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All the Dead Lie Down
The Haunting of Bly Manor meets House of Salt and Sorrows in award-winning author Kyrie McCauley’s contemporary YA gothic romance about a dark family lineage, the ghosts of grief, and the lines we’ll cross for love.
The Sleeping House was very much awake . . .
Days after a tragedy leaves Marin Blythe alone in the world, she receives a surprising invitation from Alice Lovelace—an acclaimed horror writer and childhood friend of Marin’s mother. Alice offers her a nanny position at Lovelace House, the family’s coastal Maine estate.
Marin accepts and soon finds herself minding Alice’s peculiar girls. Thea buries her dolls one by one, hosting a series of funerals, while Wren does everything in her power to drive Marin away. Then Alice’s eldest daughter returns home unexpectedly. Evie Hallowell is every bit as strange as her younger sisters, and yet Marin is quickly drawn in by Evie’s compelling behavior and ethereal grace.
But as Marin settles in, she can’t escape the anxiety that follows her like a shadow. Dead birds appear in Marin’s room. The children’s pranks escalate. Something dangerous lurks in the woods, leaving mutilated animals in its wake. All is not well at Lovelace House, and Marin must unravel its secrets before they consume her.
The Sleeping House was very much awake . . .
Days after a tragedy leaves Marin Blythe alone in the world, she receives a surprising invitation from Alice Lovelace—an acclaimed horror writer and childhood friend of Marin’s mother. Alice offers her a nanny position at Lovelace House, the family’s coastal Maine estate.
Marin accepts and soon finds herself minding Alice’s peculiar girls. Thea buries her dolls one by one, hosting a series of funerals, while Wren does everything in her power to drive Marin away. Then Alice’s eldest daughter returns home unexpectedly. Evie Hallowell is every bit as strange as her younger sisters, and yet Marin is quickly drawn in by Evie’s compelling behavior and ethereal grace.
But as Marin settles in, she can’t escape the anxiety that follows her like a shadow. Dead birds appear in Marin’s room. The children’s pranks escalate. Something dangerous lurks in the woods, leaving mutilated animals in its wake. All is not well at Lovelace House, and Marin must unravel its secrets before they consume her.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 16, 2023
About the author
Kyrie McCauley
5 books299 followersKyrie McCauley spent her childhood climbing trees in dresses and reading books during class. She is the author of If These Wings Could Fly, recipient of the 2021 William C. Morris Award.
Kyrie holds a Master of Science in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania, and has worked in advocacy and development for non-profit organizations. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with her family, three rescue cats, and a dog that eats books and is never sorry.
Kyrie holds a Master of Science in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania, and has worked in advocacy and development for non-profit organizations. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with her family, three rescue cats, and a dog that eats books and is never sorry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 673 reviews
December 25, 2023
Haunting by Bly Manor meets Shining with “the return of living dead” vibes: this brilliant and extra creepy gothic horror novel scared the living daylights out of me!
I loved the claustrophobic house theme! I loved the creepy sisters who are pulling the meanest and most terrifying pranks on their nanny ! I loved the dysfunctional family theme! And I loved each character’s unique way to deal with their own grief! Everything about this book makes your hair on your neck stand up, keeping you on your toes! At some chapters, I honestly wanted to crawl under my bed or hide inside my closet! It’s darker and more frightening wild ride than I expected!
Big twists and revelations in the end are also scream worthy and shocking!
Only thing held me back to give me five stars was instant love story between Marin and Evie. Don’t get me wrong; I never say no to good romance blended in gothic horror but it seems like romantic scenes abruptly inserted between high tension thriller chapters and even though they helped us take a peaceful breath after getting extra disturbed from the dark scenes, they also affected the dramatic impact just a little.
Overall: the conclusion was still good. Some twists were unforeseeable and shocking! Giving my four darkest, queer, gothic, living dead stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books/ Katherine Tegen Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
I loved the claustrophobic house theme! I loved the creepy sisters who are pulling the meanest and most terrifying pranks on their nanny ! I loved the dysfunctional family theme! And I loved each character’s unique way to deal with their own grief! Everything about this book makes your hair on your neck stand up, keeping you on your toes! At some chapters, I honestly wanted to crawl under my bed or hide inside my closet! It’s darker and more frightening wild ride than I expected!
Big twists and revelations in the end are also scream worthy and shocking!
Only thing held me back to give me five stars was instant love story between Marin and Evie. Don’t get me wrong; I never say no to good romance blended in gothic horror but it seems like romantic scenes abruptly inserted between high tension thriller chapters and even though they helped us take a peaceful breath after getting extra disturbed from the dark scenes, they also affected the dramatic impact just a little.
Overall: the conclusion was still good. Some twists were unforeseeable and shocking! Giving my four darkest, queer, gothic, living dead stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books/ Katherine Tegen Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
September 5, 2024
''The Haunting of Bly Manor meets [etc]'' could've meant unachievable expectations but Kyrie delivered.
Beautifully haunting.
Beautifully haunting.
May 19, 2023
I’m going to admit that I was very bored most of the time but it still wasn’t a bad book, if that makes sense. Much more fantasy oriented than I expected instead of horror but since it’s YA, I should’ve known that. I wish it was spooky thought because it wasn't at all, it just felt rather stereotypical and flat. I also do feel like she was trying to make it like a lot of other stories. I liked the sapphic romance though! I think this is more of a 2 stars but.. I'm feeling generous today.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.
November 13, 2022
**4.5 but rounding up**
What a twisted little thing.
