Play Nice by Rachel Harrison | A Horror Book Review

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison was my Book of the Month choice for September. And I am so happy I read it! It started out innocently enough. But as the story progressed, it dove into so many scary things including demons, childhood trauma, and family secrets. I listened to the audiobook for some of it and finished up the last few chapters with the physical book so that I could read it over a few times. I needed extra time to truly digest this story. So keep reading for my full thoughts in today’s Play Nice book review.

What is Play Nice by Rachel Harrison About?

Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio’s parents’ messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That’s not what Clio’s sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped her of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house.

After Alex’s sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother’s claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother’s book, a sinister presence in the house manifests, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio’s beautiful life to its very foundation. (from Amazon.com)

Who is Author Rachel Harrison?

Rachel Harrison is the author of many thrilling and paranormal novels and short fiction. Some of her published works include:

Black Sheep
Cackle
So Thirsty
Such Sharp Teeth
The Return (which was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel)

My Initial Thoughts

I thought this book was a really clever take on the haunted house novel. It was really spooky how Clio and her sisters had all of these memories about living on Edgewood drive, but because they were kids, none of them knew the truth of what really happened. Their mother published a book about her experiences in the house but as Clio read through the book, she realized that the story was very similar to their own. And yet some depictions were wildly different from what she remembered.

Pardon my French, but that is a real mind f**k.

That’s enough to drive anyone crazy. Clio has her own memories of what happened in their childhood home. But are they true? Or is what her Mom wrote about true? Are there memories that she can remember because she repressed them?

What Did I Think About This Book?

I really enjoyed it. This was a scary novel filled with dark humor and unique backstories. Although this is my first time reading anything be Rachel Harrison, I know I will be wanting to catch up on her backlist in the future. I liked how this book fit into the horror genre, and yet it also felt a little glamorous with a stylist/fashion influencer as the main character.

Maybe I’m a baby, but…

I thought the author did a great job of writing the chilly scenes that occurred when Clio was along in the house. It was truly creepy and I don’t understand why she kept going back. Haha. And the fact that she kept sleeping there? Oh no. That was completely wild.

The Storytelling is Unique

Part of the story is told from Clio’s perspective, but a lot of the backstory is from the mother’s point of view. She published a book about her experiences with the demon of Edgewood drive. Allegedly. I enjoyed the way we learned things little by little as Clio read further on in her mother’s book. I always feel like that’s an interesting way to tell a story, so that the main character discovers the uncomfortable truth, little by little.

The Characters Helped to Make the Story Interesting

Right off the bat, I could tell things were tense in the Barnes family. Although Clio and her sisters seemed to get along well in the beginning, it also felt tense. And I think that’s natural when you and your siblings have gone through a lot together. I liked how their relationship got worse as Clio dove into their family history and tried to uncover the truth. It was very stressful but also seemed like a good thing for Clio’s family in the end.

Elements I Enjoyed in this Story:

The pacing was perfect. As the demonic presence made itself known to Clio, it felt very realistic (or as realistic as a demon can be! Hopefully you know what I mean lol)
The sisters. I love to read about sisters since I don’t have any of my own.
The storytelling and the writing style I loved that we got to get inside the mind of Clio’s mother through her writing.
The creepiness. I read this book during the week leading up to Halloween and the supernatural elements made it the perfect spooky read for this time of year.

In Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my book review of Play Nice by Rachel Harrison. She really took the familiar haunted house trope and made it her own. I can definitely see why this book was an instant New York Times Bestseller.

If you enjoy horror or are looking for something creepy to read, I would recommend Play Nice. And if you’re familiar with this author and have recommendations on which of Rachel Harrison’s books I should read next, definitely let me know in the comments.

Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my Play Nice book review today. I had a very enjoyable reading experience listening to the audiobook of this horror novel.