There’s nowhere Catie East would rather be than the redwood forest that surrounds her family’s unusual historic home, the Heights.
She prefers being alone in the forest. People are … complicated. But when a scientist and his son move into the estate’s cottage, planning to study the woods around them, the boy catches Catie’s eye. And when a dead woodpecker miraculously comes back to life in his precious hands … he captures her heart.
Necromancy isn’t the only strange thing happening in the Heights. There’s an unfamiliar face in the mirror. Blood on the floors. Eyes in the wallpaper. And the men around her—including her once-sweet nature boy—are becoming something else. Something possessive and frightening. Something violent.
As the Heights’s dark history starts to come to light, Catie discovers that the home she loves is imbued with pain. And even though the pain isn’t her own, it will corrupt her and the people around her all the same—unless she can stop it.
If a gothic horror novel inspired by Wuthering Heights with a haunted gothic mansion in the woods, possession-like horror, and reality distortion is up your alley, look no further! And don’t let the YA label fool you into thinking this is a lighter read—it’s an intricate, dual-timeline story with body horror, necromancy (and more) that’ll appeal to adult horror readers. If you’re new to Jill Baguchinsky’s books (like me), she’s written several horror stories, and this one showcases her “creeping dread” writing style. And let’s talk about thought-provoking—the story weaves in themes of generational trauma, toxic relationships, emotional abuse, grief, abandonment, control, and putting an end to harmful cycles (PHEW!!).
The story is mostly told via Catie’s 1st-person POV. She’s a forest-loving outsider protagonist who’s easy to root for, but you may question her mental health as her hallucination-like visions bring her mind to breaking points. She’s also isolated—her mother is the CEO of a pharmaceutical and is often gone for work, and her relationship with her brother Leigh gets volatile as the haunting escalates. The author’s writing does a great job bringing the woods and the “Heights” mansion to life, making them feel like characters in their own right.
There are also some well-developed secondary characters, including Catie’s ex-girlfriend and best friend Ivy, who often acts as the voice of reason when Catie ignores red flags. The most compelling relationship is between Catie and Hunter, the mysterious boy who arrives with his father to stay in the cottage nearby. There’s a magnetic connection between them, and their discovery of being able to revive dead animals together gives the relationship a “fated mates” romance vibe (at first). But Hunter’s jealousy soon becomes apparent, and Catie has unresolved trauma from her father leaving years earlier—so their connection also feels rooted in trauma bonding.
The second POV/timeline is told via ephemera (diary entries) from the 1950/60s, told mainly by Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of the mansion’s original owner. The entries become increasingly tragic and heartbreaking, so if you’re an emotional reader, have some tissues on hand. Eventually, the two timelines come crashing together in unpredictable ways that will keep you flipping pages, eager to see how it all ends!
This is very much a slow-burn, but short, punchy chapters (many ending with excerpts of ephemera) make the book very immersive. If you think not much is happening horror-wise, be patient because the second half has some freaky twists and several frightening scenes. By the climax, Catie is forced to confront her trauma and make some difficult decisions for herself and her family, and her growth is notable. The ending is bittersweet and a bit open-ended, which suits this story much more than a HEA would!
Narrator Performance
May the Dead Keep You is read by award-winning narrator Leslie Howard, who’s renowned for her immersive, emotionally expressive performances, especially in character-driven thriller/horror books.
Howard portrays protagonist Catie with an introspective, restless voice layered with unease and paranoia, capturing how isolated and anxious she feels as she begins to see and hear things. The dialogue between Catie and Hunter is a highlight—Howard makes their exchanges feel unpredictable, emotionally charged, and even slightly dangerous. At the same time, Howard emphasizes Catie’s undeniable attraction to him, and their chemistry feels magnetic. She portrays Hunter with an animated, charming voice while also using subtle shifts in her tone to hint that something’s off about him. In contrast, Howard gives Catie’s relationship with Ivy a grounded, healthier energy—and her portrayal of Ivy depicts her as the “voice of reason” and someone who’s genuinely concerned when things start getting crazy!
Howard elevates her performance in the second half as the horror elements intensify. The scenes where Catie’s brother becomes increasingly volatile and seems to be possessed are brilliantly executed. Equally thrilling is the narration of Catie’s hallucinations/visions and terrifying encounters with the dark force inside the Heights—it’s much more entertaining than just reading these scenes on the page. Towards the end, when Catie is forced to make difficult, quick decisions, Howard shifts her tone to give her a more self-assured, resilient voice that highlights her growth. If you’re considering this book and have an opportunity to get a copy of the audiobook, don’t hesitate—it’s absolutely the way to go!
Narrator Performance
May the Dead Keep You is read by award-winning narrator Leslie Howard, who’s renowned for her immersive, emotionally expressive performances, especially in character-driven thriller/horror books.
Howard portrays protagonist Catie with an introspective, restless voice layered with unease and paranoia, capturing how isolated and anxious she feels as she begins to see and hear things. The dialogue between Catie and Hunter is a highlight—Howard makes their exchanges feel unpredictable, emotionally charged, and even slightly dangerous. At the same time, Howard emphasizes Catie’s undeniable attraction to him, and their chemistry feels magnetic. She portrays Hunter with an animated, charming voice while also using subtle shifts in her tone to hint that something’s off about him. In contrast, Howard gives Catie’s relationship with Ivy a grounded, healthier energy—and her portrayal of Ivy depicts her as the “voice of reason” and someone who’s genuinely concerned when things start getting crazy!
Howard elevates her performance in the second half as the horror elements intensify. The scenes where Catie’s brother becomes increasingly volatile and seems to be possessed are brilliantly executed. Equally thrilling is the narration of Catie’s hallucinations/visions and terrifying encounters with the dark force inside the Heights—it’s much more entertaining than just reading these scenes on the page. Towards the end, when Catie is forced to make difficult, quick decisions, Howard shifts her tone to give her a more self-assured, resilient voice that highlights her growth. If you’re considering this book and have an opportunity to get a copy of the audiobook, don’t hesitate—it’s absolutely the way to go!
May the Dead Keep You is read by award-winning narrator Leslie Howard, who’s renowned for her immersive, emotionally expressive performances, especially in character-driven thriller/horror books.
Howard portrays protagonist Catie with an introspective, restless voice layered with unease and paranoia, capturing how isolated and anxious she feels as she begins to see and hear things. The dialogue between Catie and Hunter is a highlight—Howard makes their exchanges feel unpredictable, emotionally charged, and even slightly dangerous. At the same time, Howard emphasizes Catie’s undeniable attraction to him, and their chemistry feels magnetic. She portrays Hunter with an animated, charming voice while also using subtle shifts in her tone to hint that something’s off about him. In contrast, Howard gives Catie’s relationship with Ivy a grounded, healthier energy—and her portrayal of Ivy depicts her as the “voice of reason” and someone who’s genuinely concerned when things start getting crazy!
Howard elevates her performance in the second half as the horror elements intensify. The scenes where Catie’s brother becomes increasingly volatile and seems to be possessed are brilliantly executed. Equally thrilling is the narration of Catie’s hallucinations/visions and terrifying encounters with the dark force inside the Heights—it’s much more entertaining than just reading these scenes on the page. Towards the end, when Catie is forced to make difficult, quick decisions, Howard shifts her tone to give her a more self-assured, resilient voice that highlights her growth. If you’re considering this book and have an opportunity to get a copy of the audiobook, don’t hesitate—it’s absolutely the way to go!
