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Paracosm - Bleath: The Hauntings
Psychology Student, Zoe Cosgrove, arrives in the West Virginian town of Bleath to study a strange phenomenon--a cluster of children who are experiencing paracosms (beliefs in self-created imaginary worlds).
The mayor of Bleath provides Zoe with accommodation at the empty Wilmont house. It's not the friendly farmhouse Zoe was picturing, and worse, the house seems to change day by day. The walls change and strange objects appear. Late at night, scratching noises scrape along the staircase banister and inside the trinket box under her bed. And out in the wheat field below her bedroom window, ghostly figures wait . . . .
Is Zoe slipping into an imaginary world of her own? Or are the things she's experiencing terrifying real?
PARACOSM is a standalone novel. It is part of a wider world, having a deep connection to The Dark Carousel series.
The mayor of Bleath provides Zoe with accommodation at the empty Wilmont house. It's not the friendly farmhouse Zoe was picturing, and worse, the house seems to change day by day. The walls change and strange objects appear. Late at night, scratching noises scrape along the staircase banister and inside the trinket box under her bed. And out in the wheat field below her bedroom window, ghostly figures wait . . . .
Is Zoe slipping into an imaginary world of her own? Or are the things she's experiencing terrifying real?
PARACOSM is a standalone novel. It is part of a wider world, having a deep connection to The Dark Carousel series.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
October 15, 2015
A paracosm is a detailed imaginary world created inside one's mind. This fantasy world may involve humans, animals, and things that exist in reality; or it may also contain entities that are entirely imaginary, alien, and otherwordly. Wikepedia.
When twenty two year old Zoe Cosgrove decided to study a phenomenon called “paracosm” for her psychology thesis, her research took her to the small town of Bleath in West Virginia which reportedly housed a number of children who were experiencing paracosms. She was to stay for a month – had already organised it with the mayor of the town, Falco Montalban. But the small community of Bleath was to change Zoe in many ways…
Installed in the Wilmont house where she was to stay for the duration, Zoe first met Karstan when he was doing some maintenance. A good looking young man, he promised to show her around town; show her the local attractions before she began her interviews. But the Wilmont house had Zoe uneasy; she couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong – she just knew something was not right.
Gradually her unease turned to fear – she was seeing figures; knew they were malevolent, angry, even evil. And she sensed danger, especially for the children. What was Bleath? A town filled with innocent psychics, clairvoyants and hypnotists – or much worse? Or was it Zoe who was losing her mind?
Wow! I was absolutely blown away by Aussie author Anya Allyn’s latest novel, Paracosm. A completely gripping and totally engrossing read from start to finish, it alludes to characters from the Dollhouse series, but that series doesn’t have to be read to read this one. And I’m thrilled Paracosm is the beginning of a new series as well. The ending will lead perfectly into the next book! I have no hesitation whatsoever in very highly recommending Paracosm to all.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
When twenty two year old Zoe Cosgrove decided to study a phenomenon called “paracosm” for her psychology thesis, her research took her to the small town of Bleath in West Virginia which reportedly housed a number of children who were experiencing paracosms. She was to stay for a month – had already organised it with the mayor of the town, Falco Montalban. But the small community of Bleath was to change Zoe in many ways…
Installed in the Wilmont house where she was to stay for the duration, Zoe first met Karstan when he was doing some maintenance. A good looking young man, he promised to show her around town; show her the local attractions before she began her interviews. But the Wilmont house had Zoe uneasy; she couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong – she just knew something was not right.
Gradually her unease turned to fear – she was seeing figures; knew they were malevolent, angry, even evil. And she sensed danger, especially for the children. What was Bleath? A town filled with innocent psychics, clairvoyants and hypnotists – or much worse? Or was it Zoe who was losing her mind?
Wow! I was absolutely blown away by Aussie author Anya Allyn’s latest novel, Paracosm. A completely gripping and totally engrossing read from start to finish, it alludes to characters from the Dollhouse series, but that series doesn’t have to be read to read this one. And I’m thrilled Paracosm is the beginning of a new series as well. The ending will lead perfectly into the next book! I have no hesitation whatsoever in very highly recommending Paracosm to all.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
February 4, 2017
2/4/17 You can get a free copy of this! https://www.instafreebie.com/free/bjD...
