Thank you J.D. Barker and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own and voluntary.

I really wanted to like this book! It sounded interesting and I was excited to start reading it, however that excitement was short lived. I typically read a book every 2-3 days, this one took me 23 days to dredge through. I had no desire to pick it up and read. I actually dreaded it. It was super slow and too long by a good 100 pages, if not more. I could not get into the characters at all, in fact, I don't recall a single one I actually cared for. I found myself skipping through a lot of the mundane and realizing that what I skipped made no difference because it was just rambling on. Sorry, not one I would recommend.

I had high hopes for this book since I LOOOVED the 4mk series but I was a bit let down. It was still a good horror story but felt like it was lacking excitement and could’ve ended much quicker and dragged on. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Stephen king books or anyone looking for a mysterious/horror story.

Supernatural
Haunted house
Witches
A dash of a love story
Spooky mysterious island
Multiple POV’s

This is probably the best horror novel I've read in a long, long time. J.D. Barker just keeps getting better at it. I had so many "oh my goodness" and "what the hell" moments during this read. The author's note gave me full body chills...the author's note!!! To say I loved this book is mild - I absolutely loved and thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC.
There were things that I loved about this book and things that I hated.
First, the characters may be young adults but this should not be considered a young adult novel. There are too many triggers. There is suicide in this book as it relates to self sacrifice. There is one scene that I felt could have been left out during a ritual.
I do like that this book is based on a real island in New Hampshire. You need to read the author’s note. It is really interesting. The fact that the island is real adds to the scariness
I liked most of the characters.
Billy’s friend David inherits an island from his grandmother. The island has rules that must be followed. So, of course the rules get broken. This is a story of friendship. I do love the characterization of Billy, and his devotion to his friends. Overall this book is a good scare but it comes with a lot of darkness.

If this book was a movie I don’t think I would be able to sleep for awhile.  The book starts out rather innocuous.  The Billy’s best friend’s Grandma dies leaving her grandson an island.  Cool isn’t it.  There are some weird rules but as a bunch of teenagers no one cares.  What could be better than a party island.  The best friend’s parents are freaking out but they weren’t that great of parents anyway so who cares.  Except they know something the teenagers don’t.  Or do they?  Things start to get weird then they get scary.  A few unexpected twists.  I am not sure whether I will sleep tonight but I don’t regret reading the book.

Barker does not disappoint with his attention to details in his books, including What I Keep Upstairs. This story is very thorough, which does make it a lengthier read, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. My genre usually doesn't include horror, but after seeing this was a new J.D. Barker novel I just had to read it, and I was not disappointed! It kind of gave me a Stephen King vibe. I finished this book a couple weeks ago, and I'm still thinking of it!

Thank you to Netgalley, Hampton Creek Press, and J.D. Barker for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for Something I Keep Upsatirs is May 13, 2025.

A group of friends start to spend more and more time on Wood Island, where their friend has inherited a house and innumerable secrets. Is it haunted? Something is definitely off about the ancient building…Follow the rules, and maybe you’ll survive.

“If a soul occupies a place, do parts of it soak into the wood? Like sweat or exhaled breaths? Where do those things go? Do the living own a place or are they simply borrowing from the dead?”

I’m so curious to know other readers’ thoughts on this one! For myself, there was so much I loved, but also had moments of annoyance.

First of all, the setting: a small island surrounded by rocks and shark infested waters was awesome. I loved the isolation. However, the description of the island itself felt lacking (aside from the house). In my head I pictured a tiny, rocky outcropping, but then found out it’s big enough for people to picnic on and fish off of.

The characters: this was hit or miss, as the majority are teens and somewhat annoying. “Nik Nok” had me wanting to punch things it drove me so crazy. NO! NO MORE WHATEVER THE HELL NIK NOK MEANS! I really enjoyed the adult characters and their complex relationships to each other, their families, and the town/island.

The plot: so creepy at times, but so confusing 30% of the time. What actually was happening here? I feel like I only had the vaguest understanding by the end. It was a bit of a rollercoaster between tense and freaky moments then boring sections. I do think the story could’ve been trimmed down to make it a faster pace overall.

“Nobody dies on that island, but that doesn’t mean they don’t come home. In the end, we all come home. In the end, that’s all we can do.”