“All the Dead Lie Down” drives us to a haunted house, or at least that’s what the locals believe, as Marin takes a summer job as a nanny for the two young daughters of her favorite author and former friend of her late mother. Battling the hazing that comes with caring for children she finds that some of the pranks are too frightening to be conjured by children and with the arrival of the eldest Lovelace, Marin uncovers more than just a few skeletons in the closet.
This very much feels like The Haunting of Bly Manor in a way that doesn’t feel like a copy but rather an unnerving tale of curses and family secrets against the backdrop of a gloomy seaside estate.
I really loved the build of this book as it lets you question how much if any of the creepy occurrences are real or just a bit of fun conjured up by a couple of kids who love torturing their Nannie’s until they eventually quit. There’s a few moments in here that I actually laughed out loud over the sass of the two girls and the exasperation Marin felt trying to keep up with them.
There was not a single moment or character that I didn’t enjoy as I raced through this book anxious to see how it ends and that was refreshing after a bit of a slump. I think the plot moved along nicely allowing this organic build to the climax and there isn’t a question I feel was left unanswered as I finished which I was a bit worried about as I went along as sometimes books or shows that try to capture that unnerving dread tend to do in the final beats.
Despite its May release date I think a hot cup of tea, wood wick candle and dark clouds outside is just what is needed before stepping foot into the Lovelace estate and all the fun it has to offer.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**
What a twisted little thing.
“All the Dead Lie Down” drives us to a haunted house, or at least that’s what the locals believe, as Marin takes a summer job as a nanny for the two young daughters of her favorite author and former friend of her late mother. Battling the hazing that comes with caring for children she finds that some of the pranks are too frightening to be conjured by children and with the arrival of the eldest Lovelace, Marin uncovers more than just a few skeletons in the closet.
This very much feels like The Haunting of Bly Manor in a way that doesn’t feel like a copy but rather an unnerving tale of curses and family secrets against the backdrop of a gloomy seaside estate.
I really loved the build of this book as it lets you question how much if any of the creepy occurrences are real or just a bit of fun conjured up by a couple of kids who love torturing their Nannie’s until they eventually quit. There’s a few moments in here that I actually laughed out loud over the sass of the two girls and the exasperation Marin felt trying to keep up with them.
There was not a single moment or character that I didn’t enjoy as I raced through this book anxious to see how it ends and that was refreshing after a bit of a slump. I think the plot moved along nicely allowing this organic build to the climax and there isn’t a question I feel was left unanswered as I finished which I was a bit worried about as I went along as sometimes books or shows that try to capture that unnerving dread tend to do in the final beats.
Despite its May release date I think a hot cup of tea, wood wick candle and dark clouds outside is just what is needed before stepping foot into the Lovelace estate and all the fun it has to offer.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**
June 11, 2023
for fans of House of Hollow, Horrid, What Moves the Dead, A House with Good Bones, and probably more that my 12:30am brain can't think of rn because I stayed up to finish this super eerie, twisty, decently gory book! new favorite YA horror for sure.
Want to read
May 15, 2023spooky lesbians in big houses 👌
November 6, 2023
I received and ARC from Edelweiss
TW: animal death & animal corpses/decay, purposeful killing of animals, train accident (fatal), drowning, fire, murder of a child, gruesome injuries & dead bodies, light body horror
3.8
I think this is a perfect book for those who want to dip their toes into horror, and for those who like a healthy balance between a dark aesthetic and moments of hope and levity.
This book definitely enjoys a Gothic Horror leaning aesthetic, and the bones and the sprawling estate fit with greenhouse and ancient cemetery really make this setting feel real and get your ready for the story being told. I appreciate how much this is a "girl comes to be a nanny, is immediately isolated and over her head" classic piece of horror, but in a way that still feels modern even while leaning into that dressing.
There are a lot of secrets at play in this book and I think McCauley hints at them well throughout. The foreshadowing was sometimes a little too opaque, but all in all it was fun to find clues. I also loved the reveal of
I say this is a good book for beginners to horror and those who like a bit of lightness mixed in, because this is not a book that ramps up the tension consistently or takes itself completely seriously. That's certainly not a bad thing for everyone, but the inclusion of so many of those mundane and lighthearted moments more or less ignoring the strange and dangerous reality in front of them made it feel unfocused to me, and made the tension feel overly slack.
I also wanted to want to root on the romance more. In a two dimensional way it's cute, but it all felt so quick and uncomplicated that it really didn't match the tone of the main story and felt too much like it was forcibly becoming the "relief".
This is a creepy tale of possibly haunted houses, family secrets, and curses. There's a lot of fun to be had, particularly for those looking for a bit of a lighter start with the genre.
TW: animal death & animal corpses/decay, purposeful killing of animals, train accident (fatal), drowning, fire, murder of a child, gruesome injuries & dead bodies, light body horror
3.8
I think this is a perfect book for those who want to dip their toes into horror, and for those who like a healthy balance between a dark aesthetic and moments of hope and levity.
This book definitely enjoys a Gothic Horror leaning aesthetic, and the bones and the sprawling estate fit with greenhouse and ancient cemetery really make this setting feel real and get your ready for the story being told. I appreciate how much this is a "girl comes to be a nanny, is immediately isolated and over her head" classic piece of horror, but in a way that still feels modern even while leaning into that dressing.
There are a lot of secrets at play in this book and I think McCauley hints at them well throughout. The foreshadowing was sometimes a little too opaque, but all in all it was fun to find clues. I also loved the reveal of
I say this is a good book for beginners to horror and those who like a bit of lightness mixed in, because this is not a book that ramps up the tension consistently or takes itself completely seriously. That's certainly not a bad thing for everyone, but the inclusion of so many of those mundane and lighthearted moments more or less ignoring the strange and dangerous reality in front of them made it feel unfocused to me, and made the tension feel overly slack.
