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Book Review: Shadow School: Archimancy (Shadow School #1) by J. A. White

Shadow School: Archimancy (Shadow School #1) by J. A. White

Katherine Tegen Books, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-0062838292

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

Cordelia didn’t want to move from sunny California and away from her friends, but her dad’s new job is in New Hampshire,  so now she’s stuck in freezing New Hampshire at creepy Elijah Z. Shadow Middle School, a confusing maze of a building that looks more like a haunted mansion than a public school.  The truth is, it’s both,  Elijah Z. Shadow, the son of freed slaves who became a famous architect, was obsessed with capturing ghosts, and studied the construction of haunted houses in order to build one that would attract and trap ghosts– a process he described as “archimancy” . Only Cordelia and one other kid, Benji, can see the ghosts in the school. Aided by their scientifically-minded friend Agnes, Cordelia and Benji must decide what to do about the ghosts. Should they ignore them, fear them, help them move on, or let the school’s ghost catchers drain them into nothingness? Their adventuring is taking them into dangerous situations.

This is a nicely-done coming of age story tinged with an intriguing mystery, conflicted feelings about friendship, and nods to the horror genre (with teachers named Machen, Derleth, and Aickman– horror loving adults will probably appreciate them more than children). I haven’t seen the idea of studying haunted houses with the intent to trap ghosts elsewhere, although strange architecture certainly does seem to be a feature in many fictional and reputed haunted houses (such as Hill House and the Winchester mansion) and the convoluted piecing together of the story is interesting to see.  In many ways, though, this is more of a story about adjusting to moving, letting go, and building new friendships in middle school than it is about scaring the readers. Although there are a few genuinely scary incidents, White’s previous book, Nightbooks (reviewed here last year as part of this booklist), was far scarier and more disturbing. This is an original take on and loving homage to the haunted house genre, with diverse characters (Cordelia is half-Chinese and Benji is Peruvian) and would likely work well as a relatively gentle introduction to the horror genre for upper elementary and middle school students trying it out for the first time.

Highly recommended.

 

Contains: some violence

 

 

 

Posted on May 19, 2020 by , Reply

Book Review: Violet by Scott Thomas

Violet by Scott Thomas

Inkshares Press, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-947848-36-8

Available: Paperback, Kindle, audiobook

 

Scott Thomas’s sophomore novel, Violet, came with a mound of high expectations attached to it.  His debut novel, Kill Creek, was one of the best horror novels of 2017.   Critics everywhere praised it, and even had some proclaiming Thomas as the possible heir to the Throne of King.  Needless to say, his second novel had a lot to live up to.  Unfortunately, the material does not meet the expectations, and judgment on whether he is the heir apparent will have to wait another book or two.  Violet showcases the author’s excellent descriptive writing, but the book is dragged down by its slow pace and lack of an exciting finish.

 

Kris Barlow and her eight year old daughter, Sadie, are retreating to the lake house that Kris inherited from her parents.  The goal is recovery, as her husband Jonah just died in a car accident.  Worth noting: Kris didn’t like him that much anyhow.  The setting seems perfect for a ride of suspense: the town is small, and the lake was mysteriously formed years ago when construction workers dug into a hidden chasm, releasing enough water to make a lake suddenly appear and flood half the town.  The house is in disrepair, as everyone that rented it left after a few days out of fear, and even the realtor won’t go near the place.  While there, odd happenings such as handprints all over the inside windows start to occur.  While settling into small town life, Kris learns of the mysterious disappearances of young girls in the area.  Some of the bodies were recovered, some not.  The ghostly occurrences increase, people drop mysterious warnings, and Kris soon learns that her daughter may be a target of the town’s evil forces.

 

As noted, Thomas is an excellent writer, with a real flair for descriptive narration.  He paints pictures with words so well you can see the whole book running on the movie screen in your mind.  The dialogue is also quite good, but it’s the narration where Thomas really shines.  He skates right up close to the edge of excess with his description, but he never crosses the line.  As a result, the story leaps right off the page at you.  The problem is, the story itself simply isn’t that compelling.  This book is an EXTREMELY slow burn, and it takes until around 300 pages before the story starts to move a little bit.  Even when it does, it doesn’t move much.  A thrilling climax might have been enough to justify the previous 400 pages, but even that gets denied.  In all likelihood, the end will leave the reader with more questions than answers.  It’s really a shame, because the setting and backstory seemed perfect for Thomas to apply his considerable skill at suspense writing.  All the elements are there: ghostly figures, mysterious neighbors, townies who seem to be hiding something, strange occurrences with animals, the list goes on.  Despite all of the available parts, for some reason, Thomas simply can’t get this one off the ground.  The best that can be said is, the talent is there, and let’s hope for better next time.

Contains: mild violence, mild profanity.

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

 

 

 

Posted on December 22, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: Spirits by Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel

Spirits by Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel

Haverhill House Publishing, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1949140088

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

 

Spirits come in many forms, and some say that those in the liquid form can lead to those of the demonic sort. Debut author Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel  tackles alcoholism, and beats the snot out of it, in a novel that delves into the horrors that can come out of falling prey to this crippling addiction.

Tori Garrett is one of those suffering from her addiction to the bottle, living every day under the specter of drinking or recovering from a rough day or night. She’s particularly haunted by an act that destroyed most of her life: she struck and killed a teenage girl with her car.  She has lost everything: her job, her friends, her former life.

The mother of the victim, Carla Perez, seeks to make Tori’s life a living hell for killing her daughter. What she does to strike back is both horrifying, and utterly affecting to any parent.

Once Tori hits rock bottom, she travels to picturesque Cape May, New Jersey, a favorite place of hers, now in the off-season, to hide and to find herself. She shares the Seaside House Bed and Breakfast with a kind woman who attempts to bond with her while healing from her tragedies. They both encounter another damaged soul, Chris Silver, who is dead set on putting Tori on the path to redemption, in an attempt to fix himself.

Together, this odd group of people fight a seemingly unwinnable battle that is all too real, while spirits of the supernatural sort begin to creep in and curl the edges of reality for all of them. Their battle brings to mind the best in horror history (such as those in IT, Ghost Story, and Strangers). It’s that powerful.

Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel has penned a fine first novel that will hit audiences hard. Her writing is smooth, like an aged Scotch that burns on the way down, scorching the throat while blurring the line between the real world and fiction. This is definitely horror, but could hold up just as well as a personal foray into the relationships that exist between friends and strangers, and how alcoholism can destroy just as much as supernatural demons. While some people may seem similarities to The Shining, it’s strong enough to be different and stand on its own. Haverhill House continues to impress with its publication of outstanding work.  Recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by David Simms

 

Posted on September 4, 2019 by , Reply
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