Book Review: Haunted by Debra Glass

Last month I was invited by Debra Glass, author of over fifteen books in her respected genres, to read and review her new Young Adult paranormal romance, Haunted. I’m quite picky when it comes to that particular variety of novel, but the original synopsis of Haunted drew me in and I knew I couldn’t pass it up. History, romance and emotional turmoil heat the pages as we follow seventeen year-old Wren Darby from Atlanta’s bustling society to the quiet sprawling town of Columbia, Tennessee. Her family’s abrupt change of scenery comes after a tragic accident leaves her best friend dead and Wren with scars of the spiritual, mental and physical sort. She’s haunted by the traumatic event, the sudden psychic ability that allows her into the thoughts of others and the disfiguring wound on her face as constant troubling reminders. But when she arrives at her new home Wren comes to realize she’s being haunted by something else entirely: the ghost of Jeremiah Ransom, a Civil War soldier whose family occupied the home lifetimes earlier. After being mortally wounded in battle and dying within the house, Jeremiah watched his family live out their lives as he remained invisible, passed on yet never able to leave; but, whether by the lasting effects of the accident or perhaps an unexplainable mystery of fate, Wren can see him. And feel him. And, as time leads her to discover, she can fall in love with him.

No sooner does Wren become accepting of her new and unusual situation than she finds herself in the crosshairs of Briar, a local girl who too has had an experience with a ghost in the small town. Briar’s story is a dark and disturbing one, and her ordeal has left her determined to eradicate every other ghost on earth, starting with Jeremiah. As Wren struggles with her fears and the overwhelming power of her feelings for a ghost she must also battle life, death and the in between to secure her own beloved future.

Haunted is fast-paced and absorbing; an enchanting read that transports the reader to the gently rambling Tennessee countryside both in present day and during the throws of the otherworldly Civil War. Luscious history peppers the narrative as Jeremiah’s old-time southern ways fuse with Wren’s modern sensibilities, and the result is a spellbinding marriage between a fairy tale romance and a dark, enticing ghost story.

Thanks again to Miss Glass for inviting me to review Haunted. A slight cliffhanger in the book’s epilogue certainly has me hoping for a sequel; in the meantime, if you’re interested in reading the book and connecting with the author, here are all the links you need:
Buy Haunted in e-book form: Amazon – Kindle Edition | Bookstrand – various formats
Find Debra Glass online: Ghostly Ever After, blog | Facebook

 

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