All her life, seventeen-year-old Chessie has had recurring dreams about a little white farmhouse. Quaint? Not quite. The house is the site of the unsolved murders of Villisca, Iowa, where eight people were slaughtered in 1912. With her parents on the verge of divorce, Chessie is stuck spending the summer with her grandparents in Villisca—right across the street from the axe murder house.
She’s soon hearing voices calling out for help and begins unraveling a link between herself and the town’s bloody history. And when she falls for a cute boy harboring a big secret, the pieces fall into place as she at last discovers the truth of Villisca's gruesome past…
“This was a story with twists, murder, suspense and so many moments of shock!” -Laurie B., NetGalley
“I found the entire story intriguing. It is well-written and so interesting, so much that I could not put it down and finished it in one sitting. Definitely worth reading and I will be looking for more from this author!” -Jennifer S., Goodreads
“Deliciously creepy!” -Erika C., NetGalley
“I could not put this book down! From the small town setting to the spooky goings on, I was totally hooked.” -Natalie K., NetGalley
“This book was SO creepy! There were times that I had to turn on all the lights in the house just so that I could continue reading (I can only read a t night!). My only complaint is that it ended too soon, I could have read another 200 pages easily.” -Arin B., NetGalley
Geez, I wasn’t expecting this book to take the turn it did, totally caught me off guard.
Chessie has had scary dreams for years and I mean scary! And she is sent to spend some time with her grandparents. Wellllll... ye olde grandparents live across the street from a house where a family was murde... ...more
8 Souls by Rachel Rust is a young adult read that is a paranormal fantasy with a bit of horror and a little romance. This fictional read is actually based on a real life tragedy that took place in Villisca, Iowa on the evening of June 10, 1912. Six members of a family and two guests staying with... ...more
Seventeen year old Chessie dreams about the old farmhouse every night. She learned to keep her mouth shut about her dream house when she was young; it turns out that telling people you have a recurring dream about a house where eight people were murdered can land you in a psychiatrist’s office.
C... ...more
8 souls by Rachel Rust.
All her life, seventeen-year-old Chessie has had recurring dreams about a little white farmhouse. Quaint? Not quite. The house is the site of the unsolved murders of Villisca, Iowa, where eight people were slaughtered in 1912. With her parents on the verge of divorce, Ches... ...more
I am behind on feedback for things, but it is definitely past time for me to talk about how much I enjoyed this book. 8 Souls had a premise that I haven't seen in a story before, and I think that's probably what made me love this the most. See, Chessie has been having dreams about an old house fo... ...more
COVER: This cover is awesome. You usually associate pink as a happy color, right? Well, I'm loving that more creepy books are getting pink/hot pink covers. I love the blurred typography of the title and the large 8 in the center of the cover that looks like someone painted it on but was running... ...more
When I saw a book about the murder house in Villisca, Iowa, I knew I had to request it. If you don't already know, I am a bit obsessed with murder mysteries and paranormal. I've actually looked at doing an overnight at the house, but I'm not sure I can stay there. A bit more about the house later... ...more
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult, Paranormal
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
8 Souls, by author Rachel Rust, tells the story of 17-year old Francesca (Chessie) Carpenter. Chessie has had recurring dreams about a little white farmhouse. Quaint? Not quite. The house is the site of the unsolved murders... ...more
I loved this creepy ghost story and enjoyed the plot twist even more!! I won’t say too much to give anything away, but I’m impressed!! 5 stars!
I loved the characters, the setting, suspense and creep factor. Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley!!
#Netgalley
#RachelRust
#YAHorror
#Ghosts ...more
I wish this book was longer. The concept and all the bones of the story are incredibly interesting. I'm all-in on the spookiness and romance. The author does the best she can within the confines of the book, but some of these things are so complex and either get wrapped up too quickly and neatly... ...more
I really loved this book. Chessie is a 17 yo almost senior in high school. For her entire life she has dreamed of a big white farm house where 8 people were murdered by an ax-weilding maniac in 1912. The house is located across the street from her grandparents house in a small town in Iowa. Chess... ...more
Once this story got started it was pretty good. Chessie has always had nightmares of the murders that take place in the same unknown house. Over and Over she dreams and now keeps them to herself in fear that her parents will again send her to a therapist. A trip to stay with her grandparents to V... ...more
I loved this mystery with a bit of paranormal thrown in. Chessie and David's relationship was just right for the story. Story line was woven together with the town's legend and Chessie's lifetime of dreaming the same dream. Ending was well done with good closure. Hard to say too much without givi... ...more
This is the first book I read from this genre and I really enjoyed it more than I expected! When I saw that there'd be romance, I was worried that it would the whole plot. But I'm glad it was more of a subplot and most of the focus was on the mystery.
I loved the pacing of the story and the writin... ...more
Advanced copy received to review from Netgalley which in no way affected my options!!!
My Fabulous Opinion #YAHorror
I really enjoyed this book! It started off by Chessie’s telling us about the reoccurring nightmare that she has had all her life, about a house where all the inhabitants were murdere... ...more
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Paranormal is definitely my favorite horror sub-genre! I was worried because the publisher included a note about the book being a romance and that was not what I signed up for with this, but I'm ha... ...more
A quick, engrossing story that revolves around an axe murder house that will send chills down your spine and keep you from turning the lights off at night. I was pleasantly surprised with Rust's book that took me for a wild, creepy ride that shocked me and was full of secrets and twists.
I am one... ...more
Read my full review here.
I would like to give NetGalley and the publisher a massive thank you for providing me with an eARC of 8 Souls in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I quickly was drawn to this... ...more
Welcome to another Off Theme Review, my lovelies! This week’s read was an utterly fantastic Young Adult ghost story from Entangled Teen by one of my Speilburg Literary Agency sisters in arms! As many of you know, YA reads are a bit of a struggle for me. However, Rachel Rust’s 8 Souls was superbly... ...more
'8 Souls' is a creepy and fantastic young adult horror novel that fans of the genre will devour. I'm a huge fan of YA horror and I'm also usually complaining that there isn't enough of it. When I read the description of this book, I was so excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It didn'... ...more
A haunting that just won't stop!
Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review 8 Souls by Rachel Rust!
Spooky and ominous from the beginning; I was instantly hooked! Mysterious and recurring dreams about a house haunt Chessie; they have since she was little. These dr... ...more
Chessie dreams of an old and derelict house every night without fail. Turns out, that house is right across from her grandparents house and has a dark past. Its nicknamed the axe murder house, how terribly clever right? She is staying at her grandparents house for the summer while her parents are... ...more
This is the first book by Rachel I have read. I loved it. Murder, mystery, love, ghosts, what more can a person ask for in a suspense book. We first meet Chessie when she is going to stay with her grandparents for the summer so her parents can get a divorce. Chessies grandparents live across from... ...more
Full Review posted at Book Lovin' Mamas
If you are looking for something different to read that involves nightmares, ghosts, murders, kidnappings, and secrets than this book is for you, it is a Young Adult book, so it will not have any steamy moments. It will have some sweet moments though between... ...more
While this genre of book is not normally what I reach for 8 Souls exceeded my expectations. It starts out as a ghost story when Chessie begins hearing voices and giggles in her new bedroom at her grandparent’s house. Not to mention the nightly dreams she has about house filled with blood and dead... ...more