I also wanted to want to root on the romance more. In a two dimensional way it's cute, but it all felt so quick and uncomplicated that it really didn't match the tone of the main story and felt too much like it was forcibly becoming the "relief".
This is a creepy tale of possibly haunted houses, family secrets, and curses. There's a lot of fun to be had, particularly for those looking for a bit of a lighter start with the genre.
October 10, 2023
If you liked House of Hollow and Horrid then I think you will love this book. This was weird, unsettling, and just plain spooky. I loved it! I so enjoy books where the house is a character just as much as the people. The coastal setting was a perfect addition to the already sinister vibes. Marin, Evie, Wren, Thea, and Neera were wonderful characters and I found myself attaching to Marin pretty quickly. I was hooked from the first chapter and really couldn't put this book down once I got going. This was a perfect, creepy October read and would definitely recommend.
June 13, 2023
3,0 ✨✨✨
(Audiobook)
(Audiobook)
April 17, 2023
Please note that I received this via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
I really liked the setup and reveals. A great LGBT YA Gothic horror novel! The main character and the house with the spooky estate was a great setting as well.
"All the Dead Lie Down" follows Marin Blythe who ends up taking a position as a nanny, to a family her mother knew when she was a child, the Lovelace's. Alice Lovelace, is a famous horror author with three children, Thea, Wren, and Evie. Evie is away at school so Alice needs Marin to help her with the children. The family is still recovering from the accidental death of Alice's husband, and father to the three girls. Marin though feels as if something is wrong at the Lovelace Estate. The woods seem dark and menacing. And the birds seem to die and then disappear once again. When Evie returns from boarding school, Marin finds herself drawn to her and to finding out what secrets the Lovelace's are hiding.
I thought Marin was a great YA character. Not a pushover, and definitely not a Mary Sue. She takes Thea and Wren on (dealing with awful pranks) but realizes that something seems off with Alice. She finds herself falling for Evie, but realizes that something is going on that she doesn't understand.
The other characters all have quirks and I love that we slowly get pieces to a puzzle that Marin is trying to figure out. I also laughed a few times (mostly with the little girls).
I loved the writing and thought the setting of the estate was very Gothic and spooky.
The ending was very creepy and I liked the final resolution. At times though you think that Evie and Marin could be a bit older, but you realize they are older in a way because of everything they have gone through.
I really liked the setup and reveals. A great LGBT YA Gothic horror novel! The main character and the house with the spooky estate was a great setting as well.
"All the Dead Lie Down" follows Marin Blythe who ends up taking a position as a nanny, to a family her mother knew when she was a child, the Lovelace's. Alice Lovelace, is a famous horror author with three children, Thea, Wren, and Evie. Evie is away at school so Alice needs Marin to help her with the children. The family is still recovering from the accidental death of Alice's husband, and father to the three girls. Marin though feels as if something is wrong at the Lovelace Estate. The woods seem dark and menacing. And the birds seem to die and then disappear once again. When Evie returns from boarding school, Marin finds herself drawn to her and to finding out what secrets the Lovelace's are hiding.
I thought Marin was a great YA character. Not a pushover, and definitely not a Mary Sue. She takes Thea and Wren on (dealing with awful pranks) but realizes that something seems off with Alice. She finds herself falling for Evie, but realizes that something is going on that she doesn't understand.
The other characters all have quirks and I love that we slowly get pieces to a puzzle that Marin is trying to figure out. I also laughed a few times (mostly with the little girls).
I loved the writing and thought the setting of the estate was very Gothic and spooky.
The ending was very creepy and I liked the final resolution. At times though you think that Evie and Marin could be a bit older, but you realize they are older in a way because of everything they have gone through.
October 26, 2022
McCauley’s writing is as gorgeous as her story is gruesome, filled with a creeping dread that gets into your bones and holds you in thrall. Lovelace House and its creepy, charming inhabitants felt utterly real to me, and I held my breath through every step Marin took into their darkness. All the Dead Lie Down is the best sapphic horror I’ve read in years.
April 17, 2023
Thank you HarperCollins for the ARC!
If there are three things I love in a horror novel, it’s the following. 1) A haunted house and an atmospheric setting. It creates a close, tense setting that ramps up the tension and adds a sense of claustrophobia that I absolutely love. 2) A romance subplot to temper the creepy. In the case of All the Dead Lie Down, the romance between Marin and Evie was realistic, emotional and full of sapphic longing. I loved it! 3) creepy children and a deer that’s *not quite right* aka creepy, crawly horror elements that mix body horror, plain unsettlement and nature elements. Needless to say, AtDLD checked all my boxes and I loved the story!
The pacing and characterisation was spot on and there wasn’t a moment I was bored or felt like scenes were unnecessary. Marin was a great MC and I really felt for her anxiety and desire to find her place in the world. She was both cautious and prone to worry and courageous when others were counting on her. I thought she was very well rounded and really enjoyed spending time in her head. I loved her blossoming relationship with Evie and thought their romance was both very sweet and realistic for their age. The mystery of Evie’s family was woven nicely in and I was genuinely shocked by some of the twists near the end. I’d highly recommend this book and a think readers who enjoy a bit of horror in an atmospheric, northeastern setting with a bit of romance will love it!
If there are three things I love in a horror novel, it’s the following. 1) A haunted house and an atmospheric setting. It creates a close, tense setting that ramps up the tension and adds a sense of claustrophobia that I absolutely love. 2) A romance subplot to temper the creepy. In the case of All the Dead Lie Down, the romance between Marin and Evie was realistic, emotional and full of sapphic longing. I loved it! 3) creepy children and a deer that’s *not quite right* aka creepy, crawly horror elements that mix body horror, plain unsettlement and nature elements. Needless to say, AtDLD checked all my boxes and I loved the story!
