Review of 'Ghost Wood Song'

Ghost Wood Song Is such a haunting and spellbinding read. Erica Waters has imbued the novel with enough southern charm to keep the tone smooth. Moreover, she has also filled the novel with enough fantasy and magic to balance out the eerie atmospheric and contemporary feel the novel gives off. Ghost Wood Song is a thought-provoking and compelling because it has not only character development but exceptional story development.

Compelling Story

From the beginning, the Ghost Wood Song submerges readers in the ghostly atmosphere. There is a strong sense of something magical happening on the fringes of the story, balancing out that haunting feel. Early on, the reader sees the connection Shady has to the ghost that haunts her, from ghosts hanging around her to her fathers’ fiddle calling to her.

This fantastical and haunting balance gives the story powerful tension, guiding the reader into Shady’s complicated life.

The tension is ultimately what makes Ghost Wood Song so captivating. The movement and tone, they flow beautifully, bringing to life the music in the story. It is so rich and haunting, keeping the reader engaged. The atmospheric setting, the evolution of the story and characters, make the Ghost Wood Song so engaging because of how they all balance each other out, shifting and evolving into something more than just a ghost story.

A New Ghost Story

The fantastical elements and magical fiddle make than more than a ghost story. It is the fiddle that is key in making the story interesting. The fiddle is the connection Shady has with the ghosts, but there are more layers to that connection than meets the eye. The fiddle and the ghosts give the story layers to evolve, offering readers a fresh and unique take on the ghost story genre.

The idea that ghosts are connected to grief is something relatable and reminiscent of Shirley Jackson. Ghost Wood Song is an emotional read as it ties the ghosts to strong emotions, highlighting how people can create their hauntings. Ghost Wood Song highlights the impact of emotions, like hate, rage, grief, and love, and how strongly they connect to ghosts. The emotional spectrum this novel explores gives the story depth and makes it relatable to the reader. It creates a novel full of complexities that are worth exploring.

Strong Characters

What is also great here is the LGBTQ representation. Shady Grove herself is a bisexual character, and while she is dealing with her family drama, she also has to contend with the complex emotions she has for two other characters. Sarah is a lesbian whom Shady is attracted to but their dynamic does not flow because they are so different as people. There are times when Sarah is unlikable because she is just a bad friend. This is not to stay the novel shames the LGBTQ community because Sarah grows and with Rose, another lesbian, they grow, and their romance gets the attention it deserves to develop the characters.

The complexities surrounding the romance highlight the complex nature of the characters and how life sometimes just gets in the way. Shady is bisexual, and exploring the complexities that go into being bisexual makes the story engaging and creates real characters.

All the dynamics between Shady and her friends are well developed. There is much tension between them but their friendship, what ties them together, does not disintegrate. It evolves alongside the story, matching up with the range of emotions that drive the novel forward and give its tension. These are multidimensional characters who are also relatable, highlighting Water’s ability to create strong characters.

Final Thoughts

Ghost Wood Song is a brilliant novel. Waters give the story a strong core, one that evolves and blossoms into such an unforgettable, haunting, and beautiful novel.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband and son and their two cats, Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx.