A review by targrhaegar
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Poor, poor Ashley. The diary entry format is great, made me feel more connected to her, like she was a real person. Which made the second part of the book even more painful. I actually shed a few tears because I felt like one of my friends just died. The twist was completely unexpected. I really didn't think the story was going to take this turn. I thought, if anything, Emma was going to be the one to get murdered by Adam. 

I really enjoyed this book. It's amazing how such a short story made me feel so connected to its main character and feel so many emotions while reading it. Good job, Swanson. 

I really love this author. Can't get enough of his books.

The only complain I have about this story is Ashley appearing as an actual ghost at the end. She wasn't even a part of Emma's imagination. She's a real ghost. I don't particularly care for ghost stories since they're not realistic and make everything feel kind of goofy and not really creepy. But it's okay. I enjoyed the book, nonetheless.
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