"Come When I Call You" by Shayna Krishnasamy is a novel that delves into the realms of historical fiction and supernatural mystery, presenting readers with a narrative that is as intriguing as it is complex. Set against a backdrop that spans decades, Krishnasamy crafts a story that seeks to blend elements of cultural heritage, family secrets, and the unexplained phenomena that hover on the edges of the natural world.

The narrative is structured around a series of interconnected stories, weaving together the lives of characters separated by time but bound by a mysterious call that transcends generations. Krishnasamy's ambition in creating a multi-layered story is evident, as she attempts to bridge the past with the present through the experiences of her characters and the secrets that they uncover.

One of the strengths of the book lies in its rich descriptions and the atmospheric quality of Krishnasamy's writing. The settings are vividly drawn, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the worlds she creates. Whether it's the bustling streets of a historical city or the quiet, oppressive atmosphere of a family home, the sense of place is one of the novel's most compelling aspects.

However, the complex narrative structure may present challenges for some readers. The shifting timelines and multiple perspectives require careful attention to detail to fully grasp the connections between characters and their significance to the overarching mystery. While this complexity adds depth to the story, it can also lead to moments of confusion as readers work to piece together the various strands of the plot.

Character development varies throughout the novel, with some characters being more fully realized than others. The protagonists, through whose eyes the story primarily unfolds, are given considerable depth, allowing readers to engage with their struggles and discoveries. On the other hand, some of the supporting characters feel less developed, serving more as conduits for the plot rather than as fully fleshed-out individuals.

The supernatural elements of the story, while intriguing, sometimes clash with the historical aspects, creating a narrative dissonance that may not appeal to purists of either genre. The blending of these elements is ambitious, and while Krishnasamy should be commended for her creativity, the execution may not satisfy all readers.

In conclusion, "Come When I Call You" by Shayna Krishnasamy is a novel that offers a unique blend of historical fiction and supernatural mystery. Its strengths lie in its atmospheric setting and ambitious narrative structure, though these same qualities may pose challenges for some readers. Those with an appreciation for intricate plots and a willingness to navigate the complexities of a multi-timeline narrative may find much to enjoy in Krishnasamy's novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

I don't usually review books I can't get through, but I just had the hardest time getting into this book. The forst chapter hooked me, but then it went so slow and I am probably about 70% of the way through. It felt very toxic and aside from the slow pace I absolutely STRUGGLED with the content.

Honestly I don’t have an interest in reading this book anymore and I want to be more selective with what I request.

This synopsis to this novel sounded really interesting! It promised a ghost story set in a boarding school. However, it was very hard to get into. The plot was slow moving with not much happening. Still, I believe this will appeal to teens that love paranormal stories!

This book was marked as Adult Fiction but is clearly YA. Nothing developed over time which made for a disappointing reading experience.

Come When I Call You had an interesting premise and a haunting setting but despite all that and some talented writing it just wasn't for me.

Anna is staying at her remote school for the holidays with friend Penelope, when her cousin Lucia turns up having arrived on the same day a tragedy strikes. Lucia and Anna have a secret to do with seeing dead people..so I dont know maybe think Sixth Sense meets Mallory Towers. The whole set up was excellent but after that it kind of lost momentum.

It was bizarrely disjointed and rambling on occasion with a lot of long drawn out exposition that for me didn't add much. The characters read a lot younger than they were described as being (hence my Mallory Towers thing) and the end was entirely too convoluted.

However I didnt entirely hate it. The writing often drew me back to it and whilst I probably wont read more in this series I'd definitely read something different from this author.

1.5 stars.
I didn't enjoy this book. I really thought I'd like it because the premise sounded amazing and the prologue was actually really really good, but the rest of it... so dull.

While I was reading it nothing really happened. I felt like it was more of an inside monologue of the main character than a story per se. Also, I didn't really like any of the characters, maybe Penelope was the most enjoyable for me, but none of them were relatable nor deep.

I gave it 1.5 stars because, as I said before, the prologue was great, but this story was not for me at all.

Thanks to Netgalley and Deep Dark Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you net galley and the publisher for this book! So Lucia is the most intriguing character to me everything about her drew me in at first. For me this book was hard to get thru, I loved the boarding school ghost story atmosphere I just felt it was slow at times but overall a good story!

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!

Come When I Call You is pitched as a contemporary ghost story centering around two young girls Anna and Lucia over the course of their winter break at a boarding school in Canada. The two girls are cousins, one of whom can see the ghosts of people that she knew prior to their death. This is the foundation for the events that follow after Lucia abruptly shows up at the boarding school that Anna attends desperate for help with a ghost related problem.

There were many things to like about this book, the setting was chilling, and the writing conveyed a sense of melancholy that only added to the haunting overtone of the story itself. However, I think there were a few things that impeded my enjoyment and made me all the more confused. One of these is the lack of background leading up to the events that take place in the story. There were many places where the writing was choppy and the main character reflected on the past in order to make sense of the present. This wouldn't have been much of a problem, but it happened way too much for my liking. I think if more time had been spent on the foundation of the story then the main character wouldn't have had to resort to constantly explaining other characters actions as well as her own. The other roadblock for me was the constant side tracking which kept me from understanding exactly what was going on in a scene and where the story was going. The underlying romance between Anna and Ben was one of those. It just got in the way of the story and took attention away from where it was needed. It would have been understandable, but the two characters never sorted out their feelings for one another and given the amount of times it was brought up they should have. In sum, if a laidback, easy to read book is what you're looking for then give this one a try. It may not knock your socks off but it will get the job done.

