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Dark Halls
Highland Elementary has a dark and disturbing past. . .so disturbing that locals ultimately burned the school to the ground.
Years later, Pinewood Elementary is the future, and for new teacher Ryan Herb, a chance at a fresh start. But the townspeople don't believe that rebuilding the school and changing its name is enough. They believe that whatever evil inhabited the halls of Highland still dwells at Pinewood.
Ryan is a realist and isn't the type to be affected by local lore. But when Ryan begins to experience horrifying visions of past tragedies, he starts to question his own beliefs. Something in the school is reaching out to Ryan for help, a potentially lethal request as something else - or someone else - in the school is keen on keeping the evil therein very much alive.
Can a skeptical Ryan unearth the origins of the evil's true source and put an end to it? Or will he, like many before him, become a permanent resident of the school himself?
Rife with supernatural terror and intrigue, 'Dark Halls' blurs the lines between horror and mystery - a whodunit that, when solved, proposes the even greater question of: How do you stop it?
Years later, Pinewood Elementary is the future, and for new teacher Ryan Herb, a chance at a fresh start. But the townspeople don't believe that rebuilding the school and changing its name is enough. They believe that whatever evil inhabited the halls of Highland still dwells at Pinewood.
Ryan is a realist and isn't the type to be affected by local lore. But when Ryan begins to experience horrifying visions of past tragedies, he starts to question his own beliefs. Something in the school is reaching out to Ryan for help, a potentially lethal request as something else - or someone else - in the school is keen on keeping the evil therein very much alive.
Can a skeptical Ryan unearth the origins of the evil's true source and put an end to it? Or will he, like many before him, become a permanent resident of the school himself?
Rife with supernatural terror and intrigue, 'Dark Halls' blurs the lines between horror and mystery - a whodunit that, when solved, proposes the even greater question of: How do you stop it?
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2019
932 people are currently reading
1495 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Menapace
42 books707 followersA native of the Philadelphia area, Jeff has published multiple works in both fiction and non-fiction. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Red Adept Reviews Indie Award for Horror.
In March of 2014, his novel BAD GAMES was a #1 Kindle bestseller and is now being optioned as a feature film.
Free time for Jeff is spent watching horror movies, The Three Stooges, and mixed martial arts. He loves steak and more steak, thinks the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the greatest movie ever, wants to pet a lion some day, and hates spiders.
In March of 2014, his novel BAD GAMES was a #1 Kindle bestseller and is now being optioned as a feature film.
Free time for Jeff is spent watching horror movies, The Three Stooges, and mixed martial arts. He loves steak and more steak, thinks the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the greatest movie ever, wants to pet a lion some day, and hates spiders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
June 9, 2022
This book took me on a haunting ride into horror!
A small backstory:
Ryan Herb is a new teacher at Pinewood Elementary and it seems there are quite a few new teachers that are starting the same year as him. When he has an encounter with a woman that gets upset at him for being a teacher at the school he is perplexed as he is not sure why she singled him out, but he soon finds out that not all is what it seems at the school as the school has a bad history.
When Ryan starts having bad dreams about the school and starts having sleep walking episodes is when worry starts to set in as Ryan sees things in his dreams that he has no understanding of what they are about or why it is happening to him. What ends up sending him over the edge is when he drives himself to the school in the "sleep-state" and he encounters something within the school building that will make him seek out answers from fellow teachers for the horrors he has to endure from his dreams.
Why is Ryan having bad dreams? What are the dreams trying to tell him? What horrors await him within the school? Why is the school haunted? No spoilers here as you will need to read the book!
Thoughts:
The fast pace of the book just kept me entrenched within the story along with the haunting mystery of what was happening with the character Ryan and the more I became involved reading the book the more I wanted to see what would happen next. I literally read this book within 24 hours as I just could not put it down!
Flipping kindle pages became a fun exercise as I went careening through the book! I have read this author before, so I knew I was in for a treat when I picked up this book to read. Giving this one five "Haunting Horror" stars!
For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
A small backstory:
Ryan Herb is a new teacher at Pinewood Elementary and it seems there are quite a few new teachers that are starting the same year as him. When he has an encounter with a woman that gets upset at him for being a teacher at the school he is perplexed as he is not sure why she singled him out, but he soon finds out that not all is what it seems at the school as the school has a bad history.
