Ben Dolnick

I don’t think the description provided for this book really does the story justice. I went into this expecting a spooky, romantic story, and was very, very surprised. Yes, The Ghost Notebooks is a ghost story, but not at all in the traditional sense. But the uniqueness of this story really works. It draws you in and keeps you guessing until the very end. Rather than being your typical, creepy, spooky ghost story, Nick and Hannah’s story is tragic.

When Nick and Hannah move to upstate New show more York to become the caretakers of a historic house, they have no idea what’s in store for them. The first portion of the book actually ends up being an interesting exploration of young, troubled love, and it’s fascinating to see the inner-workings of Nick and Hannah’s relationship through Nick’s eyes. The move, at first, seems like a great thing for the couple, but when Hannah wakes up in the night claiming that she hears whispers, things start to go awry.

Hannah has dealt with mental health issues in the past, so Nick is worried, but not overly worried. He believe she’s still in contact with her psychiatrist, and that she’s doing everything she should be to manage her health. But when Hannah disappears, it calls into question everything Nick believed (or chose to believe) about her state of mind. Mental illness and sanity/insanity are major themes, especially in Part Three of this book.

I don’t know what else I can say about The Ghost Notebooks without giving away major plot points. This story is beautifully written and haunting. There are twists and turns and the nature of the plot keeps you guessing at what’s actually going on until the very end. This is not your typical horror novel, but it has it’s spooky and creepy moments. I definitely recommend this unique book.

*Arc received free of charge from First to Read. show less

The strongest aspects of this book were the observations the main character made, not on his life or his friend Thomas’s life, but on life in general. Despite his young(ish) age – an ageless wisdom shines through at times that really caught my attention.

“There are certain places, certain objects, that seem in some hard-to-explain way alive, and that gives a weird charmed quality to everything you do in them or with them. When I was little I seemed to get this feeling more regularly; it show more would come over me when I was holding a glass, or wearing a particular sweater, or sitting in the unpainted corner of the kitchen in one of the first apartments I remember. Warmth? Happiness? Home? What comes to mind is the way wood sometimes looks in sunlight; there’s a Vermeer-ish quality to what I’m talking about.”

Some of the feelings in this story are so universal – and the author does a simply amazing job encapsulating these shared human experiences. This book hinges on one shattering moment – an event that ends the relatively normal and pleasant lives that Adam and Thomas have been living. This moment is described in a snapshot that just haunted me.

“There’s a moment just after breaking something (the glass slips from your fingertips, your elbow catches the vase) in which it feels like if you stand there, absolutely still, baring your teeth, you should be able to suck time backward like an indrawn breath. Your hand hangs there in the air, your eyes fall shut, you’re like someone playing a children’s game with a whistle and a voice that shouts, “Freeze!”

Adam and Thomas go their separate ways, only to come together again in nearly unrecognizable circumstances. Thomas, who has been searching for answers, is then sought out by Adam – who had been trying to deny the past. Only when pushed far past his emotional and physical limits does he realize the impact of their childhood actions.

“I was, of course, incredibly tired, but past a certain point tiredness stops registering primarily as a desire to be asleep. It was as if my body or brain had at some point in the past few days accepted that I was never again going to get adequate sleep, so it had constructed a jittery, pain-spiked simulation of wakefulness.”

Even then, Adam is able to recover some sense of a normal life – but not one that is unaffected by all he has experienced.

“There’s a tendency, I think, to discount the suffering in fear; after the fact, once the tests have come back negative or the call’s been returned, we think, It wasn’t as bad as all that. We let our present relief retouch our past terror.”

One brief moment, one action followed by inaction changed everything. Changed the lives of so many people – and effectively ended the lives of others.

This was a powerful story, but in different ways than I had expected. show less

Oddly bland writing that, on later reflection, maybe meant as a meta reference to some writings mentioned in the book. The story itself is pretty paint by numbers but the concepts introduced in the last few chapters have haunted me fore the past few weeks.

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 show more 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.** show less