-18% 🔥 Bestseller Raising Demons — Psychological Horror

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🧠 Psychological Horror −18%

Raising Demons

Name: Raising Demons
Price: 27.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780143127291

✍️ Shirley Jackson

Reader Score

4.5

(6 reviews)

$27.00 ~~$33.00~~ Save $6.00 (18%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Shirley Jackson chronicles the chaotic move to a new home with her four demon-like children.

Raising Demons continues the story from Life Among the Savages by focusing on the aftermath of moving. The Jackson clan leaves their cramped first house for a bigger space, expecting relief. They find only more chaos in a new setting. The book documents specific annoyances like tax issues and sports commitments. It highlights how clutter accumulates rapidly in any environment. Jackson uses these ordinary events to create humor. The tone remains light despite the stress described. The work shows that domestic life offers its own kind of horror. Readers follow the family through these trials with amusement.

Key Themes

domestic chaos family relocation IRS confrontation

Literary Context

This 2015 Penguin Publishing Group edition presents Jackson’s sequel to Life Among the Savages. It reflects mid-twentieth century American suburban life. The text draws on the author’s personal experiences as a mother of four. It connects her gothic reputation with everyday family struggles.

Shirley Jackson

📚 all books by this author (81) →

Difficulty

● Easy

Recommended For Fans Of

Roald Dahl's Matilda · Cassandra Clare's The Dark Artifices · Stephen King's pet horror anecdotes

🧠

Psychological Horror

🏛 Penguin Publishing Group 📅 2015 📖 320 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780143127291

📚 This Book in Collections

🏚️ Haunted House Novels 😈 Demons, Possession & Exorcism

📝 Description: Raising Demons

Shirley Jackson delivers a humorous sequel to her earlier memoir in Raising Demons. The author known for The Haunting of Hill House turns her attention to the chaotic reality of raising four children who have evolved from savages into full-fledged demons. After outgrowing their first residence, the Jackson family relocates to a larger home. This move does not resolve the disorder; instead, the chaos travels with them. The narrative covers everyday struggles that feel as thrilling as a haunted house scenario. Readers encounter confrontations with the IRS, the demands of Little League, and the frustrations of trumpet lessons. The text also details the overwhelming clutter that threatens to bury the family alive. Jackson presents these domestic hurdles with wit and clarity. She demonstrates that a happy family in a new home is just as compelling as any supernatural terror. This book suits readers who enjoy witty observations on family life and domestic disorder. It appeals to those who appreciate Jackson’s unique voice in gothic and supernatural fiction applied to mundane situations. It may not satisfy readers seeking traditional horror or ghost stories. The focus remains firmly on the vexing demons of parenting rather than spectral entities.

💎 Our verdict on Raising Demons

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Shirley Jackson turns her gaze from haunted houses to household clutter in this witty memoir sequel. While it lacks traditional scares, it delivers sharp humor through IRS confrontations and Little League demands. However, readers seeking classic ghost stories or cosmic horror will find little satisfaction here. The tone remains light despite the stress described, focusing on the chaos of moving rather than supernatural threats. It is a clever subversion of genre expectations, highlighting that domestic hurdles can be as compelling as any spectral terror for the right audience.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate Shirley Jackson’s distinctive voice and her ability to find terror in the ordinary will gain significant amusement from this humorous sequel. It is ideal for fans of gothic and supernatural fiction who enjoy seeing those tropes applied to domestic disorder rather than spectral entities. Those who enjoy witty observations on family dynamics, tax frustrations, and the chaos of parenting will find this text compelling. The book offers a fresh perspective on domestic life as a form of horror, appealing to anyone who laughs at the vexing demons of raising children in a new home.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

You will adore this if you love Shirley Jackson’s sharp, dark wit applied to parenting chaos. However, avoid it if you crave genuine supernatural horror; this is a comedic memoir about domestic life, not a ghost story.

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 6 reviews

Ashley P.

November 7, 2025

A new favorite

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.

Andrew B.

October 22, 2025

Added this to the shelf next to the ones I reread. Genuinely unsettling in places, and it earns it without cheap tricks. The prose is clean and the scares land because the characters feel real. Highly recommend.

Ivy F.

May 29, 2025

Worth every penny

This has been on my wishlist for months. The atmosphere builds slowly and then does not let go. Shipping was quick too.

Elena S.

April 30, 2025

Not my usual subgenre but wanted to branch out. The audiobook crowd will want the paper copy for the margins. A couple of the side characters are thinly drawn. Good, with the caveats above.

Adam G.

March 5, 2025

Exactly as described

Needed a good scare and got one. It pairs well with the classics it is clearly in conversation with. Shipping was quick too.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No. It is a humorous memoir about raising children. The 'demons' refer to her kids' behavior, not actual spirits.

Only metaphorically. Jackson uses her gothic voice to describe household clutter and parenting struggles with witty exaggeration, not fear.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

While Shirley Jackson is famously associated with gothic dread and psychological terror, Raising Demons offers a rare pivot into autobiographical humor. It demonstrates her ability to frame mundane domestic struggles with the same intensity as supernatural ones. This work bridges her literary legacy of unease with the relatable anarchy of family life, proving that everyday chaos can be just as compelling as fictional hauntings in literature.