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Ghostland #1
Ghostland
People are dying to get in. The exhibits will kill to get out. Be first in line for the most haunted theme park in the world - Ghostland! Discover and explore hundreds of haunted buildings and cursed objects! Witness spectral beings of all kinds with our patented Augmented Reality glasses! Experience all the terror and thrills the afterlife has to offer, safely protected by our Recurrence Field technology! Visit Ghostland today - it's the hauntedest place on earth!
After a near-death experience caused by the park's star haunted attraction, Ben has come to Ghostland seeking to reconnect with his former best friend Lilian, whose post-traumatic stress won't let her live life to the fullest. She's come at the behest of her therapist, Dr. Allison Wexler, who tags along out of professional curiosity, eager to study the new tech's psychological effect on the user.But when a computer virus sets the ghosts free and the park goes into lockdown, the trio find themselves trapped in an endless nightmare.With time running short and the dead quickly outnumbering the living, the survivors must tap into their knowledge of horror and video games to escape… or become Ghostland's newest exhibits.
Featuring an interactive "Know Your Ghosts" guide and much more, Ghostland is over 400 pages of thrills and terror!
After a near-death experience caused by the park's star haunted attraction, Ben has come to Ghostland seeking to reconnect with his former best friend Lilian, whose post-traumatic stress won't let her live life to the fullest. She's come at the behest of her therapist, Dr. Allison Wexler, who tags along out of professional curiosity, eager to study the new tech's psychological effect on the user.But when a computer virus sets the ghosts free and the park goes into lockdown, the trio find themselves trapped in an endless nightmare.With time running short and the dead quickly outnumbering the living, the survivors must tap into their knowledge of horror and video games to escape… or become Ghostland's newest exhibits.
Featuring an interactive "Know Your Ghosts" guide and much more, Ghostland is over 400 pages of thrills and terror!
414 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2019
805 people are currently reading
4477 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Ralston
82 books2,048 followers**CVLT: Lonely Motel Book 3 out now!!!**
**Sequel to the hit novel PUZZLE HOUSE coming Winter 2026**
Author of the cult smash-hit Woom and Ghostland and more than 15 other books that aren't the cult smash-hit Woom or Ghostland. His debut collection was blurbed positively by the legendary Jack Ketchum. His vampire novel, Pedo Island Bloodbath, was nominated for a 2024 Splatterpunk Award for Best Novel. His horror-thriller Ghostland will soon be a board game from Crystal Lake Publishing.
For 10 FREE dark fiction short stories/novellas including the prequel to GHOSTLAND, "The Moving House," signed copies of Woom, bookplates and merch, please visit www.duncanralston.com.
Photo © Josh Silver 2015
**Sequel to the hit novel PUZZLE HOUSE coming Winter 2026**
Author of the cult smash-hit Woom and Ghostland and more than 15 other books that aren't the cult smash-hit Woom or Ghostland. His debut collection was blurbed positively by the legendary Jack Ketchum. His vampire novel, Pedo Island Bloodbath, was nominated for a 2024 Splatterpunk Award for Best Novel. His horror-thriller Ghostland will soon be a board game from Crystal Lake Publishing.
For 10 FREE dark fiction short stories/novellas including the prequel to GHOSTLAND, "The Moving House," signed copies of Woom, bookplates and merch, please visit www.duncanralston.com.
Photo © Josh Silver 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 455 reviews
April 3, 2023
I grabbed my gore suite for the second time around on this book as I knew I was going to be needing it and the second time around I enjoyed it even more!
A little backstory for you:
Two friends Ben and Lillian along with Lillian's therapist Dr. Wexler decide to check out the new theme park, Ghostland. The theme park has all different kinds of exhibits that include ghosts which are trapped within those exhibits. The park comes with a map of where everything is located and the place is huge. Also Ben, Lillian, and Dr. Wexler are handed special glasses to see the ghosts as without them they will see nothing.
Ben is excited most of all as Ghostland is centered around horror author, Rex Garrote, who had died in an unique way and who had also lived in one of the most haunted houses in America. So Ben is really psyched to be able to explore the theme park and he just wants to delve deep into all the exhibits.
Everything seems to be going along smooth as silk until on the tram ride through the park an unexpected event happens when the computer system to the park fails and the trapped ghosts that are exhibits become "un-trapped"!
The ghosts are free and when that happens all hell breaks loose in the park as the ghosts go on a rampage destroying anything that gets in their way!
What happens to Ben, Lillian, and Dr. Wexler? Do they make it through the theme park unscathed? What causes the computer system to fail? What happens when the ghosts escape? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
Thoughts:
This book was an extensive research project for the author, Duncan Ralston and you can tell how much time went into this book. Very detailed descriptions of all the exhibits throughout the park along with quite a bit of technology research as well.
I became attached to the characters and when the crap hits the fan in the story with the ghosts becoming free this story goes into ghosts overdrive as the action ratchets up in the book! On this second time around, I was on the edge of my seat as when the action starts happening I was glued to my kindle as there is nothing more cool than reading about ghosts that are ticked off and causing havoc as they go on a ghosts attack!
There are some very extreme "walk on the wild side" sections of the book which might make you cringe and cover your eyes!
The action was so intense in the story that it was like sitting in a movie theatre with booming surround sound as when you read about the screams in the park, you are going to be hearing it and when the gore starts flying you will be feeling it splatter in your face! Giving this book five "Ghost Action: stars!
For images/gifs of this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
A little backstory for you:
Two friends Ben and Lillian along with Lillian's therapist Dr. Wexler decide to check out the new theme park, Ghostland. The theme park has all different kinds of exhibits that include ghosts which are trapped within those exhibits. The park comes with a map of where everything is located and the place is huge. Also Ben, Lillian, and Dr. Wexler are handed special glasses to see the ghosts as without them they will see nothing.
Ben is excited most of all as Ghostland is centered around horror author, Rex Garrote, who had died in an unique way and who had also lived in one of the most haunted houses in America. So Ben is really psyched to be able to explore the theme park and he just wants to delve deep into all the exhibits.
Everything seems to be going along smooth as silk until on the tram ride through the park an unexpected event happens when the computer system to the park fails and the trapped ghosts that are exhibits become "un-trapped"!
The ghosts are free and when that happens all hell breaks loose in the park as the ghosts go on a rampage destroying anything that gets in their way!
What happens to Ben, Lillian, and Dr. Wexler? Do they make it through the theme park unscathed? What causes the computer system to fail? What happens when the ghosts escape? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
Thoughts:
This book was an extensive research project for the author, Duncan Ralston and you can tell how much time went into this book. Very detailed descriptions of all the exhibits throughout the park along with quite a bit of technology research as well.
I became attached to the characters and when the crap hits the fan in the story with the ghosts becoming free this story goes into ghosts overdrive as the action ratchets up in the book! On this second time around, I was on the edge of my seat as when the action starts happening I was glued to my kindle as there is nothing more cool than reading about ghosts that are ticked off and causing havoc as they go on a ghosts attack!
There are some very extreme "walk on the wild side" sections of the book which might make you cringe and cover your eyes!
The action was so intense in the story that it was like sitting in a movie theatre with booming surround sound as when you read about the screams in the park, you are going to be hearing it and when the gore starts flying you will be feeling it splatter in your face! Giving this book five "Ghost Action: stars!
For images/gifs of this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
June 4, 2020
3.5 stars.
This book made me think of that movie "Thirteen Ghosts" in a sense.
I read this as part of my Horror Group challenge. There’s plenty of gore and scary crap and it’s also on kindle unlimited US.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
This book made me think of that movie "Thirteen Ghosts" in a sense.
I read this as part of my Horror Group challenge. There’s plenty of gore and scary crap and it’s also on kindle unlimited US.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
January 7, 2020
What a rollercoaster-ride and mixture of many other films and books. Ben an Lillian go to the opening day of ghostland, a funland full of ghosts. When the park was in construction, Ben suffered a heart attack when Rex Garotte's (a horror author presumed death) is moving by his home. Now four years have past. Does this park have some surprises in store for its visitors and Allision, their therapist? (You can bet on that). To me the story suffered from a lack of gripping horror. Okay, there was the building of tension at some parts but overall too many action sequences strung together (like a zombie hack and slay computer game with characters being unable to leave their artificial world). I need more spine tingling real elements in a horror novel not a kind of 'Ghost Westworld'. I often had to think about the movie 'In the Mouth of Madness' with its Lovecraft connections (that worked better for me). Here we have too many ingredients and allusions to other authors (King with Shining/Christine or Michael Chrichton, Jurassic Park, Matheson, The Hell House). I prefer the authors quoted. This book reminded me on a modern computer game, was a bit too newschool maybe for me. The author certainly put in much effort but to me the story was a bit overstuffed and the characters a bit wooden. Well, some readers actually might like his style!