This is $2.99 on Amazon for 3 days. That's definitely more than I like to spend, but it's Anya Allyn, so I'm gettin' it.
REVIEW
Hmm... I wouldn't say it was worth the $2.99 I paid, but this was a pretty good story nonetheless.
This book was very creepy, like one of those horror movies set in a small town where everyone is nice but is secretly weird as fuck. And the outsider doesn't find out until it's too late. The characters are all fairly vivid. Zoe was a likeable (and biracial, for those keeping track of such things) protagonist, though she was a crappy thesis writer. She predictably lost sight of her assignment in favor of a boy and working in a shop in town. But she didn't lose her head when it really counted.
I never would have guessed the ending. It was different and I liked it.
Paracosm definitely could have used another round of editing. There were quite a few typos. Also, I felt the author could have taken her awesome ideas so much further. I know this book ties in to the Dark Carousel series, but they needed to be expanded here on their own. Instead, it felt like a bunch of random stuff slapped together for atmospheric purposes.
The author is from Australia, I believe, and it comes through in her writing. She has a group that reads through her books before publication, but I wonder if any of them are American. This wasn't an issue with her Dark Carousel series (at least not the first two I read), but this book is set in America (West Virginia). So the characters saying things like "We never got on" and "stickybeak" and "different to" instead of "different from" was kind of jarring for me.
I'm still looking forward to my BR of Lake Ephemeral with Jess next month, and finally finishing the Dark Carousel series at some point. I'm excited for Allyn's future releases. Her ideas are amazing and I'm interested to see what she does with them.
This is $2.99 on Amazon for 3 days. That's definitely more than I like to spend, but it's Anya Allyn, so I'm gettin' it.
REVIEW
Her heart pounded so hard it hurt. A strangled sound came from somewhere deep in her throat.
With the light on, she could no longer see outside.
But she knew they could see her.
Hmm... I wouldn't say it was worth the $2.99 I paid, but this was a pretty good story nonetheless.
This book was very creepy, like one of those horror movies set in a small town where everyone is nice but is secretly weird as fuck. And the outsider doesn't find out until it's too late. The characters are all fairly vivid. Zoe was a likeable (and biracial, for those keeping track of such things) protagonist, though she was a crappy thesis writer. She predictably lost sight of her assignment in favor of a boy and working in a shop in town. But she didn't lose her head when it really counted.
I never would have guessed the ending. It was different and I liked it.
Paracosm definitely could have used another round of editing. There were quite a few typos. Also, I felt the author could have taken her awesome ideas so much further. I know this book ties in to the Dark Carousel series, but they needed to be expanded here on their own. Instead, it felt like a bunch of random stuff slapped together for atmospheric purposes.
The author is from Australia, I believe, and it comes through in her writing. She has a group that reads through her books before publication, but I wonder if any of them are American. This wasn't an issue with her Dark Carousel series (at least not the first two I read), but this book is set in America (West Virginia). So the characters saying things like "We never got on" and "stickybeak" and "different to" instead of "different from" was kind of jarring for me.
I'm still looking forward to my BR of Lake Ephemeral with Jess next month, and finally finishing the Dark Carousel series at some point. I'm excited for Allyn's future releases. Her ideas are amazing and I'm interested to see what she does with them.
July 15, 2020
2.5% if that.
More NA uncertain didn't fit well. Great idea, but the first half of the book dealt with nothing more than the flirting with the mayor-elect and the irrelevances of the friends. Very little of the paracosms were mentioned. Could have easily just cut most of the first 50%.
The second half jumps up three gears and just throws everything possible on the page. The result really didn't hang together for me. The writing style and the dialogue didn't really lift it either.
There is a series related to this book, but although I adore horror and the supernatural, I'll have to stop with this one.
More NA uncertain didn't fit well. Great idea, but the first half of the book dealt with nothing more than the flirting with the mayor-elect and the irrelevances of the friends. Very little of the paracosms were mentioned. Could have easily just cut most of the first 50%.
The second half jumps up three gears and just throws everything possible on the page. The result really didn't hang together for me. The writing style and the dialogue didn't really lift it either.
