The ghost was a nice touch but the back and forth with two boy ...
597714
I am a read to the end kind of person so thats what I did. This book just lacked something. The ghost was a nice touch but the back and forth with two boy friends got a little boring.
3675859
** spoiler alert ** 3 1/2 stars. Extra credit for great ideas.

The story line, while very similar to the film "The Others," was very good. However there were none of what I look for in a haunted house story. The creeping dread, the slow build of suspense, the point where we move from thinking things are a bit odd to knowing that forces are at work, the reveal of a history that created the haunting. The haunting in this book slammed into you right away, kept escalating, and I spent most of the book in full-on confrontation mode which left really no time to digest what I was even presented with. Here is a very scary ghost, here is an even scarier ghost, here are a dozen more, then we add the hooded figures that are supposed to be worse than the ghosts but we don't know why yet, then we have a couple pages of the history behind it (that actually left me wondering who even compiled the historical album the characters found). I never had a moment to absorb any of it. Then we were at the ending, the surprise element is unveiled (which was good, I thought) and the story is over.

So many good ideas but like rocketing thorough a gallery of nice paintings on a sled and merely catching glimpses as you fly past.

I will read more by this author though.
2812775
A team of ghost hunters enter a junk yard on a mission to capture a ghost named Juggernaut.  They set up special equipment and arrange the team to drive the spirit where they want him.  They use a psychic to locate the ghost and discover he has killed 40 victims at the junk yard.  They spray the wrecks with blood to draw the ghost into the "Cube".  Several men are killed and the ghost is in full murderous power but he is finally trapped in the Cube.

Even Cyrus Kriticos, the leader of the ghost hunting team, is killed in the fight.  His entire estate is left to his nephew whose family just lost their home to a fire and the mother was also killed in the fire.  Arthur Kriticos (Tony Shalhoub) decides to move his family into his uncle's mansion when he inherits it as well as his uncle's remaining wealth.  The home is made up with a lot of glass walls and floors and they are scripted with Latin.  The home is the prison to 12 evil ghosts and it is a mechanism to open the eye of hell......

The special effects of this movie are very good and the house is a masterpiece of design and architecture.  It is simply beautiful and it is a work of art.  Unfortunately the lawyer who took them to the home and the power company worker there to check the power are really working together to get money out of the home.  The power company worker is the young psychic who was at the junkyard. The lawyer while stealing some money inadvertently trips a level and that releases the evil ghosts.  The house is now in motion and begins changing shape and structure.

This movie has a lot of gruesome special effects and they are done very well.  The ghosts and the home are some of the best movie special effects you will see.  The story line is ok but the characters are over the top and this keeps the movie form being a 5 star rating but I still give it 4 stars for the great effects and concept.

This move is macabre and contains a lot of blood and some nudity.  This is just a word of caution if you don't care for that style of movie content.
2822997
Some of the creatures in this almost seemed feasible, I enjoyed these tales.  There were a few that just seemed like run of the mill generic ghost stories not unique to our area.
4273371
Oh come one! They have know each other for the biggest part of five minutes and exchanges ten sentences and he is sooo cute they are already kissing. Seriously!
I think this is one of my biggest pet peeves. The loves at first sight between teenagers. I mean aren't they supposed to be at least a little bit self-conscious? Through the entire book it feels like they have been together for years!

The ghost part was the best part, even if I still don't know how a girl dead more than a hundred years ago can understand/use computer though. I liked the storm and the apparition and every little bit about Emily. though it felt a little bit too quick and we didn't really learn all that much about her. I would have thought that a ghost that stick to a house for so long would be a bit more difficult to exorcise. I'm also not sure about the "coming home" concept, seeing she never left her room.

I was expecting something a lot different when I saw the title but it has nothing to do with a "Ghost writer" but more with a ghost that communicate by writing.
2413092
All the Lovely Bad Ones is a fast paced, atmospheric ghost story that will leave the reader wanting to finish it in one sitting. The main character, Travis and his younger sister, Corey, are sent to spend the summer at their Grandmother's Bed and Breakfast in Vermont, because their summer camp will no longer welcome them back, due to their mischievous behavior. When they learn that the Inn use to be haunted, they decide to have some fun and scare the guests. Unfortunately, the scares "awake" the real ghosts, both good and bad, and the children now have the responsibility of helping the good ghosts, so they can rest in peace.

The back story of the Inn, and how it came to be haunted was interesting and engaging. The overall plot is enjoyable and keeps the reader's interest. The writing is descriptive and pleasurable. One of the few complaints that I have is that the reader never really learns much about the main character and his sister. All the reader learns is that they are mischievous and enjoy having fun, often at the expense of others. We don't really learn anything about their family, or even their Grandmother. While it is usually nice to have this background information in a story and to be able to relate somewhat to the characters, ultimately it didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the book. My only other complaint was that the ghosts hang around quite a bit, and to a certain extent, almost don't seem like ghosts because they become somewhat commonplace towards the end of the novel, and in my opinion, make the book less scary than it could have been.

Overall, the wonderfully creepy atmosphere and haunting house feel make this a fun read and Hahn's fans won't be disappointed. Although the back story might be too much for some sensitive readers (dealing with child abuse and death), the ghost story part of it isn't too scarey for its intended audience of upper elementary school readers. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good ghost or haunted house story for a younger audience.
3420954
I thought this movie was a little unusual but cleverly different. There are few actors, two for the most part. The acting was fair for the writing they had. This was sort of low budget, but not so much that it took away from the film. Much of it was filmed outside. I thoight the ghosts were done well as far as having theur own look and concept (when they weren't invisible).

