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Goodnight Monsters: A Novel
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Expected 1 Sep 26304 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 7, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5/5)
📖 Goodnight Monsters follows Lia, a suburban housewife who secretly finds herself pregnant while questioning if she even wants to become a mother. As she hides her pregnancy, she takes a job at a forensic anthropology center, better known as the Body Farm, where her already dark thoughts begin spiraling into something much more disturbing. Reality and fantasy start to blur after someone she’s imagined killing suddenly turns up dead… 👀🫣
Lia’s internal monologue was absolutely unhinged 😭💀 and that made her such an unreliable narrator. I genuinely never knew what was real and what was all in her head, which kept me completely hooked. I flew through this in one sitting because I had to know what was actually happening.
I loved watching everything slowly unravel as Lia’s mental state continued to spiral. The psychological aspect was definitely the strongest part of this book, and the Body Farm setting added such a creepy, unsettling atmosphere.
My biggest issue was the ending. 😅 It kind of left me sitting there like… wait… what? I finished the last page and was honestly still trying to piece together what actually happened. Maybe that’s the point, but it left me feeling more confused than satisfied.
Overall, if you enjoy unreliable narrators, messy psychological spirals, morally questionable characters, and books that make you question what’s real, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mindbuck Media | She Writes Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 💛
📖 Goodnight Monsters follows Lia, a suburban housewife who secretly finds herself pregnant while questioning if she even wants to become a mother. As she hides her pregnancy, she takes a job at a forensic anthropology center, better known as the Body Farm, where her already dark thoughts begin spiraling into something much more disturbing. Reality and fantasy start to blur after someone she’s imagined killing suddenly turns up dead… 👀🫣
Lia’s internal monologue was absolutely unhinged 😭💀 and that made her such an unreliable narrator. I genuinely never knew what was real and what was all in her head, which kept me completely hooked. I flew through this in one sitting because I had to know what was actually happening.
I loved watching everything slowly unravel as Lia’s mental state continued to spiral. The psychological aspect was definitely the strongest part of this book, and the Body Farm setting added such a creepy, unsettling atmosphere.
My biggest issue was the ending. 😅 It kind of left me sitting there like… wait… what? I finished the last page and was honestly still trying to piece together what actually happened. Maybe that’s the point, but it left me feeling more confused than satisfied.
Overall, if you enjoy unreliable narrators, messy psychological spirals, morally questionable characters, and books that make you question what’s real, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mindbuck Media | She Writes Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 💛
July 19, 2026
This book felt like I was getting slapped in the face every chapter with the amount of crazy and mind boggling experiences this book was putting me through. The main character kind of gave off unreliable narrator throughout it because with her negative visions / internal thoughts she was experiencing, I was constantly second guessing what was real and not and whether I could fully trust her or not. When I thought the plot hadn’t thickened enough already, another slap in the face happened and the plot just kept getting thicker and thicker. This book generally had me very intrigued by the main characters brain and how she thinks cause ….. she was experiencing some crazy thoughts. There were quite a few twists in this book that generally had me shocked and having to re check I read it right, cause what a rollercoaster. And especially that last sentence…. I was confused but intrigued that’s all I’ll say. The writing style at times felt a little messy but I don’t know whether that is intentional to match with the main characters brain and how she was acting / thinking throughout the book. Cause a lot of the scenes shifted quite suddenly from time to time making me struggle a bit to process the plot and what was happening and whether it was a dream or reality. But overall i was very much intrigued and engaged as the book unfolded.
July 6, 2026
I think I found a new favorite genre lowkeyyyy
Goodnight Monsters by Suzanne Junered is a domestic horror novel told in the first person POV. Our main character is Lia, a Southern suburban housewife whose dream has always been to become a stay at home mom. However, once she finally becomes pregnant, she begins to question everything. As her pregnancy progresses, so do the monsters lurking within her, and reality becomes increasingly unsettling.
Goodnight Monsters had me hooked from the very first page. As someone who doesn't usually read horror, it was the perfect reintroduction to the genre. The story kept me uneasy from start to finish, blending psychological tension with eerie unpredictability. While a few twists were easy to anticipate, several completely caught me off guard.
Overall, I really enjoyed this!! I will likely read this author again in the future because… y’all… this was eerie lol I was genuinely unnerved!
Trigger warnings; pregnancy trauma, postpartum trauma, gore, descriptive violent death, marital infidelity, etc.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mindbuck Media, and the author for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Goodnight Monsters by Suzanne Junered is a domestic horror novel told in the first person POV. Our main character is Lia, a Southern suburban housewife whose dream has always been to become a stay at home mom. However, once she finally becomes pregnant, she begins to question everything. As her pregnancy progresses, so do the monsters lurking within her, and reality becomes increasingly unsettling.
Goodnight Monsters had me hooked from the very first page. As someone who doesn't usually read horror, it was the perfect reintroduction to the genre. The story kept me uneasy from start to finish, blending psychological tension with eerie unpredictability. While a few twists were easy to anticipate, several completely caught me off guard.
