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Red Eye
Waterwitch
Certaines malédictions deviennent de plus en plus puissantes avec le temps...
Suite à un accident, Emma a perdu l’usage de ses jambes. Sept ans plus tard, l’adolescente revient en Cornouailles, sur les lieux du drame : l’auberge familiale du Waterwitch, gérée par sa grand-mère mourante. Ce bâtiment a été construit avec le bois d’une épave, celle d’un navire au passé trouble, maudit raconte la légende.
Parmi les sombres secrets qui hantent l’auberge se cachent des fantômes du passé.
Et l’un d’eux est particulièrement en colère.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2016
50 people are currently reading
1677 people want to read
About the author
Alex Bell
45 books622 followersAlex Bell signed her first book deal at nineteen and, since then, has written multiple books for both adults and young people. After completing a law degree, she now works for a legal advice charity. Alex lives in Hampshire with her husband, sons and Sphynx cats. She also writes as Alexandra Bell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
December 13, 2015
2.5 stars
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Little Tiger Group and NetGalley.)
Unfortunately, like the previous book in this series, this one just did not hold my attention well at all. There were a couple of moments that could have been creepy but overall I struggled to get through this one.
5 out of 10
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Little Tiger Group and NetGalley.)
Unfortunately, like the previous book in this series, this one just did not hold my attention well at all. There were a couple of moments that could have been creepy but overall I struggled to get through this one.
5 out of 10
February 7, 2017
Once you see the witch, there’s no going back...Once you see her face, it’s over.
Between 3 & 4 stars, but I feel like rounding up. Brings a few creeps, but no major scares, so it's perfectly fine for the YA / horror-lite crowd. Unless you're petrified of birds.*
*Birds do scare me a bit, but mostly just parrots / tropical birds. Show me a book about a killer cockatoo and I'll show you me running the fuck away.
Emma is our 17 year old protagonist. (There are several narrators, but she feels like the central character among them. She's also a weak point in the story, but I'll get to that shortly.) Her grandmother is dying and Emma won't let being confined to a wheelchair or her overprotective parents stop her from seeing her one last time. So with her service dog Bailey (hi favorite character!) she heads back to her hometown.
This is where the creepy begins! Emma has been forbidden from visiting her family's old inn, The Waterwitch, which is now closed. Hmm, I wonder why an inn would lose all it's customers, some of them running away in the middle of the night? She of course, dumbass that she is, goes there almost immediately. Bailey (good puppy) gives her every sign in the book that this is a bad place, let's not go in. What does she do? Ignores it and goes in anyway.
Inside the house, it's haunted! Gasp! Please don't faint away from shock. But it's also being inhabited by two old friends, Jem and his younger sister Shell, hiding from their abusive father. I'll say up front that I like them better. Emma is a weak spot. She serves an important purpose as a skeptic / outsider, but at some point she crossed the line from skeptical to blatantly ignoring spooky happenings right in front of her face. That bumps her to the bottom of the character pile for me.
Shell, short for Shelly, is more interesting. She believes. Oh how does she believe. She sees birds. Not just sees them, feels them. They're swirling around her bathtub, sitting on her window sill, leaving feathers in her eyes. Are they her friends or enemies? Everyone says she's crazy, believing in ghosts and seeing birds, and maybe she's starting to believe them.
For the actual haunting itself, not pants-wettingly scary, but enjoyable. Creepy basements, doors that aren't supposed to open, nightmares; these have all been done for ages, but they still work.
While it can't compare to Frozen Charlotte, overall The Haunting comes out on the plus side for me. The writing isn't mind-bending or extraordinary, but it's good. The plot, while not reinventing the wheel, was fine. Despite having Queen Dumbass as a character, it also had a German shepherd and . It all balanced out to what amounted to an enjoyable and quick read, if not an especially memorable one.
Between 3 & 4 stars, but I feel like rounding up. Brings a few creeps, but no major scares, so it's perfectly fine for the YA / horror-lite crowd. Unless you're petrified of birds.*
*Birds do scare me a bit, but mostly just parrots / tropical birds. Show me a book about a killer cockatoo and I'll show you me running the fuck away.
Emma is our 17 year old protagonist. (There are several narrators, but she feels like the central character among them. She's also a weak point in the story, but I'll get to that shortly.) Her grandmother is dying and Emma won't let being confined to a wheelchair or her overprotective parents stop her from seeing her one last time. So with her service dog Bailey (hi favorite character!) she heads back to her hometown.
This is where the creepy begins! Emma has been forbidden from visiting her family's old inn, The Waterwitch, which is now closed. Hmm, I wonder why an inn would lose all it's customers, some of them running away in the middle of the night? She of course, dumbass that she is, goes there almost immediately. Bailey (good puppy) gives her every sign in the book that this is a bad place, let's not go in. What does she do? Ignores it and goes in anyway.
