Alex Bell - The Haunting (Red Eye) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Review

Some curses grow stronger with time...People say that all Cornish inns are haunted, but the Waterwitch's history is particularly chilling. Built from the salvaged timber of a cursed ship, the guest house's dark secrets go further back than anyone can remember. Emma is permanently confined to a wheelchair after an accident at the Waterwitch which took place when she was ten. Seven years later, she decides to return to the place where the awful event occurred. But the ancient inn still has its ghosts, and one particular spirit is more vengeful than ever...



Back in 2014, the Red Eye series by Stripes Publishing was born. This is a new home for horror genre with a fantastic contemporary makeover for a young adult audience. I've very much enjoyed ever book in this series and always look forward to the next read. This is the second outing for Alex Bell - the previous release was FROZEN CHARLOTTE, which kicked of the series. The Haunting will be the sixth title to be published 11th Feb 2016 and is another fantastic read.

We are indeed all in for another literary treat. Dare you read a Red Eye? It has all the fantastic trade mark characteristics of previous books and much more in my opinion.  Lovers of dark and scary books will enjoy flying down the path of this chilling plot. It will have you hooked on a fantasy path that teen readers will love. You'll find an original plot that explores the greater imagination and will transport you to the Waterwitch, and back, in the blink of a frog's eye.   

The book alternates between the three main characters perspective of Emma, Shell and Jem. It did take me a little time to warm to this type of narrative, after reading a lot of books told in first person. However, it was fantastic to follow Emma (and her narrative) and slightly refreshing to see how she struggled with daily life, and performing normal tasks that most abled bodied people take for granted. Having to cope with being confined to a wheelchair made this plot capture a great sense of realism and was really gripping. It will certainly pull at your heartstrings in an unpredictable way. 

This is a cracking bleak Cornish tale, which is based on a witches curse and traditional folklore. It will have you scared out of your whits, as you never really know what you are up against. It will pick you up and throw you head first into the spooky past and grizzly future. You'll have to be brave, or mad, to navigate the pages, as the chilling aura will morph around you unwittingly and suck you into a characters world. Unfortunately, this may not end in a traditionally happy way. 

The book will lead you to enter the Waterwitch building with it's dramatic history like no other. To me it is the biggest character in the book, as it takes on a mysterious nebulous persona of its own. I really loved visiting this spooky building and exploring its nooks and crannies. The author produced a really detailed account which was loosely inspired by a visit to Smugglers Cot Restaurant (an old historic building from 1420). This to me instilled an electric and foreboding energy that helped to develop a fantastic climatic and dramatic ending. This is another brilliant read that might just get you screaming for more....

Other Red Eye Books: 
Alex Bell - Frozen Charlotte -  5th Jan 2015
Lou Morgan - Sleepless - 5th Jan 2015
Simon Cheshire - Flesh and Blood - 2nd March 2015
Graham Marks - Bad Bones - 4th May 2015
Tom Becker - Dark Room - 10 Sept  2015
Alex Bell - The Haunting - 1st Feb 2016