Overall, I really enjoyed this!! I will likely read this author again in the future because… y’all… this was eerie lol I was genuinely unnerved!
Trigger warnings; pregnancy trauma, postpartum trauma, gore, descriptive violent death, marital infidelity, etc.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mindbuck Media, and the author for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC for review. To be published September 1, 2026.
3.5 stars
This was an interesting and odd book about a woman, early in her pregnancy who lives out many of her imaginings of death, with which she is obsessed.
Lila and Evan live in Knoxville, Tennessee near the famous Body Farm, which, if you are not aware is a research facility where scientists study decomposition, specifically how dead bodies break down in various conditions, mostly outdoors, so as to aid law enforcement and forensic science. Lila has just started a job there (which she obtained by blackmailing an old professor) and she’s as excited as her husband is reluctant to have her work at all.
And unknown to Evan, Lila has just discovered that she is pregnant, something the couple has been hoping for. However, now Lila is unsure that she wants a child so she keeps the pregnancy a secret from everyone and has a plan to terminate before 13 weeks (oddly the book makes no mention of the fact that abortions have been outlawed in Tennessee, even in cases of rape and/or incest. I hate this new reality. Luckily Lila and Evan have plenty of money so I suppose she’ll be traveling for the procedure, but, again, no mention of this reality.)
Oh. And then this maddening desire Lila has to kill someone. Not anyone in particular. Just someone.
And then one day a new body is on its large grounds of the Body Farm…and it’s someone Lila has dreamed of killing. But she didn’t do it. At least she doesn’t think she did. What is happening?
Lila…is a piece of work and she was hard to relate to as a character, but fascinating. She’s rather loathsome. I didn’t necessarily swallow everything the author dished out but it’s interesting to read about day to day work at the Body Farm and I kept turning those pages.
3.5 stars
This was an interesting and odd book about a woman, early in her pregnancy who lives out many of her imaginings of death, with which she is obsessed.
Lila and Evan live in Knoxville, Tennessee near the famous Body Farm, which, if you are not aware is a research facility where scientists study decomposition, specifically how dead bodies break down in various conditions, mostly outdoors, so as to aid law enforcement and forensic science. Lila has just started a job there (which she obtained by blackmailing an old professor) and she’s as excited as her husband is reluctant to have her work at all.
And unknown to Evan, Lila has just discovered that she is pregnant, something the couple has been hoping for. However, now Lila is unsure that she wants a child so she keeps the pregnancy a secret from everyone and has a plan to terminate before 13 weeks (oddly the book makes no mention of the fact that abortions have been outlawed in Tennessee, even in cases of rape and/or incest. I hate this new reality. Luckily Lila and Evan have plenty of money so I suppose she’ll be traveling for the procedure, but, again, no mention of this reality.)
Oh. And then this maddening desire Lila has to kill someone. Not anyone in particular. Just someone.
And then one day a new body is on its large grounds of the Body Farm…and it’s someone Lila has dreamed of killing. But she didn’t do it. At least she doesn’t think she did. What is happening?
Lila…is a piece of work and she was hard to relate to as a character, but fascinating. She’s rather loathsome. I didn’t necessarily swallow everything the author dished out but it’s interesting to read about day to day work at the Body Farm and I kept turning those pages.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
This book was an absolute wild ride. I had a hard time putting it down, even while it was actively unsettling me. Lia’s intrusive fantasies felt disturbingly real in a way that got under my skin. The book digs into that terrifying question of “What if your darkest thoughts didn’t stay thoughts?” and then follows the spiral as things begin slipping further and further out of control.
Without getting into spoilers, this gave me strong American Psycho vibes, but through a distinctly female lens. What really elevates it, though, is that it doesn’t treat mental illness as a gimmick. Lia is deeply unwell, and the story takes that seriously. She’s also one of the most effective unreliable narrators I’ve read in a long time. There’s a moment midway through the book where the floor completely drops out from under you and you realize you cannot trust anything she’s been telling you.
The atmosphere is tense, claustrophobic, and increasingly nightmarish as reality and fantasy start bleeding together. The setting of the Body Farm adds another layer of discomfort to everything, making the entire novel feel steeped in death and decay from the very beginning.
One of the most unsettling books I’ve read in a long time. Highly recommend if you like psychological horror that leaves you feeling deeply uncomfortable in the best way.
This book was an absolute wild ride. I had a hard time putting it down, even while it was actively unsettling me. Lia’s intrusive fantasies felt disturbingly real in a way that got under my skin. The book digs into that terrifying question of “What if your darkest thoughts didn’t stay thoughts?” and then follows the spiral as things begin slipping further and further out of control.
