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Spirits
Tori Garrett is a haunted woman. Guilt drives her to the bottle after she accidentally hits and kills a teenage girl with her car. She loses her job, her friends, and life as she knew it.
Carla Perez is also haunted. She wants Tori to pay for killing her daughter. She relentlessly stalks Tori, eventually cornering her in a bar and threatening her.
Horrified by this encounter, Tori decides it's time to get out of town, seeking solace in the one place she found happiness as a child--Cape May, N.J. It's off-season, but she believes she can dry out and reassemble the tattered remains of her life.
Kind-hearted Amelia Warren, owner of the Seaside House Bed & Breakfast, takes Tori in as the only winter guest at her establishment. Lonely and broke after her husband's death, she believes she can find friendship with Tori, but instead finds herself trapped with a woman whose sense of reality is rapidly unraveling, degraded by an unyielding thirst for alcohol.
Chris Silver is a superhero in his own mind. Tortured by his past, he tries to save the damned and endangered in a bid for redemption. He's desperate to save Tori from herself, but can he do so without putting himself in danger?
As Tori descends into madness and alcoholism, the people she relies on most find themselves on a collision course with the bottle. Will her spirits, both real and imagined, lead Tori to drink herself to death? Can she defeat her demons before she destroys herself and everyone around her?
Carla Perez is also haunted. She wants Tori to pay for killing her daughter. She relentlessly stalks Tori, eventually cornering her in a bar and threatening her.
Horrified by this encounter, Tori decides it's time to get out of town, seeking solace in the one place she found happiness as a child--Cape May, N.J. It's off-season, but she believes she can dry out and reassemble the tattered remains of her life.
Kind-hearted Amelia Warren, owner of the Seaside House Bed & Breakfast, takes Tori in as the only winter guest at her establishment. Lonely and broke after her husband's death, she believes she can find friendship with Tori, but instead finds herself trapped with a woman whose sense of reality is rapidly unraveling, degraded by an unyielding thirst for alcohol.
Chris Silver is a superhero in his own mind. Tortured by his past, he tries to save the damned and endangered in a bid for redemption. He's desperate to save Tori from herself, but can he do so without putting himself in danger?
As Tori descends into madness and alcoholism, the people she relies on most find themselves on a collision course with the bottle. Will her spirits, both real and imagined, lead Tori to drink herself to death? Can she defeat her demons before she destroys herself and everyone around her?
210 pages, Hardcover
Published July 22, 2019
4 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 6, 2019
I hope you are ready for the feel-good novel of 2019!
This is a challenging book in all the best ways. You are dealing with a protagonist so utterly flawed and stuck in the hell of her own design that you may find yourself wondering if this is someone you should be rooting to overcome the challenges laid out before her or if the tale will end her suffering in a quick manner. For me, these are always the most intriguing stories. They are real, first and foremost. Our protagonist's problems are all too real, even with the supernatural spin that addiction takes on here. This hits home and hits hard. Scenes of evil hallucinations coupled with the desperation to make the pain stop through drink are equal parts disturbing and hauntingly beautiful in their bleakness.
None are spared. None are perfect. Even the supposed "white knight" of the story is a deeply broken human being.
Highly recommended.
This is a challenging book in all the best ways. You are dealing with a protagonist so utterly flawed and stuck in the hell of her own design that you may find yourself wondering if this is someone you should be rooting to overcome the challenges laid out before her or if the tale will end her suffering in a quick manner. For me, these are always the most intriguing stories. They are real, first and foremost. Our protagonist's problems are all too real, even with the supernatural spin that addiction takes on here. This hits home and hits hard. Scenes of evil hallucinations coupled with the desperation to make the pain stop through drink are equal parts disturbing and hauntingly beautiful in their bleakness.
None are spared. None are perfect. Even the supposed "white knight" of the story is a deeply broken human being.
Highly recommended.
February 22, 2020
Fun, but also kind of sad read with a great story. Some of Tori's DTs were brutal, and one actually made me say "oh no!" out loud.
I felt for Carla for losing her daughter, but she definitely got revenge. The only problem I had with the book is that I felt it was too short.
I think both Tori and Chris had more story to tell, and would love to see a sequel.
I felt for Carla for losing her daughter, but she definitely got revenge. The only problem I had with the book is that I felt it was too short.
I think both Tori and Chris had more story to tell, and would love to see a sequel.
