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Diary of a Haunting #2
Possession
All her life, Laetitia has wanted to be a star. It’s more than an ambition - somewhere deep inside, she feels certain that she was born for greatness.
But her path to stardom now seems to be halted by a mysterious undiagnosed illness that’s taken over her body. Doctors don’t have a clue what could be causing it. She stays home from school most days, documenting her strange symptoms. Symptoms that start with fevers and chills, but soon escalate to strange items her body seems to be producing - bones, nails, and even glass.All the while, Laetitia is fixated on what's happening in the news: race riots that are moving ever closer to her neighborhood. But when visions of horrific scenes begin to invade her mind, even the media can’t distract her.
As Laetitia's illness worsens, she soon begins to wonder - is her sickness biological, or is it something more? Are the voices she hears signs of insanity - or signs of something much more sinister and demonic? Or, perhaps, signs of something more benevolent... something holy?
Laetitia always knew she'd be a star... she just never knew how quickly it would all manifest.
But her path to stardom now seems to be halted by a mysterious undiagnosed illness that’s taken over her body. Doctors don’t have a clue what could be causing it. She stays home from school most days, documenting her strange symptoms. Symptoms that start with fevers and chills, but soon escalate to strange items her body seems to be producing - bones, nails, and even glass.All the while, Laetitia is fixated on what's happening in the news: race riots that are moving ever closer to her neighborhood. But when visions of horrific scenes begin to invade her mind, even the media can’t distract her.
As Laetitia's illness worsens, she soon begins to wonder - is her sickness biological, or is it something more? Are the voices she hears signs of insanity - or signs of something much more sinister and demonic? Or, perhaps, signs of something more benevolent... something holy?
Laetitia always knew she'd be a star... she just never knew how quickly it would all manifest.
340 pages, Hardcover
First published August 30, 2016
20 people are currently reading
1163 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
October 8, 2016
After reading the amazing first book in this series, about a girl whose house is being haunted by something/someone, I just had to get this book as well. Sadly, in the end it was not what I thought it would be, nor was it as good.
My thought when I saw this book was a possession, like the ones you see in movies, or the ones you read in really scary books. However while there was a bit of possession, or at least some hints to it (the nightmares, the black-outs, the vomiting of stuff that isn't supposed to be in a body), it wasn't what I expected. Especially as the book continued it just seemed that it was something different. Also the way it was solved... meh.
What was actually going on with the girl? Well...
Then there was the constant talk about God, God this and God that. I am a Christian myself, but I just found it too much, it didn't feel right, and also a bit not fitting the book. Of course, in the end it might have fitted, but it still was not something I enjoyed much.
Our MC was also a bit of a bother at times. She just thought so high and mighty of herself all the times and it just annoyed me. Later on I began to like her more, and also sympathise with her. No one who believed her, everyone thinking she was just becoming crazy. She just wanted to sing, she just wanted to be someone, but instead this happened to her. :( I did like how she tried to stay honest though, even when things went south, she did try to talk to people, she did try to seek help. Even if that didn't help much, she did try. And not many people would say that they would do the same when they are in trouble.
The episodes, the images, they were disturbing, creepy, and unnerving. Especially the dreams, I just had to stop reading at times because they were too gruesome for me. And then the later parts were things really went wrong, o.0 wow.
It was also interesting to see how our MC went from normal girl to something different. The change wasn't there right away, instead it grew and grew. Just like all the stuff that happened to her. And in the end all this shaped her to be someone else from how she was a few months ago.
I kind of missed the blogs. Quite soon they became private, and I was actually looking forward to the blog posts. It was one of the reasons why I also picked this book. So you can imagine I was a bit disappointed that we only get a few, and even those are filled with some creepy stuff, before we head off to the private section. :(
It was a shame that the book prologue spoiled what happened to our MC. :( I hate it when it does that, I want to discover such things for myself. Now, when it finally happened, I wasn't really surprised, nor was I shocked that much. I knew it was coming, it was just the question when. So as time went by, I just got used to the fact that was going to happen to her. It was still sad, and it didn't happen when I had expected it to happen, but it did miss the effectiveness if I hadn't known about it.
I really liked the mom and the grandma. They both were great characters and we learn a lot about them and what kind of characters they are. Often side-characters won't get much of the spotlight, but in this one you really get to know them. Yay!
What more? Ah yes, I did like the letters, the forms, and other stuff that was shown around the later parts of the book. It gave more insight in what was going on with the MC, and also showed what people thought of her.
The book also picks a topic that is totally hot (and sad) in the US. The shootings of often innocent black people by policemen/women. It did feel a bit weird that it was added, but I guess given our MC, her colour, and her involvement it did fit quite well.
All in all, a pretty OK book, but I just had expected more of it. I hope the writer will make more books like this (and hopefully next time doesn't spoil what happens to the character).
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
My thought when I saw this book was a possession, like the ones you see in movies, or the ones you read in really scary books. However while there was a bit of possession, or at least some hints to it (the nightmares, the black-outs, the vomiting of stuff that isn't supposed to be in a body), it wasn't what I expected. Especially as the book continued it just seemed that it was something different. Also the way it was solved... meh.
What was actually going on with the girl? Well...
Then there was the constant talk about God, God this and God that. I am a Christian myself, but I just found it too much, it didn't feel right, and also a bit not fitting the book. Of course, in the end it might have fitted, but it still was not something I enjoyed much.
