Customer Reviews

The Haunting

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The first half of the book intrigued me - it gives the background of the house and the story of its former inhabitants. I wish the author had spent more time on this. We never get any idea as to why Miss Theodora was involved with the creepy inhabitants of her cellar, or what eventually becomes of her (other than a very cursory description). Instead the story jumps ahead to modern times where a widow decides to buy the house.

The main character's initial visit to the house was well written, even creepy. Few horror authors can accomplish "creepy", and instead resort to gore. I felt that this was the strongest point of the whole book. But the story kind of unravelled from there. It seems as though the author tried to wrap things up in a hurry, and the story suffers.

Bottom line: it's worth reading, there aren't enough good haunted house books out there. I would give it 2 1/2 stars, but was given the choice of 2 or 3.

J is actually giving us two books in one. the first part is about a mute guy that moves to his aunt's. this guy is definitely the worst part of the tsory. j spends ages trying to make us develop sympathy for the guy. I got it the first time. after wading to his unfortunate fortune, the story finally develops. there is something spooky about the aunt. she is not what she appears to be. what happened to the last guy who worked there and suddenly disappeared? and what is it that the little girl is scared of. i can't give away more, but there's a second part where a family moves in the house. there are some good descriptions here, and despite the mute, there is some suspence too. all in all it works out, though there are some loose threads. i'll give it a weak 3.

This book is fantastic! It is literally a book that you cannot (and should not) put down. It will have you looking at the shadows in your corners "in a whole new light". I found the book to be very well written, moved at a good pace, frightening and on overall excellent book! I highly recommend it!!
Happy Reading!

The book was ok. The only real problem I had with it, which is why I gave it 3 stars and not higher , was the lack of explanation of the head mistress Miss Theodora. There were soooo many unexplained things about her that when I finsihed the book, I was left speechless. What significance did that doll have, really? How old was she.. really? Why/ how did she become what she was? Why the sacrifices? What made Katrina special? The lack of characterization of the other characters was not as bad but , when your main bad guy is leaving you wondering, I think there is something wrong. In order for a real conclusion, you need to know why it was done... what made them do it. In some of the worst books I have read, they at least explained why! Only one thing about her( sort of ) was explained and even then I had questions about that. The elementals..How did Katie know what they were called in the first place? And there were others. The story idea itself had a lot of promise. I just think that it missed the mark..in my opinion..I like books were I use my imagination.. But not where the bad guys are concerned.

The Haunting by Ruby Jean Jensen is a wonderful book. When i got the book from a friend a year ago, i only read the first chapter, but i was bored one day and descided to finish reading starting from the beginning again, and i COULD NOT put down the book. I made the mistake of reading it before i went to bed and everytime i heard a noise i jumped. Sometimes i was afraid to keep reading in some parts because i was afraid that it would scare me too much. The ending, i thought, was very unexpected. I cried at the end. This book is a MUST READ. So if you aren't sure whether to buy it or not, then let me make the descision for you, YES BUY IT. You won't regret it!!!!

This book begins with a rather long backstory that held my attention more than the real story did. The characters in the backstory were far more interesting, and it moved along at a pace that kept me turning the pages; but the 2nd half plodded along to the conclusion that wasn't explained very well and just sort of...ended. Haunted house stories must be hard to write, perhaps just overdone. This one just did not scare me.

The first half of this book is interesting, telling us the story of a mute boy, doomed by his placement with an evil distant relative. He is a likable and sympathetic character, and I found it easy to get involved in his story. Then, in the second half of the book the main character, a young recent widow, moves into the old house many years later. Everything she does is ridiculous, and contrary to anything that anyone with an ounce of commonsense would do. The fact that she and her sister, two adults, could get into and remain in the situations that occur is absolutely ludicrous. (And haven't they ever heard of generators or camping lanterns?) Also, the book is less about ghosts per se than about evil beings so the title may be misleading to some people.

Ruby Jean Jenson captivated my interest from page one in this novel. THE HAUNTING offers a portrait of a house filled with and maintained by evil. The first half of the novel brings us face to face with people from nearly a century ago who are struggling with the bizarre occurrences in the house. Katrina, Eddie, and Angie slowly come to realize the horrors that await in the house's belly. The second half brings modern-day characters who happen to have a link to the past. They move into the house and *voila!* you have yourself a creepy little creature story. Miss Theodora (mistress of the house) is delightfully wicked, although a great deal of her evil is left to the imagination of the reader.
I agree with some who say this is not the greatest of horror novels. I also feel that the novel, especially the second half, drags on far too long. However, I enjoyed getting to know the earlier characters, and I had to keep reading to find out how the good vs. evil struggle ends. The language is wonderful, and I like Jensen's writing style. This isn't a true haunted house story but rather a story that involves satanism/black magic, reincarnation, revenge, animal and human sacrifice and slithering reptilian creatures. Don't read this one expecting great, classic horror. But if you like a story that will grab you and give you goosebumps, I certainly recommend this one.

I loved it! It was very gripping and suspenseful! It actually made me feel like I was running with the charecters! Like I could hear the eerie hum of the children in her dreams! A must buy for thrill seakers that don't want to leave there comfy chairs that will soon feel as cold as the chains in the book! GREAT!

Part one of this novel is quite interesting and contains the horror that the reader is seeking. However, once the characters Katrina, Eddie, and Angie no longer on the scene, the book dies. Part two have the main characters running all over the house that was focal in part one. Upstairs, downstairs, in the dungeon, the first floor, the balcony, the third floor, the second floor, the hallway, the stairway, the porch, etc.etc. Believe me, you'll need your motion sickness medicine to help you through this book.