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thomsenrm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
kdickerson38's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.5
A very spooky, haunting, and eerie novella with dual timelines; quick read with a lot of tension; loved the creepy doll and ouija board parts; great writing; the story overall is a little forgettable tho, with a very abrupt and open ending.
Very cool that while this is indeed fiction, it’s based off of the author’s real experiences as a child.
kelseyrein's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
the_enobee's review
4.0
This was a gripping, spooky read that I could not put down. Ouija boards always freak me out, and this serves as an excellent cautionary tale. I really enjoyed how this was tied into the entire family and a specific location. The local cemetery scenes are all top notch. The parts written about Maggie as a child resonated with me because the character motivation is pitch-perfect. I do wish that at some point Maggie had sat down and made an itemized list of events that have occurred, created a time-line, and proceeded forth with a plan of action based on that data. Of course, that's just my OCD shining through, lol. The pending hurricane also heightened tension, and led me to read this in record time. If this is a novella, then it's borderline to the extreme as it's around 250 pages. Quite a steal at 1.99 for this ebook. Definitely recommended.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that Ania's book "soundtracks" are always filled with delicious bits that warrant playlist creation. Especially if you're feeling the '80's. Good stuff.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that Ania's book "soundtracks" are always filled with delicious bits that warrant playlist creation. Especially if you're feeling the '80's. Good stuff.
colivaresso's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cderry's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoy Ania Ahlborn stories, but this one was kinda boring and forgettable to me...
tiffanyruberto's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.0
As a fan of Ania Ahlborn I definitely enjoyed this book. It’s a quick read and the tension in this story is palpable. Definitely a scary story about the innocence of youth, the lure of the occult, and the repercussions of dangerous naive decisions.
paperbacksandpines's review against another edition
3.0
This horror novella was unputdownable. Moving back and forth between her 22ish year old self and her 12 year old self, the reader gradually uncovers what happened to make Maggie never want to return to her family home to Georgia again.
The good and bad thing about the horror in this book was that it was ambiguous, something that could be good or bad, depending on your reading preferences. This book definitely had the creeping sense of unease I look for in horror books. There were some unanswered questions for me, though, particularly around Maggie's niece, her relationship to the creepy doll, and to the nameless shadow that lived with Maggie's family home. And I was disappointed by the ending, which some horror fans might like but not me.
One of the exciting bonuses of [b:I Call Upon Thee|31302864|I Call Upon Thee|Ania Ahlborn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1502169173l/31302864._SY75_.jpg|52590509] is that while the book is a work of fiction, Ahlborn noted that it's the closest thing I'll get to an autobiography of how my "strangeness" came to be. The board was real. The cemetery, real. The night I watched The Exorcist, real as well. And the part where twelve year old Maggie suddenly realizes she's in way over her head? Yeah, that too. Of course, there's embellishment and exaggeration, but it's cobbled together from true events, odd memories, and the occasional nightmare. And that, my friends, is why I'll never contact the dead again.
The good and bad thing about the horror in this book was that it was ambiguous, something that could be good or bad, depending on your reading preferences. This book definitely had the creeping sense of unease I look for in horror books. There were some unanswered questions for me, though, particularly around Maggie's niece, her relationship to the creepy doll, and to the nameless shadow that lived with Maggie's family home. And I was disappointed by the ending, which some horror fans might like but not me.
One of the exciting bonuses of [b:I Call Upon Thee|31302864|I Call Upon Thee|Ania Ahlborn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1502169173l/31302864._SY75_.jpg|52590509] is that while the book is a work of fiction, Ahlborn noted that it's the closest thing I'll get to an autobiography of how my "strangeness" came to be. The board was real. The cemetery, real. The night I watched The Exorcist, real as well. And the part where twelve year old Maggie suddenly realizes she's in way over her head? Yeah, that too. Of course, there's embellishment and exaggeration, but it's cobbled together from true events, odd memories, and the occasional nightmare. And that, my friends, is why I'll never contact the dead again.