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Worry Box
Not yet published
Expected 22 Sep 26The Martins need a new home for their growing family. For Alison, Nathan, daughter Dru, and foster child Lailah, it’s love at first sight when they see the house in Tumbling Hills. It even has a cozy attic, which is great for Lailah: she needs a quiet place to be alone when her intrusive thoughts creep in.
(crack an egg into the coffee machine)
The family gets settled. The house is perfect, and so is the timing – Lailah’s adoption will soon be finalized. But as the date approaches, her intrusive thoughts become worse, and bad things start to happen. Lailah fears she’s losing control.
(push your sister down the stairs)
The family is on edge, pointing fingers and taking sides. And even though they love each other very much, the cracks begin to show. Something has got to give.
(burn them alive in their beds)
(crack an egg into the coffee machine)
The family gets settled. The house is perfect, and so is the timing – Lailah’s adoption will soon be finalized. But as the date approaches, her intrusive thoughts become worse, and bad things start to happen. Lailah fears she’s losing control.
(push your sister down the stairs)
The family is on edge, pointing fingers and taking sides. And even though they love each other very much, the cracks begin to show. Something has got to give.
(burn them alive in their beds)
352 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 22, 2026
About the author
Chris Panatier
43 books269 followersChris lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, daughter, and a fluctuating herd of animals resembling dogs (one is almost certainly a goat). He writes short stories and novels, "plays" the drums, and draws album covers for metal bands. As a lawyer, he goes after companies that poison people.
Chris's short fiction has appeared in many places. His novels come from Angry Robot, Sobelo Books, and Rapture Publishing. He's a member of SFWA and HWA.
Chris's short fiction has appeared in many places. His novels come from Angry Robot, Sobelo Books, and Rapture Publishing. He's a member of SFWA and HWA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
March 14, 2026
This book really scared the hell out of me. Chris made me feel like I was walking on a tightrope never knowing if I was going to fall or make it to the other side. This was a story of a wonderful family I just adored. Nathan the dad, Alison the mom, Dru their 9 year old biological daughter, and Laila their 12 year old foster daughter who btw has intrusive thoughts, and boy are they nasty! They find their dream home which is of course too good to be true, and decide to buy it. After they move in, weird things start happening. Unexplained, horrible things. I have never been so stressed out reading a book in my life! I would finally feel relief, and then boom! He pulls the rug out again! Of course in between all of the stress we get the signature Panatier wit that I have grown to love(some of Dru’s lines were just hilarious!), and damnit the way this book is laid out is just so clever. The claustrophobic feeling you get is incredible. You become just as unhinged as the characters, getting sucked into the same thought process they’re going through. There’s so much sadness in this family it breaks my heart, but the love that’s there is so deep. Chris puts me through a roller coaster of emotions in this one again. He really knows how to make a scene explode in front of your eyes. Making me completely broken by the end, but he always does it with such beauty and intelligence. Panatier is a true talent and Worry Box is not to be missed!!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review in the August 2026 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2026/08... (link live 8/10 at 7am central)
Three Words That Describe This Book: steadily escalating unease, foster kids, haunted house titled sideways
So much tension. It grows slowly at first, the haunting twist is revealed before page 100 but even then, that grows as well, in tandem with the story line of the family. We start unease and it build, escalates-- goes from unsettling to unbalanced to ready to burst.
This is also a story of the different ways trauma is internalized and dealt with. And that part was done cleverly. I cannot say more but know it is not just the family members who hold trauma.
The story follows the Martin family as they move into a new home in the primer neighborhood of the Indianapolis suburbs. Allison is the mother, Nathan the father (a former foster kid), Dru their precious, punk rock loving daughter, and Lailah (12)-- older than Dru and their foster kid who they are getting ready to adopt. All four of them have the POV as does "the ghost"
Lailah has intrusive thoughts which are very intense and violent, but she controls them by writing them down and storing them in her "worry box."
The house holds its own trauma. Readers catch a glimpse of it in the terrifying prologue, but they don't know the half of it until later in the book. But that opening scene sets the terrifying tone. YEs the story backs up to the Martins moving in the house and noticing a small in one room and that strange things are happening (on their own) but none of it is nefarious-- at first. And yet, readers cannot shake that terrifying first scene. It is there to remind you that things are not a great as they seem, without hitting you over the head with it.
And it gets worse and worse for the family, the house, and the ghost. I enjoyed the sidewise tilt of the haunted house trope-- it worked very well for this story. How and why the haunting becomes more intense, how the different daily members react, the honest discussion of fostering kids, the way trauma is internalized and the different ways that trauma is dealt with. There are good ways and bad ways to do it. But the discussion is there if readers want to engage with it.
And that's the other thing, this is an enjoyable haunted house story even for readers who do not want to engage with the more thought-provoking aspects. That is a good thing. Especially with library readers-- we want books that can appeal to different readers for different reasons. These are the titles that we love to be able to handout to a wide range of patrons. Worry Box is good for this.
An intense and satisfying haunted house story that will burrow deep into readers and allow them to feel the tension with their entire body. You will feel the build up and be ready when it bursts open.
This is a haunted house story in the vein of The Haunting of Hill House by Jackson or The House Next Door by Siddons. If you have read these, this is a bit of a spoiler, but also that part of the story is revealed before you are a third of the way through and it is not the half of it in terms of spoiling what happens.
It has the intensity of dread escalating to interfere with a family's relationships like The Grip of It Jemc.
Three Words That Describe This Book: steadily escalating unease, foster kids, haunted house titled sideways
So much tension. It grows slowly at first, the haunting twist is revealed before page 100 but even then, that grows as well, in tandem with the story line of the family. We start unease and it build, escalates-- goes from unsettling to unbalanced to ready to burst.
This is also a story of the different ways trauma is internalized and dealt with. And that part was done cleverly. I cannot say more but know it is not just the family members who hold trauma.
The story follows the Martin family as they move into a new home in the primer neighborhood of the Indianapolis suburbs. Allison is the mother, Nathan the father (a former foster kid), Dru their precious, punk rock loving daughter, and Lailah (12)-- older than Dru and their foster kid who they are getting ready to adopt. All four of them have the POV as does "the ghost"
Lailah has intrusive thoughts which are very intense and violent, but she controls them by writing them down and storing them in her "worry box."
The house holds its own trauma. Readers catch a glimpse of it in the terrifying prologue, but they don't know the half of it until later in the book. But that opening scene sets the terrifying tone. YEs the story backs up to the Martins moving in the house and noticing a small in one room and that strange things are happening (on their own) but none of it is nefarious-- at first. And yet, readers cannot shake that terrifying first scene. It is there to remind you that things are not a great as they seem, without hitting you over the head with it.
And it gets worse and worse for the family, the house, and the ghost. I enjoyed the sidewise tilt of the haunted house trope-- it worked very well for this story. How and why the haunting becomes more intense, how the different daily members react, the honest discussion of fostering kids, the way trauma is internalized and the different ways that trauma is dealt with. There are good ways and bad ways to do it. But the discussion is there if readers want to engage with it.
And that's the other thing, this is an enjoyable haunted house story even for readers who do not want to engage with the more thought-provoking aspects. That is a good thing. Especially with library readers-- we want books that can appeal to different readers for different reasons. These are the titles that we love to be able to handout to a wide range of patrons. Worry Box is good for this.
An intense and satisfying haunted house story that will burrow deep into readers and allow them to feel the tension with their entire body. You will feel the build up and be ready when it bursts open.
This is a haunted house story in the vein of The Haunting of Hill House by Jackson or The House Next Door by Siddons. If you have read these, this is a bit of a spoiler, but also that part of the story is revealed before you are a third of the way through and it is not the half of it in terms of spoiling what happens.
It has the intensity of dread escalating to interfere with a family's relationships like The Grip of It Jemc.
August 12, 2026
What a creative story! The perspectives are surprising and it was great fun not knowing where things were going. Characters and their development are top notch. You really felt like you were watching the family as you read through pages. It was so enjoyable to try to figure out what was causing disturbances… was it a family member or something more sinister. I thoroughly enjoyed his read and would 100% read a part two to this story. There’s much more I want to know about this landscape!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 28, 2026
I’m just going to preface this by saying this story is pretty messed up 😆. Chris, my man, your soul has left the building lol. With that said, I loved it.
This is a haunted house trope where the house is a whole character itself. It even has a name, Andy. Andy sounds pretty harmless right? Wrong.
The Martins move into a new home that they instantly fall in love with. It’s mom, dad, daughter Dru, and their foster daughter Lailah. Everyone plays happy families as they acclimate to their new home. I fell in love with this sweet family right from the jump. Well, until I didn’t.
Worry Box is one of those stories that slowly spirals downward and turns into a full-on dumpster fire. They suspect Lailah is responsible since she suffers with intrusive thoughts. But as the horrors unfold, could a child really do this?
Hawt damn this story is DARK DUDE. Way dark. The creepy kid trope is heavy in this one. Some things detailed here might be triggering for some. The sensitive subject matter really broke my heart and I found myself almost tearing up at times.
Worry Box is a slow burn decent into madness with the mixed creepy kid and haunted house tropes. The story itself is original, gripping, and truly terrifying. I really enjoyed it and it releases just in time for spooky season.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trigger warnings of animal torture, the foster system, and child abuse. If those are deal breakers, skip this one.
Out 9/22
This is a haunted house trope where the house is a whole character itself. It even has a name, Andy. Andy sounds pretty harmless right? Wrong.
The Martins move into a new home that they instantly fall in love with. It’s mom, dad, daughter Dru, and their foster daughter Lailah. Everyone plays happy families as they acclimate to their new home. I fell in love with this sweet family right from the jump. Well, until I didn’t.
Worry Box is one of those stories that slowly spirals downward and turns into a full-on dumpster fire. They suspect Lailah is responsible since she suffers with intrusive thoughts. But as the horrors unfold, could a child really do this?
Hawt damn this story is DARK DUDE. Way dark. The creepy kid trope is heavy in this one. Some things detailed here might be triggering for some. The sensitive subject matter really broke my heart and I found myself almost tearing up at times.
Worry Box is a slow burn decent into madness with the mixed creepy kid and haunted house tropes. The story itself is original, gripping, and truly terrifying. I really enjoyed it and it releases just in time for spooky season.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trigger warnings of animal torture, the foster system, and child abuse. If those are deal breakers, skip this one.
Out 9/22
July 19, 2026
Well he’s done it again. Review to come
July 29, 2026
Thank you Chris and Angry Robot for my free ARC of Worry Box by Chris Panatier — out Sep 22!
» READ IF YOU «
🗳️ ever act on your intrusive thoughts, just a teeny bit
🏡 think houses have memories
👻 want to root for every single character (except the Ragsdales, ugh)
» SYNOPSIS «
The Martins just bought their dream home in Tumbling Hills and are settling in. Alison, Nathan, and their daughter Dru are especially looking forward to foster daughter Lailah’s adoption being finalized. But the move seems to have shaken the girls a little—Dru insists there’s paranormal activity in the house, while Lailah’s intrusive thoughts are getting worse and more violent with each passing day. And…they’re coming true? Is Lailah losing control?
» REVIEW «
Whew, what a book. If you know Chris Panatier’s work, you’ll know already that he has a talent for bringing intense emotion to his horror stories, and this one is certainly no exception! I truly didn’t expect to like and root for every single character in this story (with the notable exception of the house’s previous family) but alas, here they all are just trying to do the best they can for each other.
This is my favorite kind of horror story, because it has so much heart. But it’s still firmly horrific! A few times, I physically had to put the book down because what was happening was just…too much. I love when an author can take two seemingly opposed states, like love and terror, and meld them together into a story that’s got real staying power. Panatier is great at it.
