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Abode
A TERRIFYING HAUNTING This is the place where the harrowed ghosts of a dozen generations whisper in the shadows of their ancestral home, where one family’s dreams of a new beginning turned into a nightmare that ended in tragedy. A CURSED BLOODLINE This is the place where a line of witches bound themselves—in blood—to a primeval entity. Here, nightmare and reality meet beneath frozen skies, and even time and space fall under the power of the demonic being that rules this remote northern wood. A CHANCE ENCOUNTER This is the place where the path of a tormented survivor meets that of an unknowing innocent. Past and present collide, and secrets long buried crawl back into the pallid light of day as the shadow of the Beast falls over them both. But even the bloodiest dreams of that demonic being may pale in comparison to what lies buried within the human heart. This is the place where evil dwells … ABODE "I love it when an author manages to take a classic trope most people might think has already been played out or done to death, and then blows the doors off by presenting it in an effective, clever way. Even if this was just another haunting – which it isn’t; there’s way more to it – the manner in which it’s told is riveting." – Christine Morgan, author of White Death "Violent and haunting, ABODE by Morgan Sylvia is a good old-¬fashioned novel of monsters wreaking havoc." – The Library Journal "Morgan Sylvia's ABODE is a deliciously mesmerizing haunted fantasy. Her combination of elegantly poetic prose and razor-sharp storytelling have crafted a modern classic ghost story. For a debut novel, this chilling, tragic tale will keep you turning pages and sleeping with the lights on...everything you could hope for in a supernatural spellbinder." - Peter N. Dudar, author of A Requiem For Dead Flies, Where Spiders Fear To Spin, and The Goat Parade. "Rare is it in this era of splatter horror to find a book such as ABODE, in which the horror is all too prevalent and real, but is treated oh so subtly, as in a mystery where the reader tiptoes through clues. The author tantalizes us, not bludgeons us. ABODE is richly atmospheric, in the vein of Henry James' 19th century classic "Turn of the Screw." There are Lovecraftian overtones; there are also tragic psychological sufferings. There is evil. Above all, the reader revels in the exquisitely-tuned atmosphere." - The Haunted Reading Room "Wow! Just wow! Morgan Sylvia is not only a masterful storyteller, but a weaver of spells. ABODE hooks you from the beginning and doesn't let you go until the very end. The writing is atmospheric and lyrical while the story is chilling and haunting. What a wonderful debut novel!" - E.J. Fechenda, author of The New Mafia Trilogy and Ghost Stories Trilogy
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2017
18 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Sylvia
29 books43 followersMorgan Sylvia is a metalhead, an Aquarius, a coffee addict, and a work in progress. A former obituarist, she is now a full-time freelance writer. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in several places, including In The Cold, Cold Ground, Pseudopod, Wicked Witches, Northern Frights, Haunted House Short Stories, Endless Apocalypse, Twice Upon An Apocalypse, and The Final Summons. She is the author of two novels: a horror novel, Abode, which was recommended by The Library Journal, and a fantasy novel, Dawn, which is the first volume of a trilogy. Her work also includes three poetry collections. The second, As The Seas Turn Red, was nominated for an Elgin Award twice. She was also one of the writers for for Undertow: Blood Forest, the award-winning werewolf audio fiction drama produced by Realm.fm. She also occasionally dabbles in metal journalism. Sylvia belongs to several writers’ groups: the HWA, the SFWA, the New England Horror Writers, Horror Writers of Maine, and Tuesday Mayhem Society. She lives in Maine with her boyfriend, two cats, the cutest rescue dog ever, an overgrown rose garden, and a pet banshee.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 12, 2017
Morgan Sylvia crafts a darn fine ghost story in her debut novel, Abode. It's got some good suspense, and I dug the slight twists she interjects into the nature of this haunted house tale. My main caveat, though, comes with the nature of this story's delivery.
Sylvia sets up the entire first-person narrative as an extended flashback told entirely through an e-mail, the modern day literary equivalent of found footage horror. I found it to be a fairly limiting narrative device, and I really wish we could have become privy to what the recipient was experiencing (there's a lot of "I said, you said" accounts) or, better yet, to have been placed in the thick of things as they were occurring rather than being told what had happened so many years removed. While we do get some idea of the e-mail recipient's reactions, as told to us by the writer of said e-mail, the impact is rather muted. It also makes the ending of this novel a bit anticlimactic, but not without resolution. Mostly, I just wanted to get deeper into these characters heads.
