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Attend the Dead
Whether it’s the dead boy at the back of the classroom, the ghosts that walk the woods, or her own mother––the dead all want something from Ophelia.
She knows better than to ignore their whispers, but Ophelia is distracted. She’s back in high school after dropping out and nothing is the same. All she wants is to graduate, but she’s walked right into a mystery.
A student has been murdered and everyone is on edge. Now the rumor mill has a new favorite suspect—Ophelia herself.
Determined to clear her name, she takes matters into her own hands, embracing her ghostly gift to unravel the truth. But as she delves deeper, her growing obsession with a dangerously alluring stranger threatens to cloud her judgment. Between restless spirits, buried secrets, and a killer who may be closer than she thinks...
Who can Ophelia trust?
She knows better than to ignore their whispers, but Ophelia is distracted. She’s back in high school after dropping out and nothing is the same. All she wants is to graduate, but she’s walked right into a mystery.
A student has been murdered and everyone is on edge. Now the rumor mill has a new favorite suspect—Ophelia herself.
Determined to clear her name, she takes matters into her own hands, embracing her ghostly gift to unravel the truth. But as she delves deeper, her growing obsession with a dangerously alluring stranger threatens to cloud her judgment. Between restless spirits, buried secrets, and a killer who may be closer than she thinks...
Who can Ophelia trust?
335 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 13, 2025
25 people are currently reading
757 people want to read
About the author
Augusta Owens
3 books191 followersAugusta Owens is a queer American author living in Spain with her mother and their excessive number of pets. She likes music, books, and various forms of art. She began writing her debut novel, The Hummingbird Coven, at thirteen years old in order to win a bet and has been writing novels ever since, featuring kids who have no idea what they’re doing, chaotic sapphics, and fantasy worlds (because our real one is way too boring).
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 11, 2025
As my first YA supernatural mystery thriller, I found it an enjoyable read moody and atmospheric with compelling twists, memorable characters, and a storyline that keeps you guessing, even if a few elements were left unresolved.
Genre
YA / Mystery / Thriller/ Supernatural
Tropes
✅️ Mystery
✅️ Black Cat protagonist
✅️ I see dead people
✅️ Reluctant hero
✅️ Unreliable Narrator
✅️ Who done it
✅️ Plot twist
✅️ Psychological manipulation
✅️ High school setting
Darkness Level: 💀💀
Storyline ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
The story follows Ophelia, a young woman who loses her mother at an early age and discovers she can see ghosts. This realization comes when her father returns home and informs her that her mother, who had just walked through the door is actually deceased.
The narrative then jumps forward to Ophelia at age 19, having dropped out of school at 16. She now lives with her ailing grandmother and is struggling financially. When her absent father sends a letter offering continued financial support in exchange for her returning to school to complete high school, she reluctantly agrees.
At school, Ophelia notices a strange atmosphere and soon learns that a boy she saw earlier in the hallway had died two weeks before her arrival. She befriends a student named Fouzia, and together, they try to uncover the truth behind the boy’s death. The story takes several twists and turns, offering a mystery-driven plot. While the story was engaging, there were several unresolved threads that left some aspects feeling incomplete.
Writing ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The writing style was engaging overall, though there were a few grammar and spelling errors. The tone of the book leaned heavily into a bleak and dreary atmosphere, which at times felt excessive. Descriptions were often extreme, with frequent references to characters being extremely thin or settings appearing run-down.
Ophelia’s narration contributed to a sense of unreliability. She describes herself in highly unflattering terms mentioning greasy hair, a unibrow, lack of hygiene, and crooked teeth—while simultaneously showing heightened sensitivity to smelling like odours like cigarettes and medicine. These contrasting portrayals seemed intentional but weren’t always cohesive in execution.
Characters ⭐️⭐️.75
Ophelia was a complex protagonist. While not particularly likable, her character aligned with the darker tone and themes of the story, which may have been an intentional choice by the author.
Fouzia stood out as a well-developed and supportive character, bringing warmth and loyalty to the narrative. Connor was intriguing and added depth to the mystery element. However, many supporting characters felt underdeveloped, and some exited the story rather abruptly.
