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Ghost
"Langlands House is haunted, but not by the ghost you think." Augusta McAndrew lives on a remote Scottish estate with her grandmother, Rose. For her own safety, she hides from outsiders, as she has done her entire life. Visitors are few and far between - everyone knows that Langlands House is haunted. One day Rose goes out and never returns, leaving Augusta utterly alone.Then Tom McAllister arrives - good-looking and fascinating, but dangerous. What he has to tell her could tear her whole world apart. As Tom and Augusta become ever closer, they must face the question: is love enough to overcome the ghosts of the past? In the end, Langlands House and its inhabitants hold more secrets than they did in the beginning...
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2018
22 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Helen Grant
68 books197 followersHelen Grant has a passion for the Gothic and for ghost stories. Joyce Carol Oates has described her as 'a brilliant chronicler of the uncanny as only those who dwell in places of dripping, graylit beauty can be.' A lifelong fan of the ghost story writer M.R.James, she has spoken at two M.R.James conferences and appeared at the Dublin Ghost Story Festival. She lives in Perthshire with her family, and when not writing, she likes to explore abandoned country houses and swim in freezing lochs.
Helen's most recent novel Jump Cut was published by Fledgling Press in 2023.
Helen's most recent novel Jump Cut was published by Fledgling Press in 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 4, 2021
Ghost is one of my favourite books that I have read.
It’s quite a chilling novel. I would go far as to say that it could be classed as a thriller. I certainly didn’t see the chilling ending coming. Langlands House is haunted, but not by the ghost you think. It’s the ghost of a girl who died there during the War, well that’s what people say.
The house that Augusta McAndrew lived in with her grandmother is in the middle of a private estate and surrounded by forest. Creepy as it seems occasionally all sorts of people come to the house look for the ghost.
But it gets freaky as sometimes people may see the ghost at one of the windows.
The reason I recommend the novel Ghost as it’s a story that took me by surprise, as it wasn’t the kind of story I thought it would be. I do love reading these kinds of books where I think the novel is going to plan out exactly how I have it in my head and then it turns out a totally different story and blows me away and this is exactly what happened here!
It’s quite a chilling novel. I would go far as to say that it could be classed as a thriller. I certainly didn’t see the chilling ending coming. Langlands House is haunted, but not by the ghost you think. It’s the ghost of a girl who died there during the War, well that’s what people say.
The house that Augusta McAndrew lived in with her grandmother is in the middle of a private estate and surrounded by forest. Creepy as it seems occasionally all sorts of people come to the house look for the ghost.
But it gets freaky as sometimes people may see the ghost at one of the windows.
The reason I recommend the novel Ghost as it’s a story that took me by surprise, as it wasn’t the kind of story I thought it would be. I do love reading these kinds of books where I think the novel is going to plan out exactly how I have it in my head and then it turns out a totally different story and blows me away and this is exactly what happened here!
April 4, 2023
This book was amazing until the end. This book made me have emotions that I cannot literally take them. This book made me SICK. No offense but if it wasn't the ending, this book would be really great in my opinion
April 8, 2018
(Collected Tweets and notes while reading - so you basically get a fake live feed.)
Love how this novel is playing with ghost story tropes. Reached page 25 (!) and am now utterly thrown off-track concerning the historical setting. This is exactly the book I needed.
...
I like this book so much. The sun is shining outside, but I feel very much like curling up on the sofa (if the back permits) with my cup of cinnamon coffee and this story.
...
Oh well, the vitamin D isn't making itself.
...
Now I'm doing this thing where I'm taking the book into the kitchen to get some cheese, then returning to the winter garden and panicking because I left the book on the kitchen counter.
...
Whoa! I only just noticed the clever use of present and past tenses in this book. O_O
...
Finished. Wow. This is so well written. And even though it may not be the ghost story you're expecting when you start out, its many circular narrative structures make it a perfect haunting.
(Oh, and up until very close to the ending I kept wondering why the author insists that this one is definiely not a YA book. Well, now I know. )
Love how this novel is playing with ghost story tropes. Reached page 25 (!) and am now utterly thrown off-track concerning the historical setting. This is exactly the book I needed.
...
I like this book so much. The sun is shining outside, but I feel very much like curling up on the sofa (if the back permits) with my cup of cinnamon coffee and this story.
...
Oh well, the vitamin D isn't making itself.
...
Now I'm doing this thing where I'm taking the book into the kitchen to get some cheese, then returning to the winter garden and panicking because I left the book on the kitchen counter.
...
Whoa! I only just noticed the clever use of present and past tenses in this book. O_O
...
Finished. Wow. This is so well written. And even though it may not be the ghost story you're expecting when you start out, its many circular narrative structures make it a perfect haunting.
(Oh, and up until very close to the ending I kept wondering why the author insists that this one is definiely not a YA book. Well, now I know. )
March 14, 2018
Wonderfully haunting coming of age with a difference. Review to follow as part of Blog Tour.
April 19, 2018
This is the first book of Helen's that I have read and will now be looking out for more of them.
The book is a brilliant spine-chilling tale about a girl who lives in an alleged haunted mansion with her grandmother. Things get decidedly stranger once her grandmother vanishes and the story picks up pace.
This book is very hard to review without giving any spoilers away so this review will be nice and short and vague so you can enjoy the book without any preconceptions, which is how I read it, as I think it will be a much more enjoyable book for you.
