That was…interesting. Hard to put into words how I feel about it.

The first half of the book was pretty good. I was enjoying the kids getting their own island and getting to do whatever they wanted. But once we hit about 65%, it got weird. Really weird. I didn’t really like where the story was going. And I also had a hard time following along. Not sure if that was because I was listening to the audiobook or because things just went completely off the rails, but either way I was confused and a little bit disappointed (and a little bit disturbed, which is hard for a book to do to me).

Don’t forget to feed Emerson I guess.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

**3.5-stars**

Something I Keep Upstairs is set in the coastal New Hampshire town of Newcastle, and follows a story told by Billy Hasler. He shares with the Reader the events that happened to him and his group of friends in the Summer he was 17, that would change the course of all of their lives.
That was the Summer before they were all supposed to head off to college, as most of us know an oft emotional and pivotal time in a young person's life.

When his best friend, David Spivey, inherits his deceased Grandmother's mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems the perfect spot for Summer shenanigans. As they start to spend time there with their friends though, it becomes clear that the island houses a dark past. Things spiral out of control for the group. It becomes the stuff of nightmares, and it's hard to trust what you're hearing from Billy. This house is evil and it's something that's effected generations of people in Newcastle.

It doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon either. Will Billy be able to escape its hungry grasp unscathed, or will he suffer the same fate of many before him?

For my personal tastes, Something I Keep Upstairs wasn't a super enjoyable reading experience. My attention frequently wavered and I probably only managed to retain 1/2 of it. Nevertheless, I have to give many extra points for Barker's fluid writing style and wild-creativity. While this had some strong attributes, like the atmosphere and inclusion of local history/lore, a few of the concepts weren't to my tastes. I also felt it dragged on for way too long. Coming in at just shy of 500-pages, this story felt like a monster undertaking that struggled to get off the ground.

I did love the sort of confessional Coming of Age narrative style though. I think that was a great choice by the author, and perhaps if the 'what' of the island captured my attention a little more, I wouldn't have minded the length as much. Some of the extra points also go towards the many unexpected turns of the story, which I never saw coming. However, with this being said, I did find it difficult to track some of the side characters and past events/time shifts.

At the end of the day though, I think it was merely a mismatch for my tastes. I can appreciate the skill it took to create this story, but for me, it just wasn't a hit. With this being said, this is purely my personal opinion based upon my reading experience. Just because I wasn't the biggest fan, doesn't mean you wouldn't love it. I strongly encourage anyone who thinks it sounds interesting to give it a go. It's absolutely worth the shot!

Thank you to the publisher, Hampton Creek Press and Recorded Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I def plan to check out more from this author!

This is the third book I have read from this author and I was really impressed with this one. The overall story is so layered and so unsettling. I felt like it took a while to reach it's true stride though. I would say probably somewhere around the middle. I was left clinging to the book until the dust settled to find out the truth of what is happening and the origin. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. I think my horror pal Melinda would really enjoy this.

This spooky ghost story invoked some teenage nostalgia, and the storyline surrounding the house on its own island was intriguing. I connected with Billy and his best friend, David. I did have to take a break in the middle because the pacing was moving too slowly for me. I'm glad I went back and finished the story, though. It's a great read for fans of slow-burning horror.

3.5 stars

J.D. Barker’s Something I Keep Upstairs promises a chilling blend of coming-of-age nostalgia and supernatural terror, set against the backdrop of a sleepy New England town. The premise is immediately enticing: two best friends, Billy and David, spending one last summer together before college in a mysterious inherited house on an isolated island. With no parents, no rules, and the thrill of freedom, their adventure has all the makings of a summer to remember—until the house begins to reveal its sinister secrets.

Barker excels at crafting atmosphere. The coastal New Hampshire setting is richly described, capturing both the charm of small-town life and the creeping dread of isolation on a fog-drenched island. The lore surrounding the house, and the idea that “for a haunted house to be born, somebody has to die,” is both eerie and thematically powerful, tying together ideas of legacy, sacrifice, and the lingering weight of past sins.

However, while the mood is compelling, the novel struggles with pacing and character development. Billy and David’s friendship is at the heart of the story, yet their dynamic often feels underexplored, leaning too heavily on stereotypes of teenage rebellion and bravado. As the supernatural elements intensify, the characters’ choices sometimes feel forced, serving the horror tropes rather than growing organically from their personalities.

The horror itself is uneven. Some scenes deliver genuine chills, particularly when the boys uncover the house’s grim history, but others fall flat or veer into predictability. Barker clearly wants to balance psychological tension with visceral scares, but the execution wavers, leaving certain sections dragging while others rush past key revelations.

Unfortunately I have decided to DNF this one, it wasn't for me.
I will continue to check for future books from this author as I like to give author's a second chance and I won't be put off from DNF this one for my future reads.

What I thought was going to be a creepy haunted house on an island story ended up being something so much more! I loved this King-esque storytelling with a mind warp plot. I was thrilled, I was chilled, and I was absolutely blown away with how the story all played out. Highly recommend for a fun mess with your mind horror story.

J.D. Barker's "Something I Keep Upstairs" is like that mysterious box in your attic that you're pretty sure contains either Christmas decorations or the restless spirit of your great-aunt Gertrude. You know you should probably check, but honestly, you're kind of afraid of what you'll find.

The book follows our protagonist as they discover that their new house comes with more than just outdated wallpaper and questionable plumbing—it also features a complimentary supernatural entity with serious boundary issues. Think "Extreme Home Makeover: Poltergeist Edition."

