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Dangerous Times #2
Nightmare
Ghost Town is the hottest amusement park in the country, offering state-of-the-art chills and thrills involving the paranormal. The park's main ride is a haunted mansion that promises an encounter with a real ghost.
When Maia Peters visits during her senior year of college, she's not expecting to be impressed. Maia grew up as the only child of a pair of world-renowned "ghost hunters," so the paranormal is nothing new. In fact, the ride feels pretty boring until the very end. There, a face appears from the mist. The face of Jordin Cole, a girl who disappeared from campus a year ago.
Convinced what she saw wasn't a hoax and desperate to find answers to Jordin's disappearance, Maia launches into a quest for answers. Joined by Jordin's boyfriend--a pastor's kid with very different ideas about the spirit realm--Maia finds herself in a struggle against forces she never expected to confront.
When Maia Peters visits during her senior year of college, she's not expecting to be impressed. Maia grew up as the only child of a pair of world-renowned "ghost hunters," so the paranormal is nothing new. In fact, the ride feels pretty boring until the very end. There, a face appears from the mist. The face of Jordin Cole, a girl who disappeared from campus a year ago.
Convinced what she saw wasn't a hoax and desperate to find answers to Jordin's disappearance, Maia launches into a quest for answers. Joined by Jordin's boyfriend--a pastor's kid with very different ideas about the spirit realm--Maia finds herself in a struggle against forces she never expected to confront.
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2010
40 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Robin Parrish
28 books216 followersInfusions of Faith, a colorful, artful collection of Robin Parrish's finest nonfiction work, is available NOW exclusively at Barnes & Noble.
Robin Parrish is the author of more than a dozen novels across multiple genres, including Nightmare, Offworld, Vigilante, Corridor, the Dominion Trilogy, and his exciting new series The Riftwalkers. He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife and two teenagers.
Robin Parrish is the author of more than a dozen novels across multiple genres, including Nightmare, Offworld, Vigilante, Corridor, the Dominion Trilogy, and his exciting new series The Riftwalkers. He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife and two teenagers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
December 30, 2010
This book definetly wasn't what I expected at first. I thought it was just another kids hunt down ghosts-kids tamper with forces too powerful for their control-kids suffer with the added twist that one of them was an expert. I was very delighted that it had something more.
The flashbacks were easily the most interesting parts of the story to me. Although not scary, I've always been interested in hauntings so it was nice to see smart characters react realistically without going out of hand.
The present scenes seemed slower but pretty interesting, but almost not enough for me to read them with the sole purpose of getting past them so I could get to the flashbacks. They just seamed- dull and not thrilling and suspenseful enough for me to have an avid interest in what happened to Jordin and all of the other victims.
I really liked the arguments between Derek and Maia concerning Derek's attitude against the existence of ghosts and Maia's opposing. There were some annoying blocks of information that really annoyed me as I was reading though.
The purpose of the art professor and Pierre seemed to be for the sake of convenience.
The ending of the story really dampered my fondness for the story. The whole other-dimension/demon thing really made no sense to me in the context of everything that happened. To me, there wasn't enough foreshadowing or even information to support the fact that the demon/cube idea was plausible. Also, the explanation for why Jordin attracted a lot of phenomena was really lacking.
2/5
The flashbacks were easily the most interesting parts of the story to me. Although not scary, I've always been interested in hauntings so it was nice to see smart characters react realistically without going out of hand.
The present scenes seemed slower but pretty interesting, but almost not enough for me to read them with the sole purpose of getting past them so I could get to the flashbacks. They just seamed- dull and not thrilling and suspenseful enough for me to have an avid interest in what happened to Jordin and all of the other victims.
I really liked the arguments between Derek and Maia concerning Derek's attitude against the existence of ghosts and Maia's opposing. There were some annoying blocks of information that really annoyed me as I was reading though.
The purpose of the art professor and Pierre seemed to be for the sake of convenience.
The ending of the story really dampered my fondness for the story. The whole other-dimension/demon thing really made no sense to me in the context of everything that happened. To me, there wasn't enough foreshadowing or even information to support the fact that the demon/cube idea was plausible. Also, the explanation for why Jordin attracted a lot of phenomena was really lacking.
2/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2015
Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2MOVYJN...
My blog: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...
I was pretty sure before I even started Nightmare that I would enjoy it - none of Robin Parrish's books that I've read so far have disappointed me. In fact, Corridor and Vigilante are two of my favorite books and I loved the Dominion Trilogy when I read it years ago!!
Nightmare was really weird - in a good way! I don't know if I've ever read a book that went into so many details about ghosts and the paranormal. I liked how almost every other chapter was about a haunting Maia and Jordin went on - some of them were really creepy!
I think Nightmare will definitely make you think about what you believe regarding ghosts and the paranormal... it definitely did for me!
There was very little to no romance in Nightmare which I found great for a change. Most books I read have a romance story in it, and while I do like that, I love a good suspense/thriller!!
I wouldn't recommend reading Nightmare late at night... especially if it's storming. I did, and let's just say I had a little difficulty falling asleep...
Overall, I loved Nightmare and recommend it if you like suspense/thrillers and don't mind reading about ghosts and the paranormal.