Without getting into spoilers, this gave me strong American Psycho vibes, but through a distinctly female lens. What really elevates it, though, is that it doesn’t treat mental illness as a gimmick. Lia is deeply unwell, and the story takes that seriously. She’s also one of the most effective unreliable narrators I’ve read in a long time. There’s a moment midway through the book where the floor completely drops out from under you and you realize you cannot trust anything she’s been telling you.
The atmosphere is tense, claustrophobic, and increasingly nightmarish as reality and fantasy start bleeding together. The setting of the Body Farm adds another layer of discomfort to everything, making the entire novel feel steeped in death and decay from the very beginning.
One of the most unsettling books I’ve read in a long time. Highly recommend if you like psychological horror that leaves you feeling deeply uncomfortable in the best way.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Mindbuck Media, Suzanne Juneread and NetGalley for this ARC.
Amazing debut novel for Suzanne Juneread. A psychological horror blending with surroundings decaying in death due to the Body Farm. It's like Bones met Dexter and they turned horror.
Lia becomes our unrelatable narrator, and we start wondering what might be real or not in her life. It all starts with her finding out she is pregnant. From there, her mental health plummets, even if she starts feeling more alive while surrounding herself with the bodies she's studying at her job.
Beware the trigger warnings before going in to read this, as there are mentions of cheating, gore, depression, disassociation, mental health issues.
I was not a fan of the cheating mindset these characters seemed to have, and a bit too many sex scenes that had nothing to do with the plot. Otherwise, it was an immersive read, keeping me hooked to see if my theory was correct. Suzanne peppered clues among the chapters, so it was easy to put it together.
Lia's struggle with her mental health and indecision of keeping her baby or not is so real. There are tons of women out there who went through this during their lives. It was a good telling of those struggles.
Can't wait to see what else Suzanne will show us in her next books.
Amazing debut novel for Suzanne Juneread. A psychological horror blending with surroundings decaying in death due to the Body Farm. It's like Bones met Dexter and they turned horror.
Lia becomes our unrelatable narrator, and we start wondering what might be real or not in her life. It all starts with her finding out she is pregnant. From there, her mental health plummets, even if she starts feeling more alive while surrounding herself with the bodies she's studying at her job.
Beware the trigger warnings before going in to read this, as there are mentions of cheating, gore, depression, disassociation, mental health issues.
I was not a fan of the cheating mindset these characters seemed to have, and a bit too many sex scenes that had nothing to do with the plot. Otherwise, it was an immersive read, keeping me hooked to see if my theory was correct. Suzanne peppered clues among the chapters, so it was easy to put it together.
Lia's struggle with her mental health and indecision of keeping her baby or not is so real. There are tons of women out there who went through this during their lives. It was a good telling of those struggles.
Can't wait to see what else Suzanne will show us in her next books.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Goodnight Monsters is a psychological horror following Lia, a suburban housewife, and her husband Evan, who have been trying for years to have children. Now Lia is finally pregnant, but she’s no longer sure she even wants a child. On top of that, she becomes increasingly obsessed with death.
Goodnight Monsters starts well. It’s well written, the concept is interesting, and it’s an easy book to read. Unfortunately, Lia is such an insufferable, self-absorbed protagonist that it became a slog to spend time in her head.
She has a loving husband who clearly adores her, yet she chooses to have an affair. She carries herself with an air of self-importance despite having been unemployed for two years, and seemingly every man she encounters is instantly attracted to her. The longer the book went on, the more irritated I became with her.
It didn’t help that it was easy to see the “twists” from a mile away, so I found myself reading on simply waiting for the inevitable reveals.
I only finished the book because I wanted to know how everything would unfold, and because I kept hoping the ending wouldn’t work out in Lia’s favour.
Goodnight Monsters is a psychological horror following Lia, a suburban housewife, and her husband Evan, who have been trying for years to have children. Now Lia is finally pregnant, but she’s no longer sure she even wants a child. On top of that, she becomes increasingly obsessed with death.
Goodnight Monsters starts well. It’s well written, the concept is interesting, and it’s an easy book to read. Unfortunately, Lia is such an insufferable, self-absorbed protagonist that it became a slog to spend time in her head.
She has a loving husband who clearly adores her, yet she chooses to have an affair. She carries herself with an air of self-importance despite having been unemployed for two years, and seemingly every man she encounters is instantly attracted to her. The longer the book went on, the more irritated I became with her.
It didn’t help that it was easy to see the “twists” from a mile away, so I found myself reading on simply waiting for the inevitable reveals.
I only finished the book because I wanted to know how everything would unfold, and because I kept hoping the ending wouldn’t work out in Lia’s favour.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m rounding up to 3 stars because this is the author’s debut novel. That said, this book ultimately didn’t work for me.
The main character was highly unlikeable from the start, which isn’t necessarily a problem on its own, but her level of selfishness made it difficult for me to believe she would realistically maintain close relationships, especially with a husband who adores her and a devoted best friend.