Despite Sylvia's narrative choices, I still found myself pretty well engrossed in the ghostly dramas unfolding within the old Kent house, situated in the woods of a small Maine town, and the history of the home itself. It may not be a particularly ground-breaking or revelatory addition to haunted house fiction, but it is really well written and it's quite clear that Sylvia has some impressive authorial chops. I'll definitely be checking out more of her future works, as I think she's got a heck of a lot of potential.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via Hook of a Book Media and Publicity.]
Sylvia sets up the entire first-person narrative as an extended flashback told entirely through an e-mail, the modern day literary equivalent of found footage horror. I found it to be a fairly limiting narrative device, and I really wish we could have become privy to what the recipient was experiencing (there's a lot of "I said, you said" accounts) or, better yet, to have been placed in the thick of things as they were occurring rather than being told what had happened so many years removed. While we do get some idea of the e-mail recipient's reactions, as told to us by the writer of said e-mail, the impact is rather muted. It also makes the ending of this novel a bit anticlimactic, but not without resolution. Mostly, I just wanted to get deeper into these characters heads.
Despite Sylvia's narrative choices, I still found myself pretty well engrossed in the ghostly dramas unfolding within the old Kent house, situated in the woods of a small Maine town, and the history of the home itself. It may not be a particularly ground-breaking or revelatory addition to haunted house fiction, but it is really well written and it's quite clear that Sylvia has some impressive authorial chops. I'll definitely be checking out more of her future works, as I think she's got a heck of a lot of potential.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via Hook of a Book Media and Publicity.]
August 1, 2017
Review: ABODE by Morgan Sylvia
Rare is it in this era of splatter horror to find a book such as ABODE, in which the horror is all too prevalent and real, but is treated oh so subtly, as in a mystery where the reader tiptoes through clues. The author tantalizes us, not bludgeons us. ABODE is richly atmospheric, in the vein of Henry James' 19th century classic "Turn of the Screw." There are Lovecraftian overtones; there are also tragic psychological sufferings. There is evil. Above all, the reader revels in the exquisitely-tuned atmosphere.
Rare is it in this era of splatter horror to find a book such as ABODE, in which the horror is all too prevalent and real, but is treated oh so subtly, as in a mystery where the reader tiptoes through clues. The author tantalizes us, not bludgeons us. ABODE is richly atmospheric, in the vein of Henry James' 19th century classic "Turn of the Screw." There are Lovecraftian overtones; there are also tragic psychological sufferings. There is evil. Above all, the reader revels in the exquisitely-tuned atmosphere.
May 15, 2020
Oh man, I had no idea Abode was this kind of creature feature. I’d have been all over it sooner. By as is this was a random kindle freebie which by all means looked like yet another haunted, well, abode story. So it sat around on my Kindle and then I figured why not. The reviews were good enough. And to be fair, this book is of a considerably higher quality than the average random kindle freebie. It’s also of a somewhat higher quality than a typical genre debut, but it does read like one, a debut that is. There are some fresh out of the gate errors, the main one being that it’s dramatically overwritten. You can tell the book is very much striving to hit the literary levels of genre and elevate itself about the usual trappings of guts and gore and so often it does, but the rest of the time the language just goes place that can be best described as…overwhelmingly poetic and not always in a good way. Sure enough, the author is a poet. In fact, reading this story I had the image of the author as a poetry writing goth and the bio at the end proved me accurate enough (the metal thing was the difference). Other debutisms…There are some typos, that’s minor. There’s also a certain uniformity of style where style ought to have varied, like a diary of a young child written in the exact same style and vocabulary as the rest of the book. That’s more noticeable. The pace isn’t exactly dynamic. But there is a lot that’s right with this novel and since I do try to be objective, let’s hear the pluses…the story itself is pretty exciting. It’s two main genre things in one, you go from the haunted abode to the creature feature, it’s intricately interlaced, does a proper backstory and all that. The writing, poetic as it may be, often lends itself nicely to the descriptions and creates a deliciously creepy claustrophobic atmosphere that makes the story come alive in all the right ways. And also…Wendigo. Why doesn’t the description mention that? No, it reads like a poem instead of mentioning the main feature, one of my favorite creatures. Pale, skinny, never seems to eat enough, always hungry, sad and mad. F*ck yeah, completely relatable. And always terrifying. Should I do the basic plot thing? It’s just one of those prototypical scenarios of a perfectly nice family relocating to nowhere Maine for financial reasons to a creepy old place that is, surprise surprise, haunted as f*ck. Aggressively haunted. So haunted that it’s a minor miracle the family manages to put up with it, but put up they do. They make excuses and come up with arbitrary and incorrect explanations, while the parents further sink into denial and bottle and the kids are further immersed into the terror of it all. And then it turns out it isn’t just the ghosts. It’s infinitely more terrifying. Cue in local legends that go back to the native tribes. People who knew stayed away. It also stands to mention the narrative structure itself, it’s technically epistolary, told though a series of emails that a (by all accounts deranged) man sends to a woman he believes to be his reincarnated sister. Though the chapters are much, much too long for emails. I’m no stranger to verbosity as this review so amply demonstrates, but those are some long emails. You’d never read that entire thing. But it does undeniably add something extra creepy to the premise. There’s madness and then there’s madness. This novel seems to feature both. It’s dark, it gets progressively darker and the ending is a blackout, appropriately enough. So it is, indeed, horrific, it succeeds at frightening and disturbing its audience. That alone should make it worth the read for genre fans.