The pacing and characterisation was spot on and there wasn’t a moment I was bored or felt like scenes were unnecessary. Marin was a great MC and I really felt for her anxiety and desire to find her place in the world. She was both cautious and prone to worry and courageous when others were counting on her. I thought she was very well rounded and really enjoyed spending time in her head. I loved her blossoming relationship with Evie and thought their romance was both very sweet and realistic for their age. The mystery of Evie’s family was woven nicely in and I was genuinely shocked by some of the twists near the end. I’d highly recommend this book and a think readers who enjoy a bit of horror in an atmospheric, northeastern setting with a bit of romance will love it!
August 21, 2023
2023 reads: 259/350
4.5
shortly after marin is orphaned, she receives an invitation to nanny at lovelace house. with nowhere else to go, marin accepts, but quickly realizes the girls are quite odd. then, the eldest daughter returns from school, and marin feels a strong pull toward her. but marin still can’t shake the anxiety about all the strange happenings around the house, and has to wonder if this job is worth it.
i don’t know what exactly makes creepy kids such a good horror theme, but i think this part of the book was so good. one girl is doing everything in her power to get marin to leave, and the other is much nicer, but still really creepy. i also loved the setting and how perfectly it tied into the spooky theme.
i highly recommend to anyone interested in a sapphic gothic book.
4.5
shortly after marin is orphaned, she receives an invitation to nanny at lovelace house. with nowhere else to go, marin accepts, but quickly realizes the girls are quite odd. then, the eldest daughter returns from school, and marin feels a strong pull toward her. but marin still can’t shake the anxiety about all the strange happenings around the house, and has to wonder if this job is worth it.
i don’t know what exactly makes creepy kids such a good horror theme, but i think this part of the book was so good. one girl is doing everything in her power to get marin to leave, and the other is much nicer, but still really creepy. i also loved the setting and how perfectly it tied into the spooky theme.
i highly recommend to anyone interested in a sapphic gothic book.
May 4, 2023
This is a haunting and romantic tale that completely pulled me under with its darkness.
Marin recently lost her mother and winds up traveling to be a nanny at the Lovelace house. This house is known throughout town to be cursed, but even though Marin does not expect what lies ahead for her.
Marin and Evie are a great couple to watch grow together, especially through Marin's realizations. The children, Thea and Wren, are absolutely delightful to read about. I loved their twisted schemes.
I thought this book became a little slow at a later point in it. But overall, the idea and the emotions in this story kept me reading.
Out May 16, 2023!
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!
Marin recently lost her mother and winds up traveling to be a nanny at the Lovelace house. This house is known throughout town to be cursed, but even though Marin does not expect what lies ahead for her.
Marin and Evie are a great couple to watch grow together, especially through Marin's realizations. The children, Thea and Wren, are absolutely delightful to read about. I loved their twisted schemes.
I thought this book became a little slow at a later point in it. But overall, the idea and the emotions in this story kept me reading.
Out May 16, 2023!
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!
November 11, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Marin fell of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down.
The little girls' characters were stereotypical and over-the-top. Instead of making them creepy, it made them tacky.
A lot of unrealistic situations, especially the behavior of the characters. The dialogue was ridiculous at times.
By the end of part two, I was begging this book to end already.
It came off as a Bly Manor rip-off at the beginning, but the story improved a bit. It was still very predictable and cliché.
Decent spooky moments.
The romance wasn't bad.
Evie was pretty much the only likeable character.
Very atmospheric.
Short chapters.
Marin fell of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down.
The little girls' characters were stereotypical and over-the-top. Instead of making them creepy, it made them tacky.
A lot of unrealistic situations, especially the behavior of the characters. The dialogue was ridiculous at times.
By the end of part two, I was begging this book to end already.
It came off as a Bly Manor rip-off at the beginning, but the story improved a bit. It was still very predictable and cliché.
Decent spooky moments.
The romance wasn't bad.
Evie was pretty much the only likeable character.
Very atmospheric.
Short chapters.
June 2, 2023
A thrilling and creepy YA read. Marin finds herself working for a distant family friend of her mother's. There is something off at Lovelace House, though, and Marin is determined to find out if it's the house or the family.
August 17, 2023
If you liked What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher, House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig I think you’ll really like this one.
I loved the macabre elements of death, grief, and a creepy historical New England house with SUCH a creepy family 😂 the plot twists were wild
I loved the macabre elements of death, grief, and a creepy historical New England house with SUCH a creepy family 😂 the plot twists were wild
May 18, 2023
“Everyone’s grief looks different.”
Either a 4 or a 4.5 star read for me; I haven't quite made up my mind. I was hooked on the idea of The Haunting of Bly Manor in bookform, and I loved Kyrie McCauley's If These Wings Could Fly, so I had high hopes for this one.All the Dead Lie Down lived up to most of those and was a few tweaks away form a 5-star favourite.
Still a fantastic YA novel that mixes grief, horror and romance, dripping with gothic atmosphere and characters I won't forget.
Full review to come.
Either a 4 or a 4.5 star read for me; I haven't quite made up my mind. I was hooked on the idea of The Haunting of Bly Manor in bookform, and I loved Kyrie McCauley's If These Wings Could Fly, so I had high hopes for this one.All the Dead Lie Down lived up to most of those and was a few tweaks away form a 5-star favourite.
Still a fantastic YA novel that mixes grief, horror and romance, dripping with gothic atmosphere and characters I won't forget.
Full review to come.
