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Thomas Riddell

Reviewed on Apr 22, 2024

Must read 🏆

A ghost story turns the pages, but what tugged at my heart? The difficult and rewarding relationship between a father and a son.

Synopsis

Ever wonder what it would be like growing up in a haunted house? In this autobiographical horror, Michael Oka delivers a chilling, coming-of-age narrative about his family's horror as they discover the sinister stirrings within the new home they'd moved into on West Grand.

Oka unravels a tale both familiar and strange as he delves into the story of his relatable childhood (his first crush, the school bullies, and the pain of his parent's divorce) while detailing the paranormal experiences he was having at home.

This story is as haunting as it is riveting—a must-read.


Author Michael Oka recounts his experiences as a child growing up in California. This autobiographical work focuses on the memories of just being a kid, being bullied at school, as well as dealing with his family life, in which his parents eventually divorce, but the main crux of the story tells about living in a haunted house. He explains that in the root cellar, "in the belly of the house, it comes awake." He and his younger sister have a few encounters that are not revealed for many years later, when they are adults, and their parents also eventually open up about what happened to them on West Grand. This coming of age saga is a mix of paranormal happenings, along with an honest and courageous emotional ride through a man's life, where he lays it all out, showing both the good, bad and the horror of a life lived.


As a paranormal investigator with over ten years' experience, I was immediately drawn to pick up this novella and give it a read. As a skeptic, but one with an open mind, I took in the experiences offered by the author and found them interesting and absorbing, as he remembers them from the point of view of a child. The question that played over and over in my head was, "What is in that root cellar?". A good ghost story turns the pages, but there is more here that tugged at my heart. The difficult and rewarding relationship between a father and a son took this haunted spiritual story to its highest heights. It's as if the author let loose on the page and lets "all of it" come out. It's a remarkable thing when a writer can do that, and often, it's a very courageous endeavor. I read this remarkable story in one sitting and literally could not put it down. This is a must read!

Reviewed by

From 2011-present: I host a Blog Talk Radio Show (The Writers Lounge ) which showcases new authors. I have reviewed over 100 books (Authors) during this time and I continue to review books on my blog. I am also an author of several books. I live in Liverpool, NY.

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