A review by galaxiesofbooks
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

i’ve never read anything by gwendolyn kiste before, but after reading this book i am willing to give her another try. this book was fine, not my favourite but it wasn’t bad by any means.

the characters were fine, the only issue was the miscommunication trope for me. it was a tad excruciating to read about these two girls talitha and brett beating around the bush half the time lol. it’s not my favourite thing to read about.

i think my favourite character was sophie, she was such a sweetheart and honestly i love her. i genuinely felt like she was my little sister i never had and wanted to protect her at all costs!

the writing style was sometimes mundane which was one of the reasons why i didn’t like it super much. it definitely slowed down the story for me sometimes and i found myself bored or feeling like i don’t wanna pick the book back up.

when it comes to the plot, it was really creepy and interesting during 1/2 of the book, but i feel like the story just went too unhinged and unrealistic later on. i loved the creepy people doing creepy things but the rest… no. i also thought i’d love the haunted neighbourhood thing, but the way it was done here, i was a bit over it and once again, bored.

i also didn’t really like the way the story ended up playing towards the end regarding Brett’s stepdad. i understand it was beautiful in a way, but, again, unrealistic and repetitive. i’m not sure how to explain my feelings towards this one without spoiling anything, so i’m just gonna leave it there lol. it just felt like this book dragged a lot towards the end and i was ready for things to wrap up. anyway, i’m not sure i can recommend it myself, but when i think about it, it is worth a read purely for the relationship between the two sisters.