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You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom: A Modern Gothic Horror – A Family's Twelve-Hour Survival Against a Demon and Dark Secrets
Not yet published
Expected 10 Mar 26Demons clash with inheritance claims as secrets unfold and violence is unleashed over twelve harrowing hours trapped in a house with the worst thing family.
When Papi Ramon, the patriarch of the wealthy Abreu family dies, he gives the family one last message in the “One of you is el bacà, the demon that I made a deal with. Get rid of them or you will be damned.” Xiomara, the uncontested favorite of Papi Ramon (and therefore the least liked in the family), watches as everyone dismisses this as the joke of a senile old man and demands the lawyer obtain the previous will Papi wrote.
While the lawyer drives back to his office, a storm breaks out, forcing the entire family—Xiomara’s aunts and uncles and cousins—to remain in the house. And the words of Papi’s will hangs over their heads even heavier than the rain clouds. Over the course of the night, scandal after scandal is revealed to the public about the family. Suddenly a tense few hours of surviving her family turns into a vicious night of recrimination, violence, accusations…and murder.
Xiomara is faced with an impossible uproot a demon and somehow kill it or excise the ghosts that linger within her own family.
And the clock is ticking...
When Papi Ramon, the patriarch of the wealthy Abreu family dies, he gives the family one last message in the “One of you is el bacà, the demon that I made a deal with. Get rid of them or you will be damned.” Xiomara, the uncontested favorite of Papi Ramon (and therefore the least liked in the family), watches as everyone dismisses this as the joke of a senile old man and demands the lawyer obtain the previous will Papi wrote.
While the lawyer drives back to his office, a storm breaks out, forcing the entire family—Xiomara’s aunts and uncles and cousins—to remain in the house. And the words of Papi’s will hangs over their heads even heavier than the rain clouds. Over the course of the night, scandal after scandal is revealed to the public about the family. Suddenly a tense few hours of surviving her family turns into a vicious night of recrimination, violence, accusations…and murder.
Xiomara is faced with an impossible uproot a demon and somehow kill it or excise the ghosts that linger within her own family.
And the clock is ticking...
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 10, 2026
14749 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
September 17, 2025
Holy dysfunctional family, Batman. The Abreus are perhaps the worst people on the planet. I mean, I grew up in an insane family (the Florida panhandle is a crazy place, man) and my grandma once got drunk and tried to drive to my ex-step-father's house to shoot him in the head for (allegedly) cheating on my mother with her sister. That's the kind of family I grew up in, and yet they were/are still far less dysfunctional than the family in this novel.
(The step-father was fine, by the way. Grandma was pulled out of the car and back into the house before she could drunk drive her way to a murder charge.)
Anyway, this book is oddly captivating despite its flaws. The first 75% or so is mildly interesting, but it's kind of repetitive and nothing particularly exciting happens. There are a few off-page demon attacks and a whole lot of bickering, but overall it's pretty tame for a horror novel. It's not uninteresting and I definitely found myself wanting to keep reading, but it's a slow, slow burn.
The last quarter of the book, though?? Holy shit. That's where all the action happens. There's subterfuge and death and the revelation of life-altering secrets and constantly shifting alliances and it's all pretty great. I didn't even mind the epilogue-ish bit, even though it's very tell-y and not show-y. There are a couple of loose ends that don't get completely wrapped up and the “shocking” reveals are kind of lacking in detail (and not always all that shocking, honestly), but I was still totally invested in the story. It's wild, y'all.
What I don't understand, though, is why the events of this book had to play out the way they did at all? I mean, Papi Ramon leaves a will (of sorts) that basically says “one of you is a demon and you might want to figure out who before the entire family is damned, lulz, XOXO.” But why? Why does't he just say who the demon is?? He could have revealed it in the will or on one of the cassette tapes or written it on the wall with a purple highlighter, I dunno, but I get the feeling that Papi was kind of a turd in real life because why would you do such a thing otherwise?
[Edit: Okay, fine. Rereading the will and the cassette tape bits, maybe Papi doesn't know who the demon is. Either way, making a pact with a demon who's going to damn your entire family after you die is still kind of a jerk move.]
I was completely surprised by the identity of the demon, though. I had a couple of suspects in mind and those people did turn out to be awful for other reasons, but I definitely did not see that particular twist coming.
Overall, this book is fun but I wouldn't quite call it fine literature. But if you don't mind a slow burn and appreciate completely unlikeable characters and can avoid thinking too hard about the plot, it's absolutely worth a read.
3.65 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 10, 2026.
(The step-father was fine, by the way. Grandma was pulled out of the car and back into the house before she could drunk drive her way to a murder charge.)
Anyway, this book is oddly captivating despite its flaws. The first 75% or so is mildly interesting, but it's kind of repetitive and nothing particularly exciting happens. There are a few off-page demon attacks and a whole lot of bickering, but overall it's pretty tame for a horror novel. It's not uninteresting and I definitely found myself wanting to keep reading, but it's a slow, slow burn.
The last quarter of the book, though?? Holy shit. That's where all the action happens. There's subterfuge and death and the revelation of life-altering secrets and constantly shifting alliances and it's all pretty great. I didn't even mind the epilogue-ish bit, even though it's very tell-y and not show-y. There are a couple of loose ends that don't get completely wrapped up and the “shocking” reveals are kind of lacking in detail (and not always all that shocking, honestly), but I was still totally invested in the story. It's wild, y'all.
What I don't understand, though, is why the events of this book had to play out the way they did at all? I mean, Papi Ramon leaves a will (of sorts) that basically says “one of you is a demon and you might want to figure out who before the entire family is damned, lulz, XOXO.” But why? Why does't he just say who the demon is?? He could have revealed it in the will or on one of the cassette tapes or written it on the wall with a purple highlighter, I dunno, but I get the feeling that Papi was kind of a turd in real life because why would you do such a thing otherwise?
[Edit: Okay, fine. Rereading the will and the cassette tape bits, maybe Papi doesn't know who the demon is. Either way, making a pact with a demon who's going to damn your entire family after you die is still kind of a jerk move.]
I was completely surprised by the identity of the demon, though. I had a couple of suspects in mind and those people did turn out to be awful for other reasons, but I definitely did not see that particular twist coming.
Overall, this book is fun but I wouldn't quite call it fine literature. But if you don't mind a slow burn and appreciate completely unlikeable characters and can avoid thinking too hard about the plot, it's absolutely worth a read.
3.65 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 10, 2026.
