’s (Sabrina) murder. Also, Traci’s ancestors Aggie and Ellis, as well Sabrina all are haunting Aggie’s home.
To further heighten the tension, Asha’s stepdad Jeff and she are not getting along, and she and Cole are trying to figure out how they feel about each other.
There is a lot going on here. The writing was a little choppy, so I was not always understanding what was going on. The pacing also felt a little inconsistent. And though I knew the setting was in Canada, it took a lot longer than I expected to realize this was taking place in the Maritimes. I would have enjoyed this book more without these small complaints.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Annick Press Ltd. for this ARC in exchange for my review.
February 28, 2023
All in all, a great read. The story itself and prose are fantastic, a 4/5. However, like other reviewers have said, it's trying to do too much in too few pages. Themes such as colonization, carceral violence, and gendered violence are too heavy of topics to be relegated to a few sentences here and there that are simply the politics and values of the main character.
Also, I kept thinking the rash that Asha had would have a meaning that would be eventually revealed, but it's just abandoned. We don't even know what resolved it. In the first half of the book there's so much emphasis on her rash, and then it just stops with no resolution.
That all being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the main character.
Also, I kept thinking the rash that Asha had would have a meaning that would be eventually revealed, but it's just abandoned. We don't even know what resolved it. In the first half of the book there's so much emphasis on her rash, and then it just stops with no resolution.
That all being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the main character.
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