September 20, 2023
If you love a book with necromancy, creepy houses, the walking dead (not the show), witty troublesome kids, and a wonderful sapphic romance? Pick up this book as soon as you can! I know it says I’ve been reading this for longer than the 3 sittings it took me to finish this book, but it was truly so compelling! My god! Another amazing queer spooky season read!
January 12, 2023
Remember I told you guys I was looking for a fantasy book that blows my mind? I think I got it!
The book takes you on a ride within the Lovelace house. A combination of magic and horror, the book is about Marin who receives a letter to be a nanny at Lovelace House. Now that she has lost everything, this seems like a good start. But the girls are weird and there is something unnerving about the house. 🏡. As she is settling down, the level of incidents occurring at the house increases with the return of the eldest daughter. The game of death and shadows has begun!
I loved the whole plot for all its detailed descriptions and inter-relationships between the characters. Also, you might be thinking that there are not many twists, but I can assure you the second half is filled with them. What's more to adore? a secret fondness budding between two poles apart characters.
Thank you @this_is_edelweiss @kyriemccauley @harperteen @epicreads for the Digital ARC.
Genre: #horror #fantasy #ya #lgbt
Rating: 5/5
The book takes you on a ride within the Lovelace house. A combination of magic and horror, the book is about Marin who receives a letter to be a nanny at Lovelace House. Now that she has lost everything, this seems like a good start. But the girls are weird and there is something unnerving about the house. 🏡. As she is settling down, the level of incidents occurring at the house increases with the return of the eldest daughter. The game of death and shadows has begun!
I loved the whole plot for all its detailed descriptions and inter-relationships between the characters. Also, you might be thinking that there are not many twists, but I can assure you the second half is filled with them. What's more to adore? a secret fondness budding between two poles apart characters.
Thank you @this_is_edelweiss @kyriemccauley @harperteen @epicreads for the Digital ARC.
Genre: #horror #fantasy #ya #lgbt
Rating: 5/5
July 23, 2023
4.5/5 stars
i need everyone and their mothers to read this book NOW. sapphic gothic horror excellence is here!
i need everyone and their mothers to read this book NOW. sapphic gothic horror excellence is here!
June 20, 2023
Deeply atmospheric, wonderfully twisted and surprisingly tender, All the Dead Lie Down was a beautifully twisted, dark and haunting story of the love between family, sisters and two girls drawn together by curses and secrets. This is my second book by Kyrie McCauley and it certainly won't be my last. She has a true talent for story telling and I can't wait to read whatever story she decides to tell next.
TW: panic attacks, anxiety
TW: panic attacks, anxiety
May 16, 2023
Pitched as The Haunting of Bly Manor meets House of Salt and Shadows, All the Dead Lie Down is a title with a romantic gothic plot line that immediately grabbed my attention when I noticed it on NetGalley. However, this book unfortunately ended up not being for me. While the book feels quite slow overall, I appreciated its easy prose and enjoyed reading from the main character’s point of view.
An aspect that took me out multiple times was that the teen characters often had dialogue that made them sound much older, while the children characters were more inconsistent, at times seeming very much their young age and other times sounding more like teenagers. The time period and general setting also felt vague and hard to pin down. I assumed it was present day, especially since there is a line referencing the band, Paramore but then other little details like how they dressed, manner of speech, and way of life felt archaic at times.
Another disappointing element was the forced romance. The main character had little chemistry with the love interest, other than immediately being obsessed with her lips and acting like a lovesick puppy the minute she showed up.
Overall, I feel like the synopsis didn’t match what the novel actually delivered and I was expecting something much more atmospheric and creepy. All The Dead Lie Down might be something I’d recommend to a reader who had never read in the paranormal realm before but other than that, I’d say skip this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for review.
An aspect that took me out multiple times was that the teen characters often had dialogue that made them sound much older, while the children characters were more inconsistent, at times seeming very much their young age and other times sounding more like teenagers. The time period and general setting also felt vague and hard to pin down. I assumed it was present day, especially since there is a line referencing the band, Paramore but then other little details like how they dressed, manner of speech, and way of life felt archaic at times.
Another disappointing element was the forced romance. The main character had little chemistry with the love interest, other than immediately being obsessed with her lips and acting like a lovesick puppy the minute she showed up.
Overall, I feel like the synopsis didn’t match what the novel actually delivered and I was expecting something much more atmospheric and creepy. All The Dead Lie Down might be something I’d recommend to a reader who had never read in the paranormal realm before but other than that, I’d say skip this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for review.
November 9, 2023
“All women have a goth phase, we all need to mourn. Some of us just choose to show it on the outside.”
🎧Listened via audiobook🎧
All the Dead Lie Down follows the story of Marin who becomes the nanny to her mother's former childhood friend/famous horror novelist. It is set in a crumbling, Gothic seaside mansion with two feral little girls as her charges. Soon, their older sister returns from boarding school and Marin and Evie find themselves drawn into each other's orbits.
The atmosphere in this book was the perfect eerie setting for a spine chilling horror novel. I loved the way that everything slowly unraveled as Marin unfurled the mysteries of the Lovelace family. Her romance with Evie was soft and tender, and it was so sweet seeing the two girls band together to protect the younger sisters. The horror aspect slowly unfurled and was cleverly done. The ramifications of Evie's power slowly lead to escalating horror and gore. This was a great YA horror read!
Hear more of my thoughts in my October Wrap Up on my BookTube channel!
🎧Listened via audiobook🎧
All the Dead Lie Down follows the story of Marin who becomes the nanny to her mother's former childhood friend/famous horror novelist. It is set in a crumbling, Gothic seaside mansion with two feral little girls as her charges. Soon, their older sister returns from boarding school and Marin and Evie find themselves drawn into each other's orbits.
