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Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The House in Books
May 22, 2019
Sadie, Fin, and their two children were a perfectly ordinary family. Even if Fin felt taken for granted sometimes. Even if their introverted son, Liam, had terrible nightmares and knew things he shouldn't.
But everything changes the night Sadie is viciously assaulted by former client Lance Sherry. Sherry knows where they live, and when the police fail to catch him, Sadie and Fin are forced to run. They think they've found the perfect place to start over. The house is everything Fin dreamed of, but as they settle in, Sadie discovers their home may not be what it seems, and daughter Lucy's imaginary friend might not be imaginary at all. Or even a friend. With Lance Sherry hunting them, the house could be the least of their problems. He's coming to finish what he started. And he won't stop until he finds Sadie.
This is the kind of book that is not easy to review because you dont want to give anything away.
There is a paranormal element to this, but its almost more evil than what you think about a normal haunting with ghosts. And there is also a real life evil person the characters have to deal with so its a lot on their plates.
The combination of the real and the paranormal was a nice touch.
For the most part, the story is told from both heroines point of view, but at times the reader is also privy to whats going on in little Liams head as well as the villains.
This was a great read to me and I really enjoyed it.
Recommend reading.
Copy provided by the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley.
But everything changes the night Sadie is viciously assaulted by former client Lance Sherry. Sherry knows where they live, and when the police fail to catch him, Sadie and Fin are forced to run. They think they've found the perfect place to start over. The house is everything Fin dreamed of, but as they settle in, Sadie discovers their home may not be what it seems, and daughter Lucy's imaginary friend might not be imaginary at all. Or even a friend. With Lance Sherry hunting them, the house could be the least of their problems. He's coming to finish what he started. And he won't stop until he finds Sadie.
This is the kind of book that is not easy to review because you dont want to give anything away.
There is a paranormal element to this, but its almost more evil than what you think about a normal haunting with ghosts. And there is also a real life evil person the characters have to deal with so its a lot on their plates.
The combination of the real and the paranormal was a nice touch.
For the most part, the story is told from both heroines point of view, but at times the reader is also privy to whats going on in little Liams head as well as the villains.
This was a great read to me and I really enjoyed it.
Recommend reading.
Copy provided by the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley.
Subject B will do anything to get his life back. But the dead have other plans
Kidnapped by the brilliant Professor Worthe, Vietnam vet Marcus Holt is forced to take part in a sadistic experiment. Worthe's game has one objective: to see how much fear a man can survive. Now known as Subject B, Marcus is about to discover the answer to that question Whether he likes it or not.
Trapped in Worthes haunted village, Marcus and his team stumble across Subject H, a frightened young mother eager to reunite with her child. She soon becomes the target of a ghost drawn to her fear and anguish. A wrathful spirit that stalks them all from the shadows, waiting for a chance to wield his razor-sharp knifeto carve out the heart of any mother he can find
Marcus must call on every ounce of strength and courage to protect Subject H from the terror that hunts her. But even if they can escape Worthes latest horror, another enemy lurks in the village a deadly spirit Marcus has faced before.
This vicious ghost is about to end Worthes experiment once and for all By killing Marcus Holt.
I have read every single one of Ron Ripley's books and I love them all!!
I would definitely recommend these books to anybody who loves horror; these books are the ones for you.
I'm hoping there will be one more to give some closure to this one.
I get so involved with the characters that the ghosts are expected. I can't get enough!
The plot and pace are perfectly tuned.
Definitely recommend reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Kidnapped by the brilliant Professor Worthe, Vietnam vet Marcus Holt is forced to take part in a sadistic experiment. Worthe's game has one objective: to see how much fear a man can survive. Now known as Subject B, Marcus is about to discover the answer to that question Whether he likes it or not.
