The Supernatural Enhancements
Ratings15
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings15
Average rating3.7
When twentysomething A., the unexpected European relative of the Wells family, and his companion, Niamh, a mute teenage girl with shockingly dyed hair, inherit the beautiful but eerie estate of Axton House, deep in the woods of Point Bless, Virginia, it comes as a surprise to everyone—including A. himself. After all, he never even knew he had a "second cousin, twice removed" in America, much less that the eccentric gentleman had recently committed suicide by jumping out of the third floor bedroom window—at the same age and in the same way as his father had before him . . .
Together, A. and Niamh quickly come to feel as if they have inherited much more than just a rambling home and a cushy lifestyle. Axton House is haunted, they know it, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the secrets they slowly but surely uncover. Why all the suicides? What became of the Axton House butler who fled shortly after his master died? What lurks in the garden maze and what does the basement vault keep? And what of the rumors in town about a mysterious gathering at Axton House on the night of the winter solstice?
Told vividly through a series of journal entries, scrawled notes, recovered security footage, letters to Aunt Liza, audio recordings, complicated ciphers, and even advertisements, Edgar Cantero has written a dazzling and original supernatural adventure featuring classic horror elements with a Neil Gaiman-ish twist.
Reviews with the most likes.
On re-read, this is less a mystery and more a fun, weird story. Knowing more (but certainly not all!) about what's going on adds a layer to the reading, which was gratifying.
Even though I wind up skimming the ins-and-outs of the code breaking, I really enjoyed watching A., Niamh, and Help navigate the spooky house, make parts of it their own, and pursue Ambrose's mysteries.
The conclusion offers enough closure, while also leaving enough questions and potential territory that I crave further stories (short stories would fit well) in this universe.
I picked this up after reading many positive goodreads reviews on it.
I wasn't expecting anything special, even though I was already in love with the cover art.
This novel reminded me of old school horror. I enjoyed the pacing and the author narrating through journal entries, video recording, sound recording and notes from a mute girl.
It was a quick read. multiple pages are only a few sentences long. I wish I had read this a little slower to fully appreciate it. the ending i was reading with a lot of people around. I think I missed some key scenes here while I tried to block out their noise. overall I found it unique and witty. I look forward to reading more by this author.
oh and “Help!”
Gory. Supernatural. Secret societies. Oh my. This was a interesting read. I didn't think I would enjoy it, but I was hooked midway in. It goes to show never judge a book by it cover.
I cannot say enough good things about this book! It tells the story of A., who inherits a mansion from his American cousin and decides to take up residence there with his friend in order to solve the mystery of his cousins mysterious suicide. The story is told through varied media forms - letters, transcripts, closed circuit cameras, etc. The story twists and turns as clues are discovered that lead to the grand finale. Oh, did I mention the book involves a secret society and ancient artifacts? So much fun!
