I think this book could have been so much more. I love a gothic tale, and while a slow start in horror can have an amazing pay off - this one started a little too slow. 

The action, intrigue, and mystery really didn’t start up until the halfway point. Once the plot got to the meat of the story, I enjoyed it. It just really took too long to get there. 

But if you are interested in a sapphic gothic tale with the vibes of a YA Haunting of Bly Manor and some decent anxiety representation - and you don’t mind a slow burn build up, this might be the book for you. 

This was a creepy, haunting gothic horror story. The gory descriptions of animal deaths made me squirmy. The sapphic romance was...fine? I don't think the writing was lyrical or romantic to make me deeply invested in their love story, but it was nice to see them care for each other.

I had no idea necromancy was involved in the story!

Grief and death were major themes here, and I think it was handled well. Everyone had their own ways to handle their grief.

“Maybe memory was a kind of haunting in itself.”

All the Dead Lie Down is the gothic haunting story I didn’t know I was missing. 

Marin Blythe has recently lost her mother, the only person she really had. After living a life of constantly moving, she has the chance to settle down at Lovelace House in coastal Maine, owned by Alice Lovelace, an acclaimed horror author. Alice is not some random woman, however; Marin’s mother Cordelia and Alice actually grew up together. Marin, anxious to a fault, tries to use this to keep a connection to her mother. 

Alice’s two youngest girls, Wren and Thea, keep Marin on her toes with seemingly harmless pranks. Soon, the eldest daughter, Evie, comes home, and things move more into scary territory. Not only does the house seem haunted, but the very land itself. Marin sees some things she can’t explain, and doesn’t want to explain. As she grows closer to Evie, Marin has to face her fears in order to stay with this ethereal girl she’s grown fond of.

I originally requested this book because of the cover, but as soon as I read it was being marketed as similar to The Haunting of Bly Manor, I knew I would enjoy it. I didn’t realize it was YA at first, and while I have no issue with YA, I feel it could have gone a little further had it been adult. It still doesn’t shy from the horror, though. Be aware, this book contains a lot of animal death. If you’re squeamish, I would maybe sit this one out. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for the chance to read this advanced review copy. I look forward to reading more Kyrie McCauley in the future. 

CW for death, animal death, animal cruelty, death of parent, blood, gore, body horror, panic attacks, mental illness/anxiety, stalking, and emotional abuse