Review of 'The Haunted'

From Danielle Vega, YA's answer to Stephen King, comes a new paranormal novel about dark family secrets, deep-seated vengeance, and the horrifying truth that evil often lurks in the unlikeliest of places.

Clean slate. That's what Hendricks Becker-O'Malley's parents said when they moved their family to the tiny town of Drearfield, New York. Hendricks wants to lay low and forget her dark, traumatic past. Forget him. But things don't go as planned.

Hendricks learns from new friends at school that Steele House--the fixer upper her parents are so excited about--is notorious in town. Local legend says it's haunted. But Hendricks isn't sure if it's the demons of her past haunting her ...or of the present. Voices whisper in her ear as she lays in bed. Doors lock on their own. And, then, one night, things take a violent turn.

With help from the mysterious boy next door, Hendricks makes it her mission to take down the ghosts . . . if they don't take her first.

Review

The Haunted is a chilling tale filled with vengeful ghosts and creepy imagery that will stay with the reader long after they’re done.

Storytelling

I’m a huge fan of Vega, so either I’m biased, or I will expect great things from her. I still remember reading Survive the Night. That book scared the crap out of me. When I read the first chapter of The Haunted over two years, I knew I had to read it. Even years later, that first chapter stuck to me like glue.

It was worth it.

Vega does a fantastic job of creating such haunting imagery when building up her plot. But there are more than just vengeful ghosts here. There are also the ghosts of her past coming back to haunt her, making the reader question just how reliable of a narrator Hendricks is.

Her parents moved her to Steele house to help get her away from her abusive boyfriend. Memories of him still begin to haunt her. First, it is wonderful to see the parents move not because of anything their daughter did but to better protect her. Usually, you see the girls villainized and the family moving because the daughter took some inappropriate pictures that got spread around. I appreciate Vega not doing that.

Vega tapped into the emotional mindset of what it means to be a survivor. She remembers the good times in her previous relationship. And her desire to feel those happy moments again keeps her from letting go. However, Hendrick’s need to survive and carve out an identity for herself leads her to let go and face her personal ghosts so that she can tackle the spirits haunting her house.

Characterization

Vega also does a fantastic job of building up strong character dynamics. Admittedly, the romance between Hendricks and Eddie seemed a bit rushed. However, the emotional depth of it was there. The reader becomes invested in who they are and their romance despite feeling rushed.

Vega also has the cliches, but she does not lean into them. Instead, she uses them as a frame but colors outside the lines. Eddie is deemed the bad boy, the tortured soul, but there is more to him than that, and the reader sees that.

The same can be said for Portia, the “popular girl,” and Connor, “the jock.” This is important because Hendricks says she tries to avoid cliches early on. And yet here she makes new friends, and they are, in a way, cast as those characters. But the more Hendricks gets to know them, the more they come off as real instead of as the cliches they are supposed to represent.

Final Thoughts

The Haunted begins in a chilling way that sticks to you like glue. That atmosphere lingers throughout the pages as the hauntings increase, allowing for strong characterization and plot twists.

• Writing Quality : 9/10
• Character Development : 9/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 10/10
• Intellectual Depth: 8/10
• Originality: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 5 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.