The atmosphere in this book was the perfect eerie setting for a spine chilling horror novel. I loved the way that everything slowly unraveled as Marin unfurled the mysteries of the Lovelace family. Her romance with Evie was soft and tender, and it was so sweet seeing the two girls band together to protect the younger sisters. The horror aspect slowly unfurled and was cleverly done. The ramifications of Evie's power slowly lead to escalating horror and gore. This was a great YA horror read!
Hear more of my thoughts in my October Wrap Up on my BookTube channel!
August 26, 2023
I devoured this book. This type of story is why I read. The writing was pretty good but could have been more complex at times. I love the title and cover. There were a few things that were unnecessary, leading to my 4 star review instead of 5. I will keep my eye on this author.
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If you like making new book friends, playing games, and reading reviews, check out LiterALLy BOOKiSh (Book Club)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/12086...
August 18, 2024
This was giving gothic YA supernatural horror vibes all combined with a sweet Sapphic romance. Think turn of the screw meets night of the living dead slash pet Cemetery and you'll get the gist, but all with perhaps more of a spooky flavour and less of the graphic horror. Anyway it was suitably creepy and atmospheric. It was perhaps a tad slow to take off and get to the point hence my lower score and for the first say two-thirds of this I was tad bored. The last part was fast-paced and it was my favourite part.
It's all told from seventeen year-old Marin Blythe's POV who after the death of her mother is invited to spend the summer nannying for an old friend of her mother's Alive Lovelace. Marin with no place else to go jumps at the offer especially as she is also a big fan of Alice's horror novels.
Lovelace house is vast both inside and out. Marin's new charges Wren and Thea are intent on driving her away especially Wren who is bloody relentless. When Evie the oldest sibling arrives home from school ahead of time Marin is instantly smitten. But It's also not long before she realises that Evie and Lovelace house hold many secrets and these secrets could be dangerous.
So I enjoyed some parts of this more than others, it was well written and It did a great job at providing the suspenseful atmosphere. There did seem to be a lack of broader background included, so the nearby town and a lot of backstory isnt explored further which did let this down somewhat as we were very much operating in an isolated Bubble. The slow pace also wasn't conductive in retaining my attention and the last third of this was the strongest segment as a whole.
Don't go into this expecting some graphic horror style read it's more subtle than that maybe macabre is the correct term here. It YA so plays perfectly for its intended audience. The portrayed romance was sweet and not in any way explicit and I enjoyed the bond that developed naturally between Marin and Evie. There relationship was another plus point for me and it definitely felt authentic. There was no great surprises here but I really wasn't expecting there to be and overall this one was an easy read.
It's all told from seventeen year-old Marin Blythe's POV who after the death of her mother is invited to spend the summer nannying for an old friend of her mother's Alive Lovelace. Marin with no place else to go jumps at the offer especially as she is also a big fan of Alice's horror novels.
Lovelace house is vast both inside and out. Marin's new charges Wren and Thea are intent on driving her away especially Wren who is bloody relentless. When Evie the oldest sibling arrives home from school ahead of time Marin is instantly smitten. But It's also not long before she realises that Evie and Lovelace house hold many secrets and these secrets could be dangerous.
So I enjoyed some parts of this more than others, it was well written and It did a great job at providing the suspenseful atmosphere. There did seem to be a lack of broader background included, so the nearby town and a lot of backstory isnt explored further which did let this down somewhat as we were very much operating in an isolated Bubble. The slow pace also wasn't conductive in retaining my attention and the last third of this was the strongest segment as a whole.
Don't go into this expecting some graphic horror style read it's more subtle than that maybe macabre is the correct term here. It YA so plays perfectly for its intended audience. The portrayed romance was sweet and not in any way explicit and I enjoyed the bond that developed naturally between Marin and Evie. There relationship was another plus point for me and it definitely felt authentic. There was no great surprises here but I really wasn't expecting there to be and overall this one was an easy read.
November 7, 2023
I wanted to love this book so so much.
From the outset it has all of my favorite things: Emily Dickinson references, Ivy by Taylor Swift references, gothic romance, inspired by The Haunting of Bly Manor, a sapphic relationship, adorable kids, exploration of grief through fantasy, etc. etc. I was over the moon when I first read the summary.
The Good:
-The romance between Evie and Marin was very soft and sweet, especially the fact that there were
-The premise itself is fascinating, I enjoyed the supernatural aspect in this book. The imagery in the second half of the story is incredible, the horror/gore interwoven very very nicely with really nice bits of dreamy prose, a little reminiscent of Annihilation (2018), would have loved to see more of that fleshed out (ha) and built into the story from the start. .
-The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and I really love the title and how they both work into the story.
The Frustrating:
-Marin spends the entire book functionally asleep. I can't stand narrators that sleepwalk through their own stories. It's officially become my worst book pet peeve this year. The children (CHILDREN) had to spell the exact same thing to her several times. She still didn't get it. Another adult had to spell it out a third time. She still didn't understand. She never asked any questions. Halfway through the book, Exhausting! But okay, let's let it slide since she's young and grieving. Sure.
-The pacing is wildly inconsistent, much like the timeline of events. Gothic horror typically moves very slowly, carefully and consistently building tension with scene upon scene, until you reach the climax and all bets are off. But there was none of that here. What do you mean days passed "and then suddenly!". We were directly told things like "the girls are demons" and "Alice was scary and wrong" despite only seeing the girls be normal mischievous kids who recently lost their father, and seeing Alice only twice before the climax. .
