-14% 🔥 Bestseller Play Nice — Supernatural

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🕯️ Supernatural −14%

Play Nice

Name: Play Nice
Price: 30.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780593642573

✍️ Rachel Harrison

Reader Score

4.4

(8 reviews)

$30.00 ~~$35.00~~ Save $5.00 (14%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

An influencer inherits a possessed house and finds the haunting is real.

Clio Louise Barnes manages a flawless online persona while hiding a difficult past. After her mother Alex dies suddenly, Clio and her sisters receive a home that Alex insisted was occupied by a demon. The courts previously stripped Alex of custody due to mental instability, but Clio sees potential in the property for her styling career. As she begins renovations, memories resurface and the presence in the house grows more sinister. Clio reads her mother’s written account of the experience, which validates the supernatural threat. The novel examines how digital curation can mask deep psychological wounds and familial dysfunction. Harrison uses the setting of a single domestic space to explore themes of gaslighting and inherited trauma. The story progresses through Clio’s gradual realization that her mother’s claims were accurate, leading to a confrontation with the entity.

Key Themes

haunted house inheritance influencer culture critique family custody disputes

Literary Context

This 2025 Berkley Books release targets American readers interested in modern supernatural fiction. It reflects current anxieties about social media authenticity and the lingering effects of parental mental illness on adult children.

Rachel Harrison

📚 all books by this author (23) →

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · Poppy Z. Brite · Kirsten Miller

🕯️

Supernatural

🏛 Berkley Books 📅 2025 📖 336 pages 🌐 English 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9780593642573

📚 This Book in Collections

🏚️ Haunted House Novels 🆕 New Horror Books

📝 Description: Play Nice

Rachel Harrison writes a contemporary horror novel centered on Clio Louise Barnes, an influencer who inherits a house her mother claimed was possessed. The narrative explores the tension between curated social media perfection and hidden family trauma. Clio initially views the property as a content opportunity for flipping, ignoring her sisters' memories of abuse and neglect. Her perspective shifts when she reads the book her mother wrote about the entity living in the walls. The story draws on gothic traditions of inherited curses and domestic dread, grounding supernatural elements in legal custody battles and psychological breakdown. Harrison structures the plot around Clio’s discovery that the demon is real, forcing her to confront ugly truths that dismantle her glossy life. This title suits readers who enjoy modern haunted house stories with a focus on influencer culture and family secrets. It may not appeal to those seeking traditional folklore or historical horror settings. The narrative relies on the specific dynamic between Clio, her mother Alex, and their sisters to drive the suspense forward.

💎 Our verdict on Play Nice

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Harrison delivers a solid entry in the modern gothic tradition, effectively using the influencer aesthetic to mask deep-seated family wounds. The premise of validating a mother’s dismissed claims through supernatural evidence is engaging, though the reliance on contemporary digital culture may date the narrative quickly. It will not appeal to readers seeking historical settings, traditional folklore, or complex mythological systems, as the focus remains tightly on domestic psychological breakdown and legal drama. While the exploration of curated identity is timely, some may find the influencer angle gimmicky rather than integral to the horror. The pacing relies heavily on Clio’s gradual realization, which may feel slow to those preferring immediate action over atmospheric dread.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers interested in the intersection of social media performance and psychological horror will find this title compelling. It offers a fresh take on the inherited trauma trope by framing it through the lens of an influencer’s curated persona versus hidden family dysfunction. The narrative provides a satisfying exploration of gaslighting, allowing audiences to witness the dismantling of a glossy life when faced with undeniable supernatural truth. Those who appreciate domestic settings where the architecture itself holds dark secrets will enjoy the tension between legal custody battles and demonic possession. It serves fans seeking modern horror that critiques digital perfectionism while delivering traditional scares rooted in familial abuse and mental instability.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

Fans of modern domestic horror and influencer satire will adore this tale of curated perfection vs. real terror. If you prefer folklore-based scares or historical settings, skip it; this story demands attention to contemporary social dynamics and psychological unraveling.

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 8 reviews

Noah S.

July 10, 2026

Worth the read

A friend from my book club recommended it. Genuinely unsettling in places, and it earns it without cheap tricks. Slow burn, but the burn is the point. A couple of the side characters are thinly drawn. Still worth having on the shelf.

Laura V.

July 27, 2026

Solid horror

Not my usual subgenre but wanted to branch out. The audiobook crowd will want the paper copy for the margins. The atmosphere builds slowly and then does not let go. The font runs small in this edition. Recommended with reservations.

Naomi T.

June 7, 2026

Almost perfect

Arrived quickly and well packaged. Genuinely unsettling in places, and it earns it without cheap tricks. My only quibble is that the middle third sags a little. Happy enough with the purchase.

Alex T.

May 29, 2026

Worth every penny

Bought this for my brother and ended up reading it first. The ending is bleak and honest, not a twist for the sake of one. Well worth it.

Liam G.

December 22, 2025

Kept me up

Arrived quickly and well packaged. The binding held up to being carried around for a week. Belongs in any working kitchen.

Lisa J.

August 15, 2025

Read it in one night

Got it as a gift for a friend who loves the genre. Good introduction if you have not read this author before. Well worth it.

Alex A.

March 11, 2025

Very good

Bought this for my brother and ended up reading it first. Slow burn, but the burn is the point. The monster is scarier for how little you see of it. Still worth having on the shelf.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Not exactly. While it features a demon in the walls, the horror stems primarily from psychological breakdown and family secrets rather than classic folklore or historical settings.

Yes, the tension between Clio’s online persona and her reality is central. If you dislike stories focusing on social media dynamics, this might not suit your tastes.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

Harrison revitalizes the gothic haunted house tradition by grounding supernatural dread in the modern digital age. Rather than relying on ancient curses, she explores inherited trauma through the lens of legal custody battles and influencer culture. The house becomes a crucible where glossy online personas collapse under the weight of suppressed family abuse, creating a fresh take on domestic terror that reflects current societal anxieties about authenticity.