Inside the house, it's haunted! Gasp! Please don't faint away from shock. But it's also being inhabited by two old friends, Jem and his younger sister Shell, hiding from their abusive father. I'll say up front that I like them better. Emma is a weak spot. She serves an important purpose as a skeptic / outsider, but at some point she crossed the line from skeptical to blatantly ignoring spooky happenings right in front of her face. That bumps her to the bottom of the character pile for me.
Shell, short for Shelly, is more interesting. She believes. Oh how does she believe. She sees birds. Not just sees them, feels them. They're swirling around her bathtub, sitting on her window sill, leaving feathers in her eyes. Are they her friends or enemies? Everyone says she's crazy, believing in ghosts and seeing birds, and maybe she's starting to believe them.
For the actual haunting itself, not pants-wettingly scary, but enjoyable. Creepy basements, doors that aren't supposed to open, nightmares; these have all been done for ages, but they still work.
While it can't compare to Frozen Charlotte, overall The Haunting comes out on the plus side for me. The writing isn't mind-bending or extraordinary, but it's good. The plot, while not reinventing the wheel, was fine. Despite having Queen Dumbass as a character, it also had a German shepherd and . It all balanced out to what amounted to an enjoyable and quick read, if not an especially memorable one.
May 3, 2018
THE HAUNTING is the third book I've read by author Alex Bell. I love her smooth writing style--regardless of whether I'm in the middle of an action-packed scene, or a quiet conversation between friends, her prose propels me along effortlessly from page to page.
In this novel, Bell takes on the subjects of witches, curses, shipwrecks, and superstitions surrounding Cornish inns. The supernatural is a topic that this author tackles very well, and the fluidity of this book is a testament to that. The Waterwitch is an Inn built from the salvaged remains of a cursed ship. This vessel was built by a man responsible for accusing a woman of witchcraft, which led directly to her horrifying, torturous death.
"Once you see the witch, there's no going back . . . Once you see her face, it's over."
The Inn, now closed since Emma's grandmother had been moved to a nursing home, is currently being watched over by Jem Penhale and his sister--descendants of the very man that built the cursed ship--now Inn. For the first time since an accident there landed her in a wheelchair, Emma goes back to the Waterwitch.
". . . The Waterwitch is not a suitable place for you . . . It's not a suitable place for any person."
Bell goes into great detail explaining the local superstitions, methods of dealing with witches in years past, and various customs used to ward off a "witch's curse" from a location. Her descriptions of the individual "hauntings" occurring at the Waterwitch were original and honestly gave me the shivers on more than one occasion.
". . . it's not just haunted any more; it's angry, too."
In addition to the morbidly disturbing atmosphere, we are given some great characters to attach ourselves to. Emma, her former best friend, Jem, and his younger sister, Shell, all have their own distinct outlooks on the situation. Some treat it as intolerable superstition: ". . . these sailors had a never-ending list of things that were considered bad luck on a ship . . . " . While others took the events as proof positive that the curse was dangerously real.
". . . sometimes you just have to scream for help anyway, even when you know that there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to help you."
Overall, I really enjoyed this tale from Alex Bell. A combination of awful historical practices, and an undying vengeance with some unique scenes and situations, made this book stand out among so many others in the category. If you haven't read anything from this author yet, what are you waiting for?
". . . Unnatural place--sitting there on dry land like that, trying to convince people it's not a ship at all."
Recommended!
In this novel, Bell takes on the subjects of witches, curses, shipwrecks, and superstitions surrounding Cornish inns. The supernatural is a topic that this author tackles very well, and the fluidity of this book is a testament to that. The Waterwitch is an Inn built from the salvaged remains of a cursed ship. This vessel was built by a man responsible for accusing a woman of witchcraft, which led directly to her horrifying, torturous death.
"Once you see the witch, there's no going back . . . Once you see her face, it's over."
The Inn, now closed since Emma's grandmother had been moved to a nursing home, is currently being watched over by Jem Penhale and his sister--descendants of the very man that built the cursed ship--now Inn. For the first time since an accident there landed her in a wheelchair, Emma goes back to the Waterwitch.
". . . The Waterwitch is not a suitable place for you . . . It's not a suitable place for any person."
Bell goes into great detail explaining the local superstitions, methods of dealing with witches in years past, and various customs used to ward off a "witch's curse" from a location. Her descriptions of the individual "hauntings" occurring at the Waterwitch were original and honestly gave me the shivers on more than one occasion.
". . . it's not just haunted any more; it's angry, too."
