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Ghost House
Ghost House is a short story collection where the madwomen are out of the attic and roaming the streets of Chicago, New York City and Prague. This series of "modern feminist ghost stories" explores the line between magic and reality and all the ways women can be haunted, and redeemed.
143 pages, Paperback
Published September 13, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 3, 2022
4 stars
Well this was super fun! Multiple short stories, all featuring enchanting women, plenty of locations, and true visual artistry. I don't know if I have ever read something that was self-described as "modern feminist ghost stories", but I dig every bit of it. Not all stories are ghost stories. Some are more supernatural, some touch on aliens, and others just give off a witchy vibe. As a fan of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, I thought some of the stories were truly reminiscent of her work. Sara's storytelling abilities are remarkable, and I would recommend this to anyone interested in horror all-year-'round (like myself) or just during the spooky season.
Well this was super fun! Multiple short stories, all featuring enchanting women, plenty of locations, and true visual artistry. I don't know if I have ever read something that was self-described as "modern feminist ghost stories", but I dig every bit of it. Not all stories are ghost stories. Some are more supernatural, some touch on aliens, and others just give off a witchy vibe. As a fan of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, I thought some of the stories were truly reminiscent of her work. Sara's storytelling abilities are remarkable, and I would recommend this to anyone interested in horror all-year-'round (like myself) or just during the spooky season.
January 6, 2023
2.8⭐️; Audiobook; Paranormal;
Well, this was a strange set of stories! 😂
I’m not sure I can accurately articulate what this book is about… but here goes nothing!
The book is made up of several short stories of the “paranormal” variety (I use that term lightly).
It has Ghost Real Estate (Which I originally thought was the entire premise of the book) where it turns out, ghosts are a buying feature! Who knew!
Aaaaaand then we’ve got some anal bleaching and $50 salad dressing.
I was entertained! But I am still confused LOL.
Well, this was a strange set of stories! 😂
I’m not sure I can accurately articulate what this book is about… but here goes nothing!
The book is made up of several short stories of the “paranormal” variety (I use that term lightly).
It has Ghost Real Estate (Which I originally thought was the entire premise of the book) where it turns out, ghosts are a buying feature! Who knew!
Aaaaaand then we’ve got some anal bleaching and $50 salad dressing.
I was entertained! But I am still confused LOL.
August 23, 2022
Witchy and wonderful, the stories in Ghost House are both surreal and all-too-real, creating a landscape that's unnerving, rage-inducing, and tender all at once. From supernatural frogs to the shadowy corners of a puppet theater, Connell's stories are stunning in their wild imagination and in their truths about womanhood, capitalism, and power. Fans of Carmen Maria Machado and Samanta Schweblin won't want to miss this. Thanks to the author for inviting me to read an advance copy!
November 19, 2022
Review to come.
September 17, 2022
“Ghost House” begins with the title story……what owner, and realtor, desires: the house that comes with it’s own ghost. Home owners talk about their ghosts as if they’re pets, sellers and realtors love them because they add value to the home. Ghosts are such fun……if they like you.
“Marionettes” was another strange story of a woman with a near-phobia of marionette’s who’s basically pushed into attending a marionette show by her fiancée, with tragic consequences.
The above mentioned stories were my favorites. I would categorize this collection of short stories more as weird fiction than horror. I’d say look elsewhere if you want a good scare. #netgalley #GhostHouse
“Marionettes” was another strange story of a woman with a near-phobia of marionette’s who’s basically pushed into attending a marionette show by her fiancée, with tragic consequences.
The above mentioned stories were my favorites. I would categorize this collection of short stories more as weird fiction than horror. I’d say look elsewhere if you want a good scare. #netgalley #GhostHouse
September 16, 2022
This was a good read that I wanted to love more but it missed the mark for me personally. The stories in and of themselves are by no means bad. But they are way less paranormal-y then you'd think. Even with the foreword stating something about metaphorical ghosts it should still have a haunting vibe. Besides the title, in the blurb it says "modern feminist ghost stories". So I don't think it's out of pocket to expect something haunting or haunting like. The first story gives me high hopes but as I kept reading I stopped being as into it.
March 25, 2023
Ghost House is a collection of short stories by author Sara Connell and each of these stories is truly excellent. They are full of horror, hauntings, very dark humor, and surprising endings. What more could a reader want? I highly recommend the book if you enjoy this kind of story. Each of the stories offers the reader something different and all of them are spellbinding in the telling.