*I got Nightmare on my own and decided to share my thoughts about it. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
My blog: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...
I was pretty sure before I even started Nightmare that I would enjoy it - none of Robin Parrish's books that I've read so far have disappointed me. In fact, Corridor and Vigilante are two of my favorite books and I loved the Dominion Trilogy when I read it years ago!!
Nightmare was really weird - in a good way! I don't know if I've ever read a book that went into so many details about ghosts and the paranormal. I liked how almost every other chapter was about a haunting Maia and Jordin went on - some of them were really creepy!
I think Nightmare will definitely make you think about what you believe regarding ghosts and the paranormal... it definitely did for me!
There was very little to no romance in Nightmare which I found great for a change. Most books I read have a romance story in it, and while I do like that, I love a good suspense/thriller!!
I wouldn't recommend reading Nightmare late at night... especially if it's storming. I did, and let's just say I had a little difficulty falling asleep...
Overall, I loved Nightmare and recommend it if you like suspense/thrillers and don't mind reading about ghosts and the paranormal.
*I got Nightmare on my own and decided to share my thoughts about it. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
October 2, 2013
(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
Maia is in her senior year of college, when her friend Jordin goes missing. The problem is that Maia and Jordin had been investigating ghosts, and now Maia is worried that Jordin may have become a ghost herself.
What has happened to Jordin? Does Maia have any hope of finding and rescuing her? And if Jordin is a ghost, how did it happen?
This was an okay story, but for most of it I was just bored.
Maia was an okay character, if a little standoffish, and Jordin was alright too, even if I thought her a little mad for wanting to chase ghosts.
The storyline was okay, but I spent most of the book wanting to put it down and not pick it up again. The story dragged, there was the odd creepy moment, but most of it was just dull, and I found it quite difficult to motivate myself to keep reading.
There were some moments that I thought the author had put some work into, such as using the hotel which inspired Stephen King to write ‘The Shining’ as one of the places that Maia investigated, but again, most of this story was just dull for me.
The ending was alright, but again, I found it difficult to actually care what was going on, and the last line was unbelievably cheesy. I don’t think I’ll read anything else by this author in the future.
Overall; an okay story, but I was just bored.
4.5 out of 10.
Maia is in her senior year of college, when her friend Jordin goes missing. The problem is that Maia and Jordin had been investigating ghosts, and now Maia is worried that Jordin may have become a ghost herself.
What has happened to Jordin? Does Maia have any hope of finding and rescuing her? And if Jordin is a ghost, how did it happen?
This was an okay story, but for most of it I was just bored.
Maia was an okay character, if a little standoffish, and Jordin was alright too, even if I thought her a little mad for wanting to chase ghosts.
The storyline was okay, but I spent most of the book wanting to put it down and not pick it up again. The story dragged, there was the odd creepy moment, but most of it was just dull, and I found it quite difficult to motivate myself to keep reading.
There were some moments that I thought the author had put some work into, such as using the hotel which inspired Stephen King to write ‘The Shining’ as one of the places that Maia investigated, but again, most of this story was just dull for me.
The ending was alright, but again, I found it difficult to actually care what was going on, and the last line was unbelievably cheesy. I don’t think I’ll read anything else by this author in the future.
Overall; an okay story, but I was just bored.
4.5 out of 10.
August 19, 2014
Excerpt:”Welcome to paranormal investigation. Hours of tedium, punctuated with seconds of skin-peeling terror. Just how it is.”
Ghost Town with its state-of-the-arts thrills and chills and own brand of controversy is one of the most frequently visited amusement park in America. So when Maia Peter, daughter of famous paranormal investigators, agreed to go with her senior classmates, she knows what to expect: Nothing. She had plenty of ethereal experiences to get spooked by a fun house. But isn’t expectation always a bust? She did get a real apparition but it was someone she knew, someone she hadn’t seen or heard for in months. It was Jordin Cole and she comes with a warning, “The nightmare is coming.”
I used to read Goosebumps by RL Stine when I was in elementary. We had plenty of Goosebumps in our school library and I think I’ve read it all before I graduated to Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley Kids. I guess I read this to get spooked and you know get sleepless, paranoid nights. Unfortunately, I was not spooked but I did figure out something: scary read or not I would still get sleepless nights and as for paranoia, only a cockroach could give me that.
Maia reminds me of myself back then not because she had otherworldly experiences but because she rarely gets frightened. I’m not much of a screamer when watching scary movies. For instance, when we watched Juno of The Grudge crawl the stairs or when Samara flashed her scary blue eyes in the The Ring. But I was talking of my 7-11 year old self not of my teenage self where I tend to shriek even by the most trivial things like dropping my G-tech or when I watched the old lady chased the little girl in the Coming Soon movie. (Have you seen that movie? Man it was scary!)
Of course, perhaps there are factors as to why I did not get the sickly-scary feeling I was hoping to feel.
1. I read this in broad daylight.
2. At night, I read this beside my sleeping cousin. Which gets us to…
3. I did not read this alone ever.
4. There were supposed to be pictures of the places they visited but since I read this in ebook, pictures are not available.
