Ghostland by Duncan Ralston is one of those books that everybody was raving about on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I knew it was one I was eventually going to have to check out, so it was added to the TBR list and forced to wait until the mood hit me. And eventually, it did.
One of the questions I've seen posted on Twitter for the writing community is: Can a location be a character? In Ghostland, the location is Garrotte House, and it is indeed one of the characters. In the very beginning, we see Garrotte House being relocated-- That's right. The entire house has been removed from its original location and is being located to Duck Falls, Maryland, where it is to be the star attraction in a new themed attraction -- Ghostland. Garrote House belonged to Rex Garrote, an infamous horror author with a fascination with the occult who killed himself within the house. Witnessing this event are Ben Laramie and Lillian Roth. But Garrote house isn't unoccupied, and Ben knows who the occupant is. The shock of it is enough to trigger a fatal heart attack. That's right. Before the Prologue is over, one of our central characters, Ben, is dead.
At the start of Chapter 1, we find that Ben is very much alive, having been resuscitated and is considered to be frail. Any sort of excitement will more than likely trigger another heart attack, and this time he might not be so lucky. We also find that he and his BFF, Lillian, are no longer forever friends, as she can't come to grips with Ben's death and resurrection. She has issues with death, issues that she is in therapy for, and Ben's presence is a constant reminder of that. Given the physical and emotional baggage both kids are carrying, it's surprising to find that they mend their relationship enough to take a trip to Ghostland on opening day. Lillian is hoping to get a handle on her issues with death by exposing herself to the assortment of haunted properties population Ghostland. These are just haunted houses; they're haunted houses with histories, rather bloody, deadly histories. You see, the owners of Ghostland are in possession of technology that not only makes ghosts visible, but more or less keeps them imprisoned within their respective haunts. Unbeknownst to Lillian, Ben's reason for going is to destroy Garrote House. He suspects that Rex Garrote is alive and living within the house, and he (Garrote) is determined to follow through with the plans outlined in one of his books, and that is to open the doorway to the other side to allow the spirits to come through and create their Hell on Earth.
Opening day at a theme park that, through the magic of modern technology, keeps the ghosts on display like so many cage-crazy zoo animals, what could possibly go wrong? Before you can say Casper the Friendly Ghost, the park is on lockdown, and nobody is allowed in or out. That includes the ghosts, who are once again trapped within this giant snowglobe (minus the snow) by a containment field. Also trapped behind the park's walls are Lillian and Ben and hundreds of other people, all trying to find a way out before the ghosts start using them as target practive.
When I started reading Ghostland, despite the age of the characters, I wasn't expecting a young adult (YA) novel, but that's what I got, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just wasn't expecting it. And just because it's YA, that doesn't mean Ralston holds back on the blood, guts, and gore, because he doesn't. He's also created a wonderful cast of characters (good guys and bad guys) that you quickly become invested in, and you are often left sitting on the edge of your seat hoping, as they battle ghost after ghost after ghost, that they come out of this unscathed, especially considering Ben's delicate condition. There's also an assortment of secondary characters, both living and dead, some of who become unlikely allies as they attempt to escape from Ghostland. The pacing is relentless, and you are quickly swept up in the events as they unfold, and should you find yourself reading this on a day off from work or on the weekend, it's very likely you might finish this book in one sitting because once Garrote House has you under its spell, it doesn't want to let you go.
Don't let the idea that this is a YA novel dissuade you from picking it up. Ralston doesn't dumb down the narrative, like I've seen done in so many YA books, so even adults can enjoy this ghostly tale. Just be forwarned... This is the first of a trilogy.