In addition to the morbidly disturbing atmosphere, we are given some great characters to attach ourselves to. Emma, her former best friend, Jem, and his younger sister, Shell, all have their own distinct outlooks on the situation. Some treat it as intolerable superstition: ". . . these sailors had a never-ending list of things that were considered bad luck on a ship . . . " . While others took the events as proof positive that the curse was dangerously real.
". . . sometimes you just have to scream for help anyway, even when you know that there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to help you."
Overall, I really enjoyed this tale from Alex Bell. A combination of awful historical practices, and an undying vengeance with some unique scenes and situations, made this book stand out among so many others in the category. If you haven't read anything from this author yet, what are you waiting for?
". . . Unnatural place--sitting there on dry land like that, trying to convince people it's not a ship at all."
Recommended!
January 25, 2020
3.0 Stars
This was a fairly standard haunted hotel story that was made more interesting by the inclusion of a parapalgic main character. Through this novel, I was able to learn more about the experiences and challenges of navigating the world in a wheelchair.
This was a fairly standard haunted hotel story that was made more interesting by the inclusion of a parapalgic main character. Through this novel, I was able to learn more about the experiences and challenges of navigating the world in a wheelchair.
February 18, 2017
Scares were hinted at, but never really delivered. The back of this book bears a stamp that suggests this title, while shelved in the YA section, is perhaps intended for those fourteen and up, but it doesn’t read fantastically for that age group in this reviewer’s opinion.
This is around the age when most readers start to read more critically, when they are less likely to take excuses and suspend their disbelief limitlessly. This is when they begin notice an overabundance of coincidences and conveniences just to keep the plot going, and this book certainly had plenty of those.
The stamp also suggests a certain amount of scare, which the story kept hinting at, but never quite got around to delivering.
This story follows seventeen-year-olds Emma and Jem, and Jem’s fourteen-year-old sister, Shell.
They haven’t seen each other for seven years, since Emma’s spine was crushed in an accident in the cellar of the Waterwitch, since the last time Emma was able to walk without assistance and massive amounts of pain, since her parents moved her far away from the place that had brought their family nothing but bad luck.
Emma is brought back to town by an unwell relative and told that, under no circumstances, is she to stay in that cursed and now abandoned inn. She makes an attempt to obey, at least, and stays at the inn across the road, but is soon lured back into the old, and rumoured to be haunted, Waterwitch by her childhood friends who are hiding out there after running away from their drunk and abusive father.
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
This is around the age when most readers start to read more critically, when they are less likely to take excuses and suspend their disbelief limitlessly. This is when they begin notice an overabundance of coincidences and conveniences just to keep the plot going, and this book certainly had plenty of those.
The stamp also suggests a certain amount of scare, which the story kept hinting at, but never quite got around to delivering.
This story follows seventeen-year-olds Emma and Jem, and Jem’s fourteen-year-old sister, Shell.
They haven’t seen each other for seven years, since Emma’s spine was crushed in an accident in the cellar of the Waterwitch, since the last time Emma was able to walk without assistance and massive amounts of pain, since her parents moved her far away from the place that had brought their family nothing but bad luck.
Emma is brought back to town by an unwell relative and told that, under no circumstances, is she to stay in that cursed and now abandoned inn. She makes an attempt to obey, at least, and stays at the inn across the road, but is soon lured back into the old, and rumoured to be haunted, Waterwitch by her childhood friends who are hiding out there after running away from their drunk and abusive father.
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
November 8, 2020
The Haunting
Summary
Emma returns to her hometown to visit her terminally ill grandma. While there she is forced to face the haunted inn where her awful accident happened 7 years ago that left her in a wheelchair.
The ghosts are still there, angrier than ever and she isn't the only one in danger this time.
Personal Opinion
This is my 3rd Alex Bell novel in the Redeye series and yet another one that I really enjoyed. I didn't like it quite as much so Frozen Charlotte, but it came close.
While it could have been a bit creepier, it was an addictive read that kept me wondering how things were going to turn out. Not being the biggest romance fan, I really like that Alex's books focus more on the horror aspect instead of romance and the female characters are never the damsels in distress types.
Having the MC in a wheelchair was an uncommon twist that was nice to see as well.
If you liked the other Redeye series books, your bound to enjoy this one as well.
Summary
Emma returns to her hometown to visit her terminally ill grandma. While there she is forced to face the haunted inn where her awful accident happened 7 years ago that left her in a wheelchair.
The ghosts are still there, angrier than ever and she isn't the only one in danger this time.
Personal Opinion
This is my 3rd Alex Bell novel in the Redeye series and yet another one that I really enjoyed. I didn't like it quite as much so Frozen Charlotte, but it came close.
