I am grateful to NetGalley for sending me the book's arc. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The narrative of Nicole Willson's "The keeper of the key" centers on sixteen-year-old Rachel, who must leave behind all of her old friends in order to move to a spooky gothic mansion owned by her mom's lover. Following her move, she continues to experience images of deceased women and eventually ends up in the basement, where a dark figure looms every day. However, the boyfriend of her mother has explicitly stated that the basement is off limits. The mother's boyfriend is a control freak who can't stop remarking on how she looks. In the hopes that her mother may decide to move out if she exposes him, Rachel searches for information. I kind of guessed the culprit but I never saw that plot twist coming. This is perfect for a spooky fall read.

The Keeper Of The Key gives spooky vibes and the subtle hints of inspiration from Bluebeard were fun. However, the book didn’t give me the type of goosebump scare that I was looking for. I also struggled to understand where the plot was going because it felt repetitive and like the events were disjointed. Considering it was a YA horror story, the focus on sexual intercourse made me a little uncomfortable, especially since Nick’s age was questionable. It definitely didn’t need to be as much of an emphasis as it was. To end on a bit of a better note, I did like Rachel as a character. She wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself and speak her mind.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc.

First of all wow this was perfect for spooky season! It was haunting and left me with chills. The MC was smart enough to realize something wasn't right with the house immediately and all signs pointed to the step dad so the twist at the end certainly crept up on you. I felt 16 again and feeling the fresh sting of first love. Mind you I didn't live in a haunted house. The familial dynamics was well written. Coming from someone who has a step family the trauma and conversations they all shared and their feelings really hit home for me. The mother daughter relationship was so raw and real. The step father adjusting to a family and navigating those dynamics was really interesting to read. Sometimes I forgot it was a spooky story I was swept up in the family drama.

When things got spooky they sure did. A mix of ghostly with a bit of grotesque horror but it wasn't overwhelming and definitely added to the story.

All in all it was a fantastic read. Highly recommend.

Sixteen year old Rachel lives with her mother. Her father died three years ago- her perfect father who gave them the perfect, completed family. They are very quickly whisked away to mom’s boyfriend Geoff’s gothic manor, Morgan House. No th sooner than Rachel is told she is forced to immediately relocate to Morgan House, where she is instantly met with spooky shenanigans and mysterious footsteps. The creep factor right away puts you in a chokehold- a miserable sixteen year old, forced to leave her school and friends behind, fits so well with the gothic vibes already giving full front display.
Geoff is at times controlling, as he was raised by your typical 80s-90s parents- you must be seen and not heard, you must only dye your hair regular colors, etc. very old fashioned and not diminutive at all.
Nick is the towns “we are the weirdos, mister” and truthfully I found him so loathsome. So stereotypical, and even reminiscent of Geoff’s control issues and egomaniacal abilities. I think i would have rather had a new friend in town, someone to replace Elena’s role.
I liked the pacing- it was very easy to keep up, short chapters, simple enough timelines and character placement (it is a YA, after all). I really did not like the back and forth/ wishy washy nature of the mother making promises such as “we can leave, I don’t have to marry him!” That felt so out of place and just didn’t ring true, with the plot unwinding as it did.
I LOVED the design- cover and chapters- of this book! Truly a stellar job capturing the essence and colors of the spookiest month around. Truly an enjoyable read, and a wonderful place to begin my Ber months line up!

Thank you so much to the Parliament House Press and NetGalley for the Earc.

A decent story with an enthralling atmosphere. At first, Rachel, the main character, felt insufferable, but I got used to her. I wasn’t a fan of the insta-love thing with Nick. Something felt off about this guy, but thankfully, everything resolved just right. The ending was very satisfying, and I enjoyed meeting the ghosts.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was thoroughly entertained by this one. Knowing it was geared a bit more to older YA readers, I adjusted my character experience and fully think Willson did a great job with the FMC. Immediately trusting a cute guy when your life was uprooted as a 16 year old? Sounds about right. I thought the twist was a little easy to figure out but still wasn’t sure how it would all fall into place which made me want to keep reading. Will recommend for spooky szn!