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January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
Papi Ramon is the recently deceased patriarch of a wealthy family, and he's sown a little chaos by dropping this banger in his will: "One of you is a demon I made a bargain with long ago. Get rid of 'em or you'll all be damned. Ciao!" No one takes the proclamation seriously, save for his undisputed favorite, Xiomara. But when the rest of the family sends the lawyer away to retrieve the original draft of the will, a storm hits and leaves them all stranded together. Over the course of 12 harrowing hours, all hell breaks loose, and it will be up to Xiomara to suss out the demon and take them out. If you love a modern Gothic, add this one to your list. —Vanessa Diaz
Papi Ramon is the recently deceased patriarch of a wealthy family, and he's sown a little chaos by dropping this banger in his will: "One of you is a demon I made a bargain with long ago. Get rid of 'em or you'll all be damned. Ciao!" No one takes the proclamation seriously, save for his undisputed favorite, Xiomara. But when the rest of the family sends the lawyer away to retrieve the original draft of the will, a storm hits and leaves them all stranded together. Over the course of 12 harrowing hours, all hell breaks loose, and it will be up to Xiomara to suss out the demon and take them out. If you love a modern Gothic, add this one to your list. —Vanessa Diaz
February 13, 2026
When the patriarch of the Abreu family dies, he requests everyone meet in his mansion for the will to be read. Xiomara along with her Aunts, Uncles and several cousins are all present and accounted for. When the will is read, on a rather dark and stormy evening, it is not what they expected. There is no discussion of assets or memory keepsakes being dispersed. They are tasked with finding out who among them is a demon. Cue the thunder and lightning….
To say this family doesn’t get along would be a gross understatement. They are a hot mess. They don’t just argue they down and out brawl. As the evening goes on, we learn a little bit more about each of the family members in the form of scandals as well as try to determine who the demon may be. The pacing was just a tad bit slow at the beginning, but I never once found myself bored due to the Abreu’s family antics. Even though they were hunting for a demon, the horror element wasn’t over the top, but just enough to feel entertaining.
If you’re in the mood for more of a locked room, demon hunting extravaganza, this book definitely would tick those boxes.
3.5 rounded to 4 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
To say this family doesn’t get along would be a gross understatement. They are a hot mess. They don’t just argue they down and out brawl. As the evening goes on, we learn a little bit more about each of the family members in the form of scandals as well as try to determine who the demon may be. The pacing was just a tad bit slow at the beginning, but I never once found myself bored due to the Abreu’s family antics. Even though they were hunting for a demon, the horror element wasn’t over the top, but just enough to feel entertaining.
If you’re in the mood for more of a locked room, demon hunting extravaganza, this book definitely would tick those boxes.
3.5 rounded to 4 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
October 12, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Families are only as functional as its least functional part, and when all parts are equally maladjusted, well, all connective fabric disintegrates like sugar in water. And throw a family inheritance in the mix and let’s just say that chaos rules the day.
This book explores the messiness of familial connection, and does so through a whodunit, supernaturally curious mode. It’s a single-setting, one night delve into the horrors of blood relation devolving into blood letting.
There are definitely pacing issues. This book stalls out in the middle, seemingly running out of steam before picking back up in the back third. But when it picks back up, it maintains a frenzied pace until the end.
Overall, it’s a good book. Nothing that will remain with me for any measure of time, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Families are only as functional as its least functional part, and when all parts are equally maladjusted, well, all connective fabric disintegrates like sugar in water. And throw a family inheritance in the mix and let’s just say that chaos rules the day.
This book explores the messiness of familial connection, and does so through a whodunit, supernaturally curious mode. It’s a single-setting, one night delve into the horrors of blood relation devolving into blood letting.
There are definitely pacing issues. This book stalls out in the middle, seemingly running out of steam before picking back up in the back third. But when it picks back up, it maintains a frenzied pace until the end.
Overall, it’s a good book. Nothing that will remain with me for any measure of time, but enjoyable nonetheless.
October 9, 2025
The writing is really good and I immediately felt the unease and the fear of the main character.
The absolute insanity of this family was fantastic to witness and the atmosphere really creepy and dark.
I liked it, but it was maybe just a bit slow for my tastes but it delivered.
Thank you William Morrow for this ARC!
The absolute insanity of this family was fantastic to witness and the atmosphere really creepy and dark.
I liked it, but it was maybe just a bit slow for my tastes but it delivered.
Thank you William Morrow for this ARC!
2026
February 2, 2026Halloween TBR
Latine Heritage Month TBR
Pride TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow
Latine Heritage Month TBR
Pride TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Look... this whole book is a vibe because if you ever step one hair out of line about my mama, it isn't going to end well for you. And guess what... Xiomara don't play either and it most certainly doesn't end well for these fake ass family members she's surround by for these twelve hours. Honestly, the Demon wasn't even needed, these terrible people would have turned on each other eventually but it did help amp up the urgency.
Oh, and TREAT THE HELP PROPERLY... Because what do you mean? Naomi didn't see anything, Xiomara is innocent 🤣🤣 and you can get your own damn water.
Oh, and TREAT THE HELP PROPERLY... Because what do you mean? Naomi didn't see anything, Xiomara is innocent 🤣🤣 and you can get your own damn water.
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December 21, 2025You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom is a tense family drama that masterfully weaves a tale of family drama and trauma in the backdrop of the family patriarch’s home.
After the passing of the patriarch, the rest of the Ramon family gathers in his home for the reading of the will, only to be told that one of them is a demon in disguise. It falls to the remaining family to discover the demon’s identity and kill them or the family will be damned.
The family obviously does not believe these claims, but become trapped in the house during a raging storm as numerous scandals are revealed about each family member. Their reactions and behavior ratchet up the tension as the night progresses, making each other more and more paranoid about who in the family could be revealing these damaging secrets.
Vincent Tirado does a wonderful job of crafting believable personal dynamics in this dysfunctional family, each decision and reaction feels real and unforced. As the night progresses and the storm rages, the finger-pointing becomes wilder and as tumultuous as the storm outside.
Is there a demon that has cursed this family? Will it be revealed before the coming dawn? You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom is a tense read that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time.
** This review is based on a free e-ARC received from Net Galley. The opinions are freely given and not paid for. ***
After the passing of the patriarch, the rest of the Ramon family gathers in his home for the reading of the will, only to be told that one of them is a demon in disguise. It falls to the remaining family to discover the demon’s identity and kill them or the family will be damned.
The family obviously does not believe these claims, but become trapped in the house during a raging storm as numerous scandals are revealed about each family member. Their reactions and behavior ratchet up the tension as the night progresses, making each other more and more paranoid about who in the family could be revealing these damaging secrets.
Vincent Tirado does a wonderful job of crafting believable personal dynamics in this dysfunctional family, each decision and reaction feels real and unforced. As the night progresses and the storm rages, the finger-pointing becomes wilder and as tumultuous as the storm outside.
Is there a demon that has cursed this family? Will it be revealed before the coming dawn? You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom is a tense read that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time.
** This review is based on a free e-ARC received from Net Galley. The opinions are freely given and not paid for. ***
Want to read
September 30, 2025I love this cover! Can't wait to read this!
**********ARC REC'D THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'm SO excited for this one!!************
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
**********ARC REC'D THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'm SO excited for this one!!************
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
February 9, 2026
This is basically supernatural Dominican-American Knives Out without the humor, and I think it will appeal to fans of shocking plot twists, family dramas, and revenge horror.
It’s mostly a miss for me.
This is a very one-note story. The characters are all awful, but not in any compelling ways. The tone is tense throughout, without even wry humor. The writing style is serviceable but never strong.