While it could have been a bit creepier, it was an addictive read that kept me wondering how things were going to turn out. Not being the biggest romance fan, I really like that Alex's books focus more on the horror aspect instead of romance and the female characters are never the damsels in distress types.
Having the MC in a wheelchair was an uncommon twist that was nice to see as well.
If you liked the other Redeye series books, your bound to enjoy this one as well.
April 10, 2016
I loved Frozen Charlotte last year, creepy dolls + sociopathic tendencies = my kind of book, so I was wondering how Alex Bell was going to top it. Some things in Frozen Charlotte, (the writing, the pace) stayed the same in The Haunting, whilst other components (the characters, the creepy) were different.
So, did The Haunting top Frozen Charlotte?
Short answer: Yes.
You want the long answer anyway? Yay.
The Haunting, is creepy as hell, I described Frozen Charlotte as psychologically disturbing, well, I take it back, because this was so much more disturbing and scary and I had to turn the light on at one point.
The characters are quirky and I felt more of a connection with them. Emma, in a wheelchair and with help from her assistance dog, lives a relatively normal life, she has her days, but she doesn't let it stop her from doing what she wants. She's also feisty and points out the way people react to people in a wheelchair, stereotyping. Jem and Shell are still reeling from leaving their abusive father behind, have barely any money, Jem’s protective of Shell, and Shell, is a little eccentric.
The Haunting, as I said is more disturbing and it messes with your head because you're not quite sure what's real or not or if it's mass hysteria. Since we have three perspectives, Emma's, Jem's and Shell's and a haunted place, two nonbelievers and a believer (guess who that is?) it'll have you believing one minute, and then the more you discover of their pasts, second guessing yourself.
If you've read Frozen Charlotte, you'll remember the lack of romance, which was refreshing, and it's the same in The Haunting, even though I was hoping to have some romance in there, but it's still refreshing to have the story be focused on the plot and the emphasis on friendship and family. If you liked Frozen Charlotte, Alex Bell doesn't disappoint with The Haunting.
~~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.~
-----
Review originally posted on Studio Reads
So, did The Haunting top Frozen Charlotte?
Short answer: Yes.
You want the long answer anyway? Yay.
The Haunting, is creepy as hell, I described Frozen Charlotte as psychologically disturbing, well, I take it back, because this was so much more disturbing and scary and I had to turn the light on at one point.
The characters are quirky and I felt more of a connection with them. Emma, in a wheelchair and with help from her assistance dog, lives a relatively normal life, she has her days, but she doesn't let it stop her from doing what she wants. She's also feisty and points out the way people react to people in a wheelchair, stereotyping. Jem and Shell are still reeling from leaving their abusive father behind, have barely any money, Jem’s protective of Shell, and Shell, is a little eccentric.
The Haunting, as I said is more disturbing and it messes with your head because you're not quite sure what's real or not or if it's mass hysteria. Since we have three perspectives, Emma's, Jem's and Shell's and a haunted place, two nonbelievers and a believer (guess who that is?) it'll have you believing one minute, and then the more you discover of their pasts, second guessing yourself.
If you've read Frozen Charlotte, you'll remember the lack of romance, which was refreshing, and it's the same in The Haunting, even though I was hoping to have some romance in there, but it's still refreshing to have the story be focused on the plot and the emphasis on friendship and family. If you liked Frozen Charlotte, Alex Bell doesn't disappoint with The Haunting.
~~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.~
-----
Review originally posted on Studio Reads
March 9, 2021
such a bore. expected more because i loved Bell's Frozen Charlotte series. couldn't connect with any of the characters and the 'horror' bits weren't scary at all, but rather repetitive.
read for the 52 book challenge #47 a character with a disability
read for the 52 book challenge #47 a character with a disability
March 4, 2017
Having enjoyed Alex's Bell's FROZEN CHARLOTTE, and being fascinated with all things witchy, I was keen to get my hands on this. I absolutely loved the premise of the haunted Cornish inn called the Waterwitch, built from timber salvaged from a shipwreck of the same name - it immediately set the scene for a tale of curses and ancient witchcraft and, for me, was one of the strongest aspects of the story.
The atmosphere and setting is handled extremely well, as is the build-up and uncovering the layers of the accident that happened at the Waterwitch, which left Emma confined to a wheelchair. I thought Emma's character was believable and sympathetic without being patronizing, and I loved her assistance dog, Bailey. It's great to read a novel with a disabled protagonist - we need more of this! [The Forbidden Room by Sarah Wray is another, also recommended.]