The plot to the story was extremely well written, and kept me enticed the whole way through with lots of little twists happening when you least expect them. The characters were well described and the setting was beautifully descriptive, all of which made it so easy to read the book and made it such an enjoyable book.
The book is a brilliant spine-chilling tale about a girl who lives in an alleged haunted mansion with her grandmother. Things get decidedly stranger once her grandmother vanishes and the story picks up pace.
This book is very hard to review without giving any spoilers away so this review will be nice and short and vague so you can enjoy the book without any preconceptions, which is how I read it, as I think it will be a much more enjoyable book for you.
The plot to the story was extremely well written, and kept me enticed the whole way through with lots of little twists happening when you least expect them. The characters were well described and the setting was beautifully descriptive, all of which made it so easy to read the book and made it such an enjoyable book.
September 6, 2023
I liked it! The ending had a little cheeky punch! Book club pick August 2023.
March 29, 2018
A languorous, romantic mystery, with an ending that'll stick in your mind.
March 27, 2018
I liked the book, it was a bit different from what I have recently read but very good written as always. Don't want to spiol anything so won't write much but I hade to think a lot while reading to get an idea of when the book was set until everything was turned upside down again. =)
March 4, 2018
If you like intrigue and mystery set in crumbling old houses you will love this. It is a real page turner.
March 14, 2018
4.75*
- finished reading it today and woah, this is one amazing read;
- the plot was impeccable; didn't drag, was consistent, kept me interested;
- the characters were stunning;
- the writing was amazing;
- what more do you want out of a book, honestly?
- inducer of spine tingles and curling toes but not actually horror, for which I live.
- finished reading it today and woah, this is one amazing read;
- the plot was impeccable; didn't drag, was consistent, kept me interested;
- the characters were stunning;
- the writing was amazing;
- what more do you want out of a book, honestly?
- inducer of spine tingles and curling toes but not actually horror, for which I live.
January 12, 2025
♟️Fantoma ♟️
♟️Helen Grant♟️
Doamne ce carte bună. Are de toate, ca șaorma cu de toate:thriller,horror,romace,drama.
Și sunt șocată ca nu am vazut-o citită de voi, recomandată, criticată, discutată. Doamne...sper să ajungeți la ea.
Cartea este legenda conacului Langlands. Aici în Scoția traiește o bunică care își ascunde nepoata, pe Augusta de lume. Pe numele de alint Ghost fata traieste in miciuna 17 ani, crezand ca este in anul 1945 in timpul razboiului. Totul pana cand acoperisul casei se gaureste si bunica cheama 2 mesteri, atunci îl cunoaste pe Tom. Dar nu are voie sa iasa din camera.
Nimeni din oras nu vine la conac caci legenda spune ca acesta este bântuit.
Viata stricta departe de lume, fara scoala si interactiune sociala o trezeste la realitate pe GHOST cand bunica dispare, moare. Atunci reapare Tom, Tom al anului 2017.
El reuseste sa o transpuna în prezent prin haine, reviste internet, dar ea vrea sa il duca pe el in trecut.
Cum reusesc ei sa dezlege misterele conacului, sa aduca cei 2 ani 1945-2017 la unison,cum risca si cum se termina povestea lor va indemn sa aflati. E ceva ce va pune amprenta pe voi. E o carte buna!
Nu va fie teamă nu e horror. E ceva special!Iar finalul pe măsură!
5/5
♟️Helen Grant♟️
Doamne ce carte bună. Are de toate, ca șaorma cu de toate:thriller,horror,romace,drama.
Și sunt șocată ca nu am vazut-o citită de voi, recomandată, criticată, discutată. Doamne...sper să ajungeți la ea.
Cartea este legenda conacului Langlands. Aici în Scoția traiește o bunică care își ascunde nepoata, pe Augusta de lume. Pe numele de alint Ghost fata traieste in miciuna 17 ani, crezand ca este in anul 1945 in timpul razboiului. Totul pana cand acoperisul casei se gaureste si bunica cheama 2 mesteri, atunci îl cunoaste pe Tom. Dar nu are voie sa iasa din camera.
Nimeni din oras nu vine la conac caci legenda spune ca acesta este bântuit.
Viata stricta departe de lume, fara scoala si interactiune sociala o trezeste la realitate pe GHOST cand bunica dispare, moare. Atunci reapare Tom, Tom al anului 2017.
El reuseste sa o transpuna în prezent prin haine, reviste internet, dar ea vrea sa il duca pe el in trecut.
Cum reusesc ei sa dezlege misterele conacului, sa aduca cei 2 ani 1945-2017 la unison,cum risca si cum se termina povestea lor va indemn sa aflati. E ceva ce va pune amprenta pe voi. E o carte buna!
Nu va fie teamă nu e horror. E ceva special!Iar finalul pe măsură!
5/5
February 22, 2018
I've just read it on my e-reader, and it's a corker! Seventeen-year old woman has been living in an old house in a remote part of Scotland with her grandmother, who disappears. Many intriguing things happen after that. It is spine-tingling, mysterious, horrifying, delightful, and deliciously macabre. I'll say no more. Read it (under a cosy blanket and with a light on)!
April 30, 2018
I’m a huge Helen Grant fan. I love her work and her heroines are always amazing. As she always incorporates where she lives in her work, previously Germany and Belgium, I was really looking forward to seeing how her moving to Scotland would inspire her work. Especially as I’ve seen moody and slightly eerie photos of overgrown castles and graveyards pop up on her social media feeds a lot. Thus, when Ghost was announced and I was offered a review copy, I was super excited to say yes. And oh boy, did Helen deliver on the expectations set by those pictures I’d been seeing. Because Ghost? It is all about the Gothic.
