Something I Keep Upstairs Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given a free advanced reader copy of this book by the author’s publicist in exchange for an honest review.

J.D. Barker is one of the most known authors in the mystery, suspense, and horror genres. His work has drawn praise from all over the literary world. Stephen King thought his novel Forsaken was so good that he granted permission for him to use one of his characters in it. On top of that, Barker has co-written a handful of books with James Patterson. I was recently given the honor of acquiring an advanced readers copy of Barker’s latest book Something I Keep Upstairs. It had me on the edge of my seat despite pacing issues.

Something I Keep Upstairs is about a haunted house on a remote island between New Hampshire and Maine. In the sleepy coastal town of New Castle, New Hampshire, seventeen-year-old Billy Hasler’s life takes a horrifying turn. When his best friend David Spivey inherits a mysterious home on a nearby island, it seems like the perfect place to hang out during the summer before college with no parents, police, or responsibilities. As Billy and his friends dig into the island’s dark part, they awaken an evil spirit that has influenced generations. What starts off as an innocent summer adventure quickly descends into a nightmare.

I was hooked from the very beginning. The likeable characters were the ones that I liked, and the unlikeable ones were those whom I was rooting against. The moral ambiguous ones were definitely in the grey area. I liked Billy quite a lot even though he was a bit bland, but I see why Barker wrote him that way. Many protagonists are written with some personality, so readers can insert themselves into the story. My favorite character was Spivey. He is socially awkward in a way that feels natural. In addition, he has been battling leukemia for a long time. When he inherits his late grandmother’s home on the remote Wood Island, he takes every opportunity to be at the house as much as he can, like having parties, so he can be a normal teenager just for the summer.

The strongest aspect of this novel is the plot. From the moment I read the first page, I knew I wanted to know more about what was going to happen. Every new development had me scratching my head in a good way even if I had some lingering questions when I finished. I wasn’t entirely sure how the home and the evil spirits on Wood Island worked, but in the end, I grasped enough of the logic and rooted for the characters that I wanted to succeed to keep going. Plus, that ending was insane. Also, I love how Barker included the musical Brigadoon to explain how the island works. I was in a production of that show when I was a teenager and had a great experience. It’s good to know that someone knows about it outside of the musical theatre nerds and the creators of the television show Schmigadoon.

If I had one complaint, it would be the pacing. I know some reviewers pointed out how slow the book was in the beginning, but I didn’t mind this. I liked how Barker gradually builds on the initial setup, which leads to the high octane finale. My issue was how he uses the two main narrators of the story. Even though Billy is the protagonist, the novel also emphasizes the point of view of Chief Whaley from the local police. Barker goes back and forth between the two, which was fine in the beginning. Billy sees first hand of what’s going on the island, and Whaley tries to obtain information on the circumstances surrounding it and later infiltrate it. It felt like the show Squid Game. However, once the third act arrives, I wanted to focus more on Billy and how he tries to escape. Everytime a new development occurred with him during that part, the novel decided to switch to Chief Whaley. This need to equally balance Billy and Whaley’s perspectives slowed down the flow.

Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker is a great chiller. It grabbed my attention from the very beginning with its likeable characters and increasingly insane plot. Even though it had some flow issues, I still was invested to see how everything would turn out. I can see why Barker has gotten a lot of praise. He is someone that I will definitely keep my eye on for future reads. I would recommend this to readers who love a mix of mystery, thriller, and horror; a good haunted house story; Stephen King; and James Patterson. Something I Keep Upstairs is out now, so grab a copy wherever you get your books. 

Before I go, I want to let you know that I had the opportunity to interview J.D. Barker for the website. The transcript will be posted soon.