There is a series related to this book, but although I adore horror and the supernatural, I'll have to stop with this one.
November 16, 2017
I don’t usually read anything that’s on the paranormal spectrum as I’m a complete chicken and hate feeling scared of my own shadow! I believe the last spooky book I read was part of the Goosebumps series..!
This was a fab easy read, the characters were fascinating and the female lead was bright, sparky and likeable. I found the ending to be a little abrupt, slightly rushed almost and I was left feeling the magician wasn’t fully explained to me. I would have liked a conclusive answer to her aunts death too - why did it happen?!?
Overall an enjoyable peek in to the scarier side of literature and I recommend!
This was a fab easy read, the characters were fascinating and the female lead was bright, sparky and likeable. I found the ending to be a little abrupt, slightly rushed almost and I was left feeling the magician wasn’t fully explained to me. I would have liked a conclusive answer to her aunts death too - why did it happen?!?
Overall an enjoyable peek in to the scarier side of literature and I recommend!
October 16, 2015
I LOVED this book! As per her usual, Anya Allyn deftly lulls readers into a chilling world where nothing is as it seems. She masterfully plays off our fears to really creep us out. The story itself is very interesting and kept my attention, and scattered throughout the beginning of the book are several creepy scares, which are explained... or are they? The end of the book is a full on thrill ride, leaving you guessing at every turn what is going to happen next. I highly recommend this exciting book to anyone who is looking for one of those books that you just can't put down, and one that stays with you for a while.
Fans of Anya's Dark Carousel series (or Dollhouse series, for us originals!) will appreciate the references made to that world in this book. However, if you haven't read that series, don't despair; this is a stand-alone novel, and you won't be left confused. Just read it! :)
Fans of Anya's Dark Carousel series (or Dollhouse series, for us originals!) will appreciate the references made to that world in this book. However, if you haven't read that series, don't despair; this is a stand-alone novel, and you won't be left confused. Just read it! :)
May 22, 2016
Paracosm means belief in self created imaginary worlds. This is the second book I've read by Anya Allyn and I enjoyed it. It was full of suspense and the ending surprised me.
June 27, 2016
3.5 stars. Spooky and chilling, but also quite slow at times. Still though, I enjoyed reading this.
March 21, 2018
my! That ending! I never expected that.
This was spooky, well written, and the characters were well rounded. There were a couple parts that really gave me the creeps and had me jumping at any noise I heard. I kept waiting for that little girl from the Ring movies to pop over for a visit.
At the time of this review, this has $4.99 price tag. Is it worth that? I don't think I would pay that much for this. I would wait for this at a discounted price.
I will definitely read more by this author if the price is right.
I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review through the Choosy Bookworm R&R program.
This was spooky, well written, and the characters were well rounded. There were a couple parts that really gave me the creeps and had me jumping at any noise I heard. I kept waiting for that little girl from the Ring movies to pop over for a visit.
At the time of this review, this has $4.99 price tag. Is it worth that? I don't think I would pay that much for this. I would wait for this at a discounted price.
I will definitely read more by this author if the price is right.
I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review through the Choosy Bookworm R&R program.
December 7, 2017
This kinda made me feel like I was going crazy, because everyone can definitely relate to noticing small things that you think if they were always like that it not. Curious if there's going to be a follow up? Saw that this book is actually a spin off of another series so I will definitely look into those!
December 2, 2017
I really liked this book. it was an exciting little ghost story. I loved how Anya incorporated the dark carousel world into this story. Two thumbs up.