I also struggled with the storyline because it felt like I was reading two separate plots: one about a pregnant woman wrestling with whether her baby is truly wanted, and another about a woman beginning a new career at the infamous Body Farm. For me, the two storylines never fully came together, so the overall narrative lacked cohesion.
Lastly, the “twist” wasn’t much of a surprise. The clues felt a little too obvious early on, and when the reveal finally came, it fell flat for me.
I hate leaving negative reviews, and I appreciate the effort that goes into writing a debut novel, but unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
The main character was highly unlikeable from the start, which isn’t necessarily a problem on its own, but her level of selfishness made it difficult for me to believe she would realistically maintain close relationships, especially with a husband who adores her and a devoted best friend.
I also struggled with the storyline because it felt like I was reading two separate plots: one about a pregnant woman wrestling with whether her baby is truly wanted, and another about a woman beginning a new career at the infamous Body Farm. For me, the two storylines never fully came together, so the overall narrative lacked cohesion.
Lastly, the “twist” wasn’t much of a surprise. The clues felt a little too obvious early on, and when the reveal finally came, it fell flat for me.
I hate leaving negative reviews, and I appreciate the effort that goes into writing a debut novel, but unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
June 13, 2026
Review of advanced copy from Netgalley.
3.6 stars. Though I did enjoy this book, it did thoroughly confuse me. In the best way. I think?
Ophelia ‘Lia’ Montgomery, your well-to-do southern housewife, has become pregnant. And then becomes very conflicted. She doesn’t know if she wants to be pregnant, she doesn’t know if she wants to tell her husband or best friend. So, ultimately, she doesn’t tell anyone. She does, however, land a job at the infamous Body Farm.
It’s here where she meets Robbie and, consequently, begins to give in to the monsters inside of her. Is the baby included in those monsters? Is Robbie? Well, you will have to read to find out.
I did feel like the story was a little all over the place. I was made to believe that this was a story about a woman fighting against her pregnancy, and feeling like her baby was a monster. Boy, was I all the way wrong. But, was it a story about a woman working at the Body Farm or was it a sorry about a woman who wasn’t thrilled to be pregnant? Neither story line tied very well together.
As I said, I still enjoyed the book very much. This is one that will be sticking with me for a while!
3.6 stars. Though I did enjoy this book, it did thoroughly confuse me. In the best way. I think?
Ophelia ‘Lia’ Montgomery, your well-to-do southern housewife, has become pregnant. And then becomes very conflicted. She doesn’t know if she wants to be pregnant, she doesn’t know if she wants to tell her husband or best friend. So, ultimately, she doesn’t tell anyone. She does, however, land a job at the infamous Body Farm.
It’s here where she meets Robbie and, consequently, begins to give in to the monsters inside of her. Is the baby included in those monsters? Is Robbie? Well, you will have to read to find out.
I did feel like the story was a little all over the place. I was made to believe that this was a story about a woman fighting against her pregnancy, and feeling like her baby was a monster. Boy, was I all the way wrong. But, was it a story about a woman working at the Body Farm or was it a sorry about a woman who wasn’t thrilled to be pregnant? Neither story line tied very well together.
As I said, I still enjoyed the book very much. This is one that will be sticking with me for a while!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There are books that just grab you from page one, and this was definitely one of them. I was hooked immediately, and the pages just flew by. The format is a huge plus, being a shorter novel with a single POV written in the first person makes it so direct. You’re completely trapped in the protagonist's head, which makes it feel super intense, claustrophobic, and leaves zero room for distractions.
Highlights:
Immediate impact: It doesn't waste time getting started. It jumps straight into the story and pulls you right in.
The single POV: The first-person perspective works perfectly here, creating a really uncomfortable, intimate closeness with the character's mind.
But to be honest, it lost me a bit as it went on. I ended up figuring out most of the developments and twists way ahead of time, which totally killed the suspense and took the fun out of it. It’s still a solid psychological thriller with a great setup, but the predictability just ruined the momentum for me, bringing it down to a 3-star read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Highlights:
Immediate impact: It doesn't waste time getting started. It jumps straight into the story and pulls you right in.
The single POV: The first-person perspective works perfectly here, creating a really uncomfortable, intimate closeness with the character's mind.