June 18, 2020
Jurassic Park for ghosts with some 13 Ghosts thrown in for good measure. Ghosts have recently been discovered to be real so someone comes up with the idea to move all the most haunted buildings in the world into one location and create a theme park for them. Nothing could go wrong with that! An inventor has come up with a way to trap the ghosts and people can view them through special glasses. Don't pay much attention to the junk science because the author didn't either. Of course the ghosts take over the park leaving Ben, Lillian and some friends they meet along the way scrambling to escape the park before they are viciously murdered. Oh yeah, this is very bloody and graphic.
It's a cool concept. There were a lot of logic leaps and unclear story elements that brought this down for me though. The ending is also terrible. It's all built up for a final confrontation that I was quite enjoying when we flash to an epilogue. If this was a movie, I would have thought they ran out of money before they could film the ending. Major things happen between the ending and the epilogue and it's all left unexplained with just a setup for a sequel. That ending was ridiculously frustrating.
Received a review copy from Shadow Work Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
It's a cool concept. There were a lot of logic leaps and unclear story elements that brought this down for me though. The ending is also terrible. It's all built up for a final confrontation that I was quite enjoying when we flash to an epilogue. If this was a movie, I would have thought they ran out of money before they could film the ending. Major things happen between the ending and the epilogue and it's all left unexplained with just a setup for a sequel. That ending was ridiculously frustrating.
Received a review copy from Shadow Work Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
January 7, 2021
Finished for the second time. That was a vastly different book than the one I first Read and downloaded. I'm not sure what to think. I loved how it was. This one was a milder version with much less Garotte and no thoughts from any others besides Ben and Lilian. The scares were gone for me. The things that were scary good and terrifying about this park and the situation seem to have been taken out or watered down a bit. This was one of my favorite books when i read it except for one ghost. I still have to read the sequel and i hope it is exciting like that first version i read. The writing was still great but i saw what it was BEFORE! I understand some of the changes and condensing but i feel this work lost something. If i were to change my rating it would be 3.5 to 4. I'm leaving it as is bc that first read was amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2019
4.5 Stars.
GHOSTLAND, by Duncan Ralston, is a novel that felt like it covered epic proportions with the scope of its idea. In this world of technological advances, it seems that most anything is possible.
The latest? GHOSTLAND--a theme park that utilizes special eyewear to allow visitors to view the various "attractions" showcasing the last moments of actual ghosts.
"People are dying to get in. The exhibits will kill to get out . . . the most haunted theme park in the world--GHOSTLAND! . . . "
We meet our main characters years before the official opening when one of the "star attractions" is being moved to its new location.
Ben and his friend Lilian are involved in a computer game (each in their respective homes) when Ben has an experience that will change the course of both of their lives. Years later, they reunite--along with a therapist--to attend the grand opening of GHOSTLAND.
". . . Ghosts are real . . ."
Ralston makes this concept as believable as it can possibly be by adding in protesters arguing against the "exploitation of ghosts", and mentioning the "science" behind the discovery. In a world where ghosts are "proven" to be real, you can imagine the mental fallout on the human population.
The scenes at the theme park were further added to by an "index" where the readers can look up all the grisly details of each ghost on display. Of course, the vast majority of these specters were the worst villains and murderers mankind had to offer.
A spectacular selling point.
". . . the writer had given new meaning to "profoundly disturbed" by burning himself alive . . . "
At its core, the mystery of how this place came to be, and the reason for relocating these spirits to be put on display, are the concepts our teenaged main characters must come to terms with.
"Remind me not to die here . . . "
Overall, I loved the idea presented here, the dynamics between Ben and Lilian, and the execution of the novel. I did utilize the "ghost index" while reading, and felt that learning about these individual horrors as we come across them added another layer of enjoyment to the reading experience. This was an incredibly unique approach, and made for a story I'm still thinking about over a week later. I've enjoyed books by this writer in the past, and will continue to look forward to all of his future releases.
Highly recommended.
GHOSTLAND, by Duncan Ralston, is a novel that felt like it covered epic proportions with the scope of its idea. In this world of technological advances, it seems that most anything is possible.
The latest? GHOSTLAND--a theme park that utilizes special eyewear to allow visitors to view the various "attractions" showcasing the last moments of actual ghosts.
"People are dying to get in. The exhibits will kill to get out . . . the most haunted theme park in the world--GHOSTLAND! . . . "
We meet our main characters years before the official opening when one of the "star attractions" is being moved to its new location.
Ben and his friend Lilian are involved in a computer game (each in their respective homes) when Ben has an experience that will change the course of both of their lives. Years later, they reunite--along with a therapist--to attend the grand opening of GHOSTLAND.
". . . Ghosts are real . . ."
Ralston makes this concept as believable as it can possibly be by adding in protesters arguing against the "exploitation of ghosts", and mentioning the "science" behind the discovery. In a world where ghosts are "proven" to be real, you can imagine the mental fallout on the human population.
The scenes at the theme park were further added to by an "index" where the readers can look up all the grisly details of each ghost on display. Of course, the vast majority of these specters were the worst villains and murderers mankind had to offer.
A spectacular selling point.
". . . the writer had given new meaning to "profoundly disturbed" by burning himself alive . . . "
At its core, the mystery of how this place came to be, and the reason for relocating these spirits to be put on display, are the concepts our teenaged main characters must come to terms with.
"Remind me not to die here . . . "
Overall, I loved the idea presented here, the dynamics between Ben and Lilian, and the execution of the novel. I did utilize the "ghost index" while reading, and felt that learning about these individual horrors as we come across them added another layer of enjoyment to the reading experience. This was an incredibly unique approach, and made for a story I'm still thinking about over a week later. I've enjoyed books by this writer in the past, and will continue to look forward to all of his future releases.
Highly recommended.
December 16, 2020
. "These old bones sure do tell the tale."
Great job Duncan Ralston!! This was a super fun read. I loved the interactive footnotes. They added an extra layer of fun to this story. The story itself is very good. A couple of kids get stuck in a haunted theme park that goes wrong. This sounds like a park i'd go to multiple times. There's haunted buildings, cars, objects and more. What's not to love? Near the middle, when the kids are in the asylum, this story really made me think. There's ghost hunts/tours that take place in really, really awful places and involve really messed up people and we (the public) go to them for fun and entertainment? It's kinda messed up isn't it? I'm guilty too, I've done ghost tours in several cities. I don't know if Duncan was trying to get point across or if it was just me. But either way, I had a great time at Ghostland and look forward to see what happens next.
Audiobook review:
Listened in December 2020
Joe Hempel reads this awesome story. I already loved this book, Joe just makes it even more awesome if that’s possible. I can’t wait to read part 2, Afterlife, next month!!
Great job Duncan Ralston!! This was a super fun read. I loved the interactive footnotes. They added an extra layer of fun to this story. The story itself is very good. A couple of kids get stuck in a haunted theme park that goes wrong. This sounds like a park i'd go to multiple times. There's haunted buildings, cars, objects and more. What's not to love? Near the middle, when the kids are in the asylum, this story really made me think. There's ghost hunts/tours that take place in really, really awful places and involve really messed up people and we (the public) go to them for fun and entertainment? It's kinda messed up isn't it? I'm guilty too, I've done ghost tours in several cities. I don't know if Duncan was trying to get point across or if it was just me. But either way, I had a great time at Ghostland and look forward to see what happens next.
Audiobook review:
Listened in December 2020
Joe Hempel reads this awesome story. I already loved this book, Joe just makes it even more awesome if that’s possible. I can’t wait to read part 2, Afterlife, next month!!
July 9, 2021
4 star story but the narration was TRASH.
I decided to go the audiobook route with this one as I picked up the kindle edition as a freebie a while back and wanted something fun to listen to while at work during our most recent lockdown. I tend to miss bits and pieces with audiobooks and this narration did not help at all. Dude had such a dull voice and all the characters sounded the same.