No spoilers here, I think you should go into it as blind as possible, but Worry Box will definitely make you sweat—the characters are under palpable stress, which is what got me more than once, since I genuinely cared about them. Chris, you know what you did in that one part, with the yeeting—hot damn. Anyway, be mindful if you’re sensitive to animal death, as it’s all technically off-page, but still reeeeally visceral and tough to read. And, who knew molasses could make you shudder?
Do not miss this book in September; grab a copy and head up into a cozy attic to read it, if you’ve got one…
» READ IF YOU «
🗳️ ever act on your intrusive thoughts, just a teeny bit
🏡 think houses have memories
👻 want to root for every single character (except the Ragsdales, ugh)
» SYNOPSIS «
The Martins just bought their dream home in Tumbling Hills and are settling in. Alison, Nathan, and their daughter Dru are especially looking forward to foster daughter Lailah’s adoption being finalized. But the move seems to have shaken the girls a little—Dru insists there’s paranormal activity in the house, while Lailah’s intrusive thoughts are getting worse and more violent with each passing day. And…they’re coming true? Is Lailah losing control?
» REVIEW «
Whew, what a book. If you know Chris Panatier’s work, you’ll know already that he has a talent for bringing intense emotion to his horror stories, and this one is certainly no exception! I truly didn’t expect to like and root for every single character in this story (with the notable exception of the house’s previous family) but alas, here they all are just trying to do the best they can for each other.
This is my favorite kind of horror story, because it has so much heart. But it’s still firmly horrific! A few times, I physically had to put the book down because what was happening was just…too much. I love when an author can take two seemingly opposed states, like love and terror, and meld them together into a story that’s got real staying power. Panatier is great at it.
No spoilers here, I think you should go into it as blind as possible, but Worry Box will definitely make you sweat—the characters are under palpable stress, which is what got me more than once, since I genuinely cared about them. Chris, you know what you did in that one part, with the yeeting—hot damn. Anyway, be mindful if you’re sensitive to animal death, as it’s all technically off-page, but still reeeeally visceral and tough to read. And, who knew molasses could make you shudder?
Do not miss this book in September; grab a copy and head up into a cozy attic to read it, if you’ve got one…
May 12, 2026
This book really got under my skin!!
The Martins move into what feels like the perfect home for a fresh start with their biological daughter, Dru, and foster daughter, Lailah. Alison and Nathan are preparing to finalize the adoption of Lailah, while trying to build a stable life for their family. Lailah has a history with intrusive thoughts. Her therapist recommends a worry box. Write those thoughts down and stuff it in the box. As they settle in, her intrusive thoughts become darker, more violent, and harder to control. And then bad things start happening…
The way the intrusive thoughts are woven throughout the story was sooo unsettling. When one appeared, the tension amped up because I didn’t know what was going to happen next. This is a horror you will NOT want to miss.
The Martins move into what feels like the perfect home for a fresh start with their biological daughter, Dru, and foster daughter, Lailah. Alison and Nathan are preparing to finalize the adoption of Lailah, while trying to build a stable life for their family. Lailah has a history with intrusive thoughts. Her therapist recommends a worry box. Write those thoughts down and stuff it in the box. As they settle in, her intrusive thoughts become darker, more violent, and harder to control. And then bad things start happening…
The way the intrusive thoughts are woven throughout the story was sooo unsettling. When one appeared, the tension amped up because I didn’t know what was going to happen next. This is a horror you will NOT want to miss.
July 1, 2026
Review originally appearing on FanFiAddict.com
Hello again dear reader or listener, I return after a small reviewing hiatus as I’ve been cajoled – see half dragged – back from several weeks (ok, fine, months) of a total inability to finish any book I started, by a September release that will meet all of your horror needs ahead of spooky season.
So, with a quick thank you to the author for sending me an eARC and my usual promise to you, dear reader, that I’m being honest in my ravings, allow me to tell you why Worry Box by Chris Panatier belongs on your shelves.
I can now say I’ve read most of Panatier’s work (still have a couple to catch up on but they’re definitely on the horizon) and can confidently claim this as my favorite of his wordsmithing. Truly, in my first ever review of his work I said that even though that particular book had not fully been to my liking near the end, I found the tact and grace of his handling of very important themes masterful and his evocative writing worthy of note so I would keep reading him. Three excellent books later including this one, I’m very pleased to say that Worry Box is Panatier at the very top of his game and at his most well-crafted to date. So far that is, as he doesn’t show signs of stopping, and I hope for all of us that he never does!
The only reason Worry Box was a two sittings read was that I started it late at night and hearing the early birds start to sing at 4:30 am really does remind you that you had things to do that morning. And yet I had no regrets, because I didn’t need sleep, I needed answers and the inexorable growing dread and anxiety to come to an end. Not only is this book an exceptionally fresh take on the haunted house but it takes all of your certainties and feelings of safety away. It doesn’t simply play on the idea that bad things happen to good people, it instead crawls under your skin with the terrible realization that good intentions can go horrifically wrong and there is nothing you can do about it but watch it all unfold helplessly and suddenly short of breath.
The Martins are a good family, a healthy one, helmed by two emotionally mature adults who have dealt with their past demons and are determined to help their kids face their own in the safest way possible. There is acceptance and communication with boundaries, true nurture, fun, and care.
Until there isn’t.
You root for all of them to succeed and be happy because you get all of their points of view, yes, but also because Panatier takes the time to actually invite the reader to be a part of this happy family that has found the perfect new home, whose rooms are always the right temperature. Never mind the dining room that still smells just a little off. You are there with them, comfortable in their warmth and relaxed in their presence.
Until you are not.
If up until a certain point you felt a part of this family and story, you find yourself slowly being inched out of the house and, before you’ve fully realized it, you are now locked outside looking in unable to warn them as all of that previous warmth starts to go chillingly cold. Things start going wrong and unravel, trust starts to fade, characters who you thought wouldn’t possibly crack under pressure slowly and dreadfully reach their breaking point. And that is perhaps the scariest and most unsettling part of this book. You can do everything right, but if the right (or wrong in this case) amount of things start chipping away at you, even you are vulnerable.
Panatier not only strikes the perfect balance between delightfully frustrating and utter uncertainty but he weaves his story and narrators in such a deliciously evil manner that he well and truly makes it impossible for you to know who to trust. Is one narrator being truthful compared to another, are they blocking out or forgetting things that they are responsible of, or is it something or someone else entirely? Who is unreliable and who isn’t?
It was maddening and ominous in the best of ways and I couldn’t get enough while simultaneously suffering in silence, wishing for it to end, willing my eyes to Just. Read. Faster! I already mentioned feeling short of breath but I found myself literally sweating and eventually even holding my breath entirely for a considerable section of the final act. If that doesn’t tell you how much of an impact an author’s words can have on a person! Cause there’s invested and then there’s completely immersed in what you’re reading that you completely forget you’re sat somewhere comfortable and safe and start feeling literal fight or flight within your own body.
Moreover, I mentioned tact and grace and that is in no short amount here as well when Panatier explores topics of parental abuse, intrusive thoughts (the real ones, not the internet’s teehee-I-got-a-funky-outfit-today variety), post-partum, and mental health. His characters are so well developed and fleshed out in ways that preclude any villainization. Especially when it comes to the mother of the family, lesser authors would’ve taken the easy – sometimes subconscious – route of othering her and, through their inflections and writing, allow her to become the “hysterical” and “unreasonable” character you emotionally check out from.
Or, in the same vein, when conflict of this caliber starts breaking loving couples apart and they show their red flags as it were, more often than not something on either or both sides severs the connection you originally felt for them and now, best case scenario, you just want them to go their separate ways and be done with it. Worst, you’re lowkey wishing for the offending party to die a horrible death. While understandable and often explored well, this type of dynamic breakdown has started feeling inevitable if not cliché to me personally so it was so satisfying to see Panatier did not go down that road. This is an author I’ve come to trust and knew he wouldn’t let me down and yet I was still gratified with the way he subverted trope, and my own, expectations.
To me it feels like empathy is the driving force behind this book, both narratively and thematically. What happens when there is too much or too little of it? Do we allow ourselves to be blinded by it or can we learn to discern the right course of action even when it feels callous or cruel? Also, the true empathy you can’t help but feel toward all of the characters – every single one – is what places Panatier on a class of his own for me.
Now, I’ve said a lot while not nearly enough so, in short:
Worry Box is a beautifully written and downright unrelenting narrative that will warm you and scare you in equal measure. It will make you think and ponder, it will make you understand while also giving you no answers until the very end. You will be turning the pages with one hand while peeking through your fingers of the other, afraid of what will happen next but unable to look away.
Believe me when I say, this is a must read for both seasoned fans of horror and for readers who want to give the genre a go for the first time. As for me, it has merely cemented Panatier’s spot on my shelves. I thoroughly enjoyed both his previous works, Shitshow and Daytide, for their own merits, but I believe the more grounded nature of this one truly hit home differently.
Worry Box is out through Angry Robot this September 22nd and you definitely want to preorder it!
Until next time,
Eleni A.E
Hello again dear reader or listener, I return after a small reviewing hiatus as I’ve been cajoled – see half dragged – back from several weeks (ok, fine, months) of a total inability to finish any book I started, by a September release that will meet all of your horror needs ahead of spooky season.
So, with a quick thank you to the author for sending me an eARC and my usual promise to you, dear reader, that I’m being honest in my ravings, allow me to tell you why Worry Box by Chris Panatier belongs on your shelves.
I can now say I’ve read most of Panatier’s work (still have a couple to catch up on but they’re definitely on the horizon) and can confidently claim this as my favorite of his wordsmithing. Truly, in my first ever review of his work I said that even though that particular book had not fully been to my liking near the end, I found the tact and grace of his handling of very important themes masterful and his evocative writing worthy of note so I would keep reading him. Three excellent books later including this one, I’m very pleased to say that Worry Box is Panatier at the very top of his game and at his most well-crafted to date. So far that is, as he doesn’t show signs of stopping, and I hope for all of us that he never does!
The only reason Worry Box was a two sittings read was that I started it late at night and hearing the early birds start to sing at 4:30 am really does remind you that you had things to do that morning. And yet I had no regrets, because I didn’t need sleep, I needed answers and the inexorable growing dread and anxiety to come to an end. Not only is this book an exceptionally fresh take on the haunted house but it takes all of your certainties and feelings of safety away. It doesn’t simply play on the idea that bad things happen to good people, it instead crawls under your skin with the terrible realization that good intentions can go horrifically wrong and there is nothing you can do about it but watch it all unfold helplessly and suddenly short of breath.
The Martins are a good family, a healthy one, helmed by two emotionally mature adults who have dealt with their past demons and are determined to help their kids face their own in the safest way possible. There is acceptance and communication with boundaries, true nurture, fun, and care.
Until there isn’t.
You root for all of them to succeed and be happy because you get all of their points of view, yes, but also because Panatier takes the time to actually invite the reader to be a part of this happy family that has found the perfect new home, whose rooms are always the right temperature. Never mind the dining room that still smells just a little off. You are there with them, comfortable in their warmth and relaxed in their presence.
Until you are not.
If up until a certain point you felt a part of this family and story, you find yourself slowly being inched out of the house and, before you’ve fully realized it, you are now locked outside looking in unable to warn them as all of that previous warmth starts to go chillingly cold. Things start going wrong and unravel, trust starts to fade, characters who you thought wouldn’t possibly crack under pressure slowly and dreadfully reach their breaking point. And that is perhaps the scariest and most unsettling part of this book. You can do everything right, but if the right (or wrong in this case) amount of things start chipping away at you, even you are vulnerable.