In Ghost House, each story is about women who are attempting to deal with their everyday lives and events. Ms. Connell takes that so much further by showing the reader a new side of these lives as she combines the normal with the horrible fears and realities that lurk underneath the surface. A perfect example is the first story in the collection. In this story, the lead character Caitlin agrees to move into a new house with her husband that they are told is haunted. The hope is to fix up the house and sell it later for more money. As her husband enjoys fixing everything up and the background of having a ghost in the house, Caitlin becomes more fearful and neurotic over the ghost while trying to balance her career and love for her husband against this new terror. This is really the one story in the collection that reminds of a “traditional” ghost story but it is definitely not the only story I enjoyed. Each one is different and very well done.
Ms. Connell not only tells her reader excellent and captivating stories with each of the tales, she also gives us extremely diverse and interesting main characters in each of these women. While each of them is very different, they all have the one common trait, trying to survive in the normal day-to-day life that they live. The other thing that was so very impressive was the descriptive writing. As each story unfolds, it is easy for the reader to feel that they are really there in the middle of it, living the normal as well as the terror that is brought into each of the women’s lives. The writing has just the right amount of everything.
I was impressed with everything about this book and that is really saying something for me, as horror is not a genre that I normally find myself enjoying. I think what made me so involved in these stories was the fact that I never expected a collection of horror stories to have such amazing and well-rounded feminist lead characters and it really made it worth reading for me. I would recommend Ghost House to everyone. It is worth the time to read it and the terror that you will experience while doing so. Sara Connell has given us an excellent example of perfect short stories. 5 Stars!!
In Ghost House, each story is about women who are attempting to deal with their everyday lives and events. Ms. Connell takes that so much further by showing the reader a new side of these lives as she combines the normal with the horrible fears and realities that lurk underneath the surface. A perfect example is the first story in the collection. In this story, the lead character Caitlin agrees to move into a new house with her husband that they are told is haunted. The hope is to fix up the house and sell it later for more money. As her husband enjoys fixing everything up and the background of having a ghost in the house, Caitlin becomes more fearful and neurotic over the ghost while trying to balance her career and love for her husband against this new terror. This is really the one story in the collection that reminds of a “traditional” ghost story but it is definitely not the only story I enjoyed. Each one is different and very well done.
Ms. Connell not only tells her reader excellent and captivating stories with each of the tales, she also gives us extremely diverse and interesting main characters in each of these women. While each of them is very different, they all have the one common trait, trying to survive in the normal day-to-day life that they live. The other thing that was so very impressive was the descriptive writing. As each story unfolds, it is easy for the reader to feel that they are really there in the middle of it, living the normal as well as the terror that is brought into each of the women’s lives. The writing has just the right amount of everything.
I was impressed with everything about this book and that is really saying something for me, as horror is not a genre that I normally find myself enjoying. I think what made me so involved in these stories was the fact that I never expected a collection of horror stories to have such amazing and well-rounded feminist lead characters and it really made it worth reading for me. I would recommend Ghost House to everyone. It is worth the time to read it and the terror that you will experience while doing so. Sara Connell has given us an excellent example of perfect short stories. 5 Stars!!
November 17, 2022
The house creaked with an otherworldly inhabitant as she carefully traipsed from room to room trying to avoid its wrath. Not only was she contending with this unwanted houseguest, but was also battling the ghosts from her past that still haunted her to this day. Her mind whirled and she flinched with each noise… her body becoming unfamiliar territory. She wasn’t sure who she was anymore.
Ghost House is a short story collection that not only explores paranormal ghosts, but also dives into the ghosts of our pasts, as well as the ghosts of ourselves. It was an intriguing collection of ghosts of all kinds and really gets the mind thinking about how the world impacts us on daily basis… constantly creating “ghosts.”
My personal favorite stories in this collection were Marionettes, Ghost House, and Unending Day. The first two being very chilling stories and preying on people’s fears, while the third one dealt with mental health and people grappling with therapy.
If you’re a fan of short story collections and want to explore the wide world of ghosts in all their nuances, then definitely pick this book up!
TW: Death, Murder, Mental Illness, Chronic Illness, Sexual Assault/Rape.
