This was quite the little page turner and definitely worth the bargain basement price of $1.97 that I paid for it at Books-A-Million. Don't go into it thinking you'll be scared out of your mind though because it is a teen/YA book and seems to be watered down accordingly. There is some creepiness to it though and it'll make you think twice about playing with a Ouija board. 

The book was too short though. When I got to the end I was wanting more, more, more! An 'adult' version with a little more depth and horror would be perfect. I definitely could go for that! I'm dying to see the movies now- the original that is based on this book & the prequel that's in theaters. The original movie, I'm planning to watch tonight so I'm looking forward to that. I imagine it will be quite a bit scarier then the book. This is just one of those stories that needs some on screen theatrics. 

If you like a little bit of paranormal horror but not too much then this is the perfect book! You can get your 'scare me' fix and still sleep at night!

This book is pretty good! I'm dying to see both movies now- the original and the new prequel that just released. I'm pretty chicken though when it comes to really scary movies so I hope these aren't too over the top or I'll be seeing things around every corner & have nightmares for days. : ) Lol

This was one of the best haunted house stories I've ever read! I just loved it! It's about The Rolfes- Marian, Ben & their son David. They live in a noisy apartment building in Queens so in order to get some peace they rent a house in the country for two months for their summer vacation. The house turns out to be a huge mansion that has fallen in disrepair. They find the renters, Roz & Brother, to be very eccentric and in the back of their mind they know that something isn't quite right. They present them with an offer they can't refuse though so they move in and take possession of the house but they'll come to find out that the house has taken possession of them; and as Marian's obsession with the house intensifies and her will to choose her family over the house is slowly taken from her, the house comes back to life...

Sometimes I find the endings to haunted house stories can be kind of hokey but I thought this one was very satisfying. The entire story was very atmospheric and I really enjoyed the sense of dark foreboding that overcast their stay. Seeing the house take possession of the family was very eerie and nicely written by the author.

If I absolutely 'had' to pick something that I didn't care for, it would probably be Marian & Ben's lovey-dovey dialogue. It was kind of sweet at first, and to give the author credit where credit is due, it was pretty realistic but I really don't care to hear couples baby talk in real life so I definitely don't care to hear it in a book either. That's really just a personal preference though and it didn't bother me enough to sway my rating.

On a side note, my 'obsession' with books 'possessed' me to buy a 1973 first edition of this but I'm so glad I did! It was totally worth it and I know I'll go back and reread it one day. For now though, it's going back in its Brodart and I'm going to find a copy of this movie that I'm dying to see!

The Shunned House by H.P. Lovecraft is a novella about an actual house in Providence, Rhode Island but Lovecraft's inspiration to write the story came from another house in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The story is about a doctor and his nephew. They've been fascinated with this house because so many strange things have occurred there over the years and so many people have died or became sick after staying there. In hopes of getting to the root of the evil, they both stay overnight in the house with dire consequences...

So this story was ok. It took me a little while to get into it and use to the old style of writing. I appreciated the scientific vibe of the haunting and story the most. It made me question for a second whether this strange house and all of its happenings really existed. The ending was also pretty good. It was a little faster paced and had the most action, so to speak. The story wasn't scary though but it did have a little creepiness to it. It was a quick read and good for getting in the Halloween spirit.

*I read this for my 2016 Halloween Bingo: ~Set in New England~ square

 "Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life."

"Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world."

"The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget."

When I saw this was published by James Patterson's new imprint and his name was on the front cover, as usual, my first thought was- oh no, really! I know, I know- he didn't write it, lol, and I shouldn't judge but I still wondered what the hell I was getting myself into. I'm almost embarrassed to say though, I honestly loved it and thought it was fantastic! : )

I especially liked the story's foray into forensic medicine, although it was a little gruesome, but I didn't think it was too bad. I listened to the audio version though and missed out on all of the graphic pictures and detailed footnotes that I heard were included. The narrator was really good but I would still like to see the book at some point. If you have a weak constitution though, the audio route might be the way to go.

I also absolutely loved the main characters, Audrey Rose and Thomas Creswell. Audrey's strong willed and determined to study forensic medicine no matter what the cost. She wears what she wants to and does what she wants to do- screw the rules of society and she stands up to her father and anyone else in her way. She's my kind of girl!

Thomas is also studying forensic medicine. Him and Audrey end up as partners in detection as well as falling for each other. He's smart, sarcastic and so very blunt -it's hilarious! He comes across sometimes as cold and harsh but I loved his personality.  The dialogue between the two was absolutely priceless. I really hope to see more of both him and Audrey. I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for the sequel.

I read this for my 2016 Halloween Bingo: ~Scary Women (Authors)~ square