Nat’s dream job comes calling when a college needs someone to take charge of an annual haunt. One year before, Nat’s predecessor went inside the haunt—but he never came out. Soon, Nat finds herself confronting the ghosts of her own past as well as curses bubbling forth from the land itself.
This is such a sneaky little synopsis. It doesn't even hint at the depth and breadth of this novel.
Nat is a complicated character, supporting her equally complicated brother. She is hired as an adjunct professor to teach her favorite subject, horror literature. She will also be advisor to the students as they plan their annual haunted house. Her predecessor has disappeared, supposedly going into last year's haunt, never to be seen again.
What follows is an intricate plot involving ghosts, cursed land, childhood trauma, and so much more, woven together in a spellbinding tale of epic proportions that the author somehow makes seem effortless.
There is so much going on here that I am amazed at the author's skill to keep so many plates spinning in the air while never dropping one. The group of students is small enough that I did not feel overwhelmed by too many characters, especially considering one in particular plays a bigger role. This was a surprisingly dark tale and is my first 5 star read of the year.
My thanks to Douglas Ford for the paperback ARC.
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