So call me a wimp or a chicken but please a scary story is still scary whether you read it at day or at night. Say for example Touch by Laurie Faria Stolarz or Philippine Ghost Stories. Actually, I had an odd dream last night where I was doing my own paranormal investigation with I think 4 or 5 people. It was not good and all I can remember is the entity or ghost is vicious and we end up fleeing for our lives. See, not nice? I think the book did get to me somehow.
Nevertheless, I still like the story. It’s quite different because it does not mention that a person must have a Third Eye or Seeing Eye to see or feel ghost contrary to popular belief. And at one excursion to the next, Parrish just keeps upping the tension and suspense. I think the creepiest part is where they visited the Mount Hope Methodist Episcopal Church. Until now it gives me goose bumps. You could almost believe it’s true because he keeps on shoving you ideas and arguments that seems true.
But it’s not all about ghosts too. There’s so much more he offered and that’s all I’m going to say. I also think the book’s purpose is not only to spook people but to let them think. As Parrish said at the author’s note, he wrote the book as a way to challenge us to make our own conclusion and just that and that he is no way endorsing the idea of taking part in the field of paranormal investigation. But whether he endorsed it or not, one thing’s for sure I do not want to do any freaky excursions of my own.
Nightmare is a fun if not somewhat creepy ride. I would definitely recommend this to fright junkies out there. As for me, I can’t wait to have another Parrish ride soon.
Ghost Town with its state-of-the-arts thrills and chills and own brand of controversy is one of the most frequently visited amusement park in America. So when Maia Peter, daughter of famous paranormal investigators, agreed to go with her senior classmates, she knows what to expect: Nothing. She had plenty of ethereal experiences to get spooked by a fun house. But isn’t expectation always a bust? She did get a real apparition but it was someone she knew, someone she hadn’t seen or heard for in months. It was Jordin Cole and she comes with a warning, “The nightmare is coming.”
I used to read Goosebumps by RL Stine when I was in elementary. We had plenty of Goosebumps in our school library and I think I’ve read it all before I graduated to Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley Kids. I guess I read this to get spooked and you know get sleepless, paranoid nights. Unfortunately, I was not spooked but I did figure out something: scary read or not I would still get sleepless nights and as for paranoia, only a cockroach could give me that.
Maia reminds me of myself back then not because she had otherworldly experiences but because she rarely gets frightened. I’m not much of a screamer when watching scary movies. For instance, when we watched Juno of The Grudge crawl the stairs or when Samara flashed her scary blue eyes in the The Ring. But I was talking of my 7-11 year old self not of my teenage self where I tend to shriek even by the most trivial things like dropping my G-tech or when I watched the old lady chased the little girl in the Coming Soon movie. (Have you seen that movie? Man it was scary!)
Of course, perhaps there are factors as to why I did not get the sickly-scary feeling I was hoping to feel.
1. I read this in broad daylight.
2. At night, I read this beside my sleeping cousin. Which gets us to…
3. I did not read this alone ever.
4. There were supposed to be pictures of the places they visited but since I read this in ebook, pictures are not available.
So call me a wimp or a chicken but please a scary story is still scary whether you read it at day or at night. Say for example Touch by Laurie Faria Stolarz or Philippine Ghost Stories. Actually, I had an odd dream last night where I was doing my own paranormal investigation with I think 4 or 5 people. It was not good and all I can remember is the entity or ghost is vicious and we end up fleeing for our lives. See, not nice? I think the book did get to me somehow.
Nevertheless, I still like the story. It’s quite different because it does not mention that a person must have a Third Eye or Seeing Eye to see or feel ghost contrary to popular belief. And at one excursion to the next, Parrish just keeps upping the tension and suspense. I think the creepiest part is where they visited the Mount Hope Methodist Episcopal Church. Until now it gives me goose bumps. You could almost believe it’s true because he keeps on shoving you ideas and arguments that seems true.
But it’s not all about ghosts too. There’s so much more he offered and that’s all I’m going to say. I also think the book’s purpose is not only to spook people but to let them think. As Parrish said at the author’s note, he wrote the book as a way to challenge us to make our own conclusion and just that and that he is no way endorsing the idea of taking part in the field of paranormal investigation. But whether he endorsed it or not, one thing’s for sure I do not want to do any freaky excursions of my own.
Nightmare is a fun if not somewhat creepy ride. I would definitely recommend this to fright junkies out there. As for me, I can’t wait to have another Parrish ride soon.
July 6, 2010
Do you believe in ghosts? Your perspective might change after you read Nightmare. In his latest novel, Robin Parrish introduces us to Maia Peters, the college-age daughter of two world-known paranormal investigators. Although Maia used to investigate with her parents, she wants to break away from the family business. But Jordin, a rich classmate with her own reasons for wanting to touch the other side, pulls her back in, putting both of them in a kind of danger they never thought possible.
Parrish starts the book off with a bang when Maia discovers a real ghost in what's supposed to be an amusement park attraction. He then takes us back to the year before when Maia first meets Jordin. The book continues in this fashion, alternating between the present day search for Jordin and the past "ghost hunts" Jordin and Maia went on together.