If you’ve seen my updates, you probably know that guessing which character was secretly a demon kept me pretty invested. I did not guess correctly, but I would have found the story much more satisfying if my final guess had been true. The actual answer we got was anticlimactic and felt like it was only included to surprise readers, not because it was what the story had been leading to and required.
Speaking of unnecessary inclusions, the characters are given very clear instructions at the start of the book about what to do when they unmask the demon. These instructions then disappear from the characters’ memories and the rest of the narrative. Maybe that will be cleaned up in future editions, since I did read an advanced copy, but it bothers me because it feels like another example of satisfaction being promised to me, the reader, and then snatched away.
I received a free eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
It’s mostly a miss for me.
This is a very one-note story. The characters are all awful, but not in any compelling ways. The tone is tense throughout, without even wry humor. The writing style is serviceable but never strong.
If you’ve seen my updates, you probably know that guessing which character was secretly a demon kept me pretty invested. I did not guess correctly, but I would have found the story much more satisfying if my final guess had been true. The actual answer we got was anticlimactic and felt like it was only included to surprise readers, not because it was what the story had been leading to and required.
Speaking of unnecessary inclusions, the characters are given very clear instructions at the start of the book about what to do when they unmask the demon. These instructions then disappear from the characters’ memories and the rest of the narrative. Maybe that will be cleaned up in future editions, since I did read an advanced copy, but it bothers me because it feels like another example of satisfaction being promised to me, the reader, and then snatched away.
I received a free eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
November 18, 2025
I'm a little conflicted over this one. The writing is great, and I feel like the author was definitely ready to set up the "atmosphere" they were looking for. The problem I have with the story is some of the pacing. There were parts that felt DOA and parts that were moving so fast that it was insanity to catch up with. I thought a couple of the big plot points weren't that big or hinted at earlier in the story. I did like the main character. And I definitely identify with just having the most f***** up family. All in all, I do think this book is worth the read. It is a different kind of take on demons, but it was interesting.
February 5, 2026
4/5
Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and the author Vincent Tirado for gifting me with this ARC to review! Firstly I was so excited to read this book and it didn’t disappoint. I’m looking forward to reading more of Tirado’s work.
Liked:
-fucked up family dynamics and they all have secrets. Who doesn’t love that messy family drama and secrets that are never meant to see the light of day. Xiomara’s family is one of the most dysfunctional and morally corrupt I’ve read. I’m glad that they got the ending they most deserved 😈
-Dominican and Haitian representation. Tirado weaves in the discrimination and racism that some Dominicans have towards Haitians throughout the story. Like they said in the authors note “not all skinfolk are kinfolk”
-demon + human corruption. Love the combination of what you’ll sacrifice to make life better for yourself and then being forced to repay those debts.
Disliked:
-the ending was a bit too abrupt for me. It wasn’t bad by any means but I just want something a bit more draw out.
-also wish there were some flashback scenes of Papi Ramon making the deals with the demon. I feel like that might’ve fleshed out the story a bit more.
Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and the author Vincent Tirado for gifting me with this ARC to review! Firstly I was so excited to read this book and it didn’t disappoint. I’m looking forward to reading more of Tirado’s work.
Liked:
-fucked up family dynamics and they all have secrets. Who doesn’t love that messy family drama and secrets that are never meant to see the light of day. Xiomara’s family is one of the most dysfunctional and morally corrupt I’ve read. I’m glad that they got the ending they most deserved 😈
-Dominican and Haitian representation. Tirado weaves in the discrimination and racism that some Dominicans have towards Haitians throughout the story. Like they said in the authors note “not all skinfolk are kinfolk”
-demon + human corruption. Love the combination of what you’ll sacrifice to make life better for yourself and then being forced to repay those debts.
Disliked:
-the ending was a bit too abrupt for me. It wasn’t bad by any means but I just want something a bit more draw out.
-also wish there were some flashback scenes of Papi Ramon making the deals with the demon. I feel like that might’ve fleshed out the story a bit more.
February 9, 2026
Thank you to edelweiss and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
3.5 rating
I enjoy Vincent’s writing and versions of horror/suspense. This didn’t read horror to me in any way. Even though there’s a demon I felt like the reveal was a little lack luster. This was more of a slow burn suspense with a super dysfunctional family. I’ll give Vincent props for tricking me on a few things. Again, the big reveal of who the demon was didn’t really make sense to me but whatever. The end in general just didn’t really do anything for me. The build up was pretty good though. I liked how this was set in one night. Made it seem more urgent. This was also really easy to finish in one night as well.
3.5 rating
I enjoy Vincent’s writing and versions of horror/suspense. This didn’t read horror to me in any way. Even though there’s a demon I felt like the reveal was a little lack luster. This was more of a slow burn suspense with a super dysfunctional family. I’ll give Vincent props for tricking me on a few things. Again, the big reveal of who the demon was didn’t really make sense to me but whatever. The end in general just didn’t really do anything for me. The build up was pretty good though. I liked how this was set in one night. Made it seem more urgent. This was also really easy to finish in one night as well.
October 7, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was interested in this one due to its comparison to Knives Out. I do tend to love a reading of the will - all things go crazy - type situation! This one was underwhelming. I enjoyed moments of the family drama but there were too many loose ends left for my liking. Some “convenient” moments didn’t quite make sense in context. I also wish that the supernatural element of everything had been more of a focus. At times it really became background noise to the family drama when it was pitched as the main conflict.
All in all, it kinda felt like an episode of Supernatural? If that’s your vibe, go for it!!
I was interested in this one due to its comparison to Knives Out. I do tend to love a reading of the will - all things go crazy - type situation! This one was underwhelming. I enjoyed moments of the family drama but there were too many loose ends left for my liking. Some “convenient” moments didn’t quite make sense in context. I also wish that the supernatural element of everything had been more of a focus. At times it really became background noise to the family drama when it was pitched as the main conflict.
All in all, it kinda felt like an episode of Supernatural? If that’s your vibe, go for it!!
October 9, 2025
Note, I read the ARC: I powered through for closure and was so disappointed by the ending. It could have gone so many other directions. It’s just an interesting idea with a poor execution.
November 14, 2025
Special thanks to the publisher and Netgally for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Wow this was a crazy ride to be one. I'll be honest, I thought I had this all figured out from the start. And then I kept changing my mind. And then I kept going back to my original conclusion. And then I changed my mind again. And I then I was kinda right, but also super wrong.
This family is dysfunctional to the max. Everybody has problems, and they make those problems everyone else's problem in one way or another until all hell finally breaks lose in the last couple of chapters. I found some characters more annoying than others and I definitely didn't have any empathy for any of them really. But the story was enthralling and I was desperate to see how everything would come together in the end.
Gothic horror doesn't seem to be the biggest hit for me with the few I've tried over the last couple months, but I really enjoyed this one!
Wow this was a crazy ride to be one. I'll be honest, I thought I had this all figured out from the start. And then I kept changing my mind. And then I kept going back to my original conclusion. And then I changed my mind again. And I then I was kinda right, but also super wrong.
