Chelsea Conradt’s debut psychological horror novel The Farmhouse transforms the idyllic American dream of rural living into a suffocating nightmare that crawls under your skin and refuses to leave. This isn’t your typical haunted house story—it’s a masterfully crafted exploration of how trauma echoes through generations, how women’s voices are systematically silenced, and how the very ground beneath our feet can harbor unspeakable secrets.
When Emily Hauk and her husband Josh flee San Francisco for a farmhouse in rural Nebraska following her mother’s death, they’re seeking solace and a fresh start. Instead, Emily discovers that every woman who has lived on this farm has died under mysterious circumstances. What begins as an atmospheric gothic tale evolves into something far more sinister—a psychological thriller that questions the nature of reality, memory, and the lengths to which some will go to preserve family secrets.
A Protagonist Who Refuses to Be Silenced
Emily Hauk emerges as a compelling protagonist whose journey from grief-stricken urbanite to determined truth-seeker forms the emotional backbone of the novel. Conradt expertly develops Emily’s character through her evolving relationship with running—initially a coping mechanism that becomes both literal and metaphorical escape from the horrors surrounding her. Her running logs, scattered throughout the narrative, serve as timestamps for her psychological deterioration and the supernatural manifestations plaguing the farm.
The author’s portrayal of Emily’s grief over her mother’s death adds profound emotional weight to the horror elements. Emily’s memories of her adventurous, music-producing mother create a poignant contrast with her current isolation on the Nebraska plains. This grief becomes both Emily’s vulnerability and her strength, as her mother’s encouragement to “embrace the night” and seek adventure ultimately drives Emily to uncover the farm’s dark history.
Emily’s relationship with her husband Josh provides the novel’s most frustrating yet realistic element. Josh’s persistent denial of Emily’s experiences—dismissing supernatural occurrences as grief-induced hallucinations—creates a maddening dynamic that will resonate with anyone who has felt gaslit or dismissed. Conradt skillfully uses this marital tension to explore themes of trust, belief, and the isolation that comes when your closest confidant refuses to validate your reality.
Atmospheric Excellence and Supernatural Craftsmanship
Conradt demonstrates remarkable skill in building atmosphere, transforming the Nebraska farmhouse from symbol of hope into a character in its own right. The farm’s malevolent presence manifests through subtle details that accumulate into overwhelming dread: a barn that seems to shift locations between Emily’s runs, her deceased mother’s favorite music drifting across cornfields, mysterious lights, and the chilling discovery of human teeth scattered around the property.
The supernatural elements feel organically woven into the narrative rather than imposed upon it. Alice Belkin’s ghost doesn’t simply haunt—she communicates through environmental manipulation, appearing as black mold spelling out messages, orchestrating supernatural visions, and ultimately revealing the truth about her daughter Bridget’s murder. This approach creates a sense of unease that permeates every page, making readers question what’s real alongside Emily.
The author’s handling of the barn as a focal point of horror deserves particular praise. Rather than relying on jump scares or gore, Conradt builds tension through the barn’s psychological presence—it becomes a repository of generational trauma that demands acknowledgment and justice.
Social Commentary Wrapped in Horror
Beneath its supernatural veneer, The Farmhouse by Chelsea Conradt delivers sharp social commentary about women’s safety, rural isolation, and the systems that protect perpetrators while silencing victims. The revelation that multiple women connected to the farm have died mysteriously—and that these deaths were dismissed as accidents or suicides—reflects real-world patterns of violence against women being minimized or ignored.
The character of Sheriff Wilson embodies institutional failure, repeatedly dismissing Emily’s concerns and evidence until undeniable proof forces action. His eventual admission that “people have watched the world through that window for years” suggests a long history of women observing danger from their kitchen windows while receiving no protection from authorities.
The novel’s exploration of family loyalty versus justice through the Belkin family dynamics adds complexity to its horror elements. Nick Ditmer’s confession that he was told to stop Bridget “at any cost” and his belief that women choosing to leave town was “abhorrent” speaks to toxic masculinity and controlling family structures that prioritize tradition over individual autonomy.
