The Ghost Notebooks by Ben Dolnick Book Review
The Ghost Notebooks by Ben Dolnick Book Review
The lowdown from Goodreads
Publication Date February 1st, 2018
When Nick Beron and Hannah Rampe decide to move to the tiny upstate town of Hibernia, New York, they aren’t running away, exactly, but they need a change. Their careers have flatlined, the city is exhausting, and they’ve reached a relationship stalemate. Hannah takes a job as live-in director of the Wright Historic House, a museum dedicated to an obscure nineteenth century philosopher, and she and Nick move into their new home–the town’s remoteness, the speed with which she is offered the job, and the lack of museum visitors barely a blip in their considerations. At first life in this old, creaky house feels cozy–they speak in Masterpiece Theater accents, they take bottles of wine to the swimming hole. But as summer turns to fall Hannah begins to have trouble sleeping and she hears whispers in the night. One morning Nick wakes up to find Hannah gone. Now, in his frantic search for her he will discover the hidden legacy of Wright House: a man driven wild with grief, and a spirit aching for home.
The Ghost Notebooks by Ben Dolnick Book Review
When Nick and Hannah are truly at a crossroads in their careers and their relationship, they make the decision that Hannah will take the curator position she’s been offered in upstate NY at the Wright museum, the former home of a 19th-century philosopher. They quickly uproot from their tiny NYC apartment and head to the Wright house.
All is well at first for the newly engaged couple; even cozy. They’re enjoying their new country life until summer turns to fall. Hannah begins to change. Withdrawals from the activities she once enjoyed at the museum and even begins to pull away from Nick. Is it the house? The seclusion? Is it Nick? Is it Hannah’s previous battles with mental illness? Or is something otherworldly pulling at her?
THE VERDICT
This atmospheric story drew me in right away. What really happened to Hannah? I couldn’t get to the ending fast enough! I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense; it’s subtle yet gives you a definite creepy feeling, which I loved! Those last three chapters… so wholly satisfying. If you like subtle suspense / subtle horror, you’ll definitely dig this one!! Pick up a copy February 13th!
Special thanks to Ben Dolnick & Pantheon for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
See more Book Reviews from Kim here!
Let’s connect with books! We have all of our reviews on Goodreads!
Really Into This a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: BEN DOLNICK
Ben Dolnick is the author of four novels: Zoology, You Know Who You Are, At the Bottom of Everything, and The Ghost Notebooks. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, GQ, and on NPR. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.