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dnemec's review against another edition
3.0
I totally thought I was going to love this book. I'm a huge fan of haunted houses, ghosts, and creepy kids. But it took 150 pages for the husband, Jake, to realize that the boy his wife, Maggie, was talking to was not their dead child, but rather a ghost boy living in their house. And I did not find Maggie nearly as sympathetic as I should have, although I thought Jake was kind and genuinely concerned with his wife's welfare. The ramp up toward the end got better, so I ended up giving it 3 stars, but I really wanted this to be so much more.
rachel_jozie's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
*I’m not going to give you the ‘what this book is about’ blurb – you can read that elsewhere.
1. I absolutely love a good haunted house story! That means I’ve read quite a few, but this was something a bit different than what I’ve read before, and that impresses me. I love when someone can take a unique spin on a ‘tired old’ trope, a.k.a just make something popular feel fresh and new.
2. Typically, I’m not a fan of stories that center the parent/child relationship or focus a bunch on being a parent, because, I’m not a parent, and I hate how society puts so much focus on people needing to procreate – it’s not a necessity, if you don’t want to, don’t. *hops off soapbox* - that is to say, I hate feeling preached at about how amazing and necessary having a kid is, and I find 98% of books that center a parent/child relationship feel preachy to me. This one did not. At all. And that allowed me to connect to the characters more.
3. Let’s talk about the characters – Oh. My. Goodness. SO PURE. Seriously, this whole book felt like I was reading about friends of mine. They are just the nicest, most respectful people. Even when they ‘weren’t’ they were. This book centers a married couple and is written from each of their perspectives. The husband is the main POV, but we do get the wife’s take on a few things, and this provides a look at both the motivation behind actions and what the perceived intentions are. They don’t always align, and that was entirely too relatable. I just loved how real the characters felt!
4. THE ENDING.
5. I’ll be very honest, I wasn’t expecting too much from this one, but Kelli Owen called my bluff, and I wound up enjoying this read so much!
1. I absolutely love a good haunted house story! That means I’ve read quite a few, but this was something a bit different than what I’ve read before, and that impresses me. I love when someone can take a unique spin on a ‘tired old’ trope, a.k.a just make something popular feel fresh and new.
2. Typically, I’m not a fan of stories that center the parent/child relationship or focus a bunch on being a parent, because, I’m not a parent, and I hate how society puts so much focus on people needing to procreate – it’s not a necessity, if you don’t want to, don’t. *hops off soapbox* - that is to say, I hate feeling preached at about how amazing and necessary having a kid is, and I find 98% of books that center a parent/child relationship feel preachy to me. This one did not. At all. And that allowed me to connect to the characters more.
3. Let’s talk about the characters – Oh. My. Goodness. SO PURE. Seriously, this whole book felt like I was reading about friends of mine. They are just the nicest, most respectful people. Even when they ‘weren’t’ they were. This book centers a married couple and is written from each of their perspectives. The husband is the main POV, but we do get the wife’s take on a few things, and this provides a look at both the motivation behind actions and what the perceived intentions are. They don’t always align, and that was entirely too relatable. I just loved how real the characters felt!
4. THE ENDING.
5. I’ll be very honest, I wasn’t expecting too much from this one, but Kelli Owen called my bluff, and I wound up enjoying this read so much!
readbyashleyd's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
2.0
On paper this one had so much potential and I was incredibly excited for it. Sadly it did not live up to the very high hopes I had for it. I’m a huge fan of any book that has to do with the occult and life after death and this one just sounded so good. The idea practically had me salivating and when it first started to unroll I was pretty damn into it and sitting back to enjoy the ride. And then that’s where it started to get messy and a bunch of little things started to really bother me. I won’t nitpick and go into all of them but there’s 2 main things that really brought this from a yay to nay. First, at one point I got pretty tired of the never ending descriptive details, I only need so much to set a scene before I become bored with all the unnecessary details. Second, I didn’t connect with any of the characters which made it hard for me to enjoy as I’m a very character driven reader. The story had so much potential and I really wanted to love it but the execution just lacked for me. The potential is there but this story just didn’t quite work for me.
n0rmann's review
5.0
I loved this book. Little kids are scary on their own, but a ghost kid is even worse. Damn little kid and you can't even punish him.
rock_n_reads's review
5.0
While each experience is unique, all of us have dealt with grief at some point in life. It’s an inevitable, painful part of our existence, and lays a seriously effective foundation for a horror story.
Because grief is a universal aspect of the human condition, it’s easy to empathize with the characters in The Headless Boy. Most readers can relate to the main characters on some level. We all know how grief can make people behave differently, and understand its impact on relationships. Even the most sensible people can become unhinged by the emotions within the grief process, especially in the beginning stages.