Panatier not only strikes the perfect balance between delightfully frustrating and utter uncertainty but he weaves his story and narrators in such a deliciously evil manner that he well and truly makes it impossible for you to know who to trust. Is one narrator being truthful compared to another, are they blocking out or forgetting things that they are responsible of, or is it something or someone else entirely? Who is unreliable and who isn’t?
It was maddening and ominous in the best of ways and I couldn’t get enough while simultaneously suffering in silence, wishing for it to end, willing my eyes to Just. Read. Faster! I already mentioned feeling short of breath but I found myself literally sweating and eventually even holding my breath entirely for a considerable section of the final act. If that doesn’t tell you how much of an impact an author’s words can have on a person! Cause there’s invested and then there’s completely immersed in what you’re reading that you completely forget you’re sat somewhere comfortable and safe and start feeling literal fight or flight within your own body.
Moreover, I mentioned tact and grace and that is in no short amount here as well when Panatier explores topics of parental abuse, intrusive thoughts (the real ones, not the internet’s teehee-I-got-a-funky-outfit-today variety), post-partum, and mental health. His characters are so well developed and fleshed out in ways that preclude any villainization. Especially when it comes to the mother of the family, lesser authors would’ve taken the easy – sometimes subconscious – route of othering her and, through their inflections and writing, allow her to become the “hysterical” and “unreasonable” character you emotionally check out from.
Or, in the same vein, when conflict of this caliber starts breaking loving couples apart and they show their red flags as it were, more often than not something on either or both sides severs the connection you originally felt for them and now, best case scenario, you just want them to go their separate ways and be done with it. Worst, you’re lowkey wishing for the offending party to die a horrible death. While understandable and often explored well, this type of dynamic breakdown has started feeling inevitable if not cliché to me personally so it was so satisfying to see Panatier did not go down that road. This is an author I’ve come to trust and knew he wouldn’t let me down and yet I was still gratified with the way he subverted trope, and my own, expectations.
To me it feels like empathy is the driving force behind this book, both narratively and thematically. What happens when there is too much or too little of it? Do we allow ourselves to be blinded by it or can we learn to discern the right course of action even when it feels callous or cruel? Also, the true empathy you can’t help but feel toward all of the characters – every single one – is what places Panatier on a class of his own for me.
Now, I’ve said a lot while not nearly enough so, in short:
Worry Box is a beautifully written and downright unrelenting narrative that will warm you and scare you in equal measure. It will make you think and ponder, it will make you understand while also giving you no answers until the very end. You will be turning the pages with one hand while peeking through your fingers of the other, afraid of what will happen next but unable to look away.
Believe me when I say, this is a must read for both seasoned fans of horror and for readers who want to give the genre a go for the first time. As for me, it has merely cemented Panatier’s spot on my shelves. I thoroughly enjoyed both his previous works, Shitshow and Daytide, for their own merits, but I believe the more grounded nature of this one truly hit home differently.
Worry Box is out through Angry Robot this September 22nd and you definitely want to preorder it!
Until next time,
Eleni A.E
July 8, 2026
This was such a unique read! The premise was unlike anything I’ve read before, and it kept me on my toes. I finished it in less than 24 hours.
July 5, 2026
What an insanely unique take on a haunted house 😱
The Martins move into a new home with their biological and foster daughters. Lailah, the foster daughter, just wants to be good and loved, but she has extremely violent intrusive thoughts that seem to keep escalating. Dru, the biological daughter, is a little rebel who equally loves her family. The parents, Nathan and Alison, love both girls and can’t wait to adopt Lailah. Nathan is very patient with Lailah and her thoughts, and it is super sweet to see their dynamic. Lailah eventually starts using a worry box to write down and hide her thoughts to help. Unfortunately, the box causes a series of events to unfold that ultimately have the family bonds loosening.
I had zero idea what was actually happening the entire book, and the plot is well laid out. The writing is absorbing and kept me hooked the entire time. The whole book is just very fresh and different. If you liked The September House, The Haunting of Hill House, or Just Like Home, this book is for you.
This book will stay on my haunted house recommendations list. 🏠
Thank you NetGalley, Angry Robot, and Chris Panatier for the ARC! 🫶🏼
The Martins move into a new home with their biological and foster daughters. Lailah, the foster daughter, just wants to be good and loved, but she has extremely violent intrusive thoughts that seem to keep escalating. Dru, the biological daughter, is a little rebel who equally loves her family. The parents, Nathan and Alison, love both girls and can’t wait to adopt Lailah. Nathan is very patient with Lailah and her thoughts, and it is super sweet to see their dynamic. Lailah eventually starts using a worry box to write down and hide her thoughts to help. Unfortunately, the box causes a series of events to unfold that ultimately have the family bonds loosening.
I had zero idea what was actually happening the entire book, and the plot is well laid out. The writing is absorbing and kept me hooked the entire time. The whole book is just very fresh and different. If you liked The September House, The Haunting of Hill House, or Just Like Home, this book is for you.
This book will stay on my haunted house recommendations list. 🏠
Thank you NetGalley, Angry Robot, and Chris Panatier for the ARC! 🫶🏼
July 13, 2026
I truly believe this is one of those books where the less you know about the plot, the better. I loved every POV of this story, and how it always switched to one another in the perfect moment. The book was playing like a horror movie in my mind, like crystal clear, and omg the story had me in a chokehold. It was truly haunting, creepy and with a totally unique plot. I’ve really enjoyed it and will be recommending this to anyone who loves haunted house horror books!
Thanks so much to NetGalley for sending me this ARC
Thanks so much to NetGalley for sending me this ARC
September 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
To start, I wasn’t really feeling this book. I was slogging through, hoping it would pick up a little - then it picked up an awful lot awfully quickly! This ended up being a fantastic little horror novel, with some nasty twists and turns that had me guessing until the end.
The concept that houses hold onto their memories is not perhaps new, but it is explored in a way in this book that seems novel. I think it’s the idea of the unwilling participant to pain, and that really sets the scene well.
The family are all written really well, but I had a particular soft spot for Lailah and Nathan. Both of them clearly had their issues - Nathan trying to do his best as a dad and Lailah trying to do her best as a new daughter. Lailah in particular was so incredibly earnest and was clearly trying so hard, and her inner monologue from a trauma perspective was spot on.
While it may not deal on scariness as such, it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. I couldn’t fly through the last 100 or so pages quickly enough, and I kept changing my theories and thoughts as I went.
I do think there were places the writing could have been a little tighter, and some elements were somewhat repetitive, but as a whole, this is an excellent horror novel and well worth giving a go.
To start, I wasn’t really feeling this book. I was slogging through, hoping it would pick up a little - then it picked up an awful lot awfully quickly! This ended up being a fantastic little horror novel, with some nasty twists and turns that had me guessing until the end.
The concept that houses hold onto their memories is not perhaps new, but it is explored in a way in this book that seems novel. I think it’s the idea of the unwilling participant to pain, and that really sets the scene well.
The family are all written really well, but I had a particular soft spot for Lailah and Nathan. Both of them clearly had their issues - Nathan trying to do his best as a dad and Lailah trying to do her best as a new daughter. Lailah in particular was so incredibly earnest and was clearly trying so hard, and her inner monologue from a trauma perspective was spot on.
While it may not deal on scariness as such, it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. I couldn’t fly through the last 100 or so pages quickly enough, and I kept changing my theories and thoughts as I went.
I do think there were places the writing could have been a little tighter, and some elements were somewhat repetitive, but as a whole, this is an excellent horror novel and well worth giving a go.
July 30, 2026
I could not put this book down. The story kept me on edge the whole time. Never knowing where the end would lead. This book is perfect for those who love a haunted house and creepy kid story. Certainly a unique take on a haunted house as well. Incredible writing. Incredible story telling. Chris is now an auto buy author for me.
Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC.
Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC.
July 15, 2026
Thank you Angry Robot for providing me with this ARC of Worry Box for review via NetGalley.
Worry Box by Chris Panatier is one of the most unique haunted house books I have read. The entire concept is well thought out and expertly crafted.
The Martins are certain they have found their perfect forever house. Just right for their family and in a well established neighborhood. But as it turns out, this house is different and when paired with the traumatic issues of their foster daughter they face challenges no one could have predicted. It may cost them the family they cherish above everything else.
Chris Panatier has created a solid psychological horror story that pulls the reader along and holds your attention throughout. The family dynamics are written so well, it feels more like watching a movie than reading a book. The scares are more cerebral than physical and that adds so much to the depth of the story.
I would recommend this book to not only horror fans but also dark thriller fans who enjoy the works of authors like Lucinda Berry and Riley Sager.
I want to encourage readers to check trigger warnings on this book. Animal cruelty. This rather small portion of this book almost made me DNF it.
Worry Box by Chris Panatier is one of the most unique haunted house books I have read. The entire concept is well thought out and expertly crafted.
The Martins are certain they have found their perfect forever house. Just right for their family and in a well established neighborhood. But as it turns out, this house is different and when paired with the traumatic issues of their foster daughter they face challenges no one could have predicted. It may cost them the family they cherish above everything else.
Chris Panatier has created a solid psychological horror story that pulls the reader along and holds your attention throughout. The family dynamics are written so well, it feels more like watching a movie than reading a book. The scares are more cerebral than physical and that adds so much to the depth of the story.
I would recommend this book to not only horror fans but also dark thriller fans who enjoy the works of authors like Lucinda Berry and Riley Sager.
I want to encourage readers to check trigger warnings on this book. Animal cruelty. This rather small portion of this book almost made me DNF it.
July 20, 2026
3.75 🫶🏻🖤
July 9, 2026
One thing I wish I had done before diving in was check the trigger warnings. As someone with OCD and intrusive thoughts, parts of this book hit a little harder than I expected. There’s also mention of animal abuse, which is another trigger for me, so I wanted to mention that for anyone who may have those triggers as well.
Worry Box has been a unique read. I spent so much time thinking it was going to go in a different direction, but the ending was satisfying.
This one definitely got under my skin but if you’re a horror lover who enjoys eerie haunted houses, creepy kids, unsettling vibe, I’d recommend adding this to your TBR.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Worry Box has been a unique read. I spent so much time thinking it was going to go in a different direction, but the ending was satisfying.
This one definitely got under my skin but if you’re a horror lover who enjoys eerie haunted houses, creepy kids, unsettling vibe, I’d recommend adding this to your TBR.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
August 11, 2026
Want to hear about one of my favorite books of the year?
Worry Box is one of those novels that I knew was going to be special right from the get-go. The premise is awesome: a family, looking for a fresh start, moves into a new home, BUT their foster daughter also has intrusive thoughts. Like the scariest of intrusive thoughts. And also the house might be haunted.
This book grabbed a hold of me and didn’t let go. I couldn’t put it down and only took breaks because I had to. Told via short chapters with multiple POVs there is a propulsion (maybe even a compulsion) to keep reading. And for most of this book I was STRESSED. The way Panatier ratchets up the dread and unease was masterful. I’ve rarely read many horror books that were so page-turning while being utterly terrifying.
There were some things in here as a new parent that were very hard to read. There’s also some animal stuff, so fair warning on that.
So now here we are with one man currently holding two of top 5 reads of the year so far (along with Daytide). Worry Box is a must-read horror novel. It will be out on September 22nd from Angry Robot.
Thanks so much to the author and the publisher for an advanced ebook for review!
Worry Box is one of those novels that I knew was going to be special right from the get-go. The premise is awesome: a family, looking for a fresh start, moves into a new home, BUT their foster daughter also has intrusive thoughts. Like the scariest of intrusive thoughts. And also the house might be haunted.