I would like to point out that this book was quite unique- definitely give it a read and share your opinions!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Hampton Creek Press/ Simon & Schuster for a copy!

For a haunted house to be born, somebody has to die.

If Stephen King gave us Pennywise, JD Barker presents Emerson because "Emerson should always be fed"

First, a thank you to NetGalley, the author and Hampton Creek Press / Simon & Schuster for providing the eARC for the book
I was over the moon cause I am a JD Barker fan of his 4MK series.
and because of that, I was not daunted by the 492 pages.
In fact, I wanted it to be more.
I am hesitant between a 3.5 and 4 stars because, truthfully, this was my least favorite of Mr. Barker It started out extremely slow, detailed, and very irrelevant, however after the 38% mark I was very much engrossed and couldn't put it down

The book is told mainly through two perspectives
First person of 17-year old Billy Hasler and third person of Chief Cliff Whaley. Both protagonists thrust into the mysterious house of Wood Island in Castle Rock.

What started for Billy as a typical teenager summer getaway with his girlfriend Kira when his best Friend Spivey inherits the house from his late grandmother quickly turns into a horror nightmare when they awaken an ancient evil that has influenced generations.

As I mentioned, the book was very slow in the first third to the point that I concidered DNFing it. But, I am glad I powered up because what came next was thrilling and terrifying. I absolutely loved the twists and surprises that sprung. Many of which I did not see coming. One could tell that an extensive background research went into the book.

Imagine an entity that could grant you whatever wish your heart desires as long as you feed it. And what does IT require in return? oh just a simple token! And all tokens belong to Emerson!

I highly recommend reading this book if you like the macabre and paranormal.

here is what did not work for me

1- as I said, 1/3 of the book to be that slow would definitely deter many from continuing reading
2- It was long and detailed in parts where it shouldn't be, while other stories and characters deserved to be fleshed out but weren't.
3- personally, I thought that if we had multiple POVs where the main affected characters showed their background and motives instead of telling us would have been better.
4- because of that, I did not feel some characters' anguish, desperation or goals! How did Alesia and her mother truly accomplish all that? why did Kira do what she did? Who is this Matty and why is he so evil? And I wanted more of David Spivey, after all, he was the catalyst for the story.
5- The book is titled " Something I keep upstairs", but who is this "I"? The house belonged to Spivey and Billy was struggling against it! It didn't make sense to have the "I" refer to Billy!!
6- I thought the ending was a mix of WaW! and anti-climatic cause it did not make sense in the end.

Nevertheless, it was one of the best supernatural horror books I have read in a while.

J.D. Barker, just YES! You killed it in this book. This was a book that I could not stop reading. I could not put it down and I did not guess the twist. This was one of those books the minute you are done reading you are sitting there telling yourself, wait before you read it again so you can take it all in!

I really enjoyed this haunted horror. I did find it took a while to get into the story but once I was in I was hooked. Thank you to Netgalley and Hampton Creek Press/Simon &, Schuster for ARC.

If you like supernatural themes in your thrillers, check out JD Barker’s Something I Keep Upstairs. Barker knows how to weave a twisted plot, and I love that his books span many different themes and sub-genres of thrillers. I was intrigued by the supernatural elements of this book. When David Spivey inherits an old house on a secluded island, it seems like he and his friends are going to have the best summer, but things are not always what they appear when dark and sinister forces are at work. Did David Spivey, Billy Hasler, and friends unleash an ancient evil, or has it been on the island waiting for them for years?

For Fans of:
✩ Haunted Houses
✩ The Occult
✩ Isolated locations

David Spivey wasn’t dealt the best hand in life, having suffered from health problems growing up. Then his luck seems to change when at the age of seventeen, he unexpectedly inherits a small island. This is going to be the best summer for Spivey and his friends— it’s their last summer before senior year!
However, the house and the rest of the island that he inherited comes with some strange set of rules. No kids under sixteen are allowed on the island, no locking doors, no answering the phone, and most importantly - Emerson must be fed. But who is Emerson?!?

The farther you get in this book, the weirder it gets. 🤯

This was a complex, spine-chilling horror book. It was well put together from beginning to end.
I did get kind of bored though. The first half was really good and then it slowed right down. However, the complexity of the book and the way it ends does make it worth pushing through.