Trapped in Worthes haunted village, Marcus and his team stumble across Subject H, a frightened young mother eager to reunite with her child. She soon becomes the target of a ghost drawn to her fear and anguish. A wrathful spirit that stalks them all from the shadows, waiting for a chance to wield his razor-sharp knifeto carve out the heart of any mother he can find
Marcus must call on every ounce of strength and courage to protect Subject H from the terror that hunts her. But even if they can escape Worthes latest horror, another enemy lurks in the village a deadly spirit Marcus has faced before.
This vicious ghost is about to end Worthes experiment once and for all By killing Marcus Holt.
I have read every single one of Ron Ripley's books and I love them all!!
I would definitely recommend these books to anybody who loves horror; these books are the ones for you.
I'm hoping there will be one more to give some closure to this one.
I get so involved with the characters that the ghosts are expected. I can't get enough!
The plot and pace are perfectly tuned.
Definitely recommend reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Interesting and thought provoking.
The Ghost Studies was an interesting read. One that I definitely scribbled in, ear-marked pages, and all that stuff you do when you want to cross-reference and remember things. The author makes a lot of salient points, and a lot of times I found myself sitting back and just reconsidering things I had previously brushed off.
It was also, truth be told, a difficult book for me to read. Not because it was bad, but because it oftentimes required more concentration than I was capable of. This is not a book you want to skim. You want to sit down with it when you have the time to truly pay attention to it, and the ability to concentrate on what the author is saying.
I think my favorite topic was that of quantum entanglement. I hadn't heard of it before I started this book, and, funnily enough, right before I got to the section in The Ghost Studies, I read a book involving it for the first time. (I read multiple books at once, if that sentence confused anyone.) The section on EMF was very interesting as well.
Now, I won't say that this has influenced my belief (or lack thereof) in ghosts one way or another, but I definitely enjoyed the way it made me think. I do wish the author had spent a little bit more time on the Not Everything is Paranormal section, though. I felt like that one skimmed a bit.
Overall, a good read but not a quick one. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, I think you'll find something interesting about paranormal experiences in The Ghost Studies.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
It was also, truth be told, a difficult book for me to read. Not because it was bad, but because it oftentimes required more concentration than I was capable of. This is not a book you want to skim. You want to sit down with it when you have the time to truly pay attention to it, and the ability to concentrate on what the author is saying.
I think my favorite topic was that of quantum entanglement. I hadn't heard of it before I started this book, and, funnily enough, right before I got to the section in The Ghost Studies, I read a book involving it for the first time. (I read multiple books at once, if that sentence confused anyone.) The section on EMF was very interesting as well.
Now, I won't say that this has influenced my belief (or lack thereof) in ghosts one way or another, but I definitely enjoyed the way it made me think. I do wish the author had spent a little bit more time on the Not Everything is Paranormal section, though. I felt like that one skimmed a bit.
Overall, a good read but not a quick one. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, I think you'll find something interesting about paranormal experiences in The Ghost Studies.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in TV
Nov 16, 2018
Fantastic thoughtul and moving horror
The much-hyped horror series, telling the story of the Craine family who lived in "Hill House" during an ill-advised renovation project until the mother died in mysterious circumstances. The story moves between the present day, when the 5 Craine children are all grown up, and the past when they lived in Hill House.
The bulk of each episode is more focused on the drama of the family, and less focused on the horror aspects. But in each episode there are moments of utter, heart-stopping terror - either through true unexpected jump scares (there are few of these, but when they come, they are effective) or just complete bone-chilling creepiness.
As is so often the case, the viewers reaction to the ghostly interactions relies heavily on it happening to a child, really hitting hard at times.
I'm not a fan of horror films going all metaphysical and time-travelly (Paranormal Activity for one) but it is reasonably well handled here and isn't a forced point.
The cast is decent, if not outstanding, especially the younger child actors who are fantastic. And there's still something about Carla Gugino that makes me feel all funny.