But to be honest, it lost me a bit as it went on. I ended up figuring out most of the developments and twists way ahead of time, which totally killed the suspense and took the fun out of it. It’s still a solid psychological thriller with a great setup, but the predictability just ruined the momentum for me, bringing it down to a 3-star read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From the first chapter onward, this psychological thriller captivated me. I found myself unable to stop questioning whether things were true or not in this suspenseful tale, which kept me interested and on edge throughout the entire plot. Celia was an intriguing protagonist; although I didn't always agree with her choices, I was fascinated by them. Her deteriorating mental health is depicted wonderfully in this book and made the story even more disturbing. The pacing was great, thanks to short chapters and many unexpected plot twists, making the reader wonder what will happen next and never give up on the story. The ending was both satisfactory and ambiguous enough to keep me wondering about it long after I closed the book. The last part was particularly interesting, making for a wonderful conclusion to the novel. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes psychological thrillers with an unreliable narrator and morally complicated characters.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From the first chapter onward, this psychological thriller captivated me. I found myself unable to stop questioning whether things were true or not in this suspenseful tale, which kept me interested and on edge throughout the entire plot. Celia was an intriguing protagonist; although I didn't always agree with her choices, I was fascinated by them. Her deteriorating mental health is depicted wonderfully in this book and made the story even more disturbing. The pacing was great, thanks to short chapters and many unexpected plot twists, making the reader wonder what will happen next and never give up on the story. The ending was both satisfactory and ambiguous enough to keep me wondering about it long after I closed the book. The last part was particularly interesting, making for a wonderful conclusion to the novel. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes psychological thrillers with an unreliable narrator and morally complicated characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC copy.
Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, although the scariest are those that come from within.
Lia, a suburban housewife has long been trying for a child with her husband Evan, but when she becomes pregnant everything changes. Obsessed with death and looking, for her purpose she gets a job at the Farm, a research facility that studies decomposing bodies. She gets restless in her marriage and starts envisioning horrific deaths of people that she longs to cause, but what is real and what is fantasy?
A lot of books deal with postpartum depression, but few center on the psychological changes that happen during pregnancy which is a horrific jolt to the system. I struggled with my feelings for Lia due in part to the confusing nature of the book. While she seemed diabolical at times, I could also sense her despair.
I was expecting horror, but this was more a dark mystery. The story was a little slow but picked up towards the end with a pretty ambiguous ending. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC copy.
Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, although the scariest are those that come from within.
Lia, a suburban housewife has long been trying for a child with her husband Evan, but when she becomes pregnant everything changes. Obsessed with death and looking, for her purpose she gets a job at the Farm, a research facility that studies decomposing bodies. She gets restless in her marriage and starts envisioning horrific deaths of people that she longs to cause, but what is real and what is fantasy?
A lot of books deal with postpartum depression, but few center on the psychological changes that happen during pregnancy which is a horrific jolt to the system. I struggled with my feelings for Lia due in part to the confusing nature of the book. While she seemed diabolical at times, I could also sense her despair.
I was expecting horror, but this was more a dark mystery. The story was a little slow but picked up towards the end with a pretty ambiguous ending. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and She Writes Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars
This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions with these characters. At first I sympathized with Lia, having never been a mother myself I don't know exactly how I would react but I can imagine being scared and angry especially living in a home that pushes her to be a traditional housewife. Then she starts imagining killing people and cheating on her husband, and her best friend encourages her to do so, and it just keeps getting crazier.
Overall I couldn't put this book down and finished it in about 48 hours, which for me is VERY quick. I loved the writing style, I loved the premise, I didn't love the ending as much as I wanted to but it did close out the story well. It looks like this is her debut novel as I can't find any other books under this author, and I would happily read more when they release.
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars
This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions with these characters. At first I sympathized with Lia, having never been a mother myself I don't know exactly how I would react but I can imagine being scared and angry especially living in a home that pushes her to be a traditional housewife. Then she starts imagining killing people and cheating on her husband, and her best friend encourages her to do so, and it just keeps getting crazier.
Overall I couldn't put this book down and finished it in about 48 hours, which for me is VERY quick. I loved the writing style, I loved the premise, I didn't love the ending as much as I wanted to but it did close out the story well. It looks like this is her debut novel as I can't find any other books under this author, and I would happily read more when they release.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Mindbuck Media and NetGalley for this eARC of Goodnight, Monsters. All thoughts and opinions of my own.
Lia is a stay-at-home wife obsessed with death, and her husband travels for work and is obsessed with having children. As she grapples with the idea of motherhood, she gets a job at the local Body Farm to assist with research. As the story continues, it's difficult to tell what is real and what isn't, as she is consumed by fantasies. An evocative, emotional book about trauma and the dangers of maternity, this is a great read.
I really enjoyed how Lia's relationships slowly fractured throughout this novella, and the slow sense of warping reality was really well done. I would like to know more about the boat - how did that come to be? Also, the ending! Eek! I found this overall well-written and well-executed.
Fans of books that deal with the horrors of childbearing, relationships unraveling, and unreliable narrators will love this.
Lia is a stay-at-home wife obsessed with death, and her husband travels for work and is obsessed with having children. As she grapples with the idea of motherhood, she gets a job at the local Body Farm to assist with research. As the story continues, it's difficult to tell what is real and what isn't, as she is consumed by fantasies. An evocative, emotional book about trauma and the dangers of maternity, this is a great read.
I really enjoyed how Lia's relationships slowly fractured throughout this novella, and the slow sense of warping reality was really well done. I would like to know more about the boat - how did that come to be? Also, the ending! Eek! I found this overall well-written and well-executed.
