Play Nice

Name: Play Nice
Price: 20.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780593642597

✍️ Rachel Harrison

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$20.00 ~~$33.00~~ Save $13.00 (39%)

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A stylist flips a haunted childhood home while confronting her mother's dark legacy.

Rachel Harrison's psychological horror novel reimagines the haunted house genre through modern influencer culture, following stylist Clio Louise Barnes after her mother Alex dies. Clio inherits a property she views as a lucrative renovation project for social media, ignoring her sisters' painful memories and her mother's claims of demonic possession. As Clio restores the home, she encounters evidence supporting these claims and awakens to a sinister presence revealing ugly family truths. Harrison crafts a slow-burn tale prioritizing mood and psychological tension over gore. This paperback edition from Berkley Books appeals to readers who enjoy gothic fiction and fractured relationships under supernatural pressure, suiting those who prefer dread over jump scares. Readers seeking explicit violence or traditional ghost stories may find this focus on emotional decay less satisfying.

Key Themes

haunted house influencer culture family trauma

Literary Context

This work sits within the contemporary gothic tradition, blending classic supernatural horror with modern digital life. It draws on the haunted house novel format to critique the performative nature of social media fame and the lingering impact of parental mental health struggles in American families.

Rachel Harrison

📚 all books by this author (23) →

Difficulty

● Easy

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · Tana French

🕯️

Supernatural

🏛 Berkley Books 📅 2026 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780593642597

📚 This Book in Collections

🆕 New Horror Books

📝 Description: Play Nice

This psychological horror novel reimagines the haunted house genre through modern influencer culture. The story follows Clio Louise Barnes, a successful stylist whose polished public image masks a troubled past. After her mother Alex dies, Clio inherits a property she believes is merely a site of family trauma, not the demonic possession Alex insisted upon. While her sisters view the house as a source of painful memories, Clio sees a lucrative renovation project for her social media followers. As she begins to restore the home, she encounters evidence supporting her mother’s claims. The narrative unfolds through Clio’s awakening to a sinister presence that reveals ugly truths about her family history. Harrison, known for Black Sheep and So Thirsty, crafts a slow-burn tale that prioritizes mood and psychological tension over gore. This paperback edition from Berkley Books appeals to readers who enjoy gothic fiction and the exploration of fractured relationships under supernatural pressure. It suits those who prefer dread over jump scares. Readers seeking explicit violence or traditional ghost stories may find this focus on emotional decay less satisfying.

💎 Our verdict on Play Nice

“

🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Rachel Harrison crafts a compelling reimagining of the haunted house genre by infusing it with the anxieties of modern influencer culture. The narrative effectively uses the protagonist's desire for social media validation as a foil to the sinister presence in the home, creating a tense atmosphere where emotional decay mirrors supernatural threat. Harrison prioritizes mood and psychological tension, ensuring that the horror stems from ugly family truths rather than cheap scares. This approach makes the story particularly resonant for readers who enjoy gothic fiction and complex character studies. While it may disappoint those seeking explicit violence or traditional ghost stories, its focus on fractured relationships under supernatural pressure provides a sophisticated and chilling experience.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate atmospheric dread over visceral gore will find significant value in this slow-burn narrative. It is ideal for those interested in the intersection of family trauma and supernatural elements, particularly how inherited guilt manifests in physical spaces. The book offers a unique perspective on the horror genre by integrating modern themes of curation and public image with private decay. Fans of fractured relationship dynamics under pressure will engage deeply with the protagonist's journey from denial to awakening. It serves those who prefer emotional complexity and psychological tension over jump scares or explicit violence, providing a chilling exploration of how past sins haunt the present.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Rachel Harrison crafts a compelling reimagining of the haunted house genre by infusing it with the anxieties of modern influencer culture. The narrative effectively uses the protagonist's desire for social media validation as a foil to the sinister presence in the home, creating a tense atmosphere where emotional decay mirrors supernatural threat. Harrison prioritizes mood and psychological tension, ensuring that the horror stems from ugly family truths rather than cheap scares. This approach makes the story particularly resonant for readers who enjoy gothic fiction and complex character studies. While it may disappoint those seeking explicit violence or traditional ghost stories, its focus on fractured relationships under supernatural pressure provides a sophisticated and chilling experience.