Kudos to Bethany House for the graphic presentation of the novel. Rather than put the flashback sections in italics (which I've seen more times than I can count), they made the physical look of these pages different. This makes it extremely easy to keep track of what time period you're in... and it looks cool, too.
I was immediately drawn to this book and found it hard to put down. For me, the flashbacks moved the fastest and were the most engrossing. The present day sections slowed down a bit and stretched the boundaries of believability (even for a supernatural novel). While I found Maia's prickly personality slightly irritating at first, she grew on me. Like many real-life people, you have to spend some time with Maia to understand and appreciate her, making her a very realistic character.
Nightmare is the kind of book that gets people talking. From the online chatter I've seen so far, the conversation is broken into two groups: those who applaud Parrish for his bold, outside-the-box novel, and those who think Nightmare's subject matter is not appropriate for Christians. As a person who used to live above a mortuary and grew up hearing stories about my grandparents hanging out with Bela Lugosi, I have my own personal take on ghost stories. While I do believe that spiritual phenomenon exists, I'm not afraid of it. (I also wouldn't go looking for it, but that's a whole other subject.) As Parrish emphasizes, the blood of Christ is far more powerful than any paranormal activity. Readers who stick with the book to the end should be pleased with the outcome. I know I was. And I look forward to whatever Parrish comes up with next.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
Parrish starts the book off with a bang when Maia discovers a real ghost in what's supposed to be an amusement park attraction. He then takes us back to the year before when Maia first meets Jordin. The book continues in this fashion, alternating between the present day search for Jordin and the past "ghost hunts" Jordin and Maia went on together.
Kudos to Bethany House for the graphic presentation of the novel. Rather than put the flashback sections in italics (which I've seen more times than I can count), they made the physical look of these pages different. This makes it extremely easy to keep track of what time period you're in... and it looks cool, too.
I was immediately drawn to this book and found it hard to put down. For me, the flashbacks moved the fastest and were the most engrossing. The present day sections slowed down a bit and stretched the boundaries of believability (even for a supernatural novel). While I found Maia's prickly personality slightly irritating at first, she grew on me. Like many real-life people, you have to spend some time with Maia to understand and appreciate her, making her a very realistic character.
Nightmare is the kind of book that gets people talking. From the online chatter I've seen so far, the conversation is broken into two groups: those who applaud Parrish for his bold, outside-the-box novel, and those who think Nightmare's subject matter is not appropriate for Christians. As a person who used to live above a mortuary and grew up hearing stories about my grandparents hanging out with Bela Lugosi, I have my own personal take on ghost stories. While I do believe that spiritual phenomenon exists, I'm not afraid of it. (I also wouldn't go looking for it, but that's a whole other subject.) As Parrish emphasizes, the blood of Christ is far more powerful than any paranormal activity. Readers who stick with the book to the end should be pleased with the outcome. I know I was. And I look forward to whatever Parrish comes up with next.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
March 11, 2012
Alright. First the good; this is interesting. The premise is new, the meshing of current events with past investigations flows and manages to advance the story smoothly. It was a fast and enjoyable read, and I was actively curious to find out what's going on. The ending felt a bit abrupt; the tone shifted from investigative to... faintly stylized? Symbolic?
I'm not counting it as a horror novel; the driving force behind the story seems to be investigation and mystery. Given the supernatural elements I'm tagging it as fantasy, and suppose it might go on some urban fantasy shelves.
On the downside, the writing has a few lightning bugs. There are phrases like "squeezing off his ability to breathe" or "a few inches down in the sediment of a fresh grave" or "in my mind, the thought of doing X was a violent procedure" or "I stared at the pages again, still not believing the words it bore" or "the creepy feeling it imparted so easily on all who visited." And "reign" used for "rein". "Fiancé" for "fiancée". And an injury to skin described as both "inflamed" and "enflamed" on the same page.
These don't make the story illogical or nonsensical. But words mean things, and when the words mean something that doesn't match what's happening in the story, it's annoying in much the same way as someone's cellphone going off in the middle of a movie theatre. You have to readjust, filter out the nonsense input, and it pulls you out of the story.
I'm glad I got the book; I'm going to look up his other stuff. But I want to say rather sharpish things to whoever let this book out into the world with its shirt inside out and backwards.
I'm not counting it as a horror novel; the driving force behind the story seems to be investigation and mystery. Given the supernatural elements I'm tagging it as fantasy, and suppose it might go on some urban fantasy shelves.
On the downside, the writing has a few lightning bugs. There are phrases like "squeezing off his ability to breathe" or "a few inches down in the sediment of a fresh grave" or "in my mind, the thought of doing X was a violent procedure" or "I stared at the pages again, still not believing the words it bore" or "the creepy feeling it imparted so easily on all who visited." And "reign" used for "rein". "Fiancé" for "fiancée". And an injury to skin described as both "inflamed" and "enflamed" on the same page.
These don't make the story illogical or nonsensical. But words mean things, and when the words mean something that doesn't match what's happening in the story, it's annoying in much the same way as someone's cellphone going off in the middle of a movie theatre. You have to readjust, filter out the nonsense input, and it pulls you out of the story.