When Ryan starts having bad dreams about the school and starts having sleep walking episodes is when worry starts to set in as Ryan sees things in his dreams that he has no understanding of what they are about or why it is happening to him. What ends up sending him over the edge is when he drives himself to the school in the "sleep-state" and he encounters something within the school building that will make him seek out answers from fellow teachers for the horrors he has to endure from his dreams.
Why is Ryan having bad dreams? What are the dreams trying to tell him? What horrors await him within the school? Why is the school haunted? No spoilers here as you will need to read the book!
Thoughts:
The fast pace of the book just kept me entrenched within the story along with the haunting mystery of what was happening with the character Ryan and the more I became involved reading the book the more I wanted to see what would happen next. I literally read this book within 24 hours as I just could not put it down!
Flipping kindle pages became a fun exercise as I went careening through the book! I have read this author before, so I knew I was in for a treat when I picked up this book to read. Giving this one five "Haunting Horror" stars!
For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
November 2, 2019
No disrespect to Mr. King, but with this book, Jeff Menapace has cemented his status as my all time favorite supernatural horror author.
Dark Halls holds a few close personal ties for me. It takes place in Pennsylvania, where I grew up, and the protagonist is a male elementary teacher, which is how I began my career. Luckily, that is where the parallels between my life and Ryan's end... although Ryan is my middle name.
Ryan is a new hire at a "cursed" school, which has seen its fair share of murder, suicide, and other tragedies. Though he initially scoffs at the rumors, he quickly realizes there is more truth in these legends than most people realize.
The writing is fast-paced, succinct, and engaging, as has become customary in Menapace's work. While gory at times, it is not overtly so. The supernatural element makes sense in the context of the book, and even sets up a beautiful sequel opportunity. Though I do prefer Menapace to Stephen King now, I did draw some parallels between Pet Sematary and this book.
If you're a fan of Menapace's past work, definitely check this out. While this is in a different genre than his two best selling series (Bad Games and Wildlife), his writing still captured my attention from start to end. Fans of King, Koontz, and other supernatural thrillers will also enjoy this fun and creepy thriller.
Thank you to Jeff for a copy for me to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Dark Halls holds a few close personal ties for me. It takes place in Pennsylvania, where I grew up, and the protagonist is a male elementary teacher, which is how I began my career. Luckily, that is where the parallels between my life and Ryan's end... although Ryan is my middle name.
Ryan is a new hire at a "cursed" school, which has seen its fair share of murder, suicide, and other tragedies. Though he initially scoffs at the rumors, he quickly realizes there is more truth in these legends than most people realize.
The writing is fast-paced, succinct, and engaging, as has become customary in Menapace's work. While gory at times, it is not overtly so. The supernatural element makes sense in the context of the book, and even sets up a beautiful sequel opportunity. Though I do prefer Menapace to Stephen King now, I did draw some parallels between Pet Sematary and this book.
If you're a fan of Menapace's past work, definitely check this out. While this is in a different genre than his two best selling series (Bad Games and Wildlife), his writing still captured my attention from start to end. Fans of King, Koontz, and other supernatural thrillers will also enjoy this fun and creepy thriller.
Thank you to Jeff for a copy for me to read and review. All opinions are my own.
December 31, 2021
This was my first book by Menapace and I am going to check out some of his other works after reading this. DH is definitely a bit over the top but a fun, quick read laced with some dark humor. Our main protagonist is Ryan, age 30, who still lives at home, but just completed college and is trying to get a job as an elementary school teacher. During an interview with the HR guy for the district, we learn of the sordid past of the school. It seems, over the last few decades, that many strange and nasty events have taken place there. Several children were murdered by other students, for example, and several teachers committed suicide at the school as well. These are the 'big' things, but Ryan learns many other things have happened as well.
It seems the HR guy lays this out for Ryan so he will not be surprised if any strange things happen, and also to test his courage. Ryan basically blows this off and takes the job, much to his mother's delight. Yet, strange things start happening almost immediately! Ryan walks into the faculty lounge and sees three people, adults, but they just stare at him. He goes for soda and is seeming shocked and the lights go out and he flees the room. Moments later, he goes back in and the room is empty and the soda machine unplugged. It is about then that he meets the head janitor and gets even more lowdown about the school...
