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A review by charm_city_sinner
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow...what an amazing book this was! @gwendolynkiste really created something special with The Haunting of Velkwood and I'm so glad I squeezed this in before the end of the year.
The main protagonist, Talitha is in her 40s and still cannot escape the tragedy surrounding her old street, which is now sealed off from the rest of the world in some sort of supernatural haunted force field. What became of the rest of Velkwood Street's residents (including Talitha's mother and younger sister).
That is a great premise for a ghost story, but what's needed to take this to the next level are believable characters and a fully fleshed out backstory. That's where Kiste absolutely excels, and I was honestly sad the book ended as quickly as it did.
The backstory involving Talitha and her best friend Brett, the abuse Brett endures from her stepfather (and the fact that the abuse is ignored by everyone in the neighborhood), is the real haunting of the story. Yes this is an expertly crafted ghost story, but it's also a dark and deeply sad tale of love, abuse, family trauma, grief, and ultimately survival.
Even though I find myself drawn more and more towards dark literary fiction, books like The Haunting of Velkwood will make sure I keep an eye on horror into the new year.
The main protagonist, Talitha is in her 40s and still cannot escape the tragedy surrounding her old street, which is now sealed off from the rest of the world in some sort of supernatural haunted force field. What became of the rest of Velkwood Street's residents (including Talitha's mother and younger sister).
That is a great premise for a ghost story, but what's needed to take this to the next level are believable characters and a fully fleshed out backstory. That's where Kiste absolutely excels, and I was honestly sad the book ended as quickly as it did.
The backstory involving Talitha and her best friend Brett, the abuse Brett endures from her stepfather (and the fact that the abuse is ignored by everyone in the neighborhood), is the real haunting of the story. Yes this is an expertly crafted ghost story, but it's also a dark and deeply sad tale of love, abuse, family trauma, grief, and ultimately survival.
Even though I find myself drawn more and more towards dark literary fiction, books like The Haunting of Velkwood will make sure I keep an eye on horror into the new year.