November 11, 2017
This was a very entertaining read. This is a suspenseful novel, and it deals with the supernatural, but it isn't a violent, gory novel. Zoe is a 22 year old college student working on her psychology thesis. She hears about a town called Bleath, in West Virginia, where children have been creating very detailed imaginary worlds for themselves, called "paracosms". I read years ago that the Bronte sisters had created a very intense imaginary world as children. According to this book, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien did as well. So Zoe is intrigued that there is a cluster of them in one town, and she contacts the town's mayor about her planned project. She wants to interview the children, if the parents will allow it. He arranges for her to stay at an old, remote house while she's working on the project. (Red Flag, Zoe!) The novel seemed a little slow to get started, but then it took off. I do think in the beginning there was a little too much detail about Zoe's ex-boyfriend. He didn't have anything to do with the plotline in Bleath, and there were enough characters to keep track of without an unnecessary one! Also, there is maybe a little too much gushing about the appearance of the mayor's good-looking son. He has blue eyes, in case you're wondering. And I think the hard muscular lines of his body may be mentioned more than once. It's one thing to establish that he's very attractive, but it felt kind of repetitive. There were also a few odd bits of amateurish-sounding dialogue that seemed out of place. I think the reason those little nitpicky things bothered me is because the rest of the novel is so well-written that it interrupted the flow. The author really creates a sense of setting, one of the strengths of the novel. You can really feel the town's atmosphere. There are a lot of psychics there---it's what the town is known for. There are a lot of tourists who come to the town to see the psychics and hypnotists, which is the explanation given to Zoe as to why there aren't any hotel rooms available for her to stay in. There is one telling scene where the main street is closed up for the day, the shops and businesses are all closed, and it's raining, and Zoe gets the feeling that she's seeing the real Bleath. As Zoe finds out later, her perception was accurate, because so much of what she sees and experiences in the beginning of her stay is a deliberate facade, orchestrated by a select group of townspeople. The elite of Bleath. There is a lot of very strong imagery, but not overly long descriptions. The descriptions of the places are, in my opinion, just right. The characters also seem very real. They are not cardboard. Even minor characters have enough detail presented in short scenes that you feel like you know them. And then there's the plot, which is intriguing. The ending is completely unexpected! Not something you would ever guess. It's not a completely happy ending , but it's satisfying. It makes sense in the context of the novel.
February 27, 2021
Not great for adult readers
This book would be fine for younger readers but contains too many inconsistencies for an adult. From what I can gather, it is supposed to be October, but the treehouse tree has full foliage? Yet, it is cold enough that people are bundling up against a chill. Lincoln already has a glass of warm milk, but his mother goes to go make him warm milk? An undergraduate thesis doesn’t happen the way it is portrayed in the book. I have children the same age range as the main character, and the personalities are not believable for the age. The main character is biracial (non-white), but also apparently comes from a family of means and wealth given they can afford to live close to two NY colleges. Experiences as a biracial person from two different marginalized groups never factor into Zoe‘s personality which doesn’t seem realistic. This comes off more like a white writer who fetishized marginalized groups because they thought it made the character look exotic. It supposedly took Zoe most of a day to drive to Bleath, but when her family comes for a surprise visit, they turn around and go home on the same day like it’s a quick jaunt. There are also inconsistencies regarding crops and harvest times and seasonal temps for the general region. Overall, the plot is interesting, but the immature writing distracts from it.
This book would be fine for younger readers but contains too many inconsistencies for an adult. From what I can gather, it is supposed to be October, but the treehouse tree has full foliage? Yet, it is cold enough that people are bundling up against a chill. Lincoln already has a glass of warm milk, but his mother goes to go make him warm milk? An undergraduate thesis doesn’t happen the way it is portrayed in the book. I have children the same age range as the main character, and the personalities are not believable for the age. The main character is biracial (non-white), but also apparently comes from a family of means and wealth given they can afford to live close to two NY colleges. Experiences as a biracial person from two different marginalized groups never factor into Zoe‘s personality which doesn’t seem realistic. This comes off more like a white writer who fetishized marginalized groups because they thought it made the character look exotic. It supposedly took Zoe most of a day to drive to Bleath, but when her family comes for a surprise visit, they turn around and go home on the same day like it’s a quick jaunt. There are also inconsistencies regarding crops and harvest times and seasonal temps for the general region. Overall, the plot is interesting, but the immature writing distracts from it.
December 12, 2015
Interesting plot line and characters. Zoe Cosgrove travels to the small, rural town of Bleath for research for a paper she's writing in college (and maybe also to run away from dealing with her recent break up with her cheating boyfriend). The town of Bleath has a high occupancy of psychics, but it's the children who have fantasized their own make believe world that interest Zoe. But nothing is as it seems in the town, as Zoe eventually learns. I did NOT see that ending coming. And even when I was got over the initial shock... I was surprised again on the last couple of pages. Definitely some creepy moments in this novel, which were made even creepier since I'm on third shift and did most of my reading in the middle of the night. =O
Want to read
February 10, 2017YES! This was FREE and I love this author so I'm reading it soon!
Thanks to my favorite Heatherdoll for the link to get it free.
Here it is for you all too!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I immensely enjoyed this author's other book, Lake Ephemeral that I read about a year and a half ago. It has actually stuck with me for that year and a half which is a great testament to an author's work. It was creative, innovative, and though it still contained stupid YA stuff I hate, I gave it bonus points for creativity. So I am especially looking forward to reading this. Which looks delightfully ghosty.
Thanks to my favorite Heatherdoll for the link to get it free.
Here it is for you all too!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I immensely enjoyed this author's other book, Lake Ephemeral that I read about a year and a half ago. It has actually stuck with me for that year and a half which is a great testament to an author's work. It was creative, innovative, and though it still contained stupid YA stuff I hate, I gave it bonus points for creativity. So I am especially looking forward to reading this. Which looks delightfully ghosty.
November 13, 2015
Eerily Awesome
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I am so very happy that I did. This is an amazingly creepy book that grips you from the very first page. It's suspenseful and just a beautiful story. I definitely see myself reading it again and again. I would recommend it to anyone who likes scary stories. :) :)
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I am so very happy that I did. This is an amazingly creepy book that grips you from the very first page. It's suspenseful and just a beautiful story. I definitely see myself reading it again and again. I would recommend it to anyone who likes scary stories. :) :)
May 16, 2018
A Thriller
This book started slowly, but once things started happening, it picked up the pace at a breathtaking speed. It seemed like mystery upon mystery; once you thought you knew what was going on, something else would happen to keep you guessing. From the middle to near the end, I found it difficult to put the book down. Somewhere near the end though, after things began to get more and more unbelievable, I found myself wishing the story would just end so I could go on and read something else. But I persisted, hoping the story would wrap up in some way that made sense, possibly with a happily-ever-after, or even with just a satisfactory conclusion so that I would feel rewarded for having persisted until the end. Sadly, I never got my wish. The ending was as unrealistic as the rest of the storyline, and was immediately followed by the author urging you to read the rest of the books in the series, claiming this story would bring more clarity to the rest. No thank you.
I rated this 3 stars, for the simple fact that it was exciting during the middle, but it lost a couple of stars for the shoddy ending. I won't be reading the rest of the series, because I don't like endings with no sense of finality, especially once I've begun to lose interest and forced myself to finish it anyways. Too much was left undone here.
This book started slowly, but once things started happening, it picked up the pace at a breathtaking speed. It seemed like mystery upon mystery; once you thought you knew what was going on, something else would happen to keep you guessing. From the middle to near the end, I found it difficult to put the book down. Somewhere near the end though, after things began to get more and more unbelievable, I found myself wishing the story would just end so I could go on and read something else. But I persisted, hoping the story would wrap up in some way that made sense, possibly with a happily-ever-after, or even with just a satisfactory conclusion so that I would feel rewarded for having persisted until the end. Sadly, I never got my wish. The ending was as unrealistic as the rest of the storyline, and was immediately followed by the author urging you to read the rest of the books in the series, claiming this story would bring more clarity to the rest. No thank you.
I rated this 3 stars, for the simple fact that it was exciting during the middle, but it lost a couple of stars for the shoddy ending. I won't be reading the rest of the series, because I don't like endings with no sense of finality, especially once I've begun to lose interest and forced myself to finish it anyways. Too much was left undone here.
October 29, 2020
Could have been better
2.5 stars rounded up.
The first half of the book dragged and meandered and took its sweet time to go anywhere. The second half took off at a breathneck pace like a car careening down a cliff... which wasn't an improvement.
The protagonist is very infantile and airheaded for her 22 years of age. And I'm sorry, if she is a psychology student, especially one advanced enough to work on her thesis, I'm the queen of England. And the whole relationship with the mayor's son shows a lack of maturity and self-awareness. You just got dumped by your boyfriend, as a psychology student, surely you can deduct that you are jumping into a rebound relationship?
