Katya de Becerra

It is an eerie, atmospheric story of a young woman trying to reconnect with a beloved, missing sister.

When Ghosts Call Us Home is the creative brainchild of talented author Katya de Becerra and is a gem of a young adult horror story that breathes uncertainty and unease into every suspense-filled page. The inwardly focused narrative placed me in the story at the very center of the young protagonist’s frightening experiences.

The main character, Sophia Galich, had struggled for the past five show more years with the fame and renown of her older sister, Layla, and her starring role in Layla’s hit horror, Vermillion. Even though she knew all the terrifying images in the movie that her twelve-year-old self had encountered during the filming were special effects, they’d imprinted themselves deep and refused to release their grip on her psyche.

But after her much-loved sister disappeared without a trace two years ago, not a moment goes by that Sophia doesn’t grieve her absence. She jumps at the chance to return to the house where the film was shot to search for signs of her missing sister, even though it is for a documentary on the film in preparation for the five-year anniversary of its release.

Knowing her parents would not approve of this plan, Sophie constructs a well-planned deception to keep them in the dark, including forging their signatures and sending them pictures from her friends’ vacations. The parents have to be grieving themselves, but it appears from the story they have a long history of being distracted when it comes to their daughters, while they are trying to make a living. Note to parents: there are enough good ideas presented here to be considered a fairly good how-to guide.

The story unfolds from Sophia’s point of view, with surprise after surprise increasing the suspense. There’s a scene reminiscent of The Phantom of the Opera when a chandelier inexplicably crashes down on the exact spot Sophia was sitting moments before. The eerie goings-on, the constant sound of the ocean pounding against the rocky cliff where Cashore House sets, and the certainty of being watched by more than motion-activated cameras keep everyone, readers included, on the edge. I became unsettled by the atmosphere in the old house and began to notice every weird sound in my own as I read. The payoff, however, was well worth the unease.

I recommend WHEN GHOSTS CALL US HOME to readers of young adult horror, thrillers, mysteries, and suspense.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through TBR and Beyond Book Tours. show less

First off, I need to give Katya de Becerra some credit - in many ways, Oasis was such an original idea. Sure, it plays off old trope of archaeological curses and a Survivor-esque vibe, but it's also absolutely unique in the YA genre. At least, it's unique so far as I am aware. If you're looking for a change of pace from your usual YA reading, Oasis is going to temp you.

Alif's and her four best friends are spending the summer at her father's dig site, but rumors are the site is cursed. The show more five laugh that bit off - stuff and nonsense, right? Until there's a massive sandstorm and the five plus Alif's father's research assistant, Tommy, find themselves lost in the desert and are forced to take shelter in a mysterious oasis. That's when the dreams start.

Oasis was, honestly, all over the place. The scene transitions were quick and choppy, and the author didn't really allow the reader to grow accustomed to any one situation before adding in dramatic new elements. The characters were all very shallow, though I'm torn between feeling that was because of poor writing, or if it was intentional because of the Survivor-esque feel to the novel.

There are a lot of things like that - where I'm not sure if it's poor writing, or if I'm being intolerant. For example, early in the book, I was ready to call out the author for the fact that five unlicensed, untrained, unexperienced teens were allowed to "summer" at a dig site. Then I read the jacket flap and learned Katya de Becerra has a PhD in Archaeology, so she would know better than I would if that were realistic. It still bugs me, but she is actually and literally the expert in that area.

The romance in Oasis was chopping and awkward as well. It felt like a very forced love triangle, but none of the characters flowed well together. Luke was moody and angry to the max, the the point of being predatory, where Tommy was so deep in his own head that I'm not sure he was invested at all? The other couple comes in the supporting characters, and while it felt like they had more chemistry, the relationship was not given time to develop (literally, 48 hours) and the behavior of one of the characters after something (admittedly tragic) happened to the other seemed highly dramatic given the explanations. The reaction level was fine, but it didn't correlate to the relationship level.

While the curse-concept was fun, there was no depth to it. There was no backstory, no reason why it was happening in a historical context. Oasis is all about surface-level thrills and chills - if you think about anything too much, you realize that the whole situation wasn't well-fleshed out and doesn't make a lot of sense. This makes is good for a quick, light read. It also makes it really frustrated from a world-building perspective.

All in all, I wouldn't discourage readers from giving Oasis a try. It's unique, it's a fast read, and i could be even fun f you aren't thinking about it too hard. But it's not a book that going to put its stamp the genre or stick long in anyone's minds because of its shallow characters, shallow plot, shallow world building, and generally poor writing. The first ~100pgs. are particularly painful as descriptions, backstories, and relationships are info-dumped. It's a short enough, quick enough book that if the description makes you curious - give it a try! The ratings are very split on this one, either loving or hating it. While I didn't enjoy it, I can appreciate what Oasis was trying to do, and if you don't think too much about it, it has the potential to be an entertaining read. show less

As promised, here's my longer review for Oasis. I adored the archaeology aspect! I wish we had been able to take more of a gander at the actual dig site, and artefacts. My first degree was in archaeology, and it is still near and dear to my heart. I loved the descriptions of the dig site and the camp. I appreciate when books get things archaeology or paleontology right. Seeing as the author has a background in archaeology/anthropology, this makes sense. I did kinda want to smack Alif’s show more friends, who griped at having to help in the camp. Do you not realise how lucky you are to even just be a mud bug in a dig??? What an honour!

Okay, truth- sandstorms terrify me. I really should worry more about wildfire and earthquakes. There’s not enough sand around here for a sandstorm, and yet.... I also have an irrational fear of black holes. I got nothing there… Then there was the oasis itself, and Dup Shimati. It’s kinda left to the imagination what exactly this is, but it is powerful and dangerous. It's brought out the most base instincts and desires of the trapped kids, using this unbalanced energy as food. It can weave illusion to give you what you want, but there's always a price. Despite this, I felt bad for it. This energy/ sentience/ being seems to have been marooned here. How sad to be cut off from one's own people, and how maddening.

This book had Stargate mixed with Lord of the Flies vibes for me, and reminded me a lot of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s books. Highly recommended.

***Many thanks to the Netgalley & MacMillan for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for the Fantastic Flying Book Club. show less

Wow. Katya de Becerra writes atmosphere so beautifully! I felt like I was living inside of a lush, sensorial (and at times, genuinely horrifying) dream sequence while I read this book. If you enjoy books like The Haunting of Hill House or Marisha Pessl's Night Film, chances are high that you will love reading this. Lighter on plot and characters, heavy on the vibes (and the vibes are immaculate)! This was a 5 star read for me based on the vibes alone. Can't wait to check out the other books show more she's written! show less