The author’s note and historical tie-ins were a really good touch to the ending! 🤌🏻


✨Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Ever had one of those books that you wanted to re-read as soon as you finished. Well, this was that book for me. I love a good, haunted house story.... and this was one of the best I've read in a very long time. I can see the house and island when I close my eyes. I feel the rain beating down on me...and I can see the sharks swirling around. I feel the dampness of the basement and the terror of the widows walk. I see Benny digging holes and I feel the tension and terror as it builds to the point that I am no longer reading a book...but right there in the middle of the action, pushing and running and fighting along with them.

And then, just when you think that you know what is going on.... guess again. AWESOME!!

I finished the book and then read the authors notes. Made the story even better. I love J D Barkers books and can't wait for more (hopefully along similar supernatural based lines).

Thanks to NetGalley and JD Barker for making this book available as an ARC.

Something I Keep Upstairs is a paranormal thriller that tells the tale of a mysterious house on an isolated island off the coast of a small New Hampshire town. When Billy’s friend Spivey inherits the house from his estranged reclusive grandmother their small group of friends find themselves caught in a dark pact that has existed for centuries. The house on Wood Island has rules and their consequences are dire.

The introduction to the story is by our main narrator, Billy, who is haunted by what happened at the house on Wood Island when he was just a teenager. When Billy and his friends were seventeen the idea that Spivey was inheriting a whole island was a teenage dream. What group of teenagers wouldn’t find see an island as a parent-free paradise to do whatever they please? However, despite coming into such an inheritance Spivey learns there are rules for his new found property and a mysterious lawyer who is at the helm of the island’s conservatorship. Even still, Spivey is a young man with a terrible relationship with his parents and island rules or no he gladly takes his keys to his kingdom. Oddly enough, his late grandmother forbade Spivey’s parents from stepping foot on the island and thus it seemed like a safe haven for him and his friends. However, stepping foot on Wood Island would change things forever.

I knew nothing about the story going into Something I Keep Upstairs and as I sunk into the story I was immediately intrigued. Paranormal Thrillers are my personal favorite so the second the haunted vibes appeared I needed to know more about this house and this island. I wouldn’t quite call this a haunted house story as the house isn’t quite the center of the mystery but rather Wood Island itself. I love a good sinister mystery and I was really pleasantly surprised at how much this story stuck its claws in me.

I’m not always a fan of following teenage protagonists and Billy and his friends did make me want to rip the hair out of my head several times. However, I think in a story like this teens are the best ones because they are irrational and short sighted by nature. The considerations you might make or any reservations you might have as an adult they simply don’t. They infuriate you because they think they know what they’re doing when in reality they’re simply digging themselves a hole so big they’ll never climb out of it. Part of me felt bad for these poor dumb kids and the other part was ready to shout at them for being so ignorant. I felt very helpless as a reader as things went from bad to worse with seemingly nothing and no one to stop it.

For me I think this book really had a good mix of character interest, super creepy paranormal happenings, and high stakes. Oftentimes I think thrillers can succeed in one area but fall flat in others leaving me a bit disappointed but I was really engaged and pretty desperate to get to the ending. I needed to know what happened and how all of the pieces fit together so I just couldn't put it down. I have to say that when I did get to the end of the book I was emotionally distraught and I had to sit with my thoughts for awhile. I wonder what sort of choices I would have made in any of the character's shoes.

Something I Keep Upstairs is a book that left me feeling like I was hanging on by my fingernails. I think this is a great recommendation for paranormal thriller fans and honestly quite a tension filled reading experience.

My thanks to Hampton Press/Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, J.D. Barker, Hampton Creek Press, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

J.D. Barker is back with another thriller from his world of unpredictable stories. I can usually rely on Barker to create a dark and addictive story that has me reading well into the night, all in hopes of discovering what he has going on. In a piece that centres around an isolated house in rural New Hampshire, a group of teenagers take possession and set things up like their own private clubhouse. However, evil lurks in the shadows and what begins as a great getaway soon takes a perilous turn towards the macabre. A chilling piece that had some great moments to showcase J.D. Barker's abilities.