This family is dysfunctional to the max. Everybody has problems, and they make those problems everyone else's problem in one way or another until all hell finally breaks lose in the last couple of chapters. I found some characters more annoying than others and I definitely didn't have any empathy for any of them really. But the story was enthralling and I was desperate to see how everything would come together in the end.
Gothic horror doesn't seem to be the biggest hit for me with the few I've tried over the last couple months, but I really enjoyed this one!
December 3, 2025
I’m torn on the rating. I would say 3.5-4 stars.
In the beginning I really had to push through. This book is a VERY slow burn, which I am not a fan of. The chapters are also long, which I also don’t like.
One thing I did like about this book was the one view point and it stayed in the present. Once the book got out of the slow burn phase and things started actually happening, it got interesting and I didn’t want to stop reading. The twist near the end wasn’t as much as a twist, as I had kind figured that was the case. The ending though, that I didn’t expect.
If you can push through the beginning, then you can definitely make it through the book.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom in exchange for an honest review.
In the beginning I really had to push through. This book is a VERY slow burn, which I am not a fan of. The chapters are also long, which I also don’t like.
One thing I did like about this book was the one view point and it stayed in the present. Once the book got out of the slow burn phase and things started actually happening, it got interesting and I didn’t want to stop reading. The twist near the end wasn’t as much as a twist, as I had kind figured that was the case. The ending though, that I didn’t expect.
If you can push through the beginning, then you can definitely make it through the book.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2026
You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom is a tense, darkly entertaining horror thriller that traps a wealthy, deeply dysfunctional family in a house for twelve brutal hours after the death of their patriarch, Papi Ramón Abreu. His final message in the will claiming one family member is El Baca, a demon he made a deal with hangs over the night like a curse as a storm forces everyone to stay put.Xiomara, Papi Ramón’s favorite and therefore the family’s primary target, watches as old grudges, secrets, and scandals surface one by one. What starts as bitter inheritance drama quickly spirals into accusations, violence, and murder, with the very real possibility that a demon is hiding among them. As the clock ticks, Xiomara must confront not only the supernatural threat, but the very human ghosts of betrayal, cruelty, and generational trauma.This is a hard read for anyone who grew up in a dysfunctional family the emotional tension cuts just as deep as the horror but I really enjoyed it. It’s sharp, claustrophobic, and unrelenting, blending family drama with supernatural dread in a way that feels both horrifying and painfully real. This is absolutely the kind of book I wish would be adapted into a movie.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I’m going to be upfront and say that the only reason I put my name in for an Advanced Reader Copy of this was purely on the fact the name Made me laugh. Thanks to William Morrow publishing and NetGalley, I was able to read this for an honest review.
Because I skimmed the book blurb and picked this because of the funny title, I didn’t have to many expectations going into this. The expectations I did have going in I kind based on the cover which was completely my mistake. I thought this was going to be a demonic house ghost story like Amittyville. I also realized I have not read a lot of gothic Horror novels so I didn’t expect the slow burn to this book.
This book is about the death of the head of the Abreu family, Papi Ramon. Papi Ramon’s final wishes require his remaining family to meet at his home for a reading of the will. As everyone arrives, the mother of all storms hits trapping this family in the house. The will is read and all it says is “one of you is el bacá, the demon that I made a deal with. Get rid of them or you will be damned.” Obviously everyone thinks it is a joke and refuses to believe it, but the youngest member and family outcast, Xiomara, feels there is more to this than a joke and has to figure out which person is the demon before it’s too late. Not only is Xiomara battling a demon, the weather, and her estranged family but time its self.
Here is what I liked about this book. I really liked Tirado’s writing style and his character development. Tirado writes his characters so well that even when I hated a character, I just loved to hate them. Let me tell you, none of this family likes each other so it made for some interesting interactions. The ending was very fast paced and difficult to put down. I may have struggled to get into this book but once things started to get going in the story, I was finding any excuse to pick this up I could.
I guess most of the issues I had with this book were my own personal issues and I will not fault the author at all. Since I have not read a lot of Gothic horror, I was not prepared for how slow the story was going to move before it got intense. Had I been more familiar with the Gothic sub-genre of horror I might have enjoyed this more.
Since my issues were my own I will highly recommend this to anyone looking for some serious family drama and secrets getting out, or a good scavenger hunt story. This book will be released on March 10, 2026 and you can pre-order it now. 🥃🥃🥃 is my review just because I enjoyed it but still had my own disappointments. I hope you do check it out and would love to hear your thoughts.
Because I skimmed the book blurb and picked this because of the funny title, I didn’t have to many expectations going into this. The expectations I did have going in I kind based on the cover which was completely my mistake. I thought this was going to be a demonic house ghost story like Amittyville. I also realized I have not read a lot of gothic Horror novels so I didn’t expect the slow burn to this book.
This book is about the death of the head of the Abreu family, Papi Ramon. Papi Ramon’s final wishes require his remaining family to meet at his home for a reading of the will. As everyone arrives, the mother of all storms hits trapping this family in the house. The will is read and all it says is “one of you is el bacá, the demon that I made a deal with. Get rid of them or you will be damned.” Obviously everyone thinks it is a joke and refuses to believe it, but the youngest member and family outcast, Xiomara, feels there is more to this than a joke and has to figure out which person is the demon before it’s too late. Not only is Xiomara battling a demon, the weather, and her estranged family but time its self.
Here is what I liked about this book. I really liked Tirado’s writing style and his character development. Tirado writes his characters so well that even when I hated a character, I just loved to hate them. Let me tell you, none of this family likes each other so it made for some interesting interactions. The ending was very fast paced and difficult to put down. I may have struggled to get into this book but once things started to get going in the story, I was finding any excuse to pick this up I could.
I guess most of the issues I had with this book were my own personal issues and I will not fault the author at all. Since I have not read a lot of Gothic horror, I was not prepared for how slow the story was going to move before it got intense. Had I been more familiar with the Gothic sub-genre of horror I might have enjoyed this more.
Since my issues were my own I will highly recommend this to anyone looking for some serious family drama and secrets getting out, or a good scavenger hunt story. This book will be released on March 10, 2026 and you can pre-order it now. 🥃🥃🥃 is my review just because I enjoyed it but still had my own disappointments. I hope you do check it out and would love to hear your thoughts.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Xiomara, a recent college graduate, has to go back home for Papi Ramon's will reading. The downside, she really doesn't like her family, though, for good reason. Every family has flaws, but this one is oozing with narcissism, greed, and toxicity. Her aunts and uncles seem to only be there to "get what's theirs", vultures picking at the bones of what Papi Ramon left. Xiomara just wants closure, so many questions loom over her head almost as soon as she steps inside. Repressed memories come to light. Complete gaps finally filled. And a friendship forgotten, Naomi, the home aide (and Xiomara's childhood friend) is also there. The will reading shocks everyone in attendance, instead of listing items to go off into their hungry hands, it exposes the truth; a demon is in their midst. And they must find out who within 12 hours, or the world they know will come crashing down around them.