Additionally, the absence of Ophelia’s father—despite his influence on key plot points—was not fully explored or clarified, leaving some unanswered questions about his role and motivations.
Pacing ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
The book started off slowly but eventually found a steady rhythm. There were occasional jumps in the narrative that could be disorienting, but overall, the pacing maintained the reader's interest.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
It is a dark, atmospheric mystery with compelling twists and an intriguing premise. While the story and pacing were engaging, some characters and plot points lacked closure. The writing had potential but occasionally overreached in tone. Still, an enjoyable read for fans of moody, character-driven mysteries.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Genre
YA / Mystery / Thriller/ Supernatural
Tropes
✅️ Mystery
✅️ Black Cat protagonist
✅️ I see dead people
✅️ Reluctant hero
✅️ Unreliable Narrator
✅️ Who done it
✅️ Plot twist
✅️ Psychological manipulation
✅️ High school setting
Darkness Level: 💀💀
Storyline ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
The story follows Ophelia, a young woman who loses her mother at an early age and discovers she can see ghosts. This realization comes when her father returns home and informs her that her mother, who had just walked through the door is actually deceased.
The narrative then jumps forward to Ophelia at age 19, having dropped out of school at 16. She now lives with her ailing grandmother and is struggling financially. When her absent father sends a letter offering continued financial support in exchange for her returning to school to complete high school, she reluctantly agrees.
At school, Ophelia notices a strange atmosphere and soon learns that a boy she saw earlier in the hallway had died two weeks before her arrival. She befriends a student named Fouzia, and together, they try to uncover the truth behind the boy’s death. The story takes several twists and turns, offering a mystery-driven plot. While the story was engaging, there were several unresolved threads that left some aspects feeling incomplete.
Writing ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The writing style was engaging overall, though there were a few grammar and spelling errors. The tone of the book leaned heavily into a bleak and dreary atmosphere, which at times felt excessive. Descriptions were often extreme, with frequent references to characters being extremely thin or settings appearing run-down.
Ophelia’s narration contributed to a sense of unreliability. She describes herself in highly unflattering terms mentioning greasy hair, a unibrow, lack of hygiene, and crooked teeth—while simultaneously showing heightened sensitivity to smelling like odours like cigarettes and medicine. These contrasting portrayals seemed intentional but weren’t always cohesive in execution.
Characters ⭐️⭐️.75
Ophelia was a complex protagonist. While not particularly likable, her character aligned with the darker tone and themes of the story, which may have been an intentional choice by the author.
Fouzia stood out as a well-developed and supportive character, bringing warmth and loyalty to the narrative. Connor was intriguing and added depth to the mystery element. However, many supporting characters felt underdeveloped, and some exited the story rather abruptly.
Additionally, the absence of Ophelia’s father—despite his influence on key plot points—was not fully explored or clarified, leaving some unanswered questions about his role and motivations.
Pacing ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
The book started off slowly but eventually found a steady rhythm. There were occasional jumps in the narrative that could be disorienting, but overall, the pacing maintained the reader's interest.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
It is a dark, atmospheric mystery with compelling twists and an intriguing premise. While the story and pacing were engaging, some characters and plot points lacked closure. The writing had potential but occasionally overreached in tone. Still, an enjoyable read for fans of moody, character-driven mysteries.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 10, 2025
A very engaging teen, YA, and in my case, adult read. As I read the prologue and first chapter I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, nor have any inclining of how the story line would actually pan out. Without giving things away. The main female character, teenager Ophelia is a flawed complex mix of life history and emotions. Dragged by circumstance back to senior school she is confronted by suspicion. Rumours then start that she should be suspected of a students murder, and her life goes from bad to worse. But there might be one bright thing that could fall into her life, if she can see beyond her own self-centred teenage angst and rage. Thank you to Augusta Owen’s and Douae Barghout, Pepperback Press and Book Sirens for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
May 23, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was very well written and edited in comparison to some ARCs I’ve read. This really stands out to me as when there are spelling errors, grammatical errors, or or other avoidable mistakes in the writing it really distracts and takes a bit away from the story. So well done author and editor!