I'm glad I got the book; I'm going to look up his other stuff. But I want to say rather sharpish things to whoever let this book out into the world with its shirt inside out and backwards.
June 13, 2022
3.75 stars
What a roller coaster ride!
This book had serious ups and downs.
I wasn't sure how this would go and the 'creep factor' was off the charts!!
At one point I had to pray before reading this book to mentally prepare for some of the places they went and the experiences they had during the flash backs. Which if I were being honest, could've been shortened up a bit and more emphasis given to fleshing out our characters a bit more.
Although there was some things I didn't particularly agree with or like, I absolutely LOVED and was pleasantly surprised by the faith of some of our main characters and how that was manifested and represented in key parts of the novel, especially near the end. For most of the book though, there wasn't much of it and I began to wonder if there would be any at all, lol.
This Christian book isn't just supernatural suspense, I would push that it's a sci-fi paranormal novel, with a supernatural edge.
Those who enjoy Frank Peretti or perhaps Ted Dekkar, may be interested in this book, but realize it is heavy on the experiences of paranormal activity. Including triggering words, some gore and violence.
I would recommend doing this as a buddy read as you'll have lots to talk about!!
What a roller coaster ride!
This book had serious ups and downs.
I wasn't sure how this would go and the 'creep factor' was off the charts!!
At one point I had to pray before reading this book to mentally prepare for some of the places they went and the experiences they had during the flash backs. Which if I were being honest, could've been shortened up a bit and more emphasis given to fleshing out our characters a bit more.
Although there was some things I didn't particularly agree with or like, I absolutely LOVED and was pleasantly surprised by the faith of some of our main characters and how that was manifested and represented in key parts of the novel, especially near the end. For most of the book though, there wasn't much of it and I began to wonder if there would be any at all, lol.
This Christian book isn't just supernatural suspense, I would push that it's a sci-fi paranormal novel, with a supernatural edge.
Those who enjoy Frank Peretti or perhaps Ted Dekkar, may be interested in this book, but realize it is heavy on the experiences of paranormal activity. Including triggering words, some gore and violence.
I would recommend doing this as a buddy read as you'll have lots to talk about!!
September 17, 2023
I loved loved LOVED this book!!! I'm big in paranormal stuff (even though I've never experienced it) and this book satisfied every aspect of my curiosity. It also mixed in some historical, accurate, real life haunted locations in North America. This was spooky, a good one for October! Was just spooky enough!
January 11, 2018
I wish I could give Nightmare six stars! Gripping, intense, with numerous twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down and was sad when I had finished the book. Very well researched with multifaceted characters. Excellent read.
October 18, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Nightmare
A Novel
Robin Parrish
2010
Bethany House Publishers
Fiction/Suspense
Reviewed by Cindy Loven
Maia Peters knows more than she really cares to know about the paranormal, as the child of a famous husband and wife ghost hunting team, she has seen the paranormal up close and personal. And she personally wants nothing to do with it. She wants to make her own way in criminal justice, and forensic science and is paying her way through college to study those subjects.
A trip to an amusement park that is supposed to boast of paranormal activities, brings Maia the biggest surprise she has had in a long time. She sees the spirit of a girl who she had helped observe and study the paranormal investigative techniques. Maia does not know what is going on, but combining both her paranormal experience and her college studies experience she is determined to find out.
Delving deep into something that turns out to be much darker and more sinister that she imagined, Maia knows she has to rescue her friend, and to do it fast.
A fast paced moving book, you will not want to put this book down. A Christian publisher with a story about the paranormal is not the norm in Christian fiction and the author is very assertive in pointing out that this book does not promote the paranormal. Nor do I promote the paranormal, I do believe, as the book pointed out, that ghosts are mentioned in the Bible, and while everything connected with paranormal activity, is not a demon it is influenced by demonic powers and activity. That all being said I enjoyed the story, it was a great story, wonderfully written and it was awesome to see the strong Christian in the story take a stand against the demonic forces at work. A book worth reading! 347 pages $14.99 US 5 stars
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.
Nightmare
A Novel
Robin Parrish
2010
Bethany House Publishers
Fiction/Suspense
Reviewed by Cindy Loven
Maia Peters knows more than she really cares to know about the paranormal, as the child of a famous husband and wife ghost hunting team, she has seen the paranormal up close and personal. And she personally wants nothing to do with it. She wants to make her own way in criminal justice, and forensic science and is paying her way through college to study those subjects.
A trip to an amusement park that is supposed to boast of paranormal activities, brings Maia the biggest surprise she has had in a long time. She sees the spirit of a girl who she had helped observe and study the paranormal investigative techniques. Maia does not know what is going on, but combining both her paranormal experience and her college studies experience she is determined to find out.
Delving deep into something that turns out to be much darker and more sinister that she imagined, Maia knows she has to rescue her friend, and to do it fast.