Aside from that, though, I did rather enjoy the story. There was carnage and mayhem, and ghosts, and some unique and interesting ideas. I think it would have been much more intense if I'd read it, but listening to it in a dark store, working on my own in a deserted shopping centre, it was still sufficiently creepy.
Didn't feel particularly invested in any of the characters, but I suspect I would have appreciated Lillian more if, again, I was reading as opposed to listening. She seemed to have a lot of spunk, but being voiced by a dull adult male didn't really help her case.
Overall, it was a fun story, if a little long. Don't know that I enjoyed it enough to continue with the series, but it was a fun way to pass the time while doing monotonous tasks.
I decided to go the audiobook route with this one as I picked up the kindle edition as a freebie a while back and wanted something fun to listen to while at work during our most recent lockdown. I tend to miss bits and pieces with audiobooks and this narration did not help at all. Dude had such a dull voice and all the characters sounded the same.
Aside from that, though, I did rather enjoy the story. There was carnage and mayhem, and ghosts, and some unique and interesting ideas. I think it would have been much more intense if I'd read it, but listening to it in a dark store, working on my own in a deserted shopping centre, it was still sufficiently creepy.
Didn't feel particularly invested in any of the characters, but I suspect I would have appreciated Lillian more if, again, I was reading as opposed to listening. She seemed to have a lot of spunk, but being voiced by a dull adult male didn't really help her case.
Overall, it was a fun story, if a little long. Don't know that I enjoyed it enough to continue with the series, but it was a fun way to pass the time while doing monotonous tasks.
January 29, 2022
Amusement Park Shocker! Spectre Savant Unleashes Ghostly Mayhem! "Well, it was wall to wall gore in there. Nearly everyone got slaughtered. I tried to get a refund for my day pass, but no dope. I was gonna be stuck for eternity as an ectoplasmic exhibit." - The Duck Falls Blatherer.
There's much to like in this book, especially the world building. The Ghostland amusement park is genius as far as I'm concerned. Mr. Ralston pulls that off perfectly.
However, I found the ending an odd mixture of a deus ex machina (which I hate) and courageous sacrifice which I admire, but on balance I'm satisfied. The DeM overlooked this time in favour of a character's clear sighted resolve and courage.
However, after all is said and done, I'm pinging a star for the uneven sense of engagement delivered with the main characters of Ben and Lillian. Especially around the middle of the book during the 'Asylum,' scenes, I was in danger of losing all interest in their fates rather than being engaged, and seriously considered DNF'ing.
And yet, at the end the story comes on strong, and I want the final surviving characters to survive. A conundrum then ... an uneven telling of the story.
Another aspect I found disconcerting was again an unevenness, this in terms of visual experience. If gore was involved, the picture always resolved into crystal clarity. There was never an ambiguity of scene, setting, or action as gore unfolded in red letters upon the page. But when the blood-soaked trappings of horror were absent, I was often left with a vague sense of 'what the hell am I witnessing here,' which is an immersion show stopper.
That said, I'm still going with ...
Recommended, 4 'Who let the ghosts out,' Stars.
There's much to like in this book, especially the world building. The Ghostland amusement park is genius as far as I'm concerned. Mr. Ralston pulls that off perfectly.
However, I found the ending an odd mixture of a deus ex machina (which I hate) and courageous sacrifice which I admire, but on balance I'm satisfied. The DeM overlooked this time in favour of a character's clear sighted resolve and courage.
However, after all is said and done, I'm pinging a star for the uneven sense of engagement delivered with the main characters of Ben and Lillian. Especially around the middle of the book during the 'Asylum,' scenes, I was in danger of losing all interest in their fates rather than being engaged, and seriously considered DNF'ing.
And yet, at the end the story comes on strong, and I want the final surviving characters to survive. A conundrum then ... an uneven telling of the story.
Another aspect I found disconcerting was again an unevenness, this in terms of visual experience. If gore was involved, the picture always resolved into crystal clarity. There was never an ambiguity of scene, setting, or action as gore unfolded in red letters upon the page. But when the blood-soaked trappings of horror were absent, I was often left with a vague sense of 'what the hell am I witnessing here,' which is an immersion show stopper.
That said, I'm still going with ...
Recommended, 4 'Who let the ghosts out,' Stars.
November 9, 2019
I've been reading Duncan Ralston's works this year, as I stumbled across his masterful, disturbing, and earth-shattering book WOOM, and realized that he is legitimately a true up and comer in the world of horror fiction. Though that book will always have a special place in my black heart, it seems that Ralston is not contenting himself with trying to duplicate that story, or rest on his laurels. Not at all. His books keep getting better and better. Ghostland is the best thing he's written so far in this reviewer's humble opinion.
This book is epic in scope, with the story of the titular theme park filled with evil ghosts that not only provide thrills and chills, but also proof that there really is an afterlife. But, even though I can tell that the author has dedicated a lot of time and work to putting together the theme park and the surrounding world (there are even interactive features giving backgrounds on all of the ghosts and displays in the park), at its heart, this sweeping, masterfully fleshed out set piece is really a backdrop for a coming of age tale about two horror-addicted friends that may or may not have grown apart and missed out on a promising future together. All of the characters are well developed and give the book added appeal.
This book is a gripping page turner that will surely be a crowd pleaser, and, in my opinion, deserves to be a major mainstream success for Ralston.
This book is epic in scope, with the story of the titular theme park filled with evil ghosts that not only provide thrills and chills, but also proof that there really is an afterlife. But, even though I can tell that the author has dedicated a lot of time and work to putting together the theme park and the surrounding world (there are even interactive features giving backgrounds on all of the ghosts and displays in the park), at its heart, this sweeping, masterfully fleshed out set piece is really a backdrop for a coming of age tale about two horror-addicted friends that may or may not have grown apart and missed out on a promising future together. All of the characters are well developed and give the book added appeal.
This book is a gripping page turner that will surely be a crowd pleaser, and, in my opinion, deserves to be a major mainstream success for Ralston.
December 16, 2020
3 to 3.5 stars!
I would have rated this higher for just the plot alone if it had been written a bit different for me.
It felt like Ghostland was a byproduct of Jurassic Park and 13 Ghosts.
I've seen both of those examples in other reviews and I just can't disagree with past reviewers on both of those examples. 🤣😂
Ghostland was a really cool concept for a horror/ghost plot but just didn't deliver for me at the end.
As I said earlier, I would have rated this much higher if the ending hadn't been so MUCH and there was more focus with the plot, technology and ghosts.
Even the author Duncan Ralston mentions this in his afterword about hoping he got the technology correct or that it worked for the reader.
I'll give him all the stars for creativity and plot ideas though!
And I have to agree with him on the technology part.
It was all over the place.
I think if it had been edited more for the stupid people, *cough, cough, ME* then I would have enjoyed this book more.
You know how some books have this seamless quality in where the reading is smooth, exciting and shocking.
Plot twists are nuts and you're sitting there with your mouth wide open.
The scare factor is so extreme that you're not sure if you can keep flipping the pages.
The writing is so brutal that you have dreams and nightmares because of the content.
I wanted that in this and I didn't get it!!
For a book set in a theme park in where the most haunted locations and ghosts are at this particular park, don't you think this should have scared me more?
It didn't and I'm pretty bummed by that.
Nothing felt shocking or scary in Ghostland except for the gore and violence. And then that was too much at times in that's all that was in the book. I definitely wasn't scared of the ghosts and wished that was different.
The descriptions and ideas of the ghosts were awesome though!
I have to give it up for Ralston for putting together some really cool ghosts, paranormal ideas and a super cool idea for a book!
I just wish Ghostland had more direction and less "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" feel to it.
Just too many plot twists that didn't shock me.
Too much action that seemed confusing at times.
And a type of paranormal technology that could have been much easier to understand for the non-expert like myself.
And yes, this books ends on a cliffhanger!
I will try and read the next book in the series and hope it's a bit more focused with the plot, characters and action sequences.
I would have rated this higher for just the plot alone if it had been written a bit different for me.
It felt like Ghostland was a byproduct of Jurassic Park and 13 Ghosts.
I've seen both of those examples in other reviews and I just can't disagree with past reviewers on both of those examples. 🤣😂
Ghostland was a really cool concept for a horror/ghost plot but just didn't deliver for me at the end.
As I said earlier, I would have rated this much higher if the ending hadn't been so MUCH and there was more focus with the plot, technology and ghosts.
Even the author Duncan Ralston mentions this in his afterword about hoping he got the technology correct or that it worked for the reader.
