This is my first Gwendolyn Kiste novel. My overall thought is this is an ambitious novel. Instead of a haunted house, we get a haunted neighborhood. I love the premise.

The positive: From the start, I was hooked on the main character Talitha Velkwood and the overall atmosphere. Kiste really sets everything up nicely. The first half, really drew me in. The theme of the past trauma and having to face it in order to move on really resonated. Grief, family drama, love, the novel has it all.

The negative: The main character, Talitha Velkwood is really the only fully fleshed character. The novel is ambitious in concept, but doesn't quite deliver in answers. The ending was predictable with no real twist.

Overall: I was a little disappointed. I was loving the first half. The second half was just drawn out for a relatively short novel. For some readers they'll be wondering where's the horror. For me, I was good with the general horror atmosphere of the neighborhood and the trauma the three women experienced. I really like Kiste's writing, but felt the story may have been overly ambitious. I'm intrigued enough to read other Kiste novels. Hopefully one of them will hit it out of the park for me.

One of the my biggest pet peeves in the book world is when the blurb of the book *technically* matches the book but doesn’t really capture it—this is even more annoying to me when the blurb lets me down instead of the book surprising me.

The first offense comes in the header: *From Bram Stoker Award­–winning author Gwendolyn Kiste comes a chilling novel about three childhood friends who miraculously survive the night everyone in their suburban hometown turned into ghosts—perfect for fans of* Yellowjackets*.*

Besides the fact “everyone in the suburban hometown turned into ghosts” is not exactly accurate to what happens in the book, comparing this book to *Yellowjackets* is wildly inaccurate. Yes, this book is about 40-year-old women dealing with something that happened when they were 20—so that retrospective element is there—the style of horror of *The Haunting of Velkwood* is nothing like the horror of *Yellowjackets.* The goals of these two pieces of media are nothing alike; the characterization shares practically nothing. I have no idea who was in charge of that comparison, but it is wildly off-base.

Then we move into the inside flap copy itself: *The Velkwood Vicinity was the topic of occult theorists, tabloid one-hour documentaries, and even some pseudo-scientific investigations as the block of homes disappeared behind a near-impenetrable veil that only three survivors could enter—and only one has in the past twenty years, until now.*

The set-up of the story implies there will be a focus on the theorizing, etc. While there are scientists in the book who serve an important function (I actually quite liked them; I’ll come back to that), that’s far from the main point of the book itself. On a minor issue: “a near-impenetrable veil that only three survivors could enter” could be significantly better written to create the punch that these three women are the only ones who can enter.

The main character is then introduced: *Talitha Velkwood has avoided anything to do with the tragedy that took her mother and eight-year-old sister, drifting from one job to another, never settling anywhere or with anyone, feeling as trapped by her past as if she was still there in the small town she so desperately wanted to escape from.*

I noticed immediately that our main character is eponymous. I was expecting this to be significant—it was not. The only reason the neighborhood is called “Velkwood” is because the Velkwoods were the first family to buy a house on the street. That doesn’t even really make sense because usually there are names given by the developers to neighborhoods like that. More than that, if the author is going to link the place to the narrator/main character, I expect that to mean something.

I also want to note that the above quote is *a single sentence.* So much is packed into it that doesn’t give us anything about the story. Talitha’s listlessness is only partly relevant to her characterization (although her characterization is pretty lack-luster). We are told over and over that she’s not attached to anyone or anything, but then she is given a deep and emotional attention to her eight-year-old sister. So does she or does she not have serious attachments?

Let us continue: *When a new researcher tracks her down and offers to pay her to come back to enter the vicinity, Talitha claims she’s just doing it for the money. Of all the crackpot theories over the years, no one has discovered what happened the night Talitha, her estranged, former best friend Brett, and Grace, escaped their homes twenty years ago. Will she finally get the answers she’s been looking for all these years, or is this just another dead end?*

Here we are introduced to the other main characters: the new researchers, Jack, and the other two survivors: Brett and Grace. Grace as an entirely irrelevant character who added nothing to the story at all. There were multiple attempts to make her relevant to the story, but they never worked. I’m not even sure if she had potential to be a more interesting character, unlike Jack, who could’ve been more interesting. His family history tied him (indirectly) to the mystery of Velkwood. But the emotional impact of the relationship and the closure of what he’s looking for is just…nothing. It falls entirely flat.

Kiste tries to make the emotional core of the book to be the relationship between Talitha and her sister Sophie but Talitha and Brett ground the book. At the same time, Brett and Talitha are competing for emotional space. The book would be so much stronger if Brett’s family relationships were not part of it. I believe Kiste was trying to give both of them reasons to be fleeing the town, but the thing that unites them is motivation enough for both them. There didn’t need to be that added element. I’m trying to talk around it to avoid spoilers, but if you’ve read the book you know what I’m talking about.

