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simplycelestial's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
burrowsi1's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ettegoom's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It's not terrible, but it's not great either. I was intrigued by the idea of it's historical foundation, but ultimately it was neither gripping, scary, or historically accurate.
I liked that the author explained at the end which parts he'd manipulated, but I feel like the changes he made were ultimately unnecessary, and didn't add much to the story.
The main character has some interesting elements, but was more 2 dimensional than I would have hoped for, and the trope of romantic affection by a young girl for an unpleasant older man was not a helpful addition to the story.
Ultimately, this was a fairly forgettable book.
I liked that the author explained at the end which parts he'd manipulated, but I feel like the changes he made were ultimately unnecessary, and didn't add much to the story.
The main character has some interesting elements, but was more 2 dimensional than I would have hoped for, and the trope of romantic affection by a young girl for an unpleasant older man was not a helpful addition to the story.
Ultimately, this was a fairly forgettable book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Death of parent, Incest, Infidelity, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship
chellski's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
fetch_me_a_cinnabun's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I saw someone describe this in their review as "less a paranormal book and more a soap opera with vague paranormal overtones", and tbh I couldn't agree more. I definitely was expecting more ghosts from this book about ghost hunters.
That said, I didn't mind the story. I thought the setting of debunking spiritualists in a time of such a strong sense of national loss was a very compelling one. I felt that the language/style the author used was also fairly reflective of the time - even though it did lean more towards "show" than "tell". I didn't actually mind Sarah as a POV character, and I enjoyed her messy, complex relationship with Harryalthough her repeatedly saying "Harry!" whenever she disapproved of something he was saying was really starting to grate on me by about 60% through... especially with the second visit to Borley, where the man was making legitimate points . I'm not sure how I feel about fictionalising real people in general - but I did appreciate all of Neil Spring's footnotes, notes, and general transparency about what had happened and what hadn't (the book even has a bibliography... what a way to appeal to my citation kink).
For me, the main issue with this book - other than the lack of ghosts - was the pacing. The book is over 500 pages, but it felt at least double that, even with the multiple timeskips of several years. I'd often zone out when reading it and have to go back a couple of pages and force myself to concentrate. I fully admit to being biased (because you know, ghosts) but the parts set at Borley Rectory or relating to the Dark Lady were the ones I enjoyed the most; I felt they really pulled me into them and set a super creepy tone. It's just a shame that they were sandwiched between looooooong gaps of nothing that were not only a slog to get through but really diffused any tension set up by the hauntingsLike the whole set up of Sarah's curse and the concept of something around her neck she couldn't see was very chilling in the set up.... but instead of being a source of general tension hanging over the story, it was just dropped into it here and there when necessary, with such irregularity that even Spring felt the need to remind us constantly what the damn curse was, on the chance that the reader had (likely) forgotten .
To conclude: there are ghosts, but this is not a ghost story. In terms of atmosphere, I'd say it's better suited for a rainy day in spring rather than a dark evening in autumn.
That said, I didn't mind the story. I thought the setting of debunking spiritualists in a time of such a strong sense of national loss was a very compelling one. I felt that the language/style the author used was also fairly reflective of the time - even though it did lean more towards "show" than "tell". I didn't actually mind Sarah as a POV character, and I enjoyed her messy, complex relationship with Harry
For me, the main issue with this book - other than the lack of ghosts - was the pacing. The book is over 500 pages, but it felt at least double that, even with the multiple timeskips of several years. I'd often zone out when reading it and have to go back a couple of pages and force myself to concentrate. I fully admit to being biased (because you know, ghosts) but the parts set at Borley Rectory or relating to the Dark Lady were the ones I enjoyed the most; I felt they really pulled me into them and set a super creepy tone. It's just a shame that they were sandwiched between looooooong gaps of nothing that were not only a slog to get through but really diffused any tension set up by the hauntings
To conclude: there are ghosts, but this is not a ghost story. In terms of atmosphere, I'd say it's better suited for a rainy day in spring rather than a dark evening in autumn.
shubhra19's review
5.0
Not all books get into your head and refuse to leave and there are some that you don't actually want to leave your head!
This was one of those books. It affected me, I got attached to it. I did not want it to end. Simply awesome! 5 starts are just not enough.
This was one of those books. It affected me, I got attached to it. I did not want it to end. Simply awesome! 5 starts are just not enough.
kait_unicorn's review
2.0
Stunted writing. Repetitive use of descriptions. Lacked proper proofing. So many grammatical errors, incorrect words and words appearing in the wrong order I lost count after 17.
teatiger's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
mystereity's review
3.0
Just okay. This was less a paranormal book and more a soap opera with vague paranormal overtones. If you go into this with the understanding that it's more of a historical novel than a paranormal mystery, you'll enjoy it. It's well written, just not what I wanted.