Our MC was also a bit of a bother at times. She just thought so high and mighty of herself all the times and it just annoyed me. Later on I began to like her more, and also sympathise with her. No one who believed her, everyone thinking she was just becoming crazy. She just wanted to sing, she just wanted to be someone, but instead this happened to her. :( I did like how she tried to stay honest though, even when things went south, she did try to talk to people, she did try to seek help. Even if that didn't help much, she did try. And not many people would say that they would do the same when they are in trouble.
The episodes, the images, they were disturbing, creepy, and unnerving. Especially the dreams, I just had to stop reading at times because they were too gruesome for me. And then the later parts were things really went wrong, o.0 wow.
It was also interesting to see how our MC went from normal girl to something different. The change wasn't there right away, instead it grew and grew. Just like all the stuff that happened to her. And in the end all this shaped her to be someone else from how she was a few months ago.
I kind of missed the blogs. Quite soon they became private, and I was actually looking forward to the blog posts. It was one of the reasons why I also picked this book. So you can imagine I was a bit disappointed that we only get a few, and even those are filled with some creepy stuff, before we head off to the private section. :(
It was a shame that the book prologue spoiled what happened to our MC. :( I hate it when it does that, I want to discover such things for myself. Now, when it finally happened, I wasn't really surprised, nor was I shocked that much. I knew it was coming, it was just the question when. So as time went by, I just got used to the fact that was going to happen to her. It was still sad, and it didn't happen when I had expected it to happen, but it did miss the effectiveness if I hadn't known about it.
I really liked the mom and the grandma. They both were great characters and we learn a lot about them and what kind of characters they are. Often side-characters won't get much of the spotlight, but in this one you really get to know them. Yay!
What more? Ah yes, I did like the letters, the forms, and other stuff that was shown around the later parts of the book. It gave more insight in what was going on with the MC, and also showed what people thought of her.
The book also picks a topic that is totally hot (and sad) in the US. The shootings of often innocent black people by policemen/women. It did feel a bit weird that it was added, but I guess given our MC, her colour, and her involvement it did fit quite well.
All in all, a pretty OK book, but I just had expected more of it. I hope the writer will make more books like this (and hopefully next time doesn't spoil what happens to the character).
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
December 22, 2016
Possession is the second book in a duology or series? Not sure if the fictional M. Verano will continue with his paranormal stories. Diary of a Haunting the first book was absolutely amazing. It was creepy in all the right ways. This book however fell a little flat for me. Giving this "sequel" 3 stars.
Possession is about a 15 year old girl named Laetitia. She is a lively girl who wears colored wigs and dreams of being a famous pop star with adoring fans. All she has ever wanted was to be on stage. God put her on this earth and gave her a special gift. Singing was her calling.
The difference between the first book and this one is that all of the bad juju was happening to our main character. It started off small and gradually got worse.
The thing that makes this book different than other possession books is the fact it is more religious based instead of being dark and sinister.
I thought the story was fast paced and engaging but reminded me more of the movie Stigmata instead of The Exorcist. That is the main reason for the average star rating. Not enough oomph. Also some things weren't explained enough so I was left unfulfilled. I would say the whole hospital stay felt flat to me.
If M. Verano writes another book I will definitely pick it up.
Possession is about a 15 year old girl named Laetitia. She is a lively girl who wears colored wigs and dreams of being a famous pop star with adoring fans. All she has ever wanted was to be on stage. God put her on this earth and gave her a special gift. Singing was her calling.
The difference between the first book and this one is that all of the bad juju was happening to our main character. It started off small and gradually got worse.
The thing that makes this book different than other possession books is the fact it is more religious based instead of being dark and sinister.
I thought the story was fast paced and engaging but reminded me more of the movie Stigmata instead of The Exorcist. That is the main reason for the average star rating. Not enough oomph. Also some things weren't explained enough so I was left unfulfilled. I would say the whole hospital stay felt flat to me.
If M. Verano writes another book I will definitely pick it up.
August 29, 2024
Spoilers
Quick summary! 👍This book was pretty good. The book was about this girl who had blog. And she posts online about wig and fashion tutorials and stuff. And how she was gifted by god for her singing voice or whatever. And then the next few days she starts to lose her voice and she has these like torture dreams, and pain from the dream when she wakes up. But for some reason she just doesn’t tell anyone except her blog and now everyone on her blog hates when she talks about what’s happening with her life because her entire blog is there to listen to her talking about wigs and stuff. And now lots of people are unfollowing her and she decides to instead do private blog messages. Anyways this part isn’t really important she starts to feel better but then after it gets way worse and she starts having these like episodes where she’s almost passed out or something but like in a another world or something of just torture. And this keeps going on when she finally pukes up bones in front of her mom and they finally go get some help at a doctor and the doctor tells her to take these drugs before she goes asleep so she says on her blog that she’s taking them and the symptoms are kinda settling. The doctor comes in and says how she is doing with pill anyways it turns out she hasn’t taken a lot and now she says that she has all the symptoms and that she kinda likes it! I swear are you kidding me this girl is saying that she is liking the torture and scary thoughts that she is going through! And she’s just not taking the pill or drugs that this doctor is giving her just because she likes the torture! I got pretty mad when she said that but anyways it goes on about how it’s getting even worse and stuff and she is taking pictures of dead animals and birds and stuff like is this girl serious I know she is like possessed or something at this part of the book so I can’t really say anything. Anyways there’s this woman at this church they go to and everyone hates her or something anyways nothing really happened they kinda just talk and this woman is supposed to be like a dark magic thing 🪄 and can talk to the dead. Anyways she comes to her house and sets up some stuff in her room and then she says she feels more safe and stuff but then she has this massive episode where she is literally floating in the air above her bed and everything is breaking in her room and then there like this fire that goes off it’s kinda insane at this point. But then there’s this lady that comes in and says she has to go to like this place where they have to stay In bed and take medicine and stuff every day but she doesn’t want to then she suddenly acts like a crazy dog and then somehow just climbs up the walls while she is fighting the people that want to bring her to this place then they finally get her and she’s in there she gets all the treatment and then in the end she says she actually wasn’t possessed and that she was just crazy and then just blames god for everything! Like are you serious I was reading this entire book only to realize that she was not possessed and was lying about everything and that’s really it.
