Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker is a haunting, atmospheric read that kept me hooked from the start. I had the chance to experience both the ebook and the audio ARC, which added an extra layer of immersion—especially with the eerie narration. The story follows a group of teens spending the summer on a mysterious island, where they uncover a dark presence tied to an old mansion. The pacing is tense, and the blend of supernatural horror with emotional depth makes it more than just a typical scare-fest. Some parts are intense and twisty, but if you enjoy creepy stories that stay with you, this one’s definitely worth picking up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Thank you #Netgalley Hampton Creek Press/Simon and Schuster, and the author for this eARC along with the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on May 13, 2025

Listened to audiobook as I read along. Still kissing the usual J.D. Barker "ta-da" that I love. This was a good enough story, just not what I was expecting. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thank you to NetGalley, JD Barker and Simon & Schuster for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was long and I feel like the mid point of this novel dragged a bit, but then you get into the action and wildness of this entire story. I was addicted from then on and I was thrilled with the twists. I love that the author labelled this as a “chiller” it was unique and overall very good.

While the setup was really interesting, this book was dragged down constantly by the characters. They are stock teenagers with their most annoying traits turned up to 11, and as an adult reader I found them really hard to care about or connect with. The narrator is constantly infodumping about things that he is unlikely to know or care about given his age and limited characterization - things like real estate law. Firstly, I don't care that his dad is a realtor - what teenager is listening to and retaining all of this niche information about real estate law?? Secondly, the prologue states that the text is supposed to be this character's account of the events as the only survivor. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be randomly dropping in tidbits about real estate in the middle of recounting that kind of trauma. The author also seems to completely forget this initial setup in the writing of the book, because we get information from other characters' points of view that the ostensible writer of the piece would have no way of knowing.

I wanted to like this, but it just wore me out while reading it.

J.D. Barker is brilliant. Something I Keep Upstairs was a true page-turner—I didn’t want to put it down. Just when you think you have a grasp on what’s happening, Barker hits you with a twist. The story is layered with themes, yet his writing style ensures everything flows seamlessly. Each character is well-developed, and the vivid descriptions make it easy to picture every eerie scene.

The novel beautifully explores how far people are willing to go for true love and friendship, even the sacrifices they’re prepared to make. It also delves into the haunting power of perception—the blur between truth and what your mind wants to believe is deeply compelling.

As always, J.D. Barker does not disappoint.

If you enjoy creepy, chilling and suspenseful stories that mess with your mind, I highly recommend this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher. for the advance copy for an honest review.

Wow! What a fantastic thriller!!! I've read 1 other book by this author, and it floored me as well. The writing for this book is akin to early Stephen King! It has the perfect balance of mystery and suspense mixed with a dash of "can't stop watching the trainwreck" feelings.

I love the foreshadowing in the book. The characters are interesting and varied, all very 3-dimensional. I felt like I never knew exactly where this was going. I would start to form a picture and then the next chapter would make it more complicated.

I can't get over this book honestly. It's SO well structured, the pacing is great, the plot is plotting, and the evil just twists up inside of itself for this story!

Thank you Hampton Creek Press / Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this book before release! And thank you JD Barker for writing such a phenomenal story!

Wowowowow.
This was such a slowwww burn with an incredible payoff. This atmospheric read had me questioning everyone and everything the entire way through and I was loving it. I truly had no idea where this was going, and that made me SO HAPPY. I love when a mystery truly befuddles me. I listened to this in two days and honestly had such a hard time taking any breaks. If you can listen to this, I highly recommend it. The narration is fantastic.

2.5⭐️ rounded up because I was feeling generous.
I tried, I tried, I tried. I've enjoyed all this authors previous books so I really did try to like this one, but I just didn't. There was too much going on, too much to keep track of, a whole host of unlikeable characters. I'm also not the biggest fan of ghost/haunted house stories, so I really couldn’t connect with this one at all.
Urgh, fingers crossed for his next book to be better.

I will read ANYTHING J.D. Barker writes! I spent most of this dark story whispering to myself, “wth is going on?” I could hardly stand the suspense! Because “for a haunted house to be born, somebody has to die” and boy is this a creepy, bone chilling haunted house story!

David Spivey has just inherited his grandmother’s estate, located on a small island off the shore of New Castle, NH. He and his best friend, Billy Hasler, are looking forward to one last summer before their senior year in high school living it up in Spivey’s new house. Spivey wants to create a haunted house out of it and for that they need the help of an aspiring teen witch, Alesia. But what none of these teens can know is that the house is already haunted by an ancient curse that has plagued generations of kids before them. And before the spine tingling and explosive ending, some of them may not survive.

This is honestly the haunted house story of all haunted house stories! I hope the editor keeps Barker’s Author’s Note placed one chapter before the concluding chapter where he may or may not reveal that some parts of this story are based on researched fact. WHAT???? I highly recommend getting your hands on this one and read it during spooky season, you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you Netgalley, Hampton Creek Press/Simon and Schuster, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on May 13, 2025

This was a chilling story of a private island with a lot of dark history. I found this book incredibly interesting. I really enjoyed this book and its story lines. There were times I felt that there were inconsistencies in the story line, and a few unanswered questions.
This was my first J.D. Barker book and I will be looking for another!