I really enjoyed this one! My first by Vincent Tirado, and I'm so curious about their other works now! I loved the big family drama, and they did an amazing job highlighting just how toxic, and selfish families can be. The pacing of this book is also very fun, the chapters are blocks of time, and what unfolds within the 12 hour timeline. It does lull a little bit in the middle, but the lull makes sense as their are SO many characters to keep track of, but it doesn't almost leave you wanting MORE of the demon, and less of the object hunt. (Trying to be vague to avoid spoilers) But overall this flows almost movie like, and plays beautifully in your mind.
On a separate note, I'm VERY glad I read the authors note, and I would highly recommend doing so. I did not know the struggle between Dominican and Haitian families, and wondered why the family was so cruel to one individual. However, knowing this, I think the author did a great job making you feel the tension.
Though this book has supernatural elements, it feels VERY real, especially if you come from a toxic family like me. I highly recommend this one for anyone that enjoys a story with family drama, repressed memories, high tension, and demons. Definitely a fun, wild read.
Thank you to NetGalley, and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review!
I really enjoyed this one! My first by Vincent Tirado, and I'm so curious about their other works now! I loved the big family drama, and they did an amazing job highlighting just how toxic, and selfish families can be. The pacing of this book is also very fun, the chapters are blocks of time, and what unfolds within the 12 hour timeline. It does lull a little bit in the middle, but the lull makes sense as their are SO many characters to keep track of, but it doesn't almost leave you wanting MORE of the demon, and less of the object hunt. (Trying to be vague to avoid spoilers) But overall this flows almost movie like, and plays beautifully in your mind.
On a separate note, I'm VERY glad I read the authors note, and I would highly recommend doing so. I did not know the struggle between Dominican and Haitian families, and wondered why the family was so cruel to one individual. However, knowing this, I think the author did a great job making you feel the tension.
Though this book has supernatural elements, it feels VERY real, especially if you come from a toxic family like me. I highly recommend this one for anyone that enjoys a story with family drama, repressed memories, high tension, and demons. Definitely a fun, wild read.
Thank you to NetGalley, and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom had a very intriguing and fresh premise that drew me in right away. It is described as a "modern gothic horror" but those were not the vibes I got. I don't know if there were descriptions of the atmosphere and setting that I just missed or if maybe this one just didn't hit those points for me. It felt closer to an episode of Supernatural meets Knives Out for a good portion of the book.
The demon aspect grabbed me right away, however, it felt as though it slowly faded into the background. The secrets started to be revealed then those also fell by the wayside. There was about 30% of this book that was just moving from room to room, family fighting about something new, and Xiomara looking for clues without knowing where to look. I think there was a lot of repetition that took up too much space. This space could have been used explore the lore, or advance the investigation more but it wasn't.
The characters behavior was also often confusing. Something "big" would happen, then they would just disperse and act like they have better things to be talking about. Once the ending came, it all happened very fast. So many threads were dropped and felt somewhat out of place. Marcus felt unnecessary? Why was only one tape wrapped in a bible page? Why were some tapes talking about who that person was and others were talking about what they did to Josefina? Why was Xiomara's the only one hidden so intensely? Why wasn't anything revealed about Yaritza? Why was the entire angle of "find out the name of the demon to destroy it" completely dropped? I guess suffice to say, I have a lot of questions.
I did appreciate some of the context added at the end of the story that gave more nuance to the family's dynamics. I think the novel could have benefitted if it took some of the space used having the characters walk from room to room conversing and dedicated it to fleshing out the characters and actually chasing the mystery. I would read from this author again depending on reviews of future books.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
The demon aspect grabbed me right away, however, it felt as though it slowly faded into the background. The secrets started to be revealed then those also fell by the wayside. There was about 30% of this book that was just moving from room to room, family fighting about something new, and Xiomara looking for clues without knowing where to look. I think there was a lot of repetition that took up too much space. This space could have been used explore the lore, or advance the investigation more but it wasn't.
The characters behavior was also often confusing. Something "big" would happen, then they would just disperse and act like they have better things to be talking about. Once the ending came, it all happened very fast. So many threads were dropped and felt somewhat out of place. Marcus felt unnecessary? Why was only one tape wrapped in a bible page? Why were some tapes talking about who that person was and others were talking about what they did to Josefina? Why was Xiomara's the only one hidden so intensely? Why wasn't anything revealed about Yaritza? Why was the entire angle of "find out the name of the demon to destroy it" completely dropped? I guess suffice to say, I have a lot of questions.
I did appreciate some of the context added at the end of the story that gave more nuance to the family's dynamics. I think the novel could have benefitted if it took some of the space used having the characters walk from room to room conversing and dedicated it to fleshing out the characters and actually chasing the mystery. I would read from this author again depending on reviews of future books.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
February 19, 2026
3.5 🌟
You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom pulled me in right away with its setup: a wealthy, dysfunctional family gathers in their grandfather’s house for the reading of his will, only to learn that instead of inheritance, they’ve been left a deadline. One of them is a demon he made a bargain with, and they have twelve hours to figure out who it is and get rid of them/it. The premise reads like a supernatural whodunnit, very Clue-coded. The beginning does a solid job of creating intrigue and tension while introducing the characters and their personalities (all awful, by the way).
Where the book lost me was in the pacing and character focus. The middle stretches on with characters wandering the house, hiding in rooms, and interacting in ways that don’t feel especially meaningful to the plot. Xiomara, the sole POV character, spends much of the story actively avoiding other family members, which means a lot of the “action” happens outside of her view. That distance makes the demonic elements feel low-stakes for a long time, especially since the demon itself isn’t fully developed and doesn’t truly matter to the characters until very late in the book. Some interactions and internal thoughts also felt overly spelled out, giving the writing a more YA-leaning tone than I expected. I also wanted more development of the demon, and one character in particular felt included solely to be killed off without meaningfully serving the plot. The MC’s reaction to his actions made her less endearing and pulled me further out of the story.
After investing so much time with this family, I was hoping for a stronger payoff. While I didn’t hate the ending, the final act moved very quickly and wrapped up in just a handful of pages plus an epilogue. There were elements I genuinely enjoyed, especially the found tapes, which added depth and context, but they weren’t quite enough to fully carry the resolution. Overall, I enjoyed this read and the feel of the elements involved. I will try another book by this author in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for access to the ARC!
You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom pulled me in right away with its setup: a wealthy, dysfunctional family gathers in their grandfather’s house for the reading of his will, only to learn that instead of inheritance, they’ve been left a deadline. One of them is a demon he made a bargain with, and they have twelve hours to figure out who it is and get rid of them/it. The premise reads like a supernatural whodunnit, very Clue-coded. The beginning does a solid job of creating intrigue and tension while introducing the characters and their personalities (all awful, by the way).
Where the book lost me was in the pacing and character focus. The middle stretches on with characters wandering the house, hiding in rooms, and interacting in ways that don’t feel especially meaningful to the plot. Xiomara, the sole POV character, spends much of the story actively avoiding other family members, which means a lot of the “action” happens outside of her view. That distance makes the demonic elements feel low-stakes for a long time, especially since the demon itself isn’t fully developed and doesn’t truly matter to the characters until very late in the book. Some interactions and internal thoughts also felt overly spelled out, giving the writing a more YA-leaning tone than I expected. I also wanted more development of the demon, and one character in particular felt included solely to be killed off without meaningfully serving the plot. The MC’s reaction to his actions made her less endearing and pulled me further out of the story.
