I would certainly recommend this book, it was depraved, creepy and mind bending. Will Haunt You is pure unadulterated horror. Through a Haze of distorted reality, the reader becomes part of the story, following a steady progression into madness along with the characters. For Jesse Wheeler, a retired band member of an almost famous rock group, the horror begins with an unfortunate incident which results in his young son sustaining injuries leaving him permanently disabled.
Will Haunt You is a truly terrifying tale with every turn oozing horror; nightmares in basements, dread lurking in hallways, science experiments hunting in forests, faces behind secluded cabin windows peeking through glass at their prey, etc. Some of the vivid dream-like imagery is so elaborately macabre my stomach churned and the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention — exactly what I want from my horror fiction.
One of the best horror books I've read this year, if not all time. I loved it. This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've been reading some reviews and I'm noticing a lot of people are making comparisons to House of Leaves. I loved House of Leaves, and I know that quite a few people really did not. Some of my closest friends really dislike that novel. I never made that comparison while reading Will Haunt you, but I can see it after the fact. Essentially, I love books with a bit of ambiguity in the ending.
It's really like an invitation by the author to decide what you think ultimately happens. So perhaps that's why I really enjoyed both House of Leaves and this book. Kirk doesn't give you all the answers. And I like that. I don't mind an ending that resolves everything and ties up the story with a bow, but I also don't care to be spoon fed information.
Will Haunt You keeps its secrets until the end. For most of the book you really have no idea what's going on. And that puts you in the protagonists shoes. The frustration you feel mirrors his. That frustration didn't bother me. I know that if you keep reading, things that make zero sense will eventually become clear. However, I was a bit frustrated when the book slowed down a couple of times.
It starts super strong, gets really weird, and then there are these down periods that I felt slowed the story down a bit too much. However, those moments certainly didn't ruin the book for me, and I was intrigued the entire time. So you have a dark, ambiguous ending that makes the reader question everything that happened. These are the kind of books that I dig, but I know a lot of people need their horror to be more straightforward.
I really enjoyed this one. If you like a bit of ambiguity in your horror, I think you will too. Michael Hicks.
Author 34 books followers. Aging rocker, Jesse, has a bit of a problem. A mysterious radio broadcast fills his ears moments before his car crashes, and he finds himself fleeing into the nearby woods, chased by identical twins and strange creatures. A recovering alcoholic, he should have been sipping seltzer and getting home early to his wife and son. All because he read a stupid book. The total denial of information is wholly unsteadying. It also breaks the fourth wall on occasion.
Jesse is fully aware that we are reading his story and that Will Haunt You is, literally, his story. How well these disruptions in the narrative work will vary by reader.
Personally, I found these moments of direct communication to be a bit clunky, and when they first occurred I found them to be the equivalent of an ineffective jump scare.
Rather than taking me deeper into the story and its alternate reality, it did the opposite, reminding me that I am just reading a book. I would have much preferred to know more about the book Jesse read that dragged him into this whole affair, but instead that particular text is a barely discussed MacGuffin.
Will Haunt You, itself, physically, takes on the role of plot device, becoming both object and subject, with frequent warnings aimed at the reader.
I also have to give Kirk credit for making Jesse a tragically flawed monster in his own right. Readers who need a likable protagonist will find that Jesse falls well short of the mark, often and repeatedly. This is ultimately a minor quibble. Jessaca Willis. Author 17 books 84 followers.
Anyone familiar? Kirk uses techniques throughout the book, at crucial moments, to illustrate something similar. I staggered towards the far do0r. Stopped, and shook my head. Not do0r, door. Imposter words invaded my mind, spoken through a mental ventriloquist.
Hijacking my helium. I mean, my he4d. Too much was happening t0o fast. For me, I thought it fit for the story. No, we made our bed together, but she sleeps in it more soundly than I. Grew into this life with its limitations like a rose through a cracked sidewalk, while I grind my teeth and stew with resentment and ponder the what-ifs and fantasize alternate scenarios like I deserve them more than her.