September 8, 2019
Haverhill House has been making some excellent strides by putting itself on the map as a premier small press focusing on horror novels. My first foray was with Michelle R. Lane’s astounding novel, Invisible Chains so I was excited to have the opportunity to review another title from a female horror author, Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel, whose novel is called Spirits.
The protagonist, Tori, is down on her luck after getting fired for being drunk. She seeks refuge in alcohol, but it has bled into her personal life. She’s haunted by an accident it is implied she caused. The author does a great job evoking the mental state–the confusion and blurring together of everything someone like Tori has gone through–while maintaining clarity of action. She’s trying to outrun herself, and it leads to things getting even worse for her as the novel continues.
Spirits explores the classic horror scenario that deals with how far some people are willing to go to get revenge on a person who wronged them in the worst way. I’m a sucker for ghost stories and hauntings done well, and this novel definitely fit the bill for me on many counts. Another good point is that it’s not your average, typical ‘haunting’ and the alcoholism as well as all the demons it carries for its sufferers becomes a terrifying entity, which I thought the author did a great job pulling off.
Tori finds herself at an inn run by a kind woman whose partner passed away years ago. She knows that Tori is in a dangerous state. What she doesn’t realize at first is that there are spirits, as the title suggests, that have come for Tori. She encounters a man, Chris, who saved her from a pack of threatening teenage boys years ago when she was visiting the resort with her parents, and he’s the local comic book shop owner. Their paths cross again as Tori tries to figure out what each new day will bring, although it turns out that his white knight armour has some unexpected clinks in it. He is trying to fill a gap in his life through tragedy, but is a well-intentioned individual.
Although it was clear why Tori came to this smaller town to escape, I would have liked to have seen a more distinctive establishment of her goals as a character. Of course, with her alcohol addiction and not being in a clear mental headstate for most of the time, it wasn’t a surprise that she didn’t seem to have distinctive plans apart from “don’t let the nasties get me.” One of the author’s strengths was the portions in which she played with reality and hallucinations/altered perceptions as Tori’s tale lumbered forward, ominous and determined to make her downfall happen.
Another quick point of interest I found was the design elements incorporated into the chapters, such as the use of a colour image of a wine cork as a scene divider.
Things start out badly, and build to a crescendo of progressively worse as the chapters go on, with the reader wondering the whole time what will become of Tori. Even though she has alcohol addiction, she generally exudes the character of someone who wants to do better, though they may not know how. The twists as Tori’s mind unravelled further were fascinating to move through. Secrets are revealed, not everything is at it seems, and things end with an impact. A minor gripe I found was that there were a lot of unanswered questions, and some loose strands that I would have liked to see more fleshed out, but this did not impact my overall enjoyment of reading what is a great supernatural horror tale. Although a bit rough around the edges, Spirits is an enjoyable, immersive ghost horror novel with modern sensibilities that will appeal to fans of the category and keep them racing through the pages to find out what fate will befall Tori.
The protagonist, Tori, is down on her luck after getting fired for being drunk. She seeks refuge in alcohol, but it has bled into her personal life. She’s haunted by an accident it is implied she caused. The author does a great job evoking the mental state–the confusion and blurring together of everything someone like Tori has gone through–while maintaining clarity of action. She’s trying to outrun herself, and it leads to things getting even worse for her as the novel continues.
Spirits explores the classic horror scenario that deals with how far some people are willing to go to get revenge on a person who wronged them in the worst way. I’m a sucker for ghost stories and hauntings done well, and this novel definitely fit the bill for me on many counts. Another good point is that it’s not your average, typical ‘haunting’ and the alcoholism as well as all the demons it carries for its sufferers becomes a terrifying entity, which I thought the author did a great job pulling off.
Tori finds herself at an inn run by a kind woman whose partner passed away years ago. She knows that Tori is in a dangerous state. What she doesn’t realize at first is that there are spirits, as the title suggests, that have come for Tori. She encounters a man, Chris, who saved her from a pack of threatening teenage boys years ago when she was visiting the resort with her parents, and he’s the local comic book shop owner. Their paths cross again as Tori tries to figure out what each new day will bring, although it turns out that his white knight armour has some unexpected clinks in it. He is trying to fill a gap in his life through tragedy, but is a well-intentioned individual.
Although it was clear why Tori came to this smaller town to escape, I would have liked to have seen a more distinctive establishment of her goals as a character. Of course, with her alcohol addiction and not being in a clear mental headstate for most of the time, it wasn’t a surprise that she didn’t seem to have distinctive plans apart from “don’t let the nasties get me.” One of the author’s strengths was the portions in which she played with reality and hallucinations/altered perceptions as Tori’s tale lumbered forward, ominous and determined to make her downfall happen.