This book grabbed a hold of me and didn’t let go. I couldn’t put it down and only took breaks because I had to. Told via short chapters with multiple POVs there is a propulsion (maybe even a compulsion) to keep reading. And for most of this book I was STRESSED. The way Panatier ratchets up the dread and unease was masterful. I’ve rarely read many horror books that were so page-turning while being utterly terrifying.
There were some things in here as a new parent that were very hard to read. There’s also some animal stuff, so fair warning on that.
So now here we are with one man currently holding two of top 5 reads of the year so far (along with Daytide). Worry Box is a must-read horror novel. It will be out on September 22nd from Angry Robot.
Thanks so much to the author and the publisher for an advanced ebook for review!
July 3, 2026
This book was such a fucking burden to read I feel like I was in fight or flight the whole time. 10/10 would and will read again.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bad Robot for the ARC
Thanks to NetGalley and Bad Robot for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Author
The nitty-gritty: Chris Panatier captures the slow collapse of a close-knit family in Worry Box, a tense, terrifying horror story steeped in emotional heartbreak.
Worry Box is a clever take on the haunted house trope, but because it’s a Chris Panatier book, there’s a lot more bubbling beneath the surface. With short, punchy chapters, multiple points of view, and thriller-like pacing, this is a story that will appeal to horror and thriller fans alike. The plotting is meticulous, the misleads are brilliantly done, and the tension is the slow build kind where you don’t realize the hatchet is aimed at your neck until it starts to fall. I do have to mention a trigger warning for animal cruelty (mostly off page as a narrator is telling the reader what happened in the past, but it was very hard for me to read). But there’s also a very good dog named Midnight who is just fine. This is an insanely quick read, and I did not know where the story was going until late in the game.
The Martin family—Nathan, Alison, nine-year-old daughter Dru and eleven-year-old foster daughter Lailah—have just bought a new house. It’s a perfect house, the place where Lailah will finally become a permanent part of the family. It’s always just the right temperature, and there’s enough space for everyone. Never mind that there’s a bad smell in the dining room, or that they sometimes hear scratching in the walls. Even when Dru and Lailah see proof that a ghost seems to be protecting them, everyone is happily adjusting to their new lives, and what kid doesn’t want to live with a friendly ghost? The family does have to deal with Lailah’s “intrusions”---bad thoughts that crop up now and then, thoughts she has no control over (Smash a glass. Mix the shards into Alison’s yogurt.). But she’s in therapy, and she’s still a good person, right?
But then Alison gets pregnant, and when baby Evan is born, things begin to change. At first, the changes seem normal. Evan has colic and Alison and Nathan are barely sleeping. Alison is understandably cranky when someone turns down the thermostat in the nursery, nearly freezing Evan to death. But little by little, the occasional odd occurrences start to escalate. Could Dru’s sleepwalking incidents be responsible? Or is Lailah finally acting on her intrusions? Dru and Lailah claim to know nothing about what’s happening and blame it on the ghost. But Alison and Nathan refuse to believe a ghost is threatening the family and begin pointing fingers at their children.
Panatier sets Lailah up for the fall, of course. Lailah is the outsider, the unknown, the unpredictable, mentally disturbed and possibly psychotic child. The reader gets glimpses of her intrusions during her point of view chapters, and folks, they are very disturbing. Her therapist suggests she uses a “worry box,”—write her intrusions on slips of paper and put them in the box, metaphorically ridding herself of them. And it seems to work. The thing is? Lailah is nice. She cares for her new family and wants nothing more than to finally leave foster care behind. She and Dru love each other, and she knows Alison and Nathan love her as much as Dru. So when bad things start to happen, Lailah becomes the main suspect. It’s tough to watch, because the reader loves her too.
In the middle of all this drama is another character named Andy, and to avoid spoilers I’m not going to tell you who he is. Andy’s chapters are critical to understanding what’s going on, and they’re also some of my favorites. Andy has quite the story to tell, and his presence changes from comforting to threatening as the story goes along. But is Andy telling us the truth or manipulating his audience? This idea was so much fun and a great way to add some bonkers twists to the story (and bonus points to the author for a nice Stephen King Easter egg!)
Panatier explores what it means to be a family, and I loved that he uses the foster care system as a jumping off point (I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book that dealt with foster care before). Not only is Lailah’s future hanging in the balance, but Nathan was also a foster kid and has lived through some traumatic experiences, which color his feelings for Lailah. He’s the one who is determined to make things with Lailah work—he's desperate to save at least one child from his own fate—but this causes tension between him and Alison. Several beautifully written, emotional flashbacks added so much depth to the story, and Chris’ writing talents shine brightly in these sections in particular.
Worry Box is tightly focused on the Martin family and what’s happening in their house, with only a few side characters making appearances here and there. I personally love stories with a smaller cast of characters, it helps the tension and keeps the focus on what’s important. From the ghostly events to the possibility of Lailah’s intrusions manifesting, the threat (whatever it is) becomes more and more menacing. Watching the family implode was both uncomfortable and very emotional, and it made for a thrilling reading experience. The final showdown was immensely satisfying and the perfect ending for this excellent horror story. Highly recommended!
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
Worry Box is a clever take on the haunted house trope, but because it’s a Chris Panatier book, there’s a lot more bubbling beneath the surface. With short, punchy chapters, multiple points of view, and thriller-like pacing, this is a story that will appeal to horror and thriller fans alike. The plotting is meticulous, the misleads are brilliantly done, and the tension is the slow build kind where you don’t realize the hatchet is aimed at your neck until it starts to fall. I do have to mention a trigger warning for animal cruelty (mostly off page as a narrator is telling the reader what happened in the past, but it was very hard for me to read). But there’s also a very good dog named Midnight who is just fine. This is an insanely quick read, and I did not know where the story was going until late in the game.
The Martin family—Nathan, Alison, nine-year-old daughter Dru and eleven-year-old foster daughter Lailah—have just bought a new house. It’s a perfect house, the place where Lailah will finally become a permanent part of the family. It’s always just the right temperature, and there’s enough space for everyone. Never mind that there’s a bad smell in the dining room, or that they sometimes hear scratching in the walls. Even when Dru and Lailah see proof that a ghost seems to be protecting them, everyone is happily adjusting to their new lives, and what kid doesn’t want to live with a friendly ghost? The family does have to deal with Lailah’s “intrusions”---bad thoughts that crop up now and then, thoughts she has no control over (Smash a glass. Mix the shards into Alison’s yogurt.). But she’s in therapy, and she’s still a good person, right?
But then Alison gets pregnant, and when baby Evan is born, things begin to change. At first, the changes seem normal. Evan has colic and Alison and Nathan are barely sleeping. Alison is understandably cranky when someone turns down the thermostat in the nursery, nearly freezing Evan to death. But little by little, the occasional odd occurrences start to escalate. Could Dru’s sleepwalking incidents be responsible? Or is Lailah finally acting on her intrusions? Dru and Lailah claim to know nothing about what’s happening and blame it on the ghost. But Alison and Nathan refuse to believe a ghost is threatening the family and begin pointing fingers at their children.
Panatier sets Lailah up for the fall, of course. Lailah is the outsider, the unknown, the unpredictable, mentally disturbed and possibly psychotic child. The reader gets glimpses of her intrusions during her point of view chapters, and folks, they are very disturbing. Her therapist suggests she uses a “worry box,”—write her intrusions on slips of paper and put them in the box, metaphorically ridding herself of them. And it seems to work. The thing is? Lailah is nice. She cares for her new family and wants nothing more than to finally leave foster care behind. She and Dru love each other, and she knows Alison and Nathan love her as much as Dru. So when bad things start to happen, Lailah becomes the main suspect. It’s tough to watch, because the reader loves her too.
In the middle of all this drama is another character named Andy, and to avoid spoilers I’m not going to tell you who he is. Andy’s chapters are critical to understanding what’s going on, and they’re also some of my favorites. Andy has quite the story to tell, and his presence changes from comforting to threatening as the story goes along. But is Andy telling us the truth or manipulating his audience? This idea was so much fun and a great way to add some bonkers twists to the story (and bonus points to the author for a nice Stephen King Easter egg!)
Panatier explores what it means to be a family, and I loved that he uses the foster care system as a jumping off point (I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book that dealt with foster care before). Not only is Lailah’s future hanging in the balance, but Nathan was also a foster kid and has lived through some traumatic experiences, which color his feelings for Lailah. He’s the one who is determined to make things with Lailah work—he's desperate to save at least one child from his own fate—but this causes tension between him and Alison. Several beautifully written, emotional flashbacks added so much depth to the story, and Chris’ writing talents shine brightly in these sections in particular.
Worry Box is tightly focused on the Martin family and what’s happening in their house, with only a few side characters making appearances here and there. I personally love stories with a smaller cast of characters, it helps the tension and keeps the focus on what’s important. From the ghostly events to the possibility of Lailah’s intrusions manifesting, the threat (whatever it is) becomes more and more menacing. Watching the family implode was both uncomfortable and very emotional, and it made for a thrilling reading experience. The final showdown was immensely satisfying and the perfect ending for this excellent horror story. Highly recommended!
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The stories that blend real-life worries with fictional horror are the ones that hit the hardest for me.
Worry Box
by Chris Panatier has you feeling for the family in this house, all while frightened by what supernatural forces could do to tear said family apart. A fresh and unique look at the haunted house concept by one of the most elite horror voices today.
The Martins need a new home for their growing family. For Alison, Nathan, daughter Dru, and foster child Lailah, it’s love at first sight when they see the house in Tumbling Hills. It even has a cozy attic, which is great for Lailah; she needs a quiet place to be alone when her intrusive thoughts creep in.
(crack an egg into the coffee machine)
The family gets settled. The house is perfect, and so is the timing – Lailah’s adoption will soon be finalized.
(push your sister down the stairs)
But as the date approaches, her intrusive thoughts get worse, and Lailah fears she’s losing control.
(burn them alive in their beds)
Worry Box is a new style of haunted house horror with the house taking a point-of-view and the unknown on who or what is causing such chaos. Haunted house stories are a dime-a-dozen, but one that takes the story to new heights is something special. Panatier crafts a story that brings real-life horrors and blends them with supernatural terror in a place that you should feel comfortable, a new home.
Panatier builds a family unit that is just what most of us want in life. Two partners, a couple of kids, maybe one that needs you more than you need them. Bringing us close to family and allowing us to care for their future, only to toss grenades of supernatural horror into the mix and through things into flux. There is a sense of mystery throughout, even as things are revealed, you still don't know who or what is responsible. It's an uneasy feeling that has you quickly turning pages to find the answers and by all means, hope for a happy ending.
The supernatural horror is why I showed up, but it's the real-life pain that is felt inside the story that had me sticking around. A child that feel's unwanted with a biological family that couldn't care less, but a new family that wants you more than ever, not to mention the kid suffering from some thoughts that would scare most people away, only for things to go sideways had me hurting. Forget the pain the house itself is trying to cause, get this kid adopted is all I could say. This alone sounds utterly terrifying, but Panatier had to go ahead and add another level of fear to the mix.
Panatier mixes in a few twists and turns, just enough to keep you guessing, but not enough to give you whiplash. However, the twists land at just the right moment. Times of what the hell is Chris thinking, to only sit back and awe of the decision making going into his writing. The pacing was spot-on with steady storytelling that was never too quick and even during slower moments doesn't feel bogged down. To be honest, I blasted through Worry Box in mere days.
I couldn't figure out if Panatier's Worry Box had the adult version of Goosebumps vibe reading hybrid between audiobook and physical copy due to Chris Sorensen's audio narration or if it was the overall structure and theme of the story. It just had this feeling at times of a more mature story in the vein of an R.L. Stine, which in my eyes is never a bad thing.