If you like the nineteenth-century gothic, this is an updated version of that story. It has all the brooding, gloomy, understated sense of dread that pervades works such as Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Yet Ghost is set in a more modern era, with a modern set of complications. Throughout the story I kept hoping that all would be well, but still feeling as if the rug would be pulled from under me. This balancing act is something that Grant does very well and which is one of her trademark elements in her work.
It is hard to discuss specifics of the story arc without giving away the plot, but it is fascinating. Suffice it to say the novel is at its core a search for answers and for belonging. Augusta wants to know why her grandmother did what she did, what happened and where are her parents? In fact who are her parents? And is Rose evil because of what she did? Augusta needs to come to terms with her feelings of anger and grief towards her grandmother. She also needs to deal with her feelings for Tom, which would have been difficult for any teenager that falls in love for the first time, but in the case of Ghost and Tom becomes extra complicated due to Ghost’s unfamiliarity with the outside world.
My favourite thing about the novel was its heroine Augusta, also known as Ghost. She was a great mixture of sulky teenage girl and gritty, resourceful young woman. I loved how Grant developed her and how it isn’t clear whether she is completely stable and coping with her new reality or whether she is an unreliable narrator.
Ghost is suspenseful and dark, but there are oases of light, especially when Ghost and Tom are together. These moments left me so hopeful for Ghost’s future, which made the rest of the story all the more heart-breaking. Because this book? This book has the most gothic ending ever. It was perfect, but wow, was it dark. I truly loved Helen Grant’s latest and it’s a great first entry into her work if you haven’t encountered it before. If this is what Scotland does to Helen Grant, I hope she doesn’t move in the near future!
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
If you like the nineteenth-century gothic, this is an updated version of that story. It has all the brooding, gloomy, understated sense of dread that pervades works such as Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Yet Ghost is set in a more modern era, with a modern set of complications. Throughout the story I kept hoping that all would be well, but still feeling as if the rug would be pulled from under me. This balancing act is something that Grant does very well and which is one of her trademark elements in her work.
It is hard to discuss specifics of the story arc without giving away the plot, but it is fascinating. Suffice it to say the novel is at its core a search for answers and for belonging. Augusta wants to know why her grandmother did what she did, what happened and where are her parents? In fact who are her parents? And is Rose evil because of what she did? Augusta needs to come to terms with her feelings of anger and grief towards her grandmother. She also needs to deal with her feelings for Tom, which would have been difficult for any teenager that falls in love for the first time, but in the case of Ghost and Tom becomes extra complicated due to Ghost’s unfamiliarity with the outside world.
My favourite thing about the novel was its heroine Augusta, also known as Ghost. She was a great mixture of sulky teenage girl and gritty, resourceful young woman. I loved how Grant developed her and how it isn’t clear whether she is completely stable and coping with her new reality or whether she is an unreliable narrator.
Ghost is suspenseful and dark, but there are oases of light, especially when Ghost and Tom are together. These moments left me so hopeful for Ghost’s future, which made the rest of the story all the more heart-breaking. Because this book? This book has the most gothic ending ever. It was perfect, but wow, was it dark. I truly loved Helen Grant’s latest and it’s a great first entry into her work if you haven’t encountered it before. If this is what Scotland does to Helen Grant, I hope she doesn’t move in the near future!
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
April 23, 2018
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I loved the suspense in this one, it really added to the haunting atmosphere I had when reading the book and it was definitely chilling in places.
I really enjoy this kind of book, one that can keep me up at night as I am completely gripped with the story and I can't put it down as I need to know what happens! I really enjoyed the characters and thought that they were developed really well and they were spot on for the plot.
I loved the writing style and I will certainly be looking out for other books by Helen in the future, I thoroughly enjoyed this one - 4.5 stars from me, rounded up to 5 stars for Amazon and Goodreads - very highly recommended and really enjoyable!
I loved the suspense in this one, it really added to the haunting atmosphere I had when reading the book and it was definitely chilling in places.
I really enjoy this kind of book, one that can keep me up at night as I am completely gripped with the story and I can't put it down as I need to know what happens! I really enjoyed the characters and thought that they were developed really well and they were spot on for the plot.
I loved the writing style and I will certainly be looking out for other books by Helen in the future, I thoroughly enjoyed this one - 4.5 stars from me, rounded up to 5 stars for Amazon and Goodreads - very highly recommended and really enjoyable!
May 31, 2018
Helen Grant's latest novel, Ghost, captured my interest right from the very start. As the title suggests, it's a ghost story of sorts, but almost certainly not the kind of ghost story you're expecting. The Ghost of the title is really Augusta, a 17-year-old who lives at Langlands, a remote Perthshire mansion that's entirely off-grid. As we read on we discover that this isn't the full extent of Ghost's isolation: she lives with her grandmother, has never left Langlands' environs and, most importantly, has never met another human being. She can't leave Langlands, her grandmother says, because the Second World War is raging and she'd risk being called up to work in a munitions factory in a city or deployed in some other work towards to the war effort, so Ghost and her grandmother are mostly self-sufficient but for a few things Grandmother buys when she drives to the nearest town alone in her car.
One day, Ghost hears a terrible noise in the night and fears a German bomb has finally hit the house - but in fact, a chimney has come down during a storm. It has to be fixed to stop Langlands from falling into irreparable decay, but this means, of course, that strangers will have to come to the house and Ghost will have to hide. But will Ghost, desperate for human company and fascinated by the very existence of other people, be able to bear to stay tucked away in the attic until the builder and his son Tom have gone? And if Tom does see Ghost, will he be able to keep the secret?
