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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
medium-paced
This was a very good book. I wouldn’t reread it though just because I know how it ends.
dark
mysterious
tense
I have to say this about Darcy Coates, she knows how to write suspenseful thriller/horror books. This is the second book that I've read by Darcy and while it wasn't as good as Hunted, there were still parts where I got goosebumps and chills. The Haunting of Ashburn House had some suspenseful, scary moments but throughout a good portion of the book, I found myself bored and skimming pages. I also struggled with the main character Adrienne and found her to be a little naive. To be honest, if it hadn't been for Darcy's book Hunted, I probably would have never read The Haunting of Ashburn House. While I enjoy hearing or watching scary ghost stories, I'm not an actual fan of reading paranormal/ghost stories. This book went outside of my normal genres which may make my review a little biased, but if you are a fan of reading paranormal or ghost stories, then I highly recommend The Haunting of Ashburn House to you!
****
As the sole surviving relative, Adrienne has just inherited Edith, her distant aunt's, house. While Adrienne never met Edith, she is grateful for a place to live. However, when she finally arrives at the Ashburn House she begins to question everything.
The Ashburn House is an isolated house on the outskirts of town that has a very dark past tied to it. A family was murdered there years ago and the case was never solved and the killer was never found. While Edith was alive, she refused to let guests come onto the property, leaving many in town to believe the house is haunted. The house is surrounded by woods and at night the woods seem to come alive. Inside the home, there are scratched messages on the walls and floors and no mirrors are to be found.
When Adrienne arrives at the house with only a suitcase, twenty dollars, and her cat, Wolfgang, she knows she will have to make do. While Adrienne doesn't believe in ghosts, it's hard to ignore the uneasy feeling that is growing in her as she explores the house. Strange messages are etched everywhere, an old grave is hidden in the forest behind the house, and eerie portraits in the upstairs hall seem to watch her every movement. As she uncovers more of the house's secrets, Adrienne begins to believe the rumors about Ashburn may hold more truth than she ever suspected.
****
As the sole surviving relative, Adrienne has just inherited Edith, her distant aunt's, house. While Adrienne never met Edith, she is grateful for a place to live. However, when she finally arrives at the Ashburn House she begins to question everything.
The Ashburn House is an isolated house on the outskirts of town that has a very dark past tied to it. A family was murdered there years ago and the case was never solved and the killer was never found. While Edith was alive, she refused to let guests come onto the property, leaving many in town to believe the house is haunted. The house is surrounded by woods and at night the woods seem to come alive. Inside the home, there are scratched messages on the walls and floors and no mirrors are to be found.
When Adrienne arrives at the house with only a suitcase, twenty dollars, and her cat, Wolfgang, she knows she will have to make do. While Adrienne doesn't believe in ghosts, it's hard to ignore the uneasy feeling that is growing in her as she explores the house. Strange messages are etched everywhere, an old grave is hidden in the forest behind the house, and eerie portraits in the upstairs hall seem to watch her every movement. As she uncovers more of the house's secrets, Adrienne begins to believe the rumors about Ashburn may hold more truth than she ever suspected.
Loved it. Before I read this, I'd read The Bird Eater by Ania Ahlborn and both stories had A LOT of similarities. However, Coates' haunted house story was infinitely more interesting and actually had likeable characters. I really like Adrienne from the start and I also liked Edith. The story ended exactly the way I'd hoped as well. Where the Bird Eater failed Coates really delivered. Great story.
2.5 Stars
The cover and summary were promising but the story was "eh" a forgettable read.
It was a fast paced, quick read but the story was not what I expected. I thought it would be an unnerving, suspenseful read but it was just a corny, clique horror. The climax was unamusing and the descriptions of the characters' actions during the fight scene were confusing. The plot line was very slow and Adrianne was annoying at times, also her "thoughts" throughout the book were very cringy, I was rooting for the ghost halfway through because she irritated me so much. The girl complained so much yet kept doing the same things every day, like why would you spend all your money on cat food and eat cardboard noodles? Also, can we talk about how she was so desperate for the girls to be her friends?? She was poor and annoying, girl pick a struggle.
The book could have been shortened down to 200 pages if the author didn't keep repeating irrelevant details (I learned how to boil water 10 times.) Onto my biggest cringe and complaint's was why did it feel like I was reading an 1800s Christian book, I had to google some of the words the author chose to use because they were outdated ("the heavens above," seriously)
The cover and summary were promising but the story was "eh" a forgettable read.
It was a fast paced, quick read but the story was not what I expected. I thought it would be an unnerving, suspenseful read but it was just a corny, clique horror. The climax was unamusing and the descriptions of the characters' actions during the fight scene were confusing. The plot line was very slow and Adrianne was annoying at times, also her "thoughts" throughout the book were very cringy, I was rooting for the ghost halfway through because she irritated me so much. The girl complained so much yet kept doing the same things every day, like why would you spend all your money on cat food and eat cardboard noodles? Also, can we talk about how she was so desperate for the girls to be her friends?? She was poor and annoying, girl pick a struggle.
The book could have been shortened down to 200 pages if the author didn't keep repeating irrelevant details (I learned how to boil water 10 times.) Onto my biggest cringe and complaint's was why did it feel like I was reading an 1800s Christian book, I had to google some of the words the author chose to use because they were outdated ("the heavens above," seriously)
Props for creating one of the best characters in fiction: Wolfgang
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 stars.
I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say this…While the story was creepy for the most part, there were some parts that just kind of ruined it for me. What started out as a really good ghost haunting, turned into something so far fetched that it took away from the fear that the author was trying to convey. I went from hearing noises and seeing shadows around my own house while I read to being like “huh?”.
I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say this…While the story was creepy for the most part, there were some parts that just kind of ruined it for me. What started out as a really good ghost haunting, turned into something so far fetched that it took away from the fear that the author was trying to convey. I went from hearing noises and seeing shadows around my own house while I read to being like “huh?”.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Adrienne inherited an ancient building called Ashburn House upon the death of her great-aunt, Edith, who she didn't even know existed. Broke and desperate, Adrienne moved in with her pet cat (CAT!). But when she explored the house, she could not shake the feeling of uneasiness about the house; there were no mirrors where they should be, strange messages etched onto the wall, eerie portraits of the same 5 people who used to live in the house before they were brutally murdered (except Edith who was only 5 or 6 years old back then), and the old grave marked "E" in the forest behind the house. As she uncovered more secrets about the house, she realised she was the target of something sinister.
Classic haunted house story. Isolated house or mansion, check. Inheritance, check. Someone who had nowhere to go, check. Gothic architecture, check. I purposely wanted to read this kind of book. But, this book surprised me with the nature of the paranormal activity involved; the ghost can touch and hurt people. Halfway reading about said ghost, I thought I was reading a zombie story. The ghost is also a smoke-bender! The ending is even bizarre. I was laughing at the end bit, because I didn't expect that. But what a fun read the whole thing is.
I made a mental note that if something happened to the cat, I'll stop reading. But no, the cat is an amazing defender. It’s not hard to make me like a book.