Ari

To Each His Ghost

by S.M. Boyce

A Ghostly Paranormal Horror Novel

The moment Ari Bowers stepped inside the abandoned farmhouse on the outskirts of White Haven, Pennsylvania, she wanted to hightail it out of there like the ghost-fearing girl she was. Instead, she let her crush, Marcus Wagner, lead her into the shadows.

Oops.

As she predicted, they ran out screaming. But something followed her home.

Since that night, Ari is haunted by something she can’t see. It watches her when she sleeps. It caresses her in the shower. It carves words into her skin and lives alongside her, never satisfied with her terror. It always wants more, and Ari begins to fear it will take her and her date back to the farmhouse… forever.

For Ari and Marcus, it’s not a matter of whether or not monsters are real; It’s a life-or-death race to figure out which one is out to drag their souls to hell.

Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Ghosts, Supernatural, Young Adult

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2016

About the author

Boyce is known for action-packed epic fantasy, powerful heroes, and riveting magical stories filled with twists and intrigue. And, of course, a bit of humor sprinkled through it all. Pick up your kindle and get lost in the journey.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you a fan of horror movies, ghosts and things that go bump in the night? Do you really believe in them or just like that heart thumping electric fear that jolts you? Ari, a teen who LOVED anything spooktacular found it not so entertaining when she went to the infamous haunted house with one of the school jocks, the self-important Marcus. Something terrifying happened in that old house and something followed Ari home. Ari is haunted, she knows it, but her family thinks she is having a breakdown, that her ranting on about ghosts is a symptom of something more sinister. In a way, they were right, and that creature was stronger than Ari and it wants her soul to feed on.

What of Marcus? Is he being haunted, too? Will he succeed in holding it off? Truly a matter of life and death, Heaven and eternal damnation in a soulless afterlife. Are there souls trapped within the haunted house? Are they prisoners of a demon or do they choose not to move on into a better place?

You may be sleeping with the lights on and avoiding haunted tours after reading Ari: To Each His Ghost by S. M. Boyce. Very dark, very gritty and filled with an evil atmosphere, Ari is a terrifying journey for one girl into an afterlife of hell, finding little in that life to take comfort in. Imagine your future being forever changed because you ignored one DO NOT TRESPASS sign all for the daring of youth. And Marcus? Okay, he was more than just a bit of a bullying coward, but how did his life change? Or did it? Was he on the path that was destined for him or derailed by his own foolishness?

Fabulous darkness, frightening scenes and an atmosphere of total devastation and loss permeates the pages of this tale of terror. Then again, could S.M. Boyce has given us the REAL story of how haunted houses came to be? Beware of that movement you thought you saw out of the corner of your eye, especially if you have ever visited a haunted house on a dare…

Series: To Each His Ghost - Book 1
Publication Date: February 14, 2016
Publisher: S.M. Boyce
ISBN-10: 1939997704
ISBN-13: 978-1939997708
Genre: Horror
Print Length: 220 pages
Available from: Barnes & Noble | Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…You won’t get help. Not from me, not from the white shirts, not from the docs. Demons don’t simply play with their food. They take prisoners of war…”

Ari is a virgin, young, innocent and head over heels for Marcus. He’s a dick, with a capital D. He only wants to get into her pants and place another notch on his belt.

For their date, they are heading to the Lodley farmhouse. Ari should have listened to her instincts and Marcus should have listened to Ari when she said it was a very bad idea.

Now, they are both being haunted, each in their own terrifying and deadly way and these ghosts do plenty more than go bump in the night.

The tension and anticipation I feel as I wait for whatever is coming on the next page and the next page, makes it hard to contain my excitement. I don’t know what’s coming but I am thinking it will get so much worse…

I am loving what S M Boyce has done with this ghostly story about haunting and redemption as it comes full circle.

Now, I have met Mel and Marcus and I can hardly wait to spend more time fighting demons and monsters with them.

To see more visit fundinmental

[Michelle Willms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ari is unlike the vast majority of “tales of terror” I’ve read lately. This story is actually creepy. It reminds me of the frightening tales of demonic possession I’ve read. The two teens in this story, Ari and Marcus, are polar opposites. Ari is sweet and kind, while Marcus is conceited and uses people to get what he wants. Ari has a huge crush on Marcus; Marcus sees girls as opportunities to put more notches in his belt. He thinks it’ll be great fun to try to seduce Ari in the allegedly haunted farmhouse that she fears so much.