I'd like to say more about the plot of this book, as it's a clever and constantly surprising one, but it's impossible to go further without straying into spoiler territory. What unfolds is a layered mystery with strong gothic undertones, a strong sense of sadness and psychological elements that take a dark turn. At more than one point while reading I realised this was not the book I thought it was going to be, and yet somehow nothing feels contrived; there are no twists that are there purely for their own sake.
The story is told from the points of view of both Ghost and Tom, and both are convincingly written, particularly when we start to see the effect upon Ghost of her peculiar upbringing and subsequent traumas.
This excellent read is an unusual book, part gothic tragedy, part romance, part mystery, part psychological thriller, and like all Helen Grant's books it has a strong sense of brooding atmosphere which I thoroughly enjoyed.
One day, Ghost hears a terrible noise in the night and fears a German bomb has finally hit the house - but in fact, a chimney has come down during a storm. It has to be fixed to stop Langlands from falling into irreparable decay, but this means, of course, that strangers will have to come to the house and Ghost will have to hide. But will Ghost, desperate for human company and fascinated by the very existence of other people, be able to bear to stay tucked away in the attic until the builder and his son Tom have gone? And if Tom does see Ghost, will he be able to keep the secret?
I'd like to say more about the plot of this book, as it's a clever and constantly surprising one, but it's impossible to go further without straying into spoiler territory. What unfolds is a layered mystery with strong gothic undertones, a strong sense of sadness and psychological elements that take a dark turn. At more than one point while reading I realised this was not the book I thought it was going to be, and yet somehow nothing feels contrived; there are no twists that are there purely for their own sake.
The story is told from the points of view of both Ghost and Tom, and both are convincingly written, particularly when we start to see the effect upon Ghost of her peculiar upbringing and subsequent traumas.
This excellent read is an unusual book, part gothic tragedy, part romance, part mystery, part psychological thriller, and like all Helen Grant's books it has a strong sense of brooding atmosphere which I thoroughly enjoyed.
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February 12, 2023This was a real page turner, quite a strange concept, with a not very spectacular ending however.
April 18, 2018
This review was originally post to This Is My Bookshelf
Thanks to Love Books Group for organising this blog tour. I was sent a copy of this novel for review, but all opinions are honest and my own.
From the blurb, I had an idea for how I thought this was going to go. I wasn’t even close. It was so much better. A big part of what makes this novel so great is how unexpected everything in. So, this review is going to be frustratingly vague I’m afraid!
What I can tell you is that I was captivated for the whole 400 pages. The story is fantastic. The setting is wonderful, and adds the perfect atmosphere alongside the mysterious story. And our main character was great, really realistic and not just the perfect protagonist.
And the ending. The ending was perfect. And you’ll have to pick up the novel find out more!
Thanks to Love Books Group for organising this blog tour. I was sent a copy of this novel for review, but all opinions are honest and my own.
From the blurb, I had an idea for how I thought this was going to go. I wasn’t even close. It was so much better. A big part of what makes this novel so great is how unexpected everything in. So, this review is going to be frustratingly vague I’m afraid!
What I can tell you is that I was captivated for the whole 400 pages. The story is fantastic. The setting is wonderful, and adds the perfect atmosphere alongside the mysterious story. And our main character was great, really realistic and not just the perfect protagonist.
And the ending. The ending was perfect. And you’ll have to pick up the novel find out more!
December 31, 2019
Author Helen Grant takes you on chilling read that will keep you guessing until the very last page is read. Augusta 'Ghost' McAndrew lives in the remote Scottish estate, Langlands House, with her grandmother, Rose, shielded from the outside world and convinced that she is living in the 1940s during the war. They grow their own food, wear the ancient gowns of their ancestors, and keep up the rooms of the house as they can. Only Rose leaves the estate to go out for essentials. Augusta is soon to turn eighteen and is longing to find out more about the outside world that her grandmother refuses to let her get to know.
A storm causes major damage at the estate, forcing Rose to bring in outsiders for the repairs. Augusta views the workers from the attic where she is forced to hide when they're working. Tom McAllister captures her interest, and the two exchange innocent, yet forbidden hidden messages. The work is completed, and Augusta's brief interlude with the outside world ends until the day when grandmother Rose doesn't return home from her trip into town. Augusta is all alone in her fabricated world, until the day when Tom returns.
Tom and Augusta work to uncover the details of her past that her grandmother kept hidden from her. Their young love develops and takes Augusta to the outside world for the first time. Dark family secrets and deeds emerge--will Augusta ever be able to forgive her grandmother for her actions? Will she ever be able to acclimate to the outside world, or will the internal demons of the mind keep her hidden at Langlands House forever? A haunting read with an ending that chills--highly recommended!
A storm causes major damage at the estate, forcing Rose to bring in outsiders for the repairs. Augusta views the workers from the attic where she is forced to hide when they're working. Tom McAllister captures her interest, and the two exchange innocent, yet forbidden hidden messages. The work is completed, and Augusta's brief interlude with the outside world ends until the day when grandmother Rose doesn't return home from her trip into town. Augusta is all alone in her fabricated world, until the day when Tom returns.