I got a little distracted looking for the hidden ghosts throughout the series (there are over 40 of them, some are pretty much impossible to spot, others catch your eye after a few seconds and totally creep you out).
The series is somewhat toned down horror, there is virtually no gore and the jump-scares are few but effective, with much more focus on the drama. For me this was a refreshing twist on the genre and made it a much more enjoyable series than if it were all-out horror. A nice alternative to American Horror Story.
The bulk of each episode is more focused on the drama of the family, and less focused on the horror aspects. But in each episode there are moments of utter, heart-stopping terror - either through true unexpected jump scares (there are few of these, but when they come, they are effective) or just complete bone-chilling creepiness.
As is so often the case, the viewers reaction to the ghostly interactions relies heavily on it happening to a child, really hitting hard at times.
I'm not a fan of horror films going all metaphysical and time-travelly (Paranormal Activity for one) but it is reasonably well handled here and isn't a forced point.
The cast is decent, if not outstanding, especially the younger child actors who are fantastic. And there's still something about Carla Gugino that makes me feel all funny.
I got a little distracted looking for the hidden ghosts throughout the series (there are over 40 of them, some are pretty much impossible to spot, others catch your eye after a few seconds and totally creep you out).
The series is somewhat toned down horror, there is virtually no gore and the jump-scares are few but effective, with much more focus on the drama. For me this was a refreshing twist on the genre and made it a much more enjoyable series than if it were all-out horror. A nice alternative to American Horror Story.
JT (287 KP) rated The Ward (2010) in Movies
Mar 16, 2020
Poor acting (2 more)
Laughable twist
Not scary
Carpenter must have been having an off day
his is a massive disappointment and there is no place to hide here for John Carpenter who making a return to directing since 2001′s Ghosts of Mars has delivered us a real ‘dog’ of a film.
I’m a big fan of his work, but that is his early work with the likes of Halloween and The Thing as my personal favourites, but here Carpenter’s trademark suspense is all but lost in a story that is as predictable as it is stupid.
After setting fire to a barn Kristen (Amber Heard) is sent to a mental hospital, where she is terrorised by a ghost, a hidden past his reflected upon but never fully delved into. There is of course more to it than that, and Heard spends a vast majority of the time either locked in her room or trying to escape while at the same time piecing the puzzle together with the help of some of her fellow inmates.
Carpenter’s use of the wide camera angle is effective in places, and the long cold corridors of the ward are enough to give anyone the chills. However, it is not built on in any way and all the suspense is somewhat lost by the poor acting and monotonous build-up to the next potential terrifying scene. When the ghost is revealed it is, to be honest laughable and not in the least bit frightening which is probably one of the main downfalls of the film.
The twist ending is anything but predictable and you could have spotted it a mile off, it’s a poor effort this perhaps not helped in the writing department, but Carpenter is one of the masters of horror but here he hasn’t even bothered to turn up.
I’m a big fan of his work, but that is his early work with the likes of Halloween and The Thing as my personal favourites, but here Carpenter’s trademark suspense is all but lost in a story that is as predictable as it is stupid.
After setting fire to a barn Kristen (Amber Heard) is sent to a mental hospital, where she is terrorised by a ghost, a hidden past his reflected upon but never fully delved into. There is of course more to it than that, and Heard spends a vast majority of the time either locked in her room or trying to escape while at the same time piecing the puzzle together with the help of some of her fellow inmates.
Carpenter’s use of the wide camera angle is effective in places, and the long cold corridors of the ward are enough to give anyone the chills. However, it is not built on in any way and all the suspense is somewhat lost by the poor acting and monotonous build-up to the next potential terrifying scene. When the ghost is revealed it is, to be honest laughable and not in the least bit frightening which is probably one of the main downfalls of the film.
The twist ending is anything but predictable and you could have spotted it a mile off, it’s a poor effort this perhaps not helped in the writing department, but Carpenter is one of the masters of horror but here he hasn’t even bothered to turn up.
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