The backstory of the characters and grim history of the curse, the inn and the witch were the real strengths of the story - I couldn't get enough of those! I found the whole thing wonderfully creepy, and the fact that the setting was woven round real places in Cornwall [the Boscastle Witchcraft Museum gets a mention] only added to this. I actually found some of the more subtle aspects creepier, such as Emma's feeling of the feeling of the floor tilting and Shell's repeated attempts to level the pictures on the walls. This all gave the unsettling impression of inn still being a ship, swaying at sea.
By the end I felt the story became taken over from being Emma's in favour of Shell, and although it didn't detract much from my overall enjoyment. I would love to see a sequel, or even a prequel to this story, but in any case eagerly await whatever's next from this author.
The atmosphere and setting is handled extremely well, as is the build-up and uncovering the layers of the accident that happened at the Waterwitch, which left Emma confined to a wheelchair. I thought Emma's character was believable and sympathetic without being patronizing, and I loved her assistance dog, Bailey. It's great to read a novel with a disabled protagonist - we need more of this! [The Forbidden Room by Sarah Wray is another, also recommended.]
The backstory of the characters and grim history of the curse, the inn and the witch were the real strengths of the story - I couldn't get enough of those! I found the whole thing wonderfully creepy, and the fact that the setting was woven round real places in Cornwall [the Boscastle Witchcraft Museum gets a mention] only added to this. I actually found some of the more subtle aspects creepier, such as Emma's feeling of the feeling of the floor tilting and Shell's repeated attempts to level the pictures on the walls. This all gave the unsettling impression of inn still being a ship, swaying at sea.
By the end I felt the story became taken over from being Emma's in favour of Shell, and although it didn't detract much from my overall enjoyment. I would love to see a sequel, or even a prequel to this story, but in any case eagerly await whatever's next from this author.
December 14, 2015
(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)
Actual rating - 2.5
This was another dull read in the red eye series for me unfortunately. I didn't find it very creepy, and It just couldn't hold my attention well at all. The majority of the book dragged for me because of it.
Overall, Not an enjoyable read for me unfortunately.
Actual rating - 2.5
This was another dull read in the red eye series for me unfortunately. I didn't find it very creepy, and It just couldn't hold my attention well at all. The majority of the book dragged for me because of it.
Overall, Not an enjoyable read for me unfortunately.
November 3, 2017
I borrowed this book from the library because it sounded interesting and also because I lurve YA horror. So I was really looking forward to getting stuck into it and couldn't put it down. But because I started NaNoWriMo this week, I had to and instead rewarded myself with reading a bit at the end of each day. :)
The Waterwitch inn has a dark history of ghosts, curses and witches. It was also built using the salvaged timber from the actual cursed ship with a horrifying history of betrayal, torture and revenge.
Emma is confined to a wheelchair and seven years after her accident, she goes back to Looe to visit her sick grandmother. She warns her about going back to the inn because it's dangerous, but Emma can't stay away. Not when she notices a light inside the inn in the middle of the night. And especially not when she finds out her childhood friends are actually staying there.
But the curiosity of these three teenagers and their need to escape leads them into a whole lot of trouble. And one of them in particular will discover a hidden legacy that might curse them all...
This book is CREEPY. In the best way possible.
It's also very well written because the story is told in the first-person POV of three characters and each of them is very different. Emma, Jem and Shell provide insight on what's going on around them at any given time, but they also move the story forward and fill in all the blanks for the reader. And that is an outstanding narrative tool. One that is done perfectly in this book. *thumbs up*
I also liked the mystery and history at the heart of The Haunting. I found the events that happened on the Waterwitch ship to be fascinating, and the witch angle so intriguing. Not to mention that the vivid descriptions made me feel as if the ocean was constantly leaping off the pages.
There's something really horrifying and sad about the history of witches that always makes me shed a tear. The persecution of women has a long and disgusting trail of hate and lies, but none as filthy and infuriating as the witch hunts. Makes me angry and fills me with sadness. :,(
But anyway. I really enjoyed this book. It's an excellent horror story with interesting characters I cheered for, and creepy visuals I got a real kick out of.
Awesome!
PS. I LOVED BAILEY! :)
The Waterwitch inn has a dark history of ghosts, curses and witches. It was also built using the salvaged timber from the actual cursed ship with a horrifying history of betrayal, torture and revenge.
Emma is confined to a wheelchair and seven years after her accident, she goes back to Looe to visit her sick grandmother. She warns her about going back to the inn because it's dangerous, but Emma can't stay away. Not when she notices a light inside the inn in the middle of the night. And especially not when she finds out her childhood friends are actually staying there.
But the curiosity of these three teenagers and their need to escape leads them into a whole lot of trouble. And one of them in particular will discover a hidden legacy that might curse them all...
This book is CREEPY. In the best way possible.