And what's with the vilains and good guys alike spending pages and pages talking about their plans? You want a sacrifice? Do it, don't spend 2 hours explaining to the victim why you are doing this and how she ended up being lured to the altar. Have you never heard of the 100 rules of the evil overlord?
The protagonist also lacks any skill of observation or deduction, especially when attractive men are involved. It's cute at the beginning of the story, but gets old pretty fast.
I wouldn't recommend this book, and I don't think I will be reading the main series either.
2.5 stars rounded up.
The first half of the book dragged and meandered and took its sweet time to go anywhere. The second half took off at a breathneck pace like a car careening down a cliff... which wasn't an improvement.
The protagonist is very infantile and airheaded for her 22 years of age. And I'm sorry, if she is a psychology student, especially one advanced enough to work on her thesis, I'm the queen of England. And the whole relationship with the mayor's son shows a lack of maturity and self-awareness. You just got dumped by your boyfriend, as a psychology student, surely you can deduct that you are jumping into a rebound relationship?
And what's with the vilains and good guys alike spending pages and pages talking about their plans? You want a sacrifice? Do it, don't spend 2 hours explaining to the victim why you are doing this and how she ended up being lured to the altar. Have you never heard of the 100 rules of the evil overlord?
The protagonist also lacks any skill of observation or deduction, especially when attractive men are involved. It's cute at the beginning of the story, but gets old pretty fast.
I wouldn't recommend this book, and I don't think I will be reading the main series either.
February 29, 2020
Beneath the dainty village scene lies the other world
As As a first time reader of this author I have to say that I enjoyed the story line thought found some of the characters rather strange, though I didn't feel it stretched my imagination too much I'm sure readers of this kind of story will truly enjoy this book. Zoe there to do research on the children of Bleath, meets Katstan the mayor son who offers to show her around, taking her to the toy shop and she ends up working there (strange) she she is taken to the carnival and the fair ground where nobody pays ( think at this point warning bells would have been ringing in my head) something is just not right about this place. The house the mayor says she can use is spooky it keeps changing, the wallpaper the kitchen yet karstan doesn't notice then theirs the strange wheat fields where she sees ghosts floating about yet the children play in there not forgetting the well. She seems to turn in to a private detective all of a sudden. There are a few shocks, twists, and you start to wonder why the hell she just doesn't get away and leave. In the end Rohan is her saviour 40+year's before her time. Enjoy readers
As As a first time reader of this author I have to say that I enjoyed the story line thought found some of the characters rather strange, though I didn't feel it stretched my imagination too much I'm sure readers of this kind of story will truly enjoy this book. Zoe there to do research on the children of Bleath, meets Katstan the mayor son who offers to show her around, taking her to the toy shop and she ends up working there (strange) she she is taken to the carnival and the fair ground where nobody pays ( think at this point warning bells would have been ringing in my head) something is just not right about this place. The house the mayor says she can use is spooky it keeps changing, the wallpaper the kitchen yet karstan doesn't notice then theirs the strange wheat fields where she sees ghosts floating about yet the children play in there not forgetting the well. She seems to turn in to a private detective all of a sudden. There are a few shocks, twists, and you start to wonder why the hell she just doesn't get away and leave. In the end Rohan is her saviour 40+year's before her time. Enjoy readers
July 30, 2019
DAMN. ANYA ALLYN DID IT AGAIN.