Jesse is a fascinating main character and made Will Haunt You an enjoyable read. I felt like I know Jesse. Just walk in and announce ourselves and put ourselves at their mercy? The ending itself was also slightly unsatisfying, I think because the second half of the book was pure build-up, so by the time the end happened, it felt anti-climactic. Overall though, not a bad book. Helen Power. Author 9 books followers. What an amazing concept.
At times the writing is convoluted and nonsensical, and I think the writing would have benefited from a little more focus, pinpointing individual fears rather than relying on a strong writing style and sense of dysequilibrium--both in the writing style and in what was happening--to deliver most of the horror to the reader.
This was effective at times, but I most enjoyed the parts where Jesse was worried that his awful secrets would rise from the dead like the name of the band he was once a part of. That said, his wife, Cassie, is an interesting character, and I would have liked to have seen more of their relationship and how she has handled the events leading up to what happens in this novel. Ultimately, this is a compelling and horrifying story of a man that has a lot to atone for.
Frank Errington. Review copy I finished reading Brian Kirk's latest novel over a week ago and put off writing my review to allow this story time to gel in my mind. Or, maybe ferment is a better word. The whole concept of Will Haunt You is a bit of a mind-altering experience. I've taken the liberty of paraphrasing the story's synopsis, it does a better job of explaining the premise than I ever could Rumors of a deadly book have been floating around the corners of the dark web.
A tale about a mysterious figure who preys on those who read the book and subjects them to a world of personalized terror. Jesse Wheeler—former guitarist of the heavy metal group The Rising Dead—was quick to discount the ominous folklore associated with the book. The legend is real—and tonight he will become the protagonist in an elaborate scheme specifically tailored to prey on and resurrect the ghosts from his past. There's even a warning at the beginning of Will Haunt You.
One that flat out tells you if you continue reading the author won't be responsible for what may happen to you. This is one of those stories where the line between what is real and what is imagined dissolves rather quickly. Only, instead of having the reaction of "What did I just watch?
Let me put it this way, while I really enjoyed the ride, I had no idea where I was when I arrived at my destination. Why, indeed. Recommended, but be prepared for the weird. From the author's bio - Brian Kirk is an author of dark thrillers and psychological suspense.
During the day, Brian works as a freelance marketing and creative consultant. He lives in Atlanta with his beautiful wife and rambunctious identical twin boys. Ashley Daviau. This one had some original and unique ideas that I really did enjoy but then certain elements got thrown in and it threw me off and suddenly made me unsure of what I was reading.
Author 10 books followers. Well, that was odd. I guess I'm being watched now because I :: gasp :: turned the page. Okay, so I honestly don't know what to say about this story Not surprisingly, it would appear I enjoyed this more than many reviewers, and from what I've read, their complaints are legit.
However, Will Haunt You was genuinely creative. That's a rarity these days, so I was personally willing to overlook some minor issues I had if it meant I was able to read a novel with a fresh perspective.
Told from Jesse's first person point of view, the book began when he joined his band mates on stage for the first time in a decade. Seven years sober, he planned to enjoy one last hurrah with his friends, and then head home to his wife and disabled son. But things went awry. Very much so. Is the writing a bit clunky? Does the story leave many unanswered questions? Will you be rolling your eyes on one page, yet be totally engrossed on the next? Give it a chance Mercedes Yardley.
Author 76 books followers. Brian Kirk is a brilliant writer whose works are both horrific and full of heart. I love his writing, and I love the breaking of the 4th wall. There were moments of real horror and several uncomfortable scenes. I expected a different book based on the phenomenal marketing campaign, and I think that expectation colored my opinion.
If I had gone into this totally blind, I would have had a different experience. Well Read Beard. I have heard a lot of books defined as a "Roller Coaster Ride" - this book met that definition for me more than any other.
