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vondav's review against another edition
4.0
Wanting to be the next great author, Jackson Stone has come up with an idea to write about haunted places. Travelling round China, Jackson decides to ditch his tour group and spend a night in Hensu. Supposedly haunted, Jackson a non-believer, thinks nothing of it when Yuehai a mysterious young woman joins him and wants him to tell her story. However, the further he delves into her story, the more he finds himself in danger, running for his life, he needs to trust someone and finds himself turning to Kate a member of the group who has a special talent. Can they tell Yuehai’s story before time runs out?
At the start of this story Jackson was a sceptic when it came to ghosts and just thought that it was an easy option to get a best seller. As he starts to look into the Hensu flooding, his curiosity gets the better of him and he starts asking questions which draws attention from the wrong people. Although Jackson was easy to like and was a team player I had the feeling that he was a bit of loner and found it hard to trust. He was confident in himself and even used his skin colour to escape capture, however he did have a guilty secret, and it took the help of Kate for him to shed his guilt.
Kate had a soft spot for Jackson from the start and always found a way to gravitate towards him. She was always a target from one nasty girl in the group and although she defended herself you could tell it hurt her feelings. Once she told Jackson about her talent their friendship moved to another level and if the circumstances were different I could see them becoming a couple.
Whilst the story revolved around Jackson and Kate, reading this story you get to know about the other people on this trip. The minor characters were described in detail and whilst they were minor they all played a role in Jackson being able to tell Yuehai’s story. Set in China, Jackson had the added barrier of not using the internet to search for information, and you could sense his struggle in finding out what had happened. This shows just how much we rely on the internet to get our answers. The start of the story was a steady pace as you get to know the characters, but as the story of Hensu is revealed and you realise that Jackson’s life is in danger, the pace quickens up. Whilst this is a supernatural read, this book does not rely solely on the hauntings to tell the story. This way of telling the story added suspense as you did not know when it was going to happen. The action is nonstop, which builds up to a dramatic ending.
This is the 1st book I have read by this author and I did enjoy this story. Book 2 in this series is already out
At the start of this story Jackson was a sceptic when it came to ghosts and just thought that it was an easy option to get a best seller. As he starts to look into the Hensu flooding, his curiosity gets the better of him and he starts asking questions which draws attention from the wrong people. Although Jackson was easy to like and was a team player I had the feeling that he was a bit of loner and found it hard to trust. He was confident in himself and even used his skin colour to escape capture, however he did have a guilty secret, and it took the help of Kate for him to shed his guilt.
Kate had a soft spot for Jackson from the start and always found a way to gravitate towards him. She was always a target from one nasty girl in the group and although she defended herself you could tell it hurt her feelings. Once she told Jackson about her talent their friendship moved to another level and if the circumstances were different I could see them becoming a couple.
Whilst the story revolved around Jackson and Kate, reading this story you get to know about the other people on this trip. The minor characters were described in detail and whilst they were minor they all played a role in Jackson being able to tell Yuehai’s story. Set in China, Jackson had the added barrier of not using the internet to search for information, and you could sense his struggle in finding out what had happened. This shows just how much we rely on the internet to get our answers. The start of the story was a steady pace as you get to know the characters, but as the story of Hensu is revealed and you realise that Jackson’s life is in danger, the pace quickens up. Whilst this is a supernatural read, this book does not rely solely on the hauntings to tell the story. This way of telling the story added suspense as you did not know when it was going to happen. The action is nonstop, which builds up to a dramatic ending.
This is the 1st book I have read by this author and I did enjoy this story. Book 2 in this series is already out
ladilira's review against another edition
3.0
Do you believe in ghosts? On spooky nights, many children and perhaps some adults ask this question. If you watch shows like Ghost Hunters, you might be more concerned with the answer. I am of the belief anything is possible. I do not actively believe, but if you tell me a house is haunted, I step with a wary foot.
City of Ghosts is a story shockingly enough, about ghosts! And one unlucky immature man. The story was well-written and engaging. A compelling tale that zipped along. A tale that plants you deep into China. I could tell the author had done her research, as she made sure to tell the tale from a tourist perspective. Well researched and planned out, the story was good, but not perfect.
I had one main issue with the story and keep in mind this was my experience. An experience that tends to be the minority of the readers. The main character, Jackson, an African-American, Jackass loving, childish man in his late 20’s (from what I can tell), decides to stay behind on a trip to a Chinese city. My issue here is the character. While not unlikable, he is annoying in a little brother when are you going to grow up kind-of way. It might not have nagged me so much, except he barely grows. He just is forced to deal with the situations he is in and reacts. As a reader, it would have been better if his age was 16 and it was a school trip, then all my qualms with his characterization would be null. I’m not saying I’ve never met an immature 20-something year old, I just don’t want to read about them. It was a disconnect for me.