December 30, 2018
Reaching out to a stranger he believes is the reincarnation of his sister, a man retells the story of his childhood, and the unsettling events after moving to the Kent house in Maine. It was subtle at first - the creaking, the feeling of being watched - but as winter vast approached, the power of the land awoke from its slumber, and it was hungry.
(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I thank Morgan Sylvia for giving me the opportunity.
As a debut novel, Abode had its strengths that appealed to me, as well as weaknesses that proved increasingly grating the further I progressed. Firstly, the format was quite ambitious, told entirely through the form of e-mails to an unknown recipient. It was extremely easy to get into initially - I lost myself in the ramblings of the unnamed narrator, and his recount of his childhood fascinated me to an extent. It's true; I have a certain fondness of first-person, of getting acquainted with a singular voice, but the style can have its drawbacks. I don't consider unreliability one such hindrance, as it can be used as a tool to add to the unfolding story, but as it was, the repetition spoiled my enjoyment. It worked until it didn't. I understand he wasn't mentally stable, and it's quite clear his thoughts were all over the place, but relaying the same information over and over does nothing but pad out a shorter book. I believe, if without the unnecessary filler, it would have been a much more satisfactory experience.
The aforementioned filler relates a lot to the last eighty percent in particular; after the history lesson, it lost much of its charm, and by that point I just wanted it to hurry up and end. I began to dislike the beating around the bush, and the dwindling sanity of the narrator, because it dragged on too long. My interest primarily lay in the past, where the destruction of the family dynamic was the focal point. We were promised a significant death early on, and after it was delivered, I didn't much see the point of sticking around. To me, the story ended there and only suffered from getting the word count up.
The horror aspects - the haunting and the creature in the woods - were surprisingly decent. I say this because ghosts generally don't unnerve me as much as I'd like them to - their presence tend to include the typical shtick of loud noises and moving objects. Sylvia entwined more than one supernatural element however, and that mix really projected a sense of disquiet. The entity that was Jeremiah was the highlight; a being that extended past the confines of time. A Lovecraftian vibe was evident due to the magnitude of his influence, and the vulnerability he inflicted on the psyche. I do have to wonder, as I often do when it comes to haunted houses, why they remained living there. I guess it's just another complaint I have about the trope.
Another thing I liked was the lack of confirmation in the end - it's left unknown as to whether the woman was actually the reincarnation of Lexi. Favouring the bleaker side of things, I prefer to think that she was not, and that she was just being stalked by a very traumatised mind.
In conclusion: A unique way of storytelling, yet it eventually became too tedious and drawn-out. If it was a mere ghost story, I would have felt less engrossed, but the monster really piqued my interest. Jeremiah, in his fabulous hat, made it worth my while.
Notable Quote:
Truth, they say, is. It brings down evil men, and avenges the victims of their crimes. But that isn't always the case. Sometimes truth is a hideous, terrible thing, that slithers through the shadows that lurk in men's hearts. And truth cloaked and veiled in legend can be a terrible thing.
© Red Lace 2018
Wordpress ~ Twitter
(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I thank Morgan Sylvia for giving me the opportunity.