Thank you Red Clover Digital for my copy.
Ghost House is a short story collection that not only explores paranormal ghosts, but also dives into the ghosts of our pasts, as well as the ghosts of ourselves. It was an intriguing collection of ghosts of all kinds and really gets the mind thinking about how the world impacts us on daily basis… constantly creating “ghosts.”
My personal favorite stories in this collection were Marionettes, Ghost House, and Unending Day. The first two being very chilling stories and preying on people’s fears, while the third one dealt with mental health and people grappling with therapy.
If you’re a fan of short story collections and want to explore the wide world of ghosts in all their nuances, then definitely pick this book up!
TW: Death, Murder, Mental Illness, Chronic Illness, Sexual Assault/Rape.
Thank you Red Clover Digital for my copy.
November 16, 2022
I was REALLY looking forward to this one and, as is the case with many short story collections, some pieces of this I liked and others I did not. I think maybe the title, and even moreso the cover art, mislead me. This is pitched as “modern feminist ghost stories” and I think there was only ONE story about actual…ghosts. (A few other mentionings, and certainly a couple stories with other witchy or paranormal (alien) vibes, but some of the stories I wouldn’t have thought “ghost story” at all. I didn’t actively dislike any of them; they’re all well written, and short, plus several have some solid humor. But…most of them weren’t what I expected. I *love* the concept, but again I think the “childhood sleepover spooky tales” vibes given in the foreword and the cover art didn’t match the stories inside. I enjoyed the first story of the twelve, “Ghost House”, the best. Honestly I would’ve loved to see that one as a full length novel. (Mature content, not classroom friendly without edits!)
I appreciate and thank Red Clover Digital for allowing me the opportunity to read this and give my honest review.
I appreciate and thank Red Clover Digital for allowing me the opportunity to read this and give my honest review.
September 21, 2022
It's great to see new writers coming to this Genre with an interesting storyline. Here is my detailed Review of the book:
1- The language is easy and relatable so any age group can read and understand
2- The description of the characters is done nicely.
3- Liked all the 12 stories. These stories were written like a movie script.
4- These stories are set in Chicago, New York City, and Prague. So readers won’t feel bored reading about only one location.
5- There are 2-3 stories that have the potential to be converted into full-length novels
Overall I liked the book as it was an easy read. I am sure many who are new to this genre will feel the thrill
1- The language is easy and relatable so any age group can read and understand
2- The description of the characters is done nicely.
3- Liked all the 12 stories. These stories were written like a movie script.
4- These stories are set in Chicago, New York City, and Prague. So readers won’t feel bored reading about only one location.
5- There are 2-3 stories that have the potential to be converted into full-length novels
Overall I liked the book as it was an easy read. I am sure many who are new to this genre will feel the thrill
November 21, 2022
Read review at https://cynthology.blogspot.com/2022/...
The house that sculptor Caitlin and her currently unemployed school teacher husband John are considering buying is haunted by a ghost in the titular story, Ghost House. It is one of the selling points of the house. Caitlin isn't convinced but John insists that the ghost is a benign presence. They move in and John won't believe her, that the ghost isn't benign at all. Soon Caitlin will learn how right she is. But will it be too late for her?
The author begins with a bang. The titular story, skillfully juggles the themes of art, motherhood and unrequited desires, and is impactful.
Les Grenouilles (the Frogs, in French) is hard to summarise. It's about a group of school girls, one of whom develops a mutation that prevents her growth and requires surgery. Her friends, including the unnamed narrator, are convinced that frogs' blood will heal her. This story combines the fear of disease with the hope brought on by miracle cures and the hold that religions and psychotropic drugs can have on humans.
Terroir is about a girl's feelings of terror towards her sense of her own body and sex, as also the sense of terror generated among women by the beauty and fitness industries. Terroir is actually defined as the complete natural environment of a wine, including factors such as soil, topography and climate. But, in English, it made sense as the terror generated in an environment that thrives on hounding women to care more than necessary about their physical appearance, thriving on the creation of fear around false imperfections.
In Girls, the narrator was an unusual one. A neon poster outside a brothel, one that serves as its mascot and pulls in the customers, addresses us. This one is about the fear that respectable society feels towards the sex industry.