Tom and Augusta work to uncover the details of her past that her grandmother kept hidden from her. Their young love develops and takes Augusta to the outside world for the first time. Dark family secrets and deeds emerge--will Augusta ever be able to forgive her grandmother for her actions? Will she ever be able to acclimate to the outside world, or will the internal demons of the mind keep her hidden at Langlands House forever? A haunting read with an ending that chills--highly recommended!
February 13, 2022
It’s possible this is a beautifully written book (although yes, it’s slow moving and nothing really happens) but I didn’t actually like this book. It’s mostly the ending, I think. If this book had been exactly the same but with a less hollowly tragic ending, I might have left this book feeling like I’d enjoyed reading it. And I know there’s the symmetry and parallels between Ghost and Rose and the cyclical kind of feeling is what I assume the author was going for. But it really did end up feeling hollow. Like a tragedy without a purpose or… I don’t know, emotional balance or something. It all just left me walking away from this book thinking ‘I didn’t like that’.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2021
Wow. The story was amazing, I loved Ghost explaining her life and relationship with her gran. The introduction of Tom was beautifully done. I loved seeing Ghost grow and blossom. I felt such real emotion for her and the life she had left. I had not expected the ending at all. I actually feel quite emotional at how heartbreaking it was. I was not expecting anything near as fantastic as what I just read. The author has a great way of weaving it all together.
Beautiful, riveting, sorrowful. I would 100% recommend.
Beautiful, riveting, sorrowful. I would 100% recommend.
February 23, 2023
Slabuță...iar finalul....foarte prost
April 22, 2018
Review originally posted at my blog for the LoveBooksGroup blog tour: https://bookishpuffcorn.wordpress.com...
Ghost by Helen Grant is a mystery read. It is undeniably catchy just from the cover and the title. Enough with all the formality, finishing this book left me in my most frustrated state!
The story revolves around the Langlands house, a remote and said-to-be hunted home of the ghost girl from the World War. Old Grandmother rose and her granddaughter, Augusta, who is also known as Ghost are the only living inhabitants of the mansion. Ghost has never been outside the big house since she was born. They lived a quiet life until Tom, along with a group of men who will repair the broken ceiling, came to the house.
I swear I had high expectations for this book! And Oh My God, I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed! The prologue was incredible! It immediately sucked me in. I just can’t stop reading until the end! The switching of POV between Ghost and Tom is fantastic! It made the story easy to read and understand. The chapters were quite short but that was okay since there were a total of 71 chapters. The choice of words is great. Honestly, I can’t complain.
The characters are very well developed. Tom was great so was Ghost. Although, to be honest, Ghost made me crazy sometimes but it’s understandable since her grandmother just died. The chemistry between the two of them is soooo strong. I know maybe it’s a little fast for them to really connect but it was wonderfully written and it made them beautiful.
Helen Grant did an amazing job in writing this book! The description of the setting is brilliant. I can totally picture the Langlands house. I can hear every swish of the wind and creak of the loose floorboards.
I thought this was a romance read. Well, it turned out to be so much more! It was really amazing! It’s unlike any book I have read. It’s amazing how the puzzle pieces clicked in the end. The plot twists and the revelations! I was so eager to know the truth behind everything that I didn’t really expect how it ended! Oh boy, I swear I just stared into blank space after I have finished the book!
I actually feel honored for having the chance to read and review a wonderful book like this! It was a brand new experience and I wouldn’t regret every single second of it. Overall, I rate Ghost by Helen Grant, a perfect 5/5 stars! I recommend this to everyone who’s looking for an awesome read!
Ghost by Helen Grant is a mystery read. It is undeniably catchy just from the cover and the title. Enough with all the formality, finishing this book left me in my most frustrated state!
The story revolves around the Langlands house, a remote and said-to-be hunted home of the ghost girl from the World War. Old Grandmother rose and her granddaughter, Augusta, who is also known as Ghost are the only living inhabitants of the mansion. Ghost has never been outside the big house since she was born. They lived a quiet life until Tom, along with a group of men who will repair the broken ceiling, came to the house.
I swear I had high expectations for this book! And Oh My God, I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed! The prologue was incredible! It immediately sucked me in. I just can’t stop reading until the end! The switching of POV between Ghost and Tom is fantastic! It made the story easy to read and understand. The chapters were quite short but that was okay since there were a total of 71 chapters. The choice of words is great. Honestly, I can’t complain.
The characters are very well developed. Tom was great so was Ghost. Although, to be honest, Ghost made me crazy sometimes but it’s understandable since her grandmother just died. The chemistry between the two of them is soooo strong. I know maybe it’s a little fast for them to really connect but it was wonderfully written and it made them beautiful.
Helen Grant did an amazing job in writing this book! The description of the setting is brilliant. I can totally picture the Langlands house. I can hear every swish of the wind and creak of the loose floorboards.
I thought this was a romance read. Well, it turned out to be so much more! It was really amazing! It’s unlike any book I have read. It’s amazing how the puzzle pieces clicked in the end. The plot twists and the revelations! I was so eager to know the truth behind everything that I didn’t really expect how it ended! Oh boy, I swear I just stared into blank space after I have finished the book!
I actually feel honored for having the chance to read and review a wonderful book like this! It was a brand new experience and I wouldn’t regret every single second of it. Overall, I rate Ghost by Helen Grant, a perfect 5/5 stars! I recommend this to everyone who’s looking for an awesome read!
April 22, 2018
I was really looking forward to reading Ghost; the mysterious key on the cover alone gave me goosebumps so I prepared myself for some spine-tingly reading. It's an unbelievably addictive book; at only 10% in my Goodreads status shows that I found it 'intriguing and spine-tingling' and as the mystery unravels it gets even more interesting.
