Hey all, Dani here.
Today’s review is a fun one, because the author reached out to me for a review. So I guess I get to start off by saying that though she sent me a PDF of this book in exchange for a review, it did not influence my rating or my review. My opinions remain my own. Oh, also, this book was just released last week, so now is the perfect time to go and pick it up.
All right, let’s jump into the review.
Summary
Stranger Things with a ghostly twist! A gripping, genre-bending debut about a girl suddenly beset by ghosts and demons.
Horror aficionado Lanie Adams should be thrilled when two eighties-era ghosts materialize in her bedroom. Yet after a fainting incident unbecoming of a horror nerd, she would rather her haunting just go away—the ghosts’ waterlogged voices and ice-cold auras are more terrifying than any movie. Enlisting the help of Ryan, an entirely-too-cute stoner, she makes it her mission to put the spirits stalking her to rest.
Some sleuthing reveals that their sleepy Connecticut town is host to a shadowy, decades-old conspiracy. If Lanie wants to say a final goodbye to her ghosts, she’ll need to keep digging. But it’s important to tread carefully. The culprit is still in town—and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.
Perfect for fans of Stranger Things! With strong characters who are easy to root for, this stunning, multilayered debut will keep you holding your breath till the very last page.
My Thoughts
Rating: 4 stars
I needed to read this anyway, so I decided to choose it for the Horror genre read for #AGameofBooksathon. I don’t really read a lot of mystery/horror/thriller type stories, but this one seemed intriguing because of the ghosts and the claim that it would be perfect for fans of “Stranger Things.”
The atmosphere of this book does lend itself well to the same vibe as “Stranger Things,” and more than that, I can definitely see reading this at night or around Halloween to increase those creepy vibes.
The way the ghosts are described and portrayed was actually pretty cool, and then the numerous scenes of Lanie or Lanie and Ryan doing research and investigating what they learned to verify it all were really cool.
As someone who spent a great deal of time at the library, and went to grad school to become a librarian, can I just say how cool it was to have the helpful librarian talk about Boolean searches in this book? I know, I’m a geek, but I really enjoyed that part.
I also liked that Lanie’s parents were an active part of her life, and that there were consequences for some of the choices she made throughout the novel.
The twists and turns and information gathering and revelations of this book kept me interested, and it actually didn’t take that long to finish reading the whole book. I’m glad I had the opportunity to read this book, because honestly I might not have heard of it if it hadn’t been for the author reaching out to me. Now I plan to keep an eye out for future releases from Katie Jane Gallagher. While this wasn’t a blow me away 5 star read, I still had a great time reading it.
Where to Buy
You can pick up a copy of this book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or ask your local independent bookstore to snag you a copy.
Free State of Geek 
ooh, I’m intrigued by this! any book with a Stranger Things comparison has my attention, and I’m impressed that the author has the protagonist’s parents playing an active role in her life as it annoys me that parents are sidelined so much (they’re like, the most influential people in a teenager’s life, why are they missing from YA). def adding to my TBR!
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I’ve actually seen a few YA books lately where the parents had a more active role in the story and in the characters’ lives. It’s refreshing and I’m glad for it.
Awesome! I hope you enjoy reading this one. 🙂
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