This book had me HOOKED from the first few pages. I have read Tidepool by Nicole Willson and absolutely adored it, I rated it 5 stars, and it’s one of my favourite books. So I was excited to see that she was bringing out a Gothic Haunted House story, as they’re one of my most beloved type of stories. This is a book that will keep you turning the pages, I was so captivated by what was going to happen next, and the writing really keeps you enthralled and wanting to read on. The way Geoff was written, with all the niggling remarks reaaaaaally made me dislike him, and I really enjoy when a book can give me an emotional response like that.

This is a young adult book, which I don’t often reach for and did so because I have loved the author’s previous work Tidepool. I think it would be both a perfect starter book for someone just getting into Horror or Gothic fiction, and an eerie, enthralling fun read for fans of the genre. There are some really beautifully written haunting scenes, and I LOVE how strong willed the women in this book are.

This is a Gothic Ghost Story that will keep you guessing and turning the pages.

Pick this up if you like: gothic haunted house stories for spooky season, strong gothic heroines and la Beetlejuice’s Lydia Deetz, eerie haunted houses, ultra creepy ghosts and haunting scenes.

My review will also be posted on my Instagram & TikTok, this book will also be featured in my Autumn TBR TikTok.
I have also rated this book on StoryGraph

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ebook copy of “The Keeper of The Key”.

This story centers on our main character, Rachel, a sixteen-year-old who has to leave everything behind after her father’s unexpected death. She loathes her mother’s boyfriend, Geoff, but has no say in moving far from home to St. Mary, Virginia, to live in Morgan House -Geoff’s isolated and dreadful residence. I felt compelled to finish the book the minute I started reading it. I needed to know what the deal was with Morgan House and why the men in this book act so weirdly and annoyingly. While Rachel is no likable character herself, I like how outspoken she is, how stubborn and how well she gets along with her grandmother. What I didn’t like was how unfazed she seemed by the disturbing occurrences that happened to her. I like a courageous MC but I feel like she brushes off quite a lot of terrifying things to the point it makes her less credible.

The house is a character in its own right, doors close of their own volition, things fall and break, and teeth are scattered everywhere. The horror elements are gruesome and what you would expect from a horror read. But I wanted more. The fact that the horrific scenes ended swiftly made them less haunting. The text flows nicely, it is fast-paced but the alternation between “calm” dinner scenes and cold fingers on ankles feels a bit too sudden.

The book would have benefited from a few more pages. The creepy sounds and visions started way too early in the story before I had any time to get used to some sort of normalcy. I would have liked more space for descriptions of the town, the bookstore, the cemetery, or even Morgan House. I couldn’t immerse myself fully in these locations and see them vividly. I wish we had more descriptions of the characters as well. I understand the need to keep an air of mystery around Geoff and Nick, but I felt like Rachel and her mother’s relationship was underdeveloped which made me care less about what might happen to them. Overall, I enjoyed the plot, I enjoyed the characters but I wanted to know more about them so that when the ending hit, I could feel actual worry for them.

I would recommend this book to young adults, 15+ readers that are new to the genre, as it is not a laborious read.

Nicole did an excellent job writing this book. It had a good amount of tense moments, along with other light-hearted moments. It had very relatable content for young adults/older teens regarding relationships and family dynamics. After reading this book, I'm glad that I don't have basement😏 I enjoyed the book and would recommend to others.

super thrilling and downright addicting!! i loved this from start to finish. it was such a quick read because the content itself was so addicting you couldn't put the book down. i will definitely read more from this author.

As teens and young adults devour shows such as Wednesday and films like Beetlejuice are being revitalised for a new audience, a book like this is just perfect for right now. A pretty scary, gothic, haunted house mystery, where the floorboards creak, basement doors lock unexpectedly, and a creepy wannabe stepdad all combine to make a compelling YA read.

16 year old Rachel doesn't want to have to give up her old life to go and move with her mom to a creepy old house in the woods with her mom's new boyfriend. But she wants her mom to be happy and with her dyed black hair and penchant for wearing purple and black, with the occasional Cure t-shirt, many people think she'll be really happy in a big ole spooky house. But things get pretty terrifying pretty quickly, and with the help of the cute boy she meets in the bookshop in town, Rachel tries to solve the mystery of Morgan House.

