“On an otherwise ordinary street in Chicago, there is a house. An abandoned house where, once upon a time, terrible things happened. The children who live on this block are told by their parents to stay away from that house. But of course, children don’t listen. Children think it’s fun to be scared, to dare each other to go inside.

Jessie Campanelli did what many older sisters do and dared her little brother Paul. But unlike all the other kids who went inside that abandoned house, Paul didn’t return. His two friends, Jake and Richie, said that the house ate Paul. Of course adults didn’t believe that. Adults never believe what kids say. They thought someone kidnapped Paul, or otherwise hurt him. They thought Paul had disappeared in a way that was ordinary, explainable.

The disappearance of her little brother broke Jessie’s family apart in ways that would never be repaired. Jessie grew up, had a child of her own, kept living on the same street where the house that ate her brother sat, crouched and waiting. And darkness seemed to spread out from that house, a darkness that was alive—alive and hungry.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry. The Place Where They Buried Your Heart was published by Titan Books on 4th November 2025 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of The Place Where They Buried Your Heart but that has in no way influenced my review.

Oh my gosh, I loved this book! Chilling, creepy and impossible to tear yourself away from. Jessie Campanelli has lived her entire life on the same street. It’s not been an easy life, and her regrets are innumerable. In her teens, in one of those inconsequential moments we all have with our younger siblings, Jessie dared her younger brother, Paul, to enter the McIntyre house. The abandoned McIntyre place loomed over the residents of the street for twenty long years. No one wanted to live in the house since Glen McIntyre massacred his entire family there. Still, it was a great place for the local kids to smoke and drink, despite how creepy it was. All Paul wanted to do was spend time with his big sister, Jessie. Jessie did not want to spend time with Paul. Paul and his two friends took on the dare with false bravado and the unfettered willingness of eight-year-olds to prove how brave they are. Paul never made it out of the house. His friends, one of whom lost an arm, claimed the house had eaten Paul. Their ludicrous claims were easily dismissed. But Jessie knew differently. She sent her brother to that house. It was all her fault. Now, Jessie has a son of her own whom she is fiercely protective of. She has to be. She still lives on the same street with the house that eats kids. Jessie will do anything to protect those she loves. But the house, the house is still ravenous…

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart is a superb story. We first meet Jessie as a thirteen year old. She loves her brother, Paul, but why is he so demanding of her time? She just wants to listen to her music in her room, not babysit an eight-year-old. Without a second thought, she dares Paul to enter the McIntyre House, the creepy old house that’s been an eyesore on their street for many years. To prove he completed the dare, Paul is told he must take his two friends with him as witnesses. Out of the three boys, only two return, making horrific claims about how the house ate Paul. The repercussions of Paul’s disappearance hit the Campanelli family hard, shattering the ultra-fine bonds that held them together. Jessie’s relationship with her mother was never strong, but it disintegrates further, placing a distance between them that can never be breached. Jessie’s father is lost without his son. Life is beyond unbearable. The emotion is palpable. The hurt these characters feel was real. With no body, no real answers and with no one to blame for the loss of their son and brother.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Place Where They Buried Your Heart is an exquisite horror tale. One for the top books of the year list, for sure! The characters, and Jessie in particular, are beautifully written, wholly believable, and I found myself fully invested in their lives. When Jessie’s family falls apart, she is looked after by her neighbours, who, over the years, turn into her found family. The connections, the relationships and the downright love and care these people have for this young woman is a wonderful thing. Pure magic. But there is the ever present threat of the McIntyre House looming over the lives of the characters in the book. Jessie feels that threat more than ever following the birth of her son, E.F. She has unfinished business with the McIntyre place. It’s hunger becomes insatiable at random intervals, always explained away by something ordinary and mundane. But it’s always there, always watching, just waiting for the right moment. The tension, the inescapable menace and the threat of the unknown are always present. Brilliantly written, totally engrossing and one of the best books I’ve read in a while! I loved every single second of this chilling, dark, heart-wrenching, and traumatic story. With a superb sense of place, characters that are completely captivating, and with a tangible feeling of dread throughout, I devoured this book with glee. Bloody marvellous! Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Place Where They Buried Your Heart. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry was published in the UK by Titan Books on 4th November 2025 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Christina Henry is a horror and dark fantasy author whose works include GOOD GIRLS DON’T DIE, HORSEMAN, NEAR THE BONE, THE GHOST TREE, LOOKING GLASS, THE GIRL IN RED, THE MERMAID, LOST BOY, RED QUEEN, ALICE, and the seven book urban fantasy BLACK WINGS series.

Her short stories have been featured in the anthologies CURSED, TWICE CURSED, GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUE and KICKING IT.

She enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with samurai, zombies and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.