As a debut novel, Abode had its strengths that appealed to me, as well as weaknesses that proved increasingly grating the further I progressed. Firstly, the format was quite ambitious, told entirely through the form of e-mails to an unknown recipient. It was extremely easy to get into initially - I lost myself in the ramblings of the unnamed narrator, and his recount of his childhood fascinated me to an extent. It's true; I have a certain fondness of first-person, of getting acquainted with a singular voice, but the style can have its drawbacks. I don't consider unreliability one such hindrance, as it can be used as a tool to add to the unfolding story, but as it was, the repetition spoiled my enjoyment. It worked until it didn't. I understand he wasn't mentally stable, and it's quite clear his thoughts were all over the place, but relaying the same information over and over does nothing but pad out a shorter book. I believe, if without the unnecessary filler, it would have been a much more satisfactory experience.
The aforementioned filler relates a lot to the last eighty percent in particular; after the history lesson, it lost much of its charm, and by that point I just wanted it to hurry up and end. I began to dislike the beating around the bush, and the dwindling sanity of the narrator, because it dragged on too long. My interest primarily lay in the past, where the destruction of the family dynamic was the focal point. We were promised a significant death early on, and after it was delivered, I didn't much see the point of sticking around. To me, the story ended there and only suffered from getting the word count up.
The horror aspects - the haunting and the creature in the woods - were surprisingly decent. I say this because ghosts generally don't unnerve me as much as I'd like them to - their presence tend to include the typical shtick of loud noises and moving objects. Sylvia entwined more than one supernatural element however, and that mix really projected a sense of disquiet. The entity that was Jeremiah was the highlight; a being that extended past the confines of time. A Lovecraftian vibe was evident due to the magnitude of his influence, and the vulnerability he inflicted on the psyche. I do have to wonder, as I often do when it comes to haunted houses, why they remained living there. I guess it's just another complaint I have about the trope.
Another thing I liked was the lack of confirmation in the end - it's left unknown as to whether the woman was actually the reincarnation of Lexi. Favouring the bleaker side of things, I prefer to think that she was not, and that she was just being stalked by a very traumatised mind.
In conclusion: A unique way of storytelling, yet it eventually became too tedious and drawn-out. If it was a mere ghost story, I would have felt less engrossed, but the monster really piqued my interest. Jeremiah, in his fabulous hat, made it worth my while.
Notable Quote:
Truth, they say, is. It brings down evil men, and avenges the victims of their crimes. But that isn't always the case. Sometimes truth is a hideous, terrible thing, that slithers through the shadows that lurk in men's hearts. And truth cloaked and veiled in legend can be a terrible thing.
© Red Lace 2018
Wordpress ~ Twitter
July 24, 2017
"Abode" by Morgan Sylvia is one of the best horror books I have read in a very long time. I have read many good horror books but not often ones that I want to add to my own bookshelf. I really do not want to go into detail because I do not want to spoil this book for anyone if they decide to read it but I actually was creeped out a few times and had to put the book down ( I read this at night) and I don't creep out easily. In short, a family moves into an old abandoned house and unexplained things begin to happen. The brilliance of the book lies in the written format and how the main character overseeing all of this horror is a young boy who is unable to stop what he sees happening. The story starts off right from the beginning and keeps building the suspense until the end. I was reminded for the first half of the book by HP Lovecraft and the premise of the "unknown". This is actually one of those rare books that I will read again which is why I plan to buy a copy for my own collection. I cannot wait to see what the author dreams up next. Highly recommended!
May 31, 2020
The book was good, but I found after a while it got tedious. I found the first person “memories” great at the beginning but after a couple of hundred pages, it got long and I was losing interest. I didn’t need the constant, trying to make sense of it, trying to purge it, trying to...whining quality of some of the emails.
I mostly enjoyed it but was glad when it was over and it is rare for a book to make me feel like that.
I mostly enjoyed it but was glad when it was over and it is rare for a book to make me feel like that.
April 24, 2020
At its best, Abode creates an atmosphere of dread.
Unfortunately, there is no follow through and there are very few scares littered throughout its 300 pages. It plays like a trailer to a movie in which the trailer is so much better than the finished product.
Not recommended.
Unfortunately, there is no follow through and there are very few scares littered throughout its 300 pages. It plays like a trailer to a movie in which the trailer is so much better than the finished product.
Not recommended.
March 4, 2018
One of the best horror books I've read in a long time. The author's pacing and doom are topnotch. I loved this book and can't wait for more novels form her in the future. Impressive debut!
March 2, 2019
There was a lot to like in Abode. The format, the story being recounted from the perspective of a survivor of a haunted house experience through emails to someone else, meant that direct address was frequently used, and I found this effective.