I'll give him all the stars for creativity and plot ideas though!
And I have to agree with him on the technology part.
It was all over the place.
I think if it had been edited more for the stupid people, *cough, cough, ME* then I would have enjoyed this book more.
You know how some books have this seamless quality in where the reading is smooth, exciting and shocking.
Plot twists are nuts and you're sitting there with your mouth wide open.
The scare factor is so extreme that you're not sure if you can keep flipping the pages.
The writing is so brutal that you have dreams and nightmares because of the content.
I wanted that in this and I didn't get it!!
For a book set in a theme park in where the most haunted locations and ghosts are at this particular park, don't you think this should have scared me more?
It didn't and I'm pretty bummed by that.
Nothing felt shocking or scary in Ghostland except for the gore and violence. And then that was too much at times in that's all that was in the book. I definitely wasn't scared of the ghosts and wished that was different.
The descriptions and ideas of the ghosts were awesome though!
I have to give it up for Ralston for putting together some really cool ghosts, paranormal ideas and a super cool idea for a book!
I just wish Ghostland had more direction and less "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" feel to it.
Just too many plot twists that didn't shock me.
Too much action that seemed confusing at times.
And a type of paranormal technology that could have been much easier to understand for the non-expert like myself.
And yes, this books ends on a cliffhanger!
I will try and read the next book in the series and hope it's a bit more focused with the plot, characters and action sequences.
April 14, 2020
Welcome to Ghostland, the ultimate horror theme park.
A place where a breakthrough in technology allows visitors to witness ghosts repeating their final acts in life. And no expense has been spared to gather some of the most violently haunted buildings and objects known in paranormal circles.
For estranged friends Ben and Lilian, Ghostland is more than just another overhyped attraction. Lilian has come at the request of her therapist, to face the traumas that are crippling her emotionally.
Ben has come to put an end to the ghost that nearly took his life.....a ghost that isn't listed among the attractions.
When an act of sabotage unleashes the entities of Ghostland upon a full park, and putting the entire complex on lockdown, the horror attraction becomes a blood soaked abattoir......forcing Ben, Lilian and a handful of survivors into a race against time and certain death. A race to find a way out, a way to stop what stalks the park from breaking loose into the world outside......and to unmask the puppet master behind it all.
Ralston brings the big guns in this coming of age/horror novel......combining the movie 13 Ghosts and the novel Hell House with epic results.
Highly recommended.
This was an eArc from Netgalley and Shadow Work Publishing
A place where a breakthrough in technology allows visitors to witness ghosts repeating their final acts in life. And no expense has been spared to gather some of the most violently haunted buildings and objects known in paranormal circles.
For estranged friends Ben and Lilian, Ghostland is more than just another overhyped attraction. Lilian has come at the request of her therapist, to face the traumas that are crippling her emotionally.
Ben has come to put an end to the ghost that nearly took his life.....a ghost that isn't listed among the attractions.
When an act of sabotage unleashes the entities of Ghostland upon a full park, and putting the entire complex on lockdown, the horror attraction becomes a blood soaked abattoir......forcing Ben, Lilian and a handful of survivors into a race against time and certain death. A race to find a way out, a way to stop what stalks the park from breaking loose into the world outside......and to unmask the puppet master behind it all.
Ralston brings the big guns in this coming of age/horror novel......combining the movie 13 Ghosts and the novel Hell House with epic results.
Highly recommended.
This was an eArc from Netgalley and Shadow Work Publishing
April 26, 2020
Ghosts are real.If you want to visualise the gorefest that is Ghostland, imagine the ectoplasmic mayhem that would have ensued if Jurassic Park had been populated by ghosts instead of dinosaurs. Featuring such haunts as a prison, an asylum and Garrote House, home of “the Most Terrifying Man in the World”, and 300 ghosts (at the beginning of the book) ranging from former prisoners to an evil sex nun, the promised fun of this amusement park quickly descends into a “concerto of chaos”.
Putting their knowledge of “All Things Horror” and gaming skills to the ultimate test are Lilian Roth and Ben Laramie. Ben has serious physical health problems and Lilian’s thanatophobia, a result of a trauma she experienced four years ago, add to the potential dangers these former best friends will be facing.
Joining them on what may be their final day as corporeal beings is Dr Allison Wexler, Lilian’s therapist. Having your therapist along for the ride is not awkward at all …
Exposure therapy has never been so intensive!
“What’s the worst that could happen, right?”You do realise you’re one of the main characters in a horror novel, don’t you Lilian?
Don’t bother trying to form any emotional connections with any of the breathers who decide that opening day is a good time to visit this amusement park. Chances are they’re going to be the recently deceased before they get their $40 ticket price worth of scares.
Usually when I read horror stories I tally a body count but there’s just no point here. Even if I counted all of the bodies I tripped over along the way, I would have missed dozens of them. Not as many people died in front of me as I had hoped but I did get to witness the results of a fair amount of the carnage as Lilian and Ben attempt to navigate their way out of Ghostland, hopefully with heartbeats.
This is what happens when you mess around with things you can’t possibly comprehend.I haven’t had this much fun anticipating footnotes since Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves. While the “Know Your Ghosts” guide occasionally only repeated the text in the chapters and didn’t seem necessary, I enjoyed the majority that provided additional information. I expect they’re going to be useful in the sequel. Incidentally, if Ghostland is ever made into a movie, I’ll be there for the ride.
At times it felt like there were an over abundance of similes and I simply shook my head when our lambs to the slaughter took the time to locate toilets on the map. If all hell was breaking loose and I had to use the bathroom I doubt I’d risk my life further by detouring to find a public toilet. A few question marks appeared over my head as I was reading, including when Dr Wexler contradicted herself about how long Lilian had been in therapy for, but they are essentially quibbles in what was a fun bloodbath.
My disappointment came when, after such a build up, I blinked and missed most of the final battle. Maybe I’ll get to enjoy the hopefully bone snapping, blood spurting, organ squishing climax in a flashback scene during the sequel but right now it feels like a crucial chapter was accidentally deleted.
Favourite phrase: “You cain’t be alive. You ain’t got a head.”
You can download a free copy of the short story prequel, The Moving House, when you subscribe to the author’s website. There’s also a Ghostland website to explore.
Please keep your head and hands inside the ride and enjoy your time at Ghostland, the most terrifying theme park on earth!
Content warnings include mention of death by suicide and paedophilia.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Shadow Work Publishing and Victory Editing for the opportunity to read this book.
February 22, 2023
Man what a blast! True rip roaring fun! This story is so original, so unique, I cannot believe this book has not gotten more attention. I’m sure my review will not do it the justice it deserves.
So I guess it takes place in the present. Ghostland is a theme park designed and created by the deceased horror writer Rex Garrote. He had lived at Garrote House which had been part of the Hedgewood Estate and once owned by Oliver Hedgewood who killed himself in the estate and after him more terrible events followed in the estate. Many felt that horror writer Rex Garrote was spoken to by the ghosts of this estate once he bought it and that’s when his greatest successes occurred in his writing as he relayed the stories of all the ghosts that reside their.
So in the present inventor Sarah Jane Amblin has created the Augmented Reality and breakthrough Recurrence Field which is used to capture ghosts and the full horror surrounding them. The author presents this in a factual way and you know what - it works. He uses the idea of dead energy and the fact that when one dies the energy that person once possessed can be captured. Now I have talked to many people about this very fact and even the non religious tend to believe that once dead a person’s energy is transferred somewhere. The book is not religious in any way but you have to wonder about it at some level because what eventually unfolds in the theme park for the dead ghosts and their extremely gore background is all about them and there are no real good ghosts to combat their evil mission of apparently taking over the world. Having said that many of the countless innocent park tourists that do die end up being against the macabre ghosts who the park was built for.
So Hedgewood Estates using their money as well as that of Garrote’s uses Amblin’s Recurrence Field to build a ghostly theme park that is full of fright. The inhabitants are classic and they are presented to the viewing public under the safety of the Recurrence Field which houses them in a safe manner. Think of being able to watch real ghosts and being safe to do so. As Ralston takes us through the world he has created he uses footnotes to further explain the horrific details behind the characters and ghostly objects we meet. So when we meet the crazy psychiatrist Dr. Hammersmith from Bright Falls Sanitarium he is footnote 22 and when you flip to the back of the book under 22 he appears with a few detailed lines about his insane background. I found this aspect just pure genius and so much fun. There are 32 such notes and they enhance the book greatly. I researched some of them thinking that they were real but they are Ralston’s creations making this even more admirable. Ralston has one hell of an imagination!!