The characters were well-developed and the author had their personalities come to life almost immediately. Within moments of “meeting” Ari and Marcus, I despised Marcus and wanted to punch him in the face (or elsewhere), and I wanted to have a serious chat with Ari about her choice in men.

The story moved very rapidly from the first page and held that fast pace throughout. I found myself holding my breath at times, worried about what the evil entity might do next.

This was a nicely chilling, terribly horrifying ghost-story with unexpected developments throughout. S.M. Boyce doesn’t hold back when delivering the frightening blows. This author is ready to fill the void left by those authors no longer delivering the big chills.

I was provided a copy of this book to review in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your run of the mill ghost story. SM Boyce weaves a scary tale of two teenagers who open a doorway to terror. Unpredictable and with the sensation of a speeding train the story takes an unexpected turn into demonic possession. Well developed and with realistic character, this is a chilling read that will keep you up all night.

[diana marcela Ballestas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó esta historia, realmente al principio no me había convencido mucho, parecía muy cliché: chico conoce chica y la lleva la casa embrujada para poder entrar en sus pantalones, es realmente lo que pasa a partir de allí lo que te atrapa, su visita a la granja no solo no logró el objetivo, sino que al volver a casa se encuentran siendo perseguidos por una criatura que no es de este mundo.

Ari es una chica amante de las historias de fantasmas, sin embargo, nada de lo que a visto jámas podria haberla preparado para enfrentar a la presencia sobrenatural que la acosa, por su parte Marcus es un escéptico los que hace mucho más dificil que crea que los ruidos que lo acosan en la noche están más allá de una volatil imaginacion. Ambos a su manera tratan de lidiar con las consecuencias de su desafortunada visita a un lugar que jamás debió ser invadido y aunque sus destinos parecen sellados, lucharán hasta el final por evitarlo.

Coo plus, agregaré que leer este libro REALMENTE me logró poner la piel de gallina.

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great horror story. If you like to be scared by demons, possession and ghosts, this book is for you. It's a very fast read with a lot of fast pace scary situations. Ari and Marcus have a demon latch onto them when Marcus thinks it would be a good idea to take Ari into a haunted farmhouse to seduce her. He just wants another notch on his belt and he uses Ari's fascination with the spirit world to try to succeed in that notch. But things go downhill very fast.

I have always found ghosts and demons scary. I've also read it's very rare for a demon to latch onto someone because it takes a lot of energy for them to survive in our world. This is a great young adult book that could leave some having nightmares and not want to be in a dark house alone for a while after reading this. Really enjoyed this story. Characters were well rounded and I had sympathy for them.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ari is a very interesting paranormal horror thriller. It has two main characters who are thrown into a nightmare by a decision that changes their lives forever. There are a few minor sexual incidents but nothing steamy. The storyline is well written except for a few repetitions. It starts a bit slow but then the excitement begins. It is a standalone novel, which I mention for those who don’t care for series.

Purchased from Amazon

[Angela Jones-Cuéllar · Rating 4 out of 5]

pooled ink Reviews:
3.5 Stars

It can be tough for books to be scary or particularly surprising but despite this I found Ari to be an undeniably creepy story. It made a chill sweep through me. Was I full on scared? No, but I definitely had some spine-tingling shivers and a refusal to read during nighttime while house-sitting all alone. I mean, I don’t believe in ghosts, but I wouldn’t mess with them either.
There’s a nice mix of cliché and originality in the plot, which I appreciated. It wasn’t trying too hard to be edgy and different, rather it settled itself in the well-trodden path of a ghost story and then had a bit of blood-chilling fun.

Ari delivers a chilling horror story filled with ghosts, demons, pentagrams, bloody hauntings, and more as it twists its tragic tale tighter and tighter along a line of hopelessness, inevitability, and betrayal. A perfect read for a foggy October night and those looking for a shiver to tingle their spine.

Read my FULL review here: https://pooledink.com/2017/10/04/ari/

[Jackie Maloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Ari (To Each His Ghost, #1)
Author: S. M. Boyce
Rating: 4/5 Stars

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler free review.