A truly wild ride through rock and roll, abduction and alcoholism. The kick with this book is that it is written from the perspective that by reading it, you are opening yourself up to the villain. That now, you are next, you are being watched. So listen, if you are planning on reading this book, late at night. Make sure that you don't have someone coming over, a late night shuffling of steps on the front porch, knock on the door - well that might be enough to give you a heart attack.
Will Haunt You was an enjoyable read for me. There was a fair amount of creepy social media publicity for this book, and I think that added to the experience for me. For me, the highlights of this novel were the characters, pacing, and the sense of unease throughout the story. I felt invested in Jesse's story, and cared about the well-being of his family.
While I do enjoy a slow-burn story at times, I'm typically a reader who prefers a fast-paced tale. Will Haunt You picks up rather quickly, within the first few chapters, and then from there it's mostly a fast-paced ride.
This story has many elements of horror that I enjoyed- just enough gore, suspense, and creepiness to keep me intrigued and turning pages at a fast pace. The only thing that I struggled with was the ambiguity throughout the story, and ultimately at the end.
Sometimes, this works for me, but in this instance I personally just wanted a bit more clarity on what was going on. I recommend this one if you're a fan of horror or supernatural thrillers-- especially for those who enjoy a story that will leave you with a few questions and thoughts to ponder after the experience is over. I look forward to reading what's next from this author! Note: I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Cassie Daley. Author 6 books followers. Starting off, I'd seen a lot of hype surrounding this release on the blogs of some people whose reviews I typically follow. Oddly, when looking through the reviews for this, I'm not actually seeing many of those who promoted it reviewing it at least, not yet - it is slated to come out next month officially, so maybe everyone's just waiting for closer to the release.
I will admit I was a little disappointed by this, because I was really interested to hear what my friends thought of it. I'll keep an eye out for other reviews!
As a minor note, I've decided moving forward on GR at least not counting blog reviews , I won't be typing up any sort of synopsis. Goodreads provides that for you, I'll provide my thoughts!
So onto those After all the promotion, I was honestly a bit underwhelmed by the book itself. That's not to say I didn't like it, since I did rate it at 3. I expected more ghostly otherworldliness, I suppose, although I haven't removed any stars for this itself, as I do like to go into books mostly blind and a majority of my assumption here was based on the title!
With horror, I always say that it doesn't have to actually make me terrified for me to love it. Some of my favorite horror comes from the stories of people, the things that happen to them; the horror of tragedy and pain can be extremely scary even without ghosts or bumps in the night, so when I say this 'didn't scare me', please know that I'm not detracting points or stars, as it were for that either.
However, not being scared coupled with being almost mildly annoyed every time I was warned away from the book while trying to be absorbed in what was happening, as well as just genuinely not liking the main character, just didn't make for an overwhelmingly positive reading experience. Minor character spoilers below possibly, warning! Our main man Jesse just isn't a likable guy - I get that the author tried to make him real and troubled, and I get that he's struggled with addiction and alcoholism.
Even so, some people are just blatantly selfish and self-serving, and in my opinion, Jesse is one of those people as are his bandmates, who I also really did not like. I honestly felt like every action he made was fueled either by his selfishness, his guilt, or a combination of both.
I never felt any real urgency for his safety, because I honestly didn't care whether he was safe, lol. I will say my favorite part of this was the uncertainty in the world around the main characters. I was completely drawn into the idea that the world built around someone could be manufactured - The Truman Show is one of my absolute fav movies -, so during parts of the story, I kept finding myself on the edge of my seat just trying to figure out if certain things were real or not.
Every time Jesse was in a place of normalcy or familiarity, I had my guard up! I really liked this aspect of the book so much. I read some other reviews saying they didn't understand what happened, but I didn't experience this at all. While there were some strange, almost dream-like scenes, I didn't find it difficult to follow, nor did I find the ending to be confusing.
Also, I'd have loved more info on Malia! One other very minor criticism - and this is something that I've never noticed anyone else being bothered by, but has ALWAYS struck a chord with me - is the overusage of similes. Not every single thing, character, smell, etc has to be "like" something else, and the repetition of using this technique so heavily to describe so much of what was going on in the book did get to me a bit.