There wasn’t much suspense for a murder mystery and I am disappointed that though Ophelia could see ghosts they really didn’t do anything and weren’t a major part of the story. I think I would have liked the story better if they had been incorporated more.
Toward the end it dawned on me that what I was reading was a very close comparison to the Wednesday series; Wednesday Addams trying to figure out the monster/killer while being around peers and interested boys. There is also a dark supernatural aspect to both stories.
The book was ok and I was going to just give it 2 stars but then because I made the connection with Wednesday and really liked the show I decided to up the book to 3.
This book was very well written and edited in comparison to some ARCs I’ve read. This really stands out to me as when there are spelling errors, grammatical errors, or or other avoidable mistakes in the writing it really distracts and takes a bit away from the story. So well done author and editor!
There wasn’t much suspense for a murder mystery and I am disappointed that though Ophelia could see ghosts they really didn’t do anything and weren’t a major part of the story. I think I would have liked the story better if they had been incorporated more.
Toward the end it dawned on me that what I was reading was a very close comparison to the Wednesday series; Wednesday Addams trying to figure out the monster/killer while being around peers and interested boys. There is also a dark supernatural aspect to both stories.
The book was ok and I was going to just give it 2 stars but then because I made the connection with Wednesday and really liked the show I decided to up the book to 3.
May 28, 2025
Attend the Dead had lots of promise but was very uneven in execution. The story of Ophelia, a girl who sees ghosts, and her quest to clear her name of murder could have been much better. There were just too many plot devices left unexplored or unfulfilled for me to give this more than 3 stars.
Ophelia herself is a hard character to develop empathy for. She is too full of rage without justification for it. Yes, her mom died when she was little and her dad left her with her grandmother, but that doesn't account for her hatred of everybody. Her grandmother is described as a loving person who is devoted to Ophelia, but who became very ill, requiring Ophelia to drop out of school to care for her. The absent father sends money, but Ophelia works to help make ends meet. This is a relatively new situation in the book, so the rage just didn't seem justified to me and rang false for someone raised by a loving grandparent.
Ophelia's ability to see ghosts is not well explained or even truly part of the plot. They are just there in the edges of her vision and only play the most cursory part of a few scenes in the book. This was the part of the blurb that most interested me, but ended up being just a convenient plot device to convey a few pieces of information and give her a momentary nudge in the climax. They could almost have been left out altogether and wouldn't have detracted from the story.
The secondary characters were very two dimensional and never had enough detail about them to develop any empathy or hatred for them. The girl with the handwriting talent could have been a much more well developed adversary. Her friend Fouzia was more complex, but Ophelia's rage prevented a more meaningful relationship. This would have really added to Ophelia's likeability.
The big baddie was the best part of the book. He was very well done but lacked any motivation for the murder of Xavier, the student Ophelia was blamed for killing. The murder itself was never explained in detail, and the dead boy's ghost could have provided so much more detail to the plot, but he was just background scenery. The murder that was eventually exposed and explained (not Xavier's) was horrific and really cast light on the character (or lack of it) of the serial killer.
I did enjoy the book and the serial killer story arc, but the flaws just kept throwing me out of the story. That was a shame, because this was a deeply unsettling read that gave me some shivers. It is well worth reading even with the flaws.
I read an advance copy of the book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ophelia herself is a hard character to develop empathy for. She is too full of rage without justification for it. Yes, her mom died when she was little and her dad left her with her grandmother, but that doesn't account for her hatred of everybody. Her grandmother is described as a loving person who is devoted to Ophelia, but who became very ill, requiring Ophelia to drop out of school to care for her. The absent father sends money, but Ophelia works to help make ends meet. This is a relatively new situation in the book, so the rage just didn't seem justified to me and rang false for someone raised by a loving grandparent.
Ophelia's ability to see ghosts is not well explained or even truly part of the plot. They are just there in the edges of her vision and only play the most cursory part of a few scenes in the book. This was the part of the blurb that most interested me, but ended up being just a convenient plot device to convey a few pieces of information and give her a momentary nudge in the climax. They could almost have been left out altogether and wouldn't have detracted from the story.
