I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tordotcom (September 3 2024)
Length: 161 pages
Author Information: Website
This was a quick read, thank goodness. Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker had a fun premise featuring a crew of a haunted house reality TV show mixed up in some family drama, but truth be told, if this novella had gone on any longer it would have worn out its welcome. The story provided some intrigue and suspense but fell short on delivering the spooky vibes I’d been hoping for.
The book follows protagonist Mara, a twenty-something who has spent years aimlessly trying to find her footing in life. She finally gets her chance at another fresh start when her famous cousin Jeremy offers her a job as a night-time production assistant on his ghost-hunting/house makeover mashup reality program. At first, she has no idea what to expect. Mara shows up at her first shift on set and is met by the others on the night crew, who give her the rundown of their responsibilities. Jo, a fellow production assistant whom she befriends, reveals that most of the show is about manufactured scares. While the day crew go about interviewing the homeowners about their renovation plans, the night folks help stage exaggerated and straight-up phony ghostly encounters to make the show more interesting.
Yet, despite being aware of these behind-the-scenes secrets, Mara begins noticing some strange happenings occurring around the set, things that can’t be explained by production tricks and special effects. Still, as she becomes more involved, our protagonist finds her confidence improving, leading to introspection about the role she plays in her large family. Her interactions with a co-worker’s sharp observations may also provide the impetus for her to finally decide what to do with her life.
This rundown shows how eventually the creepy and potentially supernatural elements give way to an emotional journey and an exploration of family relationships. While this offered a well-developed character study of Mara as well as an interesting look at her workplace dynamic, as previously noted, I still find it hard not to feel shorted on what I’d initially signed up for. Needless to say, the plot, which began with so much promise, did not end up being the kind of ghost story I wanted. A horror aspect never truly materialized even though it was teased for quite a while, and the moments that sent the thrills spiking were too few and far between.
That said, I enjoyed the unique angle of the reality TV show setting, especially from the production side of things. Maybe it wasn’t quite enough to jump start the plot, but I found a good rhythm and a lot of amusement in reading about Mara’s night shifts and certain shenanigans certainly not found in the official job description, such as setting up hidden fog machines in the woods of faking a ghost encounter by throwing books around the house in the middle of the night. These funny moments and Mara’s own unperturbed reactions to them made this an easy read.
In the end, the fact that this book was such a short read became a factor in its favor (and you know me, I’m not typically one to praise novellas for their brevity). It’s obvious that more would have led to monotony, and ultimately, I don’t believe there was enough content for a longer book anyway. The author’s main goal appears to have been to write about Mara’s personal growth and self-discovery, and that was definitely accomplished—no need to drag things out.
Overall, I confess I was slightly disappointed, for I was expecting something a little heavier, a little more atmospheric, a little more ghostly. But a full-on haunted house story, this was not. However, for readers looking for a breezy, character-driven story with just a light touch of the paranormal, Haunt Sweet Home might be for you.