Despite being beautifully written, eventually, I found it bordering and eventually crossing into the realm of slightly flowery language. I enjoyed the rest of the book and I think it captured atmosphere pretty well; however it was tainted by the redundant language, and I found myself bogged down by the abundance of details. might just be me, though. I truly think the author is really talented, but I think there just needs to be refinement of scope and a clarity of focus on the essential elements. On the other hand, the sense of foreboding was done really well and I found myself feeling really anxious while reading it. I also loved the dark mood of the setting. Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read with a rather noticeable flaw. I'll definitely check out the author's other works.

I wanted to like this book after reading the description and seeing the cover on Netgalley. It looked creepy and intriguing. Plus I’m a sucker for any ghost story! After reading a chapter in, I didn't even want to finish reading this book to do the review on it. It was horribly written and jumped around too much with way too many details that in my personal opinion weren’t even necessary. Not even halfway in I couldn't understand what the book was supposed to be about. Was it a ghost story or about her life in boarding school? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Don't waste your time picking up this book.


Likes: creepy factors were added in giving it a ghost story vibe

Dislikes: from the prologue to chapter one the reader can see a significant amount of time has passed; but it’s hard to determine just how much until your starting chapter 3(the author should have noted how many years have passed before starting chapter one), the story plot is hard to follow and jumps around a lot, too many details they aren’t necessary, the comparisons the author used in the book are awkward

⭐️

*Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read an early readers’ copy in exchange for an honest review*

I thought this was going to be a really fun and creepy ghost story set in a boarding school over the holiday break, but it was actually fairly dull and never really resolved by the end.

This haunting, thriller had me reading late into the night, and watching all the shadows. It is painted with beautiful descriptions that unfold like a movie in your head. And is cleverly vague so that its hard to decipher what is real, or imagined or drug induced. Anna Maron has stayed behind at her exclusive boarding school during the holidays, together with a girl she worships and her best friend Ben. When her strange younger cousin Lucia shows up, events start spiraling out of control and Anna knows it can only end badly...she just doesn't know how. This is set against the backdrop of a historic snowstorm, which appears to be a metaphor for whats happening to the characters. This book drew me in from the first page and was impossible to put down. It was chilling and poetic and unforgettable.

Rather silly novel, not my cup of tea. Thank you anyway, to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I really felt like I had read this before the whole time I was reading it but I know that can't be true. It's just been done so many times--boarding school., ghosts, visions, etc. Maybe if you hadn't read any of the other hundreds of similar books you'd be more enchanted but to me it seemed like a rehash of a lot of other, better books.

I was really excited about this one, but unfortunately it just missed the mark for me. I found it quite slow, and the pay off didn't really seem worth it. The characters also seemed pretty dull to me.

I'm sure that this book would work for some, but unfortunately I was expecting more.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

First up a big big thank you to Netgalley/publisher for allowing me to read this book. I am glad I got the chance because gothic boarding school in the middle of winter + ghosts sounds amazing... however.. I just couldn't continue after 20+%. The characters were just meh, the text at times seemed to go nowhere (or just seemed to be endless, I think at least half of things said/described could have been shortened) + Lucia was NOT a good addition to the cast because I wasn't a fan of her when she was little (entitled little brat) and I wasn't happy to see her back, acting rather like 9 instead of 13. I don't get why our MC would want to woo her roommate, given what we see of her in the first parts... no thank you. And I don't know, I just missed more of the atmosphere. It wasn't that scary to me. Even when she met that ghost in the park.. as soon as she ran away it just got boring again.
And after a few parts with Lucia... who was even worse than years ago... Yes, I think it is sad that she is being stalked by her mom's ghosts, but other than that... go away please.
Also I read some other reviews, and I would already just DNF it for what the author apparently says about a vacant train platform (which I couldn't believe was added, but there it was in my copy when I searched for it). NO just FREAKING NO. You don't compare a vacant train platform with concentration camps. Fuck no.

Sounded intriguing from the synopsis. A creepy story about a sixteen year old girl, Anna, who attends boarding school. Anna along with her thirteen year old cousin are able to see the dead. Anna decides to stay at school over winter break to avoid her family, but her cousin ends up shows up. Gothic and dark academia vibe.

I thought this would be a delightful, scary and unique ghost story (according to my fellow reviewers). Sadly, this was very slow going read about a girl (or, actually, two girls) who could see... the dead! No spoilers here, the fact is given in the first chapter. And then... Nothing happens for a while. A lot of waiting around culminating with the superbly (!) described scene right from the horror movie.

And then - the end. I understand this is a first installment in the new series of "The Violent and Dead", but as a stand-alone book/story - it is a very weak read. I am not interested enough to wait for the second installment.

With many thanks to the publisher and @NetGalley for providing a free e-copy in exchange for a review.