This novel gripped me from the beginning, when Maggie and Jake are introduced in the midst of emotional turmoil. The feeling quickly switches from joy to sorrow, and draws the reader in with empathy for their situation. Despite never suffering the loss of a child, I was able to relate to the emotions that were part of their grief process. Aside from the sad moments, the happier moments still shared between the couple in the midst of the depression were very realistic. Owen does an amazing job depicting the grief process and all of its peaks and valleys.
This book was a great read for me due to many factors—the first of which is that it’s a story with heart. Without that authenticity and emotion, it just wouldn’t be as gripping. Also, I love stories about haunted houses, especially when they start out as a quiet type of horror. The dread slowly grows until suddenly you’re hit with major unease and fright. That’s what happens in The Headless Boy. I love how there are subtle creepy things happening to Maggie in the beginning. Jake is unable to fully understand, as he is not able to see the boy’s ghost at the start. However, he witnesses the changes in Maggie and leaves it alone for the time being, in fear of causing more grief. Eventually as the events grow more sinister, Maggie’s mental health deteriorates further, and this takes a toll on their relationship. At this point, Jake can no longer deny that the evil within the house has a firm grip on his wife.
I never want to give away too many details, so let me just say that there are some truly creeptastic moments in this one. I don’t need those scary moments to make it a horror story, but I welcome being frightened with open arms. It happens so rarely for me that I get a huge thrill when I’m scared by a book or film. I love how the supernatural aspects gradually build and intensify throughout the story. I also enjoy how we’re able to see things from the viewpoint of both characters, thanks to strong descriptions of their inner thoughts and actions.
Can I also go off on a little (related) tangent and mention my love/hate relationship with evil children in books and on film? They make for some of the most memorable and sinister villains in my opinion. In this story, Bobby gives me the absolute creeps, pisses me off, and yet I also feel sorry for him. There’s something about manipulative, vindictive children (in ghost form or alive) that’s just not right. It’s probably because of the idea that kids are all innocent and often charming. To see them capable of malice is absolutely chilling.
After this read, I can say that grief horror is one of my favorite subgenres. It’s so relatable and effective when done right. The Headless Boy now ranks among some of my favorites in this category, alongside Pet Sematary and Remains. It has everything I look for in a well-developed story. Excellent pacing, dialogue, and character development. Can I also mention THAT COVER?
It’s reminiscent of the vintage horror paperbacks we all covet, but the quality extends beyond the surface. Trust me when I say that this is more than just a cover buy.
Because grief is a universal aspect of the human condition, it’s easy to empathize with the characters in The Headless Boy. Most readers can relate to the main characters on some level. We all know how grief can make people behave differently, and understand its impact on relationships. Even the most sensible people can become unhinged by the emotions within the grief process, especially in the beginning stages.
This novel gripped me from the beginning, when Maggie and Jake are introduced in the midst of emotional turmoil. The feeling quickly switches from joy to sorrow, and draws the reader in with empathy for their situation. Despite never suffering the loss of a child, I was able to relate to the emotions that were part of their grief process. Aside from the sad moments, the happier moments still shared between the couple in the midst of the depression were very realistic. Owen does an amazing job depicting the grief process and all of its peaks and valleys.
This book was a great read for me due to many factors—the first of which is that it’s a story with heart. Without that authenticity and emotion, it just wouldn’t be as gripping. Also, I love stories about haunted houses, especially when they start out as a quiet type of horror. The dread slowly grows until suddenly you’re hit with major unease and fright. That’s what happens in The Headless Boy. I love how there are subtle creepy things happening to Maggie in the beginning. Jake is unable to fully understand, as he is not able to see the boy’s ghost at the start. However, he witnesses the changes in Maggie and leaves it alone for the time being, in fear of causing more grief. Eventually as the events grow more sinister, Maggie’s mental health deteriorates further, and this takes a toll on their relationship. At this point, Jake can no longer deny that the evil within the house has a firm grip on his wife.
I never want to give away too many details, so let me just say that there are some truly creeptastic moments in this one. I don’t need those scary moments to make it a horror story, but I welcome being frightened with open arms. It happens so rarely for me that I get a huge thrill when I’m scared by a book or film. I love how the supernatural aspects gradually build and intensify throughout the story. I also enjoy how we’re able to see things from the viewpoint of both characters, thanks to strong descriptions of their inner thoughts and actions.
Can I also go off on a little (related) tangent and mention my love/hate relationship with evil children in books and on film? They make for some of the most memorable and sinister villains in my opinion. In this story, Bobby gives me the absolute creeps, pisses me off, and yet I also feel sorry for him. There’s something about manipulative, vindictive children (in ghost form or alive) that’s just not right. It’s probably because of the idea that kids are all innocent and often charming. To see them capable of malice is absolutely chilling.