Hope this helped I didn’t write this review until like two weeks after I read it so I hope that a lot of the stuff in the book was in this review anyways hope this was actually helpful 3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Quick summary! 👍This book was pretty good. The book was about this girl who had blog. And she posts online about wig and fashion tutorials and stuff. And how she was gifted by god for her singing voice or whatever. And then the next few days she starts to lose her voice and she has these like torture dreams, and pain from the dream when she wakes up. But for some reason she just doesn’t tell anyone except her blog and now everyone on her blog hates when she talks about what’s happening with her life because her entire blog is there to listen to her talking about wigs and stuff. And now lots of people are unfollowing her and she decides to instead do private blog messages. Anyways this part isn’t really important she starts to feel better but then after it gets way worse and she starts having these like episodes where she’s almost passed out or something but like in a another world or something of just torture. And this keeps going on when she finally pukes up bones in front of her mom and they finally go get some help at a doctor and the doctor tells her to take these drugs before she goes asleep so she says on her blog that she’s taking them and the symptoms are kinda settling. The doctor comes in and says how she is doing with pill anyways it turns out she hasn’t taken a lot and now she says that she has all the symptoms and that she kinda likes it! I swear are you kidding me this girl is saying that she is liking the torture and scary thoughts that she is going through! And she’s just not taking the pill or drugs that this doctor is giving her just because she likes the torture! I got pretty mad when she said that but anyways it goes on about how it’s getting even worse and stuff and she is taking pictures of dead animals and birds and stuff like is this girl serious I know she is like possessed or something at this part of the book so I can’t really say anything. Anyways there’s this woman at this church they go to and everyone hates her or something anyways nothing really happened they kinda just talk and this woman is supposed to be like a dark magic thing 🪄 and can talk to the dead. Anyways she comes to her house and sets up some stuff in her room and then she says she feels more safe and stuff but then she has this massive episode where she is literally floating in the air above her bed and everything is breaking in her room and then there like this fire that goes off it’s kinda insane at this point. But then there’s this lady that comes in and says she has to go to like this place where they have to stay In bed and take medicine and stuff every day but she doesn’t want to then she suddenly acts like a crazy dog and then somehow just climbs up the walls while she is fighting the people that want to bring her to this place then they finally get her and she’s in there she gets all the treatment and then in the end she says she actually wasn’t possessed and that she was just crazy and then just blames god for everything! Like are you serious I was reading this entire book only to realize that she was not possessed and was lying about everything and that’s really it.
Hope this helped I didn’t write this review until like two weeks after I read it so I hope that a lot of the stuff in the book was in this review anyways hope this was actually helpful 3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2019
(10.25.19)- Uhm this wasn’t as spooky as I initially hoped and wanted but it did give me the fucking creeps!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------for the prompt: book with a creepy cover on insta!
Despite how freaking creeping and on edge this story made me i slowly started to not like the main character she grew tremendously broody and i was hoping for a little more, as usual. Idk what i’m looking for...more spoop probably. But also maybe more creepy and skin crawling vibes? I have no idea. Nonetheless it was an enjoyable read and i am super glad like with more of these books for my spooky reads they have left me near or pretty shook.
“I knew I earned this tourture, and I wanted it to purify me. Over and over, the thought that pulsed through my mind were yes and more. I wanted to be taken apart completely”
I really loved how this book started off, i was drawn in thinking ‘O yiss this is gonna start peppy then it’s gonna spoop me out!’ sadly it didn’t but it did hold my attention and had me guessing if something would come. I liked that it was a POC which i haven’t really read in capacity in which they aren’t being used negatively in some way it was hella refreshing honestly.the shift took a while to really get invested and when i did it was mostly being angry a few maybe even more characters within the story.
ALSO THE ENDING LIKE EXCUSE ME?!?!?!?!?!?!!
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Is this allowed? i’m honestly a little shook.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------for the prompt: book with a creepy cover on insta!
Despite how freaking creeping and on edge this story made me i slowly started to not like the main character she grew tremendously broody and i was hoping for a little more, as usual. Idk what i’m looking for...more spoop probably. But also maybe more creepy and skin crawling vibes? I have no idea. Nonetheless it was an enjoyable read and i am super glad like with more of these books for my spooky reads they have left me near or pretty shook.