The secondary characters were very two dimensional and never had enough detail about them to develop any empathy or hatred for them. The girl with the handwriting talent could have been a much more well developed adversary. Her friend Fouzia was more complex, but Ophelia's rage prevented a more meaningful relationship. This would have really added to Ophelia's likeability.
The big baddie was the best part of the book. He was very well done but lacked any motivation for the murder of Xavier, the student Ophelia was blamed for killing. The murder itself was never explained in detail, and the dead boy's ghost could have provided so much more detail to the plot, but he was just background scenery. The murder that was eventually exposed and explained (not Xavier's) was horrific and really cast light on the character (or lack of it) of the serial killer.
I did enjoy the book and the serial killer story arc, but the flaws just kept throwing me out of the story. That was a shame, because this was a deeply unsettling read that gave me some shivers. It is well worth reading even with the flaws.
I read an advance copy of the book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 22, 2025
Definitely not what I imagined this book to be. Ophelia definitely had a tough life almost from the beginning. Things, people, etc. all are a part of this crazy, criss cross story that take you in one direction and then totally switch around to the complete opposite direction. This is definitely an original story and I would like to see a second book come out of this storyline. It would be interesting to see what happens once Ophelia is actually an adult and on her own, for real. The main issue that caused me to give 3 stars is the grammar, punctuation, etc. errors. I did enjoy the storyline and the characters kept me reading the book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 18, 2025
Attend the Dead caught my attention in the first few Chapters. Ophelia can see the dead after the loss of her mother at a young age. This intriguing mystery follows her with her struggles with loss and feelings of loneliness while trying to solve a mysterious murder of a student. There were plenty of plot twists to keep me interested and even when I thought I knew how this book would end I was definitely surprised.
Can’t wait to read more from both of these amazing authors.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Can’t wait to read more from both of these amazing authors.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 19, 2025
Attend the dead - Augusta Owens and Douae Barghout
4✨
This was a fun fast paced read. We got murder mystery and ghost. Our FMC is a girl with anger issues, impulse control, hatred for people and she sees ghosts.
I really enjoyed the whole murder mystery aspect of this book and it did keep me on my toes. I do however feel like the whole ghost seeing didn’t have much impact it felt more like a side thing in my mind. It was still a great book and I would recommend it if you like murder mysteries!
Thank you Booksirens and Pepperbackpress for this ARC.
I am leaving this review voluntarily 💕
4✨
This was a fun fast paced read. We got murder mystery and ghost. Our FMC is a girl with anger issues, impulse control, hatred for people and she sees ghosts.
I really enjoyed the whole murder mystery aspect of this book and it did keep me on my toes. I do however feel like the whole ghost seeing didn’t have much impact it felt more like a side thing in my mind. It was still a great book and I would recommend it if you like murder mysteries!
Thank you Booksirens and Pepperbackpress for this ARC.
I am leaving this review voluntarily 💕
May 21, 2025
Definitely not what I expected! I liked Ophelia, she’s had a rough life and deserved better. But the way things unraveled for her was not what I expected. She’s manipulated, lied to and controlled throughout the story and when you finally find out who is doing it, it’s quite shocking. My biggest complaint would be I still do t completely understand the murder they happened. Maybe I missed that part, but I’m not sure what the motive was. Maybe there wasn’t one. This is a good book for teens who enjoy suspenseful stories.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 12, 2025
❤️💀A crush !
October 1978:
In the small family home, darkened by the raging storm, little Ophelia, 7, eagerly awaited her mother's return...
>>>>
An unexpected favorite for this astonishing and action-packed paranormal thriller right up to the last page.
The read is mesmerizing and the suspense is intense.
I loved the plot and the characters.
I highly recommend it!
October 1978:
In the small family home, darkened by the raging storm, little Ophelia, 7, eagerly awaited her mother's return...
>>>>
An unexpected favorite for this astonishing and action-packed paranormal thriller right up to the last page.
The read is mesmerizing and the suspense is intense.
I loved the plot and the characters.
I highly recommend it!
May 29, 2025
Had me going right up until the end and then it all fell apart. I just didn't buy the ending because of the physicality. The rest of the story was a good psych thriller with some good twists. I received this ARC from Booksirens and am happy to leave this review.