This is a bit of a mash up between horror and mystery-- what is causing the strange events and murders? They seem to be getting worse! Can Ryan figure it out with a little help from some new friends?
I mentioned that this is a quick read, in part because Menapace's prose flows so nicely, taking us to the denouement from several POVs. Besides Ryan, we have his new girlfriend, also a new teacher at the school and daughter of another teacher there, one of the few that has hung around during all the strange events over the last few decades. We have the aforementioned janitor and finally, the gym instructor. Menepace is really good at developing characters without a lot of words; we may not know what they are wearing, but we know something about how they think right away. I might have rated this higher, but for me, the mystery was 'solved' way too soon and it was pretty obvious. Still, this had enough moxie regarding the horror aspect to keep me rapt. 4 spooky stars!!
It seems the HR guy lays this out for Ryan so he will not be surprised if any strange things happen, and also to test his courage. Ryan basically blows this off and takes the job, much to his mother's delight. Yet, strange things start happening almost immediately! Ryan walks into the faculty lounge and sees three people, adults, but they just stare at him. He goes for soda and is seeming shocked and the lights go out and he flees the room. Moments later, he goes back in and the room is empty and the soda machine unplugged. It is about then that he meets the head janitor and gets even more lowdown about the school...
This is a bit of a mash up between horror and mystery-- what is causing the strange events and murders? They seem to be getting worse! Can Ryan figure it out with a little help from some new friends?
I mentioned that this is a quick read, in part because Menapace's prose flows so nicely, taking us to the denouement from several POVs. Besides Ryan, we have his new girlfriend, also a new teacher at the school and daughter of another teacher there, one of the few that has hung around during all the strange events over the last few decades. We have the aforementioned janitor and finally, the gym instructor. Menepace is really good at developing characters without a lot of words; we may not know what they are wearing, but we know something about how they think right away. I might have rated this higher, but for me, the mystery was 'solved' way too soon and it was pretty obvious. Still, this had enough moxie regarding the horror aspect to keep me rapt. 4 spooky stars!!
January 4, 2020
The halls of Pinewood Elementary are very dark indeed. Not for the squeamish nor the faint of heart, this is one spooky read! Far fetched? Absolutely, but I loved it and that cover...yikes!
December 5, 2019
In 'Dark Halls', Ryan is caught off guard when he is immediately offered a teaching position at the newly rebuilt Pinewood Elementary. Although he is aware of the infamous murders and suicides that occurred at the previous school, he takes on the job only to find himself plagued by disturbing experiences..
The story opened with a terrifying incident from way back, followed by the job interview that was equal parts fascinating and informative as Ryan learned more than he wanted to about the school, thanks to the loquacious head of HR. The spine-chilling and evocative event involving the former principal heightened my anticipation for what was to come.
Ryan's series of nightmares and sightings were well-written and creepy, especially the one about basketball. However, all promise of a spellbinding ride flew out the window due to the repetitive content comprising the following:
- Dialogues rehashing the same details about past events (dating back from years ago to as recently as minutes ago).
- Characters telling each other what they knew, saw or heard. Ryan was the biggest offender, with every one of his reiterations to different colleagues spelled out.
- Insight into the characters' thoughts rather than focusing on their present movements.
- Characters spewing the same lines such as "If I knew what was going on, we wouldn't be having this conversation" and "I want to live long enough to see whatever evil inhabits the school before I die" and so forth.
- Lengthy conversations or incidents copied and pasted. Annoying and unrealistic - how could Ryan recall everything verbatim?
The insta-love between Ryan and Rebecca was unconvincing and contrived as hell. I was amazed that the latter's insta-clinginess didn't send the former running for the hills. All the characters were paper-thin as well as conveniently present whenever required to move the story along. Plot armour was shamelessly paraded throughout as Ryan could've been easily .
The villain's identity was hinted at with the subtlety of a rhinoceros charging into a room and confirmed much too soon. As if that wasn't bad enough, this person was incredibly stupid though supposedly one step ahead and dangerous. Why .
The denouement was disappointing as there was no challenge and little to no tension. It was obvious that . The overuse of italics and uppercase letters was distracting. The final scene was a typical yet fitting ending.
Overall, 'Dark Halls' wasn't as dark as the title and cover led me to believe. It served up a couple of horrifying scenes but fell short due to repetitiveness, substandard characterization and lack of suspense.
