The Haunting Season
Written by: Michelle Muto
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
This was one scary story. It was an audible book and the narrator was awesome at keeping the panic level high! My nerves were shot by the end of it. She did the many voices great.
The plot and characters were so realistic in the story. This was creepier than the movie, The Haunted, the black and white version or the new version. This was not a hack-and-slash like some horror stories. This was mostly all paranormal and just creepy. The kind I like! This really should be a movie. The bad thing about a scary book, you have to turn the page, or in this case, keep listen to know what is going to happen. No pillow to hide behind to avoid the screen, there is NO SCREEN! The screen is in your head. I have too good of an imagination anyway and this author is very good about making you feel like you are there. Great world building, or in this case, house building. Twists, turns, and screams...no, the screams were mine, sorry! Good book! ( )

I found it very hard to get into this book. I found it very light on actual creepiness. The idea of the four characters investigating a haunted house was interesting, but nothing really happened. I know it's a YA book and I wasn't expecting Stephen King levels of description but I did want to be interested in the story and I found it just didn't hold my attention. I had to push myself to finish it. It's not a terrible read but it just didn't do anything for me. ( )

Do you like your horror with ghosts, demons, paranormal powers, and creepy graveyards? Than this may be the one for you. A group of teens is thrown into a supposedly haunted house. All of the teens have powers and they have one month together to test out the house and see if it is really haunted. There is more than they bargained for going on in this house. Are the things they see and feel bad or good? Are they being helped or hindered? Is the house more than it seems? Will they be able to make it a month and come out alive?
This is a perfect story for those that love horror and the new adult genre. There are some scenes that may be too much for younger teens. The story is filled with action and suspense. Just when you think you have figured out what is going on and who is to blame, BAM, you are surprised with new suspects. The storyline held my interest throughout and moved at break neck speed. The teen characters were written well and all had their own angst.
This is my first read by Michelle Muto. I would like to read more. Her ghosts are particularly spooky and she is a whiz at building atmosphere. This is the perfect read for a winter night. Excellent with a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket. You might want to turn on a few extra lights ( )

Located in Savannah, Georgia, one of the most haunted cities in the U.S., the fictitious Siler House provides an ideal setting for the scary, macabre story that unfolds in The Haunting Season. Led by parapsychologist, Dr. Brandt, four teenagers, each with unusual paranormal abilities, participate in a paid study funded by a secret government organization by agreeing to stay in the infamous Siler House for one month to investigate the presence of supernatural entities haunting the mansion. Two of the participants want to stay in the house where they can test and enhance their abilities, one is there out of guilt, and another is forced to be there. Jess, Allison, Bryan and Gage all have different motives for being at Siler House when they first arrive, but by the end, they are united in their efforts to survive and escape the evil that has imprisoned them.

I was engrossed throughout the entire book, not only by the tension-filled plot but also by the characters themselves. Each one has been touched by the supernatural and their backstories are sad, heartbreaking, and even shocking. When the house itself begins to exert its own powers, the characters begin to question themselves and each other as they become more and more suspicious about Dr. Brandt and the real reason for conducting the study.

The action centers around gruesome murders, malevolent spirits, séances, an antique Ouija board, and necromancy. The story is fast-paced with lots of drama and a sensual romance between Jess and Gage that enhances the storyline but doesn’t overshadow the main plot. The intense outcome was not what I expected nor what I wanted but one I can accept. Muto does an excellent job with character development and, overall, wraps up the story well. However, I did want to know more about how some of the participants, especially Gage, resolved the conflicts with their families regarding the use of their supernatural gifts and am still not sure how family dynamics have changed since the characters have returned home.

I also think Muto leaves the ending open for a possible sequel. The characters have all been dramatically affected by their experience, and some of the conflicts don’t seem to be fully resolved. Are these gifted young adults really free of this mysterious government organization that has been watching them?

With Halloween, approaching, The Haunting Season is a great read, especially this time of year.

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. ( )

In Muto’s horror novel, Siler House has stood silent beneath Savannah’s moss-draped oaks for decades. Known for being haunted, it has stood empty until college-bound Jess Perry and three other ghost hunters gather to take part in a month long study of the paranormal. Jess, who talks to ghosts, bonds quickly with the others; one girl is possessed; another would prefer to forget it all; the third guy really knows how to impress Jess when he’s not otherwise occupied resurrecting the dead. The study soon turns sinister as the dark forces within the house become determined to keep them forever.

It kept me on edge until the end and I highly recommend it. ( )