Augusta is living at Langlands with her Grandmother, Rose. As a young child, Augusta couldn't pronounce her name correctly so the name of 'Ghost' stuck. Rose keeps Ghost hidden from outsiders for her own protection as it's 1945 and there's a war on. When there's some damage to the roof (from German bombers, as Ghost thinks), Tom McAllister arrives with his father to do the repairs. Ghost secretly communicates with Tom, who thinks that she's the Langlands ghost of the spooky kind...at this point I thought that she very well might be as something wasn't quite right.
When Rose goes into the village one day and doesn't return, Ghost gets completely railroaded when reality hits. Everything her Grandmother told her is a lie and she is determined to fit all of the missing pieces of the jigsaw together to find out the truth. Luckily, Tom returns to Langlands to give Ghost the help she needs and we get to experience the purity of first love as Ghost and Tom grow closer together. For reasons that become clear, I thought Ghost might think about leaving Langlands and it's shady history behind, but it's the only home she has ever known and Langlands has its own hold over Ghost.
One thing that really struck me was how well Langlands had been portrayed through the vivid descriptive writing of Helen Grant. It felt as if the house itself was a dark and brooding character with hidden secrets. People from the village stay away from Langlands and its ghost but perhaps Langlands itself is the ghost, it's certainly a shadow of its former colourful life.
Hauntingly beautiful, spine-tingling and eye-poppingly surprising, Ghost is a completely unique and intriguing mystery that shocked and thrilled me. I'm definitely going to look out for Helen Grant's back catalogue whilst I await her next book.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Augusta is living at Langlands with her Grandmother, Rose. As a young child, Augusta couldn't pronounce her name correctly so the name of 'Ghost' stuck. Rose keeps Ghost hidden from outsiders for her own protection as it's 1945 and there's a war on. When there's some damage to the roof (from German bombers, as Ghost thinks), Tom McAllister arrives with his father to do the repairs. Ghost secretly communicates with Tom, who thinks that she's the Langlands ghost of the spooky kind...at this point I thought that she very well might be as something wasn't quite right.
When Rose goes into the village one day and doesn't return, Ghost gets completely railroaded when reality hits. Everything her Grandmother told her is a lie and she is determined to fit all of the missing pieces of the jigsaw together to find out the truth. Luckily, Tom returns to Langlands to give Ghost the help she needs and we get to experience the purity of first love as Ghost and Tom grow closer together. For reasons that become clear, I thought Ghost might think about leaving Langlands and it's shady history behind, but it's the only home she has ever known and Langlands has its own hold over Ghost.
One thing that really struck me was how well Langlands had been portrayed through the vivid descriptive writing of Helen Grant. It felt as if the house itself was a dark and brooding character with hidden secrets. People from the village stay away from Langlands and its ghost but perhaps Langlands itself is the ghost, it's certainly a shadow of its former colourful life.
Hauntingly beautiful, spine-tingling and eye-poppingly surprising, Ghost is a completely unique and intriguing mystery that shocked and thrilled me. I'm definitely going to look out for Helen Grant's back catalogue whilst I await her next book.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
November 16, 2023
The anonymous and faimous house called Langlands is known very well not because is abandoned, but also for her renumite ghost that lives in there, a fake story in order to scare the uninvited guests. But there lives an old lady and her niece, who doesn't know anything about the outside world and in the pressure of her grandma needs to hidden from the eyes of people. Living in poverty with few resources at hand, this character thinks that such a life can assure the safety of her niece but when this one want to explore what's beyond the walls of the house, everything is messed up. The girl find understanding and support in a stranger, a boy just as young as she is and through the story experience the beautiful love between youngsters, undiscovered emotions and passions which in the first place doesn't have it with someone because of her grandma restrictions. Soon enough, as her grandma dies, something more shocking will happen in front her eyes and the fantasy that she lived in for some many years would be only a dream and her reality will transform into a nightmare.
The wish to escape from the grasp of a isolated life and try to reach freedom for yourself may be justified as you learn that you're entire life was based on a lie, but you understand in meantime this was for your own good. With a rich father who was a cruel man and a mother who doesn't have where to go i can say that our destiny doesn't define us just as Augusta take'a after her mother and tend to fall deep down into insanity by killing her lover, Tom because to me it was a innocent character who didn't have to die at the end. Despite of that, the choice of Augusta is to remain forever in that horrible house, trapped as a ghost as she had been before, i was expecting a different turn, but her drama was very tragic. So, i can acknowledge why tha author chose to give such a ending because it makes you think what life can offer you, what can you afford to lose, time is a fragil thing, don't waste it, because it doesn't wait for anyone.
The wish to escape from the grasp of a isolated life and try to reach freedom for yourself may be justified as you learn that you're entire life was based on a lie, but you understand in meantime this was for your own good. With a rich father who was a cruel man and a mother who doesn't have where to go i can say that our destiny doesn't define us just as Augusta take'a after her mother and tend to fall deep down into insanity by killing her lover, Tom because to me it was a innocent character who didn't have to die at the end. Despite of that, the choice of Augusta is to remain forever in that horrible house, trapped as a ghost as she had been before, i was expecting a different turn, but her drama was very tragic. So, i can acknowledge why tha author chose to give such a ending because it makes you think what life can offer you, what can you afford to lose, time is a fragil thing, don't waste it, because it doesn't wait for anyone.