-The romance is sweet and positive, but had absolutely no build-up. Evie and Marin had known each other all of 5 minutes where they talked about absolutely nothing, and Marin already decided Evie was The Cure to her (alleged) Generalized Anxiety Disorder (which I'm fairly sure the author didn't research beyond "fear of everything"; ex. Come on. Even Bridgerton did that better). I wondered to myself what on earth Evie saw in Marin besides the fact that she was there. Yes, some people feel safer than others, but not generally complete strangers that you find hot.
The Odd:
-
Tl;dr: The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Pushing Daisies (2007), Frozen (2013), Crimson Peak (2015), Frozen 2 (2019), and Casper (1995) did all of this better. If you like any of those things you might love this book, or be like me, and love all of those things separately, and be ticked off at the pastiche.
Also I'm deliberately stating it because I was worried the whole time: the dog DOES NOT die. Thank you for your time.
2.25/5
From the outset it has all of my favorite things: Emily Dickinson references, Ivy by Taylor Swift references, gothic romance, inspired by The Haunting of Bly Manor, a sapphic relationship, adorable kids, exploration of grief through fantasy, etc. etc. I was over the moon when I first read the summary.
The Good:
-The romance between Evie and Marin was very soft and sweet, especially the fact that there were
-The premise itself is fascinating, I enjoyed the supernatural aspect in this book. The imagery in the second half of the story is incredible, the horror/gore interwoven very very nicely with really nice bits of dreamy prose, a little reminiscent of Annihilation (2018), would have loved to see more of that fleshed out (ha) and built into the story from the start. .
-The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and I really love the title and how they both work into the story.
The Frustrating:
-Marin spends the entire book functionally asleep. I can't stand narrators that sleepwalk through their own stories. It's officially become my worst book pet peeve this year. The children (CHILDREN) had to spell the exact same thing to her several times. She still didn't get it. Another adult had to spell it out a third time. She still didn't understand. She never asked any questions. Halfway through the book, Exhausting! But okay, let's let it slide since she's young and grieving. Sure.
-The pacing is wildly inconsistent, much like the timeline of events. Gothic horror typically moves very slowly, carefully and consistently building tension with scene upon scene, until you reach the climax and all bets are off. But there was none of that here. What do you mean days passed "and then suddenly!". We were directly told things like "the girls are demons" and "Alice was scary and wrong" despite only seeing the girls be normal mischievous kids who recently lost their father, and seeing Alice only twice before the climax. .
-The romance is sweet and positive, but had absolutely no build-up. Evie and Marin had known each other all of 5 minutes where they talked about absolutely nothing, and Marin already decided Evie was The Cure to her (alleged) Generalized Anxiety Disorder (which I'm fairly sure the author didn't research beyond "fear of everything"; ex. Come on. Even Bridgerton did that better). I wondered to myself what on earth Evie saw in Marin besides the fact that she was there. Yes, some people feel safer than others, but not generally complete strangers that you find hot.
The Odd:
-
Tl;dr: The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Pushing Daisies (2007), Frozen (2013), Crimson Peak (2015), Frozen 2 (2019), and Casper (1995) did all of this better. If you like any of those things you might love this book, or be like me, and love all of those things separately, and be ticked off at the pastiche.
Also I'm deliberately stating it because I was worried the whole time: the dog DOES NOT die. Thank you for your time.
2.25/5
September 29, 2023
A great way to start off spooky season early! (If I'm being honest, I've been in a spooky mood all year, but let's say that this is my official entryway into Halloween-time).
The two best things about this book are its setting and its characters. I hate cold, muddy, windy, rainy environments, and yet, more than anything, I want to spend some time at Lovelace House. Something about McCauley's writing made this objectively horrible home seem enticing and cozy. I also want to fall in love with the eldest daughter of some odd, eerie family whose children I'm babysitting, as the two of us run around the dark hallways of this terrifying mansion, while we steal kisses in the shadows of the night: is that really too much to ask?
All the characters are great: the two children are definitely a fun addition to the story (and this is coming from someone who cannot stand kids). Evie was wonderful, and I really did believe the romance that developed between her and Marin. But Marin, the main character, is really the one who stole the show for me. I mean, come on: a young girl riddled with constant dread and anxiety, always anticipating the worst-case scenarios, finding an odd comfort in horror stories, and slowly discovering that she's sapphic as hell? Did I meet McCauley at age 17 and then promptly forget about that encounter while she went off and wrote an entire novel about me? I related to Marin so much, and it made it really easy for me to become deeply invested in the story from the very beginning. I loved following her on her journey and watching her grow as a person.
The biggest downside to this novel is sort of a byproduct of my own relationship with horror: I read a lot of horror books and watch a lot of horror movies, and I mentioned this in a previous review, but grief is a very common theme to explore within the genre. It's usually done well, but because I've seen so many different iterations of it, an author has to do something really unique for a book about grief to truly win me over. Sometimes grief is only a small part of a book, and there are other elements that build the story, which allows it to be an exceptional reading experience regardless. But All the Dead Lie Down really is all about grief and death, so I needed it to do something I've never seen before. And sadly, I don't think it hit the mark. This in no way makes it a bad book; it just makes a little less memorable in the long haul.
If you liked The Haunting of Bly Manor, you will love this story. There are a lot of similarities and parallels between the two, from the setting to the characters to the family dynamics to the super sweet and loving sapphic relationship at the core of the story. Overall, I had a good time with it, and it was a very quick read, a testament to its quality and my general enjoyment of the book.
The two best things about this book are its setting and its characters. I hate cold, muddy, windy, rainy environments, and yet, more than anything, I want to spend some time at Lovelace House. Something about McCauley's writing made this objectively horrible home seem enticing and cozy. I also want to fall in love with the eldest daughter of some odd, eerie family whose children I'm babysitting, as the two of us run around the dark hallways of this terrifying mansion, while we steal kisses in the shadows of the night: is that really too much to ask?