Summary:
Ari Bowers is a young, teenaged girl who has an obsession with watching ghost shows. When a popular boy from school, Marcus Wagner, asks her out on a date, she accepts, however she had not realized they would be going to the infamous haunted farmhouse. While there, darkness attaches itself to the pair and they must figure out how to rid themselves of this attachment before either of them get hurt. Will they be able to work together to save themselves or will the darkness win?

Review:
I have only read one other book in the horror/paranormal category so I am not exceptionally experienced with this genre. However, I enjoyed my relative introduction into paranormal novels. This novel was also great to read during the Halloween season. It put me in the mood to sip warm tea, curl up in my blanket, and read about ghosts and hauntings.

Ari is a lot like I am. I also enjoy ghost shows and I felt out of place often when I was in middle school and high school. She is a reasonable character who did everything in her power to save herself and Marcus, who was being a jerk. He refused to believe anything Ari told him, assuming that the experience in the farmhouse was a prank. It wasn’t until something dramatic happened to himself that he realized that she was telling the truth and this did not occur until late in the story. I spent most of the book hating Marcus and everything he did. Marcus’s character does receive a redemption arc however I really did not like him at the beginning of the story. I spent much of this book worried that Ari and Marcus were going to end up together and I am glad that this does not happen. But of course, Marcus also receives a backstory, which made me develop sympathy for him. I think Marcus is a character who is a lot more complicated than I was expecting at the beginning and I look forward to learning more about it in further novels in this series.

The suspense in this story is very good. It actually felt like I was watching a good thriller film and I was not expecting this from a book. I was also fully invested in the action scenes, which I usually skim in other novels. This book is full of things that I was not expecting, especially things that happen to the characters in the middle of the book. I thought the book would be over then but it continued, which I appreciated, because it gave the character time for redemption. I especially like the redemption that Marcus gets. I spent more than half of the book despising Marcus for being ignorant and yet he developed the most throughout the story.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves thriller, ghost, and paranormal stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey that the characters took throughout the plot and I am excited for learning more in future stories from the series.

[Gypsy Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

In all, this was a delightfully chilling story. Ari is a sympathetic character as we follow her trying to figure out the rules of a haunting and how to rid herself of it. There are times when things feel too convenient and too mapped out in steps, but the story still flows with wondering what will happen to Ari next. And there are times when you really wish Ari would stand up for herself, rather than waiting until the end to do something about her situation. Marcus is frustrating as he blocks her out, but then at halfway the book shifts (I wasn’t too happy with the shift, but I did like the opportunity to explore Marcus more and see the haunted farmhouse from the other side) and it’s his turn to deal with the demon, but how he copes and solves his problems and grows as a character are a wonderful contrast from Ari. I loved all of the characters Ari met along the way, from the other people in the asylum (you just know that other patient she befriended will play a part in future books), to the ghosts in the farmhouse. I loved the imagination that went into the different ghosts roaming around, and the creepy things the demon did (loved the scratches, and writing, and the scene with the paint). The blurb at the end did suggest there will be future books written in this series and I do hope that’s true since I did enjoy every minute of this book. (And if you haven’t checked it out, I recommend scooping up the prequel for this series, too. I thought it was wonderfully chilling and thrilling as well).

[Naznin Azeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I please give this book 10 stars?. This is one of THE BEST books I've read in my entire life!. The story revolves around Ari & Marcus, two teenagers whose lives are changed forever when they decide to visit a haunted house just for fun.

If that sounds like cliché, you are wrong. There are amazing & totally unexpected twists in this story. The characters are well fleshed out & the world building is amazing. You can really connect with the characters, experience their fear & their hopelessness. It's a classic horror story and has plenty of ghosts but the main one is a demon, a really dark & powerful entity.

The book was unputdownable and even as I had to get back to my daily chores, my mind stuck with the book, desperate to get back to reading it.