Worry Box is one of 2026's best horror stories, if not the year's top horror story. Chris Panatier draws you into the Martin family and their new home, only to crush you with a blend of real-life struggles and supernatural horror that had me speechless at times. Worry Box is must-read unique haunted house supernatural horror that is proof Panatier is a significant voice in horror.
Worry Box hits bookstores everywhere on September 22, 2026 from Angry Robot. The audiobook, narrated by Chris Sorensen, is available via Libro.fm!
NOTE: We received an advance copy of Worry Box from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
The Martins need a new home for their growing family. For Alison, Nathan, daughter Dru, and foster child Lailah, it’s love at first sight when they see the house in Tumbling Hills. It even has a cozy attic, which is great for Lailah; she needs a quiet place to be alone when her intrusive thoughts creep in.
(crack an egg into the coffee machine)
The family gets settled. The house is perfect, and so is the timing – Lailah’s adoption will soon be finalized.
(push your sister down the stairs)
But as the date approaches, her intrusive thoughts get worse, and Lailah fears she’s losing control.
(burn them alive in their beds)
Worry Box is a new style of haunted house horror with the house taking a point-of-view and the unknown on who or what is causing such chaos. Haunted house stories are a dime-a-dozen, but one that takes the story to new heights is something special. Panatier crafts a story that brings real-life horrors and blends them with supernatural terror in a place that you should feel comfortable, a new home.
Panatier builds a family unit that is just what most of us want in life. Two partners, a couple of kids, maybe one that needs you more than you need them. Bringing us close to family and allowing us to care for their future, only to toss grenades of supernatural horror into the mix and through things into flux. There is a sense of mystery throughout, even as things are revealed, you still don't know who or what is responsible. It's an uneasy feeling that has you quickly turning pages to find the answers and by all means, hope for a happy ending.
The supernatural horror is why I showed up, but it's the real-life pain that is felt inside the story that had me sticking around. A child that feel's unwanted with a biological family that couldn't care less, but a new family that wants you more than ever, not to mention the kid suffering from some thoughts that would scare most people away, only for things to go sideways had me hurting. Forget the pain the house itself is trying to cause, get this kid adopted is all I could say. This alone sounds utterly terrifying, but Panatier had to go ahead and add another level of fear to the mix.
Panatier mixes in a few twists and turns, just enough to keep you guessing, but not enough to give you whiplash. However, the twists land at just the right moment. Times of what the hell is Chris thinking, to only sit back and awe of the decision making going into his writing. The pacing was spot-on with steady storytelling that was never too quick and even during slower moments doesn't feel bogged down. To be honest, I blasted through Worry Box in mere days.
I couldn't figure out if Panatier's Worry Box had the adult version of Goosebumps vibe reading hybrid between audiobook and physical copy due to Chris Sorensen's audio narration or if it was the overall structure and theme of the story. It just had this feeling at times of a more mature story in the vein of an R.L. Stine, which in my eyes is never a bad thing.
Worry Box is one of 2026's best horror stories, if not the year's top horror story. Chris Panatier draws you into the Martin family and their new home, only to crush you with a blend of real-life struggles and supernatural horror that had me speechless at times. Worry Box is must-read unique haunted house supernatural horror that is proof Panatier is a significant voice in horror.
Worry Box hits bookstores everywhere on September 22, 2026 from Angry Robot. The audiobook, narrated by Chris Sorensen, is available via Libro.fm!
NOTE: We received an advance copy of Worry Box from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
If you're looking for a haunted house story that starts creepy and somehow just keeps getting worse in the best way possible, “Worry Box” by Chris Panatier absolutely delivers.
The book kicks off with one heck of a prologue involving a decomposing body falling out of a ceiling, immediately letting you know this house has some serious issues. Then we meet the Martin family, who honestly might be one of the most lovable families I've read in a horror story. Nathan and Alison are trying to build a happy life with their daughter Dru and foster daughter Lailah, whom they're hoping to adopt. You can't help but root for all of them, especially Nathan who also grew up in the foster system and wants to give Lailah a loving home and become her forever family, which makes everything that follows hurt so much more.
One of my favorite parts was Lailah. She struggles with OCD and intrusive thoughts, and I thought her portrayal was handled with so much empathy and care. Her "worry box," where she writes down her intrusive thoughts to help manage them, is such a simple but powerful idea. You just want to give this kid a hug. The book also handles topics like foster care, trauma, child abuse, postpartum mental health, and grief with a surprising amount of compassion without ever losing the horror.
And then there's the house.
What makes “Worry Box” stand out from your typical haunted house novel is that the house itself gets a voice. Through chapters from the perspective of "Andy," the sentient spirit of the home, you slowly learn that the house isn't just haunted; it has its own history, its own trauma, and its own idea of what makes a family. Watching those flashbacks slowly reveal what happened to the previous owners was one of the creepiest parts of the entire book.
The horror itself is a slow burn, but it escalates quite a bit. It starts with little unsettling moments, like objects moving on their own, strange smells, weirdly helpful supernatural events, and gradually spirals into something deeply unsettling. Every time I thought the family might finally catch a break, the book somehow managed to pull the rug right back out from under me. The tension just keeps tightening until the final act becomes genuinely nerve-wracking.
I also loved the multiple POVs. Getting inside everyone's heads, including the house's, made it impossible to know exactly what was real, who was reliable, or what was actually causing everything to unravel. It creates this constant feeling of paranoia where you're questioning everything alongside the characters.
Despite all the scares, this is really a story about family, trauma, empathy, and the ways people carry emotional wounds. Even when characters make frustrating decisions, they never feel like villains; they feel like real people under unimaginable pressure. That emotional core made the horror hit even harder.
Fair warning, though: there are some heavy content warnings here, including child abuse, animal abuse in the past, intrusive thoughts related to OCD, postpartum mental health struggles, and violence. Also, it features the “othering” of foster children, which is something that unfortunately occurs quite a bit in real life. Thankfully, for anyone who always worries about this (like me), the dog is safe.
Overall, “Worry Box” is an incredibly tense, emotional, and unique haunted house story that feels just as interested in breaking your heart as it is in scaring you. It balances supernatural horror with deeply human characters, and by the end I was completely invested in this family's survival. Creepy, heartbreaking, and impossible to put down.
If you're looking for a haunted house story that starts creepy and somehow just keeps getting worse in the best way possible, “Worry Box” by Chris Panatier absolutely delivers.
The book kicks off with one heck of a prologue involving a decomposing body falling out of a ceiling, immediately letting you know this house has some serious issues. Then we meet the Martin family, who honestly might be one of the most lovable families I've read in a horror story. Nathan and Alison are trying to build a happy life with their daughter Dru and foster daughter Lailah, whom they're hoping to adopt. You can't help but root for all of them, especially Nathan who also grew up in the foster system and wants to give Lailah a loving home and become her forever family, which makes everything that follows hurt so much more.
One of my favorite parts was Lailah. She struggles with OCD and intrusive thoughts, and I thought her portrayal was handled with so much empathy and care. Her "worry box," where she writes down her intrusive thoughts to help manage them, is such a simple but powerful idea. You just want to give this kid a hug. The book also handles topics like foster care, trauma, child abuse, postpartum mental health, and grief with a surprising amount of compassion without ever losing the horror.
And then there's the house.
What makes “Worry Box” stand out from your typical haunted house novel is that the house itself gets a voice. Through chapters from the perspective of "Andy," the sentient spirit of the home, you slowly learn that the house isn't just haunted; it has its own history, its own trauma, and its own idea of what makes a family. Watching those flashbacks slowly reveal what happened to the previous owners was one of the creepiest parts of the entire book.
The horror itself is a slow burn, but it escalates quite a bit. It starts with little unsettling moments, like objects moving on their own, strange smells, weirdly helpful supernatural events, and gradually spirals into something deeply unsettling. Every time I thought the family might finally catch a break, the book somehow managed to pull the rug right back out from under me. The tension just keeps tightening until the final act becomes genuinely nerve-wracking.
I also loved the multiple POVs. Getting inside everyone's heads, including the house's, made it impossible to know exactly what was real, who was reliable, or what was actually causing everything to unravel. It creates this constant feeling of paranoia where you're questioning everything alongside the characters.
Despite all the scares, this is really a story about family, trauma, empathy, and the ways people carry emotional wounds. Even when characters make frustrating decisions, they never feel like villains; they feel like real people under unimaginable pressure. That emotional core made the horror hit even harder.
Fair warning, though: there are some heavy content warnings here, including child abuse, animal abuse in the past, intrusive thoughts related to OCD, postpartum mental health struggles, and violence. Also, it features the “othering” of foster children, which is something that unfortunately occurs quite a bit in real life. Thankfully, for anyone who always worries about this (like me), the dog is safe.
Overall, “Worry Box” is an incredibly tense, emotional, and unique haunted house story that feels just as interested in breaking your heart as it is in scaring you. It balances supernatural horror with deeply human characters, and by the end I was completely invested in this family's survival. Creepy, heartbreaking, and impossible to put down.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
WOWZA!!!Worry Box had me worried at various points while reading it. This book is dark, gripping, chilling, and addictive. Intrusive thoughts, ever have them? Is a house ever just a home? Ever wonder if whatever happens between the walls, doors, windows, in a home stay with it? This book just might have you thinking similar thoughts. I had a hard time putting this riveting book down. It got under my skin. There were some scenes that had my heart rate elevated, and my fingers clasping my kindle tight. This book oozes with dread, unease, and pulled on my emotions. There may be some triggers in this book for some, and I included a spoiler section so only click on that if you want to know what a trigger might be.
The Martins were happy to move into their new home for their expanding family. Alison, Nathan, daughter Dru, their infant son, and foster child Lailah are excited to move into their new home. The Martin's are going through the process of adopting Lailah who experiences intrusive thoughts. She finds the attic in the new home to be a refuge where she writes her thoughts down and keeps them in a worry box. As her adoption gets closer, strange, scary, and dangerous things in the home begin to happen. The family begins to feel unedge, and tensions begin to mount!
Holy Moly! This book had me on the edge of my seat. There are many shocking moments, some sad moments, some moments where I sympathized with the characters, and other times where I felt their fear, their anxiety, their heartache, their pain, and their doubt. Chris Panatier did an amazing job at creating characters that I cared about. This is the true strength of Worry Box for me. I cared about the characters and was completely invested in what happened to them. This kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to know more. Chris Panantier also did a great job of providing the POV's of several of the characters. I love getting into their heads and learning their thoughts and motivations. The tension, dread, unease, and mounting danger jumped from the pages! Plus, the POV of the "ghost" in the house was so well done.
Man, this was a dark one. The book begins with some backstory of what occurred in the home before the Martin family moved in. This is not for the faint of heart and will not be for some readers. There will be some triggers which will be hard for some to read about. Having said that, this book was fantastic! It put me through the ringer, and I enjoyed every second of it. I don't think that my heart has beat this hard while reading a book in my life.
Wonderfully written, well thought out, haunting, chilling, and oozing with tension!
Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Martins were happy to move into their new home for their expanding family. Alison, Nathan, daughter Dru, their infant son, and foster child Lailah are excited to move into their new home. The Martin's are going through the process of adopting Lailah who experiences intrusive thoughts. She finds the attic in the new home to be a refuge where she writes her thoughts down and keeps them in a worry box. As her adoption gets closer, strange, scary, and dangerous things in the home begin to happen. The family begins to feel unedge, and tensions begin to mount!