The haunting itself is well done. It grows from peculiar goings-on to full on confrontations with evil. The characters are all well-drawn and believable. Even though it's recounted as an adult,t he events definitely felt like childhood memories. All characters feel like they develop throughout the course of the story.
It's guilty of becoming a little repetitive as it draws towards its climax, where we get one or two accounts of spooky events too many, where it stays on the same level instead of escalating. The end threw me, I thought it was drawing to a close, but there was more to com, and I thought that too was well done, without giving anything away.
I've been oddly hungry ever since completing my reading of this book though. Should I be concerned?
The haunting itself is well done. It grows from peculiar goings-on to full on confrontations with evil. The characters are all well-drawn and believable. Even though it's recounted as an adult,t he events definitely felt like childhood memories. All characters feel like they develop throughout the course of the story.
It's guilty of becoming a little repetitive as it draws towards its climax, where we get one or two accounts of spooky events too many, where it stays on the same level instead of escalating. The end threw me, I thought it was drawing to a close, but there was more to com, and I thought that too was well done, without giving anything away.
I've been oddly hungry ever since completing my reading of this book though. Should I be concerned?
August 14, 2017
Although Morgan Sylvia’s debut novel is initially both entertaining and intriguing, ultimately, it’s a frustrating take on the traditional haunted house story. Much of the action takes place in a remote house in Maine which could have been lifted from the Amityville Horror or any other modern haunted house story. However, the author mixes things up just enough to keep the reader on their toes for much of the novel before a disappointing climax.
The plot unfolds in the form of long rambling emails and is effectively told second hand by an unreliable narrator who believes the recipient of his emails (whom he has been stalking) is the reincarnation of his long dead little sister. So what we are reading (the emails) is effectively the elder brother unburdening himself by revealing the circumstances which led to his family moving to the house which he sees as responsible for her eventual death of his sister.
So what leads to the death of the six year old girl? We are told very early on in the novel that this happens, but the circumstances are revealed more slowly. Their father loses his job, drinks too much and buys a dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere. Seen through the eyes of the nine year old brother (our narrator and email writer) things very quickly start to go bump in the night. Doors slam on their own, ornaments jump from the shelves and scratchings can be heard in the walls. The father isolates himself in the cellar, the mother puts on a brave face but is a nervous wreck, and when the kids start their new school they’re told they live in the “murder house”.
The initial hauntings revealed through the eyes of the nine year old are pretty good, however, after a while it begins to get repetitive and the story does not really move on as it should and the horror does not really escalate and the parents seem to accept these weird goings on way too easily. The supernatural element eventually begins to extend beyond the house and the boy narrator is fascinated by the ever changing forests and the wild and evil things which might live there.
The narrator is recalling the events of thirty odd years earlier and this first-person style is a very limiting narrative device when it comes to this. There was way too much of “I said, you said” which got pretty boring and really was a tension killer. There were also major plot elements which were under explored, such as the email recipient’s reactions. I felt the novel was building up to a climax than never really amounted to much and the suspense disappeared like a burst balloon.
Writing a convincing ghost story really is a tricky business and for a debut novel “Abode” is an admirable attempt but Morgan Sylvia falls way short of the likes of Adam Nevill, Ronald Malfi or Paul Tremblay who have the true ability to scare and unsettle. Writing a novel in email form is never easy and one wonders whether it truly suits the horror genre as the fear level is diluted. As horror fans that’s the last thing we want.
The plot unfolds in the form of long rambling emails and is effectively told second hand by an unreliable narrator who believes the recipient of his emails (whom he has been stalking) is the reincarnation of his long dead little sister. So what we are reading (the emails) is effectively the elder brother unburdening himself by revealing the circumstances which led to his family moving to the house which he sees as responsible for her eventual death of his sister.
So what leads to the death of the six year old girl? We are told very early on in the novel that this happens, but the circumstances are revealed more slowly. Their father loses his job, drinks too much and buys a dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere. Seen through the eyes of the nine year old brother (our narrator and email writer) things very quickly start to go bump in the night. Doors slam on their own, ornaments jump from the shelves and scratchings can be heard in the walls. The father isolates himself in the cellar, the mother puts on a brave face but is a nervous wreck, and when the kids start their new school they’re told they live in the “murder house”.
