Play Nice

by Rachel Harrison

Review

Easily the spookiest book I’ve read all year. From the very first page, the atmosphere wrapped around me like a heavy fog — unsettling, emotional, and beautifully descriptive. The author does an incredible job of drawing you right into the family’s crumbling world, where the line between grief and fear feels razor-thin. The writing is so vivid that every creak of the house and every whispered memory comes to life. Each family member carries their own emotional scars, making them complex, flawed, and painfully real. You can feel the weight of their pasts in every interaction, and that raw vulnerability pulls you deeper into the story.

One of the things I really loved about this book was how it blended the supernatural with the deeply personal. It’s not just a haunted house story — it’s about a family haunted by what they’ve lived through and what they’ve lost. Every member has something to face, and watching them navigate their personal traumas both separately and together adds a powerful emotional layer to the suspense. There were moments when I couldn’t decide who to believe or who to trust, and that constant unease kept the story going. The dread seeps in almost immediately and never lets up, giving the entire book a tense, haunting energy that makes it impossible to look away.

The mystery at the heart of the book — whether their mother was haunted by her own mind or by something darker — lingers throughout, casting a shadow over everything. I loved how it kept me questioning what was real and what wasn’t until the truth finally came to light. And even when I learned the answer, the emotional aftermath hit just as hard as the horror itself. It’s the kind of story that chills you to the bone, but also makes you reflect on grief, love, and how far we’ll go to protect the ones we care about. A haunting, heartbreaking, and unforgettable read.