The Quick Cut: A woman inherits a house from a Great Aunt she didn't know existed. Chaos and madness ensue when unexplainable things start occurring.
A Real Review: Spine chilling tales are always a great choice around Halloween time, but what is more frightening: unexplainable terror that turns out to be human in origin or the supernatural? Some prefer their fear to come in the form of something that could occur in real life, but in this book about a haunted mansion, the perfect blend of reality and fantasy is blended for a fearful based tale. Adrienne is alone in the world (except for her cat) and is living on the edge of bankruptcy. With barely twenty dollars to her name, she moves into the Ashburn House left to her by her Great Aunt. She never knew the woman even existed as her mom told her they didn't have any family. The house is a blessing to keep her afloat a while longer when she moves in and finds unexplainable things occurring. Hearing noises outside at night, words literally carved into the home, and a room prepared specifically for her. Why did she not know this relative existed before her death? What is going on in this house? And why did this Great Aunt prepare a place for her in this house with so many haunting tales? I prefer my horror and haunting books to be based in reality because they're scarier when it's actually a plausible story. However, even though this book does dip into the fantasy end of the pool, the story that centers around Adrienne is no less frightening (especially as the full background gets revealed). Once the answers start coming, things get revealed quick and the answers given don't provide any true comfort. It provides that perfect balance of shocking and providing the reader some needed answers. Adrienne is relatable and even likeable. She tries to justify what is happening in the house and only starts looking for answers once she can't ignore that something is occurring here. I ended up rooting for her a lot as she continued to try and understand what was happening to her, while trying to make friends in the nearby town. That being said, I did find myself wanting to get to the scary parts quicker than the book did. A bone chilling story that balances reality and fantasy. My rating: 4.5 out of 5
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