The author is insanely imaginative and has researched much for this book. This story will have you looking over your shoulder or bypassing dark areas in your house. Lol. Now this, my dear friends, is what a horror story should be like. I loved every minute of it!. A complete package, the only sad thing was that it came to an end :(. I just didn't want it to end. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH my goodness!! If you love ghosts and things that go bump in the night this is the book for you.
Ari and Marcus are on their first date and when a paranormal ghost show comes on he tells her how he doesn't believe in that sort of thing. She tells him that ghosts are very real. On their 2nd date he decides to take her to a haunted farmhouse. He thinks this will help him to go all the way with her, but when they get in the haunted house strange things begin to happen and he thinks she found out he was only going out with her for one thing so she has staged all the strange things to get back at him. The longer they are in the house more & more strange things happen he can't explain. Once they are out of the house and at their own homes they both notice 3 scratches on their back with blood but no tears in their shirts. Very strange things start happening and something has followed them home.
You have to get this book to find out how things end.
I couldn't put this book down and can't wait to read the next one. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free in return for an honest review.
I was surprised at how good this story was. I have read this author's young adult and fantasy before, but no horror stories from her. This story caught my attention and kept me totally engrossed until the very end. The atmosphere was so well done. It was not at all cheesy. It had the perfect creepy feel that leaves you looking over your shoulder while you are reading late at night. The characters were all very well developed. I could really empathize with Ari. And there were lots of times that I just wanted to shake her parents. The first time was when her mother was so upset that Ari might have been exposed to "marijuana users." I would have been upset if my daughter had been exposed to "crack heads." But I have known simple, ignorant (of the world) people that acted just like they did. I never felt sorry for what the demon put Marcus through. Through the entire book, I felt he was receiving pretty much what he deserved. I was very happy when he finally admitted that he was responsible for what happened to Ari. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good horror story.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free in return for an honest review.
I was surprised at how good this story was. I have read this author's young adult and fantasy before, but no horror stories from her. This story caught my attention and kept me totally engrossed until the very end. The atmosphere was so well done. It was not at all cheesy. It had the perfect creepy feel that leaves you looking over your shoulder while you are reading late at night. The characters were all very well developed. I could really empathize with Ari. And there were lots of times that I just wanted to shake her parents. The first time was when her mother was so upset that Ari might have been exposed to "marijuana users." I would have been upset if my daughter had been exposed to "crack heads." But I have known simple, ignorant (of the world) people that acted just like they did. I never felt sorry for what the demon put Marcus through. Through the entire book, I felt he was receiving pretty much what he deserved. I was very happy when he finally admitted that he was responsible for what happened to Ari. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good horror story.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

When Ari Bowers and Marcus Wagner, a popular football player, were on a date, Marcus wanted to impress Ari by taking her to the local haunted house, a real haunted house. Ari was terrified of the house and wanted to leave immediately. But Marcus refused to leave until her could make it with Ari. His goal of adding her to his list of conquests was his main concern. Not Ari or her panic. By the time she and Marcus get out of the house, Ari feels she is being watched. And she’s right. Something evil has attached itself to her.

Ari’s battle for freedom from this evil begins. First with feelings of not being alone, then seeing shadowy forms, being touched, scratched. The evil is taking over. The question is, can Ari save herself and live a normal life? Ms. Boyce’s story takes you to the edge with twists and turns and surprises. Her characters run the gamut of feelings and you care about them. You care what happens to them and how the spend their lives. Take the journey with Ari and Marcus and learn what happens when you disturb the spirits.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to read a dark tale, this should be a good one to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it was certainly a little different from S.M. Boyce's Lichgates series. It wasn't your typical YA novel that has an underlying romantic plot, although the two main characters are seventeen. They had one date, and that's where the story really starts.

It was dark, a little twisted on the ghosts part, and suspenseful. There is a shocker about half way through the book that I didn't see coming. The story flowed well after the first chapter and it was easy to follow. Both main characters are written well and I didn't feel like I needed anything more about them for the book to work.

Although this was rather a quick read, it's well worth reading. There is no cliffhanger, and all plot lines were resolved by the end. I look forward to reading the next in this series.

[Danielle Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is normally out of my genre, although I do like a good gothic novel every once in awhile. This book is directly in the horror novel genre which is why I gave up Stephen King and won't even go to his movies anymore. I don't even want to know what makes that man tick. This book gave me a few nightmares and though it is well written, I had to put the book down several times to gain my equilibrium. I hate demons, ghosts are okay, but demons are just bad news and I think authors should stay away from them. It's like inviting them into bed with you, yuck! I won't be reading anymore in this series. I don't like being invited into a author's darkness. I'll stay out in the light.

