ARC for review. To be published August 26, 2025.

DNF @ 20%.

Plot:
The small time podcast host, Paul, is summoned back to his old hometown after the discovery of his "longtime" friend committed suicide. Desperate to find some answers as to what is going on, and why his "friend" did this. Paul finds himself going through unwelcoming memories from his childhood home.

My Thoughts:
While I only read about 20% of this book, I can tell you that Paul, right off the bat, is the type of person who is insensitive, and when they hear the word no, they ignore it. I get it. I would be curious too about some little boys death, but when people have told you multiple times to stop you seem to ignore it. In the plot description above, I put "friend" and "longtime" in quotations. Why? Well, Paul is a horrible friend. He really isn't one at all. Just from the get go, he barley goes home, barley talks/ keeps in touch with his so called long term friends. I just had to stop the book. It was getting on my last nerves, and I was not in the mood to read about Paul's journey.

8114
By:Joshua Halle
Clash books
Aug.26,2025
Kindle/E-Pub
218pgs.

“Don’t forget to clear your head. To give your life and join the dead. To close your eyes and join the black. The things out there they want you back.”

When Paul creates a podcast to find an old classmate who he believes went missing, what he accidentally uncovered destroyed his life and his podcast. When he has a new idea to reboot his mystery podcast he is led back to his dilapidated childhood home, after a shocking death of a friend. What he finds at his old decrepit home is worse than he could have ever imagined.
This book was very eerie and uncomfortable. It was creepy as hell and most def. Shocked me in a few ways! The use of podcasts made it feel current and real! This book was disturbing as hell and I couldn’t get enough!
Please exercise caution if you are sensitive to death, suicide, or domestic abuse themes.

Paul Early is impulsive and selfish and can not seem to make any good decisions. A massive oversight on his podcast, Adam Benny is Missing causes a lot of harm and resentment from his hometown, including putting the family the podcast covers in danger. While taking a break from scrutiny, Paul gets a call from his friend Matt that sends him back to his hometown and in the path of distruction from his childhood home, 8114.

Death, grief, and acceptance make this story riveting, original and darkly humorous, as well as making Joshua Hull a name to look out for.

Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH Books for the ARC!

Thank you to Clash Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a SCARY book. So many books are touted as “horror” and but they’re not actually scary. Between the imagery and the subject matter, this book is horrifying. It had a twist near the end that I did not see coming and the ending itself was great. I also loved the podcast/found footage element to it. The reason I couldn’t give this book 5 stars is that the main character is absolutely insufferable. He’s a middle aged 12 year old who makes terrible jokes and has an incredibly annoying inner dialogue. Other than that it’s a great haunting/possession book and I would definitely read Hull’s other works.

PUB DAY: AUGUST 26TH 2025 🥳

Horror is not for everyone, and this book will not be for everyone... BUT IT WAS FOR ME!
It gets you right from the start with the and by the time things start to unravel, you're already in and feel like part of the story itself.
I say definitely be aware of your triggers going in and understand that emotional pain can be just as hurtful as physical, especially when we are facing these things head on.
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK.

This is the kind of horror novel that won’t be for everyone, but when it gets into the right hands, it will be devoured. I’ve seen other reviews where this is either a hit or a miss, for me, it was a hit. This book is for the weirdos that like to get that strange itch scratched because this book will scratch it. The pacing was done well, the characters made sense and the ending was realistic enough for me.

This started strong for me, I enjoyed exploring the concept that a true crime podcast could do more harm than good. I also liked the moments where the deceased friend reached out to him, reminiscent of An American Werewolf in London. However… I quickly began to lose interest. You mean to tell me that you either have mold growing out of you or are hallucinating mold growing out of you and you decide to sit down and write, record, edit and publish a podcast?!??

This book did have lots of descriptive horror and some interesting scenes, but overall it felt disjointed and didn’t hold my attention very well. I think there may be an audience for it, but I don’t think it’s me.

Not my personal taste in writing style, but I appreciate what Hull’s cinematic eye brings to his storytelling, and I think I’d really enjoy it as a film. Readers who enjoy plot-driven narratives over immersive world-building will like the pacing of it, so I’ll definitely be recommending it and writing a review for the shelf. Love the back story for this novel, Hull’s personal connection to the setting, and his clear passion for this project.

