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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
“I’ve lived with ghosts my whole life, but this is the first time I’ve ever felt haunted.”
Every time I read a creepy book set in the woods, I think to myself, “this is it, this is the last time I read a book set in the woods!” And yet, as soon as I see another story with an eerie forest setting, I toss everything aside and run straight for it. That’s exactly what happened with Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters, and while my sleep schedule might regret it, the rest of me does not.
Ghost Wood Song follows the story of Shady Grove, a teenage girl living in Florida who is no stranger to ghosts. The house she grew up in is haunted, and her father had the ability to communicate with the dead by playing his fiddle. Now, years after his own death, Shady finds herself searching for his fiddle so she can raise some ghosts of her own to help protect her brother, Jesse. He’s been accused of a murder, and while all evidence points to him, Shady knows he didn’t do it.
Throughout the story, we see how Shady’s past and present come together. She knows the facts aren’t adding up with her brother’s case, and does whatever she can, including putting herself in very real danger, to find the truth.
Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are some wonderful friendships, and relationships, that develop throughout the book as well. That, paired with Shady’s love of music, added a wholesome layer to the story that was a welcome distraction from the spooky stuff that was also happening.
The story blends horror with aspects of a thriller, and comes together perfectly for a YA audience. However, it’s worth noting that I, an almost 30-year old, loved this book. It’s being marketed as “Sawkill Girls meets Beautiful Creatures,” and as someone who LOVED Sawkill Girls, I can confirm that the description holds up.
I think my favourite part of the book was the descriptions of the house Shady grew up in. Her Aunt Ena still lives there, and Shady often goes over to visit and brings friends along. During the day it’s not so bad, but at night, the house comes alive with those who used to live there. It reminded me so much of Hill House (the show more than the book), because there were two ghosts Shady spoke about: an old, tall man, and the girl in the ceiling (*immediately gets shivers down my spine*).
Ghost Wood Song has everything I look for in a good horror book: ghosts, a haunted house, an atmospheric setting that will make your skin tingle, LGBTQ+ characters, and family secrets. If you’re a fan of any of these things, be sure to add this book to your list!
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and HCC Frenzy for sending me a digital copy of Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters in exchange for an honest review. Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters comes out on July 14, 2020, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.
Every time I read a creepy book set in the woods, I think to myself, “this is it, this is the last time I read a book set in the woods!” And yet, as soon as I see another story with an eerie forest setting, I toss everything aside and run straight for it. That’s exactly what happened with Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters, and while my sleep schedule might regret it, the rest of me does not.
Ghost Wood Song follows the story of Shady Grove, a teenage girl living in Florida who is no stranger to ghosts. The house she grew up in is haunted, and her father had the ability to communicate with the dead by playing his fiddle. Now, years after his own death, Shady finds herself searching for his fiddle so she can raise some ghosts of her own to help protect her brother, Jesse. He’s been accused of a murder, and while all evidence points to him, Shady knows he didn’t do it.
Throughout the story, we see how Shady’s past and present come together. She knows the facts aren’t adding up with her brother’s case, and does whatever she can, including putting herself in very real danger, to find the truth.
Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are some wonderful friendships, and relationships, that develop throughout the book as well. That, paired with Shady’s love of music, added a wholesome layer to the story that was a welcome distraction from the spooky stuff that was also happening.
The story blends horror with aspects of a thriller, and comes together perfectly for a YA audience. However, it’s worth noting that I, an almost 30-year old, loved this book. It’s being marketed as “Sawkill Girls meets Beautiful Creatures,” and as someone who LOVED Sawkill Girls, I can confirm that the description holds up.
I think my favourite part of the book was the descriptions of the house Shady grew up in. Her Aunt Ena still lives there, and Shady often goes over to visit and brings friends along. During the day it’s not so bad, but at night, the house comes alive with those who used to live there. It reminded me so much of Hill House (the show more than the book), because there were two ghosts Shady spoke about: an old, tall man, and the girl in the ceiling (*immediately gets shivers down my spine*).
Ghost Wood Song has everything I look for in a good horror book: ghosts, a haunted house, an atmospheric setting that will make your skin tingle, LGBTQ+ characters, and family secrets. If you’re a fan of any of these things, be sure to add this book to your list!
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and HCC Frenzy for sending me a digital copy of Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters in exchange for an honest review. Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters comes out on July 14, 2020, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.
This was exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to find over spoop season this year. It pleased and terrified my trashy florida heart. The audio performance was fantastic.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think that GHOST WOOD SONG should get some brownie points for being unique and interesting in theory, but as a story, this one failed to draw me in. The characters were closed off, the protagonist succeeded without any true struggles or setbacks, and the descriptions were bare and failed to be immersive. Going in, I was thrilled that this was a ghost story, but that's just its secondary purpose. GHOST WOOD SONG is a story about family and loyalty and any ghosts you find along the way are more tools to drive this purpose than meaningful hauntings.
This is the type of book I'd recommend to someone looking for a book that's a *little* spooky, but not too much. It's a good seasonal read, but it's a bit slow. The tempo doesn't flux and the action never really rose. It's not a book that kept me on the edge of my seat. However, the ghost-raising fiddle was an interesting idea, and I don't think I've ever read a book that sent so much love out to bluegrass, so it has some unique elements going for it. Not for me, but maybe someone else will like it.
This is the type of book I'd recommend to someone looking for a book that's a *little* spooky, but not too much. It's a good seasonal read, but it's a bit slow. The tempo doesn't flux and the action never really rose. It's not a book that kept me on the edge of my seat. However, the ghost-raising fiddle was an interesting idea, and I don't think I've ever read a book that sent so much love out to bluegrass, so it has some unique elements going for it. Not for me, but maybe someone else will like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity
Minor: Alcoholism
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this is one of the best books i've ever read!!! the atmosphere is chef's kiss
I wasn't sure what to expect with this one but I really liked it.
Some of the characters were a little flat to me. As in, they were kinda boring and had a cardboard personality but I liked the book overall.
There were so many sub plots happening and it felt haphazard but it eventually all came together well. But I think that's the entire point. That it was Shady's job to figure out the mystery and how all these seemingly random bits and pieces came together to form this messy, hidden and awful truth about all the people she loved in her life.
The book does a nice job with showing how grief and anger can consume people to levels of detriments. I really liked that so many of the characters were flawed and it's part of what they had to work through.
This book wasn't life changing but for what it was, it was enjoyable.
Some of the characters were a little flat to me. As in, they were kinda boring and had a cardboard personality but I liked the book overall.
There were so many sub plots happening and it felt haphazard but it eventually all came together well. But I think that's the entire point. That it was Shady's job to figure out the mystery and how all these seemingly random bits and pieces came together to form this messy, hidden and awful truth about all the people she loved in her life.
The book does a nice job with showing how grief and anger can consume people to levels of detriments. I really liked that so many of the characters were flawed and it's part of what they had to work through.
This book wasn't life changing but for what it was, it was enjoyable.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A great mix of slightly spooky, slightly sad but the characters were dull and it just,, didn't hit me?