Review Detail

After Jane's father sudden dies, Her mother, Ruth, ends up moving them across the country. They move into her mother's childhood home. But Jane senses something isn't quite right at the old house. There's also secrets and whispers about the house. Only when Jane pushes for the truth, does a freaking secret come out. A secret that might have deadly consequences.

What worked: This is an intense, creepy paranormal. I love ghost tales and this one has so much going for it. Jane hates that she has to move to a small town in Maine. Ruth is secretive about her past, even when the town people all seem to know what happened one fateful day some twenty years ago. I really liked the suspense, mystery surrounding the old house. Jane is a complex heroine. She suffers from anger issues and she eats pages of a favorite book to calm down. The interactions she has in town and at the new high school are intense, including from mean-girl Melanie, who has her own secret.

The creepiness is shown throughout the book. It starts subtly with just creaks in the old house and a rose garden in the back that seems to defie odds. After Ruth cuts them down, they rapidly grow back. Only black.

Secrets are everywhere in this town. Jane's mother isn't totally honest on the real reason she fled her home. Their relationship is at times warm, but grows cold the longer they're both in the old home. If it was me, I would have sold that house ASAP!

Love the cover too. Sinister creepiness that totally reflects the premise of this amazing horror story. There are times Jane and the reader aren't sure if what's going on is real or just a dream. Nothing over the top, but more psychological horror with a shocking reveal at the end.

THE BAD SEED meets a ghostly mystery set in an old decrepit house with deadly secrets. Great Halloween horror story!