After investing so much time with this family, I was hoping for a stronger payoff. While I didn’t hate the ending, the final act moved very quickly and wrapped up in just a handful of pages plus an epilogue. There were elements I genuinely enjoyed, especially the found tapes, which added depth and context, but they weren’t quite enough to fully carry the resolution. Overall, I enjoyed this read and the feel of the elements involved. I will try another book by this author in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for access to the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A dysfunctional family who made a deal with a demon...what could possibly be the worst thing to happen?
The title gives us the "who" in the "whodunnit" aspect of the plot; I found that surprising. Instead of piecing together the source of the chaos, we see how everything fits together. This IS a gothic horror though, so maybe I'm paying attention to the wrong thing here. If you pop over to Wikipedia to look at the definition of "gothic fiction" this novel hits all the notes. Despite the genre being nailed down, I think within itself it's really not hitting the pacing correctly. We're told that this demon is a tricksy bugger and we're really not given ~anything~ tricky.
There's a lot of slow down with everyone just wandering the house, then a whiplash into quick demon action. But after the action, the family members are just kinda..."meh" towards the situation. We're only given Xiomara's POV though and that may be why the family doesn't seem to have appropriate responses. Xiomara is just as dysfunctional as her family members, even if she sets herself apart from them. She's an avoidant character, so most of the action is being done around her and not TO her. With the demonic action happening elsewhere it takes wind out of the sails. Those appearances also don't actually matter until we're 80% through the book, which also feels like a suuuuper long time for a big part of your plot to actually start meaning something to the characters. I think chopping out some of the middle and fleshing out the ending just a smidgen more would add an extra star for me. We spent so much time with the family that I was waiting for a really good pay off at the end. We get about two paragraphs and an epilogue of sorts.
I really appreciate the author's note after the novel. We're given another layer of context for interpersonal conflict and having that, I can see the extra morsel of meaning throughout the novel. So one star for that alone! I enjoyed learning something there.
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for my ARC :)
The title gives us the "who" in the "whodunnit" aspect of the plot; I found that surprising. Instead of piecing together the source of the chaos, we see how everything fits together. This IS a gothic horror though, so maybe I'm paying attention to the wrong thing here. If you pop over to Wikipedia to look at the definition of "gothic fiction" this novel hits all the notes. Despite the genre being nailed down, I think within itself it's really not hitting the pacing correctly. We're told that this demon is a tricksy bugger and we're really not given ~anything~ tricky.
There's a lot of slow down with everyone just wandering the house, then a whiplash into quick demon action. But after the action, the family members are just kinda..."meh" towards the situation. We're only given Xiomara's POV though and that may be why the family doesn't seem to have appropriate responses. Xiomara is just as dysfunctional as her family members, even if she sets herself apart from them. She's an avoidant character, so most of the action is being done around her and not TO her. With the demonic action happening elsewhere it takes wind out of the sails. Those appearances also don't actually matter until we're 80% through the book, which also feels like a suuuuper long time for a big part of your plot to actually start meaning something to the characters. I think chopping out some of the middle and fleshing out the ending just a smidgen more would add an extra star for me. We spent so much time with the family that I was waiting for a really good pay off at the end. We get about two paragraphs and an epilogue of sorts.
I really appreciate the author's note after the novel. We're given another layer of context for interpersonal conflict and having that, I can see the extra morsel of meaning throughout the novel. So one star for that alone! I enjoyed learning something there.
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for my ARC :)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
You Should Have Been Nicer to Mom by Vincent Tirado is basically a family reunion where instead of passive aggressive comments about your career choices, someone accuses you of being an actual demon. Honestly, it feels like a natural escalation.
After Papi Ramon dies, he leaves behind one final gift: a message informing his already fractured family that one of them is possessed and they need to deal with it before they are all damned. Nothing brings people together like eternal doom. Xiomara and her relatives are trapped in the house during a storm, forced to sift through years of resentment, secrets, and truly elite levels of family dysfunction while also playing a high stakes round of Guess the Demon.
The best part of this book is how viciously real the family dynamics feel. The arguments are sharp, petty, and so specific you can practically feel the decades of grudges vibrating off the page. At times it becomes clear that even if there is no demon, this family would absolutely destroy itself anyway. The horror works because the emotional mess is already at a ten.
The pacing is a slow burn. And by slow burn, I mean there is a lot of yelling before anyone gets around to serious demon hunting. If you are looking for nonstop scares, you might find yourself impatiently thinking, “Okay, which one of you is sprouting horns?” But once things finally snap, the chaos is worth it. The back half delivers on tension and mayhem in a way that makes the buildup feel intentional rather than indulgent.
Overall, this is dramatic, tense, and darkly funny in a way that feels very on purpose. It leans hard into messy family trauma and then tosses in a possible demon just to spice things up. Four stars for giving us supernatural horror and the very practical reminder that maybe you should, in fact, have been nicer to Mom.
After Papi Ramon dies, he leaves behind one final gift: a message informing his already fractured family that one of them is possessed and they need to deal with it before they are all damned. Nothing brings people together like eternal doom. Xiomara and her relatives are trapped in the house during a storm, forced to sift through years of resentment, secrets, and truly elite levels of family dysfunction while also playing a high stakes round of Guess the Demon.
The best part of this book is how viciously real the family dynamics feel. The arguments are sharp, petty, and so specific you can practically feel the decades of grudges vibrating off the page. At times it becomes clear that even if there is no demon, this family would absolutely destroy itself anyway. The horror works because the emotional mess is already at a ten.
The pacing is a slow burn. And by slow burn, I mean there is a lot of yelling before anyone gets around to serious demon hunting. If you are looking for nonstop scares, you might find yourself impatiently thinking, “Okay, which one of you is sprouting horns?” But once things finally snap, the chaos is worth it. The back half delivers on tension and mayhem in a way that makes the buildup feel intentional rather than indulgent.
Overall, this is dramatic, tense, and darkly funny in a way that feels very on purpose. It leans hard into messy family trauma and then tosses in a possible demon just to spice things up. Four stars for giving us supernatural horror and the very practical reminder that maybe you should, in fact, have been nicer to Mom.
February 2, 2026
You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom had so much going for it, and I went in genuinely excited, especially after the dedication, which immediately set the tone for what felt like it would be a deeply personal, cathartic revenge story.
The premise is incredibly strong: a fractured family reunites for the reading of their wealthy patriarch’s will, only to discover a shocking condition that forces them to remain together in his house while a violent storm traps them inside. Old wounds surface, secrets come out, and each family member is forced to confront their worst sins while trying not to turn on one another. On paper, this is absolutely my kind of book.
Unfortunately, the execution didn’t fully land for me.