Fans of books that deal with the horrors of childbearing, relationships unraveling, and unreliable narrators will love this.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you Mindbuck Media for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Goodnight Monsters by Suzanne Junered is scheduled to be published September 1, 2026.
This is her debut novel and she writes like a seasoned pro. Psychological horror story that follows housewive Lia when she gets pregnant, she decides to keep her pregnancy a secret from her husband Evan. She blackmails her way into a new job called The Body Farm, soon she starts to daydream about murder. Reality starts to blur with her obsessive thoughts and soon she has to put her monsters to bed.
We get her first person POV and get inside her thoughts. We question whether events are actually happening, or if it’s a delusion. Perfect use of the unreliable narrator. It was a fast paced ride that had me flipping through my Kindle needing to know what happened next.
I really enjoyed this one, and look forward to her next novel. Give this one a try when you can!
Goodnight Monsters by Suzanne Junered is scheduled to be published September 1, 2026.
This is her debut novel and she writes like a seasoned pro. Psychological horror story that follows housewive Lia when she gets pregnant, she decides to keep her pregnancy a secret from her husband Evan. She blackmails her way into a new job called The Body Farm, soon she starts to daydream about murder. Reality starts to blur with her obsessive thoughts and soon she has to put her monsters to bed.
We get her first person POV and get inside her thoughts. We question whether events are actually happening, or if it’s a delusion. Perfect use of the unreliable narrator. It was a fast paced ride that had me flipping through my Kindle needing to know what happened next.
I really enjoyed this one, and look forward to her next novel. Give this one a try when you can!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Goodnight Monster explores a topic I haven’t come across often in fiction, which immediately made it stand out to me. This theme is woven into an engaging and at times thrilling storyline that kept me curious throughout.
One of the book’s strengths lies in how closely we follow Lia’s thoughts and daily life. Even though the plot takes some time to fully unfold and relatively little happens in the first half, her inner world and perspective kept me invested and interested in where the story was heading.
My main point of criticism is the plot twist. While it was clearly intended to be impactful, it didn’t feel as surprising or “twisty” as I had hoped. That said, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.
All in all, this is a compelling and worthwhile read that tackles an important topic in an engaging way.
One of the book’s strengths lies in how closely we follow Lia’s thoughts and daily life. Even though the plot takes some time to fully unfold and relatively little happens in the first half, her inner world and perspective kept me invested and interested in where the story was heading.
My main point of criticism is the plot twist. While it was clearly intended to be impactful, it didn’t feel as surprising or “twisty” as I had hoped. That said, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.
All in all, this is a compelling and worthwhile read that tackles an important topic in an engaging way.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was one disturbing and unsettling read. It left me with a bunch of questions as the end which I prefer everything tied up neatly.
Lia is pregnant and she hides it from her husband, family and friends. She isn't sure if she wants to keep the baby or terminate it. She has dark, morbid fantasies about how to end peoples lives around her and watching them pass away. At times she gets lost in her fantasy world that she has looses reality.
She starts a job at the body farm where they study decomposing bodies bodies to assist criminal investigations. There she gets fascinated with the dead bodies and makes up stories about how they died. She finds a like minded guy Robbie and they have an affair. Robbie will do anything for her.
This was by far the most bizarre book I have ever read.
Lia is pregnant and she hides it from her husband, family and friends. She isn't sure if she wants to keep the baby or terminate it. She has dark, morbid fantasies about how to end peoples lives around her and watching them pass away. At times she gets lost in her fantasy world that she has looses reality.
She starts a job at the body farm where they study decomposing bodies bodies to assist criminal investigations. There she gets fascinated with the dead bodies and makes up stories about how they died. She finds a like minded guy Robbie and they have an affair. Robbie will do anything for her.
This was by far the most bizarre book I have ever read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was definitely a wild ride. The story grabbed my attention right from the start and had a strong, intriguing premise. I’m usually a fan of unreliable and unhinged narrators, but as the story progressed, I found it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the narrator’s thoughts and what was actually happening, which left me feeling a bit confused at times.
While the twist was interesting, I saw it coming fairly early on, so it didn’t have the impact I was hoping for. The ending also felt somewhat rushed, and I would have liked more time for the final events to unfold. Overall, this was an engaging read, even if the execution didn’t fully work for me
This was definitely a wild ride. The story grabbed my attention right from the start and had a strong, intriguing premise. I’m usually a fan of unreliable and unhinged narrators, but as the story progressed, I found it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the narrator’s thoughts and what was actually happening, which left me feeling a bit confused at times.
While the twist was interesting, I saw it coming fairly early on, so it didn’t have the impact I was hoping for. The ending also felt somewhat rushed, and I would have liked more time for the final events to unfold. Overall, this was an engaging read, even if the execution didn’t fully work for me
April 25, 2026
Goodnight Monsters is just… unexpectedly good! Psychological thriller with a little bit of a horror twist, this was hard to put down. My general sense of unease grew throughout the story, and the final twist was so good, I had suspicions, but the final reveal still felt incredibly satisfying. This is a really unique critique of suburbia and female expectations, if you like creepy, and weird, for sure read this.