The initial hauntings revealed through the eyes of the nine year old are pretty good, however, after a while it begins to get repetitive and the story does not really move on as it should and the horror does not really escalate and the parents seem to accept these weird goings on way too easily. The supernatural element eventually begins to extend beyond the house and the boy narrator is fascinated by the ever changing forests and the wild and evil things which might live there.
The narrator is recalling the events of thirty odd years earlier and this first-person style is a very limiting narrative device when it comes to this. There was way too much of “I said, you said” which got pretty boring and really was a tension killer. There were also major plot elements which were under explored, such as the email recipient’s reactions. I felt the novel was building up to a climax than never really amounted to much and the suspense disappeared like a burst balloon.
Writing a convincing ghost story really is a tricky business and for a debut novel “Abode” is an admirable attempt but Morgan Sylvia falls way short of the likes of Adam Nevill, Ronald Malfi or Paul Tremblay who have the true ability to scare and unsettle. Writing a novel in email form is never easy and one wonders whether it truly suits the horror genre as the fear level is diluted. As horror fans that’s the last thing we want.
October 12, 2018
“You don’t know me.
You probably don’t remember any of what I am to about to tell you.
…
Perhaps you will be tempted to just delete this email and chalk it all up to a chance meeting with a lunatic. I wouldn’t blame you.
Before you do that, though, please understand one thing. You are in danger. Your entire family is in great danger. There are things that walk this world that have no love for humankind. And there, in the dark woods of the north, once rose a bloodline that dealt with these being, these entities, if you wish. This may sound crazy. I cannot argue that. I agree, actually. It not only sounds crazy, it is crazy.
But that doesn’t make it less true.”
I had a hard time splicing this chapter down and picking which parts I wanted to include in the review. (I wanted to copy the first chapter, but decided against this due to space limits.) This is one of the best first chapters I have read in a long time!
What really struck me about this book was the riveting narrative. It is a series of emails from the main character to a woman he believes is his reincarnated sister Lexi, describing their lives growing up in the haunted “old Kent home” in Maine. In this way, the story becomes this strange tale of abuse, insanity, and ghosts. It is “A Head Full of Ghosts” meets “The Great Alone,” which is an intriguing concept.
This is Morgan Sylvia’s first published book, but she has a craftsman’s hand when it comes to her style and her descriptive prose. It is this style that drives the reader through this book, which employs a slow burn of intensity that tightens throughout its chapters. This book does not hit you over the head with a ghost in chapter two, but like so many other well written stories, the ghost is lurking and approaching, and so it starts with scratching in the walls and foul odors and footsteps and strange noises. This is all done in a way to add to that slow burn intensity so that when the ghosts and the insanity show up, the reader gets that pay off.
While many books mine poltergeists and ghosts as the reason for the haunting, this book is about a wendigo. I found that to be a very fresh twist on the ghost story. The way a wendigo comes about, and how it impacts the lives of those around it, is much more interesting than a simply sad or vengeful ghost.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something different in their ghost stories. Fans of both gothic and horror stories with a strong narrative will benefit from dipping into Morgan’s creation.
You probably don’t remember any of what I am to about to tell you.
…
Perhaps you will be tempted to just delete this email and chalk it all up to a chance meeting with a lunatic. I wouldn’t blame you.
Before you do that, though, please understand one thing. You are in danger. Your entire family is in great danger. There are things that walk this world that have no love for humankind. And there, in the dark woods of the north, once rose a bloodline that dealt with these being, these entities, if you wish. This may sound crazy. I cannot argue that. I agree, actually. It not only sounds crazy, it is crazy.
But that doesn’t make it less true.”
I had a hard time splicing this chapter down and picking which parts I wanted to include in the review. (I wanted to copy the first chapter, but decided against this due to space limits.) This is one of the best first chapters I have read in a long time!
What really struck me about this book was the riveting narrative. It is a series of emails from the main character to a woman he believes is his reincarnated sister Lexi, describing their lives growing up in the haunted “old Kent home” in Maine. In this way, the story becomes this strange tale of abuse, insanity, and ghosts. It is “A Head Full of Ghosts” meets “The Great Alone,” which is an intriguing concept.
This is Morgan Sylvia’s first published book, but she has a craftsman’s hand when it comes to her style and her descriptive prose. It is this style that drives the reader through this book, which employs a slow burn of intensity that tightens throughout its chapters. This book does not hit you over the head with a ghost in chapter two, but like so many other well written stories, the ghost is lurking and approaching, and so it starts with scratching in the walls and foul odors and footsteps and strange noises. This is all done in a way to add to that slow burn intensity so that when the ghosts and the insanity show up, the reader gets that pay off.
