Who Would Like This Book:
Fans of gothic horror, paranormal tales, and uniquely inventive ghost stories will find a lot to love here. The premise of an entire street trapped in haunting and the way Gwendolyn Kiste explores both literal and emotional hauntings is absolutely captivating. The atmosphere is wonderfully eerie, with lush writing and complex, relatable characters - especially for readers who appreciate stories of found family, trauma, LGBTQ+ themes, and complicated friendships. If you like horror with heart and a side of psychological depth, this book is for you!
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you're looking for non-stop fright or classic jump scares, you may find this one a bit more atmospheric than outright scary. Some readers felt the story dragged in the middle and wished for a more explosive or clear-cut ending. If you prefer straightforward horror with everything neatly explained or want less focus on relationships and metaphor, this might not hit the mark.
About:
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste is a unique paranormal novel that explores a haunted neighborhood, where time is stuck and the ghosts of former inhabitants linger. The story follows Talitha, who returns to her eerie childhood neighborhood, confronting the haunting presence of her mother and sister while trying to uncover the secrets of Velkwood. The themes revolve around grief, childhood trauma, and the complexities of friendship and love, particularly the LGBTQ relationships that enrich the narrative. Kiste's writing creates a deep emotional atmosphere filled with vivid imagery, making it impossible to put down.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of grief, trauma, and complex emotional relationships, though they are not graphically depicted.
Has Romance?
Romance plays a significant role in the narrative, particularly focusing on the relationship between Talitha and her best friend Brett.
From The Publisher:
From Bram Stoker Award--winning author Gwendolyn Kiste comes a chilling novel about three childhood friends who miraculously survive the night everyone in their suburban hometown turned into ghosts-perfect for fans of Yellowjackets .
The Velkwood Vicinity was the topic of occult theorists, tabloid one-hour documentaries, and even some pseudo-scientific investigations as the block of homes disappeared behind a near-impenetrable veil that only three survivors could enter-and only one has in the past twenty years, until now.
Talitha Velkwood has avoided anything to do with the tragedy that took her mother and eight-year-old sister, drifting from one job to another, never settling anywhere or with anyone, feeling as trapped by her past as if she was still there in the small town she so desperately wanted to escape from. When a new researcher tracks her down and offers to pay her to come back to enter the vicinity, Talitha claims she's just doing it for the money. Of all the crackpot theories over the years, no one has discovered what happened the night Talitha, her estranged, former best friend Brett, and Grace, escaped their homes twenty years ago. Will she finally get the answers she's been looking for all these years, or is this just another dead end?
Award-winning author Gwendolyn Kiste has created a suburban ghost story about a small town that trapped three young women who must confront the past if they're going to have a future.
Ratings (5)
Loved It (3) | |
Liked It (2) |
Reader Stats (31):
Read It (5) | |
Want To Read (21) | |
Not Interested (5) |
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The Haunting of Velkwood?
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