Writing Style and Narrative Structure
Conradt’s prose strikes an effective balance between accessibility and literary depth. Her background in speculative fiction serves her well in crafting sentences that feel both grounded and otherworldly. The author demonstrates particular strength in sensory description—readers can feel the Nebraska heat, smell the mildewed hay in the barn, and hear the rustle of cornstalks in the wind.
The integration of Emily’s running logs as chapter breaks provides both pacing variety and character insight. These brief entries track not only Emily’s physical journey but her psychological state and the supernatural manifestations affecting her perception of distance and time.
The novel’s structure builds methodically toward its climactic revelations, though some readers may find the pacing occasionally uneven. The middle sections, while rich in atmosphere, sometimes feel repetitive as Emily’s isolation and Josh’s dismissiveness create circular conflicts. However, these moments of seeming stagnation serve the larger purpose of demonstrating Emily’s psychological entrapment.
Areas for Improvement
While The Farmhouse by Chelsea Conradt succeeds as both horror and social commentary, certain elements feel underdeveloped. Josh’s character, while realistically frustrating, lacks the depth given to Emily. His motivations beyond willful denial remain somewhat opaque, making his ultimate departure feel inevitable rather than tragic.
The revelation of multiple murdered girls buried in the cornfields, while shocking, arrives somewhat suddenly and could have benefited from more foreshadowing. The genealogical connections between various characters, expertly researched by librarian Courtney, sometimes feel overly convenient for plot advancement.
Additionally, some supernatural elements—particularly the barn’s apparent ability to physically relocate—strain credibility even within the novel’s established paranormal framework. While these manifestations serve the story’s psychological themes, they occasionally feel disconnected from the more grounded horror of the family’s violent history.
Comparison to Other Works in the Genre
The Farmhouse by Chelsea Conradt joins the ranks of excellent rural horror fiction alongside works like Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid in its exploration of women’s stories hidden by powerful families. Conradt’s work particularly echoes The Turn of the Screw in its unreliable narrator elements, though Emily’s experiences ultimately prove real rather than imagined.
The novel’s exploration of generational trauma and haunted spaces connects it to contemporary horror works like The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and more recent entries like The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. However, Conradt’s specific focus on rural violence against women and the complicity of local institutions gives her work a distinctive voice within the genre.
For readers who enjoyed The Silent Companion by Laura Purcell or The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling, The Farmhouse offers similar atmospheric gothic elements combined with psychological complexity.
Final Verdict: A Promising Debut with Lasting Impact
The Farmhouse announces Chelsea Conradt as a significant new voice in psychological horror. While not without minor flaws, the novel succeeds admirably in its ambitious blend of supernatural terror and social commentary. Conradt’s commitment to giving voice to silenced women, both living and dead, elevates the work beyond simple scares into meaningful horror that resonates long after the final page.
The novel’s exploration of how trauma embeds itself in places and families feels particularly relevant to contemporary discussions about generational violence and institutional failures. Emily’s ultimate triumph—not in saving her marriage but in securing justice for the murdered women—provides a satisfying conclusion that honors both the horror and hope inherent in bearing witness to truth.
- Recommended for readers who appreciate: Atmospheric horror with social commentary, unreliable narrators with real experiences, rural gothic fiction, stories featuring strong female protagonists confronting systemic violence, and supernatural elements grounded in emotional truth.
Similar Books You Might Enjoy
If you loved The Farmhouse by Chelsea Conradt, consider these atmospheric horror novels:
- Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Gothic horror exploring family secrets and women’s agency in an isolated mansion
- The Turn of the Screw by Henry James – Classic psychological horror featuring an unreliable narrator and supernatural manifestations
- The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones – Contemporary horror examining generational trauma and environmental themes
- The Silent Companion by Laura Purcell – Victorian gothic horror featuring mysterious dolls and family secrets
- The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling – Gothic horror combining medical themes with supernatural elements
- The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling – Sci-fi horror with isolation and psychological tension
- Ring Shout by P. Djèlà Clark – Historical horror addressing systemic violence with supernatural elements
- A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher – Contemporary horror featuring ordinary people confronting otherworldly threats
The Farmhouse by Chelsea Conradt represents a promising debut that successfully balances entertainment with substance, delivering genuine scares while addressing important social issues. Conradt has established herself as an author to watch in the horror genre.