Tag: horror

Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn (J Horror)

Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story

Mary Downing Hahn (J Horror)

“YOU’VE BOUGHT a church?” That was Molly’s reaction when she found out that her mother and stepfather were planning to move their blended family to a renovated church with a cemetery in the backyard. Making matters worse is her new seven-year-old stepsister, Heather who is mean, lies, tattles, and is an overall troublemaker. Soon after they arrive, Heather discovers the grave of a girl named Helen who shares her initials AND was her age when she died. Over time, Heather begins to turn even more hateful and diabolical towards her new siblings and as Molly and her brother Michael uncover the tragic events surrounding them, things begin to get worse and more dangerous…especially when Helen comes.

Hahn delivers an eerie and suspenseful ghost story that’s spooky yet spares readers the gore that authors sometime rely on to raise the hairs on our neck. Hahn psychologically preys upon her readers’ fear of death and delves into feelings of isolation, loneliness, guilt, and jealousy through Heather’s possessive and protective relationship with her father. Heather harbors some deep-seeded trauma that is never fully resolved and this spills over into her relationship with her new siblings. Young readers won’t think twice about the obvious parental negligence of not providing Heather with the therapy she clearly requires, but they will most certainly see how unfairly Molly and Michael are castigated (especially by their own mother) for things that are clearly not their fault. In this respect, the siblings’ dislike for their parental figures is clearly warranted and make them even more sympathetic.

This is the second book that I’ve read by Hahn (the first being The Old Willis Place) and I understand why young readers are drawn to her books when desiring a good old-fashioned ghost story. The characters are well established, the story has a nice momentum and never lags, and Hahn effectively increases the tension and heightens the fear as Heather’s dependency on Helen grows stronger and more resolute. I really like how the author reverses predictable roles to create a sense of chaos and unpredictability as family members become untrustworthy or unreliable allies and antagonists turn out to be more than meets the eye. This flip really jostles the reader and keeps things uncomfortably off balance as Molly fights to separate fact from fantasy while struggling to nurture a relationship with a stepsister that clearly despises her and even threatens her with death. And you thought Cinderella had it tough!

As an adult reading this book, I thought the parents were selfish, neglectful, and terrible role models; however, young readers will overlook these self-centered people and instead delight in a heart-pounding, thrilling read that will have them anxiously flipping pages toward a rollercoaster ending. So, buckle up, hold on tight, and just wait till Helen comes.

Rating: 4/5

* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com

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The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

In honor of Halloween, we’ll be reviewing ghoulishly scary and spooky books throughout the month of October.

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The Woman in Black   

Susan Hill (Adult Fiction)

It’s Christmas Eve at Monk’s Piece.  Lawyer Arthur Kipps, his wife and children are gathered around the fire telling ghost stories, as is ancient tradition.  They all take turns until it comes to Arthur.  “Now come, stepfather, your turn.  You must know at least one ghost story, stepfather, everyone knows one…”  Arthur does know a ghost story.  One haunted by a child’s anguished screams, an approaching pony and trap, a moving rocking chair with no occupant, and a mysterious woman in black.  A ghost story made even more horrifying and terrible because this story is true…absolutely true.

I wasn’t familiar with Susan Hill before this book, but about twenty pages in, I was so impressed with the eloquent and nuanced writing style, and so immersed in the story, that I wondered if she was English.  Sure enough, she is.  There is no mistaking a truly adept English or British author.  The turns of phrase, the sentence structure, and the painstaking attention to detail without being overly verbose all add up to an exceptionally well-crafted book.

Hill gives us a satisfying horror story which achieves its goal of raising the hairs on your neck and increasing the beats of your heart.  By introducing noises in the dark, mysterious brushes against your body, and an invisible presence that always seems to be just right behind you, she goes to the very core of our fears and keeps them tucked into the deepest, darkest corners of our soul—very far away from the light.  Hill gives us a gripping and suspenseful story that builds at a steady and progressive pace until the final climax.  With one last blow thrown in at the end, it might be best to read this with a torch (flashlight) nearby…just in case.

Rating: 5/5

* Book cover image attributed to www.penguinrandomhouse.com

 

 

Coraline by Neil Gaiman (YA Horror)

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Coraline   

Neil Gaiman (Young Adult Fiction)

Coraline (not Caroline) Jones lives in a rather large house with her mother and father.  Because the house is much too big for just one family, she shares it with Misses Spink and Forcible (they live in the flat below) and the crazy old man with a big mustache (who lives in the flat above).  The day after she moves in, Coraline goes exploring.  She IS an explorer after all and exploring is what she does.  She explores the gardens, the tennis court, and even the old well (which is very dangerous so it’s best to stay away from it).  Soon, she begins exploring her house, which leads her to a door (which is kept locked), which opens up to a brick wall.  But one day, the brick wall isn’t there and Coraline decides to go through the door, because that is what explorers do.  It’s not long before Coraline realizes that she should have listened to the mice (in the flat above) and NOT have gone through the door.  Mice are smart.  At least they pronounce her name correctly.

Coraline is a wonderfully spooky and thrilling tale of a young girl who is clever, brave, and kind.  Her curiosity tends to get her into mischief, but a level head and a compassionate heart always seem to allow this little explorer to come out on top.

In his book, Neil Gaiman shows us different kinds of love.  There’s the I-love-yellow-Wellington-boots-in-the-shape-of-frogs love and the I’d-love-for-you-to-go-away-so-I-can-work love and then the I-love-you-so-much-that-I-will-give-you-everything-so-you’ll-love-me-too kind of love.  Throughout our story, Coraline deals with all of these:  her own love for quirky things; the love from her parents who often don’t seem to notice her; and the demanding love from a strange being that will go to any length in order to acquire and keep it.  The Ancient Greeks identified eight kinds of love.  Psychologists state there are seven.  For Coraline, there is only one kind of love and that is the love she has for her mother and father.  It is this love that gives her the will and the strength to fight against seemingly overwhelming odds and terrifying beings in order to find her way home again…and back to love.

Rating: 4/5

Posted: 10/2/2018

* Book cover image attributed to http://www.amazon.com