“I knew I earned this tourture, and I wanted it to purify me. Over and over, the thought that pulsed through my mind were yes and more. I wanted to be taken apart completely”
I really loved how this book started off, i was drawn in thinking ‘O yiss this is gonna start peppy then it’s gonna spoop me out!’ sadly it didn’t but it did hold my attention and had me guessing if something would come. I liked that it was a POC which i haven’t really read in capacity in which they aren’t being used negatively in some way it was hella refreshing honestly.the shift took a while to really get invested and when i did it was mostly being angry a few maybe even more characters within the story.
ALSO THE ENDING LIKE EXCUSE ME?!?!?!?!?!?!!
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Is this allowed? i’m honestly a little shook.
November 22, 2017
I think what bothered me the most was the fact that the book was set in diary-mode. However, it is how the actual person wrote what was happening to her day by day. I wasn't sure during the whole book if she was possessed by something evil or something holy. What happened to her happened to saints. She was able to bring animals to life. Her had premonitions of her own death by feeling the pain on her side. I was bothered that I couldn't find who this person was. I wanted to find a trace of her in a video or a blog, but because the names were changed in the book...
It was also a fast read, though sometimes it would become a bit boring.
It was also a fast read, though sometimes it would become a bit boring.
March 11, 2018
This one was kinda creepier than the first one and the pictures are even creepier
February 2, 2019
This book was a little slow to get into but it’s worth the read. The journal/blog format is quick and easy to read while the reports also add something interesting. I thought the end was a real twist. It had me guessing wether it was good or evil the entire book. Overall it was a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2020
I really enjoyed this one! It was really spooky and I loved the way it was written in journal format.
June 5, 2023
3.5 Fairly quick read. Engaging, read it in one sitting, but no real scares.
September 23, 2020
Another creepy novel down and this time it was M. Verano’s Possession, the second book of the Diary of a Haunting trilogy and this one definitely had a different feel to it. This time there was no haunted house, but a haunted person, you could say. Laetitia has vibrant dreams of being a famous singer, but everything begins to slowly crumble for her as time goes on and strange things continue to happen to her.
Laetitia thought it was just a sore throat, one that she intended to remedy as soon as she could, for there were very important auditions coming up in a few months that could start her career as a famous singer. But then the dreams start, terrifying ones where she wakes up feeling the aftermath of the pain that occurred in her nightmare. They are unexplainable and they don’t go away.
She starts out writing blog posts, fun ones that involve her different hairstyles with wigs or singing tips, but when mysterious and disturbing photos that are straight out of her nightmares appear on her blog without her doing, she shuts it down and turns into private diary entries instead. And let me tell you guys, this book was pretty scary and disturbing…which made it a perfect Halloween read!
There are a few pictures in here that may also be considering disturbing, but none that I would call horrifying. In fact, they sometimes get a little distorted so you can’t really make out what you’re seeing, but from Laetitia’s descriptions, you know.
Laetitia and her family start to believe that she may very well be possessed by something sinister. Things continue to escalate as time goes by and though he was not directly involved, we do catch an appearance of the mysterious Dr. Montague Verano. The author’s own character in this series is puzzling, he played more of a role in the first book but here, he’s merely mentioned in some documents that appear evidence style and of course in the forward and author’s note.
It’s weird, even though when you read the forward or preface in the beginning, you know the outcome…of sorts, but not what it pertains or how we got there. You almost wonder in the good doctor might have been misleading us. You’ll find out if he was or not by reading of course and it was definitely a powerful and chilling ending!
I was amazed by how current event related this book was too. Though it didn’t mention any real/true events it creates its own (that I am aware of) that feels real enough. Protests of racial injustice is brought to fore, yet the author does this in a way that just brings it in as an event. It didn’t really feel like it was sharing his points or whatnot. And let’s remember that this book is already four years old. The events are more or less background details though. Laetitia mentions it on occasion though, so you know it’s going to be significant.
While Possession didn’t necessarily provide the ghosts we saw in the first book of the trilogy it did still provide other elements of a good ghost story. It’s definitely not one to read late into the night…unless you like that sort of thing! Lol! I’m still sort of curious about one thing that was mentioned regarding Laetitia’s family house that never really got discussed again, but I guess it’s just supposed to be one of those unsolved mysteries…no pun intended! Possession is a perfect read for this time of year and you honestly don’t have to read the first book in the series in order to grasp the contents of this one, but I still recommend it for that too was a pretty creepy read!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Laetitia thought it was just a sore throat, one that she intended to remedy as soon as she could, for there were very important auditions coming up in a few months that could start her career as a famous singer. But then the dreams start, terrifying ones where she wakes up feeling the aftermath of the pain that occurred in her nightmare. They are unexplainable and they don’t go away.
She starts out writing blog posts, fun ones that involve her different hairstyles with wigs or singing tips, but when mysterious and disturbing photos that are straight out of her nightmares appear on her blog without her doing, she shuts it down and turns into private diary entries instead. And let me tell you guys, this book was pretty scary and disturbing…which made it a perfect Halloween read!
There are a few pictures in here that may also be considering disturbing, but none that I would call horrifying. In fact, they sometimes get a little distorted so you can’t really make out what you’re seeing, but from Laetitia’s descriptions, you know.
