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emrodav's review against another edition
4.0
What a good ghost story! Just the right amount of horror, plot, and character growth. It’s not perfect, but it was definitely a good read. I totally recommend it for anyone looking for a book that’s spooky but not too much, and has a surprising amount of heart.
ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
4.0
The full review can be found at The Book Bratz
Though I am a horror junkie, I don't read as much of it as I use to anymore. I have had my eye on this one for months and I was thrilled when it showed up at my door. I loved Katie's Bad Girl's Don't Die trilogy, and I knew for a fact her writing wasn't going to let me down. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall was what I expected it to be and more. Interesting characters, fast paced plot, mysterious and dark it had everything I was looking for in a horror novel.
I have this strange obsession with old Asylums, I will be all over a book that involves an asylum in any way, shape or form. Delia doesn't realize the new home she inherited from her Great Aunt Cordelia was once a mental institution for the troubled and defiant woman of society. After Delia's unexplained death she comes face to face with the house residents, the good and the bad. The dark energy of the house that trapped spirits of those who have died there for eternity isn't done with Delia yet. Now, it wants her sister.
The book takes place over four years. Delia will start thinking, and it is like she entered a time warp. Things sped up. From when Delia dies to the end of the novel is four years she is dead. We see the aftermath of her death on her family and friends, and especially herself. Through out the novel Delia learns about the dark secrets of houses's history, the horrible man who built it and then rules over it, the unexplained deaths of patients, and why there is dark energy running around the house hunting the living.
I won't lie I teared up a few times. Delia is able witnesses what the aftermath of her death caused her family and friends, they were all still grieving as if Delia was gone, but really she was right next to them the whole time (As long as they were at the house) Delia tries to communicate with her family even though she knows that she can't. Delia's younger sister Janie went from a bubbly, blond haired eleven year old to a black hair, goth fifteen year old. Her ex-boyfriend and best friend look to each other to fight off their grief and her always bickering parents got a divorce. The mystery of the house and what actually was going on had me reading through the night. Katie created a creepy plot that sucked me right into Delia's world and wouldn't let me go.
I only have one small problem with The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall. I didn't quite understand Theo's part in the story. Sure, he was a *maybe* love interest for Delia, but he didn't really push or move the plot forward. He was sort of just there. I probably would have gotten a better feel for him if he was in more of the story.
Overall I really enjoyed The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall. I crown Katie Alender the queen of nightmare inducing horror novels.
Though I am a horror junkie, I don't read as much of it as I use to anymore. I have had my eye on this one for months and I was thrilled when it showed up at my door. I loved Katie's Bad Girl's Don't Die trilogy, and I knew for a fact her writing wasn't going to let me down. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall was what I expected it to be and more. Interesting characters, fast paced plot, mysterious and dark it had everything I was looking for in a horror novel.
I have this strange obsession with old Asylums, I will be all over a book that involves an asylum in any way, shape or form. Delia doesn't realize the new home she inherited from her Great Aunt Cordelia was once a mental institution for the troubled and defiant woman of society. After Delia's unexplained death she comes face to face with the house residents, the good and the bad. The dark energy of the house that trapped spirits of those who have died there for eternity isn't done with Delia yet. Now, it wants her sister.
The book takes place over four years. Delia will start thinking, and it is like she entered a time warp. Things sped up. From when Delia dies to the end of the novel is four years she is dead. We see the aftermath of her death on her family and friends, and especially herself. Through out the novel Delia learns about the dark secrets of houses's history, the horrible man who built it and then rules over it, the unexplained deaths of patients, and why there is dark energy running around the house hunting the living.
I won't lie I teared up a few times. Delia is able witnesses what the aftermath of her death caused her family and friends, they were all still grieving as if Delia was gone, but really she was right next to them the whole time (As long as they were at the house) Delia tries to communicate with her family even though she knows that she can't. Delia's younger sister Janie went from a bubbly, blond haired eleven year old to a black hair, goth fifteen year old. Her ex-boyfriend and best friend look to each other to fight off their grief and her always bickering parents got a divorce. The mystery of the house and what actually was going on had me reading through the night. Katie created a creepy plot that sucked me right into Delia's world and wouldn't let me go.
I only have one small problem with The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall. I didn't quite understand Theo's part in the story. Sure, he was a *maybe* love interest for Delia, but he didn't really push or move the plot forward. He was sort of just there. I probably would have gotten a better feel for him if he was in more of the story.
Overall I really enjoyed The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall. I crown Katie Alender the queen of nightmare inducing horror novels.
isabella1018's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve read all of Katie’s books, and this was another enjoyable one. I liked the twists and turns and reveals, despite how sad the book ultimately was.
ruckus1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Murder, Suicide, Self harm, Death, and Mental illness
fyreprincess's review against another edition
2.0
I don’t really know why, but I just went through this phase or a day or so when I shelved a number of Horror books to read them later (thanks Goodreads), and I decided to read one of them – the one which was readily available for free download. So I actually hate horror movies and such so I was a bit apprehensive at first of reading this, but when I was partway through the book, I realized that there was no need for this apprehension. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender was pretty sad for a horror book. If I was to reevaluate the genre of this book, I probably put it under YA Fantasy or something.
