Ben Dolnick

(1.5 stars) Nick Beron and Hannah Rampe decide to make a life changing move from Brooklyn to the remote town of Hibernia, New York in order for Hannah to pursue a new job opportunity. At first this change seems to be the answer to their relationship troubles - Nick and Hannah can get away from the busy city and settle into a quaint, historical house where they can focus on their careers and each other - but as time progresses, Nick begins to see a shift in Hannah's demeanor and ultimately finds himself dealing with a horrific tragedy.

While there were undoubtedly some beautifully written descriptions and passages, overall I felt that this book was a bit disjointed. Upon reading the synopsis, I immediately thought this would be a great cross between Stephen King's The Shining and Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, but I was wrong. This book had so much potential, but I felt as though it peaked too quickly and we were not given enough character development throughout the book, most specifically in the case of those working at the Wright House. In terms of the whole ghost aspect of this novel, I felt like the excerpts were just okay. They gave enough information but I could easily see how someone would be completely confused over the fact that they are there in the first place. Overall, this book was just okay; it lacked originality and was rather predictable.… (altro)

Nick and Heather are tired.....tired of the city, tired of their apartment, tired of their lives. They need a change of scenery. Heather applies for a job as caretaker at a museum in upstate New York and before they even realize it's really happening they are moving to Hiberia, NY. The museum is dedicated to an obscure and strange philosopher and writer, Edmund Wright. At first, living in the historic house is a nice change for them. They enjoy planning events for school kids, leading tours and walking in the woods. They learn a bit about Wright, the death of his son in an accident, and read some of his writing. Then things start to go wrong.....Heather develops severe insomnia, stops taking her medication, seems distant and upset, and starts hearing voices in the old house. Is the house haunted? Is she losing her mind? Then Heather disappears one day......and Nick's life will never be the same.

After finishing this book I feel a bit like I'm back in college, sitting in the middle of a lecture hall for classic literature class, and the professor has called on me for my interpretation of some famous poem or line from a famously classic book. All eyes turn to me, and I have to admit.....I don't really get it. I have to be honest and say.....I read this entire book from beginning to end, waiting to see what was going to happen, what the answer was, what was in store for the characters.....and then it was over......and I just feel a bit puzzled and drained. But I think I understand.....this is a slog through the mire that is the human psyche and emotions. Anger, guilt, sadness, confusion, loss, depression, mental illness.....this is not a supernatural tale, but a very natural one. A raw peek into human nature, relationships, mental health and gut-wrenching loss. Sometimes there is no answer.....sometimes there are only questions and hard as hell reality.

The story is well-written and interesting, but a bit too cerebral for me. And I'm unsure if what I take away from this book are the thoughts and feelings that Dolnick meant to inspire. The story builds quietly....and then jumps deep into the abyss that is mental illness, severe anxiety and suicide. Heavy stuff.

I can't fault the book -- it's very well-written. I think the subject matter is just intrinsically uncomfortable. The atmosphere is creepy and the slow build of the story is strange and unsettling. But, that was the effect it was supposed to have on readers.

Powerful story......but strange and uncomfortable.

The author made his point, but I'm still strangely unsure exactly what it was.

It's sort of like that strange prickling feeling you can get in a strange place.....like someone is watching you from just out of your sight....and the only thing you can think of is getting away and going somewhere light and sunny. Haunting and creepy......yet so real and human.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Penguin via First to Read. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**… (altro)

I feel bad about giving this novel just two stars. I do think that if Mr. Dolnick had been a bit more focused with certain events and had laid the novel out differently that it would have worked better.

This novel is about two friends, Adam and Thomas. Adam is the main protagonist of this novel. We find out that he lives in Washington D.C. and has never really been himself since an incident that involved him and his former best friend, Thomas.

It takes a while for the incident to become known to the reader. When it does, it is shocking and you can see how that one event would shape Adam and Thomas differently.

If the novel had focused on that; this would have been a fantastic story. However, we also deal with Adam and his lack of ability to move on from a former romantic relationship, becoming obsessed with someone, and his refusal to have anything to do with Thomas or his family.

We have the novel discussing Adam's past and present and at times I found myself wishing that we could just focus on one thing at a time since I was getting whiplash from the constant back and forth.

When we move to Adam trying in his view "save Thomas" and all of the events that occurred because of that I completely gave up.

I also mentioned that the layout of the novel did not help matters any and it did not. Due to the novel being told also through emails that are sent to Adam from Thomas's parents and then from Adam to Thomas and others you have no idea in the timeline when things are occurring.

The ending of the novel occurred with a whimper. I think it was meant to make readers think, but all I felt was gratitude that I was finished with the novel.

Please note that I received this novel via The Amazon Vine Program.… (altro)