Laetitia and her family start to believe that she may very well be possessed by something sinister. Things continue to escalate as time goes by and though he was not directly involved, we do catch an appearance of the mysterious Dr. Montague Verano. The author’s own character in this series is puzzling, he played more of a role in the first book but here, he’s merely mentioned in some documents that appear evidence style and of course in the forward and author’s note.
It’s weird, even though when you read the forward or preface in the beginning, you know the outcome…of sorts, but not what it pertains or how we got there. You almost wonder in the good doctor might have been misleading us. You’ll find out if he was or not by reading of course and it was definitely a powerful and chilling ending!
I was amazed by how current event related this book was too. Though it didn’t mention any real/true events it creates its own (that I am aware of) that feels real enough. Protests of racial injustice is brought to fore, yet the author does this in a way that just brings it in as an event. It didn’t really feel like it was sharing his points or whatnot. And let’s remember that this book is already four years old. The events are more or less background details though. Laetitia mentions it on occasion though, so you know it’s going to be significant.
While Possession didn’t necessarily provide the ghosts we saw in the first book of the trilogy it did still provide other elements of a good ghost story. It’s definitely not one to read late into the night…unless you like that sort of thing! Lol! I’m still sort of curious about one thing that was mentioned regarding Laetitia’s family house that never really got discussed again, but I guess it’s just supposed to be one of those unsolved mysteries…no pun intended! Possession is a perfect read for this time of year and you honestly don’t have to read the first book in the series in order to grasp the contents of this one, but I still recommend it for that too was a pretty creepy read!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
December 15, 2016
This book was well done. The story was taken from real journal entires and real events. I liked the story but not enough to say wow "definitely topped the first book" this one was fast paced like the first but it lacked a sense of 'the end' there was no real closure for me. Was it possession or divinity: no clue. Not even a suggestion. I didn't like that all these things that happened to her, the puking up strange things and inhuman mumbling and the note and spikes she got from her body or even the feathers. Like what happened ? I liked it enough to finish it, because it was interesting but the ending was fairly disappointing.
October 18, 2016
Even better than the first
April 16, 2023
They think they want to hear what you were thinking, what it felt like, but they don’t. It’s too horrible. They’d turn away from you if they knew, and call you a monster. So instead you give them the same old script: I blacked out. It’s like something took over my body. I don’t remember a thing. That way, you get to still be human.
Laetitia is struggling to come to terms whether she's struggling from troubling merla illnesses or the sudden infestation of a demonic presence. Everything seemed so idyllic in her life, with her gorgeous singing voice and aspirations to be a professional pop star, to the hair tutorials she spent hours filming to give the illusion of perfection. Yet everything would change the morning she opened her mouth to sing and not a sound crept past her lips. It forced her to take a step back and reevaluate her life, as the only things she really knew for herself were becoming.more impossible with every day. Then the odd occurances would begin to make appearances including vomiting up animal bones, seashells, and broken glass. Once she receives a bloody nose where two inch long rusty nails came dripping from her nostrils. With her mother and Gramma Patty convinced it has to do with something paranormal, they reached out to Miss Nephtalie Pierre, a holistic woman the church oftentimes turned their backs to. Completing what they believe was an exorcism involving a chicken decapitation, it was Laetitia who held on and refused to let the demon escape. As child services continued to monitor the house, it would be after her explosive night where the glass all shattered and her bedroom was set ablaze that would lead to her removal from the family. Levitating feet from her bed, when her mother and her grandmother began praying, something would snap in the young girl. Refusing to leave peacefully, the police were forced to intervene leaving one with a hand severely damaged from a bite and another with deep lacerations on his cheek that she would lock the blood from. Horrified when she ran backwards and up the wall before collapsing to the ground, the police began to question if something demonic could actually be at play. While locked away at a mental hospital for treatments, she attempted to take her own life from jumping from the windows ledge after horrifically biting her wrists to pieces. Believing she was visiting daily by this silent nun, it turned to be a hallucination in itself. When her family could finally see her again, it was viewed to never speak of the experiences ever again in fesr of another removal. As she was returned to her mother's guardianship, she attended the protests from the boy shot and killed up the street from her. It would become her immense calm and would finally put her voice back into her. Horrifically, she would be shot and killed in the same place she oftentimes woke up with screaming of intense pains.
SHE IGNORED MY INSTRUCTIONS AND BEGAN SPEAKING IN A WEIRD INHUMAN VOICE. I DIDN’T BELIEVE A VOICE LIKE THAT COULD COME OUT OF AN ADOLESCENT FEMALE. I DIDN’T RECOGNIZE THE LANGUAGE, BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN LATIN.THEN SHE SUDDENLY CROUCHED DOWN FOR A MOMENT AND STARTED MOVING BACKWARD ACROSS THE ROOM USING WEIRD JERKING MOVEMENTS, AS IF HER BONES WERE POPPING OUT OF THEIR JOINTS. I THOUGHT ONCE SHE REACHED THE WALL BEHIND HER, SHE WOULD BE FORCED TO STOP, BUT SHE DIDN’T. SHE KEPT MOVING UP THE SIDE OF THE WALL. I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE WAS DOING IT. IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE HUMANLY POSSIBLE.WHEN SHE REACHED THE CEILING, SHE LET OUT A SHRIEK AND FLIPPED OVER, LANDING ON HER BACK ON THE FLOOR, STILL HISSING AND SPITTING.
