At sixteen, Gerald Dupickle faces his worst fear ... college! Awkward and shy, Gerald desperately wants to be part of the popular crowd-something he couldn't accomplish in high school. He does his best to avoid the campus bullies, but after a brief run-in with the boys who wear black, he realizes things aren't always what they appear to be. After a ghostly encounter in the library, it's the boys who wear black that come to his rescue. Fang and his team quickly realize Gerald has a gift-one that attracts ghosts. But what happens when Gerald's normal becomes paranormal? Legend has it, a terrifying presence stalks the halls of the Blue Owl Inn, a decaying Victorian mansion. On his first ghost hunt, it's Gerald who draws Lily out of hiding. Mesmerized that ghosts truly live among us, Gerald sets out to do more than just prove that they exist-he wants to help the spirits cross over to the other side. But do the spirits want his help? Steve Altier is at his chilling best in this new supernatural tale that's certain to send shivers down the reader's spine.
Steve Altier is a bestselling paranormal, mystery, and suspense writer. He is known for his multi-award-winning series, The Lizardville Ghost Stories, and Amazon Bestseller, The Ghost Hunter. Steve grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania. His parents owned the dam keeper's house on Lizardville Road. Across the street was an old, broken-down dam and the remnants of the ax factory. Steve and his buddies spent many days exploring the abandoned factory. Unexplained things happened when Steve was a child—inspiring his love for everything spooky and many of his stories. Steve currently lives in Florida with his wife, four daughters, and four cats. You can visit my world at www.stevealtier.com
A promising and unique story sure to delight middle grade readers. While reading, I could imagine the characters and story like a movie. The characters felt realistic and relatable.
Gerald is smart. So smart that he’s entered college at the age of sixteen. He hopes to find friends there, and he does. He settles in with a group of ghost hunters.
If you want a horror that’s not gory or too gruesome, this will be a good read. It’s fast, easy, and entertaining. I enjoyed the coming of age aspect too, with the main character’s first year of college. The spook level is there and it sticks with traditional paranormal activity, nothing too crazy. There’s some twists and unexpected direction towards the end.
“I’d met two ghosts and talked to them, so who better to help me write this story than myself.”
OMG! I was hooked with the opening line and couldn't put this down until I finished. It's been a while since I read a story like this. Steve, you knocked this one out of the park. I'm super excited and can't wait for your next book.
I loved listening to this story! I was hooked on the opening line and couldn't stop until I finished. It's been a while since I heard a story like this. It was very satisfying. Looking forward to more spooky stories from the author.
I don't rate my own books, I leave that up to you the reader. But I will post the synopsis.
At sixteen, Gerald Dupickle faces his worst fear . . . college!
Awkward and shy, Gerald desperately wants to be part of the popular crowd—something he couldn’t accomplish in high school.
Gerald does his best to avoid the campus bullies, but after a brief run-in with the boys who wear black, he realizes things aren’t always what they appear to be. After a ghostly encounter in the library, it’s the boys in black who come to his rescue. Fang and his team quickly realize Gerald has a gift—one that attracts ghosts.
But what happens when Gerald’s normal becomes paranormal?
Legend has it, a terrifying presence stalks the halls of the Blue Owl Inn, a decaying Victorian mansion. On his first ghost hunt, it’s Gerald who draws Lily out of hiding. Mesmerized that ghosts truly live amongst us, Gerald sets out to do more than just prove that they exist—he wants to help the spirits cross over to the other side.
But do the spirits want his help?
Steve Altier is at his chilling best in this new supernatural tale that’s certain to send shivers down the reader’s spine.
I loved reading this! Very quick and satisfying. It was I am saving it for my son (8) to read when he is a little older. It took me back to the days of reading Fear Street and Christopher Pike. Looking forward to more spooky stories from Steve.
I've really only been into fantasy books lately but this wasnt to bad for my first ghost related book. Its slightly predictable but honestly i still enjoyed the read
This is a YA book but I feel like it could span all ages. It was spooky and creepy but not too scary.
I also liked the vintage feel of the read which must be set in the 1960s since it’s mentioned that minimum wage was $1.62.
I like the fact that as a reader we get to know the main character, Gerald and what’s happened and happening in his life so this isn’t just a ghost story.
Gerald is the main character. He is 16 years old and a college freshman. He has found his people with a group of ghost hunters.
The group investigates a variety of local places and Gerald is a magnate for the ghosts. When the group goes to an abandoned apartment building, Gerald helps a homeless teenager girl..
Gerald faces college, believing his fear would be merely attending and getting through more school years. However, when he discovers the existence of ghosts, his mentality changes. Written in first-person, this is a more intimate account of Gerald's experiences. The writing is young, descriptive, and engaging.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The suspense of the book was good. I really enjoyed the book. It was very interesting and made me not want to put the book down. It was great and had no profanity which was great. Glad I was given the chance to do an ARC review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was loving this short story up until the ending. I hated the ending. There was a great creep atmosphere and suspense. It was a fun read, but the ending ruined it for me. While it was a twist, it was a cheesy twist. At least it was short.
For the most part, this was a good story. It followed sixteen-year-old genius and college student Gerald DuPickle as he went from a complete skeptic to avid believer to ghost hunter. The investigation scenes were for the most part realistic and at times spooky without going overboard. What kept me from giving this a full five stars was the need for some tighter editing in spots. I was a bit disappointed with some of the loose ends, especially with the apartment building investigation; I was looking forward to seeing their final report to the owner who asked them to investigate. I did enjoy the reference to another of the author's books; it was a nice tie-in. Overall, a good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
this was a great concept for a horror novel and I enjoyed how well it was written. It was a great start to the Lizardville Side Stories series, and I enjoyed how good the characters were. Steve Altier does a great job in creating a great story and realistic characters. I can't wait to read more in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Interesting story about the Paranormal and the character that has a connection with dose. Entertaining and sometimes intense in this story with a few twists and turns that keep you hooked until the end. Not really sure what to believe. Good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
My first time to read a Steve Altier novel. It's the perfect young adult ghost adventure. Spooky and fun! It's a great option if you want to be scared but without gore and violence. I have been wanting to read a good ghost adventure for a while and I'm happy to have stumbled on this one.
My daughters and I all read book one and book two and absolutely loved them. We love ghost stories and anything deliciously haunting and these both were a slam dunk! Highly recommended read.
I really enjoyed this teen/young adult read. It was set during college which is always a big hit for me and I loved the the main character was going when he was that but younger. I enjoyed how the spirits and ghosts were woven through too quite subtle in the start with a big build up. It was a little creepy and I loved how much was set in a library - perfect for bookworms! A great read to lead into spooky season!