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house_of_hannah's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you so much to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.
I was really into this book until about the 60% mark. From here it feels like it jumps the rails, gets a bit too ridiculous, and feels rushed. The last 40% has a different vibe in the writing compared to the rest, and it just feels off.
The characters were great, and it was refreshing to actually have a character that has a solid support system that he can confide in in a horror novel. Often times the MC is left to their own devices, so I appreciated the active side characters.
I don't mind how this book ended, but with the build up of the first half I think that last third can be done better. It really feels like the author was on a time crunch, and maybe was not able to give that section of the book as much attention.
Overall, it's an easy and quick read that will certainly deliver if you're in the mood for ghosts.
I was really into this book until about the 60% mark. From here it feels like it jumps the rails, gets a bit too ridiculous, and feels rushed. The last 40% has a different vibe in the writing compared to the rest, and it just feels off.
The characters were great, and it was refreshing to actually have a character that has a solid support system that he can confide in in a horror novel. Often times the MC is left to their own devices, so I appreciated the active side characters.
I don't mind how this book ended, but with the build up of the first half I think that last third can be done better. It really feels like the author was on a time crunch, and maybe was not able to give that section of the book as much attention.
Overall, it's an easy and quick read that will certainly deliver if you're in the mood for ghosts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: War, Sexual content, and Animal death
atipsygiraffe's review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
After a near death experience in his newly acquired Victorian house, David finds himself haunted by ghosts. The weirdest part? The ghosts don't just stick to his old house and some of the ghosts are people who are still alive. Is he losing his mind or are there really ghosts trying to get an important message to him?
This was a haunted house story, but not as you know it. The premise and how the story unfolds was definitely unique., It was genuinely very creepy and I was definitely scared at some points, which doesn't happen often for me (growing up reading Stephen King, when I was way too young for his books, made me pretty difficult to scare in a book). I enjoyed the nod to King's The Dead Zone without it trying to imitate it.
This book had so much promise and I wanted to love it, but in the end it just didn't deliver. The writing style was not for me, it was written more like statements and didn't flow well, and the dialogue was very clunky and unnatural. I don't need my horror to be written in prose, but I also don't want to be walked through every step - show, don't tell. Despite that, I was enjoying it and it kept me turning pages. Until the end, which felt flat and rushed. I was left thinking "oh, was that it?". I rarely say this, but it could have done with being a little longer to really flesh out the ending.
I'm rating this a 3.5 overall (rounded up), because despite the writing style and the disappointing ending, it was a unique and mostly unpredictable ghost story that did have me scared multiple times. It was a quick read as well, so while it won't go on my favourites list I wouldn't necessarily shy away from recommending it.
Thank you to NetGalley and FlameTree for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a haunted house story, but not as you know it. The premise and how the story unfolds was definitely unique., It was genuinely very creepy and I was definitely scared at some points, which doesn't happen often for me (growing up reading Stephen King, when I was way too young for his books, made me pretty difficult to scare in a book). I enjoyed the nod to King's The Dead Zone without it trying to imitate it.
This book had so much promise and I wanted to love it, but in the end it just didn't deliver. The writing style was not for me, it was written more like statements and didn't flow well, and the dialogue was very clunky and unnatural. I don't need my horror to be written in prose, but I also don't want to be walked through every step - show, don't tell. Despite that, I was enjoying it and it kept me turning pages. Until the end, which felt flat and rushed. I was left thinking "oh, was that it?". I rarely say this, but it could have done with being a little longer to really flesh out the ending.
I'm rating this a 3.5 overall (rounded up), because despite the writing style and the disappointing ending, it was a unique and mostly unpredictable ghost story that did have me scared multiple times. It was a quick read as well, so while it won't go on my favourites list I wouldn't necessarily shy away from recommending it.
Thank you to NetGalley and FlameTree for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Gore, and Murder
domreadsandgames's review
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
A Man Among Ghosts follows David, who buys his first home in the Bay Area for ridiculously cheap due to the repairs that need to be done and the killing of a drug dealer that took place inside. No big deal for David, he’s looking forward to taking on this project. Soon after moving in, he starts to see people breaking into his home. The weird thing is that he can’t figure out how they’re getting in or out. David learns some unfortunate news about his health and has a very traumatic experience. The people he sees in his home and out of it are not what they seem.
This book was a really fun read! It is categorized as horror and has a good amount of terrifying descriptions for ghost encounters. There is still a bit of levity in the dialogue among characters that keeps the story from being to horror-filled. For the length of the book, I think the pacing was appropriate. The intent of the ghosts was really interesting and I wish we could have had more time with area.
I wouldn’t say this is the scariest book, but if hearing weird noises in your house while you’re all alone spooks you, then I would recommend this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Drug use, Murder, and Terminal illness
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