May 12, 2025
Pretty quick read. Sort of sad to me when you think about how life has treated her. Good example of how not to treat people. Could have had more about her experiences with ghosts, but overall I really enjoyed it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 26, 2025
Saw a video on Instagram about this book and immediately downloaded it :)
I liked it! Kept me engaged the whole time, and there were a couple moments where I was honestly shocked by the plot. Fun read, there were a few moments where I think the story was inconsistent, but overall a solid book imo!
I liked it! Kept me engaged the whole time, and there were a couple moments where I was honestly shocked by the plot. Fun read, there were a few moments where I think the story was inconsistent, but overall a solid book imo!
May 27, 2025
‘To be known was to be seen, and to be seen was to be vulnerable.’
‘You think I don’t remember that it’s not loaded?’
I settled the gun on my shoulder and aimed.
‘I lied.’ Then I took the shot.
‘You think I don’t remember that it’s not loaded?’
I settled the gun on my shoulder and aimed.
‘I lied.’ Then I took the shot.
April 26, 2025
Augusta Owens writing a five star book fork found in kitchen. Love her writing, definitely read this book!
May 8, 2025
I read it so fast and easy even tho English isn’t my first language. Amazing book I really hope I hear more of Augusta
July 13, 2025
It was interesting enough to keep me reading.
Edit: no, you know what? I can’t find my peace until I’ve vomited my thoughts out, so here we go.
- what was the point of Janie stealing money out of the register? Why add it if it has no consequences? And why wouldn’t Ophelia say anything as the blame would immediately fall on the stinky, greasy-haired girl?
- why is ophelia so mad all the time? Is it because she’s a teenager? By the sounds of it, her upbringing was fine until her mother died.
- why was she such a bitch to her grandmother?
- what was the point of seeing ghosts if it didn’t contribute anything to the story? Why add it at all?
- why does she have these powers in the first place? Did her mother have these powers?
- why did her father bolt?
- why is she hunting rabbits in the first place? girl, we’re not in the hunger games
- it’s mentioned dozen of times that Hinton is a small town and everybody knows everyone, then how the fuck did Ophelia not know about the murder?
- also, it’s mentioned multiple times that she’s smart, but is the smart in the room with us?
- how hasn’t the boss of the diner noticed money going amiss or his, I don’t know, fucking shotgun?? not reporting it to the police, which, in return, would immediately lead to Ophelia as she resigned like a week later?
- why did Connor kill Xavier? How did he do it?
- why did Ophelia refuse to take a shower omg that’s bugging me so much, idk why
- why are the adults acting like teenagers? The scenes with the principal? omg
- what was the point of putting Ophelia in the “stupid class” for two chapters only to sit her right beside Connor? There was no point in adding that
- how come we don’t know anything about Xavier’s and that other girls relationship? Like absolutely nothing and it’s like the driving force of the whole story
- how come they’re just breaking into houses without checking if anyone’s at home lol Ophelia didn’t KNOW Connor wasn’t home? What was her plan? Hope he doesn’t wake up while she’s emptying his drawers?
- I don’t think mailmen bring their bag of mails back home where it just chills in the hallway, that part was kinda hilarious ngl
- I genuinely thought that Connor being the killer was a red herring bc they revealed it so soon in the story, kinda disappointed that it turned out to be true
- why was Connor in Xavier’s family picture? Man, either I blacked out during most of the story or that got never addressed again
- you’re telling me that one twin can’t remember what letters she wrote for Connor? Uh-huh
- where did Connor get the money to pay for her dress? He’s started with manipulating people something and then the conversation just went south
Yeah, there was a lot that didn’t make sense, but as I said, it kept me reading, and honestly, sometimes that’s more than enough.
Edit: no, you know what? I can’t find my peace until I’ve vomited my thoughts out, so here we go.
- what was the point of Janie stealing money out of the register? Why add it if it has no consequences? And why wouldn’t Ophelia say anything as the blame would immediately fall on the stinky, greasy-haired girl?
- why is ophelia so mad all the time? Is it because she’s a teenager? By the sounds of it, her upbringing was fine until her mother died.
- why was she such a bitch to her grandmother?
- what was the point of seeing ghosts if it didn’t contribute anything to the story? Why add it at all?
