Review - The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry

 

 

 

 Title: The Ghost Tree

Author: Christina Henry

Pages: 507

Publisher: Titan Books

Release Date: 8th September 2020

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

When people go missing in the sleepy town of Smith's Hollow, the only clue to their fate comes when a teenager starts having terrifying visions, in a chilling horror novel from national bestselling author Christina Henry.

When the bodies of two girls are found torn apart in the town of Smiths Hollow, Lauren is surprised, but she also expects that the police won't find the killer. After all, the year before her father's body was found with his heart missing, and since then everyone has moved on. Even her best friend, Miranda, has become more interested in boys than in spending time at the old ghost tree, the way they used to when they were kids.

So when Lauren has a vision of a monster dragging the remains of the girls through the woods, she knows she can't just do nothing. Not like the rest of her town. But as she draws closer to answers, she realizes that the foundation of her seemingly normal town might be rotten at the center. And that if nobody else stands for the missing, she will.

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My Review:

  *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley*

Teenager Lauren lives in the town of Smith's Hollow. A year ago, Lauren's father was murdered, his heart taken from his chest.

When the brutally dismembered bodies of two young girls are found, Lauren knows from experience that the police will fail to apprehend the killer.

When Lauren has a vision of a monster with the bodies in the woods, she decides to take action and attempt to find out who the girls were.

As Lauren investigates, she finds herself getting drawn deeper into the dark, forgotten secrets of Smith's Hollow.

I'd been wanting to read a Christina Henry novel for a long time, and while I'm not a big horror fan, I decided to give the novel a go.

Lauren was the main character and I found her to be likeable and relatable. It was interesting to read her relationships and how she reacted in different situations.

The book is told from several points of view and for me there weren't too many. I enjoyed reading about what the various characters thought about what was going on.

I think the character I most felt sorry for was Miranda, Lauren's best friend. They weren't as close as they used to be and Miranda wasn't very close to her parents either.

The setting was atmospheric and the history of the town that the author created was really interesting and unique.

The plot held my attention throughout the book, but I was glad that the pace wasn't any slower, otherwise I think I would have gotten bored. While I did enjoy the plot, I wasn't gripped or overly surprised by anything that happened. There was some gore and I'm glad there wasn't more as I don't love horror.

The writing style was easy to follow and I would read another book by the author.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.