Great idea, but Kiste runs out of gas. The second act is VERY slow, and the third act wasn't enough to make up for it.

First of all, a huge thank you to @SagaPressBooks and @GwendolynKiste for the opportunity to read this ARC!!!

Talitha Velkwood survived when her home and the other homes on her street vanished 20 years ago. Her best friends survived too, for better or worse. But now Talitha has to go back to where it all happened and unravel the secrets that caused the event, and she can’t do it alone.

This was so much fun, think Yellowjackets, and Annihilation. This one really kept me invested, not only are you rooting for the characters (all of them), but the story was so original and interesting as well. This was a page turner from start to finish!

This is in your wheelhouse if you like: character driven, LGBTQIA+ friendly, ghost stories, haunted houses

‼️Trigger warning: assault

There’s some things from our pasts that we can never outrun. This was a chilling tale of what happens when an entire neighborhood turns into ghosts.

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 and eight-year-old sister. She’s never settled on anything and has just felt by her past. When a new researcher reaches out to her to go back in exchange for money, she agrees. After twenty years, will she finally get the answers she so desperately seeks?

This was such a fun paranormal book! I am loving ghost stories right now and this one delivered. I felt that this was the ultimate ghost story, and unlike others that I have read. I also love gothic and suspense stories, so this book delivered for me on many fronts. While this does have some romance elements interwoven throughout the book, romance is not the focus of the book. And while it is horror, it does not have gore at all, just rather unsettling elements. It was a fun genre mash-up that I really enjoyed reading. I found myself genuinely creeped out at a few points. I enjoyed the writing in this book. It was so unsettling, and the characters were well developed and thought out. I felt the characters all worked well together as well and were very cohesive. This one read more of a character focused novel versus plot focused, despite having a compelling plot as well.

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

I don't know if I would classify this as horror. In fact, I feel like that might even do the story a disservice because people will pick it up expecting that. This is a story about the ghosts of the past. It's a story of first love and intense friendship. I feel that the haunted neighborhood is definitely a pretty big allusion to escaping the trauma of a rough upbringing, about having to hide who you are, about feeling like even when you escape you're never truly free. I liked this story for what it was, but I do hope they adjust how they market this because this story was stunning, but I'm worried people are going to go into this expecting horror.
There was so much in this story it's hard to give a really concise review, but I will say that I did like this a lot, though I didn't care much for the "save the sister" plotline. I almost wished Grace had gotten stuck in there, and the other two begrudgingly teamed up to save the one other person who knew their secret/they had loyalty to. Having Sophie be constantly at the forefront of the MCs thoughts was just a bit boring, and repetitive. I found myself really skimming the moments with the little sister, because I wanted to get back to the meat of the story.
Also, I don't know if Enid had to be magical/have some sort of magic ability. She could have just been tied to the area because she was *literally murdered* in the neighborhood, she didn't really need to have unexplained abilities. Maybe she could have just shown up as a ghost when they were doing the stepdad in and been like "I gotchu". I feel like her being magical was a little cool but ultimately just felt too unnecessary? I don't know.
I also feel like when Brett showed up to the research site, the pacing went a little left. I wish that we had gotten to getting Grace quicker because I was starting to get a bit antsy.
Overall, I did like this a lot, though. I flew through this in 2 reading sessions and while I didn't love the main character/her motivations (I actually did really like Grace and Brett, though), the premise of the story was so compelling that I just couldn't put it down. I will say that if you're going into this expecting horror you're probably not going to love this--luckily, early on in the story I had a suspicion of the direction the story was going in and quickly adjusted my expectations.

This book was full of paranormal psychological suspense! I was expecting a little more horror but it was a fun, spooky book. Talitha's story is revealed slowly (maybe a little too slowly) but it was engaging enough and eventually we get all of the details. Are the ghost dead??? Maybe not!

The events of a single day changed everything for the residents of Velkwood Street. Three girls escaped, while the rest disappeared along with the street itself leaving only a glimpse, an echo.. Talitha’s mother and little sister are among those who disappeared, believed to be ghosts. Twenty years later, Talitha is offered the chance to return to the area with a research team for an investigation into what happened and, more importantly, to see if anyone is still really there.

The genre-defying narrative goes back and forth between the present and what happened on that day the street disappeared. This is a fascinating, beautifully-written book covering grief, regret, and escaping your past. There is also a heart-wrenching love story at the center of it all. This is going to be one of the most talked about new releases of the year.

Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

I love all things paranormal and have read my fair share of tales and stories alike. The problem you run into in most books is the lack of 'reality'. Readers want the ghosts and the scares, but we also need to feel connected to the characters and the reality they're living in. Most of the time the reality gets put aside for the characters, but this book really managed to merge the two nicely. Ms Kiste has created a world where reality and the paranormal live side by side, but the mystery surrounding them still separate the two, until it doesn't. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from her!

I could NOT stop reading The Haunting of Velkwood! I finished it in two days and was sad when it was over. The story was not super scary, but something just kept drawing me back in, I had to know what was happening. Definitely a must read, and would love to read more by this author.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 read... and factors

🔍 Mystery and Intrigue: Imagine stepping into a town shrouded in mystery, where every corner seems to whisper secrets of the past. It isn't just a story; it's a puzzle waiting to be solved. As you join Talitha on her journey, you can't help but feel like a detective, piecing together the clues of what really happened that fateful night.

👻 Ghostly Vibes: Are you ready for some chills? Kiste masterfully blends the supernatural with the suburban, turning an ordinary town into a backdrop for the extraordinary. The eerie atmosphere is so palpable, it's as if you can feel the ghostly whispers tickling the back of your neck!

👥 Character Connection: Talitha Velkwood is not just a character; she's someone you feel you might know. As you delve deeper into her story, her struggles become yours. You'll find yourself rooting for her, sharing in her triumphs and setbacks as if they were your own.

🎨 Vivid Storytelling: Kiste's writing paints a picture so vivid, you're transported right into Velkwood. The descriptive prose isn't just a reading experience; it's a sensory journey. You can almost smell the forgotten memories and see the shadows lurking in the corners.

🤔 Thought-Provoking Themes: This book isn't just about ghosts and mysteries. It's a deep dive into themes like trauma, resilience, and the quest for truth. It's a book that stays with you, prompting late-night thoughts and deep discussions.

📚 Book Club Gold: Looking for your next book club pick? "The Velkwood Vicinity" is a treasure trove of discussion topics. From analyzing character motivations to debating the supernatural elements, there's enough material here to fuel conversations for weeks.

🎭 Emotional Rollercoaster: Buckle up! This book takes you on an emotional journey. You'll experience the highs and lows right alongside the characters, and there might just be a few moments that tug at your heartstrings.

"The Haunting of Velkwood " is not just a book; it's an experience. Whether you're a fan of supernatural mysteries, character-driven dramas, or just a well-told story, this book is a journey you won't want to miss. Four stars for a hauntingly beautiful tale that lingers long after the last page is turned! 🌌📖💫

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 neighborhood turned into ghosts—perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.

I absolutely loved this book! It was so atmospheric and chilling. I'm a huge fan of Yellowjackets and it definitely had those vibes. Gwendolyn Kiste continues to be an amazing writer and I can't wait to see what she does next!

The Haunting Of Velkwood stayed with me days after I finished. Gwendolyn Kirst has crafted a macabre piece of real estate that exists in the Upside Down with Death as a realtor.
Twenty years ago, eight homes on Velkwood Street became trapped in time and space. Only three college roommates and a friend know what really happened.
Each girl has refused to go back. But when a group of scientists show Talitha Velkwood some surveillance photos, one anomaly tells her she must return.
Explore a neighborhood that borders on memory and insanity, where time has stopped yet continues to gnaw away at the living. Kirst has created a haunted street replete with memories, murder and unrequited love.
Come stay a while on Velkwood Street. Its inhabitants will stick with you long after you leave.

THE HAUNTING OF VELKWOOD
by Gwendolyn Kiste

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to review!

WOW ! Great book. The past will always haunt us, maybe not as specifically as in this book but the statement certainly holds true.

The protagonist Talitha Velkwood has skimmed through her life, never settling down or making anything of herself. She has always been haunted by what happened in her neighborhood when she was a teenager .

For reasons unknown to the reader until about mid book, Talitha, Brett and Grace, three close friends from high school, leave Velkwood in the middle of the night never to return. Brett has created a fabulous life for herself and never had a moment of guilt about that night many years ago and didn't look back. Grace returned one time and it caused her to have a nervous breakdown which now reflected the life of an agoraphob. Talitha just kept on existing until one day researchers asked her to return to Velkwood to help them understand what happened there and solve the mystery. Perhaps it was the money she was offered but I think it was more about the guilt of leaving her little sister Sophie behind.