A fast paced moving book, you will not want to put this book down. A Christian publisher with a story about the paranormal is not the norm in Christian fiction and the author is very assertive in pointing out that this book does not promote the paranormal. Nor do I promote the paranormal, I do believe, as the book pointed out, that ghosts are mentioned in the Bible, and while everything connected with paranormal activity, is not a demon it is influenced by demonic powers and activity. That all being said I enjoyed the story, it was a great story, wonderfully written and it was awesome to see the strong Christian in the story take a stand against the demonic forces at work. A book worth reading! 347 pages $14.99 US 5 stars
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.
October 25, 2012
I am a huge fan of Ghost Hunters on the sci-fy channel so I LOVED the flashbacks of their investigations. I thought they were very well described and seemed to be realistic based on what I have heard of the locations they visited.
The present parts of the story almost seemed disjointed. And almost like just filler. The real story of what was happening with the missing students was so unrealistic and science fictiony , that it took away from the rest of the story. it was very "Scooby Doo" and for the majority of the time spent at the warehouse, that's all I could see was scenes from that movie
But I did like the characters and thought they were pretty well developed with the exception of Pierre. I'm still not too sure what kind of a role he was supposed to have in all of this. And where the check was he when the warehouse scene was going down?? Didn't mention him at all until the very end.
I would give this 2.5 straight down the middle beccause I LOVED the flashbacks but HATED the present time story.
The present parts of the story almost seemed disjointed. And almost like just filler. The real story of what was happening with the missing students was so unrealistic and science fictiony , that it took away from the rest of the story. it was very "Scooby Doo" and for the majority of the time spent at the warehouse, that's all I could see was scenes from that movie
But I did like the characters and thought they were pretty well developed with the exception of Pierre. I'm still not too sure what kind of a role he was supposed to have in all of this. And where the check was he when the warehouse scene was going down?? Didn't mention him at all until the very end.
I would give this 2.5 straight down the middle beccause I LOVED the flashbacks but HATED the present time story.
October 2, 2013
This one was really dull, and i felt like putting it in the "DNF" pile, even when i was nearly finished!
The rating for this one on Goodreads is pretty high (at just under a 4) so i was hoping it would be a good, creepy read.
Unfortunately, that hope quickly diminished when the signs at the amusement park came into it.
"You may vomit" and "You may get night terrors" were some of the culprits i'm talking about.
Honestly, if i seen these signs, i wouldn't be scared. I'd laugh and demand my money back.
It didn't get any better, either.
Okay, not all of the "creepy" bits were as lame as the signs, but they weren't really creepy either.
I normally hate having to put a book down to do something else.
However, when i had to put this one aside for a couple of hours, i didn't mind putting it down at all.
When i went back to it, i just wanted the end to come.
Overall, it was a really boring read, and unfortunately, wasn't creepy at all.
The rating for this one on Goodreads is pretty high (at just under a 4) so i was hoping it would be a good, creepy read.
Unfortunately, that hope quickly diminished when the signs at the amusement park came into it.
"You may vomit" and "You may get night terrors" were some of the culprits i'm talking about.
Honestly, if i seen these signs, i wouldn't be scared. I'd laugh and demand my money back.
It didn't get any better, either.
Okay, not all of the "creepy" bits were as lame as the signs, but they weren't really creepy either.
I normally hate having to put a book down to do something else.
However, when i had to put this one aside for a couple of hours, i didn't mind putting it down at all.
When i went back to it, i just wanted the end to come.
Overall, it was a really boring read, and unfortunately, wasn't creepy at all.
August 26, 2011
This book actuually hit three and a half stars. The half of a star can only been seen during a waning moon when you hold your screen at a certain angle, oh yeah and it has to be midnight. This book really is a nice overall package with an interesting aside. Two of the main characters go ghost hunting at some of America's most famous haunts taking the reader along for the ride. The author is even helpful enough to plaster a photo of these places at the start of these chapters. So where did the half of a star fall off? The ending seemed a little rushed to me, not that this ruined the book. It just felt a little off. Overall a good book that whet this readers appetite for more of this authors books.
March 21, 2012
2.5 stars
The saving graces of this book are the chapters on all of the haunted locations across the country. Those tend to play out like isolated events, however, and the story on the whole, while supernatural in nature, was too far-fetched. When it comes down to it, the real flaw in the book is the resolution. It was so conveniently wrapped up and tied with a little rebar bow that the conflict that played out through the story seemed very over-exaggerated. I felt none of the suspense that had built up the first third of the book.
A very disappointing ending to what could have been a great supernatural suspense novel.
The saving graces of this book are the chapters on all of the haunted locations across the country. Those tend to play out like isolated events, however, and the story on the whole, while supernatural in nature, was too far-fetched. When it comes down to it, the real flaw in the book is the resolution. It was so conveniently wrapped up and tied with a little rebar bow that the conflict that played out through the story seemed very over-exaggerated. I felt none of the suspense that had built up the first third of the book.
A very disappointing ending to what could have been a great supernatural suspense novel.
September 10, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this book. However, when I got to the climax I was disappointed. Instead of revealing the resolution to the mysteries that had been building through action, the author resorted to long monologues by the characters to tell the story. It reminded me of an episode of Scooby Doo, or an action movie where the villain feels compelled to boast about his great plans right before they are foiled. Also, some characters' motivations for their actions were never shared and that left some holes in the storyline. Still, it kept me entertained throughout most of the book.
