This novel was one that I had attempted to read previously but had been unable to finish because I was just too depressed to focus on anything. Now that I am working on getting through my depression, it felt only right to return to this novel and give it the fair shot it deserves. So here is my review:
Abby Bernacki is adjusting to motherhood as smoothly as is possible. But soon, she begins to experience odd sensations around the house and in the presence of her baby daughter. When she starts to dig a bit further into the history of her home to try to answer some of her questions, she is given the diary of Frances Barnett, who lived in the house 125 years ago and was institutionalized at Northampton Lunatic Hospital. The diary itself seems simple enough but soon reveals a more disturbing story at play. And the more Abby learns about Frances Barnett, the more she wonders about the potential presence of a negative supernatural influence in her home. Who was Frances Barnett and what drove her to madness? And more importantly, is Abby the next person who will lose her mind?
I will admit that when I began this novel for the second time, I had high hopes for it. The buildup was slow yet enticing and I was eager to see how the story would unfold. Unfortunately, this novel let me down big time. The more I read, the more I felt like Abby was simply delusional. Most of the time, nothing was even happening to her and she created the “eerie” situation through her own actions. Just as the novel begins to pick up the pace, it starts to go in a weird direction that just seems rushed and abruptly ends. While everything makes sense, it wasn’t written out very well and just left me feeling startled. The ending had absolutely nothing to do with the premise and it seemed quite pointless by the end of it. All in all, not a good attempt and I will definitely not be recommending this book to anyone!
Happy reading ~