The park’s opening is highly anticipated and our heroes Lillian and Ben as well as Lillian’s therapist Allison attend together. Yet opening day for the park is opening day for the ghastly ghosts who under the direction of Rex Garrote have other ideas on their mind. They want to take over the park and the world and take out all of the living as well.
The set up or the beginning of the book is a full five stars. I will admit that the battle within and for the park by our heroes is a bit drawn out but there are some great moments here too. This middle part or the battle for the park sets up for just a fantastic finish which takes place at Garrote House which is now part of this theme park – Ghostland.
Honestly I don’t understand how some writers are given praise and fame for some very meh ideas in my mind. Yet something this unique, so well thought out, so original, just so damn fun is nowhere on the radar to be found. The writer in his notes at the end states that he was trying to capture the idea of Jurassic Park along with another Crichton book Sphere. I have no idea what Sphere is about but I will get to that one eventually but what the author came up with here is just so damn tantalizing. Clearly though Chrichton inspired this novel but it is truly one of a kind. I came upon this author from a recommendation by a friend who reviewed his novella Woom. That novel so intrigued me I was drawn to check out his other works. I thought the Ghostland Trilogy would be a good fit and it sure is. I hope this review inspires other readers to give this book a try. It is truly superior to Woom and Woom is a bit different to say the least but if you like horror and thrills mixed in with some mystery than this is a highly recommended five star read and a good place start with this author. ENJOY!! I have already picked up the next two in this trilogy :)
So I guess it takes place in the present. Ghostland is a theme park designed and created by the deceased horror writer Rex Garrote. He had lived at Garrote House which had been part of the Hedgewood Estate and once owned by Oliver Hedgewood who killed himself in the estate and after him more terrible events followed in the estate. Many felt that horror writer Rex Garrote was spoken to by the ghosts of this estate once he bought it and that’s when his greatest successes occurred in his writing as he relayed the stories of all the ghosts that reside their.
So in the present inventor Sarah Jane Amblin has created the Augmented Reality and breakthrough Recurrence Field which is used to capture ghosts and the full horror surrounding them. The author presents this in a factual way and you know what - it works. He uses the idea of dead energy and the fact that when one dies the energy that person once possessed can be captured. Now I have talked to many people about this very fact and even the non religious tend to believe that once dead a person’s energy is transferred somewhere. The book is not religious in any way but you have to wonder about it at some level because what eventually unfolds in the theme park for the dead ghosts and their extremely gore background is all about them and there are no real good ghosts to combat their evil mission of apparently taking over the world. Having said that many of the countless innocent park tourists that do die end up being against the macabre ghosts who the park was built for.
So Hedgewood Estates using their money as well as that of Garrote’s uses Amblin’s Recurrence Field to build a ghostly theme park that is full of fright. The inhabitants are classic and they are presented to the viewing public under the safety of the Recurrence Field which houses them in a safe manner. Think of being able to watch real ghosts and being safe to do so. As Ralston takes us through the world he has created he uses footnotes to further explain the horrific details behind the characters and ghostly objects we meet. So when we meet the crazy psychiatrist Dr. Hammersmith from Bright Falls Sanitarium he is footnote 22 and when you flip to the back of the book under 22 he appears with a few detailed lines about his insane background. I found this aspect just pure genius and so much fun. There are 32 such notes and they enhance the book greatly. I researched some of them thinking that they were real but they are Ralston’s creations making this even more admirable. Ralston has one hell of an imagination!!
The park’s opening is highly anticipated and our heroes Lillian and Ben as well as Lillian’s therapist Allison attend together. Yet opening day for the park is opening day for the ghastly ghosts who under the direction of Rex Garrote have other ideas on their mind. They want to take over the park and the world and take out all of the living as well.
The set up or the beginning of the book is a full five stars. I will admit that the battle within and for the park by our heroes is a bit drawn out but there are some great moments here too. This middle part or the battle for the park sets up for just a fantastic finish which takes place at Garrote House which is now part of this theme park – Ghostland.
Honestly I don’t understand how some writers are given praise and fame for some very meh ideas in my mind. Yet something this unique, so well thought out, so original, just so damn fun is nowhere on the radar to be found. The writer in his notes at the end states that he was trying to capture the idea of Jurassic Park along with another Crichton book Sphere. I have no idea what Sphere is about but I will get to that one eventually but what the author came up with here is just so damn tantalizing. Clearly though Chrichton inspired this novel but it is truly one of a kind. I came upon this author from a recommendation by a friend who reviewed his novella Woom. That novel so intrigued me I was drawn to check out his other works. I thought the Ghostland Trilogy would be a good fit and it sure is. I hope this review inspires other readers to give this book a try. It is truly superior to Woom and Woom is a bit different to say the least but if you like horror and thrills mixed in with some mystery than this is a highly recommended five star read and a good place start with this author. ENJOY!! I have already picked up the next two in this trilogy :)
February 27, 2020
Ghostland by Duncan Ralston is as close to Scooby Doo on an acid trip as you're likely to find. It's also a prime example of what indie authors should aspire to do--not just tell a good story, but do it in a completely innovative way.
The whole self-pub thing often gets a bad wrap due to those putting out sub-par material, often unedited and poorly conceived rip-offs that leave readers feeling, well, ripped off. Then there are those who have spent their time mastering the craft, who take pride in their work and challenge themselves with every new novel. Kealan Patrick Burke, Jeff Strand, Michaelbrent Collings, Edward Lorn, Michael Patrick Hicks, Max Booth III, Armand Rosamilla, Iain Rob Wright . . . the list goes on and on, all incredible authors who self-publish their work not because it's their ONLY option, but because it's the best option for them at this time.
Well, if you haven't already, make sure Duncan Ralston is added to your list.
I've seen Ghostland compared to Jurassic Park but with ghosts, and it's a ripe comparison. A theme park whose creators have brought together every haunted house and cursed object they could find, yet set behind a "recurrence field" which keeps these spirits from doing more than being observed (with your special augmented reality goggles, of course). It's a killer idea that's expanded upon with just enough science to balance things out without ever losing its focus on entertaining the hell out of you.
The set up is perfect, with our lead male actually dying in the book's opening pages (not a spoiler, as it's in the book's description). He's brought back, but through the process loses his friendship with the one girl he connected with. It's the relationship of these two that really brings heart to this story as they must work out not just their feelings, but guilt and fears over the course of the novel. All while trying to survive, of course.
Now this is a horror enthusiast's horror novel, and Ralston quickly goes for the jugular. When the gloves come off, they don't fall to the ground. They rise up and strike you in the face, then try to jam their way down your throat, choking you in the process. The blood and mayhem reign supreme in Ghostland, and while I generally prefer a more gradual descent into madness, Ralston uses another mechanism to keep things ratcheting up throughout the story, and this is where things get interesting.
Because it's all about the ghosts.
Ralston takes his mythology serious, building an incredible backstory for not only the big baddie of the novel--Rex Garrote (a horror author himself)--but every ghost you encounter along the way. Like walking through a zoo, each ghost has its own entry in a "ghost index" which you can cross reference, should you choose to, which expands upon the the ghastly history of each haunted spirit. Like a video game where every level you beat leads to just a tougher boss, each time you think you've experienced as far as you're going to go in this novel, Ralston proves he can take you one step further. My favorite creation was the Behemoth, but there are loads of nasty fun to be explored along the way.
The pay offs are well earned, and I suspect there's a lot more to be explored within this world of Ralston's creating. And as far as theme parks go, this will be one you'll want to visit more than once.
The whole self-pub thing often gets a bad wrap due to those putting out sub-par material, often unedited and poorly conceived rip-offs that leave readers feeling, well, ripped off. Then there are those who have spent their time mastering the craft, who take pride in their work and challenge themselves with every new novel. Kealan Patrick Burke, Jeff Strand, Michaelbrent Collings, Edward Lorn, Michael Patrick Hicks, Max Booth III, Armand Rosamilla, Iain Rob Wright . . . the list goes on and on, all incredible authors who self-publish their work not because it's their ONLY option, but because it's the best option for them at this time.
Well, if you haven't already, make sure Duncan Ralston is added to your list.
