Review: A Refreshing Haunted Tale
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 20, 2012
Once I finished The Vagrant, I immediately bought The Girl because I couldn't wait to read the next installment in Bryan Hall's Southern Hauntings Saga. Again, I wasn't disappointed. Hall's subtle use of horror, real and emotional characters, and vivid descriptions all combine for a haunting tale.Although I wasn't surprised when the who-done-it was revealed at the end, I feel this story is more about a parent's loss of a child and learning to let go of them, which is where this book truly shines. In the brief span of a novelette, Hall draws the reader into the pain, loss, confusion, grief, and self-blame that the father, Tom, feels over the unexplained death of his daughter, Amy. Without giving too much away, the final scene with Tom staring off into the woods torn between doing what is right and what will allow him to still have Amy and his family is the most powerful scene in the story, and it's one conflict that I could see a parent go through especially as a father myself.We also learn more about the past of Crate Northgate and why he is such a haunted man. As the series continues, I can only see this complex and real character getting better.While The Girl may not be a surprising mystery for some readers, the power of this story lies in a parent's loss of a child. The Girl is a ghost story, but the ghost of Amy also serves as a metaphor for the emotions that would haunt a parent as they try to deal with that loss. And just like the ghost of Amy, those emotions are ever present and remain silent, never providing an explanation.