Laetitia is struggling to come to terms whether she's struggling from troubling merla illnesses or the sudden infestation of a demonic presence. Everything seemed so idyllic in her life, with her gorgeous singing voice and aspirations to be a professional pop star, to the hair tutorials she spent hours filming to give the illusion of perfection. Yet everything would change the morning she opened her mouth to sing and not a sound crept past her lips. It forced her to take a step back and reevaluate her life, as the only things she really knew for herself were becoming.more impossible with every day. Then the odd occurances would begin to make appearances including vomiting up animal bones, seashells, and broken glass. Once she receives a bloody nose where two inch long rusty nails came dripping from her nostrils. With her mother and Gramma Patty convinced it has to do with something paranormal, they reached out to Miss Nephtalie Pierre, a holistic woman the church oftentimes turned their backs to. Completing what they believe was an exorcism involving a chicken decapitation, it was Laetitia who held on and refused to let the demon escape. As child services continued to monitor the house, it would be after her explosive night where the glass all shattered and her bedroom was set ablaze that would lead to her removal from the family. Levitating feet from her bed, when her mother and her grandmother began praying, something would snap in the young girl. Refusing to leave peacefully, the police were forced to intervene leaving one with a hand severely damaged from a bite and another with deep lacerations on his cheek that she would lock the blood from. Horrified when she ran backwards and up the wall before collapsing to the ground, the police began to question if something demonic could actually be at play. While locked away at a mental hospital for treatments, she attempted to take her own life from jumping from the windows ledge after horrifically biting her wrists to pieces. Believing she was visiting daily by this silent nun, it turned to be a hallucination in itself. When her family could finally see her again, it was viewed to never speak of the experiences ever again in fesr of another removal. As she was returned to her mother's guardianship, she attended the protests from the boy shot and killed up the street from her. It would become her immense calm and would finally put her voice back into her. Horrifically, she would be shot and killed in the same place she oftentimes woke up with screaming of intense pains.
SHE IGNORED MY INSTRUCTIONS AND BEGAN SPEAKING IN A WEIRD INHUMAN VOICE. I DIDN’T BELIEVE A VOICE LIKE THAT COULD COME OUT OF AN ADOLESCENT FEMALE. I DIDN’T RECOGNIZE THE LANGUAGE, BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN LATIN.THEN SHE SUDDENLY CROUCHED DOWN FOR A MOMENT AND STARTED MOVING BACKWARD ACROSS THE ROOM USING WEIRD JERKING MOVEMENTS, AS IF HER BONES WERE POPPING OUT OF THEIR JOINTS. I THOUGHT ONCE SHE REACHED THE WALL BEHIND HER, SHE WOULD BE FORCED TO STOP, BUT SHE DIDN’T. SHE KEPT MOVING UP THE SIDE OF THE WALL. I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE WAS DOING IT. IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE HUMANLY POSSIBLE.WHEN SHE REACHED THE CEILING, SHE LET OUT A SHRIEK AND FLIPPED OVER, LANDING ON HER BACK ON THE FLOOR, STILL HISSING AND SPITTING.
November 25, 2024
I’d categorize the books in the Diary of a Haunting series as “spooky beach reads.” Sometimes the epistolary form works; sometimes it doesn’t. Possession is undoubtedly the best book in the series, but what a wild ride! I did not expect the ending.
I spent most of Possession believing the ghostwriter intended the book as social commentary on vlogger culture. The obsession with clicks and likes; how vlogging/career Instagramming can foster narcissism and a lack of empathy. (Anyone remember the tone-deaf theatrics of a certain vlogger in Japan’s suicide forest?) Yet despite main character Laetitia’s fixation with her follower count, and a self-professed focus on “superficial” things (her singing and a desire for fame), she’s a sweet girl. “Possession as social commentary” doesn’t make sense.
So, what does?
By the time Laetitia suffers waking nightmares and begins to vomit everything from rose petals to bones to seashells, her focus has shifted. The fifteen-year-old wants to join the community park protest of the shooting of an unarmed neighbor, but her mother and her grandmother forbid it. Laetitia wanders her neighborhood, snapping photographs of the aftermath of riots. She stops going to school, because of her convulsions and her hallucinations of torture. Miss Pierre, a God-fearing Voodoo practitioner, attempts to help the teenager. She tells Laetitia, “The Devil is part of God’s plan and God’s creation, and they are all bound up together.”
Her words are significant, because Laetitia is I’ll be thinking about the ending for a while.
I spent most of Possession believing the ghostwriter intended the book as social commentary on vlogger culture. The obsession with clicks and likes; how vlogging/career Instagramming can foster narcissism and a lack of empathy. (Anyone remember the tone-deaf theatrics of a certain vlogger in Japan’s suicide forest?) Yet despite main character Laetitia’s fixation with her follower count, and a self-professed focus on “superficial” things (her singing and a desire for fame), she’s a sweet girl. “Possession as social commentary” doesn’t make sense.
So, what does?
By the time Laetitia suffers waking nightmares and begins to vomit everything from rose petals to bones to seashells, her focus has shifted. The fifteen-year-old wants to join the community park protest of the shooting of an unarmed neighbor, but her mother and her grandmother forbid it. Laetitia wanders her neighborhood, snapping photographs of the aftermath of riots. She stops going to school, because of her convulsions and her hallucinations of torture. Miss Pierre, a God-fearing Voodoo practitioner, attempts to help the teenager. She tells Laetitia, “The Devil is part of God’s plan and God’s creation, and they are all bound up together.”