Another quick point of interest I found was the design elements incorporated into the chapters, such as the use of a colour image of a wine cork as a scene divider.
Things start out badly, and build to a crescendo of progressively worse as the chapters go on, with the reader wondering the whole time what will become of Tori. Even though she has alcohol addiction, she generally exudes the character of someone who wants to do better, though they may not know how. The twists as Tori’s mind unravelled further were fascinating to move through. Secrets are revealed, not everything is at it seems, and things end with an impact. A minor gripe I found was that there were a lot of unanswered questions, and some loose strands that I would have liked to see more fleshed out, but this did not impact my overall enjoyment of reading what is a great supernatural horror tale. Although a bit rough around the edges, Spirits is an enjoyable, immersive ghost horror novel with modern sensibilities that will appeal to fans of the category and keep them racing through the pages to find out what fate will befall Tori.
August 8, 2019
Barely more than 200 pages long but deeply detailed in the mural it paints, Spirits offers an honest, gritty, unflinching look at guilt and addiction.
But this is not your typical story of an average loser haunted by their inner demons. This is the story of someone who had everything but becomes so consumed by guilt in the aftermath of one tragic night that she does all she can to put the bottle to her head and pull the trigger, to paraphrase the country song.
MINOR SPOILER HERE
The ingenious twist is that she is also literally haunted by her mistake, the target of a vengeful mother whose method of revenge is one of the more original ideas I’ve read in a horror novel in a long time, and I read a lot of horror.
NO MORE SPOILERS
But Spirits is so much more than a scary story. It’s a serious and sometimes surreal look at addiction, grief and for one character in particular, a desperate need for redemption. It’s unwavering in its portrayal of alcoholism, and paints a vivid picture in vibrant language of flawed characters desperate to find the one thing they can’t give themselves, or for some, even admit they need: help. One character’s plea at the end of one chapter in particular even made me tear up. It’s that real.
It’s not exactly what I would call traditional quiet horror, but it flirts with it in a lot of ways. Reminded me a little of Charles L. Grant but with a voice all its own. Extremely well written and highly recommended.
But this is not your typical story of an average loser haunted by their inner demons. This is the story of someone who had everything but becomes so consumed by guilt in the aftermath of one tragic night that she does all she can to put the bottle to her head and pull the trigger, to paraphrase the country song.
MINOR SPOILER HERE
The ingenious twist is that she is also literally haunted by her mistake, the target of a vengeful mother whose method of revenge is one of the more original ideas I’ve read in a horror novel in a long time, and I read a lot of horror.
NO MORE SPOILERS
But Spirits is so much more than a scary story. It’s a serious and sometimes surreal look at addiction, grief and for one character in particular, a desperate need for redemption. It’s unwavering in its portrayal of alcoholism, and paints a vivid picture in vibrant language of flawed characters desperate to find the one thing they can’t give themselves, or for some, even admit they need: help. One character’s plea at the end of one chapter in particular even made me tear up. It’s that real.
It’s not exactly what I would call traditional quiet horror, but it flirts with it in a lot of ways. Reminded me a little of Charles L. Grant but with a voice all its own. Extremely well written and highly recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2019
Spirits is a painful trip through the very real horrors of addiction and remorse. For the addicted, the ghosts are very real and the hauntings bring them to the brink of madness.
The author has created characters that make the reader feel love and, perhaps not hate, but at least incredible annoyance and anger. We feel for the characters dealing with the addicted, all of whom have encountered it before. The pain when dealing with the loss of hope, and the frustration of trying to help those who won’t be helped, is laid out in vivid detail.
Reading this book, I was reminded of the best work of Rick Hautala, a master of the ghost story.
Five out of five stars.
The author has created characters that make the reader feel love and, perhaps not hate, but at least incredible annoyance and anger. We feel for the characters dealing with the addicted, all of whom have encountered it before. The pain when dealing with the loss of hope, and the frustration of trying to help those who won’t be helped, is laid out in vivid detail.
Reading this book, I was reminded of the best work of Rick Hautala, a master of the ghost story.
Five out of five stars.
February 16, 2020
When you have no idea if the narrator of a story is telling the write story there's a possibility that A) the writer has no clue how to tell a proper story or B) the author loves fucking with their reader and is enjoying leading them down a path that's as dark as a well's recesses.
