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A review by suspensethrill
The Residence by Andrew Pyper
5.0
"You think you hold sole ownership over pain. Perhaps you believe you invented it... I have my arrogance. But this Jeannie-this is yours."
I've always felt horror is divided into two distinct parties: the gory, jump scare variety and the horror that plays upon grief and a person's worst nightmare coming true. I've always subscribed to the latter, as my worst fear is losing one or both of my children, and then having to survive that grief for the remainder of my "unnaturally" long life. Andrew Pyper has once again crafted a unique tale, and this one is grounded in factual history, while giving it a supernatural spin that, honestly, had me questioning whether the White House is in fact haunted.
"Where does it go now?" she whispered.
"Where does what go, my dear?"
"Our love for him."
For those who aren't familiar, Franklin Pierce (the 14th president of the United States) boarded a train with his wife and young son after winning the presidential election, and said train derailed and killed the couple's only remaining son (they had lost the previous two tragically due to sickness). History writes that Mrs. Pierce was never the same again, and the strained single term that her husband was in office felt the birth pangs of the nearing Civil War. Where the story departs from history (or does it?) is when Bennie, the deceased son, begins to haunt the White House, alongside many other specters. What follows is a tale steeped in themes of karma, and how evil breeds greater evil, especially in regards to slavery, misogyny, and other forms of social injustice.
I've always wondered about the stories that have been told for hundreds of years about the various hauntings reported in the White House, and the author addresses these in a post note, but perhaps the reason why this book worked so well for me is due to the fact that Pyper found a way to make the logical side of my brain which screams "Absurd!" become dominated by the creative side, likely due to how well researched the tale is and how the delicate insertions of paranormal entities make it seem so realistic. If you're the type of horror reader who prefers the bloody, stabby, graphic type of scare, this one probably won't be for you. However, if you enjoy a more subtle novel that plays on the fears that humans have surrounding loss and grief, you'll be hard pressed to find a better, albeit extremely sad, read in the genre.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
I've always felt horror is divided into two distinct parties: the gory, jump scare variety and the horror that plays upon grief and a person's worst nightmare coming true. I've always subscribed to the latter, as my worst fear is losing one or both of my children, and then having to survive that grief for the remainder of my "unnaturally" long life. Andrew Pyper has once again crafted a unique tale, and this one is grounded in factual history, while giving it a supernatural spin that, honestly, had me questioning whether the White House is in fact haunted.
"Where does it go now?" she whispered.
"Where does what go, my dear?"
"Our love for him."
For those who aren't familiar, Franklin Pierce (the 14th president of the United States) boarded a train with his wife and young son after winning the presidential election, and said train derailed and killed the couple's only remaining son (they had lost the previous two tragically due to sickness). History writes that Mrs. Pierce was never the same again, and the strained single term that her husband was in office felt the birth pangs of the nearing Civil War. Where the story departs from history (or does it?) is when Bennie, the deceased son, begins to haunt the White House, alongside many other specters. What follows is a tale steeped in themes of karma, and how evil breeds greater evil, especially in regards to slavery, misogyny, and other forms of social injustice.
I've always wondered about the stories that have been told for hundreds of years about the various hauntings reported in the White House, and the author addresses these in a post note, but perhaps the reason why this book worked so well for me is due to the fact that Pyper found a way to make the logical side of my brain which screams "Absurd!" become dominated by the creative side, likely due to how well researched the tale is and how the delicate insertions of paranormal entities make it seem so realistic. If you're the type of horror reader who prefers the bloody, stabby, graphic type of scare, this one probably won't be for you. However, if you enjoy a more subtle novel that plays on the fears that humans have surrounding loss and grief, you'll be hard pressed to find a better, albeit extremely sad, read in the genre.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.