Big thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and J.D. Barker for the opportunity to read an ARC of "Something I Keep Upstairs".

Currently listening to and loving this book. Full review when done.

I love this author. He writes some of the darkest thrillers!

This was a creepy, fantastic read! “Something I Keep Upstairs” is my first JD Barker novel, and it definitely won’t be my last. The atmosphere created was absolutely chilling, and the suspense never let up. Even though this book is over 400 pages, it never felt long while reading — a rare and impressive accomplishment. I was completely hooked from the eerie opening to the final, chilling page.

The creepiness is magnified by the fact that the island and house are real places, which made the story even more unsettling. The way the author blended friendship, sacrifice, and supernatural horror felt fresh and deeply immersive. Every twist kept me on edge, and the slow reveal of the island’s dark history was perfectly paced.

Thank you to NetGalley, RBMedia, and Hampton Creek Press for the ALC and e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

This book feels like a 90’s horror done right. It starts off as what feels like a classic ghost story and it quickly spirals into a blend of witches, grief and psychological torment. It’s “small-town secrets” meets “paranormal rot” with a creeping sense of lingering claustrophobia.

The danger isn’t universal, it’s personal. Only a few see it and that makes it hit harder. You’re not safe in numbers when no one else even realizes there’s a threat. And yes, the teenage characters are built like actual smart people and not caricatures of angst.

The atmosphere is immaculate. A remote island with a forever changing house, ghosts and too much silence. It’s eery, brutal in the right ways and relentlessly beautiful.

4.0 🌟

this book had me hooked from the start! what begins as a fun summer hangout with friends on an island quickly turns into pure nightmare fuel 💀. creepy mansions, lurking shadows, and danger around every corner—it’s a wild ride. the sense of dread just keeps building, and when things take a dark turn, you won’t be able to look away.

but honestly, what stood out most was the friendships. even with all the chaos and creepy vibes, the way the characters stuck together hit different 🩷. it’s dark, chilling, and full of tension, but those bonds really shined through. jd barker knows how to keep you on edge while giving you characters you care about! 📚✨

This was a tremendous read.
A chiller, set in a sleepy New England town, which follows a group of teenage friends and the strange goings on around a small island just offshore. Expect things to get a little crazy.
This was so well written, the pacing was maybe a little slow but the chills and thrills more than made up for this. If you like supernatural horror then this will most certainly be a good choice for a spooky read.
Fantastic!!

eerie, chilling tale set on a small, isolated island in New England, guaranteed to get the hair on the back of your neck standing to attention.

Billy's best friend Spivey has just inherited a small island complete with a house from the grandmother he never really knew.  It does however, come with a number of conditions that must be adhered to in order for him to keep his inheritance - of course, sometimes rules aren't always easy to keep, especially where teenagers are concerned.  When Billy, Spivey and their friends spend time on the island over the summer, strange things begin to occur and a presence is awakened and must be fed and satisfied, to the detriment of people in the local town.

I enjoyed this read but felt the 1st half was a little slow and the build up to the storyline took longer than I would have liked.  I was also unsure whether this was written as a YA novel as it felt that way to me (perhaps I'm just getting old!). There were characters you couldn't help but love and some you couldn't help but dislike - I would have loved to have seen a bit more development of some of the main protagonists to give a better understanding of their motivations and behaviour. The book touches on a number of themes including friendship, the lengths some might go to, to get what they want, and betrayal of trust.  

It was interesting to read the note by the author at the end of the story which gave fascinating context to how the story came about - make sure you read this bit! 

Thank you to NetGalley, Hampton Creek Press House and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.
⭐⭐⭐.5

This is what I call "smooth reading". Everything just flows and I can committ 100 percent to the experience because everything just works. This is a stunning book with a very interesting story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A thousand per cent YES!!! If you've read anything by J.D. and enjoyed it, you will absolutely love this one too! Huge thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to go through an advanced copy before release day. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The depth of the characters, their relationship to each other, the plot, the subplot... everything was done with such detail and finesse that nothing felt out of place, no sentence or chapter was fluff. J.D. takes you on such a beautiful journey through a realm you never want to leave. Billy, Spivey, and Kira are caught in a tailspin of a journey when Spivey's grandma leaves her property (a whole island!) to him in her will. Secrets, generational connections, and some spooky events are all unleashed as soon as they set foot on the island.

How does JD write such wonderful complex books without plot holes or things going over my head?! As always, I was fully consumed in the world created by the author and enjoyed each step of the way. This paranormal thriller started as a slow burn and finished with an action packed ending. The characters were well developed. Chief Whaley was my favorite. He didn’t feel like a stereotypical cop and I worried the whole book that something might happen to him.

Thank you NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press / Simon & Schuster for this ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date May 13 2025

I really enjoyed this. The story was very intricate and the characters were interesting. I do feel that it could have been a little shorter and that would have made the story stronger. I feel that some of the suspense was lost at times. Overall this was great and I definitely recommend if you like spooky houses, curses, possession, ghosts, and mind tricks.