Holy Moly! This book had me on the edge of my seat. There are many shocking moments, some sad moments, some moments where I sympathized with the characters, and other times where I felt their fear, their anxiety, their heartache, their pain, and their doubt. Chris Panatier did an amazing job at creating characters that I cared about. This is the true strength of Worry Box for me. I cared about the characters and was completely invested in what happened to them. This kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to know more. Chris Panantier also did a great job of providing the POV's of several of the characters. I love getting into their heads and learning their thoughts and motivations. The tension, dread, unease, and mounting danger jumped from the pages! Plus, the POV of the "ghost" in the house was so well done.
Man, this was a dark one. The book begins with some backstory of what occurred in the home before the Martin family moved in. This is not for the faint of heart and will not be for some readers. There will be some triggers which will be hard for some to read about. Having said that, this book was fantastic! It put me through the ringer, and I enjoyed every second of it. I don't think that my heart has beat this hard while reading a book in my life.
Wonderfully written, well thought out, haunting, chilling, and oozing with tension!
Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 9, 2026
A new family and home feel like the promise that foster child Lailah so desperately needs, but her seemingly ideal new life slowly crumbles to dust as increasingly strange events begin to unfold.
Everything always starts with a new house and the giant hopes of creating a sanctuary for one's family.
That is exactly how the unbelievably affordable dwelling in Tumbling Hills looks at first to the Martin family, who are finalizing the adoption paperwork for Lailah alongside their daughter Dru and a baby. However, another presence can be sensed in the house, a ghost, or perhaps the very walls of the house, capable not only of protecting the family but also of warding off any threat.
When Nathan suggests that Lailah make a "worry box" to put all her fears, anxieties, and obsessive thoughts into, parts of what is written begin to come true.
If you set aside the ghosts and the paranormal, this is a suspenseful thriller that keeps the reader gripping their chair tightly, especially when the night hours creep in. Who is to blame for all these events, one of the children, the mother, the father, or the house itself?
Despite the fact that all of these techniques are classic horror novel elements that seem to repeat countless times from movie to movie and book to book, I found it very exciting to read because the atmosphere didn't allow for any relaxation, plunging from one suspenseful event right into the next.
Excellent reading material for haunted house enthusiasts and horror thriller fans alike, all wrapped up in one great cocktail.
3.8 stars
LV
Jauna ģimene un mājvieta ir kā solījums, kas tik ļoti nepieciešams pieņemtajai meitenei Lailai, bet viņas ideālā dzīve jaunajā mājvietā sāk palēnām sabirzt putekļos, kad parādās arvien dīvaināki notikumi.
Viss vienmēr sākas ar jaunu māju un milzu cerībām radīt patvērumu savai ģimenei, tieši tāda arī sākumā izskatās netciami izdevīgā mītne Martinu ģimenei. Taču mājā ir nojaušama vēl kāda klātbūtne. Spoks vai mājas sienas, kas var ne tikai nosargāt ģimeni, bet arī novērst jebkādu apdraudējumu. Kad, Nātans piedāvā Lailai uztaisīt ‘’worry box’’ (raižu kasti), kur ielikt visas savas bailes, rūpes un uzmacīgās domas, daļa no uzrakstītā sāk piepildīties.
Ja aizmirst par spokiem un paranormālo, šis ir viens spriedzes pilns trilleris, kas lasītāju notur cieši krēslā, it sevišķi, kad piezogas nakts stundas. Kas ir vainīgs pie visiem šiem notikumiem, kāds no bērniem, māte, tēvs vai māja?!
Neskatoties uz to, ka visi šie paņēmieni (pārvākšanās uz jaunu māju, bēniņi, čīkstoši soļi, mēnessērdzība) ir klasiski šausmu romāna elementi, kas it kā neskaitāmais reizes atkārtojas no filmas uz filmu, no grāmatas uz grāmatu, man bija ļoti aizraujoši lasīt, jo atmosfēra neļāva atslābt, lecot no viena spriedzes pilna notikuma uz citu.
Lieliska lasāmviela apsēstu māju cienītājiem, šausmu trillera faniem, viss vienā lieliskā kokteilī.
3.8 zvaizgnes
Everything always starts with a new house and the giant hopes of creating a sanctuary for one's family.
That is exactly how the unbelievably affordable dwelling in Tumbling Hills looks at first to the Martin family, who are finalizing the adoption paperwork for Lailah alongside their daughter Dru and a baby. However, another presence can be sensed in the house, a ghost, or perhaps the very walls of the house, capable not only of protecting the family but also of warding off any threat.
When Nathan suggests that Lailah make a "worry box" to put all her fears, anxieties, and obsessive thoughts into, parts of what is written begin to come true.
If you set aside the ghosts and the paranormal, this is a suspenseful thriller that keeps the reader gripping their chair tightly, especially when the night hours creep in. Who is to blame for all these events, one of the children, the mother, the father, or the house itself?
Despite the fact that all of these techniques are classic horror novel elements that seem to repeat countless times from movie to movie and book to book, I found it very exciting to read because the atmosphere didn't allow for any relaxation, plunging from one suspenseful event right into the next.
Excellent reading material for haunted house enthusiasts and horror thriller fans alike, all wrapped up in one great cocktail.
3.8 stars
LV
Jauna ģimene un mājvieta ir kā solījums, kas tik ļoti nepieciešams pieņemtajai meitenei Lailai, bet viņas ideālā dzīve jaunajā mājvietā sāk palēnām sabirzt putekļos, kad parādās arvien dīvaināki notikumi.
Viss vienmēr sākas ar jaunu māju un milzu cerībām radīt patvērumu savai ģimenei, tieši tāda arī sākumā izskatās netciami izdevīgā mītne Martinu ģimenei. Taču mājā ir nojaušama vēl kāda klātbūtne. Spoks vai mājas sienas, kas var ne tikai nosargāt ģimeni, bet arī novērst jebkādu apdraudējumu. Kad, Nātans piedāvā Lailai uztaisīt ‘’worry box’’ (raižu kasti), kur ielikt visas savas bailes, rūpes un uzmacīgās domas, daļa no uzrakstītā sāk piepildīties.
Ja aizmirst par spokiem un paranormālo, šis ir viens spriedzes pilns trilleris, kas lasītāju notur cieši krēslā, it sevišķi, kad piezogas nakts stundas. Kas ir vainīgs pie visiem šiem notikumiem, kāds no bērniem, māte, tēvs vai māja?!
Neskatoties uz to, ka visi šie paņēmieni (pārvākšanās uz jaunu māju, bēniņi, čīkstoši soļi, mēnessērdzība) ir klasiski šausmu romāna elementi, kas it kā neskaitāmais reizes atkārtojas no filmas uz filmu, no grāmatas uz grāmatu, man bija ļoti aizraujoši lasīt, jo atmosfēra neļāva atslābt, lecot no viena spriedzes pilna notikuma uz citu.
Lieliska lasāmviela apsēstu māju cienītājiem, šausmu trillera faniem, viss vienā lieliskā kokteilī.
3.8 zvaizgnes
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Title/Author: Worry Box by Chris Panatier
Format Read: NetGalley arc
Pub date: Sept. 22nd, 2026
Publisher: Angry Robot
Page Count: 352
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978183673...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
- Haunted Houses (unique twist)
- Emotional, high-stakes horror
- Family dynamics
- Paranormal activity/Possession
- Multiple POVs
- Suspense/Escalation
"An unsettling horror story with a mysterious twist from a celebrated voice in horror. Perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts."
__
Minor complaints:
- The animal cruelty/murder was A LOT (I skimmed a bunch) I understand its purpose but it's a lot. (the family dog does survive)
Final recommendation:
No, this book is H O R R O R
Ok seriously listen, I do not say this lightly, go into this book EYES WIDE OPEN. Know your boundaries and the things that give you ANXIETY— your worst fears! Are you a parent? Tread lightly here
ESPECIALLY first time parents who already worry about everything-this will just add to your anxiety about growing your family.
Let me back up.
This is a family on the precipice of disaster. And discerning people who have walked decades on this earth know what I mean when I say—moving to a new house is a test, right? It’s stressful. Now add all the anxious worries of a new baby to that and then add a foster child who has dark, intrusive thoughts to THAT. Does that sound like a nightmare already?
It should.
Now add a house who has experienced some sh!t.
A miasma of worry and anxiety and trauma and BAD STUFF all swirling around inside this…this…well, WORRY BOX
.
I skimmed some chapters for animal stuff and I will straight up tell you, it’s not light. It’s awful. It’s the bad things. I get why it’s here, it’s relevant but yeah I skipped and I still know what happened without actually reading it. The devil is in the details.
Also, this is dark—the intrusive thoughts? Very dark. And maybe all of this wouldn't have been so troubling if I wasn't so emotionally invested. I fell in love with the sisters, Dru and Lailah. I even really loved both parents, Nathan and Alison--I could see their situation reasonably from both perspectives-they both had really strong convictions. The dialogue and the family dynamics are so authentic! Very suspenseful, high-stakes horror.
5 stars all day because I have not felt this OUT OF MY SKIN scared in a long time. So all you readers asking for the scary stuff?
I offer you this NASTY BUSINESS!!
Well done @chrispanatier
.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Immortal Horror
Comps: Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey, This House Isn't Haunted But We Are by Stephen Howard, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca
Format Read: NetGalley arc
Pub date: Sept. 22nd, 2026
Publisher: Angry Robot
Page Count: 352
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978183673...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
- Haunted Houses (unique twist)
- Emotional, high-stakes horror
- Family dynamics
- Paranormal activity/Possession
- Multiple POVs
- Suspense/Escalation
"An unsettling horror story with a mysterious twist from a celebrated voice in horror. Perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts."
__
Minor complaints:
- The animal cruelty/murder was A LOT (I skimmed a bunch) I understand its purpose but it's a lot. (the family dog does survive)
Final recommendation:
No, this book is H O R R O R
Ok seriously listen, I do not say this lightly, go into this book EYES WIDE OPEN. Know your boundaries and the things that give you ANXIETY— your worst fears! Are you a parent? Tread lightly here
ESPECIALLY first time parents who already worry about everything-this will just add to your anxiety about growing your family.
Let me back up.
This is a family on the precipice of disaster. And discerning people who have walked decades on this earth know what I mean when I say—moving to a new house is a test, right? It’s stressful. Now add all the anxious worries of a new baby to that and then add a foster child who has dark, intrusive thoughts to THAT. Does that sound like a nightmare already?
It should.
Now add a house who has experienced some sh!t.
A miasma of worry and anxiety and trauma and BAD STUFF all swirling around inside this…this…well, WORRY BOX
.
I skimmed some chapters for animal stuff and I will straight up tell you, it’s not light. It’s awful. It’s the bad things. I get why it’s here, it’s relevant but yeah I skipped and I still know what happened without actually reading it. The devil is in the details.
Also, this is dark—the intrusive thoughts? Very dark. And maybe all of this wouldn't have been so troubling if I wasn't so emotionally invested. I fell in love with the sisters, Dru and Lailah. I even really loved both parents, Nathan and Alison--I could see their situation reasonably from both perspectives-they both had really strong convictions. The dialogue and the family dynamics are so authentic! Very suspenseful, high-stakes horror.
5 stars all day because I have not felt this OUT OF MY SKIN scared in a long time. So all you readers asking for the scary stuff?
I offer you this NASTY BUSINESS!!
Well done @chrispanatier
.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Immortal Horror
Comps: Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey, This House Isn't Haunted But We Are by Stephen Howard, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca
August 9, 2026
Veel dank aan Netgalley en Angry Robot voor het recensie-exemplaar. Worry Box is vanaf 22 september te koop.