Thank you to the author and She Writes Press for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author and She Writes Press for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this ARC from Netgalley, my opinions are my own.
This was a crazy ride, I didn't really connect with the FMC towards the end where she was trying to say its just sex sooo its okay, its not emotional kinda thing 😅
No one was really my favorite, except for maybe Robbie. If he was even real.... I'm kinda questioning that it was all in her head or she just took the fall for him. There's a part where she says she stabbed him but I went back and only found that she stabbed herself??
I did love all of the crazy imaginations she would have and how gruesome everything would get!
This was a crazy ride, I didn't really connect with the FMC towards the end where she was trying to say its just sex sooo its okay, its not emotional kinda thing 😅
No one was really my favorite, except for maybe Robbie. If he was even real.... I'm kinda questioning that it was all in her head or she just took the fall for him. There's a part where she says she stabbed him but I went back and only found that she stabbed herself??
I did love all of the crazy imaginations she would have and how gruesome everything would get!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and SheWritesPress for the digital ARC.
3,5/5 rounded up
Lia has just discovered she is pregnant, something she and her husband have been waiting for, but instead of happiness, she feels fear and uncertainty.
Also, she stars obsessing with death and fantasizing about killing people. Or are they not only fantasies?
This was a dark and entertaining read, a real page-turner where every character is kinda unsufferable, but in a good way. Lia is very hard to root to, but she is compelling and fascinating.
3,5/5 rounded up
Lia has just discovered she is pregnant, something she and her husband have been waiting for, but instead of happiness, she feels fear and uncertainty.
Also, she stars obsessing with death and fantasizing about killing people. Or are they not only fantasies?
This was a dark and entertaining read, a real page-turner where every character is kinda unsufferable, but in a good way. Lia is very hard to root to, but she is compelling and fascinating.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Lia’s finally pregnant. She’s wanted this for years. Except now the test is positive and everything else is wrong. Her thoughts are monsters, dreams of killing, the thrill of it. It’s like growing new life inside herself means ending life outside herself. Her fantasies (are they fantasies?) are taking on a life of their own when people around her start dying. Be careful what you wish for.
More than just a thriller, “Goodnight Monsters” is a story of loss and renewal within the context of women’s mental health and pregnancy, and a reminder that things are often not what they seem.
More than just a thriller, “Goodnight Monsters” is a story of loss and renewal within the context of women’s mental health and pregnancy, and a reminder that things are often not what they seem.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved how all the murders and moving from one scene to the other had a Dexter-like feeling. It is pretty dark, but also psychological and challenges woman's roles and expectations of them. It is well written, I never felt the need to roll my eyes.
A single thing bothered me, I kept expecting a bigger plot twist for the death of Lia's father, but it did not come, so I invented this one myself: he was in fact a child molester and a kid from the local farm killed him while he molested him in the barn. Lia was herself molested, so she blocked it 😬
A single thing bothered me, I kept expecting a bigger plot twist for the death of Lia's father, but it did not come, so I invented this one myself: he was in fact a child molester and a kid from the local farm killed him while he molested him in the barn. Lia was herself molested, so she blocked it 😬
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This story was wild the fmc had such a vivid imagination. Her job was interesting and definitely tied into the story so well. This book definitely took some turns I did not see coming. At some points I wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or if it was something actually happening the ending left me very unsettled in the best way possible.
This story was wild the fmc had such a vivid imagination. Her job was interesting and definitely tied into the story so well. This book definitely took some turns I did not see coming. At some points I wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or if it was something actually happening the ending left me very unsettled in the best way possible.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC REVIEW
💬 This started off pretty strong and the premise is everything and more. The cover is also beautiful. However we lost the plot. Unhinged is my bread and butter but this was more confusing than anything. I gave up trying to figure out if something actually happened or was just a thought. Decent debut but could’ve had better flow.
Thank you @netgalley @mindbuckmediabookpub @shewritespress
💬 This started off pretty strong and the premise is everything and more. The cover is also beautiful. However we lost the plot. Unhinged is my bread and butter but this was more confusing than anything. I gave up trying to figure out if something actually happened or was just a thought. Decent debut but could’ve had better flow.
Thank you @netgalley @mindbuckmediabookpub @shewritespress
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a crazy ride this novel was. I loved the subtle (and not so subtle) clues that everything was not as it seemed. The main character was so frustrating to read, but this is a compliment. Almost every decision she made was the wrong choice, until the end when she finally lets others help her.
The twist in the epilogue was expected but made my stomach drop all the same. It called into question everything that happened in the novel, because how could it be happening again?