Regardless of the character issue, the tale was spooky and a promising example of what else Moncrieff can do. I believe many people will enjoy this tale, especially if you love ghost stories.
3 1/2 stars for me. My rating is based solely on the fact I did not connect with the protagonist.
https://cellardoorbooks.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/city-of-ghosts-j-h-moncrieff/
City of Ghosts is a story shockingly enough, about ghosts! And one unlucky immature man. The story was well-written and engaging. A compelling tale that zipped along. A tale that plants you deep into China. I could tell the author had done her research, as she made sure to tell the tale from a tourist perspective. Well researched and planned out, the story was good, but not perfect.
I had one main issue with the story and keep in mind this was my experience. An experience that tends to be the minority of the readers. The main character, Jackson, an African-American, Jackass loving, childish man in his late 20’s (from what I can tell), decides to stay behind on a trip to a Chinese city. My issue here is the character. While not unlikable, he is annoying in a little brother when are you going to grow up kind-of way. It might not have nagged me so much, except he barely grows. He just is forced to deal with the situations he is in and reacts. As a reader, it would have been better if his age was 16 and it was a school trip, then all my qualms with his characterization would be null. I’m not saying I’ve never met an immature 20-something year old, I just don’t want to read about them. It was a disconnect for me.
Regardless of the character issue, the tale was spooky and a promising example of what else Moncrieff can do. I believe many people will enjoy this tale, especially if you love ghost stories.
3 1/2 stars for me. My rating is based solely on the fact I did not connect with the protagonist.
https://cellardoorbooks.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/city-of-ghosts-j-h-moncrieff/
beaubooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
novelbloglover's review against another edition
4.0
Book Review
Title: City of Ghosts (GhostWriters #1)
Author: J. H. Moncrieff
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Rating: ****
Review: I requested City of Ghosts because it won the 2018 Kindle Award for Best Horror/Suspense, so I had to read it. As many of you will know I am a huge horror fan so I was expecting a lot from this book and it definitely delivered but it wasn’t the best horror/suspense novel I have read that still belong to Red Dragon by Thomas Harris.
We follow our protagonist, Jackson, who is tired of being an IT consultant when he gets the idea to write a book about hauntings but not just any hauntings, true hauntings. With this singular goal in mind he hides from the rest of his tour group in order to spend the night in the city of Hensu. This was another aspect of the book I loved, Asian Horror. Hensu is a ghost town created a few years before when the dam was opened, flooding the city. The atmosphere of disquiet and discontent is present from the very beginning and only intensifies as the novel progresses. Something else is strange about the city of Hensu as the Chinese built statues of people being tortured to reflect their soul’s judgement after death. While Jackson is waiting for something to happen he sees a cold, wet, shoeless Chinese girl named Yuèhai and invites her sit by his campfire and this is when things begin to get really interesting.
I don’t want to go into too much depth in regard to the story because that would spoil the experiences for those that haven’t read the book. It isn’t often I do spoiler free reviews but this book definitely deserves one because there is so much going on. The first half of the novel is a little slow as it just getting to know the characters but this is really important for the second half so just power through it because it pays off in the end. As Jackson gets know more about Yuèhai and the ghost city, he learns secrets that some people are willing to do anything even kill to make sure they remain secret. Political intrigue is a massive theme in the novel and I loved it, not only the differences I saw between China and the UK, where I am from but the political difference between different parts of China which was so exciting for me as I am hoping to travel across Asia, specifically Japan, China and Korea in the future.
By the time I finished City of Ghosts I couldn’t believe how well crafted the characters were and how perfectly they blend into the story. The plot is intriguing and really keeps you guessing until the very end but not everything is tied up as I have just learnt there is a sequel to this book I will definitely be picking up in the near future. Overall, I found City of Ghosts to be a superb horror, full of suspense with amazing character, beautiful atmosphere and locations and it really sends a chill down your spine. If you haven’t read City of Ghosts I highly recommend you pick it up as soon as you can.
Title: City of Ghosts (GhostWriters #1)
Author: J. H. Moncrieff
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Rating: ****
Review: I requested City of Ghosts because it won the 2018 Kindle Award for Best Horror/Suspense, so I had to read it. As many of you will know I am a huge horror fan so I was expecting a lot from this book and it definitely delivered but it wasn’t the best horror/suspense novel I have read that still belong to Red Dragon by Thomas Harris.
