When Ghosts Call Us Home

Haunting of Hill House meets
found-footage horror in this edge-of-your-seat thriller that explores the power of family ties and the trauma that lurks there.

3 October 2023 – Page Street YA (US/CAN)
12 October 2023 – Pan Macmillan (UK/AUS/NZ)

Foreign Editions: EKSMO (Russia, forthcoming)

When Sophia Galich was twelve,
she starred in her older sister Layla’s amateur horror movie Vermillion, which
recorded raw footage of her very real reactions to scenes her sister concocted
in their old Californian house on the coast–Cashore House.

In the years after the film’s release, Sophia’s relationship with her sister
became more strained, while her memories of the now-infamous house fueled her
nightmares. Vermillion amassed an army of fanatical fans who speculated about
the film’s hidden messages, and it was rumored that Layla made a pact with the
devil–her soul in exchange for fame and arcane knowledge. Sophia dismissed
this as gossip…until Layla disappeared.

Now, Sophia must study the trail of clues Layla has left behind, returning to
the very place where it all began. As she gets closer and closer to Cashore
House’s haunted heart, she must once again confront the ghosts of her
childhood. But the house won’t reveal its secrets without a fight. 

Praise for When Ghosts Call Us Home

KIRKUS BEST OF 2023 BOOK

Top 10 Horror for Youth Book from BOOKLIST

MYSTERY TRIBUNE Best Crime, Mystery And Thriller Book of October 2023

GINGER NUTS OF HORROR Best of 2023: Young Adult (YA) Horror and Dark Fiction

AMAZON #1 New Release (October 2023)

2023 AUREALIS AWARDS WINNER (Best Young Adult Novel)

2023 AUREALIS FINALIST (Best Horror Novel)

2023 AUSTRALASIAN HORROR WRITERS ASSOCIATION – SHADOWS AWARDS Shortlist (Best Novel)

Recommended Australian young adult fiction, as recommended by Readings

“The artful weaving of ghostly horrors with the off-kilter creepiness of films and fandoms creates multiple layers of fear in this deeply unsettling page-turner […] Haunting, intense, and eerily spooky.“—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Haunting and unsettling […] De Becerra’s narrative is both dreamy and tight, creating a disorienting, nightmarish atmosphere.”—Booklist, starred review

Haunting and hypnotic, When Ghosts Call Us Home gave me goosebumps! Perfect for fans of Night Film and Rules for Vanishing, the mysteries of Cashore House will grab you by the throat and refuse to let go.”—Erin A. Craig, # 1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of House of Roots and Ruins

“Combining cult horror, internet fandom, and a truly terrifying haunted house, de Becerra weaves an addictive tale of artistic creation and sisterhood, occult magic and impossible belief. You’ll be drawn in page by page, until you’re drowning in the book’s deep mythologies.”—Melissa Albert, New York Times and indie bestselling author of the Hazel Wood series and Our Crooked Hearts

“An expertly calibrated pace builds tension, maximizing the moody atmosphere between the nightmarish encounters with the ghost to keep readers constantly on edge.” —BCCB

A satisfying and imaginative haunted house story that uses its influences to great effect. Fans of books like Marisha Pessl’s Night Film and horror movies like The Ring will undoubtedly make themselves right at home in Cashore House.”—BookPage

Equal parts chilling and clever, this Gothic page-turner will haunt you long after you’ve finished wandering the shadowed halls of the mysterious Cashore House.”—Sarah Glenn Marsh, author of The Girls Are Never Gone

“Fans of The Haunting of Hill House will want to plan a trip to Cashore. The pages almost turn themselves in this one. Come for the chills, stay for de Becerra’s gorgeous prose.”—Kelly deVos, author of Eat Your Heart Out and Go Hunt Me

“Katya de Becerra’s When Ghosts Call Us Home will linger in readers’ minds just like the delightfully layered mythology surrounding Cashore House lingers in our heroine’s nightmares. de Becerra’s rich storytelling forces you to do a double take, wondering whether you imagined what Sophia endures, the intricate fan theories that may or may not be offering clues, and what she’ll face next in the search for her older sister.”—Amparo Ortiz, Author of Last Sunrise in Eterna

When Ghosts Call Us Home feels like Crimson Peak for the internet era, dreamy and familiar until you put a foot wrong and fall. Immediately captivating, this excavation of two sisters’ shared history uses the fluid nature of memory to weave a haunting that you won’t soon forget.”—Alison Ames, author of It Looks Like Us and To Break a Covenant

“Think Rules for Vanishing meets Anna Dressed in Blood, with extra demonic vibes. This is a chilling read you’ll want to savour.“—Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake

“The tension is intense, the setting eerie, and the fandom aspect chilling.”—Tomi Oyemakinde, author of The Changing Man

When Ghosts Call Us Home delivers unsettling chills, inexorable twists and tender romance, counterbalanced with a beautifully written narrative driven by sisterly love.”—Rachael Craw, award-winning author of the Spark trilogy and The Rift.

Eerie, atmospheric and truly compelling. Enter Cashore House—if you dare…”—Kristina Pérez, author of the Sweet Black Waves trilogy

“Haunting has a new face and it’s this book right here.”—A. J. Vrana, author of The Hollow Gods

A sophisticated gothic thriller that gives the reader moments of real terror within an utterly compelling read. It holds a mystery at its heart that will have you racing to the last page to discover the truth about this haunted mansion.”—Angela Crocombe, Readings

An utterly atmospheric, original masterpiece. De Becerra will have you on the edge of your seat with this addicting tale.”—Candace Robinson, author of the bestselling Faeries of Oz Series