- why does she have these powers in the first place? Did her mother have these powers?
- why did her father bolt?
- why is she hunting rabbits in the first place? girl, we’re not in the hunger games
- it’s mentioned dozen of times that Hinton is a small town and everybody knows everyone, then how the fuck did Ophelia not know about the murder?
- also, it’s mentioned multiple times that she’s smart, but is the smart in the room with us?
- how hasn’t the boss of the diner noticed money going amiss or his, I don’t know, fucking shotgun?? not reporting it to the police, which, in return, would immediately lead to Ophelia as she resigned like a week later?
- why did Connor kill Xavier? How did he do it?
- why did Ophelia refuse to take a shower omg that’s bugging me so much, idk why
- why are the adults acting like teenagers? The scenes with the principal? omg
- what was the point of putting Ophelia in the “stupid class” for two chapters only to sit her right beside Connor? There was no point in adding that
- how come we don’t know anything about Xavier’s and that other girls relationship? Like absolutely nothing and it’s like the driving force of the whole story
- how come they’re just breaking into houses without checking if anyone’s at home lol Ophelia didn’t KNOW Connor wasn’t home? What was her plan? Hope he doesn’t wake up while she’s emptying his drawers?
- I don’t think mailmen bring their bag of mails back home where it just chills in the hallway, that part was kinda hilarious ngl
- I genuinely thought that Connor being the killer was a red herring bc they revealed it so soon in the story, kinda disappointed that it turned out to be true
- why was Connor in Xavier’s family picture? Man, either I blacked out during most of the story or that got never addressed again
- you’re telling me that one twin can’t remember what letters she wrote for Connor? Uh-huh
- where did Connor get the money to pay for her dress? He’s started with manipulating people something and then the conversation just went south
Yeah, there was a lot that didn’t make sense, but as I said, it kept me reading, and honestly, sometimes that’s more than enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2025
Ophelia’s Mom dies when she is only seven years old, but she sees her walk silently into the house just before her father steps in, collapses and announces her death. From this moment forward, Ophelia sees dead people.
Fast forward to Ophelia at 19, living with her frail and ailing grandmother. Although her father sends monthly checks, Ophelia dropped out of school at age 15 to supplement their income by working in a diner until receipt of an unexpected letter from her father, demanding she return to school.
Fantastic cover art and an intriguing story. The spirits involved are background players, with exception of two, that make important contributions. I liked Ophelia, but some of the dialogue seemed designed to make her unlikable. She is tough, edgy and independent by necessity. It’s an engaging story with a creative plot twist, but the presence of grammatical errors was distracting for me. The storyline is compelling enough that I wanted to see it through to the end and give it a 3.5 rating. I received this as a free advanced review copy and submit this as my personal view. Many thanks to BookSirens and the authors for providing the ARC.
Fast forward to Ophelia at 19, living with her frail and ailing grandmother. Although her father sends monthly checks, Ophelia dropped out of school at age 15 to supplement their income by working in a diner until receipt of an unexpected letter from her father, demanding she return to school.
Fantastic cover art and an intriguing story. The spirits involved are background players, with exception of two, that make important contributions. I liked Ophelia, but some of the dialogue seemed designed to make her unlikable. She is tough, edgy and independent by necessity. It’s an engaging story with a creative plot twist, but the presence of grammatical errors was distracting for me. The storyline is compelling enough that I wanted to see it through to the end and give it a 3.5 rating. I received this as a free advanced review copy and submit this as my personal view. Many thanks to BookSirens and the authors for providing the ARC.
May 7, 2025
This book starts off with a little suspense. A little girl sees her mom come home. No big deal right? Except her mom is dead.
I thought it would be a Sixth Sense type of chilly eerie read. Instead, it's about the horrors that the living can do.
Ophelia isn't a MC that you'll like all the time. She seems to be a sociopath that talks like a much older person. Not the teenager she is.
Even if she was forced to grow up faster… I don't know. Coupled with her sudden angry outbursts it was a little much.
Once I got past the first few chapters, I became engaged and wanted to know what happened.
Her seeing ghosts doesn't play as big a part as you would think. But overall it's a good mystery and coming of age read in a sense.
