Seducing Amanda

by Antonia Van Zandt

[Cocktails and Books]

Amanda has inherited this once magnificent house. A house that unbeknownst to her is already occupied with ethereal beings bent on seduction. Or at the very least otherworldly. Are they good? Are they evil? Honestly we never really find out one-way or the other. What could have been a very good ghost story sadly felt as if it had been cut drastically short just as it was reaching the most interesting part.

Other than a weak female main character, the only thing that aggravates me more about a book is when I invest my time in reading it only to be left hanging at the end with no resolution to my many questions. That unfortunately is exactly what Van Zandt does. The story itself is enjoyable. Amanda has just the right amount of seductive innocence and pessimist. However, that’s just about it. There wasn’t enough character development with the other characters to truly decide how to feel about them. A quality I did not particularly enjoy.

I have to admit however, that although I did not enjoy this particular novella by Ms. Van Zandt, I did enjoy her way with words. With a unique way of world building, you almost believe in the possibility of ghosts or entities from the great beyond becoming corporeal if only for an hour and enjoying everything that it means to be human and alive. Therefore, although this novella did not do it for me, I will be giving Ms. Van Zandt’s work another try. And hopefully, next time I will not be left wanting with nothing but a cliffhanger and my own imagination to decide what will happen to the characters next.

Reviewed by Iris for Cocktails and Books