Finally, I wanted this to lean more into being literary horror—to leave a lot of the mystery unsolved. But the second half of the book focused on explaining every piece of why and how this neighborhood turned into a ghost. The metaphor was powerful enough; I didn’t want a clear cut answers. I wanted to sit in the metaphor, to let it wash over me, and to explore the nooks and crannies of this neighborhood and how they shaped Brett and Talitha.

I found this book to just be a massive missed opportunity. There were so many places where this book could’ve succeeded and been really powerful. Like I said, the metaphor the book is working with was one I loved. But nothing was taken as far as I wanted and too much was shoved into a fairly small book, stymieing the book’s possibilities.

I received a digital version of this book for free from Saga Press as part of their Saga Says crew. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to read and review!

This was a decent read that’s heavily focused on the characters more so than the plot itself. While I enjoyed the two main characters I would’ve liked to have seen more insight into one of the minor characters, Enid, and her unusual abilities.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Velkwood Vicinity is a local phenomenon. A whole block of houses disappeared behind a veil that only three survivors can enter, and only one of them has in the past twenty years, until now.

Talitha Velkwood has avoided anything to do with the tragedy that took her mother, her sister and the whole neighborhood where she grew up. She's never settled on anything, moving through life just enough to survive but not truly living.

When a new researcher reaches out to her to go back in exchange for money, she agrees. Is she ready to face her past?

This was a fantastic, fun paranormal haunting book! A truly unique ghost story with classic Gothic elements. While there was also a romance subplot throughout the book, romance is not the focus. And also while its a horror, it does not have gore at all, just rather unsettling elements.

Honestly I think this might be a great horror book for people who are trying to get into the genre. I had a great time and was able to read this in one a day while working on my embroidery project.

If you are looking for a unique take on a ghost story, then check this one out

Typically, I read multiple books concurrently and hop between stories. That was not the case with 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘬𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥. This book totally captivated me. Once I picked this up, it was hard to put down.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘬𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 wasn’t at all what I was expecting for a ghost story. It wasn’t spooky or even suspenseful. But it was definitely speculative, which I loved!!

Wholly original and inspired, I haven’t read anything else quite like this book. I loved Kiste’s use of the paranormal to explore challenging themes around trauma, grief, and belonging.

I also really enjoyed the cinematic writing style. I would love to see this adapted for screen.

My rating: 4.25⭐️

This is a very unique spin on ghost stories and the way our past and childhood traumas can haunt us. I really enjoyed the supernatural event at the heart of the haunting and thought that this was an interesting take on how the ghosts inhabited not just a house but a whole neighborhood.

◇ Synopsis
The Velkwood Vicinity—a block of homes sealed behind an eerie, impenetrable veil—has drawn occult theories and media speculation for twenty years, with only three people ever escaping and one returning. Talitha Velkwood, haunted by the tragedy that claimed her mother and sister, has avoided her past until a researcher offers her money to reenter the vicinity. Reluctantly, she agrees, hoping to finally uncover what happened that night—or fearing it's just another dead end.
◇ Thoughts
The Haunting of Velkwood delivers an original, atmospheric horror story, drenched in a melancholic mood and dark paranormal energy. While the slow-burn sapphic romance and predictable characters may feel distant, the vivid scene-setting and haunting plot make it a compelling read. If you’re in the mood for an introspective, eerie slow-burn, this novel is worth a try. I found the sapphic slow romance an annoying distraction from the horror I was excited to read.

I really can't say too much about this book without giving it away but just know that Gwendolyn Kiste will not let you down. Especially if you love a beautiful prose, an eerie (almost Silent Hillesque) landscape, and a place that stands still. When Kiste writes a book, I want to feel as if I'm there and get the whole ethereal experience.

3 girls (Talitha, Grace, and Brett) go to college and upon returning to their hometown, the street that they lived in becomes barricaded- for 20 years- along with their family members. No one knows how it happened and only the 3 girls can go inside of the barricade. Questions will be answered as to how this happened, and why. I was left feeling very emotional and wanted to ugly cry into my work bathroom after I finished it.

I did drop a star due to a relationship that I didn't feel grab me, and I wanted to know more about one of the main characters named Enid. There could be a whole book about her and I would read it in a heartbeat. May I suggest that, Gwendolyn, hint, hint 🤣

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a free eread for an honest review. I really enjoyed this one from one of my favorite authors!

The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste is a pulse-pounding story that grips readers from the very first page.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself gripped, turning the pages, not knowing what was to come next.
This story definitely had me interested from the beginning, but to get to the ending and the twist of it all. Amazing.

Thank You NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This. Was. Terrifying. Terrifying. And I loved every single second of it. Every one. I'm not someone who likes horror movies, but man do I enjoy reading them. This is a new top favorite for me, no question

This was honestly really boring. The overall idea was cool, but I literally could not bring myself to care about any of the characters or what was going on. This also wasn't scary, so it hardly felt like a horror book….