While many books mine poltergeists and ghosts as the reason for the haunting, this book is about a wendigo. I found that to be a very fresh twist on the ghost story. The way a wendigo comes about, and how it impacts the lives of those around it, is much more interesting than a simply sad or vengeful ghost.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something different in their ghost stories. Fans of both gothic and horror stories with a strong narrative will benefit from dipping into Morgan’s creation.
December 30, 2017
***I received a free copy for an honest review***
I absolutely loved this creepy book! It scared the crap out of me that after a few nights reading, I had to switch to only reading it in the daytime. I’m talking hairs on my arm and neck standing up, chills running down my spine, me looking over my shoulder, me jumping at any sound my house made.
The opening line: “You don’t know me” hooked me right away. The entire book was written as emails of a deranged man contacting his little sister who he believed died. As a reader, I thought it would’ve been cool to see how she replied, but I understand why the author didn’t show any of that. It would’ve taken the suspense away from the explosive ending.
My favorite lines: 1) You were a tiny thing, but you looked at me with an expression far beyond your years. 2) There was something behind me. I heard it. I felt it. 3) I have no answers. Only memories. 4) This may sound crazy. I cannot argue that. I agree, actually. It not only sounds crazy, it is crazy. But that doesn’t make it less true.
As a little boy, the main character moved into a haunted house in Maine with his parents and younger sister. These ghosts weren’t Casper the friendly ghost. They were viciously wicked. Not only ghosts, the family had to deal with demons and monsters in the woods. The author described each haunting and supernatural creature in great detail, making this book very spooky.
The setting (70’s) reminded me of the Amityville era. The parents really frustrated me because they were so passive. There was no excuse of not trying to get help for their haunted home, especially when their children were getting hurt. The entire town knew about the Murder House down the lane. The kids were much braver than the adults, and I applaud them. I loved when he got some answers from his best friend Lane’s aunt, Phyllis.
The slow build up was great. There were many suspenseful moments in the book because of the slow build up. The twist at the end was great. I hadn’t seen it coming.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
July 20, 2017
I enjoyed this novel..the story grabbed me in the beginning and kept me until the end. There are some very scary moments and the author paints a horrific and realistic scenery to inspire this tale of ghosts and evil. I recommend it.
August 22, 2018
A fantastical, disturbing tale.
A fantastical, disturbing tale. Told with poetic cadence, and masterful storytelling. I was hooked from the opening paragraph to the final word. Hands down one of the best books I have read in years.
A fantastical, disturbing tale. Told with poetic cadence, and masterful storytelling. I was hooked from the opening paragraph to the final word. Hands down one of the best books I have read in years.
September 28, 2018
Do yourself a favor and check it out!
April 17, 2020
I'm a cover whore, I admit it.
I took one look at the cover of this horror novel by first-time author Morgan Sylvia, and I knew I had to read it. And, blessedly, I was not disappointed with the contents at all. The story is related via an email recollection of a young man to the supposed reincarnation of his little sister, who died horribly long ago. Slowly, bit by bit, the creepy story is laid out as a sense of foreboding slowly creeps up the reader's spine.
Days passed, grew into weeks. Little incidents piled up. Bigger occurrences started to happen. Each day died slowly, a lingering death.
I must admit that this book took me longer to read than most books. I got to a point when I did not want to read this book late at night, tucked under my warm blankets with my dog for heat and company. I put the story aside for the bright sunlight of the next day.
The path the story took surprised me, despite the obvious nature of the creature from the contents, my fear-addled brain did not make the connections until deep into narrative. Like our young narrator, I was caught in the web.
Death’s door opens both ways.
I took one look at the cover of this horror novel by first-time author Morgan Sylvia, and I knew I had to read it. And, blessedly, I was not disappointed with the contents at all. The story is related via an email recollection of a young man to the supposed reincarnation of his little sister, who died horribly long ago. Slowly, bit by bit, the creepy story is laid out as a sense of foreboding slowly creeps up the reader's spine.
Days passed, grew into weeks. Little incidents piled up. Bigger occurrences started to happen. Each day died slowly, a lingering death.
I must admit that this book took me longer to read than most books. I got to a point when I did not want to read this book late at night, tucked under my warm blankets with my dog for heat and company. I put the story aside for the bright sunlight of the next day.