Most of all I was drawn into it the moment the Easter eggs started to appear, I mean I had a slight memory of little Prudence and then the freaking dollhouse with the carousel in the basement with them "dolls" and the creepy Raggedy dolls (the scared the hell out of me then and surely they do it now). I mean I even started playing the whole Carousel song by Melanie Martinez, it hit me hard in the great scary memories. Now let's go back to the actual story, damn! Our new heroine was as clueless as I was while reading, I mean I had some thoughts that perhaps everyone in the town were ghosts but nope, they were just wicked bitches plotting against our girl's best interest with these parallel universes that are making me wonder what's real and what isn't. I mean those poor kids used as twisted puppets by the Magician and them harvest people used as sacrifices by them psycho townspeople, and that end was everything. Now I only hope that Anya might give us some clue to what came out of Zoe's future in that specific universe. I need to know
Most of all I was drawn into it the moment the Easter eggs started to appear, I mean I had a slight memory of little Prudence and then the freaking dollhouse with the carousel in the basement with them "dolls" and the creepy Raggedy dolls (the scared the hell out of me then and surely they do it now). I mean I even started playing the whole Carousel song by Melanie Martinez, it hit me hard in the great scary memories. Now let's go back to the actual story, damn! Our new heroine was as clueless as I was while reading, I mean I had some thoughts that perhaps everyone in the town were ghosts but nope, they were just wicked bitches plotting against our girl's best interest with these parallel universes that are making me wonder what's real and what isn't. I mean those poor kids used as twisted puppets by the Magician and them harvest people used as sacrifices by them psycho townspeople, and that end was everything. Now I only hope that Anya might give us some clue to what came out of Zoe's future in that specific universe. I need to know
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2022
Fresh storyline, gave me the chills
This is the first book I read from this author and it definitely won’t be the last.
Anya Allyn’s writing was fluid and the part I love is I did not see it coming. If it weren’t for the theme and plot, I’d describe this as a light read.
Zoe Cosgrove went to the little town of Bleath to study some children and their paracosms but she got more than what she bargained for. The love interest seemed overrated but as the story progressed, it needed to be written.
The scenes were described with vivid imagery that I literally had goosebumps. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill paranormal fiction, but there are a lot of dimensions to consider.
The ending was quite open and offers a lot of possibilities. To some, it could be a cliffhanger. Highly recommended for fans of the paranormal.
This is the first book I read from this author and it definitely won’t be the last.
Anya Allyn’s writing was fluid and the part I love is I did not see it coming. If it weren’t for the theme and plot, I’d describe this as a light read.
Zoe Cosgrove went to the little town of Bleath to study some children and their paracosms but she got more than what she bargained for. The love interest seemed overrated but as the story progressed, it needed to be written.
The scenes were described with vivid imagery that I literally had goosebumps. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill paranormal fiction, but there are a lot of dimensions to consider.
The ending was quite open and offers a lot of possibilities. To some, it could be a cliffhanger. Highly recommended for fans of the paranormal.
November 28, 2017
First, if you want to read this book, there is a series that actually comes before this book. However, the author stated reading this first would give you better insight into the series. I can say that this was a good young adult paranormal mystery, and I found it hard to put down. It’s about a town called Bleath. And needless to say, the townfolk are a tad peculiar. A young woman named Zoe comes to the town to write her thesis on children in the town who experience paracosms. If I tell more, it’ll spoil the read for you. I enjoyed thoroughly and I’m diving into the series to see if what the author says is true. No sexual or provocative scenes. Very few if any profanity. The four book series is The Dark Carousel.
December 6, 2017
Refreshingly different view for a ghost story
I gave this book five stars because it met all of my critiria. Fiist, I need the story to be fresh and unpredictable. Which it absolutely was. Next, the characters need to be well written with strong and individual personalities that make them believable. I need to develop an attachment enough to care what happens to them. Done. The story needs to flow, arouse suspense with clear, descriptive prose and intelligent conversation. Accomplished. Lastly, it needs to have a satisfying end as a stand alone book or leave me wanting more. Anya Allyn has done all of this and more couldn't put it down. Not typically YA reader but this story easily crosses over into adult reading. Ms. Allen has a new fan.
I gave this book five stars because it met all of my critiria. Fiist, I need the story to be fresh and unpredictable. Which it absolutely was. Next, the characters need to be well written with strong and individual personalities that make them believable. I need to develop an attachment enough to care what happens to them. Done. The story needs to flow, arouse suspense with clear, descriptive prose and intelligent conversation. Accomplished. Lastly, it needs to have a satisfying end as a stand alone book or leave me wanting more. Anya Allyn has done all of this and more couldn't put it down. Not typically YA reader but this story easily crosses over into adult reading. Ms. Allen has a new fan.
June 9, 2018
Thank goodness this was a 99p Kindle special: I would feel sick if I had paid more for such a ridiculous book. I haven't read any of the 'Dark Carousel' series and if they are anything like this volume I won't be.
