Synopsis:
From Bram Stoker Award–winning author Gwendolyn Kiste comes a chilling novel about three childhood friends who miraculously survive the night everyone in their suburban hometown turned into ghosts—perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.
The Velkwood Vicinity was the topic of occult theorists, tabloid one-hour documentaries, and even some pseudo-scientific investigations as the block of homes disappeared behind a near-impenetrable veil that only three survivors could enter—and only one has in the past twenty years, until now.
Talitha Velkwood has avoided anything to do with the tragedy that took her mother and eight-year-old sister, drifting from one job to another, never settling anywhere or with anyone, feeling as trapped by her past as if she was still there in the small town she so desperately wanted to escape from. When a new researcher tracks her down and offers to pay her to come back to enter the vicinity, Talitha claims she’s just doing it for the money. Of all the crackpot theories over the years, no one has discovered what happened the night Talitha, her estranged, former best friend Brett, and Grace, escaped their homes twenty years ago. Will she finally get the answers she’s been looking for all these years, or is this just another dead end?
Award-winning author Gwendolyn Kiste has created a suburban ghost story about a small town that trapped three young women who must confront the past if they’re going to have a future.
Review:
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste is an emotionally devastating, character driven ghost story, that feels like Jeff Vandermeer’s “Annihilation,” had a love-child with Ai Jiang’s “Ling Hun.” It’s packed full of suburban malaise, three-dimensional characters, and most interestingly, features a haunted street, known as the “Velkwood Vicinity.” Thank you enormously to Simon and Schuster for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review. The Haunting of Velkwood will be released on the 5th March 2024.
Talitha Velkwood may as well be a ghost, nonchalantly moving through life, never quite at home. The Velkwood “vicinity,” was a completely unremarkable block of houses, with 13 inhabitants, built in 1998- it was just like anywhere else… until it literally became a ghost town. Understandably, 20 years on, Talitha is haunted, traumatised, and wants nothing to do with Velkwood at all. However, when a researcher invites her back to the neighbourhood, she finds herself unmoored, and decides she’s due a visit home. As the characters grapple with their dark pasts, haunted by literal and figurative ghosts, the story begins to unfold with compelling intensity.
This is absolutely a character-driven novel. The relationship between Talitha and her best friend Brett is particularly fascinating. The two protagonists are utilised by Kiste to tackle themes of homophobia, young love and denial. The romance between the pair becomes increasingly obvious as we unearth their brutal backstory. Interestingly, the two are haunted by phantoms of their childhood selves, in addition to their grisly pasts. Whilst Brett (who is abused by her stepfather) is “Broken glass in the shape of a girl,” the inhabitants of Velkwood (as well as being ghosts) are monsters in their own way, who not only discourage the blossoming relationship between Talitha and Brett, but turn a blind eye to the horrors that lurk in plain sight. Whilst the premise of the plot was compelling, the protagonists were truly the star of the show, and practically leapt up off of the page.
That being said, I would have loved more backstory on “Grace.” When the trio of childhood friends reunite at Velkwood, a horrifying chain reaction (we keep it spoiler free here) is set off. Seeing as Grace is the piece that completes the puzzle, it was disappointing that we know so little about her.
It also has to be said that the ending felt rushed in comparison to the rest of the novel. Whilst it definitely still caught me in my feelings due to the relationships Kiste skillfully built up between the reader and the characters, it felt a little under-whelming and under-baked when you look at how intriguing and compelling the remainder of the story was.
However, that didn’t stop me from racing through the book. The chapters are the perfect length, and consistently conclude with a wild twist, ensuring I was absolutely absorbed in the Velkwood Vicinity. Its commentary on grief and loss is poignant and beautiful, and like I said earlier, reminiscent of Ling Hun by Ai Jiang. And of course, not to mention, that very concept of a town being trapped in time is ABSOLUTELY terrifying, and enough to make any readers’ hair stand on end.
All in all, The Haunting of Velkwood is perfect for fans of: ghost stories with a twist, Area 51, or horror fanatics looking for something fresh. The concept is original and gripping, and the writing and characterisation grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go until you’re done. This was my first read from Kiste, and “Reluctant Immortals,” is already calling my name!
Leave a Reply