I did have a slight issue with not knowing what happened to a few of the characters. There are a few things that could have been tied up. But the few last chapters makes up for all that. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I thought it would be a Sixth Sense type of chilly eerie read. Instead, it's about the horrors that the living can do.
Ophelia isn't a MC that you'll like all the time. She seems to be a sociopath that talks like a much older person. Not the teenager she is.
Even if she was forced to grow up faster… I don't know. Coupled with her sudden angry outbursts it was a little much.
Once I got past the first few chapters, I became engaged and wanted to know what happened.
Her seeing ghosts doesn't play as big a part as you would think. But overall it's a good mystery and coming of age read in a sense.
I did have a slight issue with not knowing what happened to a few of the characters. There are a few things that could have been tied up. But the few last chapters makes up for all that. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 23, 2025
Okay, I do love love love this book, it's twisted and weird and draws you in so quick and for the author being 18, it's phenomenal. I think Ophelia was written as a great character, everyone had motives for what they were doing. I feel though, that Connor could be more involved in the story for us to feel for him more when he dies at the end. It felt like moat characters had surface level personalities that were pretty expected except Laura and Ophelia. But the book is amazing, the story is amazing, the way focus splits between the ghosts and her real world, it feels natural, it feels like we have also seen ghosts for a really long time. All in all, great book, would've loved more depth, but plenty of things were amazing!!!🫶🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2025
such a good book! honestly i was super captivated in the beginning and i’m so so glad i ended up reading it! ophelia is honestly a really complex character and Connor was… wow. Augusta Owens is insanely talented and writes better than a lot of popular authors. guys this book did not disappoint at all! and the twist was GOOD. if you like morally gray main characters and a good mystery with a little sprinkle of romance (it was like one kiss) you are going to loveeee this book! i know i did!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
i did give it a 4.75/5 because there were a couple times there wasn’t and end quote but other than that there wasn’t any grammatical errors that i noticed. so so good!!
i did give it a 4.75/5 because there were a couple times there wasn’t and end quote but other than that there wasn’t any grammatical errors that i noticed. so so good!!
July 19, 2025
Loved loved this book. Usually I dislike angsty characters like Ophelia because they’re rarely written well and are more annoying than relatable, but Ophelia was amazing. I love her so much and even though she’s very different to me I felt so connected and understood while reading her monologues.
The mystery was also really good, I was kept on my toes the entire time.
Honestly can’t wait to read the other works of the authors.
P.S I hope this won’t be the last of Ophelia’s story, I’ll love to see how her life would go on to be as an independent person.
The mystery was also really good, I was kept on my toes the entire time.
Honestly can’t wait to read the other works of the authors.
P.S I hope this won’t be the last of Ophelia’s story, I’ll love to see how her life would go on to be as an independent person.
November 19, 2025
The author has serious potential but needs more practice. I loved the concept, but each scene felt so incomplete and the dialogue was cut SO short. There was also no consequences for any of Ophelia’s actions and that really bothers me. I really wanted to love this one so I’m disappointed.
July 23, 2025
The book was interesting, but for someone who could see ghost I would of preferred more ghost interaction. That said it did have a twist and was overall an enjoyable read.
July 30, 2025
wow
Very interesting and twisty reading. Loved the mystery and intrigue. Some turns and plot twists that kept me guessing. A good book to share.
Very interesting and twisty reading. Loved the mystery and intrigue. Some turns and plot twists that kept me guessing. A good book to share.
September 7, 2025
To be honest, I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. 🤭 The murder mystery was somewhat predictable - I saw it coming a little too soon and the storyline was nothing new. However, the writing style was really entertaining and it was interesting to follow the morally grey female main character and her story. This book was full of female rage, but who am I to criticise it? (I loved it)
So if you're looking for a cool ghost murder mystery and want to support a smaller author, check this book out, you're gonna have a good time!
So if you're looking for a cool ghost murder mystery and want to support a smaller author, check this book out, you're gonna have a good time!
September 25, 2025
I wish Ophelia and Kat Stratford could meet
I loved this, and it kept surprising me at every turn
I loved this, and it kept surprising me at every turn
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