The first half of the book deals less with the Paracosms of the title than with the gooey flirting of the main character Zoe with Karstan, the town's mayor-elect. The author then throws everything at the second half from Tesla's wireless electricity to town conspiracy to magic books to ghosts to multiverses... All this does not make the story any better, it just contributes to the overwrought and ridiculous mess that it is.
This is a shame, as the Paracosms that the title misleadingly refers to are a potentially intriguing idea, which the story never fully engaged with.
The first half of the book deals less with the Paracosms of the title than with the gooey flirting of the main character Zoe with Karstan, the town's mayor-elect. The author then throws everything at the second half from Tesla's wireless electricity to town conspiracy to magic books to ghosts to multiverses... All this does not make the story any better, it just contributes to the overwrought and ridiculous mess that it is.
This is a shame, as the Paracosms that the title misleadingly refers to are a potentially intriguing idea, which the story never fully engaged with.
July 29, 2018
Zoe needs space from a painful breakup and she has found the perfect place to do her psychology paper on. But everyone isn't what they seem. She is here to meet some children that have been experiencing paracosms. Can she find out the truth about their imaginary worlds and what the town is hiding? Karstan is the son of the mayor and he knows that he has no choice but to get Zoe to stay as the town demands it. Zoe finds working and living the town a pleasure but everything changes when she sees someone in the mirror and that woman is coming for her. Why are the wheat fields so important to the children and can she save them for the magician before it is too late? Will Zoe escape from this horror?
A good read.
A good read.
January 25, 2018
Not a bad story, but the writing is a bit stilted and flat. The overall impression I was left with was a story that tried to mimic Shirley Jackson’s skill and subject matter in her writing (especially The Lottery and The Haunting of Hill House) but doesn’t quite get there. The ending was something of a cliffhanger, and it does suggest that there is a second book. I just don’t know if I care enough about any of the characters to bother reading it.
My advice is to stick with Jackson’s work rather than follow Allyn any farther down this rabbit hole.
My advice is to stick with Jackson’s work rather than follow Allyn any farther down this rabbit hole.
February 20, 2023
The book flows well for most of the part building up the intrigue and dread, but falters as it reaches the climax and things suddenly start going haywire. Disappointed for the way, things are culminated in a hurried manner. Overall, the book builds up the horror quotient quite well with children behaving in strange ways, but there are too many plots some of which just don't matter in the end. Many a horror books go that way building up the plot with twists and turns but closing the loose ends in a similar manner is rare and I felt the same way about this book.
January 31, 2018
Curiously fun
I didn't know what to expect, maybe a cheesy ghost story? What I got was intrigue and fascination with this little weird ass town. It was a fun ride, and unexpectedly at that. The end is a little rushed, and I wanted an epilogue, but overall this was a weirdly good time.
I didn't know what to expect, maybe a cheesy ghost story? What I got was intrigue and fascination with this little weird ass town. It was a fun ride, and unexpectedly at that. The end is a little rushed, and I wanted an epilogue, but overall this was a weirdly good time.
February 24, 2018
DNF - the love interest is a creep so that pulled me right out of the story. The writing was average, the first twenty pages or so were especially awkward, with bad dialogue. There were several scenes that just felt like filler. There were a couple creepy moments however and as a story idea, it's got potential.
December 17, 2018
Woah this book was all shorts of weird... I found it highly interesting and the strange world it was in. I thought the middle part of the book dragged a little bit but as you got towards the ending the middle was actually important.
This book doesn’t have a follow up but could. I would like to know further on what would happen next...
This book doesn’t have a follow up but could. I would like to know further on what would happen next...
May 31, 2019
Worth a read
Started reading on a whim, and didn't put it down until the end. While I'm a bit older than the intended audience, Anyas writing is very fluid, and just enjoyable to read. Great connection to characters and far from cliche. Definitely a great way to spend an afternoon
Started reading on a whim, and didn't put it down until the end. While I'm a bit older than the intended audience, Anyas writing is very fluid, and just enjoyable to read. Great connection to characters and far from cliche. Definitely a great way to spend an afternoon
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