Synopsis:
When documentary filmmaker turned stay-at-home mom Tennessee Cherish moves into the the dream house her husband bought for her, a brighter future seems to be on the horizon. Even if her husband is frustratingly absent due to his new high-paying job. Even if their two young children begin acting out in strange ways. Even if she feels lonelier than ever. Distracted by the endless details that come with moving into a new town, a new house, and new schools, Tenn doesn’t notice when odd things begin happening at home. The faucet that runs at all hours. The creepy doll that seems to show up in every room. The human tooth they found in the floorboards. As the kids’ outbursts and the strange events start to escalate, the family finds themselves increasingly caught in loops, repeating everyday actions with dangerous—and then devastating—effects. Tenn realizes she must find the source of what is haunting her family, before it kills them all. Taut and twisty, scary and searing, Aimee Pokwatka’s Accumulation lays bare the high price women pay for the promises of domesticity and motherhood, and the many ways in which families can be haunted.
My Edition:
Net Galley ARC
My Thoughts:
My first thought was, “YESSSSS A HAUNTED DOLL!” but that was my first mistake. I made many mistakes in trying to figure out just what the hell exactly was happening in Accumulation. This book was never quite what I expected it to be in the best possible way. What begins as the story of a probably-haunted doll quickly morphs into a probably-haunted house, and some definitely deeply haunted people.
The aspect of this story that I enjoyed the most is that the way Pokwatka plays it, it almost doesn’t matter the source of the haunt. What matters is the result of the haunting. And how we all got there in the first place. As the cover may suggest to you, there are also definite shades of The Yellow Wallpaper here as well.
Accumulation deals largely with the cost of giving up your dreams – regardless of why you did it. It’s, well, the accumulation of all the little things that women are expected to give up in order to fold themselves into the box of what society expects of and from them. It also deals with the deep resentment those expectations can cause. These are not the most lovable characters you’ll ever come across (but I will fight anyone who thinks you have to like characters to want to hear their stories), but they are deeply relatable. I understood where both Tenn and Ward were coming from. In relationships, we are often required to make sacrifices to make things work. But where this one goes wrong is that the sacrificing falls almost exclusively on Tenn – a reality that I’m sure plenty of women can relate to (and probably some men, although I will die on the hill of ‘we expect it from women, it’s a refreshing change when men do it’). Tenn gives up her career “temporarily” when the children are young. Then she eventually finds herself doing work that is still technically in her field, but brings her no joy, because it allows her the opportunity to be home with the kids after school. But she can’t even really maintain that, because she’s still got to be available at all times if the school calls and a kid or two needs to be picked up. Meanwhile, Ward pursues his Office Bro career unrestricted – missing out on family meals, Parent Teacher Days, etc. But it’s fine, because he’s the breadwinner. These are all very real-world scenarios. But over time, these “little” inequities begin to accumulate. And that accumulation will eventually need a release.
Accumulation is a fascinating look at the loops of negative or selfish behavior we sometimes find ourselves locked in. It also looks at the way those behaviors create consequences which ripple outward – and as they repeat, they also compound – causing those ripples to get larger and more destructive over time. Until the accumulation reaches critical mass. Accumulation is that critical mass. The looping honestly freaked me out.
Accumulation is a delightful psychological horror story. It’s also a really messed up haunting story. Although the ending could have landed a little better for me, the entire lead up to that point was incredibly creepy and entertaining.
Rating:
Accumulation
By: Aimee Pokwatka
G.P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN: 9798217047628
Published: May 5, 2026
Hardcover, Audio
336 Pages
