The Bookworm's Feast

Synopsis

It begins with the small things; cold spots, shadows, strange noises. At it’s centre, is Apartment 410, and the family that has just moved in. A presence imbued with evil intent stalks the corridors and spaces of the building, and it has focused its attention on them. To save their sanity, they must find out why, and lay to rest the ghosts of Ambleside. But as the answers they seek are revealed, the dead may not be their only concern. There are far more terrifying things abroad than forgotten secrets and old bones.

4.5 / 5 stars

This book gets straight on into it – there is no build-up – and I absolutely loved that. The haunting is persistent throughout, it isn’t patchy with long lengths of nothing, and I love that there is a mystery encompassed that gets nicely wrapped up too.

I did guess most of the mystery before the reveals – but piecemeal and I still really enjoyed the ride getting there. The book also genuinely managed to creep me out (which is a feat, most horror does not) – reading it in the evenings, I found things clicking on around the house were starting to make me jump! haha.

The only thing I’d nitpick at is that I didn’t need the explanation of an unnamed battle royale game (essentially Fortnite). One, I know (although I appreciate not everyone might), and two and most crucially – it took me away from the story. It was brief – but the depth of description spent on it wasn’t needed at all.