Barker writes with the confidence of someone who has clearly spent way too much time researching exactly how creaky a floorboard needs to be to achieve maximum psychological terror. His attention to atmospheric detail is so precise that I found myself checking my own upstairs after every chapter, just to make sure nothing had moved. (Spoiler alert: my laundry pile had somehow gotten bigger, which is arguably more terrifying than any ghost.)

The pacing moves like a person walking through their house at 3 AM trying not to wake anyone—carefully calculated steps punctuated by moments where you're absolutely certain you just heard something that definitely wasn't the cat. Barker knows exactly when to make you jump, though I do question whether my neighbors appreciated my involuntary yelping at 11 PM.

Where the book stumbles slightly is in its middle section, which drags like that one drawer in your kitchen that never quite closes properly. Some scenes feel as repetitive as a ghost stuck in an eternal loop of reorganizing the linen closet.

The ending delivers the kind of revelation that makes you want to immediately flip back to page one to catch all the clues you missed—much like realizing the "ghost" sounds were actually just your house settling, but way more satisfying and significantly less embarrassing.

Bottom line: "Something I Keep Upstairs" is a solid supernatural thriller that will make you reconsider your home's storage solutions. Perfect for readers who enjoy their scares with a side of "maybe I should finally clean out that spare room."

Just maybe read it downstairs.

Overall, I really enjoyed this title. I look forward to reading other works by J.D. Barker in the future. Will be recommending to friends!

First thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Shuster and Hampton Creek Press for the e-copy....

If you like haunted houses and lots of creepiness, this is for you! I did enjoy this one but it did seem to drag on a bit.

Haunted houses and quiet islands are a set up for a great thriller. Eerie and creepy story, I don’t recommend reading at night LOL. Pacing was good.

Unexpected delight. Really enjoyed this story and couldn’t put it down. Read all night. Strongly recommend and will read the author again. Great characters and wonderful writing.

In the sleepy coastal town of New Castle, New Hampshire, seventeen-year-old Billy Hasler's life is about to take a terrifying turn. When his best friend David Spivey inherits a mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems like the perfect place to spend their final summer before heading off to college. No parents. No police. No responsibilities.

As they dig into the island's dark past, they awaken an ancient evil that has influenced generations. What begins as an innocent summer adventure quickly descends into a nightmare.

"Something I Keep Upstairs" is a haunting exploration of friendship, sacrifice, and the darkness lurking just beyond our understanding. It will keep you on edge until the final, chilling page.
Chilling! Thrilling! And suspenseful. Loved it from the jump. Will recommend to others.

This was such a creepy read. I was intrigued, but had a hard time liking the characters. At times this book did feel like it drug on as it was such a long book, but overall it was a good book.

Billy Hasler’s life takes a turn when his best friend David Spivey inherits a house on a secluded island. They think it will be a fun summer of unsupervised mischief, but things are definitely not what they seem.

I enjoyed this one! As a fan of Barker’s Fourth Monkey, I was excited to read something of his outside that franchise. I loved how spooky this book was. My main complaint is that it started to drag and got a little convoluted/confusing for me toward the end. Very creepy, atmospheric, and overall entertaining though! Solid four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read!

I received both audio and ebook versions of Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D Barker from netgalley. I listened to the audiobook, so that is what my review is based on.

I think the narration was so well done. I'm not sure if this book is supposed to be YA, but the narrator, characters, and story all give YA feel. HOWEVER, that's not a bad thing as I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The characters and setting are very descriptive. There's mystery after mystery, keeping me on my toes. With creepy almost horror aspects.

*I say YA, not meaning youth. There are dark elements*



Definitely recommend!

This takes a step back into classic Barker from when I first started reading him.
From the moment we see the characters step onto the island, we are faced with a simmering dread that slowly starts to heat into a boil.
When starting, I did not expect a YA, and honestly, it didn't feel that way at the end either. This is due to Barker tackling problems that plague us all daily. His handling of it was also done with a maturity that made its way to the characters - so do not think this is your typical YA novel because it certainly isn't.
Yet another high scoring book for me that kept the pacing going well (I do enjoy a slow burn in the beginning, where I can see some people having issue with).

This is an unsettling story with a creepy atmosphere. I enjoyed the pacing and the characters are all entertaining and unique. I liked the writing style because it sucked me in and didn't let me go until the end. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to J.D. Barker,Hampton Creek Press/Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀʏ ʟᴠʟ: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kept me guessing, especially for the missing girl. That was unexpected
ᴛʜʀɪʟʟ ʟᴠʟ: ⭐⭐⭐
Thrill in this sense is for the level of intrigue and suspense. Though it did keep me guessing, the suspense wasn't consistent. Usually, though there's a dip in some chapters, the suspense remains in the background that pushes you to keep flipping those pages. In the first half of the book, it was losing its grip, thus the rating.
Final rating: 4⭐️
I really thought there will be some character development for our MC, Billy, but damn! Kira did her best to save you, man. She knows it wasn't right or at least she realized at some point she made a bad decision, and she did not want Billy to pay the consequence of that. But our boy's a simp. Sigh

Enjoyed it thoroughly to the point that it put me in a mini-slump because I can't stop thinking about that ending. Definitely one of my J.D. Barker favorites.

I will start this with, I WILL ALWAYS READ A JD BARKER book! Now this was not my favorite, but I fear nothing will compare to 4th Monkey. And that is a genuine, whole hearted complement. I will also say I did not realize this was a "chiller" which, great! But I think my expectations were very off. I did love the MC, the chilling, and ghostly things in this book. But I was very annoyed I am afraid, with every female character and the scenes that tried to be spooky, but just were not.. Other than that, I really enjoyed this and was very, strangely, happy with the ending lol.