I read this book in one sitting, it's a real page turner, and will be devoured by a teen audience.

YA gothic/horror/thriller
3.75 ⭐️
A suspenseful book with a creepy house at the center and mysterious and unusual happenings. At times the book reminded me of Starling House because of the focus on the house element and the house almost as a character itself. While I was interested in the plot, the characters were not as likable as I enjoy in my books. Overall, a fun and creepy read. Thank you NetGalley and Nicole Willson for the ARC!

Really interesting! definitely enjoyed this one. this kept me entertained for the most part. if you enjoy a little bit of a dark side to literature this is one of the books you would be guaranteed to liking.

Rachel's mom becomes serious with her partner Geoff and moves 16 year old Rachel into Geoff's home Morgan House. Immediately weird things start to happen in the home like noises and seeing dead women. Geoff and Rachel don't get along and to make matters worse Geoff thinks Rachel is faking the issues with the house to break up her mom and him.
Is Rachel faking or is the house haunted?

Rachel’s mum’s boyfriend is overbearing, with far too many rules, but Rachel can’t do anything to change her mum’s mind about them moving in with him. When Rachel moves to Morgan House, an hour away from her old life and everything that she knows, straightaway she experiences nightmares and horrific visions. The only saving grace of the move is Nick, a local guy who listens to Rachel and believes her.
Fast-paced and a great inclusion of so many gothic horror tropes alongside the intensity of being a teenager. This was a fun read!
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc.

Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial | Parliament House Press books for this ARC for review. This was a super fun and a bit creepy thriller. Rachel is 16yrs old and definitely DOES NOT want to move into a huge, creepy mansion with her mother's boyfriend< Geoff, and leave her friends and change schools. The only saving grace is that Rachel meets a guy named, Nick. He seems fun, even if he took her to a cemetery for their first date. Rachel continues to fight with Geoff, and she hears weird noises in the house. Then she starts seeing things that aren't really there, or are they? Is Rachel going to survive living in this house?

I enjoyed "The Keeper of the Key" right from the start, with its creepy ghost moments and gripping premise that kept me hooked. Although the villain felt a bit predictable and the ending didn’t quite live up to my expectations, it was still a fun read. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys modern Gothic YA horror.

The story follows 16-year-old Rachel, who reluctantly moves into a creepy mansion with her mom’s boyfriend, Geoff, who insists she stay out of the basement. As Rachel experiences terrifying visions tied to the house, especially after a family tragedy, she must uncover the truth before the house traps her forever.

Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me this complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Keeper of the Key initially caught my eye because who does love haunted houses? But it's so much more than that; it's about a girl and her struggles. Rachel has had a rough couple of months, having to deal with her father's death, her mother moving on from her father, and her mom's new boyfriend, Geoff. Rachel and Geoff from the start never seem to be on the right page, both disliking each other for different reasons. When her mother announces that they are moving into Geoff's house, away from her whole life, Rachel loathes him and his house even more. The house even seems to not like her either; she starts having intense nightmares and waking up in strange places that are impossible to get to sleep walking. But there is no other excuse for that behavior until there isn't. Meanwhile, Rachel tries to find good things within the new town; there isn't much but a boy, Nick. They start to get close, forming a relationship, learning about each other, and figuring things out for herself. Nicole Wilson writes a great young adult horror/gothic novel with twists and turns that are never expected. This book kept me up at night wondering what was happening in the next chapters.

This was a good atmospheric gothic read. I really felt drawn into the story with all the horror happening in the house.

It has a lot of twists and turns.

If you are looking for a book to read into the night under the covers - this one is for you.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC. All opinions are my own

Very well written YA gothic horror which kept engrossed throughout.

The writing style is effortless and flows beautifully. The description of the house and hauntings are atmospheric and creepy without being OTT.
The characters are pretty flushed out, yes there is a hint of the stereotypical bad relationship between the new step-parent and the kid, but it serves a large purpose and pushes the storyline. The 16 year old FMC is likeable and a typical teen, depicted through attitude and language, without it being condescending to the target audience.

Overall an enjoyable read that I would recommend

Thankyou to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial and Parliament press for the ARC for review