The story opened with a terrifying incident from way back, followed by the job interview that was equal parts fascinating and informative as Ryan learned more than he wanted to about the school, thanks to the loquacious head of HR. The spine-chilling and evocative event involving the former principal heightened my anticipation for what was to come.
Ryan's series of nightmares and sightings were well-written and creepy, especially the one about basketball. However, all promise of a spellbinding ride flew out the window due to the repetitive content comprising the following:
- Dialogues rehashing the same details about past events (dating back from years ago to as recently as minutes ago).
- Characters telling each other what they knew, saw or heard. Ryan was the biggest offender, with every one of his reiterations to different colleagues spelled out.
- Insight into the characters' thoughts rather than focusing on their present movements.
- Characters spewing the same lines such as "If I knew what was going on, we wouldn't be having this conversation" and "I want to live long enough to see whatever evil inhabits the school before I die" and so forth.
- Lengthy conversations or incidents copied and pasted. Annoying and unrealistic - how could Ryan recall everything verbatim?
The insta-love between Ryan and Rebecca was unconvincing and contrived as hell. I was amazed that the latter's insta-clinginess didn't send the former running for the hills. All the characters were paper-thin as well as conveniently present whenever required to move the story along. Plot armour was shamelessly paraded throughout as Ryan could've been easily .
The villain's identity was hinted at with the subtlety of a rhinoceros charging into a room and confirmed much too soon. As if that wasn't bad enough, this person was incredibly stupid though supposedly one step ahead and dangerous. Why .
The denouement was disappointing as there was no challenge and little to no tension. It was obvious that . The overuse of italics and uppercase letters was distracting. The final scene was a typical yet fitting ending.
Overall, 'Dark Halls' wasn't as dark as the title and cover led me to believe. It served up a couple of horrifying scenes but fell short due to repetitiveness, substandard characterization and lack of suspense.
April 1, 2021
Elementary school is haunted due to past events that took place 200 yrs prior on the same grounds. In the present day students one student had lost IQ points, some students killed other students, and teacher commit suicide. There is one amongst them that is causing these events to happen and not allowing the dead to rest.
November 9, 2019
Creepy and Different for Menapace
I have read absolutely every story Jeff has written. He is the hidden gem that I tell everyone about. I guess you can call me an Uber-Fan. I am still sweating over not having a release date for Cliché Part 3 with Calvin and Angela, which if you haven’t read it, is one of a set of stories starting with ‘Numb’.
Dark Halls was a very different type of story for this author. It was creepy and a page-turner. I get very little time to read for fun these days, but I whipped through this one quickly. Although it is not deep, it was truly enjoyable....Great characters, urban legend, creepy children, and plot twists. If I had to make a comparison, this was like watching “The Faculty” or “The Craft”. Fun movies that became cult hits.
I have read absolutely every story Jeff has written. He is the hidden gem that I tell everyone about. I guess you can call me an Uber-Fan. I am still sweating over not having a release date for Cliché Part 3 with Calvin and Angela, which if you haven’t read it, is one of a set of stories starting with ‘Numb’.
Dark Halls was a very different type of story for this author. It was creepy and a page-turner. I get very little time to read for fun these days, but I whipped through this one quickly. Although it is not deep, it was truly enjoyable....Great characters, urban legend, creepy children, and plot twists. If I had to make a comparison, this was like watching “The Faculty” or “The Craft”. Fun movies that became cult hits.
October 31, 2019
Jeff Menapace has defined suspense horror with Dark Halls.
Extreme Horror fans will find it creepy and compelling, a fun read that messes with your mind.
Fans of General Horror and Psychological Horror will be move by the suspense and terror and genre-blurring content.
Suspense Thriller fans may or may not find it a bit too intense.
I’m a hardcore horror fan and I find it intense! The repeated unexpected twists make you fear the next chapter even as you are compelled to know what happens next. It’s creepy and nerve-wracking. I felt the tension in my body as well as my brain.
The story flows like blood from a vein: thick, dark, mesmerizing, frightening. Menapace has used his gift for suspense to twist the haunted school premise into a unique, terror-filled literary piece of mystery, urban legend, occult, and truly amazing characters.
Dark Halls is a creepy and intense page-turner. And seriously, that cover art is amazingly disturbing.
Shelf-worthy and highly recommended.