I struggled with some of the plot connections, and several moments just didn’t hit the emotional or narrative mark they seemed to be building toward. There were also a few odd character choices and internal thoughts that pulled me out of the story—like a scene where Xiomara, a grown woman, questions whether women can still have children in their late 30s. Moments like that didn’t feel natural and disrupted the flow rather than deepening the characters.
The ending was another weak spot for me. After such a deliberate buildup, it wrapped up very abruptly and felt rushed, almost like the story stopped instead of concluded.
Overall, this was a good book, but not a great one for me. The concept is compelling, the themes are strong, and I absolutely see the potential. I’d still read another book by Vincent Tirado, but I can’t help feeling that this particular story could have been executed with more cohesion and impact.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!
The premise is incredibly strong: a fractured family reunites for the reading of their wealthy patriarch’s will, only to discover a shocking condition that forces them to remain together in his house while a violent storm traps them inside. Old wounds surface, secrets come out, and each family member is forced to confront their worst sins while trying not to turn on one another. On paper, this is absolutely my kind of book.
Unfortunately, the execution didn’t fully land for me.
I struggled with some of the plot connections, and several moments just didn’t hit the emotional or narrative mark they seemed to be building toward. There were also a few odd character choices and internal thoughts that pulled me out of the story—like a scene where Xiomara, a grown woman, questions whether women can still have children in their late 30s. Moments like that didn’t feel natural and disrupted the flow rather than deepening the characters.
The ending was another weak spot for me. After such a deliberate buildup, it wrapped up very abruptly and felt rushed, almost like the story stopped instead of concluded.
Overall, this was a good book, but not a great one for me. The concept is compelling, the themes are strong, and I absolutely see the potential. I’d still read another book by Vincent Tirado, but I can’t help feeling that this particular story could have been executed with more cohesion and impact.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“How were they supposed to extract a demon they didn't believe was there?”
Xiomara goes to her mom's childhood home where her maternal grandfather has just died, to meet with the family for the reading of his will. Her mom's siblings are petty, dramatic, rude, gossipy and always spoke badly of Josefina... maybe because she was Papi Ramon's favorite. Unfortunately, Josefina died in a car accident about 6 years earlier.
Cast of characters:
Papi Ramon
Aury
Marisa
Manuel, his kids Henry, Wanda
Rafael, his daughter Yaritza
Josefina, her daughter Xo
Julia, the housekeeper and her daughter Noami
And of course el baca the demon
A lawyer comes to read the will, but instead of instructions on how the assets will be divvied up, there's a cryptic message. There’s a demon among them. The family must find it and kill it, or they'll all be damned. Papi Ramon used to be an exorcist, but most of the family doesn't remember this ever happening. It's said that demons can mess with your memories... change them or take them away... Our main character Xo might be having trouble with some of her memories.
This book is very much about the bond between a girl and her grandfather, and grieving a mother who wasn't treated well by her own (obnoxious) family. I found the story super addicting! I could not read fast enough, anxious to find out who the demon was and how many casualties there'd be before the evil was vanquished. That alone was great motivation to keep reading, but then there were more mysteries added in! My only problem was the questions I had after. Some things didn't feel truly clear or explained, but of course I have my theories.
"A person might think they've outsmarted a demon but really they've played according to the script.”
Xiomara goes to her mom's childhood home where her maternal grandfather has just died, to meet with the family for the reading of his will. Her mom's siblings are petty, dramatic, rude, gossipy and always spoke badly of Josefina... maybe because she was Papi Ramon's favorite. Unfortunately, Josefina died in a car accident about 6 years earlier.
Cast of characters:
Papi Ramon
Aury
Marisa
Manuel, his kids Henry, Wanda
Rafael, his daughter Yaritza
Josefina, her daughter Xo
Julia, the housekeeper and her daughter Noami
And of course el baca the demon
A lawyer comes to read the will, but instead of instructions on how the assets will be divvied up, there's a cryptic message. There’s a demon among them. The family must find it and kill it, or they'll all be damned. Papi Ramon used to be an exorcist, but most of the family doesn't remember this ever happening. It's said that demons can mess with your memories... change them or take them away... Our main character Xo might be having trouble with some of her memories.
This book is very much about the bond between a girl and her grandfather, and grieving a mother who wasn't treated well by her own (obnoxious) family. I found the story super addicting! I could not read fast enough, anxious to find out who the demon was and how many casualties there'd be before the evil was vanquished. That alone was great motivation to keep reading, but then there were more mysteries added in! My only problem was the questions I had after. Some things didn't feel truly clear or explained, but of course I have my theories.
"A person might think they've outsmarted a demon but really they've played according to the script.”
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was drawn to this book based on the title, like I'm sure many others were. I thought I knew what to expect based on that one sentence, and to some degree I was right. But to so many other degrees, I was way off.
In this book, Ramon Abreu, the patriarch of a wealthy Dominican family, dies. At the onset of the novel, his surviving children, grandchildren, and home aide meet at his home for the reading of the will. What we quickly learn is that Papi Ramon (as he's called throughout the novel) wasn't who everyone thought he was. Instead of a will, Papi Ramon leaves a warning for the children which basically says there's a demon (el baca) among them, and they must determine who it is and vanquish it within twelve hours, or they'll all be damned. Boy oh boy what a turn of events. We follow Xiomara, Papi Ramon's granddaughter and his clear favorite as she takes the task more seriously than everyone else.
What I loved about this novel was that it's like a combination the movies Knives Out and Devil. I was hooked from chapter one, let's be honest. Tirado builds an atmosphere that is both unnerving and exciting. You can't help but try to play detective with their breadcrumbs. It was like watching a spooky telenovela. The drama, the scandal, the pettiness are front and center. You can see where some of the plot points are going to go throughout, but that ending shocked me. I never wanted to put the book down, and now I'm a full Vincent Tirado fan. Whatever they write, I'm going to read it.
*Thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Vincent Tirado for this ARC. This review contains my honest, authentic thoughts and opinions.*
In this book, Ramon Abreu, the patriarch of a wealthy Dominican family, dies. At the onset of the novel, his surviving children, grandchildren, and home aide meet at his home for the reading of the will. What we quickly learn is that Papi Ramon (as he's called throughout the novel) wasn't who everyone thought he was. Instead of a will, Papi Ramon leaves a warning for the children which basically says there's a demon (el baca) among them, and they must determine who it is and vanquish it within twelve hours, or they'll all be damned. Boy oh boy what a turn of events. We follow Xiomara, Papi Ramon's granddaughter and his clear favorite as she takes the task more seriously than everyone else.
What I loved about this novel was that it's like a combination the movies Knives Out and Devil. I was hooked from chapter one, let's be honest. Tirado builds an atmosphere that is both unnerving and exciting. You can't help but try to play detective with their breadcrumbs. It was like watching a spooky telenovela. The drama, the scandal, the pettiness are front and center. You can see where some of the plot points are going to go throughout, but that ending shocked me. I never wanted to put the book down, and now I'm a full Vincent Tirado fan. Whatever they write, I'm going to read it.
*Thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Vincent Tirado for this ARC. This review contains my honest, authentic thoughts and opinions.*
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
You Should Have Been Nicer To My Mom has a really nice cover, great title, and an interesting plot. This story was mostly a quick read, and I was able to complete it in one day.