The ending was low key, but brought closure to the story. The title has a double meaning - and you'll see why when the film ends.
1566906
My kids enjoyed the gimmickery of the AniMotion effects, and the story was pleasant enough. However, my two kids (boys aged 4 and 6) were not interested enough in the story or the book and didn't demand additional readings.  Sadly, it looks nice but isn't a keeper for us.  Of course, reasonable minds may differ and your kids may like it more than mine.
2313127
The book had a lot of potential. Very easy read. I think that a few things should have come to a close, but was left a little too vague. I think this book would be very suitable for a pre-teen/young adult reader who likes ghost stories with a mix of history.
4550505
I won't bother summing up the story since so many others have. The idea of the ghost shadowing the pathologist at the morgue is an interesting one. As well, the ghost being a crude, lowlife while the pathologist is shy and intelligent is a nice concept. I am not sure if it is the translator's fault or if the book is just uneven, but the story itself doesn't match the overal setting. One gets the feeling that the author spent more time on the personalities than on the mystery itself. It was pleasant but I won't be back for more.
2479392
I liked it and the kids (3 and 5) liked it too.. its funny.  My 3 year son was a little scared watching it the first time.. We watched it again and he was fine with it.
4967488
There seemed to be quite a bit going on. It's an entertaining read, but write down information (or highlight) about the characters in the beginning if you can. It's a good read if you're optimistic ghost lover.
3952323
I understand the 'meaning' behind what the author was trying to bring across and it was 'nice' but it was a little 'weird' in my opinion. Which each to their own, some people love "Tim Burton type" writing; this book reminded me of the 'feeling' of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. The meaning was there and some sweet times but was just a little on the weird side for my taste. Illustrations were nice too. My almost 3 year old granddaughter sat and listened all the way through; so if you have younger children they may enjoy it as well. It's not that it's a 'bad' book just in my opinion not my 'taste'...
2572960
I really wasn't feeling the tension & chemistry between them.and the part where they act on their 'feelings'/attraction felt very sudden and forced.... This felt like the pacing was super slow and had a lot of focus on the kids and tiptoeing around their past.

As a parent, I did enjoy the attachment/gentle parenting shown here, and I laughed and smiled several times throughout. It was really, very sweet from that perspective.

3.5 Stars
303290
Better than I initially thought it would be. A really nice old fashioned ghost story with a scary demon thrown in. I'm not much for romance mixed in with my horror but it was subtle so I didn't mind. Will be reading "The Kirk" next but I'm not really into zombies so will probably skip those over.
1665710
Spirits cant step over or navigate crooked pathways. A superstitious community would have been especially cautious with suicides. The ghosts of those who take their own lives are considered notorious wanderers. That probably explains the high walls that surround the cemetery. In the old days, they would have buried the bodies facedown to disorient them.
  The things you know.

Overall I like this series. It has this eerie quality to it and I really enjoy the southern drawl of a book, Im pretty sure a book can have a southern drawl. It is this slow and easy almost swaying in the wind kind of vibe sometimes.

I probably should have reread the other books going into this one though. I had forgotten a lot of things about the secret order of the Coffin and the Claw and how Devlin was involved with them in the first place. I just felt like I was playing catch up a little too much. So if you can reread at least the last book going into this one.

I was really hoping that after the events of the last book that Devlin would be a believer of at least some things supernatural but he is still forever the skeptic and the fist half of the story I felt like Amelia told me a million times how they were drifting apart. I mean a small part was shown but overall it was just her telling the reader that things weren't perfect between them. Which was sometimes strange as you could tell how much Devlin cared about her but it is a weird relationship where both parties seemed to be keeping all kinds of secrets from the other and you knew some big thing would have to happen for them to either start really trusting each other with everything in their lives or that a split would happen.

I have read the other books for the ghost stories but also for the forbidden romance of Amelia and Devlin so I really hope they work that out. But because of the slow paced nature of the book it seemed to take a long time for things to really get going.

But there are ghosts and a mystery to solve. We also have Amelia who has not let the other side know she can see them and that comes with a whole new bag of troubles as the spiritual realm keeps trying to contact her and she isn't she if they are friend or foe. Still that whole story was extremely interesting and I loved learning more about her special powers and what they are evolving into.

In Short - I really liked the ghost storyline of this but the relationship aspect left me wanting a lot more. I know the next book is out but I think Ill wait until #6 is also done so I can read them back to back. I think that one is supposed to close out this storyline.

The 2 star deduction is for the meandering that we have to endure and repetition of the relationship angst.
2051415
Not quite a ghost story, more the ghosts of the past. A nurse recounts the tragic history of her first charge's family, and the losses they experienced because of lust and pride. The past comes back to surround the new child in the house, forcing the family to confront their sins.

I found it interesting that it wasn't really, as I said, a ghost story. Half of the participants of the apparition are alive to view the events ebing repeated, suggesting more a psychic scar upon their household. The drama of the event itself is also interesting, and probably could have worked well as a story in their own right, without any haunting added.

This story is in the public domain. I listened to the audio production from Librivox's sixth ghost collection.