Review: Very short and blog-like, yet interesting
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 24, 2012
[This review also appears on Andi's Book Reviews.]I love ghost stories. I love to feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck when I hear a really god one. I especially love the true ones that actually happened to people. Reality is much more frightening than fiction, in my opinion. I have had a couple of my own ghostly encounters, so I can respect others who claim the same.I volunteered to read Haunted by Willow Cross and to honestly review it in exchange for a free copy. This collection of short stories are actual events that took place in her life. I believe that those who open themselves up to the possibility of supernatural encounters are more likely to have the honor of experiencing them. She does.She starts with a protective ghost who took care of her and her roommate after she graduated from high school. Others tell about ghostly encounters she experienced when her family was still young. The dedication of this book is to her children, as they can use this book for family memories as they get older and share with their own children. I think the creepiest one is definitely the final story "Dream Home." Anything involving a ghost child makes the hair on my arms stand up.This book is definitely a short and easy read. I got through it in less than a half hour, making it a nice distraction after dinner. I felt like it read more like a few blog posts as opposed to a story. In that regard, it does feel more personal and real, like Willow Cross is sitting with you telling you all about her experiences. I can't help but think how creepy the stories would be if they were told in third person. Or perhaps some if some of the interjected commentary was removed I would have found them a bit more creepy. It does make me want to write about some of my own encounters, though.I do wish the book was longer. In a traditional print format, it would only be about 26 pages in length. I was left wanting more. Perhaps there simply were not any more stories to tell at this time. It also would have been interesting to hear different points of view about the same stories from others who were involved in them. Names were already changed to protect the innocent! So, if Willow Cross has any more ghost stories to share, this reader would love to look at them! And I am still curious about her fiction, as I know she is a well-loved writer of paranormal fiction.