Book Review: The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste

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Twenty years ago, three teens were the sole survivors of a bizarre and inexplicable event that transformed their neighborhood into an inaccessible, ghostly territory. They’re also the only ones who can re-enter the area, and after her two estranged childhood friends, Brett Hadley and Grace Spencer, decline a researcher’s re-entry proposal, Talitha Velkwood is the last one who might be able to unravel the incident that separated her from her mother and sister, derailed her life, and left her penniless, alone, and adrift. Was it occult influences, a scientific anomaly, or something else entirely? How will Talitha solve the mystery and what, exactly, will she find once she returns?

In order to move forward and salvage some semblance of self and existence, Talitha must reconcile with and overcome her past — an elusive entity as painful and ever-present as the veiled remains of Velkwood Street. To do so, she must reconnect with and elicit help from Brett and Grace, who have also been irrevocably changed by their shared history. What follows is a complex and layered narrative that gradually reveals its secrets, pulling the reader along on an impactful, unputdownable, and unforgettable collision course where freedom comes at a cost and truth may serve as both savior and destroyer.

A unique and refreshing take on the suburban gothic, The Haunting of Velkwood is a chilling, eerie, addictive, and resonant meditation on history, memory, and tragedy; family, love, and friendship; identity, understanding, and acceptance; and truth, choice, and accountability. It’s a powerful and indelible tale that truly moves and enraptures and an astounding accomplishment that readers will relish and devour.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

❤Amanda

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