And so the story begins, Talitha and the group of researchers return to the outskirts of the Velkwood neighborhood which by the way, disappeared on the night the 3 girls left 20 years ago. A perimeter is set up where only certain people can enter (those people being one time occupants of the neighborhood). Time acts differently in Velkwood.. What is supposed to be an hour upon Talitha's first visit turned out to be 3 months in real time. When she returned to Velkwood she could see all the former neighborhood residents, neighbors, her mother and sister Sophie but they could not see her. Were they ghosts? This is the big question researchers want to answer.

Weaving throughout the story comes some answers as to why the girls left in the first place and why each of them has different emotions regarding the old neighborhood. Without giving anything away I can say this was one of the most unique “ghost” stories I've read. I still ask myself, but were the former neighborhood occupants ghosts? Still not certain. Am certain if you like this type of novel you should definitely read it. Horror – Sci. Fi – Mystery and a damn good story !

5 stars for quality, unique concept and writing flow.

It’s impossible to read The Haunting of Velkwood and not put yourself in Talitha’s position. What would my personal Velkwood look like? It made me question why I don’t read more magical realism. This was a really interesting concept, like a lost episode of the Twilight Zone. At roughly 185 pages I was curious how the pacing of this intricate story would play out and was pleasantly surprised. I kept waiting for the story to fully flash-back to “the before times” but you realize quickly that Velkwood makes you wait. It gives you little intriguing pieces of information as it goes and lets you slowly put it together yourself. You keep reading because you HAVE to know the why and how. I was worried about how the resolution of the street would play out but I felt really good about it. It was the perfect mixture of justice redemption. I will say the one issue I had was the over use of similes, once you see it you can’t un-see it but overall I really really enjoyed my time with this story.

Talitha Velkwood wants nothing to do with the past she escaped twenty years ago. That is until she needs money. Pulled back to the neighborhood shrouded in mystery she wishes she could just forget it’s a new researcher’s hope that Talitha can help him make any kind of discoveries about the Velkwood Vicinity. Nobody can get in, nobody can get out. Except Talitha, her estranged best friend Brett and clearly off her rocker Grace who has made it past the perimeter once before.

The Haunting of Velkwood is an eerie tale about the ghosts of our pasts, the things we will do for the people we love and the guilt those things leave us with.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Don’t get me wrong, the story is great. It has everything you could want - best friends, are they or aren’t they lovers, sibling bonds, actual ghosts and a neighborhood that is literally reaching out to call back what it’s lost.

Right off the bat Talitha gave me very strong Camille from Sharper Objects vibes. That faded as time went on but it did stick with me. Brett does a similar thing where I could envision an older her as a Stockard Channing type but in my mind young Brett was Haley Lu Richardson and I have no idea but that’s just what stuck in my mind. They are the only two characters who came off the page for me in a way I could see them outside the book.

Talitha wants nothing more than to forget about the neighborhood she escaped as a young adult except for that she’s left her sister Sophie behind. No one knows if Sophie or any of the other residents on Velkwood Street are even alive because no one can get in. What bothered me about Talitha’s strong desire to save Sophie is that it took twenty years and one faint photo of a possible ghost to get her back to that place with an unwavering determination. That and $5,000. In the grand scheme of the story Sophie isn’t really that important. Yes, she serves as a device to keep Talitha going back into the neighborhood but at the end of the day we don’t need Sophie for this story to be told and a lot of time is wasted on her. That time could have been better spent padding out Enid’s backstory. She is arguably more interesting and more important and it almost feels like there’s more to be said about her and why she is the way she is and how she does what she does. Talitha essentially says that without Enid there would be no Velkwood Vicinity. But she’s barely a blip on the radar, there to serve a minor purpose when she definitely should have been a bigger character. Another character who suffers this fate is Grace. Needed to get us to our conclusion but mostly forgotten otherwise, she is an afterthought.

Our main character is also not essential to the story outside of the fact that she is the one who gets everyone where they need to be. It isn’t something I realized until I was done with the book but the ghost story portion of this entire book belongs, heartbreakingly, to Brett. While each of them have ghosts they leave behind the catalyst is what happens to Brett, what’s been happening to Brett for the duration of the book. Each glimpse into the past says more about what she suffered and how no one was there to stop it. Not until the end. Not until the ghosts break down the whole mirage. I get that Talitha needs Brett and that Brett needs Talitha and that who they are together is important but I think this story has the wrong main character.

