Kristin's Bookshelf

📖 Worry Box
✍️ Chris Panatier
🎙️ Chris Sorensen
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release Date: September 22, 2026

I wanted to love “Worry Box” so much, but unfortunately, it never fully hit for me. The concept itself was incredibly cool. We get multiple perspectives across both the past and present, including the perspective of the house itself, which was easily one of the most intriguing elements of the story.

I listened to the audiobook, and unfortunately, the narration often pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me further in. Chris Sorensen’s delivery felt very even throughout, without enough variation in tension or emotion for a story that really needed both. It made it difficult for me to feel the dread and unease I think the story was trying to create. This is definitely one I would recommend reading rather than listening to.

As a parent, I also struggled with Alyson and Nathaniel. I found their choices difficult to relate to, particularly when it came to protecting their newborn. There were several moments when I couldn’t understand why keeping their baby safe wasn’t priority number one.

I also found the animal abuse difficult to read. While I understand its connection to the trauma the house experienced, I didn’t feel it added enough to the story to justify how upsetting those scenes were for me.

That said, there were elements I really appreciated, especially the tragic direction of the ending. I also loved the way Lailah’s intrusive thoughts ultimately played such a significant role in the house’s actions. The idea of a house absorbing and responding to the fears, worries, and trauma of the people within it was fascinating and gave the story a psychological element that I wish had landed more strongly for me overall.

“Worry Box” had a wonderfully unsettling premise and some genuinely interesting ideas, particularly surrounding the house itself. Ultimately, though, the emotional connection and tension weren’t quite there for me, leaving this as a fascinating concept that I wanted to love more than I actually did.