Extreme Horror fans will find it creepy and compelling, a fun read that messes with your mind.
Fans of General Horror and Psychological Horror will be move by the suspense and terror and genre-blurring content.
Suspense Thriller fans may or may not find it a bit too intense.
I’m a hardcore horror fan and I find it intense! The repeated unexpected twists make you fear the next chapter even as you are compelled to know what happens next. It’s creepy and nerve-wracking. I felt the tension in my body as well as my brain.
The story flows like blood from a vein: thick, dark, mesmerizing, frightening. Menapace has used his gift for suspense to twist the haunted school premise into a unique, terror-filled literary piece of mystery, urban legend, occult, and truly amazing characters.
Dark Halls is a creepy and intense page-turner. And seriously, that cover art is amazingly disturbing.
Shelf-worthy and highly recommended.
February 17, 2021
Yet another author I hadn't heard of that is now one of my "Must Reads".
Now why did I like this so much?
Could it be because it takes place very close to an area in PA that I grew up? Doubtful but possable OR could it be that I happen to find haunted elementary schools and ghost kid extremely scary? while I do find abandoned schools creep and ghost kids creepy, that may or may not be the reason. OR is it because this book has awesome character development and that the characters are likeable. Perhaps. OR could it be all of the above? Ding Ding Ding. This was a school ghost story in a creepy school with a witch/vodoo priestess thrown in for good measure
Now why did I like this so much?
Could it be because it takes place very close to an area in PA that I grew up? Doubtful but possable OR could it be that I happen to find haunted elementary schools and ghost kid extremely scary? while I do find abandoned schools creep and ghost kids creepy, that may or may not be the reason. OR is it because this book has awesome character development and that the characters are likeable. Perhaps. OR could it be all of the above? Ding Ding Ding. This was a school ghost story in a creepy school with a witch/vodoo priestess thrown in for good measure
January 11, 2020
I’d call this one very good. This story had really great elements and some that made you very uncomfortable. I read a review that said the characters were weak and I disagree strongly. When I remember all the character names early in the book that is a good indicator for me. Ryan, the main character is not predictable and his having a good heart Makes you care for him. The evil person (no spoiler) really makes you hate them. The whole book has an uneasy feel to it when the school is the setting I really like that. I devoured the book in a few nights and it definitely won’t be my last by this author.
February 1, 2021
Ryan was excited to get the job. Sure, he heard the tragic tales of the suicides of teachers and of students murdering other students. But this was an elementary school, these kids were too young to do anything so heinous, weren’t they? The school couldn’t really be cursed.
This was a good story with a familiar theme but a unique setting. There were a few tense moments and several spots that I was caught off guard. There were interesting characters and I would have loved to know them all some more. There is a lot of back story that could have been expanded upon but enough info was given to keep the book short and still feel the story was complete.
This was a good story with a familiar theme but a unique setting. There were a few tense moments and several spots that I was caught off guard. There were interesting characters and I would have loved to know them all some more. There is a lot of back story that could have been expanded upon but enough info was given to keep the book short and still feel the story was complete.
May 4, 2021
1/5 ⭐️
DNF at 35%
It was really intriguing in the beginning and all the stories that came with the school, but after that nothing much really happend like I was hoping.
DNF at 35%
It was really intriguing in the beginning and all the stories that came with the school, but after that nothing much really happend like I was hoping.
August 8, 2023
**NO SPOILERS HERE**
Another impressive book by Jeff Menapace! This is his first novel in the paranormal suspense horror category and he’s a natural in this genre. I’m crossing fingers and toes for a follow up with these characters in the near future. I’ve read all Jeff’s books and this may be my new favorite.
It was easy to relate to the main character as a brand new teacher and the anxiety of starting any new job. Add to that the creepy past of his new school and odd incidents right from the start and it’s no wonder he’s questioning everything and wondering if he made a mistake by accepting the job.
I enjoyed the dialogue and thoughts of the main character with enough sarcasm and humor for a few (for real) LOL moments. It’s creepy enough for suspense horror lovers like myself to make this a fun, quick read. But make sure you have enough time to ignore the real world as you will probably say “just one more chapter” until it turns into “screw it—forget sleep”.
The cover is weird as hell and after reading it, I understand WHY and WHAT it is! I highly recommend this one and wish you a “good luck” on keeping your fingernails!