We follow our protagonist, Jackson, who is tired of being an IT consultant when he gets the idea to write a book about hauntings but not just any hauntings, true hauntings. With this singular goal in mind he hides from the rest of his tour group in order to spend the night in the city of Hensu. This was another aspect of the book I loved, Asian Horror. Hensu is a ghost town created a few years before when the dam was opened, flooding the city. The atmosphere of disquiet and discontent is present from the very beginning and only intensifies as the novel progresses. Something else is strange about the city of Hensu as the Chinese built statues of people being tortured to reflect their soul’s judgement after death. While Jackson is waiting for something to happen he sees a cold, wet, shoeless Chinese girl named Yuèhai and invites her sit by his campfire and this is when things begin to get really interesting.
I don’t want to go into too much depth in regard to the story because that would spoil the experiences for those that haven’t read the book. It isn’t often I do spoiler free reviews but this book definitely deserves one because there is so much going on. The first half of the novel is a little slow as it just getting to know the characters but this is really important for the second half so just power through it because it pays off in the end. As Jackson gets know more about Yuèhai and the ghost city, he learns secrets that some people are willing to do anything even kill to make sure they remain secret. Political intrigue is a massive theme in the novel and I loved it, not only the differences I saw between China and the UK, where I am from but the political difference between different parts of China which was so exciting for me as I am hoping to travel across Asia, specifically Japan, China and Korea in the future.
By the time I finished City of Ghosts I couldn’t believe how well crafted the characters were and how perfectly they blend into the story. The plot is intriguing and really keeps you guessing until the very end but not everything is tied up as I have just learnt there is a sequel to this book I will definitely be picking up in the near future. Overall, I found City of Ghosts to be a superb horror, full of suspense with amazing character, beautiful atmosphere and locations and it really sends a chill down your spine. If you haven’t read City of Ghosts I highly recommend you pick it up as soon as you can.
lilyn_g's review against another edition
4.0
City of Ghosts is a paranormal fantasy about a disgruntled IT worker who decides that he should write about ghosts and the trouble that gets him in.. For research, he travels with tour groups to various places around the world. His most recent trip finds him in China, and it’s not long before it’s revealed that something fishy is going on. Between the tour-guide giving him the stink-eye, the girl appearing in his bedroom, and the dreams he’s having, he’s suddenly forced to reevaluate his life choices. And, you know, not be ‘disappeared’ for some reason or the other. Nothing goes to plan.
For those searching for diversity, the main character in City of Ghosts is a POC. He also does
n’t fit any of the stereotypical roles of his race, which is pleasing. His companion during most of the novel has abilities that make her different, yet she is not written stereotypically either. I rather liked her, actually. The rest of the group fades into the background enough that it’s hard to remember if there were any other examples of diversity within it.
J.H. Moncrieff does make a salient point in City of Ghosts about the difference (or lack of) between males and females getting raped. It’s a simple scene, but given the way it’s written, not one I’ve ever read before. It’s well handled, and I’m glad she decided to address it. It’ll take readers by surprise, but it’s worked in perfectly to the story. Especially Jackson’s thoughts on the subject.
I liked City of Ghosts, but it’s a read that quickly fades from your mind. Just a few days after reading it, I can remember the basic plot and that’s about it. In fact, I had to look up the main character’s name – Jackson Stone, by the way – before I could write this. It’s competently written, and I was completely sucked in the whole time that I was reading it. It just lacks any sort of staying power. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another one of the author’s works again (in fact I have one on my wishlist now!), but I just can’t rave about City of Ghosts.
For those searching for diversity, the main character in City of Ghosts is a POC. He also does
n’t fit any of the stereotypical roles of his race, which is pleasing. His companion during most of the novel has abilities that make her different, yet she is not written stereotypically either. I rather liked her, actually. The rest of the group fades into the background enough that it’s hard to remember if there were any other examples of diversity within it.
J.H. Moncrieff does make a salient point in City of Ghosts about the difference (or lack of) between males and females getting raped. It’s a simple scene, but given the way it’s written, not one I’ve ever read before. It’s well handled, and I’m glad she decided to address it. It’ll take readers by surprise, but it’s worked in perfectly to the story. Especially Jackson’s thoughts on the subject.
I liked City of Ghosts, but it’s a read that quickly fades from your mind. Just a few days after reading it, I can remember the basic plot and that’s about it. In fact, I had to look up the main character’s name – Jackson Stone, by the way – before I could write this. It’s competently written, and I was completely sucked in the whole time that I was reading it. It just lacks any sort of staying power. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another one of the author’s works again (in fact I have one on my wishlist now!), but I just can’t rave about City of Ghosts.
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