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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Great story, not so great writing. SO many lines started with "Daniel said" or "Daniel did x"
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I find Darcy Coates to be such a genuinely great storyteller. I have come to learn that you also cannot make assumptions about her books or pin her into a tight niche. From Hunted to Dead Lake to The Haunting of Leigh Harker and on, I think this is my fifth read of hers, and while all of the tales are touched by threads of hauntings and the unnatural, each is definitely on its own course.
Therefore, I very much liked reading this novel, but it is definitely more family-around-the-campfire ghost story absent, for me, of the pulse-pounding page-turns of Hunted and the terrifying tense suspense of Leigh Harker. The main character is Disney-version Ichabod Crane-like (his last name is even the close Kane with a “K”) in that he’s a sort of timid, down-on-his-luck but genuine/gentle soul sort that you root for despite his gullibility and lack of backbone against his bully of a cousin (who is very Brom-like without the pizzazz).
No spoilers - the story includes a looming dark mansion hiding secrets within it’s decayed borders, and this creates a beautifully Gothic albeit predictable backdrop against which this tale unfolds. There’s your standard black cats and cawing crows, a mysterious tower and a family crypt…the most interesting part being a very specific set of orders that instruct no trespassing on the grounds past midnight. As the MC begins his job as groundskeeper and cautiously explores his new landscape, there are some instances of surprises and chances to guess at what is really at hand, but it’s nothing that will keep you up past your own late night curfew, desperate to gather the truth.
Again, it’s all a rather pleasant ghost story with darkness around the edges, but nothing that couldn’t easily be transformed into a film fit for a PG audience. I think if you remember that Darcy Coates is an author whose stories take on many forms, then you will appreciate her writing in this book for the storyteller that she is. If you only hope for the high thrills and chills of some of her other more gripping works, I think you’ll feel let down by this one.
Therefore, I very much liked reading this novel, but it is definitely more family-around-the-campfire ghost story absent, for me, of the pulse-pounding page-turns of Hunted and the terrifying tense suspense of Leigh Harker. The main character is Disney-version Ichabod Crane-like (his last name is even the close Kane with a “K”) in that he’s a sort of timid, down-on-his-luck but genuine/gentle soul sort that you root for despite his gullibility and lack of backbone against his bully of a cousin (who is very Brom-like without the pizzazz).
No spoilers - the story includes a looming dark mansion hiding secrets within it’s decayed borders, and this creates a beautifully Gothic albeit predictable backdrop against which this tale unfolds. There’s your standard black cats and cawing crows, a mysterious tower and a family crypt…the most interesting part being a very specific set of orders that instruct no trespassing on the grounds past midnight. As the MC begins his job as groundskeeper and cautiously explores his new landscape, there are some instances of surprises and chances to guess at what is really at hand, but it’s nothing that will keep you up past your own late night curfew, desperate to gather the truth.
Again, it’s all a rather pleasant ghost story with darkness around the edges, but nothing that couldn’t easily be transformed into a film fit for a PG audience. I think if you remember that Darcy Coates is an author whose stories take on many forms, then you will appreciate her writing in this book for the storyteller that she is. If you only hope for the high thrills and chills of some of her other more gripping works, I think you’ll feel let down by this one.
This was a fantastic take on a paranormal drama story! I felt really connected with the main characters and I felt I needed to keep reading well into the night just to see what happened. This story is unique & worth reading!
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The atmosphere was very spooky. Cousin was real annoying and seemed to be most of the reason anything went wrong, but the ending and platonic banter were very nice
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Seriously, Kyle?! Just when you least expect it—Kyle strikes again! He's the real antagonist of this whole story. I know I can always turn to Darcy Coates for a spooky-but-not-too-disturbing story with main characters who mean well but find themselves in a scary situation. There's also always been a cat. I did get a bit frustrated with Daniel when he even considered listening to his garbage cousin Kyle. Kyle is the worst. I still had an overall fun reading experience, nothing super groundbreaking or surprising, but perfectly scratched my itch for a Halloweenish book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Alcohol