Another impressive book by Jeff Menapace! This is his first novel in the paranormal suspense horror category and he’s a natural in this genre. I’m crossing fingers and toes for a follow up with these characters in the near future. I’ve read all Jeff’s books and this may be my new favorite.
It was easy to relate to the main character as a brand new teacher and the anxiety of starting any new job. Add to that the creepy past of his new school and odd incidents right from the start and it’s no wonder he’s questioning everything and wondering if he made a mistake by accepting the job.
I enjoyed the dialogue and thoughts of the main character with enough sarcasm and humor for a few (for real) LOL moments. It’s creepy enough for suspense horror lovers like myself to make this a fun, quick read. But make sure you have enough time to ignore the real world as you will probably say “just one more chapter” until it turns into “screw it—forget sleep”.
The cover is weird as hell and after reading it, I understand WHY and WHAT it is! I highly recommend this one and wish you a “good luck” on keeping your fingernails!
January 7, 2020
I didn't really know what to expect going in to this.
Throughout the book everything just felt sort of... Superficial. It lacked any real depth. The plot and the characters both felt thin.
There was also a borderline weird attempt to physically emulate King in the structure of his sentences and paragraphs. It really turned me off. It causes him to come across as a try hard fan boy.
It's not a slow burn, that's for sure. But I think that Menapace just moved a bit too quickly.
The curtain draw was anticlimactic and the final showdown was a bit humdrum as well.
The romantic relationship between Ryan and Rebecca was bordering on pathetic.
And the end credits/epilogue bit at the end was cringey and extremely out of place, with the absolute ending being dangerously eyeroll-y.
Didn't hate it, but surely didn't love it either.
Throughout the book everything just felt sort of... Superficial. It lacked any real depth. The plot and the characters both felt thin.
There was also a borderline weird attempt to physically emulate King in the structure of his sentences and paragraphs. It really turned me off. It causes him to come across as a try hard fan boy.
It's not a slow burn, that's for sure. But I think that Menapace just moved a bit too quickly.
The curtain draw was anticlimactic and the final showdown was a bit humdrum as well.
The romantic relationship between Ryan and Rebecca was bordering on pathetic.
And the end credits/epilogue bit at the end was cringey and extremely out of place, with the absolute ending being dangerously eyeroll-y.
Didn't hate it, but surely didn't love it either.
September 14, 2020
3 stars for the overall book - readable (I wasn't a fan of PoV switches with omniscient narration, but it did the job, artlessly), obvious plot, cliched horror movie ending with a side note of the kind of exposition that is delivered in "This is what happened to everyone afterwards" slides before the end credits.
Loses points for a truly horrendous copy/paste job that reads like a middle schooler's first misguided attempt at flashbacks in a story that had a minimum word count. It was just one time, but it was memorable in its awfulness.
I've been sampling different horror writers. This one goes on the Skip list.
Loses points for a truly horrendous copy/paste job that reads like a middle schooler's first misguided attempt at flashbacks in a story that had a minimum word count. It was just one time, but it was memorable in its awfulness.
I've been sampling different horror writers. This one goes on the Skip list.
November 12, 2019
DARK HALLS is my first exposure to prolific author Jeff Menapace, and an exciting introduction it is. From the gory reader's hook (which intrigued me with "WHY?") through to the very end, I read breathlessly, constantly in suspense. DARK HALLS, although extreme in horror, gore, violence, and grief, is totally engrossing. The mixture of magic, history, family, romance, and seemingly inexplicable, implacable events, is fascinating.
December 18, 2019
Rather bland
Anyone who compares this novel to anything written by Stephen King, clearly has never read anything by Mr King. The characters are superficial especially the one embracing the ‘powers of evil’. All a bit silly really...
Anyone who compares this novel to anything written by Stephen King, clearly has never read anything by Mr King. The characters are superficial especially the one embracing the ‘powers of evil’. All a bit silly really...
April 14, 2025
I'm not a reader of horror. This was a patron of my book clubs pick for our April read and I went into it thinking it would end up a DNF or slug to get through. Well color me surprised when by 10% I was quickly sucked into the story.
This authors writing is very easy to read and I finished the book in one sitting. I found it interesting how much I enjoyed the POV the book was written in. Being able to see what different characters were up to made things more intriguing in regards to the mystery.