Marionettes was another story I liked. Kate, on the verge of an engagement with boyfriend, Dan, expects to be proposed to while on holiday in Prague. Instead, her childhood fear relating to marionettes is revived until it ends with the worst outcome for her.
In Tarifa, we read about a horrific incident in the life of the unnamed mother of our unnamed narrator. As a young girl, the unnamed mother and her two friends, while on the road between Marbella and Tarifa in Spain, are propositioned and threatened at knifepoint. I was impressed with this one too. This story is to do with the fear of sexual assault.
Night Sky is a little vague. Ned's girlfriend, Joyce, a talented, atheistic artist with a scientific bent of mind, is increasingly taken with a lot of New Age things. When she vanishes, the residents of the trailer park where she lived begin to believe that she has been abducted by aliens. Will Ned find the answers he seeks?
Powell's Priests is about a people who overlook the sins of the priests because of the honey they bring them. It is the shortest story in this book, a little over a page.
In One More, a woman who has dreams about impending disasters, realises that all things destructive are named after women. She feels that her dreams have caused her to be shunned by people, as if I were a ghost.
In Salad, the narrator, stuck home due to a medical condition, becomes obsessed with a famous actress. This story takes a deliciously creepy turn towards the end.
In Unending Day, the unnamed narrator has lost her promotion after calling a colleague an expletive. The boss forces her to sign up for therapy, but the therapist, it appears, won't let her leave.
Not My Body is a poem.
I had been expecting more of a paranormal vibe. These stories were more about women and girls hounded and, in some cases, doing the hounding themselves. A few of the stories could have improved with better punctuation. I liked this author's writing style and the stories themselves.
The house that sculptor Caitlin and her currently unemployed school teacher husband John are considering buying is haunted by a ghost in the titular story, Ghost House. It is one of the selling points of the house. Caitlin isn't convinced but John insists that the ghost is a benign presence. They move in and John won't believe her, that the ghost isn't benign at all. Soon Caitlin will learn how right she is. But will it be too late for her?
The author begins with a bang. The titular story, skillfully juggles the themes of art, motherhood and unrequited desires, and is impactful.
Les Grenouilles (the Frogs, in French) is hard to summarise. It's about a group of school girls, one of whom develops a mutation that prevents her growth and requires surgery. Her friends, including the unnamed narrator, are convinced that frogs' blood will heal her. This story combines the fear of disease with the hope brought on by miracle cures and the hold that religions and psychotropic drugs can have on humans.
Terroir is about a girl's feelings of terror towards her sense of her own body and sex, as also the sense of terror generated among women by the beauty and fitness industries. Terroir is actually defined as the complete natural environment of a wine, including factors such as soil, topography and climate. But, in English, it made sense as the terror generated in an environment that thrives on hounding women to care more than necessary about their physical appearance, thriving on the creation of fear around false imperfections.
In Girls, the narrator was an unusual one. A neon poster outside a brothel, one that serves as its mascot and pulls in the customers, addresses us. This one is about the fear that respectable society feels towards the sex industry.
Marionettes was another story I liked. Kate, on the verge of an engagement with boyfriend, Dan, expects to be proposed to while on holiday in Prague. Instead, her childhood fear relating to marionettes is revived until it ends with the worst outcome for her.
In Tarifa, we read about a horrific incident in the life of the unnamed mother of our unnamed narrator. As a young girl, the unnamed mother and her two friends, while on the road between Marbella and Tarifa in Spain, are propositioned and threatened at knifepoint. I was impressed with this one too. This story is to do with the fear of sexual assault.
Night Sky is a little vague. Ned's girlfriend, Joyce, a talented, atheistic artist with a scientific bent of mind, is increasingly taken with a lot of New Age things. When she vanishes, the residents of the trailer park where she lived begin to believe that she has been abducted by aliens. Will Ned find the answers he seeks?
Powell's Priests is about a people who overlook the sins of the priests because of the honey they bring them. It is the shortest story in this book, a little over a page.
In One More, a woman who has dreams about impending disasters, realises that all things destructive are named after women. She feels that her dreams have caused her to be shunned by people, as if I were a ghost.
In Salad, the narrator, stuck home due to a medical condition, becomes obsessed with a famous actress. This story takes a deliciously creepy turn towards the end.
In Unending Day, the unnamed narrator has lost her promotion after calling a colleague an expletive. The boss forces her to sign up for therapy, but the therapist, it appears, won't let her leave.