The path the story took surprised me, despite the obvious nature of the creature from the contents, my fear-addled brain did not make the connections until deep into narrative. Like our young narrator, I was caught in the web.
Death’s door opens both ways.
December 27, 2020
I think there should have been more time spent editing this story. The writing itself is not bad, but the story is too long! Sylvia made use of nostalgic pop culture references of the late seventies/early eighties, which immersed me into the era of which most of the story takes place. Sylvia is not afraid to get experimental with her prose. “We went through a lot of dishes in that house,” pretty much sums up the whole first half of “Abode”. I was annoyed when I thought “Abode” was a haunted house story. So much so that I wish I could have visited the home myself and just smashed everything in it so that I wouldn’t have to read any more chapters written about inanimate or irrelevant objects moving/breaking for no significant reason relating to the plot. If you are into slow burners then “Abode” is what I would consider a cozy horror in which you sip your coffee and flip through pages waiting for things to take shape. Just make sure you stock up on plenty of mugs beforehand (just in case they end up flying across the room for one reason or another).
You can read my full breakdown here:
https://www.livefreeliverich.com/blog...
You can read my full breakdown here:
https://www.livefreeliverich.com/blog...
May 22, 2019
Although Morgan Sylvia's debut novel is initially both entertaining and intriguing, ultimately it's a frustrating take on the traditional haunted house story. Much of the action takes place in a remote house in Maine, which could have been lifted from The Amityville Horror or any other modern scary story. However, the author mixes things up just enough to keep the reader on their toes for much of the novel before a disappointing climax.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
January 31, 2018
I hated this book. Too much repetition, too much time spent on describing the inconsequential (color of clothes, what they watched on TV), too much rambling on and on. I found myself skipping paragraphs, then pages, then entire chapters and didn't miss anything of significance to the story. It's a shame, the premise held a lot of promise. Reminiscent of The Shining (Stephen King) - remote Maine location, lots of snow, creepy ghosts, dad descending into madness - read that instead.
June 3, 2019
This is a very solid haunted house story. I like how it was told in email format, reminds me of the found footage movies. This book is rich in descriptions and there was a creepy atmosphere.
I hated to put this book down when I had to, I was hooked from the beginning.
This review and more can be found on thenightmarecloset.com
I hated to put this book down when I had to, I was hooked from the beginning.
This review and more can be found on thenightmarecloset.com
July 27, 2020
Dark and delicious
This is is a dark read in the best way possible. It had my attention from the beginning. I find it rare to read a book that you can’t wait to get back to. Though I have to admit I had to slow down towards the end as the story went very dark and I had to pause to reclaim my own head space. I attribute this to the terrific writing I was reading.
This is is a dark read in the best way possible. It had my attention from the beginning. I find it rare to read a book that you can’t wait to get back to. Though I have to admit I had to slow down towards the end as the story went very dark and I had to pause to reclaim my own head space. I attribute this to the terrific writing I was reading.
February 25, 2022
Abode had me busting down the doors of my own childhood memories as I followed the story of a once happy family brought to madness and ruin by their ancient Maine home and the restless spirits that occupied it (some not human). I basically couldn't stop reading this one, even when my eyes got tired and my body cried for sleep. It was impossible to put down.
May 9, 2021
A really well-told ghost story with some some genuine creepiness. A perfect example of not giving up on a book early. After reading the first three or four pages I didn't think it was for me. I was wrong.
January 24, 2023
Interesting book
I liked this book. It was kinda cool how the book was told from the emails he is writing and in flashbacks. It wasn’t super scary but there were some creepy moments and I liked the ending.
I liked this book. It was kinda cool how the book was told from the emails he is writing and in flashbacks. It wasn’t super scary but there were some creepy moments and I liked the ending.
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August 8, 2017More in the 10/1 issue of LJ and on the blog
December 13, 2023
When it comes to getting exactly what makes winters in the mountains of Maine so terrifying, this book capital N, capital I, Nails It. The feeling of exploring the woods and the bitter cold that comes in the darker months is perfectly captured. In addition, the book is a terrifying and surreal haunted house story
The book is told in an interesting second person epistolary which I don't know that I have read before. It literally brings the reader into the story and causes you to question if anything you are reading is real or not and how terrifying it is whether it's real or not
The book is told in an interesting second person epistolary which I don't know that I have read before. It literally brings the reader into the story and causes you to question if anything you are reading is real or not and how terrifying it is whether it's real or not
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