Review: Beyond by Graham McNamee

YA ghost story with an unusual premise

I really enjoyed this creepy read for its slow-burning tension and gradual increase in threat.

The idea is great: Jane's shadow keeps trying to hurt or kill her, dragging her into danger. Naturally, this makes people suspicious about the number of 'accidents' she has and she appears to many as suicidal or attention-seeking. Her best friend, Lexi, is the only one who understands, the only one she's told and together The Creep Sisters, as they are known, seek to figure out what is going on with her shadow, and whether it can be stopped.

As suggested above, the novel had just the right amount of creepy tension for me and I greatly enjoyed it. Those made of sterner stuff than me, drawn by the cover's tagline of "If Stephen King wrote YA..." might be left waiting for the full-on horror element, though. I wouldn't class it as horror really and am glad to see that the King reference doesn't seem to have made it onto the final cover.

A key strength is the relationship between Jane and Lexi, which is convincingly portrayed and offers nice touches - even some humour to break the tension. Jane's voice is fresh and direct. Just look at these opening lines:

I remember dying.
After I got injured my heart stopped and I flatlined.
I was done and gone. But I wasn't alone.
There was something waiting for me when I died. Something dark and cold tried to take my soul away.

How brilliant are they? This directness, the no holds barred voice, continues throughout and is a large part of the book's appeal.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this for fans of ghostly stories and of chillers.

From the Back Cover:

Jane is not your typical teen. She and her best friend Lexi call themselves the Creep Sisters. 

Only Lexi knows why Jane is different from anyone else: Her own shadow seems to pull her into near-fatal accidents. 

Jane is determined to find out why these terrifying things happen, and to overcome her shadow enemy. Her sleuthing with Lexi connects her own horrors to the secret history of a serial killer...

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Published 3 Jan by Hodder

Find more info on Goodreads

My grateful thanks go to the publisher for sending a proof for review

Thrilling Thursday Review: The Hunting Ground by Cliff McNish

This creepy read was just the thing for broad daylight ...

Author: Cliff McNish
Title: The Hunting Ground
Genre: Thriller/ Ghost (YA)
Series: none
Publisher: Indigo
Published: Feb 2012
Source: kindly sent for review by the publisher

Find it at Goodreads or Amazon UK

The blurb says:
When Elliott and his brother move into the old and crumbling Glebe House they don't expect to find themselves sharing it with ghosts. But soon sinister events are unfolding. An old diary reveals glimpses of the mansion's past - and of a terrible tragedy. An old woman talks to ghosts - but is she in fact being controlled by them? And what of the sinister East Wing - a hideous labyrinth devised by a truly twisted mind? Can Elliott and his family escape the clutches of Glebe House? Or will they end up trapped in the endless maze of corridors, forever hunted by the dead?

My verdict: creepy, chilling – a classic ghost thriller.
I read this in a day, because I started it on the way to work, continued on the way home and snuck away to finish it before dinner so that I would be able to comfortably go to bed. This is not a book for the very young (and I wouldn’t recommend it at bedtime, either!). It’s no gory horror, but it is excruciatingly tense. Cliff McNish is a skilful craftsman who knows how to manipulate the tension level and keep you guessing – there is a mystery element to this novel as well.

As the blurb shows, the novel focuses on the two boys whose father has been engaged to develop the house. Things happen that they can’t (or won’t) explain, and then they find pages of an old diary which make them curious about the house’s history even while they’re starting to actually fear there may be real ghosts. The family is characterised skilfully, and it is easy to root for them, although at the beginning you may find yourself willing them to leave the house before things get worse. But of course, they don’t know they’re in a ghost story so don’t believe they’re in real danger initially!

As with all good gothic and ghost stories, the setting really is a character in this novel. Twisting corridors, forbidden areas, creepy paintings (way beyond ‘normal’ creepy paintings, by the way) all contribute to the rising fear. There is a real sense of restriction, of being trapped and controlled by the house, which contrasts strongly with the paintings on the walls, showing outdoor scenes of hunting, and with the expansive grounds.

In all, this is a strong ghostly thriller that will definitely have you over-analysing every little sound in the dark.