The twist in the epilogue was expected but made my stomach drop all the same. It called into question everything that happened in the novel, because how could it be happening again?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley, for my arc copy! I am so glad I requested this one! Not only did this book have macabre work settings, but it also touched on mental health and how imperative it is to get help sooner than later 🖤
I really loved this book! Our MC's inner monologue was so interesting, I could not put this down. And that ending 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Please be aware that this book touches on some heavy things so check the content warning before your journey.
I really loved this book! Our MC's inner monologue was so interesting, I could not put this down. And that ending 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Please be aware that this book touches on some heavy things so check the content warning before your journey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars
Obsessed with death, a new mother-to-be is wrestling with her reality.
Working on a body farm, surrounded by death and unsatisfied with life, Lia is struggling with her marriage, relationship, work, and self. Trying to reinvent herself in a new relationship, unspoken fantasies start to bleed into reality. Who is the real monster?
With subtle clues leading up to the ending, this is definitely worth a reread to see what else I might have missed. So many shocking moments.
Obsessed with death, a new mother-to-be is wrestling with her reality.
Working on a body farm, surrounded by death and unsatisfied with life, Lia is struggling with her marriage, relationship, work, and self. Trying to reinvent herself in a new relationship, unspoken fantasies start to bleed into reality. Who is the real monster?
With subtle clues leading up to the ending, this is definitely worth a reread to see what else I might have missed. So many shocking moments.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕 𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒇 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏...𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑬𝒗𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆?
This is the kind of book that makes you pause mid-page to start keeping track of how many times you whispered, "What the actual f*ck?" Lia is a suburban housewife who discovers she is pregnant but keeps it a secret from her husband Evan while quietly unraveling. Instead of embracing the new life growing inside her, she surrounds herself with death by blackmailing her way into a job at a forensic anthropology center known as The Body Farm. There, her intrusive thoughts take on a sharper edge, and when someone she has fantasized about killing turns up as an actual body donation, the line between imagination and reality does not just blur, it dissolves.
This book read like a fever dream in the most unsettling way possible. I felt unmoored the entire time, constantly questioning what was real, what was imagined, and whether that distinction even mattered anymore. Lia is not a comfortable character to sit with, and I do not think she is meant to be. Her thoughts are invasive, disturbing, and at times almost suffocating, but they are written with such precision that I could not look away. The deeper I got, the more I felt like I was losing my footing right alongside her, which made the experience both gripping and deeply disorienting.
This is psychological horror that does not ask for permission to get dark, and it absolutely will not be for everyone. The subject matter is intense and may be triggering, especially in the way it explores motherhood, violence, and the parts of ourselves we try to keep buried. At the same time, there is something undeniably compelling about how far this story is willing to go. By the end, I had completely given up on figuring out what was real and was just trying to steady myself after absorbing everything. This is the kind of book that leaves you sitting there slack-jawed, a little shaken, desperately hoping that the character remained quietly confined to the pages of a fictional creation. So many thanks to Mindbuck Media for the early copy that will publish September 1, 2026.
This is the kind of book that makes you pause mid-page to start keeping track of how many times you whispered, "What the actual f*ck?" Lia is a suburban housewife who discovers she is pregnant but keeps it a secret from her husband Evan while quietly unraveling. Instead of embracing the new life growing inside her, she surrounds herself with death by blackmailing her way into a job at a forensic anthropology center known as The Body Farm. There, her intrusive thoughts take on a sharper edge, and when someone she has fantasized about killing turns up as an actual body donation, the line between imagination and reality does not just blur, it dissolves.
This book read like a fever dream in the most unsettling way possible. I felt unmoored the entire time, constantly questioning what was real, what was imagined, and whether that distinction even mattered anymore. Lia is not a comfortable character to sit with, and I do not think she is meant to be. Her thoughts are invasive, disturbing, and at times almost suffocating, but they are written with such precision that I could not look away. The deeper I got, the more I felt like I was losing my footing right alongside her, which made the experience both gripping and deeply disorienting.
This is psychological horror that does not ask for permission to get dark, and it absolutely will not be for everyone. The subject matter is intense and may be triggering, especially in the way it explores motherhood, violence, and the parts of ourselves we try to keep buried. At the same time, there is something undeniably compelling about how far this story is willing to go. By the end, I had completely given up on figuring out what was real and was just trying to steady myself after absorbing everything. This is the kind of book that leaves you sitting there slack-jawed, a little shaken, desperately hoping that the character remained quietly confined to the pages of a fictional creation. So many thanks to Mindbuck Media for the early copy that will publish September 1, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.
Lia is a stay at home wife, when suddenly it all changes. New job, new situations and new fears. Lia has a vivid imagination when it comes to people in her life, or is it? I loved this fever dream of a book and was hooked from the beginning. Could not put this psychological horror down.
Lia is a stay at home wife, when suddenly it all changes. New job, new situations and new fears. Lia has a vivid imagination when it comes to people in her life, or is it? I loved this fever dream of a book and was hooked from the beginning. Could not put this psychological horror down.
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