There was a romantic element to this dark tale, but it was definitely a small subplot and not the main focus. Reading about children doing horrific things was not pleasant for me. It definitely creeped me out a few different times. I was also really upset about the fate of a few characters, but I realize this is likely due to not being used to the horror genre.
I don't think I will be reading any more in this genre, unless of course, it's another book club pick. I'm too much of a sucker for happy endings. That being said, I did like this book and was glad to have been able to pick it up on KU.
This authors writing is very easy to read and I finished the book in one sitting. I found it interesting how much I enjoyed the POV the book was written in. Being able to see what different characters were up to made things more intriguing in regards to the mystery.
There was a romantic element to this dark tale, but it was definitely a small subplot and not the main focus. Reading about children doing horrific things was not pleasant for me. It definitely creeped me out a few different times. I was also really upset about the fate of a few characters, but I realize this is likely due to not being used to the horror genre.
I don't think I will be reading any more in this genre, unless of course, it's another book club pick. I'm too much of a sucker for happy endings. That being said, I did like this book and was glad to have been able to pick it up on KU.
March 31, 2021
I thought this started out strong— the first few chapters are just hard hitting and engaging. I won’t say that this fizzled out, but it did mellow a little during the middle. Then it picked up the pace again although I never got that same feeling that I did during the beginning. I found it to be predictable.
June 27, 2020
Wow! Yes to it from my side. It was really such a pleasure to read this book. The writing style, the way of the conversation between those characters all was really pleasant to relish. You can put this book in Paranormal genre more than Horror. It was quite remarkable work actually, no regret at all....
It's Highland Elementary School and Ryan find himself a job in there and he was glad to take it finally. The school got itself a dark past and there's not much people interested in doing job in there. Ryan at first didn't want to believe all of them but the moment he joined the school the very moment he began to experience kind of events he could never think of. There's something calling for me to do action against it, if Ryan knows then what really needed to done. In the process while the story kept going Ryan fall in for Rebecca. The pair become close when all of sudden Ryan began felt very unnatural things beside him. His mom Cynthia was worried, Rebecca's mom Carol at some point helped Ryan to maintain his normal sense. But, as a story need the ultimate twist; so does this story too. Stew, Karl, Trish they are on the side of Ryan was trying to figured the main root of this problem. Before they go there while digging the case they would discover something that will blow there mind off. It would be unexpected and Ryan as a prime male persona had to endure more drama than he ever dream of...
It's Highland Elementary School and Ryan find himself a job in there and he was glad to take it finally. The school got itself a dark past and there's not much people interested in doing job in there. Ryan at first didn't want to believe all of them but the moment he joined the school the very moment he began to experience kind of events he could never think of. There's something calling for me to do action against it, if Ryan knows then what really needed to done. In the process while the story kept going Ryan fall in for Rebecca. The pair become close when all of sudden Ryan began felt very unnatural things beside him. His mom Cynthia was worried, Rebecca's mom Carol at some point helped Ryan to maintain his normal sense. But, as a story need the ultimate twist; so does this story too. Stew, Karl, Trish they are on the side of Ryan was trying to figured the main root of this problem. Before they go there while digging the case they would discover something that will blow there mind off. It would be unexpected and Ryan as a prime male persona had to endure more drama than he ever dream of...
January 1, 2020
Terrifying
I've been a fan of Jeff Menapace for a couple of years now since discovering Bad Games and for me he is the master of the lunatic psychopath. Dark Halls is a completely different genre of horror, a first for Mr Menapace and a massive success. He has got the supernatural horror down to a tee with witchcraft type spells, spooky alters, murder and of course the character you really love that is brutally killed off.
Set in a small school with tales of murderous children and suicidal teachers adds to the atmosphere we love in a horror story and the twists in the storyline are becoming a natural part of any Menapace book.
Jeff Menapace has been likened to many modern masters including King and Koontz, Dark Halls brought to mind another, the sadly missed master of British horror James Herbert which from me is high praise indeed.
I've been a fan of Jeff Menapace for a couple of years now since discovering Bad Games and for me he is the master of the lunatic psychopath. Dark Halls is a completely different genre of horror, a first for Mr Menapace and a massive success. He has got the supernatural horror down to a tee with witchcraft type spells, spooky alters, murder and of course the character you really love that is brutally killed off.