Again, this is probably something that I have an issue with only, and nobody else minds, but I do like to mention everything that stuck out to me when reading, so there you have it! Overall, despite having some of the issues I did, I gave this a solid 3. The ride was a wild one, and if you're into more "out there" horror, this may be right up your alley! I picked up a copy of this book because I was in the mood for a good horror novel. It has been a really long time since I have read a good horror novel.
Sadly, this book did not end up being that "one. Yet, the concept was there and could have been. It is funny as I was struggling with this book and kept putting it down after a few chapters not really able to put my finger on what the issue was.
I knew that the one thing was that I could not connect or cared for the characters including the main lead Jesse. It was not until I read a few other readers thoughts that I realized what the problem was. Which, I don't typically read reviews until after I have read the book. The problem is that the way the characters voiced their thoughts was not in full sentences. It was short and choppy.
I might have been able to excuse this style of writing if I had been more into the overall book. As I stated this book did have elements of being a good horror book. It is dark and the transformation that Jesse experienced could give you nightmares. A good idea that was not executed as well in the end. Steve Stred. Author 49 books followers. Indie horror releases have upped the level of quality and Flame Tree Press releases are stellar. Now while the two statements at face value would appear to be completely unrelated, I can guarantee you, they are one and the same.
There is nothing wrong with commercial literature. Many of the best horror novels of all time are considered commercial literature. No commercial editing, the release is designed to engage and enrage, not move to the 1 spot on the Bestsellers list.
Enter Flame Tree Press. They are fast becoming one of the go-to publishing imprints for top-notch releases. They write tales designed to engage and enrage.
Which brings us to Will Haunt You. I came across the release of this book through the unique promotion Kirk and Flame Tree Press had on Twitter, where the prologue Obsideo was told. All you need to hear is the rhythm, not even the actual song, and you know who it is. We follow the main character, Jesse, a former rock star-now jingle writer.
The story picks up on the night of his band playing a one-off reunion show. Jesse longs for the glory days — young women, lots of booze and big arenas. Then he read a book recommended to him by a bandmate. Things quickly spiral out of control and nothing is what it seems. Surveillance, the young-old character Malia, and a deepening mystery. Will Haunt You is the ideal indie horror novel.
Kirk takes the road less travelled, and in fact while it is written in first person POV, he breaks the fourth wall to talk directly to the reader a number of times.
It works so satisfyingly well that it made me keep pushing deeper and deeper into the novel. Because for me this book was the ultimate horror read. Lauren Stoolfire. Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk sounded like it had so much potential. The synopsis is really drew me in. Unfortunately, the novel didn't quite win me over. At times it's just too outright weird and that's coming from someone who generally appreciates that quality and confusing.
That said there were some elements I enjoyed, but I think a visual element would really help this story. Personally, I think seeing it adapted to the big screen could be what it needs to really come together.
While this novel wasn't a favorite, I still want to try other things from Brian Kirk because of all of the potential here. Thanks again or the opportunity, NetGalley. The main characters escape to safety, to normality, from all the craziness and outrage ensuing, keeps you tied in to this tale with keen interest. Taking you viscerally to new levels of evocation and sensory overload, with some good choice of words with some bad things, the usual bad words too, and ugliness, through a bent mind ride, taken by the authors hand in first person narration in a nightmarish fever dream brain impregnation that may stir and haunt.
Review also More2Read. Review Copy An interesting book to start out with, but I quickly got bored. And then He gathered up a bunch of his blogger friends and asked them to post a prequel to this book on their blogs presumably to garner excitement as well as explain wtf was going on in this silly story.
Now as I said, read on its own you could figure the story out without the prequel. But I don't like starting in the middle of a book or walking late into a movie so this whole stunt just pissed me off.