Not My Body is a poem.
I had been expecting more of a paranormal vibe. These stories were more about women and girls hounded and, in some cases, doing the hounding themselves. A few of the stories could have improved with better punctuation. I liked this author's writing style and the stories themselves.
September 15, 2022
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this Advance Review Copy
I'm struggling with how to rate this book. I went into it expecting more ghosts/paranormal, based on the title being "Ghost House" and the blurb saying "modern feminist ghost stories". However, only 3 or 4 of the stories had any paranormal elements. The author says in the Foreword that a lot of these are stories about metaphorical ghosts that haunt us rather than actual ghosts. I don't mind metaphorical ghosts but I felt misled based on the title and description. Things I got instead of the paranormal: anal bleaching, sex dolls, frogs and attempted hallucinations, Barbies getting labiaplasties and pubic hair, strip club, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault, and bestiality. I kept thinking that I can't wait to read some of the negative reviews from people who went in expecting ghosts and got hit in the face with SEX.
The titular Ghost House short story was interesting - we live in a world where ghosts were not only accepted for haunting your house but increased the value. It was a unique take on the haunted house story. However, it didn't seem as clear as it could have been. I wasn't clear why our ghost was making life miserable for the main character when every other ghost helps people. I filled in some ideas to explain it, but the story itself left me wanting. Also, I didn't understand what was happening in the weird second to last scene with our main character - it felt like the author needed to be telling the story from a 3rd person perspective but was stuck with our narrator's first person. Also, autopsies don't seem to be a thing in this world...?
Marionettes was one of my 2 favorite stories in the collection - we get creepy, marionette dolls plus old women with curses. I wasn't clear on the final resolution of the story (was it real or imagined??) which was again frustrating. Numerous of the stories felt like they ended 1 paragraph sooner.
One More was a supernatural story about a person who gets an idea when something bad is going to happen. It had Final Destination vibes and was nice and creepy.
Terroir was my favorite non-supernatural. No supernatural elements (and the first story where I kept checking to see if I had opened the wrong book on my Kindle), but really well written and an interesting discussion about sexual ideals vs reality. Our main character learns how to let go of the shame she feels regarding sex and her vagina.
Girls was from the perspective of a neon strip club sign. Powell's Priests was about priests who make honey while having sex with married women and animals while eating raw sides of cows. They were both incredibly short and meh. Unending Day made me want to connect that poor girl with a better therapist and maybe some antidepressants. I likely would have appreciated Salad more if I weren't so frustrated with the lack of paranormal. Not My Body was a one page poem which I skimmed since it was the last one.
Overall, the stories themselves were decently written. Some needed fleshing out or better resolution. Overall, as long as you know what you're getting into with the metaphorical ghosts, it's a decent (and quick) read.
I'm struggling with how to rate this book. I went into it expecting more ghosts/paranormal, based on the title being "Ghost House" and the blurb saying "modern feminist ghost stories". However, only 3 or 4 of the stories had any paranormal elements. The author says in the Foreword that a lot of these are stories about metaphorical ghosts that haunt us rather than actual ghosts. I don't mind metaphorical ghosts but I felt misled based on the title and description. Things I got instead of the paranormal: anal bleaching, sex dolls, frogs and attempted hallucinations, Barbies getting labiaplasties and pubic hair, strip club, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault, and bestiality. I kept thinking that I can't wait to read some of the negative reviews from people who went in expecting ghosts and got hit in the face with SEX.
The titular Ghost House short story was interesting - we live in a world where ghosts were not only accepted for haunting your house but increased the value. It was a unique take on the haunted house story. However, it didn't seem as clear as it could have been. I wasn't clear why our ghost was making life miserable for the main character when every other ghost helps people. I filled in some ideas to explain it, but the story itself left me wanting. Also, I didn't understand what was happening in the weird second to last scene with our main character - it felt like the author needed to be telling the story from a 3rd person perspective but was stuck with our narrator's first person. Also, autopsies don't seem to be a thing in this world...?
Marionettes was one of my 2 favorite stories in the collection - we get creepy, marionette dolls plus old women with curses. I wasn't clear on the final resolution of the story (was it real or imagined??) which was again frustrating. Numerous of the stories felt like they ended 1 paragraph sooner.
