This House is Haunted (John Boyne)

It's been awhile since I've actually had goosebumps and been in a constant state of anxiety while reading a book.  Congratulations John Boyne – This House is Haunted is exactly the type of novel one would expect from a title like that.  It's a good old fashioned ghost story set in the 1800s, and even Charles Dickens makes an appearance, however unfortunate.

After going through the unimaginable loss of the only relative she has left in the world, Eliza Caine decides to leave her life in London for a brand new start.  She answers a mysterious ad for a governess in a place she's never been, soon discovering that there are no parents there to meet her, just two children.  When unexplainable things start to happen that threaten her life, Eliza realizes that there is a force in the house that doesn't want her there.  Most people would just run in a situation like this, but Eliza's moral responsibility for the children is just too great.  The house is full of secrets, and Boyne reveals them slowly, delivering punch after punch.

Some reviewers have stated that this book is full of "haunted house" clichés, but I disagree.  Boyne has crafted a highly original and unbelievably scary tale that will keep you up at night.  And isn't that all you can really ask from a ghost story?

MY RATING - 4

Those Across the River (Christopher Buehlman)

I find myself reading a plethora of debut novels lately...S.J. Watson's wonderful Before I Go to Sleep, Rosamund Lupton's Sister, and now Christopher Buehlman's Those Across the River. These novels all have an element of suspense and mystery to them, but Buehlman's is just plain creepy...in a good way. For this is not a mystery novel in every sense of the word. This is truly a horror story.

Frank Nichols, great grandson of Lucian Savoyard, and his wife, Eudora, move to the town of Whitbrow, Georgia after World War I. Frank, a notable historian, wants to write a book about Savoyard, an evil, cruel plantation owner, who tortured his slaves. Whitbrow seems to be an ideal town at first, with Eudora teaching school, and Frank settling in to write. However, things begin to get sinister quickly when Frank accidentally meets someone from "across the river". Questions begin to pile up until the ultimate showdown between Frank and those wanting revenge.

I was chilled to the bone reading Those Across the River (and it was 80 degrees out). Buehlman is a master at foreshadowing, making the reader scared to death to turn the page, but unable to stop doing so. He is graphic in a shockingly matter-of-fact way, like this happens everyday in Whitbrow. If you are on pins and needles waiting for the premier of Season 2 of The Walking Dead, read this to get ready.

MY RATING - 4