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michellesmelancholia's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
David Caine is a paranormal investigator -more of a debunker, really- who has been invited by an old friend to spend a month in the Alexander House and write a book about it. As a die-hard skeptic, David is convinced that disproving the haunting will be a walk in the park. However, as strange occurrences pile up, David’s conviction begins to shake. And when he comes across a strangely familiar island, he starts to believe that he himself might be haunted… by a ghost from his past. David must navigate resurfacing feelings of grief and guilt, while trying to disentangle the mystery of the Alexander House. But in a town full of unusual characters, can he trust anyone at all?
The good:
- I just love the “skeptic paranormal investigator starts having doubts” trope.
- Good cast of clearly defined characters. A decent variety of personalities, ages and backgrounds made the story quite interesting.
- Very good tension building, things escalate slowly but steadily. Throughout the book I kept imagining multiple possible twists and turns, and only got a few right!
- I enjoyed getting little glimpses of David’s inner monologue. The most interesting aspects of his character were contained in this quick involuntarily thoughts, rather than in his voluntary actions.
The bad:
- Near the end of the story some supernatural scenes are so over the top that they are no longer scary and become borderline ridiculous. It was like when a horror movie shows the monster for a bit too long and the charm is lost.
- There were too many storylines and themes happening at the same time and ultimately, I felt like some of them didn’t really contribute anything substantial to the story.
- Yes, I know I said I love the “skeptic” trope, but 1. there was barely any paranormal investigation in the story and 2. I was still hoping for a less predictable ending…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Incest, Pedophilia, and Suicide
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