One More was a supernatural story about a person who gets an idea when something bad is going to happen. It had Final Destination vibes and was nice and creepy.
Terroir was my favorite non-supernatural. No supernatural elements (and the first story where I kept checking to see if I had opened the wrong book on my Kindle), but really well written and an interesting discussion about sexual ideals vs reality. Our main character learns how to let go of the shame she feels regarding sex and her vagina.
Girls was from the perspective of a neon strip club sign. Powell's Priests was about priests who make honey while having sex with married women and animals while eating raw sides of cows. They were both incredibly short and meh. Unending Day made me want to connect that poor girl with a better therapist and maybe some antidepressants. I likely would have appreciated Salad more if I weren't so frustrated with the lack of paranormal. Not My Body was a one page poem which I skimmed since it was the last one.
Overall, the stories themselves were decently written. Some needed fleshing out or better resolution. Overall, as long as you know what you're getting into with the metaphorical ghosts, it's a decent (and quick) read.
July 6, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Muse Literary for this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
#NetGalley #MuseLiterary #GhostHouse #SaraConnell
This is a short story collection based on “hauntings” that befall women. The writing is beautiful and flows seamlessly between stories. It begins with the titular story. “Ghost House” is about a couple looking for their dream house in a time when ghosts are a selling point. This was my favorite in this anthology. The author is extremely creative and demonstrates lovely prose. Ms. Connell has a talent for making every day things like house hunting or puppets seem scary. She writes excellent characters that she fleshes out lovingly. The reader is treated to a number of different representatives of paranormal lore. We get ghosts, aliens, even witches. Each story is different and beautifully written.
A couple of the stories do go a little longer than necessary. The story involving witches entitled Les Grenouilles was slow and I’m still not 100% sure what was going on. There’s always one!
Overall, this was a fun collection and I recommend it for any fan of the paranormal.
#NetGalley #MuseLiterary #GhostHouse #SaraConnell
This is a short story collection based on “hauntings” that befall women. The writing is beautiful and flows seamlessly between stories. It begins with the titular story. “Ghost House” is about a couple looking for their dream house in a time when ghosts are a selling point. This was my favorite in this anthology. The author is extremely creative and demonstrates lovely prose. Ms. Connell has a talent for making every day things like house hunting or puppets seem scary. She writes excellent characters that she fleshes out lovingly. The reader is treated to a number of different representatives of paranormal lore. We get ghosts, aliens, even witches. Each story is different and beautifully written.
A couple of the stories do go a little longer than necessary. The story involving witches entitled Les Grenouilles was slow and I’m still not 100% sure what was going on. There’s always one!
Overall, this was a fun collection and I recommend it for any fan of the paranormal.
November 19, 2022
I absolutely love short stories and this book has 12 amazing short horror stories that all have amazing female characters, I never thought a horror book could have strong feminist characters - What I loved about each of these stories is that they are set in amazing locations from New York to Chicago and Prague, I enjoy traveling in a book this kept me wanting to get to the next story..
Sara has written each of these stories with great detail so you have a clear picture in a short read of what is happening-
The writing has just the right amount of scare and is perfect for readers who enjoy not just horror but supernatural / paranormal reads also.. this is a great way to give the genre a try if you have not read horror- short stories are a great way to try a new genre.. My favorites were
Ghost House, Marionettes and Unending Day but I truly loved all the stories - if you are a lover of anthologies and horror please give this book a read.
Thank you to Red Clover Digital for the gifted book..
Sara has written each of these stories with great detail so you have a clear picture in a short read of what is happening-
The writing has just the right amount of scare and is perfect for readers who enjoy not just horror but supernatural / paranormal reads also.. this is a great way to give the genre a try if you have not read horror- short stories are a great way to try a new genre.. My favorites were
Ghost House, Marionettes and Unending Day but I truly loved all the stories - if you are a lover of anthologies and horror please give this book a read.
Thank you to Red Clover Digital for the gifted book..
September 11, 2022
"Madwomen" roam the streets in these frightful and all too plausible fictional feasts
After a book saved her life 17 years ago, Sara Connell committed to making a contribution as an author and devoting her life to helping women and men with a story to share. That vow took her to Oprah, The New York Times, Forbes and to coaching thousands of amazing people who are now changing the lives of millions through their stories and talks.