Chilling, gory and devastating story!
Paul returns to his home town after he is called out over problematic behaviour. (its unsettling to use the word "canceled" as a term for their main characters being held accountable)
upon arriving not only is he dealing with the backlash of the towns citizens feelings about his podcast but also the deaths of dear friends who have been committing suicide on his familys property: 8114 Farm
Terrifying secrets, disturbing body horror and a dark legend infecting the minds of the town
Paul works to uncover not only his fears but the truth of the gruesome deaths
I recommend for any vc andrews and stephan king fans

8114 by Joshua Hull is a supernatural horror novel that grips you from its eerie start to its relentless, chilling conclusion. Following Paul, a flawed yet relatable protagonist, the story delves into his return to a decaying hometown and a childhood home steeped in tragedy. What begins as a quest for answers spirals into a nightmarish exploration of memory, trauma, and sinister forces.

Hull’s storytelling is masterful, blending psychological horror with vivid imagery that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page. Pop culture references and podcast elements add a unique flair, making the narrative feel both modern and deeply unsettling. While the story’s pacing builds steadily, the tension crescendos into an unforgettable climax that will leave you stunned.

A perfect read for fans of The Haunting of Hill House or Sinister, 8114 is a standout addition to the genre. Keep the lights on for this one.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #ClashBooks for the ARC!

This novella has similar vibes to John Darnielle's "Devil House," a book I had A LOT of feelings about, most of them negative. Like Devil House, 8114 has an unreliable narrator creating true crime entertainment, bending some of th facts of the crime to fit their own agenda. There are some interesting formatting decisions going on in this novel as well. It's a transcript of a true crime podcast and italics and bold are used interchangeably to indicate emphasis. This book isn't bad, it's just not my thing.

The good
It's short

The not-so-good
Weird formatting

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Paul Early is a podcaster, Mostly because he really doesn’t know what else to do. He starts with a story of a student that he went to school with, Adam Benny, who was missing. Paul did not think about the repercussions of his actions from this podcast. When his world starts to crumble around him, Paul is suddenly called back to his hometown where he finds that one of his best friends committed suicide in the house where he was raised.
8114 South State Road 67 is more than a childhood home, it is a place of history and horror. A place of secrets, infection, disease, rot and contagion. It is a place that is calling Paul Early back because of his mistakes, and it is hungry. This book is immersive, cinematic and graphic. Hull perfectly mixes supernatural, horror and psychological thriller elements, peppered with some dark humor making this a must read for horror fans.

An interesting take on a ‘haunted house’. Fresh, modern, VERY CREEPY, gory. An excellent choice for anyone who loves a haunted house story or who loves true crime podcasts….or who hates them? Thank you NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved the concept of this book, but truthfully I found it quite hard to get into. While I enjoyed the podcast format, I found the characters to be unlikeable to the point where I didn’t care about what happened to them. I unfortunately did not finish this book as I just wasn’t invested in the story.

Hull has written an ambitious new horror novel, for fans of The Blair Witch Project or author Catriona Ward. When his old friend dies in his childhood home, Paul returns armed with his podcast determined to find out what happened to his friend, and unravel the haunting of 8114. I had such high hopes for this book, and while I absolutely loved the plot, it did feel as though important things kind of just….. happened, without any building, or background to form the significance. Hull’s writing is very reminiscent of how a movie would play itself out. I absolutely loved the idea, plot, and parts of the book but this overall missed the mark for my personal taste.

So I really wanted to love this. However, it was hard to get invested in the story largely because the main character was so unlikable. The constant pop culture references started to become very overused and boring, and it just felt very forced. For the parts that were spooky and scary I have to give credit. The stories being told - the blackened woman, the coven, the rhyme - were sufficiently creepy. However, it wasn't enough to hold a story together.

Immediately, the writing style wasn't for me and I hated the main character. I can't finish this in good faith cause I don't expect to like it. I was actually excited about it cause I love the premise, it sounds so good and I see a lot of people mention this had good potential, but I just can't read a book I can't stand.

Incredibly fun and creepy read. I honestly wish it was longer. The premise of this book would make an incredible movie.

I’m stunned. This book was a wild ride filled with dread, anguish and so much horror. I loved every minute of it, ha ha. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning and that ending made me gasp out loud!

And yup, I bit my nails of while reading because this story stressed me out, ha ha. I’m so excited to read more from Joshua Hull in the years to come. 8114 is highly recommended by me!

This was a quick, somewhat entertaining read. The premise was interesting and the podcast elements were a nice modern touch. However, the characters seemed underdeveloped and the way the book was written felt like it might translate better on film than as a book (visuals and body horror elements especially). Unfortunately I don't think I would necessarily recommend it to anyone besides those who might just want an easy fast-paced horror story, but I didn't dislike it either.