Her words are significant, because Laetitia is I’ll be thinking about the ending for a while.
October 7, 2017
M. Verano definitely keeps the same exciting pace, similar to the first Diary of a Haunting book. While not written with the same motive in mind, it was definitely an interesting book.
Throughout the book, Laetitia deals with some heavy issues - possession (obviously), pride, arrogance, and, to a lesser degree, racism (it's not a major focal point of the book). Her character starts out, quite honestly, a little hard to like. She's a young 15 year old girl who is aspiring to be the next big pop star. The only thing she seems to focus on are her singing, her upcoming audition, and trying to fit the part of a pop diva. But her focus quickly shifts as strange occurrences begin to happen to Laetitia; her blog style quickly goes from aspiring pop diva to dream blog with a strange gore aesthetic (also - don't worry, Laetitia IS a wonderful character in the end...just ignore the first couple blog entries, hah).
While I can see how others might feel this book is a little flat, I found it intriguing and hard to put down. I'm a huge fan of this series so far and definitely recommend it to those who like horror with a bit of heart.
Throughout the book, Laetitia deals with some heavy issues - possession (obviously), pride, arrogance, and, to a lesser degree, racism (it's not a major focal point of the book). Her character starts out, quite honestly, a little hard to like. She's a young 15 year old girl who is aspiring to be the next big pop star. The only thing she seems to focus on are her singing, her upcoming audition, and trying to fit the part of a pop diva. But her focus quickly shifts as strange occurrences begin to happen to Laetitia; her blog style quickly goes from aspiring pop diva to dream blog with a strange gore aesthetic (also - don't worry, Laetitia IS a wonderful character in the end...just ignore the first couple blog entries, hah).
While I can see how others might feel this book is a little flat, I found it intriguing and hard to put down. I'm a huge fan of this series so far and definitely recommend it to those who like horror with a bit of heart.
June 2, 2025
My Thoughts:
Possession was my first book by M. Verano, and honestly, it will probably be my last. While it’s marketed as horror, it reads more like a young adult supernatural story — light on the fear and even lighter on the depth.
The story wasn’t rushed. The pacing was actually smooth, with each chapter flowing naturally into the next. The format — using doctor notes, journal entries, police reports, and photos — was unique and creative. I appreciated the effort to present the narrative differently, even if the added visuals felt more stylistic than necessary.
What didn’t work for me was the lack of depth. The explanation behind the possession (or the character’s mental state) wasn’t far-fetched but wasn’t fully explored. I found myself wanting more — more emotion, more clarity, more “why.” Unfortunately, the writing stayed surface-level and never pulled me into a dark or immersive experience.
Final Verdict:
This might be good for younger or newer readers who enjoy light supernatural themes. But for me, it just doesn't deliver the depth I look for in horror or psychological fiction. I’ll leave M. Verano’s future titles to less advanced readers—this one didn’t resonate.
Possession was my first book by M. Verano, and honestly, it will probably be my last. While it’s marketed as horror, it reads more like a young adult supernatural story — light on the fear and even lighter on the depth.
The story wasn’t rushed. The pacing was actually smooth, with each chapter flowing naturally into the next. The format — using doctor notes, journal entries, police reports, and photos — was unique and creative. I appreciated the effort to present the narrative differently, even if the added visuals felt more stylistic than necessary.
What didn’t work for me was the lack of depth. The explanation behind the possession (or the character’s mental state) wasn’t far-fetched but wasn’t fully explored. I found myself wanting more — more emotion, more clarity, more “why.” Unfortunately, the writing stayed surface-level and never pulled me into a dark or immersive experience.
Final Verdict:
This might be good for younger or newer readers who enjoy light supernatural themes. But for me, it just doesn't deliver the depth I look for in horror or psychological fiction. I’ll leave M. Verano’s future titles to less advanced readers—this one didn’t resonate.
February 1, 2021
I’m not really sure why this book was called “Possession” when it sounded more like a cry for attention to me. I agree with the social worker- Laetitia was in a bad situation with crazy, religious family members and was acting out. There was nothing paranormal about this story. I found myself constantly shaking me head or rolling my eyes. Laetitia was AWFUL. Self absorbed, self righteous, bratty... I understand she was a teenage girl but she was so obnoxious I didn’t feel sorry for her at all. I actually found myself hoping she was possessed by the devil cuz then the story would actually be interesting. Instead, random elements, ie. the rallies, were thrown in to try and keep the reader engaged. Unfortunately, it just took away from the storyline and made it that much less enjoyable.
January 17, 2018
This book. What? Where on earth did the ending come from? It felt like a different story entirely. It had absolutely nothing to do with a possession. And I don't even understand what the point of possession storyline was? Honestly, this book really creeped me out. But the ending didn't go with the rest of the story. I understand the subconscious premonition part of the story, but that's not necessarily an evil thing. It just didn't fit together for me. I also found it hard to get past the really immature writing of the journal entries. I know she was supposed to be a 15 year old, but it was hard to connect with.