I've seen Ghostland compared to Jurassic Park but with ghosts, and it's a ripe comparison. A theme park whose creators have brought together every haunted house and cursed object they could find, yet set behind a "recurrence field" which keeps these spirits from doing more than being observed (with your special augmented reality goggles, of course). It's a killer idea that's expanded upon with just enough science to balance things out without ever losing its focus on entertaining the hell out of you.
The set up is perfect, with our lead male actually dying in the book's opening pages (not a spoiler, as it's in the book's description). He's brought back, but through the process loses his friendship with the one girl he connected with. It's the relationship of these two that really brings heart to this story as they must work out not just their feelings, but guilt and fears over the course of the novel. All while trying to survive, of course.
Now this is a horror enthusiast's horror novel, and Ralston quickly goes for the jugular. When the gloves come off, they don't fall to the ground. They rise up and strike you in the face, then try to jam their way down your throat, choking you in the process. The blood and mayhem reign supreme in Ghostland, and while I generally prefer a more gradual descent into madness, Ralston uses another mechanism to keep things ratcheting up throughout the story, and this is where things get interesting.
Because it's all about the ghosts.
Ralston takes his mythology serious, building an incredible backstory for not only the big baddie of the novel--Rex Garrote (a horror author himself)--but every ghost you encounter along the way. Like walking through a zoo, each ghost has its own entry in a "ghost index" which you can cross reference, should you choose to, which expands upon the the ghastly history of each haunted spirit. Like a video game where every level you beat leads to just a tougher boss, each time you think you've experienced as far as you're going to go in this novel, Ralston proves he can take you one step further. My favorite creation was the Behemoth, but there are loads of nasty fun to be explored along the way.
The pay offs are well earned, and I suspect there's a lot more to be explored within this world of Ralston's creating. And as far as theme parks go, this will be one you'll want to visit more than once.
December 30, 2021
Bring on book 2!!
A great beginning to a fantastic trilogy!! Looking forward to reading book 2 & 3!! A ghostly theme park, of which I would have been one of the first in the queue to get in. Had a 13 Ghosts vibe to it, which I love!!
A great beginning to a fantastic trilogy!! Looking forward to reading book 2 & 3!! A ghostly theme park, of which I would have been one of the first in the queue to get in. Had a 13 Ghosts vibe to it, which I love!!
December 22, 2021
Great start to this series. I will be buying the next 2 books for sure. Well written. Great idea! A must read!
November 19, 2019
This is Duncan Ralston at his most ambitious. The size of the novel alone will testify to that, all 400 some pages of it, complete with footnotes and supplemental materials. I respect that. But don’t love it. To be fair, my previous experience with the author has been in shorter forms, he does a good novella and a decent, albeit somewhat sow, novel. But this was his epic baby, swimming in the epic amounts of bathwater. This was a grand project and as these things do, it hinged upon a grand concept. Imagine a giant interactive amusement park, but with…ghosts. That’s right. Through some questionable new technology, a scientist manages to bring ghosts to a semblance of life, sufficient life to haunt the crap out of those brave enough to set foot into such an attraction. Among those brave foot setters are a pair of our protagonists, two eighteen year old kids, former best friends, trying to possible rekindle the connection through this extreme experience. Wouldn’t you know it, things go horribly wrong almost from the start and the entire thing turns into one elaborate prolonged survival scenario. It stands to mention that although the two leads are teens, this isn’t really a YA story, nor (the author swears) was it intended as one. This is meant to be more a coming of age thing and sure, it was, but for me the characters were still too young to properly engage with. And there was no one in the extended (mostly death bound) cast to especially care about either. It just didn’t seem like that kind of story. There were things Ralston got right…he went very imaginative with the exhibits and ghosts themselves (he gave each one a backstory, which was just charming), he got creative with death sequences and the main evil mastermind behind it all was interesting, if over the top. But overall the book wasn’t quite for me…too gore and guts splattered, too action driven, too loud somehow. And the digital aspect of the Ghostland’s creation just didn’t quite thrill…too modern of a concept for something as timeless as ghosts. In tone, energy, delivery, sophistication of writing and some of the themes it was almost like a very violent very graphic (advanced maybe) YA story. I’m not sure. Maybe it was just too long for what it was. I bet it’d be a fun novella or a more moderately sized novel. Plenty entertaining, mind you, especially if you’re in a mood for this sort of thing, but nothing really exceptional. Or, unlike the main concept of the plot, not revolutionary in any way. Fun read and went by quickly enough, considering the size. Bet it would make a really awesome or at least awesomely cheesy movie, though, if done right. The special effects alone.
November 27, 2020
OH MY GOODNESS! What a creepy, scary fun ride this book was! Blood, gore, ghosts and mayhem! I really enjoyed this book. I love amusement parks and the idea of an amusement park complete with REAL ghosts just sounded like the ride of a lifetime!
Ghostland is centered mainly on the character of Ben, a sensitive teenage boy who loves all things horror and has read every book by Rex Garrote. He is his number one fan! He is fourteen when he watches the authors house rolling by his window thru the middle of town. It is headed to the site of construction for the Ghostland park. When he sees who he believes is Rex Garrote in one of the houses windows, he instantly has a heart attack!
Fast forward to four years later when Rex is currently ostracized by everyone including his former best friend Lil (Lillian is what she prefers to be called now). Ghostland's grand opening its coming and Ben is determined to go to it with Lil in tow.
What follows is the story of that crazy day when Ben, Lil, and her therapist Allison do go to the new absent park and all the insanity and murder that ensues.
This is a wild ride and so so good. I have not read a book in this genre that was this good, in so long!!! What a refreshing surprise! I highly recommend this book for lovers of a good, old fashioned, straight up horror story!!!
Thank you so much to Shadow Works Publishing and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this real gem!
Ghostland is centered mainly on the character of Ben, a sensitive teenage boy who loves all things horror and has read every book by Rex Garrote. He is his number one fan! He is fourteen when he watches the authors house rolling by his window thru the middle of town. It is headed to the site of construction for the Ghostland park. When he sees who he believes is Rex Garrote in one of the houses windows, he instantly has a heart attack!
Fast forward to four years later when Rex is currently ostracized by everyone including his former best friend Lil (Lillian is what she prefers to be called now). Ghostland's grand opening its coming and Ben is determined to go to it with Lil in tow.
What follows is the story of that crazy day when Ben, Lil, and her therapist Allison do go to the new absent park and all the insanity and murder that ensues.
This is a wild ride and so so good. I have not read a book in this genre that was this good, in so long!!! What a refreshing surprise! I highly recommend this book for lovers of a good, old fashioned, straight up horror story!!!
Thank you so much to Shadow Works Publishing and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this real gem!
August 22, 2020
Summary
Ben and Lilan each have their own reasons for visiting Ghostland on opening day. The fact that they've barely spoken over the last 4 years and Lilian's therapist joining them puts an awkward start to their day.
The park, and the ghosts inside, have other plans for opening day that involve an unexpected virus, many deaths and complete chaos.
Ben and Lilian are about to find out that there is nothing fun or amusing when it comes to the dead.
Personal Opinion
This is my first Duncan Ralston read and it was a fun ride.
First of all, I absolutely love that this book has its own website setup at www.ghostlandpark.com It also has an open ending with promises of future ghost action still to come.
I can definitely tell Jurassic Park was a big inspiration for this and I found some similarities to Thirteen Ghosts (from 2001) as well.
The thought, time and detail Duncan put into this book really shows, making it stand out among the few other haunted theme park novels I have read in the past.
The ghost hunter's guide to Ghostland portion at the end was amazing! It gave a lot of details on the ghosts inside the park and made the whole story seem that much more realistic. Also I liked that Annabelle was involved, of course.
I managed to catch a few small spelling errors, but no major complaints. I would love to see this one made into a movie someday.
Ben and Lilan each have their own reasons for visiting Ghostland on opening day. The fact that they've barely spoken over the last 4 years and Lilian's therapist joining them puts an awkward start to their day.
The park, and the ghosts inside, have other plans for opening day that involve an unexpected virus, many deaths and complete chaos.
Ben and Lilian are about to find out that there is nothing fun or amusing when it comes to the dead.
Personal Opinion
This is my first Duncan Ralston read and it was a fun ride.
First of all, I absolutely love that this book has its own website setup at www.ghostlandpark.com It also has an open ending with promises of future ghost action still to come.
I can definitely tell Jurassic Park was a big inspiration for this and I found some similarities to Thirteen Ghosts (from 2001) as well.
