Waiting Spirits

Chamber of Horrors #4

by Bruce Coville

Lisa and her younger sister, Carrie are totally bored by their seaside vacation. Until their grandmother shows thema strange new game-something called automatic writing, which enables Lisa to contact the spiritworld. To her shock, an eerie message spells out terrible danger. Shaken by the nightmare experience, Lisa promises she'll never try it again. Then she meets Brian, who reveals a chilling secret. Lisa's summer home is known to be haunted by a ghostly female. Although frightened, Lisa becomes trapped by her own curiosity. She knows that if she tries to contact the demon force, she'll be consumed, mind and soul. But the unholy power is drawing her closer to the edge of doom...

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal, Supernatural, Teen

150 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 19, 1984

About the author

Bruce Coville was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1950. His family lived in farm territory, about twenty miles north of Syracuse. Bruce grew up around the corner from his grandparents' dairy farm, where he spent a great deal of time as a child, dodging cows and chores to the best of his ability. As a young reader he loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Dolittle, and still has fond memories of rising ahead of the rest of his family so he could huddle in a chair and read THE VOYAGES OF DR. DOLITTLE. He also read lots of things that people consider junk (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and zillions of comic books). His only real regret is the time he spent watching television, when he could have been reading instead. (A mind is a terrible thing to waste!)

His first book, THE FOOLISH GIANT, was published in 1978. It was illustrated by his wife, Katherine, whom he had married in 1969. This was followed in 1979 by SARAH'S UNICORN, also illustrated by Katherine. After a long period of working separately, the Covilles began collaborating again with SPACE BRAT and GOBLINS IN THE CASTLE, both published in 1992.

Before getting published Bruce earned his living as a toymaker, a gravedigger, a cookware salesman, an assembly line worker, and finally as an elementary school teacher (second and fourth grades). He left teaching in 1981 to devote himself to becoming a full time writer - though it took another five years to achieve that goal!)

Bruce has published over 100 books, which have appeared in over a dozen countries around the world and sold more than sixteen million copies. Among his most popular titles are MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN, INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, and THE MONSTER'S RING. In 2001 he founded Full Cast Audio, an audiobook company dedicated to creating unabridged, full cast recordings of the best in children's and young adult literature.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oddly mature given the first two books of the Chamber of Horrors: one about a real-life D&D, one about a demon in an amulet, both of them written in a style that’s borderline between middle grade and young adult. While this one involves a family haunted and permanently traumatized by various people who died in tragic circumstances, someone who should know better stubbornly putting people in danger because of selfish pride, and spiritual possession. Fittingly, the writing is measurably less juvenile. Makes me wonder if it was meant for another project before just being stuck in the series cuz ‘why not.’

[Kathy Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

love this book. it's scary and yet page turning.

i really had goosebumps when it describes the ghost.. a good book.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waiting Spirits is not as structurally unsound as the two books preceding it, but it is a tad boring. None of the characters really have much personality outside of reacting to the supernatural phenomena around them. Once again the back story that explains the mysterious events is delayed until two-thirds of the way through the book, and is more interesting than the present story. This one at least concludes in a more satisfying, organic way than previous entry Eyes of the Tarot.

[Meen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all of the books in this teen horror series over and over in junior high and high school. I'm sure if I read them now I would find them hideous (in the bad way), but because I loved them so much then, I'm giving them all five stars!

[Jen Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

these dark forces books were the bomb when i was like 12. too bad you can't find them anymore

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granted, I read this as a kid - but to this day it is the only book I ever finished reading and then immediatley went back to page one and started all over again. I loved it that much!

[BRANDON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Bruce Coville, if there was a triumvirate of YA Horror in the 90s it was R. L. Stine, Christopher Pike, and Bruce Coville. They all earned a special place in my heart, but Coville may have left the most lasting impression. I don't think I read Waiting Spirits as a kid, but The Amulet of Doom, Eye of the Tarot and Spirits and Spells were favorites of mine. That being said, I don't think Waiting Spirits quite stacks up, but it's not a bad book. It's a good, solid ghost story and certainly nostalgic. I can agree with the choice of antagonist. A child's killer willing to harm the living to keep his secret safe would have been much better than a mother deranged by grief attempting to murder her granddaughter. There's no accounting for late 20th-century misogyny.

[Jennifer Hairell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this was one of my favorites. Can not tell you how often I read it.
I don't know if it will hold up for this generation but I will read it again.
I would add the read date but I have no idea sometime in 84 possibly. LOL

[Katy Lohman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Automatic writing conjures up an angry spirit who wants her dead daughter back...and thinks she has been reborn in an innocent girl. The scene at the pond still shivers my spine.

[Serena · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little slow and not as interesting as the other Dark Forces book I read.

[Raymi Slays Windmills · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1 stars

[Nattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book scared the bejesus out of me! I wasn't planning to read it just yet, but I misplaced one of the books on my currently reading list, and was bored with Colleen Coble.

Waiting spirits is not boring. I read it in three hours and was terrified out of my mind the entire time! I scare easily, but this would scare many people.

I barely got any sleep last night, of course it didn't help that it was hotter than sin and the air conditioner is not in the window yet, and I was hiding under a blanket, which prevented me from getting any lukewarm air from the fan.

Fantastic!

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book as a kid. It scared the pants off me! I read it again not so long ago and it STILL scared me!

[Mell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as a teen, when I had never heard of automatic writing. It was creepily entertaining.