April 25, 2018
It is an endless source of joy to me that book reviewing sends you curve balls you weren’t expecting, would not necessarily have chosen to receive and yet which delight and surprise you when they do arrive.
Ghost was like for me. I’d had a good few dark books and was looking for something out of the ordinary. This book is certainly that!
Rather beautifully written, it has a silvery gossamer web all of its own which wraps you up in the story, keeps you captive and then feeds you to the spider morsel by morsel.
In its way it is an enchanting story; young girl living in ancient crumbling house with aged grandmother. Home schooled, never been into the world, knows only what her grandmother has told her that it is too dangerous to go out into the world. There is a war on, the 2nd World War to be precise, and if she is not to be conscripted into a munitions factory, laying herself open to being killed by German bombs, she needs to stay hidden from the world.
Then one day fate intervenes and it is necessary for builders to visit the house to make repairs. Nothing is quite the same after that day when a fleeting and almost intangible contact is made so that when the young girl’s grandmother goes out and does not return, the young girl’s life will be turned upside down.
This is a book that hides its surprises until they become shocks. It relentlessly leads you up a garden path only to throw you into a briar patch. With a deliciously inventive plot and a chilling and really quite macabre denouement, this is a book that surprised, delighted and shocked in equal measure.
Ghost was like for me. I’d had a good few dark books and was looking for something out of the ordinary. This book is certainly that!
Rather beautifully written, it has a silvery gossamer web all of its own which wraps you up in the story, keeps you captive and then feeds you to the spider morsel by morsel.
In its way it is an enchanting story; young girl living in ancient crumbling house with aged grandmother. Home schooled, never been into the world, knows only what her grandmother has told her that it is too dangerous to go out into the world. There is a war on, the 2nd World War to be precise, and if she is not to be conscripted into a munitions factory, laying herself open to being killed by German bombs, she needs to stay hidden from the world.
Then one day fate intervenes and it is necessary for builders to visit the house to make repairs. Nothing is quite the same after that day when a fleeting and almost intangible contact is made so that when the young girl’s grandmother goes out and does not return, the young girl’s life will be turned upside down.
This is a book that hides its surprises until they become shocks. It relentlessly leads you up a garden path only to throw you into a briar patch. With a deliciously inventive plot and a chilling and really quite macabre denouement, this is a book that surprised, delighted and shocked in equal measure.
April 28, 2018
There is a distinctly creepy feel to Ghost, as right from the beginning there is something odd about the young woman, Augusta who lives, in isolation, at the gothic Langlands House with her grandmother. When Rose, her elderly grandmother mysteriously disappears, Augusta, too used to being hidden away from people, is distrustful and wary of strangers. And then Tom enters into Augusta's life which adds a whole new dimension to what is a deeply unsettling story.
The chilling atmosphere at Langlands House only gets stronger as the story progresses, and I especially enjoyed the creepiness and the gradual rise in tension which is pitted against the barriers and obstacles which Augusta uses to protect herself from harm. That she learns of life from reading books in the Langlands library allows us a delicate glimpse into Augusta's mindset, which is both sad and troubled.
The author writes well and knows how to keep the momentum of the plot ticking along so that you are carried forward, both by the atmosphere, and also by the setting, which is deliciously creepy. There are one or two surprises, and some genuine twists and turns towards the end which I didn’t see coming.
Ghost is a genuinely spooky story which kept me entertained from beginning to end.
The chilling atmosphere at Langlands House only gets stronger as the story progresses, and I especially enjoyed the creepiness and the gradual rise in tension which is pitted against the barriers and obstacles which Augusta uses to protect herself from harm. That she learns of life from reading books in the Langlands library allows us a delicate glimpse into Augusta's mindset, which is both sad and troubled.
The author writes well and knows how to keep the momentum of the plot ticking along so that you are carried forward, both by the atmosphere, and also by the setting, which is deliciously creepy. There are one or two surprises, and some genuine twists and turns towards the end which I didn’t see coming.
Ghost is a genuinely spooky story which kept me entertained from beginning to end.
January 23, 2019
This was a recent read at my local Library Reading Group. I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10.
I found this a sad read if I am completely truthful. I felt for 'Ghost' as Augusta was known, brought up by her grandmother Rose, she has lead a very sheltered life and knows only Langlands the house that she has lived in for most of her life. Tom McAllister and his father are employed by Rose to do some minor repairs on the crumbling old house, that they live in.
Without giving too much away Tom becomes aware that their might be more than one inhabitant living in Langlands, people believe that the house is haunted. Is the haunting of the supernatural kind though or of a more humanly nature? We the reader know which one it is and it's not long before Tom realises which one it is too.
When Rose, leaves the house one day and never returns. Ghost is left alone in the house, how will she survive all alone and what does the future hold for her? It's not long before Tom becomes more involved in the house and with Ghost. There are plenty of secrets that begin to get revealed slowly by him and it's not long before Ghost finds herself forming an attachment to him.
I really enjoyed this read and it had me wondering where it was going all the way through. As the secrets began to be revealed and the characters became more reliant on one another, I began to feel sad for Augusta as she found out that her life wasn't quite what she had thought. I loved the blossoming relationship between Tom and Augusta. Life can throw curved balls when you least expect it and Augusta's life had had it's fair share of them. I found it similar in some ways to the film The Others starring Nicole Kidman.
I could go on, but I seriously don't want to spoil it for others. My Library Reading Group gave it a 6.5/10 this was the average mark, once all the marks had been added up and divided by the number of people at the meeting. It made for a very interesting discussion indeed.