I liked that the story was a type of locked room mystery in which Xiomara was trying to figure out who was the demon with the goal of saving her family. I like that the story is centered around a Dominican family and incorporates some of the cultural and spiritual elements. A lot of this information was used to give backgrounds to each of the characters as well as to highlight their strengths and flaws.
Based on the synopsis, I was hoping for more of a "demon" presence. Instead, we get a lot of information focused on Xiomara trying to figure out family secrets while also trying to piece together her memories, so at times, she seems a little unreliable. The bulk of the story is about family secrets being exposed. We're also told repeatedly that Papi Ramon's living children and their kids don't like Xiomara and never liked Xiomara's mother, Josefina. The main explanation that we are given is that Josefina and Xiomara were his favorites.
The story starts off well, but midway through the pacing lagged so much. I can't even remember most of what I read throughout the middle of the book because it was so lackluster. The story and the pacing picks back up around 80%, thankfully, and resulted in an ending that was predictable in some ways but surprising in other ways. Overall, it was a decent story that I think others will enjoy.
Thank you, Netgalley and William Morrow, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I liked that the story was a type of locked room mystery in which Xiomara was trying to figure out who was the demon with the goal of saving her family. I like that the story is centered around a Dominican family and incorporates some of the cultural and spiritual elements. A lot of this information was used to give backgrounds to each of the characters as well as to highlight their strengths and flaws.
Based on the synopsis, I was hoping for more of a "demon" presence. Instead, we get a lot of information focused on Xiomara trying to figure out family secrets while also trying to piece together her memories, so at times, she seems a little unreliable. The bulk of the story is about family secrets being exposed. We're also told repeatedly that Papi Ramon's living children and their kids don't like Xiomara and never liked Xiomara's mother, Josefina. The main explanation that we are given is that Josefina and Xiomara were his favorites.
The story starts off well, but midway through the pacing lagged so much. I can't even remember most of what I read throughout the middle of the book because it was so lackluster. The story and the pacing picks back up around 80%, thankfully, and resulted in an ending that was predictable in some ways but surprising in other ways. Overall, it was a decent story that I think others will enjoy.
Thank you, Netgalley and William Morrow, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2⭐️⭐️
This started out as having an interesting premise, think Knives Out, but with a supernatural twist. Very cool cover art! It’s says it’s a gothic horror, but I’m not sure what’s gothic about it. Xiomara (I couldn’t pronounce it either) hates her rich family, aunts, uncles and cousins, but heads to the house of her deceased grandfather to meet up with everyone, to hear his final will. Instead of assets, they are gifted the knowledge that one of them is a demon he made a bargain with who they have 12 hours to discover and kill.
I believe this author has just transitioned into adult novels, so unfortunately, for me, the writing still felt very juvenile and the book came across as very YA. I couldn’t take the main character seriously and simple things couldn’t be left alone, they had to be spelled out in the next sentence. The family members were all very devoid of personality and zero fun to interact with.
This didn’t seem like a very big house, yet they were all constantly running around, hiding in bathrooms and storage closets and searching his office, while somehow not running into each other. The pacing for it all felt repetitive even though the author had a clever idea to start chapters with the time, counting down their 12 hours.
The ending was awful. The title of the book and its mystery didn’t really make sense to me when unveiled. The “demon” was not at all flushed out. This was like an attempt at horror, that could have been really unique, that fell completely jumbled and flat on the floor.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
This started out as having an interesting premise, think Knives Out, but with a supernatural twist. Very cool cover art! It’s says it’s a gothic horror, but I’m not sure what’s gothic about it. Xiomara (I couldn’t pronounce it either) hates her rich family, aunts, uncles and cousins, but heads to the house of her deceased grandfather to meet up with everyone, to hear his final will. Instead of assets, they are gifted the knowledge that one of them is a demon he made a bargain with who they have 12 hours to discover and kill.
I believe this author has just transitioned into adult novels, so unfortunately, for me, the writing still felt very juvenile and the book came across as very YA. I couldn’t take the main character seriously and simple things couldn’t be left alone, they had to be spelled out in the next sentence. The family members were all very devoid of personality and zero fun to interact with.
This didn’t seem like a very big house, yet they were all constantly running around, hiding in bathrooms and storage closets and searching his office, while somehow not running into each other. The pacing for it all felt repetitive even though the author had a clever idea to start chapters with the time, counting down their 12 hours.
The ending was awful. The title of the book and its mystery didn’t really make sense to me when unveiled. The “demon” was not at all flushed out. This was like an attempt at horror, that could have been really unique, that fell completely jumbled and flat on the floor.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
February 1, 2026
Got an arc since AJ was sent one for blurbing purposes, 4.5/5
I…hate how relatable this was. Now I’m Spectacularly White so a lot of the particular dynamics that are very much at the heart of this story obviously not, but the familial breakdowns in relationships and the way Xiomara’s family cuts her out? Ouch. My beloved Nana passed just under three years ago and towards the end of her life and immediately following her death, I things spiraled where I felt incredibly ostracized, othered, and unloved by parts of my extended family for reasons I still don’t understand to this day. There’s a part in here that’s something along the lines of “she realized painfully that her cousin did not like her and there was nothing she could do to ever maker her cousin like her again” and that HIT painfully.
That being said, I can honestly say I’m glad my extended family wasn’t THIS bad, because my god these people are so bonkers in a way that I couldn’t wait to watch them get their comeuppance. I got a kick out of trying to solve the mystery along with Xiomara and still got blindsided at the end with some of the reveals.
I got a little frustrated at times with the text using epithets (ie “the pastor” “the home aide” “the young Christian woman”) instead of their names, and I did spend a whole pivotal scene mixing up two characters because their names were similar, but if those are the biggest issues I had then those are pretty minor! So aside from having to put the book down at times because it made me sad about my family, this was an entertaining read!
I…hate how relatable this was. Now I’m Spectacularly White so a lot of the particular dynamics that are very much at the heart of this story obviously not, but the familial breakdowns in relationships and the way Xiomara’s family cuts her out? Ouch. My beloved Nana passed just under three years ago and towards the end of her life and immediately following her death, I things spiraled where I felt incredibly ostracized, othered, and unloved by parts of my extended family for reasons I still don’t understand to this day. There’s a part in here that’s something along the lines of “she realized painfully that her cousin did not like her and there was nothing she could do to ever maker her cousin like her again” and that HIT painfully.
That being said, I can honestly say I’m glad my extended family wasn’t THIS bad, because my god these people are so bonkers in a way that I couldn’t wait to watch them get their comeuppance. I got a kick out of trying to solve the mystery along with Xiomara and still got blindsided at the end with some of the reveals.
I got a little frustrated at times with the text using epithets (ie “the pastor” “the home aide” “the young Christian woman”) instead of their names, and I did spend a whole pivotal scene mixing up two characters because their names were similar, but if those are the biggest issues I had then those are pretty minor! So aside from having to put the book down at times because it made me sad about my family, this was an entertaining read!
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