Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker

Reviewed by Jeanne

Mara is an aimless twenty-something whose extended family tries to seem supportive but she knows she’s a disappointment. Her cousin Jeremy is the opposite, having had a successful modeling career even before graduation and now is the host of a popular series that combines home renovation with ghost-hunting. When Jeremy offers her an entry level position, Mara first turns it down but then becomes so desperate it begins to sound like a way to escape at least.

As one of the lowest people in the production, Mara finds herself working the night shift and learning about the finer points of providing the needed spooky events.  She operates the fog machines, makes creepy noises, and does whatever the production needs to unnerve the new homeowners.  It’s still a crappy job, but she’s starting to enjoy at least some of it until a new co-worker seems poised to outdo her on the job.

I picked up this short novel because I was in the mood for something with atmosphere and I thought fake haunted houses might be just the ticket. It was a bit disconcerting to pick up a second book in a row with an unemployed and unmotivated twentyish woman, but Mara did become intrigued with her new job and seemed on her way to, as we used to say, “finding herself.”  It was also interesting to see a sort of "behind the scenes" on how some of these reality shows work, how the production crews plan and shape a narrative.  The plot was somewhat low-key but I did enjoy it and am still thinking about the ending. I’m hesitant to say more, as it is a short book and I really don’t want to give anything away.

If you’re in the mood for something just a bit off beat, this may be a book for you.

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Jackie is a social worker and therapist, dealing mostly with troubled children, helping them to process traumas and build family and social relationships.  She’s good at it; she’s not so good at repairing breaks with her own family, especially not with her sister, Lexie.  Lexie was always the golden child, the one for whom things came easily.  She was also very good at pushing people’s buttons, especially Jackie’s.

But Lexie has struggled with her mental heath the past few years, and Jackie has tried to distance herself—both literally and figuratively.  She’s moved across the country and limited her contact with her erratic sister, ignoring phone calls and never visiting. After one particularly manic episode, Jackie steels herself and returns Lexie’s call but Lexie doesn’t answer.

Lexie has drowned in the family pool at their grandmother’s house.

Jackie—or Jax, as Lexie dubbed her, calling them the X girls—goes to clear out Lexie’s things and finds that Lexie had become obsessed with researching the history of their family and their property, especially the spring that feeds the pool.  There are a lot of stories about that spring: it’s rumored to have healing properties. It’s also rumored to grant wishes.

One should always be careful what one wishes for.

I am not a horror reader as a rule.  I don’t care for gore and guts or slime.  This time of year, though, I do start looking for books that are a bit creepy, maybe with ghosts, and with lots of atmosphere.  Jennifer McMahon has a number of books out that fit that description so I decided to give The Drowning Kind a try.  It met my expectations wonderfully. I like character-driven books, which this is.  The story is told from Jackie’s point of view, but also from the perspective of Ethel, a young wife in the late 1920s who goes with her husband to a hotel rumored to have the most amazing healing spring. It’s very well-written, with beautifully descriptive passages.  Even though I had a pretty good idea where the plot was going, I was anxious to see what would happen next.  I found myself caught up in both worlds, and hated to have to close the book. The Drowning Kind was a memorable novel for me and I expect I will be reading other titles by Jennifer McMahon in the future.