Set in a small school with tales of murderous children and suicidal teachers adds to the atmosphere we love in a horror story and the twists in the storyline are becoming a natural part of any Menapace book.
Jeff Menapace has been likened to many modern masters including King and Koontz, Dark Halls brought to mind another, the sadly missed master of British horror James Herbert which from me is high praise indeed.
January 3, 2020
My last read of 2019 and my first finished book in 2020 and it’s a five star? Absurd!
This book was so hard to put down. I read it via my Kindle and I carried that thing everywhere with me more than usual. The twists and turns in this one nearly gave me whiplash in the best possible way, and there was never a dull moment. So fast paced and exciting, the writing was so good it was almost like watching a movie but only better because you get to pick the cast! I will never look at elementary schools the same again. This one was a wild, incredible ride. This is my first Jeff Menapace book and it certainly won’t be my last. The cast of characters was so good, and the ending was not expected at all. Definitely one of my new favorite horror writers. Can’t wait to dive into the rest of his work!
This book was so hard to put down. I read it via my Kindle and I carried that thing everywhere with me more than usual. The twists and turns in this one nearly gave me whiplash in the best possible way, and there was never a dull moment. So fast paced and exciting, the writing was so good it was almost like watching a movie but only better because you get to pick the cast! I will never look at elementary schools the same again. This one was a wild, incredible ride. This is my first Jeff Menapace book and it certainly won’t be my last. The cast of characters was so good, and the ending was not expected at all. Definitely one of my new favorite horror writers. Can’t wait to dive into the rest of his work!
November 12, 2019
This has pipped the Bad Games books to the post to become my favourite of Jeff Menapace’s books!!
The supernatural has always been a favourite genre of mine and Jeff really knocked it out of the park with this one.
It’s fast paced and such an easy read. I’ve never been a fan of authors that take an age to describe every little thing in minute detail. Much preferring to get into the meaty bits straight off the bat and this book certainly does that.
If you like Jeff’s other books and also like the supernatural then you’ll love this.
The supernatural has always been a favourite genre of mine and Jeff really knocked it out of the park with this one.
It’s fast paced and such an easy read. I’ve never been a fan of authors that take an age to describe every little thing in minute detail. Much preferring to get into the meaty bits straight off the bat and this book certainly does that.
If you like Jeff’s other books and also like the supernatural then you’ll love this.
May 11, 2020
I am never ever disappointed with Jeff Menapace. It’s like he writes just for me to entertain my crazy mind! This book was no exception. I was in the process of reading two other books and of course this book just took over and the others were just put on hold until I could finish Dark Halls. I think it’s the way he creates the characters that feel real, like you could actually know them in real life. This book was so awesome, I think everyone in the whole world should read it!
July 31, 2020
I enjoyed this book. I thought the disturbing imagery was well done, and the tone was very creepy. For some reason, I wasn't a huge fan of the Rebecca character. She didn't have an overall huge part in the story though, so that didn't bother me so much. I did figure out who the antagonist was going to be pretty early on, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book. Overall, this was a quick read with lots of atmosphere that I'd definitely recommend for fans of horror fiction.
December 21, 2019
Wow what a ride
This book kept me up until 3:30am! I just had to finish! My heart raced and I literally was scared at some points, which is hard for me. I normally don’t scare while reading. Amazing book. Highly recommend.
This book kept me up until 3:30am! I just had to finish! My heart raced and I literally was scared at some points, which is hard for me. I normally don’t scare while reading. Amazing book. Highly recommend.
October 27, 2020
Such a spooky book!
Being a former teacher, naturally my favorite quote was: "teachers are informal parents to their students. We help raise them. They look at us for guidance, and support, and even love". pg.33
Review to come!
Being a former teacher, naturally my favorite quote was: "teachers are informal parents to their students. We help raise them. They look at us for guidance, and support, and even love". pg.33
Review to come!
March 1, 2020
Good Book
For anyone reading the reviews wondering if they should buy this book, it is a good story and is worth the purchase and the time reading it!
For anyone reading the reviews wondering if they should buy this book, it is a good story and is worth the purchase and the time reading it!
July 18, 2020
Menapace is an excellent writer! I finished this story in one day.
"Eerie" is the right word for this book!
Loved it!
"Eerie" is the right word for this book!
Loved it!
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