The thought, time and detail Duncan put into this book really shows, making it stand out among the few other haunted theme park novels I have read in the past.
The ghost hunter's guide to Ghostland portion at the end was amazing! It gave a lot of details on the ghosts inside the park and made the whole story seem that much more realistic. Also I liked that Annabelle was involved, of course.
I managed to catch a few small spelling errors, but no major complaints. I would love to see this one made into a movie someday.
November 16, 2022
I did enjoy this & I feel like this would make an AMAZING movie. Personally though, it was a lot of moving parts for me. I know Ralston needed to fit all the visuals into the book to get it across, it just felt choppy to me because of it.
Overall though, super creative concept. Certainly have not read anything else like it. I’ll be picking up the rest of the trilogy for sure.
Overall though, super creative concept. Certainly have not read anything else like it. I’ll be picking up the rest of the trilogy for sure.
November 19, 2020
What a ride.
A brutal and gory coming of age story. Ralston's vision is epic and he brings it to life in spectacular fashion. I loved the characters, I loved the story and I loved the writing. Bloody well done. Highly recommended.
A brutal and gory coming of age story. Ralston's vision is epic and he brings it to life in spectacular fashion. I loved the characters, I loved the story and I loved the writing. Bloody well done. Highly recommended.
Read
November 4, 2022There is a tendency in our popular culture to try and mask the redoing of something by putting it inside a shiny new box that ultimately ends up feeling mostly contrived and ineffective. Like, let’s do Blade Runner, except we’ll make it a western. But it will still be in the future. And there will be singing.
No thanks.
So whenever I hear of a concept where the thrust seems to be, “let’s take this previously successful idea and… But wait! Wait until you see this crazy twist on it.” I tend to be a bit skeptical.
Perhaps it’s because I happen to know how much disdain Duncan Ralston feels for Jurassic Park that I was willing to be more open minded with this one. It likely has much more to do with the fact that I know how good of an author he is and that he’s not the type to simply go for a cheap gimmick or trick in order to put a book together. Ghostland is a book that follows the same basic premise of Jurassic Park, an amusement park gone horribly and dangerously wrong. But unlike the towering dinosaurs of old, we are treated to a park overrun by the paranormal.
I had an opportunity to read this book in the earlier stages of its development, for the chance to provide some input and I have to say that even then, I found a lot of originality and a great spark of creativity behind the central drive of the plot.
One hinge in particular that I was taken with was the technicality of the writing. You don’t hear me talking about him as much but one of my favorite authors from high school and even college was Michael Crichton, again back to Jurassic Park. But for as successful as that was (and that was my introduction to him), for me my interests went well beyond that book. I loved and appreciated how he was able to incorporate scientific and intellectual details into a story without making it feel forced, while keeping the plot engaging and captivating.
And he could have been getting his details completely wrong. But the point is taking a subject matter that might be dry and making it enjoyable to read.
This brings us back to Ghostland. And as with Jurassic Park, we are dealing with science and technology that does not exist. Still, Ralston approaches it head on in such fashion that it’s impossible to not take it seriously. He lends it a legitimacy that makes you forget that such things cannot really happen.
They can’t, right?
See my full review at : https://gingernutsofhorror.com/fictio...
No thanks.
So whenever I hear of a concept where the thrust seems to be, “let’s take this previously successful idea and… But wait! Wait until you see this crazy twist on it.” I tend to be a bit skeptical.
Perhaps it’s because I happen to know how much disdain Duncan Ralston feels for Jurassic Park that I was willing to be more open minded with this one. It likely has much more to do with the fact that I know how good of an author he is and that he’s not the type to simply go for a cheap gimmick or trick in order to put a book together. Ghostland is a book that follows the same basic premise of Jurassic Park, an amusement park gone horribly and dangerously wrong. But unlike the towering dinosaurs of old, we are treated to a park overrun by the paranormal.
I had an opportunity to read this book in the earlier stages of its development, for the chance to provide some input and I have to say that even then, I found a lot of originality and a great spark of creativity behind the central drive of the plot.
One hinge in particular that I was taken with was the technicality of the writing. You don’t hear me talking about him as much but one of my favorite authors from high school and even college was Michael Crichton, again back to Jurassic Park. But for as successful as that was (and that was my introduction to him), for me my interests went well beyond that book. I loved and appreciated how he was able to incorporate scientific and intellectual details into a story without making it feel forced, while keeping the plot engaging and captivating.
And he could have been getting his details completely wrong. But the point is taking a subject matter that might be dry and making it enjoyable to read.
This brings us back to Ghostland. And as with Jurassic Park, we are dealing with science and technology that does not exist. Still, Ralston approaches it head on in such fashion that it’s impossible to not take it seriously. He lends it a legitimacy that makes you forget that such things cannot really happen.
They can’t, right?
See my full review at : https://gingernutsofhorror.com/fictio...
December 11, 2020
I enjoyed this book, I liked the overall plot of the story as well as the characters. It has the YA feel to it in the begining, but once you get going it really is just a lot of gory goodness!
In short - It felt a lot like Jurassic Park with Ghosts instead of Dinos, and I am ok with that. It was a clever ghost story wrapped up in a way that I had not considered before, and I thought it was very well written. I look forward to reading the next installment.
In short - It felt a lot like Jurassic Park with Ghosts instead of Dinos, and I am ok with that. It was a clever ghost story wrapped up in a way that I had not considered before, and I thought it was very well written. I look forward to reading the next installment.
June 17, 2025
People are dying to get in. The ghosts will kill to get out. "Tell me... what are you afraid of?"
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We meet friends Ben and Lilian. Like most teens, they love to play online games. It's while they are playing that Lilian notices a strange occurrence outside her window. This is the introduction to the emotional opening that helps the reader to connect to these two characters.
Then we take a short jump ahead in time...some details are filled in, somethings have changed...but everything leads to one thing...it's the opening day at "Ghostland"!! Ben and Lilian now are not exactly "best friends" like they used to be, but they still see one another since they share some of the same other friends. This day they meet up, with Lilian’s therapist, and her friend Allison. Here is where we get the concept of Jurassic Park, but with Ghosts.
This part was a bit over my head, but I could see where it was necessary in order to make the story work. We are given the details behind the science, and engineering that makes the park works and operate....and we meet a few new characters.
I believe that there are two things with this story really make it stand out from other ghostly tales. The first is that on the Kindle version, the author has made an "interactive Ghostland experience". Too bad it can't be made to work with the book version. On the Kindle version, whenever the characters arrived at a new attraction or a specific feature, the book would have an underlined number. If you press the number, the history or back story of that particular thing would pop up. You then read it and close it and continue on reading. I don't read much on Kindle, so I'd never seen this before, but it was a clever addition.
You just have to love and root for these characters. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to Lilian or Ben and even grew to include Allison in the "protection circle".
When the ending brings everything together nicely. Duncan Ralston is a new author for me. I have to say that he went "above and beyond" with this one and i will diffidently be looking for more of his work.
We meet friends Ben and Lilian. Like most teens, they love to play online games. It's while they are playing that Lilian notices a strange occurrence outside her window. This is the introduction to the emotional opening that helps the reader to connect to these two characters.
Then we take a short jump ahead in time...some details are filled in, somethings have changed...but everything leads to one thing...it's the opening day at "Ghostland"!! Ben and Lilian now are not exactly "best friends" like they used to be, but they still see one another since they share some of the same other friends. This day they meet up, with Lilian’s therapist, and her friend Allison. Here is where we get the concept of Jurassic Park, but with Ghosts.
This part was a bit over my head, but I could see where it was necessary in order to make the story work. We are given the details behind the science, and engineering that makes the park works and operate....and we meet a few new characters.
I believe that there are two things with this story really make it stand out from other ghostly tales. The first is that on the Kindle version, the author has made an "interactive Ghostland experience". Too bad it can't be made to work with the book version. On the Kindle version, whenever the characters arrived at a new attraction or a specific feature, the book would have an underlined number. If you press the number, the history or back story of that particular thing would pop up. You then read it and close it and continue on reading. I don't read much on Kindle, so I'd never seen this before, but it was a clever addition.
You just have to love and root for these characters. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to Lilian or Ben and even grew to include Allison in the "protection circle".
When the ending brings everything together nicely. Duncan Ralston is a new author for me. I have to say that he went "above and beyond" with this one and i will diffidently be looking for more of his work.
