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kirstycarson1's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
heathersereads's review
3.0
I really wanted to like this book. I always end up being one of the odd people that didn't enjoy it as much amongst a sea of five star reviews, and end up wondering what they got out of it that I seemed to have missed. It had a really compelling plot with a lot of potential, but I think my biggest issue was with the fact that it felt more like I was being told the story instead of being shown. I also felt like the characters ended up a bit flat and I had a bit of trouble continuing. If I wasn't so curious to find out the ending, which felt a bit forced and had a very soft, but decent twist, I'm not sure if I would've continued reading.
Thank you for this ARC that was generously provided by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you for this ARC that was generously provided by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
invisiblemonster's review
4.0
I have yet to find a great haunted house story. As far as I can remember this is the best so far at least. It definitely gave me the heeby jeebys and all the feels at the right moments and that’s a good balance in a scary book. Overall, it’s a safe recommenda
nikki_in_niagara's review
4.0
A young man decides it's time to start "adulting" and buys himself a 100-year-old house. As soon as he arrives he finds out he has a brain tumour and starts hallucinating. But are these hallucinations or ghosts? If they are ghosts, there are many of them and they want something from him. Meanwhile, there is an evil one who wants to hurt him.
This was a standard ghost story I'd call mostly a cosy. There are injured ghosts and mild violence. The story was enjoyable and quick to read at under 300 pages. I found it a speed read and thought the various reasons people gave him (hallucinations, grifters, demons, ghosts) a lot of fun. Not the best writing but a very good read.
This was a standard ghost story I'd call mostly a cosy. There are injured ghosts and mild violence. The story was enjoyable and quick to read at under 300 pages. I found it a speed read and thought the various reasons people gave him (hallucinations, grifters, demons, ghosts) a lot of fun. Not the best writing but a very good read.
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
bookivore's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
At first I wasn't sure about this one. The initial set up and introduction to the main character didn't feel polished, or something. But as the book goes on, the action builds and it just gets better and better. Lots of ghosts, lots of what is going on moments. I don't want to add any spoilers, so I'll just say I like the idea of where the ghosts were coming from.
I definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy ghost and haunted house books.
I definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy ghost and haunted house books.
sucharita's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
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
trr51591's review
4.0
This book was bananas. My expectations weren't super high, just because I tend not to always vibe with stories that use the paranormal as an overarching explanation for shenanigans. This was different though, and definitely the best ghost-related horror book I've read by far.
It might be weird to start by saying this book was hysterically funny, and if you don't like gallows humor you will probably not be into it, but I was cackling the entire time. If you will find jokes about terminal illnesses, politics, religion, racism, sex, or drug use offensive, maybe steer clear. But good humor in horror brings levity and plays off of creepy so well, and this was an amazing example of that, IMO.
This book follows David, a 30-ish bachelor who buys and moves into his first house, which obviously turns out to be haunted. It's in the title. My biggest gripe with the haunted house trope is always wondering why the person doesn't just LEAVE. I won't spoil it, but David actually has a very good reason for not leaving and trying to just ignore his undead roommates. He explores every possible explanation for what he's seeing, and tries everything to get rid of them: police, ghost hunters, exorcisms, ouija boards, cameras, medication, hypnotism, etc. All create some eerie and snort-worthy situations.
I was really nervous about how this was going to wrap up--the ending is usually where paranormal books lose me a little, but this one got as close to sticking the landing as was possible, I think. It was wild, and I was glued to my kindle for the last 15% of the book, and may or may not have gasped and laughed out loud. This book was more creepy than scary, and it's only around 240 pages, so if you're curious but horror makes you nervous this might be a good option for you. It was just really fun and different, and I'll definitely read more from this author in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review of "A Man Among Ghosts".
lachesisreads's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A Man Among Ghosts is a horror story about a man (duh) who moves into an old house and finds himself surrounded by ghosts (DUH) - the book certainly keeps what it promises on the title in that regard!
After fiding himself accosted by ghosts - some benevolent, some less so - David has to figure out what they want - and why they don't want him to leave the house behind, while simultaneously balancing a slew of other problems(am I dying? Am I insane? Is or isn't my girlfriend pretending to be a succubus? Is this all an elaborate hoax by my friends, a criminal complot of some strangers to get my house or do I just have a drug problem?) .
With the help of his friends, he tries to solve the riddle before the increasingly violent ghost attacks may end up costing him his life.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the writing style, and thought it could have profited from some more thorough editing to smoothe out the sometimes sketchy grammar.
A Man among ghosts is an engaging and fast-paced read, not too high on the horror- and gore scales. I would recommend it to people who are looking for a gateway book into horror that isn't too scary.
I want to thank NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.
After fiding himself accosted by ghosts - some benevolent, some less so - David has to figure out what they want - and why they don't want him to leave the house behind, while simultaneously balancing a slew of other problems
With the help of his friends, he tries to solve the riddle before the increasingly violent ghost attacks may end up costing him his life.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the writing style, and thought it could have profited from some more thorough editing to smoothe out the sometimes sketchy grammar.
A Man among ghosts is an engaging and fast-paced read, not too high on the horror- and gore scales. I would recommend it to people who are looking for a gateway book into horror that isn't too scary.
I want to thank NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.