Although I do hate horror, I’d want to read a book that actually scared me, like The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich. Literally, my heart wasn’t even racing and I wasn’t wondering if the protagonist was going to survive because I didn’t actually care enough. There was a number of times where I was actually considering just not finishing it, but then I realized that I was practically almost finished and I might as well see it through.
This book was so boring. I mean, there was no action, there was no romance, there was nothing at all that would keep a reader interested. Even at the end of the book where there was supposed to be some action and suspense and stuff, it wasn’t really there. I wasn’t absorbed in the action as much as I would like to be, I just wasn’t feeling it. There was really no substance to the book at all, I could have read the beginning and the end and not missed anything at all.
Okay, so Delia, the protagonist, was supposed to be a heroine. But I just found her mostly annoying. She literally wasted about three years of her dead life sitting in one room, playing some damn music box over and over again. And it was all normal? It was like: “Oh hey, it’s been a while.” “Yeah, two years.” – what the hell?
And even after finishing the damn book, there was still the mystery of how Delia actually died? Which isn’t even a spoiler anyway because she dies at the beginning and the rest of the book is Delia trying to get back with her family and living the most boring ghost life I could’ve imagined.
And the namesake of the book? Pretty much just a title to suck people like me into reading a horrible horror story. So this ‘hysteria hall’ was not really a mental institution, but a place for female correction, or something. So pretty much it was just a place where you could send your kid or someone who you didn’t want around anymore, because the dead girls that inhabit this place, were really not as insane or evil as they were made out to be. It’s supposed to be a horror story, you can’t find the good in everyone.
Although I do hate horror, I’d want to read a book that actually scared me, like The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich. Literally, my heart wasn’t even racing and I wasn’t wondering if the protagonist was going to survive because I didn’t actually care enough. There was a number of times where I was actually considering just not finishing it, but then I realized that I was practically almost finished and I might as well see it through.
This book was so boring. I mean, there was no action, there was no romance, there was nothing at all that would keep a reader interested. Even at the end of the book where there was supposed to be some action and suspense and stuff, it wasn’t really there. I wasn’t absorbed in the action as much as I would like to be, I just wasn’t feeling it. There was really no substance to the book at all, I could have read the beginning and the end and not missed anything at all.
Okay, so Delia, the protagonist, was supposed to be a heroine. But I just found her mostly annoying. She literally wasted about three years of her dead life sitting in one room, playing some damn music box over and over again. And it was all normal? It was like: “Oh hey, it’s been a while.” “Yeah, two years.” – what the hell?
And even after finishing the damn book, there was still the mystery of how Delia actually died? Which isn’t even a spoiler anyway because she dies at the beginning and the rest of the book is Delia trying to get back with her family and living the most boring ghost life I could’ve imagined.
And the namesake of the book? Pretty much just a title to suck people like me into reading a horrible horror story. So this ‘hysteria hall’ was not really a mental institution, but a place for female correction, or something. So pretty much it was just a place where you could send your kid or someone who you didn’t want around anymore, because the dead girls that inhabit this place, were really not as insane or evil as they were made out to be. It’s supposed to be a horror story, you can’t find the good in everyone.
_emaliemoore's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
chryssa80's review against another edition
4.0
What a wonderful,sad and emotional YA ghost story,I actually shed a few tears,I never thought I would like it that much.
brooklyn_bear's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
caitlinxreads's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the first part of this book. The second... not so much. I came into this book having read the summery, I thought the main character (Delia) and her family were fixing up the asylum to sell. Which they were for like the first few pages. I assumed that they would be doing that for the majority of the book and ghosts would be haunting her family. It was nothing like I had expected. And not in a good way.
I think this had potential to be a great book, but it just wasn't for me.
I think this had potential to be a great book, but it just wasn't for me.
charms1976's review against another edition
5.0
I have always set a rule in my reading that I would try and read one spooky themed book in October. I set the romance books aside and enjoy at least one book to go with the Halloween themed thrills and mystery. This time I chose The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender. The cover is spooky and the glimpse of a scene we get on the back cover drew me into the story.
Not only do we have a house full of creepy and insane ghosts, but we have a house hell bent on keeping out of control teen ghosts from leaving the place. Delia inherits this mansion/asylum from her relatives and ultimately ends up being a part of the ghost world more than she would like to be.
The story was suspenseful and the author did wonderfully at describing things with giving the reader the chills. You learn to never trust anyone until they prove that they are worthy of that trust — sometimes being the people you would least expects. Secrets are revealed as Delia learns more about the previous patients and family heritage.
While this book is aimed for the teenage audience, adults will enjoy it as well I believe. It adds just amount of spooky for the month of October reading.
Not only do we have a house full of creepy and insane ghosts, but we have a house hell bent on keeping out of control teen ghosts from leaving the place. Delia inherits this mansion/asylum from her relatives and ultimately ends up being a part of the ghost world more than she would like to be.
The story was suspenseful and the author did wonderfully at describing things with giving the reader the chills. You learn to never trust anyone until they prove that they are worthy of that trust — sometimes being the people you would least expects. Secrets are revealed as Delia learns more about the previous patients and family heritage.
While this book is aimed for the teenage audience, adults will enjoy it as well I believe. It adds just amount of spooky for the month of October reading.