Gravesend

by Phil Farina

Robbie Mauro could see things, or could he?

As a child growing up in Brooklyn, in a deeply religious Italian family, Robbie was no stranger to a belief in spirits, on occasion he saw them

... or was it just his imagination?

As a teenager Robbie finds a Spirit Board and soon learns the danger of tampering with the unknown. He and his friends, encounter an entity that at first, seems friendly, but things soon turn dire as the entity strikes out at them from beyond the grave.

Robbie's teenage years are filled with family and friends, school and activities, but Robbie's life is anything but "ordinary".

He and his friends unwittingly create a scenario that places themselves and those they love in mortal danger.

Robbie finds out the hard way that

...Actions Have Consequences

378 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2015

About the author

Phil Farina was born in New York City and grew up in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn.He grew up in a very close Italian family that shares a deep religious belief as well as a deep respect for the spirit world. He attended Rutgers University and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s Degree in Microbiology. He also earned an MBA in Chemical Marketing. He is currently a water treatment professional working on developing technologies to improve our clean water supplies. He lives with his wife Cathy in Toledo, Ohio and writes books for the love of the story.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had the potential to be good, but fell completely flat after the first five chapters. The book feels like five random books smashed together because each new plot is random and is over in a chapter. The ending is so obvious and coincidental that it completely throws out everything written before. This should have been a cool book, but everything that happens is a coincidence, nothing is tied together, it is too spaced out over time, nothing actually happens, and there is no climax or even a resolution really.
The author described more food than the actual characters. Every other paragraph has a cliffhanger that left the reader confused and destroyed any actual attempt at suspense. I am very sorry to say but I don't even know why or how i managed to finish this book.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had its moments, but was ultimately lacked focus. It also could have used another round of edits.

[Newlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for a review.

I loved this book, I liked the autobiography like style this story was written in, the characters are well developed and you really get a sense of connection and kinship with them, I felt like I wasn't just reading a story, but experiencing it, with Robbie, his friends and his family.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phil Farina had me riding along on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the story. I cheered, I cried and I shook my head in disbelief as I read Roberto's story. This is the first book I have read by this author, but it won't be the last. I would highly recommend this book. I received my copy as an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I enjoyed this story. There is plenty of suspense and the book was easy to read. I will be keeping my eyes open for additional books by this author.



I recieved a copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this would just be a ghost story, but it’s so much more. It tells the story of a family, hope for an only child of immigrant parents to get the first college education in the family. And how he is haunted by what he and his friends did one summer.

[Sofia Bianchi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I personally wasn’t a fan of the writing. The story has so much potential. The idea behind it I think was good, but I found the actual story a little disappointing. I wish there was more to it all.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting premise, but the style just didn't appeal. at about 6% it was just moving too slowly for me. So DNF

[Christine Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, the book seemed long-winded. That being said, a good editor could have streamlined it a bit, removing some of the repetitious lines. However, just because I think it needs some editing, it doesn't take away the fact that there are a lot of positives in this book. Philip Farina has done a wonderful job with plot development. The storyline is intricate and leaves you guessing. I also thought he had good character development. They actually seemed to grow and evolve over the decade-plus years that the book covers.

If you like supernatural stories, this is the one for you. This isn't a cozy mystery. It's not a who-done-it. It's the story of three boys growing up in NYC and their walk through the twilight zone.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, I especially like the ending! I also loved all the descriptions of the Italian family. I married into an Italian family and could totally relate to all of the food and the gatherings - I felt like I was reading about my in-laws!

[Tracy Strombotne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story - great background, detail, character and suspense, with an unexpected twist to the plot! I highly recommend this!