March 8, 2016
Loved the book so much I could hardly put it down. The flashbacks were my favorite part of the book. The last few chapters weren't the best. Just wasn't feeling the end.
May 2, 2020
There are a number of positive points to this book for young readers. It has an intriguing main character, Maia Peters, a paranormal investigator. It has scary moments, particularly near the end, when a demon engages in one of most chilling dialogues I have read in a horror story. The descriptions of famous haunted sites that the characters visit are also interesting. The book is Christian fiction, but is not preachy as much Evangelical fiction tends to be. A young teen reader would most likely enjoy this novel and find it frightening.
However, I do have some issues. The plot strains one's ability to believe, and I could not suspend the "willing suspension of disbelief" necessary for really getting inside a novel while reading it. One of the secondary characters, a religious studies student at Columbia in New York planning to go on to seminary there (Union, I suppose), comes across as a naive Fundamentalist. I doubt anyone desiring to be an Evangelical pastor would look to Columbia's religious studies department, and I doubt even more the person would go to Union Theological Seminary, the theologically liberal seminary adjunct to Columbia. The author also needs to get some of her medical statements correct. Some of them are grossly inaccurate. The dialogue at times seems forced, and there are a few instances of jarring shifts in POV.
With that said, I think the book is a pleasant read, and I recommend it for teen readers who would like some good scares.
However, I do have some issues. The plot strains one's ability to believe, and I could not suspend the "willing suspension of disbelief" necessary for really getting inside a novel while reading it. One of the secondary characters, a religious studies student at Columbia in New York planning to go on to seminary there (Union, I suppose), comes across as a naive Fundamentalist. I doubt anyone desiring to be an Evangelical pastor would look to Columbia's religious studies department, and I doubt even more the person would go to Union Theological Seminary, the theologically liberal seminary adjunct to Columbia. The author also needs to get some of her medical statements correct. Some of them are grossly inaccurate. The dialogue at times seems forced, and there are a few instances of jarring shifts in POV.
With that said, I think the book is a pleasant read, and I recommend it for teen readers who would like some good scares.
May 6, 2021
After the spine-tingling masterpiece that was The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey, I was in the mood for more thrills. In many ways, Robin Parrish’s Nightmare did not disappoint.
The first 75% of the book proved to be a terrifying thrill ride that literally left me wanting more with the turn of every page. The characters were compelling, the concepts were invigorating, and the themes - life and death - were profound.
But... there’s part of me that finished this book feeling disappointed. To be honest, I feel like, in the last act, Parrish actually undermine all the thrills and chills we’d enjoyed for the first three quarters of the novel by over-explaining it and choosing a finale that tied things up in an objectively nice way. The problem is, when you’re dealing with stories like this - ghost stories - the mysticism of the unknown is 90% of what captures a reader’s attention. The best way I can describe Parrish’s approach to that finale is he robbed the story of its mysticism. Much like when, as a kid, you realize those shadows were just tree branches.
In the end, I felt the resolution quickly diffused all the heart-pounding suspense that had been building up as I read the story... and not in the best way possible.
The first 75% of the book proved to be a terrifying thrill ride that literally left me wanting more with the turn of every page. The characters were compelling, the concepts were invigorating, and the themes - life and death - were profound.
But... there’s part of me that finished this book feeling disappointed. To be honest, I feel like, in the last act, Parrish actually undermine all the thrills and chills we’d enjoyed for the first three quarters of the novel by over-explaining it and choosing a finale that tied things up in an objectively nice way. The problem is, when you’re dealing with stories like this - ghost stories - the mysticism of the unknown is 90% of what captures a reader’s attention. The best way I can describe Parrish’s approach to that finale is he robbed the story of its mysticism. Much like when, as a kid, you realize those shadows were just tree branches.
In the end, I felt the resolution quickly diffused all the heart-pounding suspense that had been building up as I read the story... and not in the best way possible.
June 28, 2020
I've always been a fan of 'Christian' fiction.
And this one deals with ghosts, which is a topic that has always fascinated me.
Maria Peters is the daughter of a famous husband and wife Ghost Hunting team. She's even been a part of their investigations in the past. But now she's broken off from that and is hoping to get into police work.
She's approached by a fellow college student, Jordin Cole, a rich girl who is willing to pay Maria to take her on ghost hunting trips.
Later after they have parted ways, Maria is confronted by Jordin's ghost...she soon finds out Jordoin is missing....
For me, the build up in the story is better than the resolution. A lot of things are left unanswered. But it is an enjoyable story.
And several real life haunted locations are featured in the story.
And this one deals with ghosts, which is a topic that has always fascinated me.
Maria Peters is the daughter of a famous husband and wife Ghost Hunting team. She's even been a part of their investigations in the past. But now she's broken off from that and is hoping to get into police work.
She's approached by a fellow college student, Jordin Cole, a rich girl who is willing to pay Maria to take her on ghost hunting trips.
Later after they have parted ways, Maria is confronted by Jordin's ghost...she soon finds out Jordoin is missing....
For me, the build up in the story is better than the resolution. A lot of things are left unanswered. But it is an enjoyable story.