Je weet inmiddels vast wel dat ik een groot liefhebber van het horrorgenre ben. Het is een genre vol humor en creativiteit en in de beste gevallen onderzoekt het ook nog eens de menselijke psyche en zegt het iets over het tijdsgewricht waarin we leven. Maar horror die hartverscheurend is, waarbij zelfs tranen geplengd worden? Dat had ik nog niet eerder meegemaakt, totdat ik Worry Box van Chris Panatier las.
Twee ouders verhuizen met hun dochter (Dru) en pleegdochter (Lailah) naar een nieuwe woning. Iedereen is direct verliefd op het huis en de geest die volgens de meisjes in het huis leeft doet allemaal lieve dingen voor ze. Maar de getraumatiseerde Lailah worstelt met dwanggedachten en er vindt een kantelpunt plaats waarbij het leven in dit mooie nieuwe huis tot een nachtmerrie verwordt. De grootste nachtmerrie echter is dat Lailah weer bij haar oom en tante moet gaan wonen. Door alles wat er in het gezin en in het huis gebeurt, wordt die kans steeds groter.
Twist
Ik heb inmiddels al vaak verteld dat ik niet echt van het haunted house subgenre houd, maar voor iemand die daar niet van houdt, lees ik verbazingwekkend veel boeken met dit thema. Dit was dan ook de laatste keer dat ik van deze zogenaamde afkeer gewag heb gemaakt. Worry Box is ook een haunted house, met een twist weliswaar. Lailah is namelijk niet de enige die getraumatiseerd is, ook het huis zelf is getraumatiseerd. Het huis is naast de vier gezinsleden een personage dat zijn eigen hoofdstukken heeft.
Het verhaal is adembenemend spannend, omdat je eigenlijk tot aan de laatste hoofdstukken niet weet waarom de dingen gebeuren die gebeuren en wie daar schuldig aan is. Je leeft eigenlijk het hele boek tussen hoop en vrees; “laat het alsjeblieft zo in elkaar steken… neeeee, het zal toch niet zo zitten?!” Worry Box was echt een enorme aanslag op mijn emotionele gestel waar ik weken na dato nog steeds niet helemaal van bekomen ben.
Fundament
Het fundament van dit boek is namelijk het gezin en Panatier weet dat gezinsleven buitengewoon goed neer te zetten. Ik geloofde de onderlinge interacties, ik geloofde de trauma’s en hoe daar binnen het gezin mee omgegaan werd, maar bovenal geloofde ik de humor en de warmte en de liefde. Na pagina één hield ik van vader Nathan, moeder Alison en dochters Dru en Lailah.
Dat fundament lijkt onwankelbaar en ik geloofde heilig dat dit gezin niets zou overkomen, maar zodra de eerste scheuren ontstaan in de gezinsdynamiek, begon er ook iets binnen in mij te scheuren. Het is bizar hoe intens ik deze horrorroman beleefd heb en het is volledig te danken aan het verteltalent van Panatier dat Worry Box zo’n grote emotionele uitwerking op me had. Er hebben tranen gevloeid, ik ben bijzonder boos geweest, ik ben buitengewoon bang geweest en ik wilde iedereen constant troosten en een dikke knuffel geven.
Het was een uitdaging om mijn leeservaring te beschrijven zonder iets van het plot te verklappen – het beste is om hier net als ik blind in te gaan – maar ik geloof dat ik het er goed vanaf gebracht heb. Ik ga ervan uit dat dit de beste horror is die ik dit jaar lees. Ik kan dit boek met klem aanraden, maar lezen is op eigen risico: emotionele littekens behoren tot de mogelijkheden.
blogpost
Je weet inmiddels vast wel dat ik een groot liefhebber van het horrorgenre ben. Het is een genre vol humor en creativiteit en in de beste gevallen onderzoekt het ook nog eens de menselijke psyche en zegt het iets over het tijdsgewricht waarin we leven. Maar horror die hartverscheurend is, waarbij zelfs tranen geplengd worden? Dat had ik nog niet eerder meegemaakt, totdat ik Worry Box van Chris Panatier las.
Twee ouders verhuizen met hun dochter (Dru) en pleegdochter (Lailah) naar een nieuwe woning. Iedereen is direct verliefd op het huis en de geest die volgens de meisjes in het huis leeft doet allemaal lieve dingen voor ze. Maar de getraumatiseerde Lailah worstelt met dwanggedachten en er vindt een kantelpunt plaats waarbij het leven in dit mooie nieuwe huis tot een nachtmerrie verwordt. De grootste nachtmerrie echter is dat Lailah weer bij haar oom en tante moet gaan wonen. Door alles wat er in het gezin en in het huis gebeurt, wordt die kans steeds groter.
Twist
Ik heb inmiddels al vaak verteld dat ik niet echt van het haunted house subgenre houd, maar voor iemand die daar niet van houdt, lees ik verbazingwekkend veel boeken met dit thema. Dit was dan ook de laatste keer dat ik van deze zogenaamde afkeer gewag heb gemaakt. Worry Box is ook een haunted house, met een twist weliswaar. Lailah is namelijk niet de enige die getraumatiseerd is, ook het huis zelf is getraumatiseerd. Het huis is naast de vier gezinsleden een personage dat zijn eigen hoofdstukken heeft.
Het verhaal is adembenemend spannend, omdat je eigenlijk tot aan de laatste hoofdstukken niet weet waarom de dingen gebeuren die gebeuren en wie daar schuldig aan is. Je leeft eigenlijk het hele boek tussen hoop en vrees; “laat het alsjeblieft zo in elkaar steken… neeeee, het zal toch niet zo zitten?!” Worry Box was echt een enorme aanslag op mijn emotionele gestel waar ik weken na dato nog steeds niet helemaal van bekomen ben.
Fundament
Het fundament van dit boek is namelijk het gezin en Panatier weet dat gezinsleven buitengewoon goed neer te zetten. Ik geloofde de onderlinge interacties, ik geloofde de trauma’s en hoe daar binnen het gezin mee omgegaan werd, maar bovenal geloofde ik de humor en de warmte en de liefde. Na pagina één hield ik van vader Nathan, moeder Alison en dochters Dru en Lailah.
Dat fundament lijkt onwankelbaar en ik geloofde heilig dat dit gezin niets zou overkomen, maar zodra de eerste scheuren ontstaan in de gezinsdynamiek, begon er ook iets binnen in mij te scheuren. Het is bizar hoe intens ik deze horrorroman beleefd heb en het is volledig te danken aan het verteltalent van Panatier dat Worry Box zo’n grote emotionele uitwerking op me had. Er hebben tranen gevloeid, ik ben bijzonder boos geweest, ik ben buitengewoon bang geweest en ik wilde iedereen constant troosten en een dikke knuffel geven.
Het was een uitdaging om mijn leeservaring te beschrijven zonder iets van het plot te verklappen – het beste is om hier net als ik blind in te gaan – maar ik geloof dat ik het er goed vanaf gebracht heb. Ik ga ervan uit dat dit de beste horror is die ik dit jaar lees. Ik kan dit boek met klem aanraden, maar lezen is op eigen risico: emotionele littekens behoren tot de mogelijkheden.
blogpost
Review of advance copy received from Author
Worry Box by Chris Panatier will be published September 22nd by Angry Robot
Worry Box is about a family. A family full of wonderful, unique, fleshed out characters. Some who get under your skin, some who you relate with and some you hate. A family who is each doing the best that they know how. Sounds on par for a normal family dynamic if you ask me.
North Shore Pediatric Therapy about worry boxes. A worry box is a cognitive-behavioral therapeutic approach to addressing excessive worry and anxiety in children. This modality aims to take the worry and anxiety off of the child, and places it onto a tangible item such as a box.
Lailah is a foster child, and she has these horrible, nasty, evil thoughts that her therapist and foster dad call intrusive thoughts. Mrs. Lauren, that’s her therapist, suggested a worry box. A place for her to write down the thoughts to get them OUT of her head. Together with her foster parents they decorated a box. They cut a slit on top, added a pad of paper and a purple pen, and Lailah was now armed with a new way to subvert those intrusive ideas. Write them down and stuff em in the box!
This seemed to be going well, as did the new house they moved into. She was sharing a room with her younger sister Dru (biological child of her foster parents) but that was alright because they really loved each other so much. Lailah’s dream that she was scared to dream was about being adopted into the family permanently. But when good things happened to her, intrusive thoughts like creeping in and taking over, so she tried not to be overly happy too often.
Will Lailah’s intrusive thoughts stay buried in her worry box, or will they come out to haunt her and her family.
Chris Panatier has once again, done it! He knows how to write engaging stories that draw you in and hold you close. They make you squirm and bite your nails. They make your stomach churn, and your eyes squeeze tight against the truth on the pages. His characters really come to life; with such individual voices no one feels flat or like a repeat. When I read, I can hear each person’s distinct voice in my head which adds an extra immersive layer to the reading experience.
Worry Box is perfect for new fans of the horror genre and horror fiends who have been around the block more times than they can count. It scratched such a good itch that I didn’t even know I had until I was reading.
Worry Box is about a family. A family full of wonderful, unique, fleshed out characters. Some who get under your skin, some who you relate with and some you hate. A family who is each doing the best that they know how. Sounds on par for a normal family dynamic if you ask me.
North Shore Pediatric Therapy about worry boxes. A worry box is a cognitive-behavioral therapeutic approach to addressing excessive worry and anxiety in children. This modality aims to take the worry and anxiety off of the child, and places it onto a tangible item such as a box.
Lailah is a foster child, and she has these horrible, nasty, evil thoughts that her therapist and foster dad call intrusive thoughts. Mrs. Lauren, that’s her therapist, suggested a worry box. A place for her to write down the thoughts to get them OUT of her head. Together with her foster parents they decorated a box. They cut a slit on top, added a pad of paper and a purple pen, and Lailah was now armed with a new way to subvert those intrusive ideas. Write them down and stuff em in the box!
This seemed to be going well, as did the new house they moved into. She was sharing a room with her younger sister Dru (biological child of her foster parents) but that was alright because they really loved each other so much. Lailah’s dream that she was scared to dream was about being adopted into the family permanently. But when good things happened to her, intrusive thoughts like creeping in and taking over, so she tried not to be overly happy too often.
Will Lailah’s intrusive thoughts stay buried in her worry box, or will they come out to haunt her and her family.
Chris Panatier has once again, done it! He knows how to write engaging stories that draw you in and hold you close. They make you squirm and bite your nails. They make your stomach churn, and your eyes squeeze tight against the truth on the pages. His characters really come to life; with such individual voices no one feels flat or like a repeat. When I read, I can hear each person’s distinct voice in my head which adds an extra immersive layer to the reading experience.
Worry Box is perfect for new fans of the horror genre and horror fiends who have been around the block more times than they can count. It scratched such a good itch that I didn’t even know I had until I was reading.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
’Perhaps the better lesson to acknowledge is this: you can't make people see things they don't want to see’
Worry Box is a haunted house hotel following family of four, Nathan, Alison, daughter Dru and adopted daughter Lailah, after they move into their new home in Tumbling Hills. What is initially the start to a picture perfect life quickly turns dire after baby Evan is born and mysteriously attacked by an unknown force. While Nathan and Alison argue over which daughter is to blame - sleepwalking Dru or Lailah with her intrusive thoughts - the girls begin to question if the ghost they suspect is living in their home is truly friendly.
Now if I had a penny for every horror novel I read this month about a sentient haunted house, I’d have two pennies, which isn’t a lot, but it’s strange that it’s happened twice! Either way, I can say with certainty that Worry Box is definitely an improvement on The House That Eats the Dead, from its characterisation, to it’s scares, to the actual house.