It's also very well written because the story is told in the first-person POV of three characters and each of them is very different. Emma, Jem and Shell provide insight on what's going on around them at any given time, but they also move the story forward and fill in all the blanks for the reader. And that is an outstanding narrative tool. One that is done perfectly in this book. *thumbs up*
I also liked the mystery and history at the heart of The Haunting. I found the events that happened on the Waterwitch ship to be fascinating, and the witch angle so intriguing. Not to mention that the vivid descriptions made me feel as if the ocean was constantly leaping off the pages.
There's something really horrifying and sad about the history of witches that always makes me shed a tear. The persecution of women has a long and disgusting trail of hate and lies, but none as filthy and infuriating as the witch hunts. Makes me angry and fills me with sadness. :,(
But anyway. I really enjoyed this book. It's an excellent horror story with interesting characters I cheered for, and creepy visuals I got a real kick out of.
Awesome!
PS. I LOVED BAILEY! :)
December 11, 2024
I read this book because I really loved reading frozen Charlotte (another book by Alex Bell) which I rated 5 stars but this book wasn’t scary at all! I expected it to be quite chilling like frozen Charlotte had been but it disappointed me. I liked the characters and the idea of the water witch haunting the inn but it I thought I wasn’t executed as well as it could have been.
January 2, 2024
This book felt like it dragged on a bit and the description of the book was better than the story itself.It says on the back of the book "not for younger readers" but there's nothing in this book to scary for young readers and you don't find out at the end what happens with the dog Bailey.
I loved the book "Frozen Charlotte" but the prequel "Charlotte Says" was so bad i gave up about 30% into it.
I loved the book "Frozen Charlotte" but the prequel "Charlotte Says" was so bad i gave up about 30% into it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2024
NO ONE writes (YA) horror like Alex Bell!!!! Although this didn’t top Frozen Charlotte (let’s be real, what could?), this was once again a thrilling and spooky ride. The way the writing flows, the way it keeps getting spookier, the way even I’m doubting the characters and what they’re experiencing… I loved every page!
June 9, 2025
Started and finished date - 05.06.25 to 07.06.25.
My rating - Three Stars.
I enjoyed is book but I didn't love it and I think if I was younger I would like is book more. I think people who like say her name by Juno Dawson, this lie will kill You by Chelsea Pitcher or Thornhill by Pam Smy may like is book. The cover of book was okay and the writing was fine also the writing was easy to follow. The atmosphere was pretty good and I getting a little bit of the Blair witch project vibe while reading is book. The paced of plot was well structured and steady paced also I like the characters but they needed flash out bit more.
My rating - Three Stars.
I enjoyed is book but I didn't love it and I think if I was younger I would like is book more. I think people who like say her name by Juno Dawson, this lie will kill You by Chelsea Pitcher or Thornhill by Pam Smy may like is book. The cover of book was okay and the writing was fine also the writing was easy to follow. The atmosphere was pretty good and I getting a little bit of the Blair witch project vibe while reading is book. The paced of plot was well structured and steady paced also I like the characters but they needed flash out bit more.
April 29, 2020
Un début un peu rapide mais une fois au Waterwitch, ça se dévore et on ne voit pas les pages passées. La fin est pas dingue mais ça reste un bon roman d'esprits/paranormal/sorcière sans être vraiment horrifique
October 27, 2023
A solid YA horror with some genuinely disturbing imagery at points.
January 30, 2024
finished this in one day when i was about 10 and i haven’t been the same since 😻 (in a good way i actually loved it sm)
January 5, 2016
I went into reading The Haunting by Alex Bell with a great deal of excitement. Having not long finished Frozen Charlotte which I loved I had a feeling this book would be amazing.
I will start by saying this was barely a 4 star and closer to a 3.5. It wasn't bad, in fact it was pretty good. I loved the Cornish settings, the storyline, the darkness and creepy feel the book had. I loved the characters, especially like that Emma was disabled which sounds wrong on so many levels, but meaning that it was refreshing reading a YA book thats main character had a disability - it was new, it was different and I respected that.
However this one just didn't do it for me like Frozen Charlotte did. I think at times it was because Emma came across as more juvenile than her years. I didn't always love her 'voice' in the book. The book was definitely erie but I can't really put my finger on it, I guess what I'm saying is this wasn't Frozen Charlotte, nor was it meant to be, but that's kind of what I wanted.
I do recommend The Haunting, it would make a great read if you are down in Cornwall, if its cold outside or even that Halloween time of year. There is a darkness pull to this book, I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. 3.5 stars.
