An intense, space thriller that left me chilled to the bone! This is my first read by Barnes and will not be my last. The writing was superb and drew me in right away to this creepy atmosphere with "Alien-like" vibes. I could feel the fear and isolation that the characters were experiencing. It felt like I was right there with them, stuck on a deserted planet in whiteout conditions with crazy weird shit happening. I loved every second of this book until I reached the end. I was hoping for a little more and felt that the story was over too soon and left me hanging. I would have liked to have at least one or two more paragraphs with an insinuation of what will happen next as well as a more detailed explanation of the "mystery" and what it wants. I'm using that quoted term as to not give any spoilers away. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to other fans of the horror/sci-fi genre.

Thank you to the author, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

Absolutely thrilling sci-fi horror! I really enjoy this author writing style and the creepy atmosphere she creates. Highly recommended!

This was one of those stories that was gripping right from the start, it just grabbed my attention. I enjoyed the characters and pacing, it was so good!

"Ghost Station" by S.A. Barnes offers an intense and suspenseful space horror novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

The story follows Dr. Ophelia Bray, a psychologist dedicated to studying and preventing ERS, a space-based condition known for a notorious case that resulted in the gruesome murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference in her field. However, as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, Ophelia becomes aware that her crewmates are hiding something from her.

While Ophelia focuses on her role, her crewmates are more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and uncovering the secrets behind the previous colonizers' abrupt departure. The tension rises when their pilot is found brutally murdered. Ophelia faces the terrifying prospect of a wave of violence and mental deterioration due to ERS, similar to the past case. Yet, she can't ignore the possibility of something more sinister at play.

As fear and mistrust mount, Ophelia and the crew must work together to unravel the mysteries of the abandoned planet and their fellow crewmates. But trust is in short supply, and they're not the only ones harboring secrets.

"Ghost Station" has received praise for subverting genre expectations and delivering a gripping and terrifying narrative. It's a thrilling exploration of space horror that will leave readers captivated and on the edge of their seats.

You know that piece of writing advice about starting a book in the middle of the story, wherever the action is? S. A. Barnes certainly does.

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray joins a small space exploration crew, intending to monitor them for signs of ERS—a space-based condition known for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. The crew doesn’t trust Ophelia, and she doesn’t trust them. They’re more focused on investigating the ancient planet and discovering the reason behind the previous colonizer’s hasty departure than opening up to her.

Then the crew’s pilot is found brutally murdered. Is it ERS, or something else? Secrets abound, no one knows what’s going on, and Ophelia has her own past she’s keeping hidden. The result is a claustrophobic and eerie read.

Ghost Station doesn’t waste any time to drop crumbs of drama and suspense. The first chapter plants the seed that no one can be trusted, which means that for the rest of the story you’re questioning people’s intentions and whether or not they’re being truthful.

It’s been years since I’ve been so immediately hooked and enthralled by a novel. I read the entirety of Ghost Station on Halloween, which was a phenomenal choice. The story is highly suspenseful and keeps you turning pages to get answers. Then when there’s horror and you finally get answers, you’re not sure if you want them anymore. There are some elements that remain a mystery to the very end however, and it comes across a little like these threads were forgotten as opposed to the answers intentionally being withheld.

Even with a cast of five pivotal characters plus Ophelia as our main character, they all manage to feel both realistic and distinct. Whether watching them nettle one another or learning to communicate and try to establish trust, you get a good understanding of who each person is and how they might set one another off.

Despite how fast paced and tense most of the novel is, the ending is a tad anticlimactic and a little too neat. I can’t help wishing that Ophelia had a more active role in it, though I did enjoy how things mentioned in the very beginning become important during the resolution.

Even with some seemingly forgotten elements and a questionable resolution, the novel is no less enjoyable, and highly devourable. It’s a fast-paced and spooky read that makes me want to exclusively read sci-fi horror, if this is what I have to look forward to. The majority of my notes from while reading are along the lines of fucking hell, this is good. If you want a one sentence review of Ghost Station, there it is: fucking hell, this is good.

Holy shit I loved this book. It was so many absolutely wild things all wrapped up in one- space archeology, mass murderers, Kardashians In Space, space therapy, so many steaming hot messes. It was terrifying. I was holding my breath. I was also incredibly on board with watching someone who should Absolutely Not Be A Therapist try to be a therapist while shit hit the fan. So good.

4.5 stars

Phenomenal, unputdownable. I read this in a single sitting. It was totally enthralling and exciting. I really enjoy the way that Barnes writes. It keeps me turning the page, and wanting more.

I loved Dead Silence and was super excited to get an arc of Ghost Station. It took me less than 24 hours to finish. I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the characters, especially Ophelia and Ethan. I do wish there were just a couple more pages at the end with just a little more information, but it was a really good book. I can’t wait to have it on my bookshelf!

While I thoroughly enjoyed “Dead Silence” by S.A. Barnes, there were some spots that I didn’t entirely love…but I enjoyed it to the point where I knew Barnes was headed places. It was a solid debut that nearly stuck the landing.

“Ghost Station” was just totally awesome. I read it in a day. The problems that I had with Barnes’ debut? Not in this novel. It’s a tight claustrophobic read. It feels like “Alien” meets “The Thing” meets slasher film. The landing stuck with this one.

I honestly can’t wait to suggest this one. I also honestly can’t wait to see what S.A. Barnes writes next.