All the characters are great: the two children are definitely a fun addition to the story (and this is coming from someone who cannot stand kids). Evie was wonderful, and I really did believe the romance that developed between her and Marin. But Marin, the main character, is really the one who stole the show for me. I mean, come on: a young girl riddled with constant dread and anxiety, always anticipating the worst-case scenarios, finding an odd comfort in horror stories, and slowly discovering that she's sapphic as hell? Did I meet McCauley at age 17 and then promptly forget about that encounter while she went off and wrote an entire novel about me? I related to Marin so much, and it made it really easy for me to become deeply invested in the story from the very beginning. I loved following her on her journey and watching her grow as a person.
The biggest downside to this novel is sort of a byproduct of my own relationship with horror: I read a lot of horror books and watch a lot of horror movies, and I mentioned this in a previous review, but grief is a very common theme to explore within the genre. It's usually done well, but because I've seen so many different iterations of it, an author has to do something really unique for a book about grief to truly win me over. Sometimes grief is only a small part of a book, and there are other elements that build the story, which allows it to be an exceptional reading experience regardless. But All the Dead Lie Down really is all about grief and death, so I needed it to do something I've never seen before. And sadly, I don't think it hit the mark. This in no way makes it a bad book; it just makes a little less memorable in the long haul.
If you liked The Haunting of Bly Manor, you will love this story. There are a lot of similarities and parallels between the two, from the setting to the characters to the family dynamics to the super sweet and loving sapphic relationship at the core of the story. Overall, I had a good time with it, and it was a very quick read, a testament to its quality and my general enjoyment of the book.
May 16, 2023
Happy publication day!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
5 Stars
This was such an interesting and spooky book! The first half of this book had this kind of dark gothic feel of a story. I was trying to figure out what was going on with the two young kids and was expecting at any moment they would turn into demon children.
This story follows Marin, she is brought into the house of her mom's old childhood friend after she was unexpectedly passes away in a freak train crash. As part of her living in the house she is to be a nanny of the two young girls Wren and Theo. Of course one is a bit of a monster and plays some really cruel pranks on Marin. Trying to scare away from the house. The oldest daughter Evie shows up after dropping out of boarding school.
Evie and Marin quickly become friends. Spooky stuff starts happening. Evie sees things out in the woods and is terrified to enter the estates cemetery. All these half dead animals just start popping up everywhere and Marin suspects that possibly one of the girls is doing more than just pranks.
The second half of this book was so much fun. The first half was an easy read, but I really got sucked in for the last 50%. It's incredibly spook and atmospheric. McCauley does a great job describing the scenes and making the reader have a sense of overall dread in a good way. I did not see the twists coming at all in this book and it was a wonderful surprise.
I do highly recommend this to fans of gothic horror and haunted houses. It was a fast read and I easily finished it in two days. I will be keeping my eye out for more books from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Book for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
I will be posing my review to my instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites on or close to publication.
5 Stars
This was such an interesting and spooky book! The first half of this book had this kind of dark gothic feel of a story. I was trying to figure out what was going on with the two young kids and was expecting at any moment they would turn into demon children.
This story follows Marin, she is brought into the house of her mom's old childhood friend after she was unexpectedly passes away in a freak train crash. As part of her living in the house she is to be a nanny of the two young girls Wren and Theo. Of course one is a bit of a monster and plays some really cruel pranks on Marin. Trying to scare away from the house. The oldest daughter Evie shows up after dropping out of boarding school.
Evie and Marin quickly become friends. Spooky stuff starts happening. Evie sees things out in the woods and is terrified to enter the estates cemetery. All these half dead animals just start popping up everywhere and Marin suspects that possibly one of the girls is doing more than just pranks.
The second half of this book was so much fun. The first half was an easy read, but I really got sucked in for the last 50%. It's incredibly spook and atmospheric. McCauley does a great job describing the scenes and making the reader have a sense of overall dread in a good way. I did not see the twists coming at all in this book and it was a wonderful surprise.
I do highly recommend this to fans of gothic horror and haunted houses. It was a fast read and I easily finished it in two days. I will be keeping my eye out for more books from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Book for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
I will be posing my review to my instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites on or close to publication.
October 19, 2023
“Everyone’s grief looks different.”
TW: alcohol, animal cruelty, animal death, body horror, child death, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, panic attacks/disorders, stalking, violence, vomit.
Just remembered that I didn't review this last night.
I was a bit conflicted on what to rate this one, but I've hesitantly decided on 4 stars. This book wasn't perfect, it was predictable and rushed due to its length (or lack thereof), but it was also really charming, somehow? I loved the atmosphere of the creepy house, I loved the found family aspect, and I even appreciated/enjoyed the romantic aspects of the book, however rushed they were.
I will say, if you're going into this, there is a lot of animal death. If that's something that bothers you, tread lightly.
Otherwise, this was a quick and enjoyable read, perfect for this time of year.
TW: alcohol, animal cruelty, animal death, body horror, child death, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, panic attacks/disorders, stalking, violence, vomit.
Just remembered that I didn't review this last night.
I was a bit conflicted on what to rate this one, but I've hesitantly decided on 4 stars. This book wasn't perfect, it was predictable and rushed due to its length (or lack thereof), but it was also really charming, somehow? I loved the atmosphere of the creepy house, I loved the found family aspect, and I even appreciated/enjoyed the romantic aspects of the book, however rushed they were.
I will say, if you're going into this, there is a lot of animal death. If that's something that bothers you, tread lightly.
Otherwise, this was a quick and enjoyable read, perfect for this time of year.
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