February 6, 2021
This book hooked me right from the very first page. It started off as a creepy story with an air of mystery about it. Even thought I started to work out what was going on, it did not detract from the enjoyment of the book. It was atmospheric and the tension built up nicely, I could not put it down. There was a sense of sadness while reading. I empathised with Augusta and felt quite sorry for her, and although I could not agree with her actions towards the end of the story, I understood her mental and emotional state. Having said that, I really disliked how this book concluded but that was because I had other plans in my head for Augusta and Tom so it was not what I would have liked to see happen. However, I also think it was probably right for the mood of the book, as for Augusta to enter into Tom’s world would not have felt right either.
Thank you to @lovebookstours for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to @lovebookstours for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2018
This is the first book of Helen's that I have read and will now be looking out for more of them.
The book is a brilliant spine-chilling tale about a girl who lives in an alleged haunted mansion with her grandmother. Things get decidedly stranger once her grandmother vanishes and the story picks up pace.
This book is very hard to review without giving any spoilers away so this review will be nice and short and vague so you can enjoy the book without any preconceptions, which is how I read it, as I think it will be a much more enjoyable book for you.
The plot to the story was extremely well written, and kept me enticed the whole way through with lots of little twists happening when you least expect them. The characters were well described and the setting was beautifully descriptive, all of which made it so easy to read the book and made it such an enjoyable book.
The book is a brilliant spine-chilling tale about a girl who lives in an alleged haunted mansion with her grandmother. Things get decidedly stranger once her grandmother vanishes and the story picks up pace.
This book is very hard to review without giving any spoilers away so this review will be nice and short and vague so you can enjoy the book without any preconceptions, which is how I read it, as I think it will be a much more enjoyable book for you.
The plot to the story was extremely well written, and kept me enticed the whole way through with lots of little twists happening when you least expect them. The characters were well described and the setting was beautifully descriptive, all of which made it so easy to read the book and made it such an enjoyable book.
May 1, 2019
Once in a while, we stumble upon a book. We don’t know why but we are drawn to it. This is what happened to me with Ghost by Helen Grant.
Of course, cover love was in the air. A grainy white sheet of paper bearing a typewritten title accompanied by an old golden key, like a personalised invitation to another world.
Stepping into Augusta’s world is like coming out of a time machine. Welcome to the 1940s. World War II’s shadow hangs above Langlands house, the remote estate the seventeen years old girl lives in with her grandmother. I don’t read books set in this period because my great-grandmother shared true stories and memories of those years with me and I am always afraid that no author can meet my expectations and what I imagined the world to be during this awful time. I remember shivering when I realised I was right in the middle of it. But then something strange happened. I literally felt I was there, in this time and place with Augusta McAndrew. Amazing descriptions of a room, a garden, a decade, with its particularities and its mindset, made me forget all about my hesitation. I was reading the book as if it were lit by candles and I was wearing a shawl, alone in a big cold family house. Helen Grant captures a time and her reader, she puts them together in a jar, and fills it with a beautifully written plot.
Ghost could be categorised as a locked-in novel. Augusta doesn’t leave her house. The setting becomes part of the plot as everything revolves around it. In the middle of nowhere, she is safe from what awaits outside. Only her grandmother dares trip to the town to shop whenever necessary. I could feel the resplendent house’s protection just as well as the claustrophobia such a lonely life creates. The dark yet gorgeous atmosphere reminded me of the best gothic novels of the XIXe. I know little about historical fiction, but Ghost had such an impact on me it was difficult to tear myself away from the novel and its characters. I was in a bubble made of dresses, simple meals, chores, and the thoughts of a teenager so different from our days’ worries. I didn’t want to leave. Yet, there was trepidation. Dread. An uneasy feeling I felt creep under my skin. Something was going on…
The dread is all around Augusta, innocent and sweet child who hasn’t seen what the world has to offer. Augusta is the perfect gothic lady. So, when the house opened its door to Tom McAllister, I knew I would dive into drama led by a tragic heroine. Tom’s appearance threatens Augusta’s life as she’s known it for her entire life. More than love, he can open doors Augusta never suspected were there. Even I wasn’t expecting what was to come! Because don’t believe Ghost is a mere Brönté-like book. Oh, no. It’s better than this! Ghost stands at the threshold of everything. A past, a future. Different worlds. Ghost is a crack on the wall of time, engulfing you in a magnificent love story, life story, death story. The book will have you think about your own life for a long time after you’ve left Augusta.
If you think you know all about coming-of-age novels, you are wrong. Augusta walks a path which takes this ritual towards adulthood to another level. Can you really live when surrounded by so many ghosts?
The writing robbed me of all adjectives to try and describe it. Pure and powerful, it gave me room to discover, be surprised, feel, imagine, and believe. Twists had me going 'what?!'? in the best way possible.
I wish I could say more, but should my lips (or in this case, my fingers) reveal the slightest hint of what you will find in this novel, the magic would fail to knock you off your feet as much as it did to me, and I’m a kind person, but I do want you to be so surprise you let out a word a well-raised girl from 1945 wouldn’t use! Delightfully macabre, Ghost is intriguing and absolutely fascinating in its very own way.
Langlands House is haunted in more ways than you think. Will you dare open its doors? I promise you an other-worldly twisty plot as taut as a fishing line, a walk on waters ready to overwhelm you, and most of all, a brilliant and impressive tragic tale of ghosts.
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