April 12, 2022
A great start to the Ghostland trilogy
Welcome to the most haunted theme park in the world. I loved the whole concept behind Duncan Ralston’s Ghostland. Follow Ben and Lilian after
their first terrifying encounter with Garrotte’s mansion in ‘The Moving House’ as they enter the Ghostland theme park. Like any good theme park this is one hell of a ride. Highly recommend.
Welcome to the most haunted theme park in the world. I loved the whole concept behind Duncan Ralston’s Ghostland. Follow Ben and Lilian after
their first terrifying encounter with Garrotte’s mansion in ‘The Moving House’ as they enter the Ghostland theme park. Like any good theme park this is one hell of a ride. Highly recommend.
November 13, 2019
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Duncan Ralston decided to go big with his latest release, ‘Ghostland.’ Following a promotional campaign that may be the best single campaign for a book launch I’ve ever seen – indie and traditional, I can resoundingly say that ‘Ghostland’ absolutely delivers.
The build-up for this book was palpable. Starting with some blog posts about an author who Ralston remembered reading when he was younger, who nobody else appeared to know. Then a Wikipedia page was found – Rex Garrote, this seemingly lost to history author had resurfaced.
All of this leads into the final details of Rex’s life being discovered. After self-immolation, his final wishes were for the world’s largest park dedicated too and featuring ghost’s to be created in his name.
The book opens up introducing us to teen friends Ben and Lilian. They love to online game together and as they are playing, Lilian notices a strange occurrence outside her window. Ralston gives us an emotional opening that really helped me connect to these two characters.
We then get a short jump ahead in time, some details get filled in, but everything leads down one path – opening day at ‘Ghostland.’ Ben and Lilian, now not the best of friends they used to be, meet up, with Lilian’s therapist, Allison in tow.
From here, Ralston really delivers the core concept of Jurassic Park but with Ghosts.
We get the details of the science behind how the park works and operates as well as a few new characters get added into the mix. At one point, I even found myself equating certain characters with specific Jurassic Park characters in the hopes that I’d get a sneak peek at how things might play out.
I think two things with this story really make it stand above a lot of the other ghostly tales that get put out.
The first is clear immediately – on the Kindle version of this, Duncan has made an interactive Ghostland experience. Whenever the characters arrived at a new attraction or specific feature, the book would have an underlined number. By pressing on the number the history/back story of that particular thing would pop up. I’d then read it and close it and continue on my way. Not completely sure how this will work with the physical stuff, but the digital version – this was fantastic.
The second is the level of attachment Ralston created to his characters. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to Lilian or Ben and even grew to want to protect Allison.
When the ending rolls around and Ralston brings it all together, I was so impressed. Just a stunning work of art.
The entire package along, from early promo to the book to the interactive feature – staggering. Ralston really went above and beyond with this release and I think this will be one that many people will be talking about for years to come.
Duncan Ralston decided to go big with his latest release, ‘Ghostland.’ Following a promotional campaign that may be the best single campaign for a book launch I’ve ever seen – indie and traditional, I can resoundingly say that ‘Ghostland’ absolutely delivers.
The build-up for this book was palpable. Starting with some blog posts about an author who Ralston remembered reading when he was younger, who nobody else appeared to know. Then a Wikipedia page was found – Rex Garrote, this seemingly lost to history author had resurfaced.
All of this leads into the final details of Rex’s life being discovered. After self-immolation, his final wishes were for the world’s largest park dedicated too and featuring ghost’s to be created in his name.
The book opens up introducing us to teen friends Ben and Lilian. They love to online game together and as they are playing, Lilian notices a strange occurrence outside her window. Ralston gives us an emotional opening that really helped me connect to these two characters.
We then get a short jump ahead in time, some details get filled in, but everything leads down one path – opening day at ‘Ghostland.’ Ben and Lilian, now not the best of friends they used to be, meet up, with Lilian’s therapist, Allison in tow.
From here, Ralston really delivers the core concept of Jurassic Park but with Ghosts.
We get the details of the science behind how the park works and operates as well as a few new characters get added into the mix. At one point, I even found myself equating certain characters with specific Jurassic Park characters in the hopes that I’d get a sneak peek at how things might play out.
I think two things with this story really make it stand above a lot of the other ghostly tales that get put out.
The first is clear immediately – on the Kindle version of this, Duncan has made an interactive Ghostland experience. Whenever the characters arrived at a new attraction or specific feature, the book would have an underlined number. By pressing on the number the history/back story of that particular thing would pop up. I’d then read it and close it and continue on my way. Not completely sure how this will work with the physical stuff, but the digital version – this was fantastic.
The second is the level of attachment Ralston created to his characters. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to Lilian or Ben and even grew to want to protect Allison.
When the ending rolls around and Ralston brings it all together, I was so impressed. Just a stunning work of art.
The entire package along, from early promo to the book to the interactive feature – staggering. Ralston really went above and beyond with this release and I think this will be one that many people will be talking about for years to come.
November 14, 2019
A ghost story roller coaster ride!
I am completely blown away by this book! Lillian and Ben are childhood friends, playing video games in Duck Falls when pulled down the road is a massive house, not just any house but the Garrote house, once owned by a best selling horror author and the most haunted house in America. It’s on its way to be a center piece for Ghostland, an amusement park where you can see actual ghosts! Ben views something in the window of the house that changes both their lives forever. No spoilers, think Jurassic Park only with ghosts and you know how that turned out, mayhem and terror as these two re-connect after 4 years, Ben needing to end this house and Lillian needing to learn to accept life again, the two of them with Lillians therapist decide to check out opening day. Needless to say disaster strikes and it’s a rush to survive or become a ghost as well..
There is so much more to this book then this blurb, the interactive part was awesome! Why I recommend the ebook just to have this available to you. Scary, gory, fast paced and the amazing backstories of some of these ghosts, the science, the history as well as the action spins around you, by far the best ghost story I’ve ever read! The author is on top of his game with this book and I hope to see a follow up or another project that includes some of the the extras. So much material here! Read immediately!! Welcome to Ghostland!
I am completely blown away by this book! Lillian and Ben are childhood friends, playing video games in Duck Falls when pulled down the road is a massive house, not just any house but the Garrote house, once owned by a best selling horror author and the most haunted house in America. It’s on its way to be a center piece for Ghostland, an amusement park where you can see actual ghosts! Ben views something in the window of the house that changes both their lives forever. No spoilers, think Jurassic Park only with ghosts and you know how that turned out, mayhem and terror as these two re-connect after 4 years, Ben needing to end this house and Lillian needing to learn to accept life again, the two of them with Lillians therapist decide to check out opening day. Needless to say disaster strikes and it’s a rush to survive or become a ghost as well..
There is so much more to this book then this blurb, the interactive part was awesome! Why I recommend the ebook just to have this available to you. Scary, gory, fast paced and the amazing backstories of some of these ghosts, the science, the history as well as the action spins around you, by far the best ghost story I’ve ever read! The author is on top of his game with this book and I hope to see a follow up or another project that includes some of the the extras. So much material here! Read immediately!! Welcome to Ghostland!
January 3, 2024
Ben try’s to reconnect with his old best friend Lillian by bringing her to the opening of ghostland. Accompanied by her psychiatrist they explore the amusement park filled with ghost and cursed objects. But of course everything goes wrong as a computer virus set the ghost free. Leaving all the guest in danger and trapped.
This was a fun read. Their was a perfect balance between light hearted humor and horror. It felt like Jurassic Park but with ghost. This made some things easy to predict, but the things I got wrong, or a big surprise. I enjoyed every minute I spent with this book.
Duncan Ralston has proven himself to be a diverse horror author. This is the third book I read by him, and all the books couldn’t have been more different. This makes it incredibly easy to pick up more of his books, knowing that I won’t be reading the same style story just a different way. Everything by him it’s going to have a unique style in story to tell.
This was a fun read. Their was a perfect balance between light hearted humor and horror. It felt like Jurassic Park but with ghost. This made some things easy to predict, but the things I got wrong, or a big surprise. I enjoyed every minute I spent with this book.
Duncan Ralston has proven himself to be a diverse horror author. This is the third book I read by him, and all the books couldn’t have been more different. This makes it incredibly easy to pick up more of his books, knowing that I won’t be reading the same style story just a different way. Everything by him it’s going to have a unique style in story to tell.
October 11, 2022
Hilarious and gory. A perfect October read ❤️
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