The town of New Castle, New Hampshire is as bucolic as it sounds. Sleepy and free from most any disturbance, the locals thrive on the sense that little of interest creates much of a stir. All that changes for Billy Hasler one day and he doesn't even know it's coming. Billy's best friend, David Spivey is contacted by the authorities to say that he's been given a house on a nearby island by his dead grandmother. David is unsure what to do with it, but Billy knows that this could be an adventure for their group of friends. They take a journey out to Wood Island and inspect the property, which is in great condition. This could be the ideal place to spend together before the hectic world of college commences in the fall. For now, Billy and David will gather their friends for a chance to party, live away from others, and create wonderful memories together.

When something seems off at the house, Billy and the group commence their own investigation, which soon spirals out of control. A number of things take place, putting not only the group ill at ease, but creates a sense of danger for everyone. What that house contains is more than simply family memories for David, but a collection of nightmares from which no one is safe. J.D. Barker crafts this story to keep the reader enthralled until the very end, as they try to decipher truth from chilling distraction.

I have long enjoyed the writing of J.D. Barker and his various story ideas. Some work their way into my mind like an earwig, while others are less impactful. It all comes down to the calibre of the story's foundation, the narrative. Barker sets the scene from the opening pages with a strong base and builds on it from there. Things definitely develop from there, though there are times when the tires appear to spin rather than propel the reader forward. Decent character introduction and development keeps the story on point and the reader wondering what awaits them. While the book was divided into parts, one for each day, this was less effective in the story's presentation, as one day held the bulk (perhaps eighty percent) of the entire piece. I might have liked to see things better chapterised or parts divided in a more balanced manner, though this did not ruin the reading experience by any manner. Plot points worked well, though I found myself bogged down at times and seeking resolution to ensure some progress and added hype. I am pleased to have had the time to read this book and cannot wait to see what's to come for Barker, both independently and with his various collaborators.

Kudos, Mr. Barker, for an eerie story in an intriguing presentation.

I’ve enjoyed other books by this author so was excited to read this one and it did not disappoint. I was hooked straight away. J D Barker is great at building tension and really keeps you wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next.

I’d highly recommend if you are a horror fan and enjoy haunted house stories. Also, make sure to read the author’s note once you have finished

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley and JD Barker for the ARC digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. This thriller has a healthy sprinkle of everything you crave. Nostalgia. Underdogs. Justice. Ghosts. A bit of romance and spice. A few twists and shocks. I need to read more from this author 💕💕💕

This was such a wild ride. It is always interesting to see how thriller authors can spin a horror story. And i must admit that JD Barker did it well!

This has a lot of scary stuff and also psychological. You can't be indifferent. Some chapters made me feel uneasy when i was reading them at night.

And the most unique thing was the authors note before the last chapter. I suggest you read it too and don't abandon the book before finishing cause there will be a lot of interesting facts about the choice of the location.

I totally recommend this to every horror fan and also thriller fans, and, of course, JD Barker fans.

Thanj you Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Something I Keep Upstairs
By: J.D. Barker

5 Stars

This book is about a boy named Billy. It is "his truth" in a world full of unbelievable things. An island with a scary past, a group of teens, and an old evil that wants its dead close.That is what you will find in these pages. A story that puts emphasis on sacrifice, love, and above all friendship. It manages this while also spinning a dark and twisty tale full of ghosts, magic, and evil.

This book was genuinely scary. When I first started, I felt like I was getting lost, but that was the magic. It was dropping little bits here and there. I wasn't missing anything. It was just pulling me in. I have heard of Mr. Barker, but this is the first book of his that I have had the pleasure of reading, and I was deeply impressed. It was a book that had history, both truth and legend. It painted "evil" in a very chilling and all enticing light. It was by far the scariest book I have read in a long while. This was my first book by this author, but it will not be my last.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

JD Barker will forever remain one of my favorite authors and this book just solidified that!

Something I Keep Upstairs is now my holy grail of haunted house books. I was gripped right from the beginning. After Spivey inherits his estranged grandma's house on an island just off the coast of their little town, spivey and his friends start to uncover the mysterious past of the house and island, as they dig deeper they discover the truly dark and haunting past and get consumed by it! This book had me on the edge of seat, audibly gasping. This book was truly haunting. A million stars out of 5!

Huge thanks to Netgally, J.D Barker and Hampton Creek Press for this EARC!


A review will be posted to my Instagram within the week @letsreadandreview89