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anitagiovina 's review for:
Twelve Nights at Rotter House
by J.W. Ocker
I've been in a real horror book mood lately, so when I found this book at BookExpo while I was there for work, I was delighted to take a copy for review. In fact, it was one of only 2 books I grabbed there this year, so suffice it to say, it stuck out to me.
That's also why I'm writing a review, which I haven't done much lately--I thought there was something special to this book.
Twelve Nights at Rotter House is a horror book for people who appreciate horror tropes, especially horror movies, but also like works of fiction with a literary touch. It's eerie, but not overly scary, so you get all the fun parts of horror with none of the nightmares (at least in my case).
The overall story seems straightforward: In a last attempt at fame and fortune, a struggling nonfiction author decides that rather than simply writing about haunted houses and histories, he needs to write a book that fully immerses the reader in what it's like to be in a haunted house. So he decides to go live in a genuine haunted house for 13 nights and document his experience as a last-ditch effort to create a bestseller. He even enlists his best friend (a believer in supernatural things and fellow horror movie buff) to come keep him company (albeit reluctantly). But of course, even though he's a total skeptic, some eerie, inexplicable events begin happening to him while stationed there. Things he can't explain, and things that his best friend is positive are supernatural. And before long, he can't deny that something horrible has happened--something that may just come back from the dead to haunt him.
This book had a lot of strengths. With its great writing, a compelling, well paced plot, and an immersive ambiance portrayed through vivid descriptions of Rotter House and its bloody history, I felt very invested in the story. The only critique I have is that this book is a little too self-aware, making statements along the lines of "if this were fiction, XYZ would happen, but it's real." It makes sense for the first-person narrator to include sentiments like these, as they're exactly the kind of thing an overly-pompous writer would say about their own work, but I found this metafictional element a little tedious and a slightly overdone trope in itself. Still, points for believability, and I can't say it really bothered me.
I also admit that I called a couple of things that would happen, but even if you do guess aspects of the plot before they're revealed, it really doesn't spoil anything. In this case, the journey really was more important. If you like twists and turns that are mixed with a slow, careful burn toward a clever conclusion, you'll enjoy this book.
Really excited to read more from this author!
That's also why I'm writing a review, which I haven't done much lately--I thought there was something special to this book.
Twelve Nights at Rotter House is a horror book for people who appreciate horror tropes, especially horror movies, but also like works of fiction with a literary touch. It's eerie, but not overly scary, so you get all the fun parts of horror with none of the nightmares (at least in my case).
The overall story seems straightforward: In a last attempt at fame and fortune, a struggling nonfiction author decides that rather than simply writing about haunted houses and histories, he needs to write a book that fully immerses the reader in what it's like to be in a haunted house. So he decides to go live in a genuine haunted house for 13 nights and document his experience as a last-ditch effort to create a bestseller. He even enlists his best friend (a believer in supernatural things and fellow horror movie buff) to come keep him company (albeit reluctantly). But of course, even though he's a total skeptic, some eerie, inexplicable events begin happening to him while stationed there. Things he can't explain, and things that his best friend is positive are supernatural. And before long, he can't deny that something horrible has happened--something that may just come back from the dead to haunt him.
This book had a lot of strengths. With its great writing, a compelling, well paced plot, and an immersive ambiance portrayed through vivid descriptions of Rotter House and its bloody history, I felt very invested in the story. The only critique I have is that this book is a little too self-aware, making statements along the lines of "if this were fiction, XYZ would happen, but it's real." It makes sense for the first-person narrator to include sentiments like these, as they're exactly the kind of thing an overly-pompous writer would say about their own work, but I found this metafictional element a little tedious and a slightly overdone trope in itself. Still, points for believability, and I can't say it really bothered me.
I also admit that I called a couple of things that would happen, but even if you do guess aspects of the plot before they're revealed, it really doesn't spoil anything. In this case, the journey really was more important. If you like twists and turns that are mixed with a slow, careful burn toward a clever conclusion, you'll enjoy this book.
Really excited to read more from this author!