The October Film Haunt

The October Film Haunt definitely has an intriguing premise, and I am all for found footage-type horror, especially one where the MC receives this type of information in the mail and has to figure out the who, what, where, why, and when of it all. Unfortunately, the writing style was clunky making this a really difficult book to keep my attention and focus, and even though it is a relatively short book, it felt sooooooo long to read.

So let's talk about what was really interesting about this book. First of all, the atmosphere is certainly there as you have a woman living in an isolated cabin when she receives a videotape that shows clips of a horror movie to which she was attached over ten years ago. However, as she watches the video, show more more and more details are revealed which makes it really disturbing and this is where I think the author did a good job, at creating this unsettling atmosphere of dread as Jorie slowly unravels what she is seeing. There is quite a good blend of the psychological with the paranormal and even as the MC starts questioning her sanity, as a reader, I was wondering what was really going on. And as other people start receiving videotapes of their own, or emails, or whatever they received, the dread slowly rises as people try to figure out what is actually going on.

It's really unfortunate that the author wasn't able to keep this level of dread and tension going through the book however, as the chunky plot devices and convoluted writing style finally got to me. I can read pretty much anything as I have a Master's degree in English Lit, but the lack of execution made me frustrated to the point where I had to put this book down and give it a rest, often for a week. And I was reluctant to pick it back up. I really enjoy books that feature found footage, emails, newspaper clippings, etc... and these were the parts that I enjoyed quite a bit. There was a really good story within these pages, but even if the author intended this to be clunky and convoluted, making you feel unsettled as if you were watching a movie, I don't think it quite worked. The simply fact is, you can't get backstory and good character development through a story the same way you can watching a movie, and if it's missing, it leaves you feeling like you missed part of the story. And this is exactly how I felt while reading this book. Like I was missing these things.

Verdict
The October Film Haunt had a really good premise, but it didn't deliver. I spent some time after finishing the book wondering if the author actually tended it to be this way or if it just happened, and I can't decide which one it is. Either way, it didn't quite work for me if that was the intention. I thought I was reading a much longer book, and I came really close to DNF this. Will I try another book by this author? Yes, because I do think there is potential and I am curious to see what the author will write in the future as the story was unsettling and creepy. However, the execution of this one fell flat for me and I just couldn't connect with the characters the way it was written. And I didn't even mention that ending until now. Grr. show less

I loved Wehunt's prior books, especially the collection Greener Pastures, and I have been looking forward to this novel for quite some time! I found it immersive and very imaginative, with quite a few memorable moments. It seems a novel written for true horror lovers and has some great insights into the horror lover's psyche. Enjoyed it and looking forward to his next!

This book might be amazing for some - but it’s just not for me personally.

The description of the book sounds amazing and I was so excited to have won this giveaway off Goodreads (thank you btw). But it just fell so flat for me.

I really struggled even getting into that book. I was confused, I got easily distracted, and I didn’t comprehend the book like I would if I was engrossed in it. I caught myself “skimming” because I was just not vibing with it.

Though there are parts of the storyline that are a bit convoluted, I enjoyed this book up until the end, which is too abrupt and open ended.