I will start by saying this was barely a 4 star and closer to a 3.5. It wasn't bad, in fact it was pretty good. I loved the Cornish settings, the storyline, the darkness and creepy feel the book had. I loved the characters, especially like that Emma was disabled which sounds wrong on so many levels, but meaning that it was refreshing reading a YA book thats main character had a disability - it was new, it was different and I respected that.
However this one just didn't do it for me like Frozen Charlotte did. I think at times it was because Emma came across as more juvenile than her years. I didn't always love her 'voice' in the book. The book was definitely erie but I can't really put my finger on it, I guess what I'm saying is this wasn't Frozen Charlotte, nor was it meant to be, but that's kind of what I wanted.
I do recommend The Haunting, it would make a great read if you are down in Cornwall, if its cold outside or even that Halloween time of year. There is a darkness pull to this book, I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. 3.5 stars.
July 29, 2016
Part of a Spooky Series called Red Eye, this was a very creepy book.
The Waterwitch Inn was built from a sunken ship with a history of terrible things happening to it, even before its maiden voyage.
When Emma returns to her home village to see her dying grandmother, she is drawn back to the closed down Waterwitch that her Gran used to own. Soon meeting her best friend Jem from her childhood, she is drawn back into his life and his worries that his sister Shell thinks she is a witch, their abusive father has broken Shell's arm and now they have nowhere to live except hiding in the Waterwitch Inn.
But Gran claims she never sent them the keys they have, and she shut it because it is haunted. Emma, along with Jem scoffs at this notion, but Shell knows better. Something is in the cellar, and it's all their fault.
The Waterwitch Inn was built from a sunken ship with a history of terrible things happening to it, even before its maiden voyage.
When Emma returns to her home village to see her dying grandmother, she is drawn back to the closed down Waterwitch that her Gran used to own. Soon meeting her best friend Jem from her childhood, she is drawn back into his life and his worries that his sister Shell thinks she is a witch, their abusive father has broken Shell's arm and now they have nowhere to live except hiding in the Waterwitch Inn.
But Gran claims she never sent them the keys they have, and she shut it because it is haunted. Emma, along with Jem scoffs at this notion, but Shell knows better. Something is in the cellar, and it's all their fault.
April 21, 2020
I really enjoy Alex Bells writing. It’s very accessible and addictive! It’s almost like eating candy. Get a bag of it and start eating it, next thing you know, you’re half way through the bag! I also how atmospheric her books are. You can practically hear, taste and feel everything. It was also very educational and informative on what it’s like in every day life for someone in a wheelchair. I found myself really frustrated for her a lot of the time and really appreciated that representation! For that reason, I plan on reading more of her books. However, I sadly didn’t like this quite as much as Frozen Charlotte. I didn’t like the way the main characters sometimes treated the little sister. And even though I liked the plot and the atmosphere, it wasn’t quite as good as Frozen Charlotte. Something was missing. But it’s still an enjoyable and fun read!
February 14, 2016
2.5 stars
I've never read an actual horror book before - though I'm not quite sure if this one counts as 'actual horror'. It's definitely YA and while there were certain scenes that were quite creepy and left me squeamish, I'm pretty sure it was harmless.
I wasn't a big fan of the writing but I can't really explain what it was about the writing that I didn't like.
I did enjoy the multiple POVs but towards the end I felt like there was too much focus on Shell's POVs. There was a reason behind that and I understand that but I would have preferred more POVs of Emma and Jem.
I've never read an actual horror book before - though I'm not quite sure if this one counts as 'actual horror'. It's definitely YA and while there were certain scenes that were quite creepy and left me squeamish, I'm pretty sure it was harmless.
I wasn't a big fan of the writing but I can't really explain what it was about the writing that I didn't like.
I did enjoy the multiple POVs but towards the end I felt like there was too much focus on Shell's POVs. There was a reason behind that and I understand that but I would have preferred more POVs of Emma and Jem.
October 28, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Super spooky vibes!
Super spooky vibes!
April 11, 2017
I received a free copy of this book by the book's publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This book has fantastic potential but I'm just not sure it used all of the opportunities it could have done. I love the first character you are introduced to in the story, Emma. She has been called by her Grandma, who lives in Cornwall and asked to visit as her days are now numbered. Cornwall is a rather long drive for someone who is disabled and has only passed her driving test for five days! However, I digress. Her grandmother owns an inn called the Waterwitch, which was built from the wood of an old supposedly 'haunted' ship. Emma's grandmother warns her about going to the Waterwitch as she also believes it's haunted, she doesn't count on what Emma will do next...
Sounds good right - I thought so too! The start of the story really hooked me in and I was quite excited to see what would happen next. My main disappointment is that the scares are built up but never really delivered. There are some brilliant moments of tension which are just let down straight away rather than using them to their full potential. Overall, I liked the author's style but in a horror book you don't just waste a good build up scare!