After this read, I can say that grief horror is one of my favorite subgenres. It’s so relatable and effective when done right. The Headless Boy now ranks among some of my favorites in this category, alongside Pet Sematary and Remains. It has everything I look for in a well-developed story. Excellent pacing, dialogue, and character development. Can I also mention THAT COVER?
It’s reminiscent of the vintage horror paperbacks we all covet, but the quality extends beyond the surface. Trust me when I say that this is more than just a cover buy.
stewie's review
5.0
[a:Kelli Owen|4027040|Kelli Owen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1415450989p2/4027040.jpg] delivers an incredibly haunting – in both ghosts and devastation – novel in The Headless Boy. She deftly guides you through the story, taking her time laying out all the pieces and getting you attached to the characters before pulling back the curtain on some real evil. And things get nasty.
You can read my full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read my full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
nataly_thevelveteenpage's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Owen respectfully speaks of grief with a painfully knowing tone. This is a genuine and incredibly intimate venture into trauma and the dynamic process of loss. One with which I found much to relate. The opening scene of this book will stay with me forever as something that perfectly, and dare I say beautifully, captures the intensely physical transgressions of a traumatic event. Flawlessly penned is the sensory assault that I've never before given voice to, and to know that that feeling is shared and understood to such a degree was breathtaking.
Maggie and Jake's experience is a sorrowfully common one and their story, via bereavement, is an exploration into every single facet of the grief process. Each character demonstrates one of the two noted styles of grieving. Jake, very much in "instrumental grief", becomes a steward of efficiency and action, caring for his wife whilst she descends into an "intuitive grief", embracing the unpredictable and often volatile emotions pertaining to longing, remorse, anger and mortality. It was amazing to see a sensitive topic explored with such esteem, whilst incorporating it into a greater narrative. I appreciate anything that serves to normalise the discussion of life's many discrepancies, and believe books are a perfect medium for doing this.
The Headless Boy is your traditional gothic horror with a twist that encourages complex thought and consideration. The supernatural undertones are a slow and steady building static that serve to elevate the heart rate along with the pace, providing that gorgeous feeling of discomfort we all know and love. I found myself glancing about the room in which I read to ensure my own safety as that of the characters slowly decreased. There is an almost suffocating level of realism, that draws you to participation, which can only be attributed to Owen's detailed, distinguished and dedicated expression. It allows for you to make the story part of your own, matching up relative seams to create your own personal connection to the characters and events.
This five star read is inconceivably emotive because it is written with heart, and that is vividly apparent in each line of the story. You can trust in an author that knows grief for all its worth and isn't afraid to show that it can take you to some bizarre places. And that's OK, grief is yours to own. It is without deadline, infinitely sensitive to triggers, and yet necessary. I thoroughly enjoyed this painfully poignant and uniquely unsettling book.
A heartfelt goodnight to all the sleeping babies.
Except Bobby.
Maggie and Jake's experience is a sorrowfully common one and their story, via bereavement, is an exploration into every single facet of the grief process. Each character demonstrates one of the two noted styles of grieving. Jake, very much in "instrumental grief", becomes a steward of efficiency and action, caring for his wife whilst she descends into an "intuitive grief", embracing the unpredictable and often volatile emotions pertaining to longing, remorse, anger and mortality. It was amazing to see a sensitive topic explored with such esteem, whilst incorporating it into a greater narrative. I appreciate anything that serves to normalise the discussion of life's many discrepancies, and believe books are a perfect medium for doing this.
The Headless Boy is your traditional gothic horror with a twist that encourages complex thought and consideration. The supernatural undertones are a slow and steady building static that serve to elevate the heart rate along with the pace, providing that gorgeous feeling of discomfort we all know and love. I found myself glancing about the room in which I read to ensure my own safety as that of the characters slowly decreased. There is an almost suffocating level of realism, that draws you to participation, which can only be attributed to Owen's detailed, distinguished and dedicated expression. It allows for you to make the story part of your own, matching up relative seams to create your own personal connection to the characters and events.
This five star read is inconceivably emotive because it is written with heart, and that is vividly apparent in each line of the story. You can trust in an author that knows grief for all its worth and isn't afraid to show that it can take you to some bizarre places. And that's OK, grief is yours to own. It is without deadline, infinitely sensitive to triggers, and yet necessary. I thoroughly enjoyed this painfully poignant and uniquely unsettling book.
A heartfelt goodnight to all the sleeping babies.
Except Bobby.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Medical trauma
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