This, Connell's first collection of short stories, published by Muse Literary, invites the reader into a world where the “madwomen” are out of the attic and roaming the streets in a phantasmagoric world of psychedelic frogs, maniacal therapists, talking neon signs and suffocating mothers. A newlywed couple purchase a much desired haunted house with disastrous results, a young woman loses her job, and her mind, and a group of high school girls attempt immortality in a last resort effort to save a friend.
A great read!
After a book saved her life 17 years ago, Sara Connell committed to making a contribution as an author and devoting her life to helping women and men with a story to share. That vow took her to Oprah, The New York Times, Forbes and to coaching thousands of amazing people who are now changing the lives of millions through their stories and talks.
This, Connell's first collection of short stories, published by Muse Literary, invites the reader into a world where the “madwomen” are out of the attic and roaming the streets in a phantasmagoric world of psychedelic frogs, maniacal therapists, talking neon signs and suffocating mothers. A newlywed couple purchase a much desired haunted house with disastrous results, a young woman loses her job, and her mind, and a group of high school girls attempt immortality in a last resort effort to save a friend.
A great read!
November 20, 2022
I wouldn't call these short stories all that scary, moreso just weird. So if you're looking for scary, this isn't it.
I was hoping for a more macabre setting at least in these, but it wasn't there. The writing was choppy and all over the place and a little hard to follow in other places. In fact some of the short stories I got major whiplash just trying to figure out how we got from point A to point b. I wanted to love this way more than I did unfortunately.
The first story took me a bit to get used to the writing style but the story itself I liked. The following stories felt flat and lackluster. The only one that had ghosts was the first one. So that was a bit of a letdown. The only other story that I sort of liked was "One More" however it didn't really seem to have an ending to me.
Thank you Red Clover Digital for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was hoping for a more macabre setting at least in these, but it wasn't there. The writing was choppy and all over the place and a little hard to follow in other places. In fact some of the short stories I got major whiplash just trying to figure out how we got from point A to point b. I wanted to love this way more than I did unfortunately.
The first story took me a bit to get used to the writing style but the story itself I liked. The following stories felt flat and lackluster. The only one that had ghosts was the first one. So that was a bit of a letdown. The only other story that I sort of liked was "One More" however it didn't really seem to have an ending to me.
Thank you Red Clover Digital for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2022
Ghost house is pitched as a collection of modern feminists Horror stories. I was so excited to read this one unfortunately I was a bit let down. The collection starts off fantastic with the first short story Ghost House. But after that it felt more like feminists stories with a tiny bit of supernatural. I was hoping for a better mix of the two. I still really enjoyed the authors writing style and would honestly love to see the short story Ghost House be turned into a novel. It has a ton of potential for that. Overall I still had a fun time reading this short story collection and wouldn’t mind checking out more work from the author in the future.
3/5 Stars
Thank you so much to Red Clover Digital for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.
3/5 Stars
Thank you so much to Red Clover Digital for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 20, 2023
This was such an intriguing collection of ghost stories from paranormal to ghost of the past and all the in between and it really gets you to thinking about things. These stories will take you on a roller coaster of emotions in the best way possible. Sara Connell is a truly remarkable author and story teller with the ability to pull you in and keep you invested. It’s rare for me to find a short story collection where I don’t really have anything bad to say about any of the stories contained within the collection. While I did have my favorites in this collection I didn’t think any of them were bad.
September 21, 2022
This is one of the most thrilling books, I have come across in recent times. The book is a collection of 12 different stories, set in New York, Chicago, and Prague. Each story has a different setup and provides enough awe moments to the reader.
The best aspect of the book is that the author has not shied away from experimenting with her writing technique. I enjoyed reading all the stories, however, these few ones instantly became my favourite- ‘Tarifa, Powell’s Priests, One More, Salad and Not My Body’.
The book is surely going to be loved by horror genre fans.
The best aspect of the book is that the author has not shied away from experimenting with her writing technique. I enjoyed reading all the stories, however, these few ones instantly became my favourite- ‘Tarifa, Powell’s Priests, One More, Salad and Not My Body’.
The book is surely going to be loved by horror genre fans.
