Johann (jobis89)'s Reviews > The Saturday Night Ghost Club
The Saturday Night Ghost Club
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by
“That magic gets kicked out of you, churched out, shamed out — or worse, you steal it from yourself.”
In 1980s Niagra Falls, 12-year-old Jake Baker and a pair of siblings who are new to town spend an unforgettable summer investigating local ghost stories and urban legends.
A check-list for some of the things I love in books:
- Beautiful writing where I want to highlight almost every single page
- Nostalgic coming-of-age stories
- Ghost stories/urban legends
- Kids getting up to mischief on their summer holidays
So already this book is ticking a lot of boxes! There are also loveable characters, with a special shout-out to Uncle Calvin. When you’re young there is nothing more cool than an older relative who is just a little bit different. I mean, if I had an uncle who was obsessed with urban legends and ghost stories AND he owned an amazing oddities store called The Occulatorium, I’m pretty sure I’d have wanted to hang out with him all the time too!
There are so many passages where Davidson discusses memory and the brain in the most highlighter-worthy way. It’s a really beautiful book to read, the only reason I didn’t give it a full five stars was because I didn’t feel the emotional connection I had been expecting... but that’s really nothing to do with the book itself! However I will also point out that if you’re thinking this is a horror book, don’t go in expecting that! It’s very light on the horror.
Overall a beautifully haunting book. Craig Davidson is one fantastic writer! I would DEFINITELY recommend! 4 stars.
In 1980s Niagra Falls, 12-year-old Jake Baker and a pair of siblings who are new to town spend an unforgettable summer investigating local ghost stories and urban legends.
A check-list for some of the things I love in books:
- Beautiful writing where I want to highlight almost every single page
- Nostalgic coming-of-age stories
- Ghost stories/urban legends
- Kids getting up to mischief on their summer holidays
So already this book is ticking a lot of boxes! There are also loveable characters, with a special shout-out to Uncle Calvin. When you’re young there is nothing more cool than an older relative who is just a little bit different. I mean, if I had an uncle who was obsessed with urban legends and ghost stories AND he owned an amazing oddities store called The Occulatorium, I’m pretty sure I’d have wanted to hang out with him all the time too!
There are so many passages where Davidson discusses memory and the brain in the most highlighter-worthy way. It’s a really beautiful book to read, the only reason I didn’t give it a full five stars was because I didn’t feel the emotional connection I had been expecting... but that’s really nothing to do with the book itself! However I will also point out that if you’re thinking this is a horror book, don’t go in expecting that! It’s very light on the horror.
Overall a beautifully haunting book. Craig Davidson is one fantastic writer! I would DEFINITELY recommend! 4 stars.
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Reading Progress
February 23, 2020
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Started Reading
February 23, 2020
– Shelved
February 27, 2020
–
Finished Reading
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Lindsay
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rated it 4 stars
May 05, 2020 05:17PM
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I hope you enjoy it!!
It does take a little while to get going, but it's a really beautiful book!!
Yes! Definite similarities. Love coming-of-age stories!
Well, I gotta agree with you in that regard. Simply because it's difficult for the majority of authors to match up to Bradbury's writing! And also McCammon's in Boy's Life. I liked this one for what it was, but nowhere near the quality of Something Wicked and Boy's Life.
It feels very different from his Cutter novels, but both are great!! It's almost hard to believe they're the same author in some ways!
- Opening quote maybe best in book
- Checklist is spot on
- Didn’t quite feel the emotional connection I expected
- This is NOT a horror novel. (I mistakenly thought it was, once I realized it wasn’t it was much easier to actually sit back and enjoy the book)
Thanks Johann!