Tainted suburbia.

The Haunting of Velkwood is easily the most unique horror story I’ve read yet. You and your best friends head back to college in the dead of night at the week’s end, and by Monday, your entire childhood is gone in a shimmering blink. Your family, your home, your neighbors, the streets you used to roam, the trees you used to nap against. All a mirage.

I understand the pull of home. Even if there is darkness. Even if there is sadness, longing, mourning. Home makes you who you are. I still roam the same cracked sidewalks that raised me as a child to this day, but with my own children. They play on the park I would camp out on late at night, watching the stars and meteors. There is something masochistic about haunting the place you used to live, unable to fully return, a piece of you still residing in those walls.

This book resonated with me. It was well paced, well plotted, deep and meaningful. I loved it. Saga Press really knows how to pick em.

The Haunting of Velkwood was a delightful and dark read. This novel was atmospheric, dealing with themes of grief, love, trauma, bystanders. I downloaded this to read a bit on a plane ride and didn't even notice when we took off, that's how involved I was in this story. Gwendolyn Kiste paints a gripping world and detailed characters, I devoured this entire book before we landed. This is the story how 4 girls changed a neighbor into ghosts, how 3 escaped but never left, and how the ghosts in our lives can push us to the future or keep us in the past. The only downside of this novel was I kept forgetting the MCs were in their 40s, it felt very much like a group of teenagers. I don't think this is bad, exactly, but when it was mentioned it jarred me a bit. Overall, i really loved this story. Kiste wrote a powerful novel that will stay with me for a while.

A haunted neighborhood and a secret among friends are intertwined in this unusual take on haunting. This was a quick read that kept me interested till the end.

This was a very unique take on a ghost story that left me feeling very emotional. I wasn't sure what to expect at first but I feel that the characters were done very well and made me very invested in their lives. I thought the research being done on this town was very interesting to see. The plot was slower moving but still intriguing, I wanted to know what caused this event to happen. I don't really cry in books but the end of this one pretty much made that happen, I really ended up loving this book and would recommend!

Gwendolyn Kiste's The Haunting of Velkwood stands out as a uniquely captivating ghost story, rich in unsettling descriptions and memorable characters that drew me right in!

I enjoyed this novel, I loved the premise of this novel – an entire haunted street, not just a house! It's got a slightly eerie vibes and a love story thrown in for good measure. It’s an easy read that I got thru it quickly!

I was honestly expecting a chiller, something that leaves you edge of your seat where you want to know more but are afraid to know more, anixous.

If you’re looking for a book that's spooky yet won't leave you cowering under the bed? Look no further - this one’s for you!

This book has been patiently waiting on my TBR pile for far too long, and thanks to Hurricane Milton's unexpected power and water outage, I finally had the time to dive in! 🌪️ This is my first foray into Kiste’s world, but it definitely won’t be my last—I'm excited to explore her other works this fall, especially since it’s the perfect season for spooky reads!

Reading by candlelight added a whole new layer of thrill, and let’s just say I freaked myself out enough to decide that finishing it in daylight was a must! 😂 This story was that gripping! I loved the page count, though I did find myself wishing for a bit more depth in certain storylines.

Throughout the book, I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, this is such an intriguing concept—imagine Yellowjackets colliding with the Upside Down!” Velkwood beautifully explores themes of hidden love, self-acceptance, and the shadows that lurk in those who choose silence over standing up for what’s right. Get ready for a hauntingly good time! 🖤✨I HIGHLY suggest this book and will be telling others to check it out. Thank you SAGA publishing and NetGalley for the ARC! I give it 3.5 stars.

After returning to college for a weekend at home Talitha and her childhood friends Brett and Grace find out their whole town disappeared from the map leaving only a shimmer where it used to be. As it’s investigated it is found only the three can enter the perimeter and the ghost town again. As Talitha decides to return to find the fate of a little sister she left behind she realizes something much bigger is trying to keep her there. This was an amazing read fast and creepy with the right amount of mystery as the main characters past unfolds. Well done 4⭐️.

This was an interesting twist on a haunting where it’s not a house that’s haunted but a whole neighborhood…and no one can ever enter except those that escaped years before. In fact the neighborhood desperately wants them to…it’s getting hungry.

Very quick read for me. I found myself turning the pages eager to figure out the mysteries of the Velkwood Vicinity. And there were many…almost too many. A lot of little plot devices up in the air: the weird girl, the stepdad, the neighborhood, the magic, the relationships, what exactly happened…so many different sidebars to parse out it took away from the overarching story a bit. While much of it contributed to the ultimate mystery it was one too many ingredients in the pot for me.

Such a great haunted house story. A very unique premise and it kept me enthralled the entire time I was reading.