This book has fantastic potential but I'm just not sure it used all of the opportunities it could have done. I love the first character you are introduced to in the story, Emma. She has been called by her Grandma, who lives in Cornwall and asked to visit as her days are now numbered. Cornwall is a rather long drive for someone who is disabled and has only passed her driving test for five days! However, I digress. Her grandmother owns an inn called the Waterwitch, which was built from the wood of an old supposedly 'haunted' ship. Emma's grandmother warns her about going to the Waterwitch as she also believes it's haunted, she doesn't count on what Emma will do next...
Sounds good right - I thought so too! The start of the story really hooked me in and I was quite excited to see what would happen next. My main disappointment is that the scares are built up but never really delivered. There are some brilliant moments of tension which are just let down straight away rather than using them to their full potential. Overall, I liked the author's style but in a horror book you don't just waste a good build up scare!
June 25, 2022
Emma is confined to a wheelchair following an accident at her grandmothers hotel, the waterwitch. Several years later, she find out her grandmother is dying so she goes back to visit her. She finds her old childhood friends Jem and Shell staying at the waterwitch but Shell is convinced the place is haunted.
This was an interesting story but it wasn’t as chilling as the other 2 books I’ve read by this author. It lacked the horror. It was creepy in parts but that was all. I liked the characters but didn’t feel too strongly about what was happening to them. I think I’d have liked to see Emma and Jem go in a bit deeper with their conversations of what had happened. I also would’ve liked a bit more of an ending to see what would’ve happened to all the characters. The book was somewhere between ok and good so even though I really like the author, I can’t give it more than 3 stars.
This was an interesting story but it wasn’t as chilling as the other 2 books I’ve read by this author. It lacked the horror. It was creepy in parts but that was all. I liked the characters but didn’t feel too strongly about what was happening to them. I think I’d have liked to see Emma and Jem go in a bit deeper with their conversations of what had happened. I also would’ve liked a bit more of an ending to see what would’ve happened to all the characters. The book was somewhere between ok and good so even though I really like the author, I can’t give it more than 3 stars.
October 3, 2017
3.5 stars but I'll round up.
I really enjoyed this story of a haunted inn. It's quite a quick read and the writing is a little on the simple side but it does what it needs to do, give you a few chills. It's probably not as good as Frozen Charlotte or Charlotte Says but still a worthwhile read.
I quite liked that there were three different points of view and it was great to have a character in a wheelchair. I think that may actually be a first for me. I'm still not convinced however that Emma brought much to the story. She wasn't particularly affected by the strange goings on and didn't have much of a role in resolving them. I'm assuming she was the kind of neutral observer but I don't think I would have missed her if she wasn't there.
I really enjoyed this story of a haunted inn. It's quite a quick read and the writing is a little on the simple side but it does what it needs to do, give you a few chills. It's probably not as good as Frozen Charlotte or Charlotte Says but still a worthwhile read.
I quite liked that there were three different points of view and it was great to have a character in a wheelchair. I think that may actually be a first for me. I'm still not convinced however that Emma brought much to the story. She wasn't particularly affected by the strange goings on and didn't have much of a role in resolving them. I'm assuming she was the kind of neutral observer but I don't think I would have missed her if she wasn't there.
May 20, 2023
I love a good ghost story and this one delivered.
May 26, 2021
Alex bell>>>
February 19, 2023
This was a pretty good ya horror. I loved the multiple POVs between Emma, Jem, and his little sister Shell. I loved Emma’s character and her bond with her service dog, Bailey. Emma was the first main protagonist I’ve encountered that has been in a wheelchair and I loved how she had a strong and independent voice. Alex Bell did a great job with the backstory of the curse and the characters and I felt it really added to the creepy moments. Overall this was a really good read, the only reason I didn’t give it five stars was because it felt a bit slow in spots. If you like ya horror you should definitely read this one!
June 8, 2023
Entertaining little read about a haunted inn in Looe which apparently was made from the Timbers of a cursed ship called the Waterwitch. There’s a creepy cellar, a young witch who sees birds, a generations old curse by a witch who was betrayed by her married lover and sentenced to drown, old friends who released the witch from her captivity in a bottle 10 years ago resulting in spinal damage and life in a wheelchair to one of them. There’s quite a lot of domestic and parental abuse and violent death in the book hence the warning on the cover that it’s not for younger children! It is also quite creepy and wonderfully set in Cornwall. Whether 2 kids (oldest 17) would be allowed to live on their own in a haunted old inn is another story… let alone a wheelchair bound 17 year old driving all the way to Cornwall on her own (and her guide dog) when she had just passed her driving test…??
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