And several real life haunted locations are featured in the story.
October 29, 2024
Skipping scriptures!
There are scriptures that were not used in this book that show why dead people to not inhabit the living world!! Paul says in scripture, " to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord". At the gathering of the disciples when Jesus appeared to them, they did mention "ghost", but Jesus' reply did NOT emply He was confirming the existence of ghost!! There are many other scriptures refuting "ghost". Jesus used Abraham's bosom in a parable about a certain man in hell asking father Abraham to go tell his brothers to do good so as not to be condemned to hell . Abraham replied that the living and the dead could NOT traverse between the living and the dead!!! As a Christian you should know the scrpiture better!!!
There are scriptures that were not used in this book that show why dead people to not inhabit the living world!! Paul says in scripture, " to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord". At the gathering of the disciples when Jesus appeared to them, they did mention "ghost", but Jesus' reply did NOT emply He was confirming the existence of ghost!! There are many other scriptures refuting "ghost". Jesus used Abraham's bosom in a parable about a certain man in hell asking father Abraham to go tell his brothers to do good so as not to be condemned to hell . Abraham replied that the living and the dead could NOT traverse between the living and the dead!!! As a Christian you should know the scrpiture better!!!
June 13, 2019
RATING 3.87 STARS
Robin knows how to get a story going and keep it going. This one feels a bit like a supernatural horror and it's thrilling from beginning to end. You can tell a lot of research went into this book and the details are vivid without being distracting.
There is a fair amount of willful suspension of disbelief required, but the premise is really fascinating. I often feel like Robin tidies things up a little more than I'd prefer, but this was still a great read - and the dialogue captured in the epilogue is fantastic and satisfying, albeit reminiscent of a Marvel post credits scene.
Robin knows how to get a story going and keep it going. This one feels a bit like a supernatural horror and it's thrilling from beginning to end. You can tell a lot of research went into this book and the details are vivid without being distracting.
There is a fair amount of willful suspension of disbelief required, but the premise is really fascinating. I often feel like Robin tidies things up a little more than I'd prefer, but this was still a great read - and the dialogue captured in the epilogue is fantastic and satisfying, albeit reminiscent of a Marvel post credits scene.
October 19, 2020
This was an interesting read in the sense that I didn't love it, but there were certain parts that I thought were done really well. The flashback scenes were actually quite spooky and I was really into the various ghost hunting portions of the book. The present day scenes weren't bad, but I felt like something was lacking in that overall part of the story. The big climax at the end felt a bit out of place, and while I have no issue at all with authors inserting elements of their faith or religious beliefs into their stories (I'm also a Christian and have similar beliefs), it can be a bit jarring when it feels a bit thrown in and disconnected from the rest of the book.
March 13, 2023
Very interesting concept of a story. Love the author is Christian and that there are some Christian themes and ideas behind it all. Don't love some of the theology (some theology I loved, other times I was like wow), don't love some of the stereotypes the author has that bleeds heavily through (what's his trauma with tattoos and tattoo artists??) But other than that, I love the general concept, loved the haunted areas the characters explored, and the spooky details. Main character is a little cringe sometimes, but other than that, it was okay!
March 16, 2020
OMG WHAT AN INTERESTING WAY OF approaching the paranormal
At first I read a couple of pages but I finished clicking with the book and then I got to the best part and I read 300 pages in one day, that's how interesting the book is.
At one point you feel stuck with the characters but then the best revelations come true, it was incredible to read a story so full of mystery and realism at the same time. A very interesting and exciting read, I recommend it.
At first I read a couple of pages but I finished clicking with the book and then I got to the best part and I read 300 pages in one day, that's how interesting the book is.
At one point you feel stuck with the characters but then the best revelations come true, it was incredible to read a story so full of mystery and realism at the same time. A very interesting and exciting read, I recommend it.
June 20, 2024
Second time reading it, I own my copy. Read when I got it and again just now (ages later). I did still enjoy it. As a strong christian I still liked the story still, I don’t think the end could happen for real but I don’t think the author does either. Just a cool end. I found it worth the read twice. The story flowed well to me and I enjoyed the back and forth between past and present.
July 13, 2017
I really liked this novel but I tried to read most of it during the daylight hours because it could get really spooky. I loved the ending which almost made the story seem kind of sci-fi, but not space related, and I always love when good conquers over all.
September 21, 2017
Wow !!!!
A real rollercoaster, had me gripped from the start, characters are believable. If you do read this book take the time to read the authors closing comments on the paranormal, it's dangerous.
A real rollercoaster, had me gripped from the start, characters are believable. If you do read this book take the time to read the authors closing comments on the paranormal, it's dangerous.
October 30, 2018
3.5* The story was good, Maia was very hard to like especially in the first half and the action scenes at the end left a lot to be desired and required suspension of disbelief but overall I enjoyed this.
August 20, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 only because I actually wanted to finish it. What should have been a creepy read given the subject matter just fell flat for me. Perhaps I’m too old for the book but it felt more like a goosebumps type of “scary” and don’t even get me started on the “demonic beast”.
November 12, 2021
Super scary but based on actual haunted places. loved it
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