Siler House has stood silent beneath Savannah’s moss-draped oaks for decades. Notoriously haunted, it has remained empty until college-bound Jess Perry and three of her peers gather to take part in a month-long study on the paranormal. Able to talk to ghosts, Jess quickly bonds with her fellow test subjects, who have their own “gifts.” One is possessed. Another just wants to forget. The third is a guy who knows how to turn up the August heat, not to mention Jess’s heart rate…when he’s not resurrecting the dead.The study soon turns into something far more sinister when they discover that Siler House and the dark forces within are determined to keep them forever. To escape, Jess and the others must open themselves up to the true horror of Siler House and channel the very evil that seeks to hold them in.
I do believe this was the first New Adult book I've read. New Adult seems more on par with YA, but with older main characters and more adult situations (read: SEX). (And feel free to correct me on my summation.) The Haunting Season provides us with characters ranging from just shy of 18 to a sophomore in college. And Michelle gives us sex! Errr. That's probably not the best way to explain it, yeah? But well, I'm sure you get the idea. There are sexy times!
The Haunting Season is a good bridge for those who are hesitant to try horror books. If you're easily scared, The Haunting Season is horror-lite; the month-long time frame stretches the story so that it becomes less urgent (and therefore less scary). Is it scary? Yes, definitely. It just might not give you the "read with the lights on" fear. (Or maybe I don't scare easily and you'll never be able to turn the lights off again. You'll just have to read the book for yourself to find out.)
If it's one thing I'm a sucker for, it's old houses. I love them. And, like the Siler House, old houses provide an excellent backdrop for paranormal stories. With four kids--I say kids because they're still kids to me, college bound or no--stuck in the house for a month, you know there is bound to be shenanigans. Toss in paranormal shenanigans, and the enjoyment factor goes up even more. This is more than just a ghost story--the kids (the boys especially) have talents that extend beyond ghosts.
With an ending that I did not see coming (always a bonus), The Haunting Season provided me with a romp in a haunted house. A little scary, a little sexy, and a lot of fun.