What I did like was how vividly you could see the past and the future. Bits of Talitha walking through the neighborhood, as strange as it had become, read like old photographs from the 90s, a filter over them that said this was another time. When you’re brought back to the present everything seems more bleak, darker, peppered with images of researchers popping up and making everything feel sterile and odd. There was a sense of longing through the book that made you want a happy ending for Talitha and for Brett. I just wish more time was spent telling me what they had to go through, how the incident the night everything changed happened outside of the minor blip it became. There is so much more story here but what kills me is that what is there is great. Maybe it’s the reader in me just wanting more.

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Twenty years ago, three teens were the sole survivors of a bizarre and inexplicable event that transformed their neighborhood into an inaccessible, ghostly territory. They’re also the only ones who can re-enter the area, and after her two estranged childhood friends, Brett Hadley and Grace Spencer, decline a researcher’s re-entry proposal, Talitha Velkwood is the last one who might be able to unravel the incident that separated her from her mother and sister, derailed her life, and left her penniless, alone, and adrift. Was it occult influences, a scientific anomaly, or something else entirely? How will Talitha solve the mystery and what, exactly, will she find once she returns?

In order to move forward and salvage some semblance of self and existence, Talitha must reconcile with and overcome her past — an elusive entity as painful and ever-present as the veiled remains of Velkwood Street. To do so, she must reconnect with and elicit help from Brett and Grace, who have also been irrevocably changed by their shared history. What follows is a complex and layered narrative that gradually reveals its secrets, pulling the reader along on an impactful, unputdownable, and unforgettable collision course where freedom comes at a cost and truth may serve as both savior and destroyer.

A unique and refreshing take on the suburban gothic, The Haunting of Velkwood is a chilling, eerie, addictive, and resonant meditation on history, memory, and tragedy; family, love, and friendship; identity, understanding, and acceptance; and truth, choice, and accountability. It’s a powerful and indelible tale that truly moves and enraptures, and an astounding accomplishment that readers will relish and devour.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I liked this book. It wasn't my favorite but it was something I enjoyed. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I very much enjoyed this book, both the story, the execution, and the style of writing. At its heart, The Haunting of Velkwood is about friendship and shared trauma. Kiste has created a great, mysterious, spooky world in the Velkwood Vicinity. I could see it all clearly.
For me, there were no surprises in the plot or aha moments, but I've read a lot of books. If you're looking for a wonderful creepy tale with a great ending, this is a terrific choice.

Thank you Saga and Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy in exchange for my unbiased thoughts.

I really enjoyed this haunting tale! This is about a woman who returns to her childhood town that is now inhabited with the ghosts of her friends, family and neighbors.

On the night it turned into a ghost town Talitha and her friends Brett and Grace got out of there before it could claim them too. They are the only ones who can go in and out of the area, and of course the government is interested in studying it. Will this area finally tell us what happens after death?

This is a very character driven story with an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. There’s also a second chance/forbidden romance. I’d say this was a cross between magical realism and paranormal/horror. For a story about ghosts and a mysterious past, it didn’t feel outrageously unrealistic. Combined with the element of the government wanting to study this area it felt creepy and realistic.

There were a ton of jaw dropping moments and I found myself hooked to this story. I did find the final reveal regarding how this town changed to fall flat, but overall I thought this story was engrossing and captivating.

Read this if you enjoy:
👻 Ghost stories/hauntings
💀 Dystopian vibes
🚷 Movies with government testing sites (think 28 Days Later & Outbreak)
💘 Forbidden + Second Chance romances (don’t worry, this isn’t entirely a romance!)
🙎🏼‍♀️Character driven stories
🪄 Stories with a touch of dark magic

This publishes on March 5, 2024 and this was a great book to read this month for spooky season! Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

SO GOOD.

Seriously I could not put this down. The story felt fresh, original, & something that really made me think as i read it. From the beginning I was hooked. I kept asking myself questions such as “What is the purpose of these characters? What happened to this neighborhood? Why did this happen?” & i could not put this down until i got my answers.
The story ties together so perfectly I did not have any lingering thoughts after. I loved how the characters tied in together, everyone felt like they were complete.

My only cons are…
1. Justice for Brett
2. We couldn’t have given Brett a better name?
3. At some points the author had characters in a conversation that happened in the past, but then the next paragraph would be in the present. I found it hard to follow at times, & it wouldve been better to have a break between paragraphs so i knew we moved into the present.