December 5, 2019
This was my first book with this author. I'm not sure if the books in the series are related to each other but it was fairly easy to delve right in. I liked how the chapters were short, it seems as though I read faster with short chapters than regular chapters. This book reminded me a lot of the movie the butterfly effect. It was ok for the most part. It got really interesting when the police became involved and her inner demon came out. I think the singing aspect could've been left out, it didn't really vibe with the storyline. It wasn't a bad book. Pros were short chapters and demonology, cons were it was repetitive and focused a lot on singing instead of a possession.
May 4, 2020
3.5 stars. So this is really fiction right? Lol I mean in the editor's note in the beginning and end, makes it seem like we are to take this seriously. I don't find anything online about it that suggests it's a real account. I didn't dig for long. Anyway, when I thought at first it was supposed to be non fiction, it had me continually questioning it all, but once I read the publication page and said fiction, I felt much better and was able to enjoy the read instead of critiquing it so hard. This was different for me but I liked it. So easy and fast paced. I am interested in reading the rest of the series
October 5, 2020
I loved the majority of this book. The story itself is fascinating and wonderfully bizarre. Even though I have a different personality and different interests than the main character, I really admired her passion and ambition and felt it was relatable. The reason I'm not rating it higher is because the ending was a bit of a letdown for me unfortunately. The author could have expanded on the story or delved further into the paranormal elements. Without giving too much away, I will just say that some parts make the book out to be more of a study in psychology and mental health than in the paranormal. I love psychology, but that isn't what I was hoping for here.
November 7, 2024
Maybe if I was a middle schooler my rating would be higher? I read this as a teacher testing it for my high school students. My primary disappointment was that it wasn’t scary, though it is categorized as horror. I know books can’t be too scary for tweens, but this was very mild. The possession didn’t seem real enough.
My other disappointment was that the main character was too immature for a high school girl. The language usage didn’t seem to fit. And the use of a laptop for the epistolary writing style also seemed fake.
Maybe I’m being too picky. I’ll still add it to my classroom library for now.
My other disappointment was that the main character was too immature for a high school girl. The language usage didn’t seem to fit. And the use of a laptop for the epistolary writing style also seemed fake.
Maybe I’m being too picky. I’ll still add it to my classroom library for now.
October 7, 2017
It wasn't bad, not as scary as the first book, but a lot more philosophical than the last one. Is possession really just the Devil? Is it part of God's plan? Lots of questions like that. Also going on is a trial very similar to Trayvon Martin, in which the main character spends a lot of her time slowly obsessing over to try and keep her mind from the terrifying reality her own life is turning into. Wasn't expecting that. So not a scary scary book per-se but some delicate subjects handled pretty well for a teen book.
November 3, 2017
Awful, repeat of previous book but this one I centered on moths (rather than spiders and flies) and more religious beliefs, esp Catholicism. The whole family is not normal, and it's not clear either whether Laeticia is insane, possessed or a martyr. Just really stupid, same as the other book except Mom believes daughter and has added notes by social workers and hospitals. I finished it only because I was confused but this is sorry to say the first book I really didn't like.
January 12, 2018
I almost gave this book a three star review simply because the main character is so dull and annoying at the start of the book. Book one was definitely better, in my opinion. It took me at least 100 pages in to really get into it. However, once the creepiness began I was hooked. The ending and controversy throughout was enough to keep me thinking on things even now. Needless to say, I look forward to the third book soon.
September 30, 2018
What an incredibly interesting story! I really think it being written in 1st person made a huge difference in how I related to Laetitia, the main character. It made me think about things in the world and how they are perceived by different groups of people from different ages, cultures, etc. Of course there are supernatural undercurrents and that really appealed to me but the story has more to offer than just that.
September 21, 2019
This is considered part of a series, but you really don't need to read them in order because none of the books follow the same characters. That being said, the first one was waaaay better. I found myself bored a lot while reading this and rolling my eyes at some of the things the main character said. I guess some of it would be considered creepy if you were just getting into the horror genre, but I wasn't scared in the slightest. Not the one for me, unfortunately.
July 13, 2023
The ending had me PISSED.
*spoilers!!*
the book never explained who or why? like she was having all this freaky stuff happen to her, but like why? it kinda just ends and says "god did it probably". UGH. maybe im misremembering tho, I read the book about two months ago.
*no more spoilers :)*
I do remember liking it, up until the ending, and if you want some cool freaky ghost stuff its great.
*spoilers!!*
the book never explained who or why? like she was having all this freaky stuff happen to her, but like why? it kinda just ends and says "god did it probably". UGH. maybe im misremembering tho, I read the book about two months ago.
*no more spoilers :)*
I do remember liking it, up until the ending, and if you want some cool freaky ghost stuff its great.
October 30, 2024
I chose this book as my Halloween read for October, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations. The imagery was vivid, making it easy to visualize each scene, and the main character’s spiritual progression throughout the story was intriguing.. I appreciated the realistic touch of CPS, police, and psychiatric reports; they were detailed and authentic. The story was unlike anything I’ve read before and the eerie photos was a nice touch. This book reminded me a lot of the Paranormal Activity series.
July 9, 2018
Possession is a disappointment after reading the first book in the series and loving it. The story just isn’t there for this one. It gets interesting in the middle but then the conclusion just doesn’t make sense. The story for the third book sounds more promising so I intend to finish out the series despite my disappointment with this book.
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