November 19, 2022
If you’re a horror fan this is a great book for you! Ghost House includes a collection of short stories involving ghosts, supernatural beings, but also more serious topics like sexual assault, death, and mental illness. I did like how the stories were women focused and had underlying themes besides the ghosts. One thing I struggled with was the lack of defined chapters. Maybe it was just the version I had but it made it hard to follow and a bit choppy. Overall if you’re a fan of horror and creepy, detailed stories this is a great book for you! Thank you Red Clover Digital for my gifted copy!
September 21, 2022
Sara Connell serves a heady mix of horror tales that range from downright Hollywoodish to gory to the core. It is impressive the way the author has carefully crafted the progressive scale of scariness with each story.
Well, each story keeps you engaged and connected with the original plot. The stories are-
Ghost House
Les Grenouilles
Terroir
Girls
Marionettes
Tarifa
Night Sky
Powell’s Priests
One More
Salad
Unending Day
Not My Body
Well, each story keeps you engaged and connected with the original plot. The stories are-
Ghost House
Les Grenouilles
Terroir
Girls
Marionettes
Tarifa
Night Sky
Powell’s Priests
One More
Salad
Unending Day
Not My Body
September 21, 2022
Reading this horror novel is a first for me and I am glad I did. I simply raced through the book. It is a short book and with 12 stories having good diversity of scares and locations set across the world, I am sure there will be a few stories everyone will like. Mine were ‘Night Sky’ and ‘Unending Day’. Sara Connell has nailed it. The writing is clear and simple, easy to read. I look forward to many more scarier books in the future.
September 26, 2022
A fabulous, female centred book of short stories!
The cover art is brilliant, the writing is haunting and captivating.
Some of the stories were sad, many had parts that resonated with me. A few were a bit more opaque and I read them a few times to garner a deeper understanding of what the author was trying to convey.
There are spooks, aliens, patriarchy, and oppression of women in these tales, reader be warned.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Sara Connell & Muse Literary for a copy!
The cover art is brilliant, the writing is haunting and captivating.
Some of the stories were sad, many had parts that resonated with me. A few were a bit more opaque and I read them a few times to garner a deeper understanding of what the author was trying to convey.
There are spooks, aliens, patriarchy, and oppression of women in these tales, reader be warned.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Sara Connell & Muse Literary for a copy!
November 18, 2022
Thank you Red Clover Digital for the #gifted copy!
•• R E V I E W ••
Witchy and supernatural ghost stories collection that will make you shiver. I enjoyed reading this collection so much because the stories painted a vivid picture in my head. The collection, in totality, explored different socio-cultural issues that concern feminism. There were also mental health representations in some stories which i loved. It was such an interesting read and i do recommend it!
•• R E V I E W ••
Witchy and supernatural ghost stories collection that will make you shiver. I enjoyed reading this collection so much because the stories painted a vivid picture in my head. The collection, in totality, explored different socio-cultural issues that concern feminism. There were also mental health representations in some stories which i loved. It was such an interesting read and i do recommend it!
March 8, 2025
"modern feminist ghost stories" is not a description you find in many book synopsis, but it fits exactly for this book of ghost stories.....female ghosts. Take a chance, read the book, then you'll share it just like I'm going to.
March 25, 2025
This is a novella compilation of short stories and of course I liked some more than others. I really enjoyed the ghosty ones! I think my favorite was the one about the marionette puppets plus a few others. No Spoilers! I definitely recommend this book!
September 10, 2022
A truly unique collection of short stories. Some of these I really enjoyed, while a few were just not for me. Overall a pretty fun and entertaining read
November 1, 2022
This is a collection of scary or horror short stories. My personal favorite was "One More". All of the stories were good.
Thanks to Netgalley and Muse Literary for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and Muse Literary for the ARC.
December 6, 2022
Ghost House is a short story collection where the madwomen are out of the attic and roaming the streets of Chicago, New York City and Prague. This series of "modern feminist ghost stories" explores the line between magic and reality and all the ways women can be haunted, and redeemed.
April 15, 2023
A short horror story collection, it’s a fast paced read and the stories interlock together. The stories flows together nicely. A small anthology of four stories, each one is entertaining and keeps the reader guessing. Each story is different and has a nice variety of different characters and plot lines. Although they’re different stories, each one of them tells a cautionary tale and each of the women the stories are affected by a common ailment. An enchanting book with clever characters and plots.
Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Muse Library for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Muse Library for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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