[Robyn Gaye-Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was a real scary ride! Ariana was taken by her date Marus Wagner, big dude in the school football team, to the pictures. First he was taking her to the local haunted house, a farmhouse named the Lodley home, where he planned to get Ari good and scared so he could comfort her in his back seat which would lead to more he just knew.
However he didnt count on S.M.Boyce writing this story! She wrote a scary bite your nails one that had me biting my tongue and lip hoping Ari would get thru each scare filled adventure and she was.........Nope cant tell you. You will have to read it for yourself. It is one true ghost story you cant read alone at night.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ghost story worth reading

I haven't been much of a horror reader since i broke into adult fiction with my grandfather's Stephen king paperbacks. But I'm a fan of Noffke and gave this one a shot. It wasn't what i expected and while it had a certain creep factor it had enough interesting paranormal parts that it didn't, literally, scare me off. I wasn't a big fan of either of the main characters and found myself rooting for the villain time to time, but that in itself was part of this novels appeal. I'll definitely read more in this series.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect tale to get into the Halloween spirit. I absolutely love these characters. It truly wasted no time getting me totally engrossed into this storyline and it held me captive through each suspense filled page! There are suggestions of violence and gore as well as sexual innuendo but nothing is inappropriate teen reader or older. Life obligations slowed me from being able to give this book my attention but once time freed up....gosh I am so happy I read this! A great read for this season! This voluntary review is based against an advance copy..

[Eveie Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read horror stories but this one had me from the first page to the end. Marcus is the the ace footballer and ari is the besotted 18 yr old wanting to be impressed. But a trip to an haunted house changes everything and accusations fly after the event and things change in ways they never thought possible. They had trespassed on to demon land and now they have fallen victim to the demons. Not to spoil a good story which you will have to read. This is a quick read I did it in one day. Good writing to keep me enthralled.

[Sandra Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome ghost tale. As always Boyce does not disappoint with the full rich characters and spooky places she takes us and if you want something off the beaten path this story will be a home run. Just enough spooky to keep you on the edge of your seat but not so much that you are afraid to read on. I have already downloaded Origins so I can continue exploring this world. If your smart you should too.

[Terri Oconnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ghost mystery type story

Who really is haunting Ari and the former football star? If she can't get anyone to believe her will she fall victim to the demon as so many others have? This was a suspenseful book full of twist and turns with an ending I never saw coming (don't worry it not a cliff hanger) Will have to look up the second book for sure.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes you feel like you're right there among the action. The creepiness factor and general atmosphere are spot-on. I'm a tough scare, but this book kept me in suspense and threw unexpected plot twists along the way. Boyce does a fantastic job of world and atmosphere-building, and this book was no exception--I enjoyed it more than some Stephen King novels I've read! Excellent work.

[Tera Bunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesomely scary!!

Marcus and Ari have so much of the same story, yet they are completely different. So glad that the pain they went through could help so many others. I started to question every sound in my house while reading this. Ari was too close to the spirit world to last as long as Marcus, but even in death all she wanted to do was help everybody else.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was far from what I expected at the beginning, I mean I never saw chapter 9 coming, and my guess for the ending didn´t happen either, which is really good since there has been a while since I have read something that goes beyond my predictions. I wish it good had gone more into the individual stories of the ghost but maybe for future instalments.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I'm not usually one to really enjoy scary books but Ari was amazing. It's sad that the main character died but what a way to weave the scary demonic world and bring about defeat. I am so looking forward to reading the next installment Origins.

[Silver Surfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good read from one of my must read authors. A very different take on the ghost story. I read this in one go, could not put it down. Looking forward to the next one. A highly recommended must read. You will not be disappointed.

[Jan Janus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC copy of this book for review. Things that go bump in the night, or daylight, or any time really. Creepy yet intriguing and keeps you on your toes. Love ghosty stories, you will enjoy this one :-) Happy reading.

[Eirlys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hauntingly Good

I loved the characters, Ari and Marcus. Ari is quiet and reserved, while Marcus is the school football star. An ill fated date to a haunted house sets up an horrific tragedy. This book was scary because there is a part of you that isn't quite sure that it is fiction.