I was not interested in going on a treasure hunt blog tour to read a book that I was thinking was a three star book at best. The book wasn't chilling or creepy or even weird. It just fell flat. But if you liked that, give this a try. Meet Jesse, a former member of a heavy metal band who reads a book with a warning, the same warning that was in my copy, your warned to put the book down, to throw it away. Or it will haunt you.
Like me, Jesse read the book. If Alice was in a rock band I have a feeling she would have tumbled down the same hole as Jesse. This book is weird, it's pretty upside down and sideways. I was really unsure throughout if I was engaged in this book, if I was enjoying it, having now finished the book I'm sure I did.
It lost me on occasions but it tied up nicely at the end. Overall I'm bang in the middle, a 3 star read. I'm done, now haunt me book! Jesse Wheeler, was a former rock guitarist with the heavy mental band Dead Rising. Dead Rising was getting back together for one night only. They were playing at a seedy little bar, called The Full Moon Saloon. Jesse has been sober for seven years now. He has a wife and a little boy.
One night Jesse came home wasted. He injured his son and left him permanently disabled. Jesse has not had a drink since that night.
Now he cuts radio jingles and fights to keep his head above water. Tonight is going to be different for Jesse, it will change his life and his way of thinking forever. The story started off strong, but quickly derailed and never regained it's momentum. Audra ouija. I felt let down by the premise of this book. Language is also extremely strong, with frequent uses of "f--k," "s--t," and many other words. Characters drink shots in a bar, and one character is referred to as an alcoholic.
The movie recalls the worst parts of s slasher movies, with poorly drawn characters, jump scares, and an unsettling penchant for violence against women.
Katie Stevens stars. Add your rating See all 3 parent reviews. Add your rating See all 4 kid reviews. Afterward, the six decide to go to an "extreme" haunted house for fun. But things turn dark quickly as they see what appears to be a young woman being tortured. When the friends become separated and Mallory disappears, it becomes clear that there's more than just harmless fun going on.
But what will it take to escape the sinister attraction? The promise of a fun, Halloween-set haunted house movie is quickly dashed by a batch of weak, thinly drawn characters, poor decisions, and a preoccupation with torture. Haunt is more Saw than scary. Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods -- who originally wrote the clever, terrifying A Quiet Place -- Haunt has more in common with the cruel, ugly works of its producer, Eli Roth Hostel , etc. It tries to be a throwback to s slasher films but succeeds only in copying the bad parts of those movies, with jump scares and brutality, mainly toward women.
Plus, the characters are annoying and don't seem like they'd actually be friends. Only one, Harper, has any kind of backstory, and it's based in abuse.
The others are paper thin, and the dull, cultlike batch of killers is far less interesting than a single villain would have been. The movie fails to use its Halloween setting for anything fun unlike the strikingly similar s cult classic Night of the Demons , and even the haunted house set feels chintzy.
Ultimately, it's not the house, but the characters' own poor judgment that gets them into trouble. You'd do better to check out the comparable but much better Hell Fest , with its horror-carnival setting and far more interesting characters.
Families can talk about Haunt 's violence. Would you consider it gratuitous? Why or why not? What's shown and what's not shown? What's the impact of media violence on kids? Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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Movie review by Jeffrey M. Anderson , Common Sense Media. Brutal haunted house movie lacks characters or fun. R 92 minutes. Rate movie. Watch or buy. Based on 3 reviews. Based on 4 reviews. Get it now Searching for streaming and purchasing options Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Get it now on Searching for streaming and purchasing options X of Y Official trailer. Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update Haunt.
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A lot or a little? The parents' guide to what's in this movie. Positive Messages. Positive Role Models. The genre-typical "final girl" here, Harper, shows bravery and cunning and manages to survive. Sexy Halloween costumes. Mention of Party City store. Characters drink vodka shots in bar. A character is referred to as an alcoholic.
What parents need to know Parents need to know that Haunt is a horror movie about a group of college students who decide to visit an "extreme" haunted house on Halloween. Continue reading Show less. Stay up to date on new reviews. Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. User Reviews Parents say Kids say. Parent of a year-old Written by Nando September 11,
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