I really enjoyed the way in which Panatier made you feel for this family, and root for them even when times were tough. Lailah was by far my favourite character, with the most depth and personality, and I think the author discussed the mental health struggles that come with being in the foster system with a lot of care and understanding. I was also a massive fan of how the house was portrayed, just as real a character as any of the actual humans who inhabited it. This was seriously such a unique take on the haunted house trope, and one that actually had me concerned for the safety of everyone involved. I can’t say I was scared, but I was certainly uncomfortable at times.
My biggest issue with this book was the pacing, which I felt suffered in the final third from bloating. 50-100 pages being cut from the conclusion would have helped massively, in my opinion. I also was a little sceptical of Dru, who had an entirely too adult personality for a 9-year-old child. She genuinely had thoughts and conversations akin to a teenager, and that really took me out of the narrative at times.
Despite that, I still had a lot of fun with this story. Overall, Worry Box gets 4/5 stars.
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3
Worry Box is a haunted house hotel following family of four, Nathan, Alison, daughter Dru and adopted daughter Lailah, after they move into their new home in Tumbling Hills. What is initially the start to a picture perfect life quickly turns dire after baby Evan is born and mysteriously attacked by an unknown force. While Nathan and Alison argue over which daughter is to blame - sleepwalking Dru or Lailah with her intrusive thoughts - the girls begin to question if the ghost they suspect is living in their home is truly friendly.
Now if I had a penny for every horror novel I read this month about a sentient haunted house, I’d have two pennies, which isn’t a lot, but it’s strange that it’s happened twice! Either way, I can say with certainty that Worry Box is definitely an improvement on The House That Eats the Dead, from its characterisation, to it’s scares, to the actual house.
I really enjoyed the way in which Panatier made you feel for this family, and root for them even when times were tough. Lailah was by far my favourite character, with the most depth and personality, and I think the author discussed the mental health struggles that come with being in the foster system with a lot of care and understanding. I was also a massive fan of how the house was portrayed, just as real a character as any of the actual humans who inhabited it. This was seriously such a unique take on the haunted house trope, and one that actually had me concerned for the safety of everyone involved. I can’t say I was scared, but I was certainly uncomfortable at times.
My biggest issue with this book was the pacing, which I felt suffered in the final third from bloating. 50-100 pages being cut from the conclusion would have helped massively, in my opinion. I also was a little sceptical of Dru, who had an entirely too adult personality for a 9-year-old child. She genuinely had thoughts and conversations akin to a teenager, and that really took me out of the narrative at times.
Despite that, I still had a lot of fun with this story. Overall, Worry Box gets 4/5 stars.
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔.
The Martin family thinks they've found a fresh start in a beautiful new home where foster daughter Lailah can finally begin to heal. Her adoption is just around the corner, but as the day draws closer, the intrusive thoughts she's fought for so long begin to spiral, and the house seems to answer them in terrifying ways. On the surface, this is an outstanding haunted house novel. Underneath it, though, is a story about trauma, foster care, and the devastating reality that the people meant to protect children don't always succeed.
This book got under my skin in a way I wasn't expecting because I know what intrusive thoughts feel like. I know the panic of having a thought that doesn't belong to you and wondering why your brain chose 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 of all things. The author handles this plot thread with an incredible amount of compassion, never confusing intrusive thoughts with intent. Instead, I found myself reading the horror almost as a metaphor for empathy itself. What happens when you absorb everyone else's fear, grief, anger, and pain until there's simply nowhere left to put it? The feelings have to go somewhere. Why not into me? That question lingered long after I finished reading. Add to that the heartbreaking exploration of a welfare system that so often prioritizes reunification over safety, even when "home" is the very place a child needs rescuing from, and this became something far more unsettling than ghosts or monsters.
The best horror has always been about the things we can't lock outside the front door, and this novel understands that completely. It frightened me, but more importantly, it made me hurt. For Lailah. For children who never get the safe ending they deserve. For anyone who's ever carried emotions that were never theirs to begin with. Five stars, without hesitation. This is horror with a pulse, a conscience, and a heart heavy enough to haunt you long after you've closed the book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the early copy that will publish September 22, 2026.
The Martin family thinks they've found a fresh start in a beautiful new home where foster daughter Lailah can finally begin to heal. Her adoption is just around the corner, but as the day draws closer, the intrusive thoughts she's fought for so long begin to spiral, and the house seems to answer them in terrifying ways. On the surface, this is an outstanding haunted house novel. Underneath it, though, is a story about trauma, foster care, and the devastating reality that the people meant to protect children don't always succeed.
This book got under my skin in a way I wasn't expecting because I know what intrusive thoughts feel like. I know the panic of having a thought that doesn't belong to you and wondering why your brain chose 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 of all things. The author handles this plot thread with an incredible amount of compassion, never confusing intrusive thoughts with intent. Instead, I found myself reading the horror almost as a metaphor for empathy itself. What happens when you absorb everyone else's fear, grief, anger, and pain until there's simply nowhere left to put it? The feelings have to go somewhere. Why not into me? That question lingered long after I finished reading. Add to that the heartbreaking exploration of a welfare system that so often prioritizes reunification over safety, even when "home" is the very place a child needs rescuing from, and this became something far more unsettling than ghosts or monsters.
The best horror has always been about the things we can't lock outside the front door, and this novel understands that completely. It frightened me, but more importantly, it made me hurt. For Lailah. For children who never get the safe ending they deserve. For anyone who's ever carried emotions that were never theirs to begin with. Five stars, without hesitation. This is horror with a pulse, a conscience, and a heart heavy enough to haunt you long after you've closed the book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the early copy that will publish September 22, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.
Do you want to have a bad time? Yes? Then this is the book for you. I finished reading Worry Box in the wee hours of the morning and then laid in bed awake for over another hour, so deeply unsettled. I accidentally got really into it and knew it was probably a bad idea to read it before bed and yet I continued. Truly haunting. I loved it. The characters are complex and full of emotion. You can really feel the family being pulled apart and all of the anxiety and dread that comes along with it.
Definitely read it with care if you find any of these topics sensitive: animal cruelty, foster care, child abuse, neglect, abandonment. There are very graphic depictions of animal abuse in the first half of the book, maybe every 5 or so chapters for a couple of sentences. I almost decided not to keep reading because of them, but I ultimately decided to keep going and just skimmed over those couple of sentences each time I got to them.
Worry Box is a horror novel that really subverts expectations of your typical haunted house story. The Martins move into the seemingly perfect house where they’re ready to embrace the family they’ve always wanted. Allison and Nathan have a foster daughter, Lailah (11/12), and a biological daughter, Dru (9) and they’re in the process of trying to adopt Lailah. Lailah has severe intrusive thoughts as a result of her trauma from being left by her birth parents, abused by her aunt and uncle, and bouncing from home to home. She is in intense therapy and has learned coping mechanisms to get the thoughts of her head, the most helpful of which is a worry box where she writes the thoughts down and stuffs them away to release them. After Alison and Nathan have a new baby boy, weird things start happening in the house. At first they seem like they could be accidents, but they become increasingly malicious and dangerous, often nearly killing the baby. The girls insist they have nothing to do with it and that there’s a ghost, but Allison doesn’t believe it, especially when they find out exactly what she’s been writing in her worry box.
Do you want to have a bad time? Yes? Then this is the book for you. I finished reading Worry Box in the wee hours of the morning and then laid in bed awake for over another hour, so deeply unsettled. I accidentally got really into it and knew it was probably a bad idea to read it before bed and yet I continued. Truly haunting. I loved it. The characters are complex and full of emotion. You can really feel the family being pulled apart and all of the anxiety and dread that comes along with it.
Definitely read it with care if you find any of these topics sensitive: animal cruelty, foster care, child abuse, neglect, abandonment. There are very graphic depictions of animal abuse in the first half of the book, maybe every 5 or so chapters for a couple of sentences. I almost decided not to keep reading because of them, but I ultimately decided to keep going and just skimmed over those couple of sentences each time I got to them.
Worry Box is a horror novel that really subverts expectations of your typical haunted house story. The Martins move into the seemingly perfect house where they’re ready to embrace the family they’ve always wanted. Allison and Nathan have a foster daughter, Lailah (11/12), and a biological daughter, Dru (9) and they’re in the process of trying to adopt Lailah. Lailah has severe intrusive thoughts as a result of her trauma from being left by her birth parents, abused by her aunt and uncle, and bouncing from home to home. She is in intense therapy and has learned coping mechanisms to get the thoughts of her head, the most helpful of which is a worry box where she writes the thoughts down and stuffs them away to release them. After Alison and Nathan have a new baby boy, weird things start happening in the house. At first they seem like they could be accidents, but they become increasingly malicious and dangerous, often nearly killing the baby. The girls insist they have nothing to do with it and that there’s a ghost, but Allison doesn’t believe it, especially when they find out exactly what she’s been writing in her worry box.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, author Chris Panatier and Angry Robot for the ARC.
Content warning: animal cruelty, torture and death, if you can't stomach those, read this carefully, it is quite well-described.
This was an amazing read, even so late at night. The last half of the book got me so hooked, I had to stay awake close to witching hour to finish reading it.
We have multiple POVs from the Martins family, as they move into a new house that seems perfect for them. Alison and Nathan, together with their biological daughter, Dru, and their foster daughter, Lailah, feel like this could be their forever home. But as they welcome a newborn, Evan, in their folds, someone seems to be targeting him.
The tension in the book as things escalate gets really high, and everyone could be the guilty ones. The parents who seem stressed and sleepless due to the crying baby at night, Dru or Lailah who are just kids and might be jealous of the attention Evan gets. You feel the same anxiety and worry as them every time something happens.
Lailah suffers from intrusive thoughts, and while she does get therapy, she feels like every single of them comes to life in this new house. The target of most of them, her baby brother, Evan. The more she stresses over her thoughts, the more they happen, making her feel like she's going crazy and doubting even her own self. Dru is there for support, Alison and Nathan feel like they are going crazy themselves with worry. All the characters are so complex and with personalities well-defined. You get to live with them for those months they live in that house, and you learn about them to the point you pray they will have a happy ending, no matter what.
I loved this book so much, even through the horrific events the Martins have to go through, or the animal torture parts I had to read. It was a great read about a closed space where everyone could be the guilty ones of doing horrific stuff. A nail-biting horror read until the very end.
Content warning: animal cruelty, torture and death, if you can't stomach those, read this carefully, it is quite well-described.
This was an amazing read, even so late at night. The last half of the book got me so hooked, I had to stay awake close to witching hour to finish reading it.
We have multiple POVs from the Martins family, as they move into a new house that seems perfect for them. Alison and Nathan, together with their biological daughter, Dru, and their foster daughter, Lailah, feel like this could be their forever home. But as they welcome a newborn, Evan, in their folds, someone seems to be targeting him.
The tension in the book as things escalate gets really high, and everyone could be the guilty ones. The parents who seem stressed and sleepless due to the crying baby at night, Dru or Lailah who are just kids and might be jealous of the attention Evan gets. You feel the same anxiety and worry as them every time something happens.
Lailah suffers from intrusive thoughts, and while she does get therapy, she feels like every single of them comes to life in this new house. The target of most of them, her baby brother, Evan. The more she stresses over her thoughts, the more they happen, making her feel like she's going crazy and doubting even her own self. Dru is there for support, Alison and Nathan feel like they are going crazy themselves with worry. All the characters are so complex and with personalities well-defined. You get to live with them for those months they live in that house, and you learn about them to the point you pray they will have a happy ending, no matter what.
I loved this book so much, even through the horrific events the Martins have to go through, or the animal torture parts I had to read. It was a great read about a closed space where everyone could be the guilty ones of doing horrific stuff. A nail-biting horror read until the very end.
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