Thankfully, for readers, Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel's SPIRITS falls into the latter category as we meet Tori, an alcoholic with a pretty dark past. Tori's struggling not only with her alcoholism, but also with an event in her past which may or may not be literally haunting her. Or is she so damn deep into her alcoholism that we can't trust what she's seeing? That's the appeal of Sebastian-Gabriel's novel, we never really know what to believe because we're seeing everything through Tori's alcohol-infused eyes. Adding to this is the fact all of the characters we're introduced to are flawed, some much moreso than others...
Sebastian-Gabriel's talent shines through as, despite these flaws, the characters are all likable and relatable, even a cheating bartender whose name is a smirk-inducing nod to two other writers in the genre (goota love easter eggs in books).
There are some genuine chills in SPIRITS, but the strength here lies in the descent of the character's sanity.
A great read that goes down as smooth as the very alcohol which the pages are saturated in.
Thankfully, for readers, Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel's SPIRITS falls into the latter category as we meet Tori, an alcoholic with a pretty dark past. Tori's struggling not only with her alcoholism, but also with an event in her past which may or may not be literally haunting her. Or is she so damn deep into her alcoholism that we can't trust what she's seeing? That's the appeal of Sebastian-Gabriel's novel, we never really know what to believe because we're seeing everything through Tori's alcohol-infused eyes. Adding to this is the fact all of the characters we're introduced to are flawed, some much moreso than others...
Sebastian-Gabriel's talent shines through as, despite these flaws, the characters are all likable and relatable, even a cheating bartender whose name is a smirk-inducing nod to two other writers in the genre (goota love easter eggs in books).
There are some genuine chills in SPIRITS, but the strength here lies in the descent of the character's sanity.
A great read that goes down as smooth as the very alcohol which the pages are saturated in.
April 23, 2020
A hauntingly delicious horror ride
Victoria Garrett, is also known as Tori throughout the tale, is a young woman not being able to live with the fact she murdered a teenaged girl, Lexi Perez, with her car. Turning to the legal medicinal liquid to quell her pain, liquor, she quickly spirals downhill and her life becomes a weekend read that will envelop you fighting for the protagonist.
The sub-plots work nicely within the story folks. Also, with all the characters adding for a fullness, you can rest assured the settings and atmosphere narrative are there in the read. The theme of this tale Ms. Sebastian-Gabriel nails it, as I have seen some inebriates demonstrate. So, I believe she is spot on.
This tale is more than a ghost story folks. It is a tale of a surreal look at addiction and how one is coping with guilt. What was very well done, it is written with, I believe, an intentional sense of getting close to the reader's emotions and feelings. Seamlessly, you are wrapped in some parts of the story of what Tori is going through.
Read my full review at https://buttonholed.blogspot.com/2020...
Victoria Garrett, is also known as Tori throughout the tale, is a young woman not being able to live with the fact she murdered a teenaged girl, Lexi Perez, with her car. Turning to the legal medicinal liquid to quell her pain, liquor, she quickly spirals downhill and her life becomes a weekend read that will envelop you fighting for the protagonist.
The sub-plots work nicely within the story folks. Also, with all the characters adding for a fullness, you can rest assured the settings and atmosphere narrative are there in the read. The theme of this tale Ms. Sebastian-Gabriel nails it, as I have seen some inebriates demonstrate. So, I believe she is spot on.
This tale is more than a ghost story folks. It is a tale of a surreal look at addiction and how one is coping with guilt. What was very well done, it is written with, I believe, an intentional sense of getting close to the reader's emotions and feelings. Seamlessly, you are wrapped in some parts of the story of what Tori is going through.
Read my full review at https://buttonholed.blogspot.com/2020...
March 1, 2020
This book lured me in like a fine whiskey and wouldn’t let go.
As I neared the end, I wondered how on earth the story could possibly be finishing. And did wonder for a moment if my copy was missing some pages. But no. It ended the way it did, which was poetic and devastating and left me wanting more.
As I neared the end, I wondered how on earth the story could possibly be finishing. And did wonder for a moment if my copy was missing some pages. But no. It ended the way it did, which was poetic and devastating and left me wanting more.
May 7, 2020
Spirits is a heartfelt read that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Characters are easily relatable. Author did an excellent job with her debut novel. Recommend!
August 27, 2019
A good story. Over the top regarding character development, and a bit more profanity than I thought necessary.
Knowing the author my critique may be somewhat prejudiced but best of luck in the future and I will read any future effort.
Knowing the author my critique may be somewhat prejudiced but best of luck in the future and I will read any future effort.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews