A girl and her books.

“Well, shit, son. If there was a moment that determined the course of my future, I’m pretty sure this was it. I had two somewhat simple choices. I could make a run for it and go back to Uncle Al’s. Back to the bonfire where my cousins and dear sister would still be drinking and revel in the normalcy of a Saturday night and forget I ever went to this horrid place and ran into this weirdo. Or I could go with said weirdo up the stairs in this decrepit old lighthouse, which was most likely condemned and unsafe, towards some unknown person (or thing) that was walking around, potentially waiting to murder us in horrific ways…”

Slow clap for Karina Halle. This book hooked me immediately and scared the shit out of me at times. I don’t know why I’ve waiting so long to start this series when I’ve loved so many of her books.

Please take note: Not only is this book awesome, but the eBook is FREE right now. So get your kindle or your nook or whatever and download it. You won’t be sorry.

Perry Palomino is a 22 year-old college graduate and a failure of a receptionist with a past riddled with failures, humiliation, and ghostly encounters. Yeah, Perry seems to have a little something extra that draws them in, only she refuses to acknowledge what’s happening to her.

And that’s what’s happening when she goes to visit her uncle’s house on the Oregon coast and finds herself inexplicably drawn to an old, boarded up lighthouse her uncle describes as “evil” one warm fall night. What she finds in the lighthouse is terrifying, and continues to follow her after she’s sure she’s put the experience behind her.

One of those things following her is Dex, a sexy, eclectic, mentally unstable self-professed liar and film maker from Seattle, hoping to start a ghost hunting show of his own. After his experience with Perry in the lighthouse, he’s determined he needs to go back for more, and that he needs Perry to do that.

Basically, if you’re into the paranormal, and you love that ghost hunting shit you see all over TV all the time, you’re going to LOVE these books. Because that’s exactly what they are. I know I was hooked instantaneously, not just for the eerie plot, but it’s also the characters. Karina Halle is a pro when it comes to making characters that are just the right amount of fucked up and perfectly believable. I couldn’t get enough of Perry, the terrible receptionist with a weight issue, a past history of drug abuse, and her failed attempts at finding herself. And then there’s that really awesome thing going on where you can smell the slow-burn chemistry going on between her and Dex, with his secrets and his moods. I can’t wait to see where this goes. It’s a nice break from the flawless naïve female and the ultra-sexy male and their instalove and other gross things we see all the time.

Did I mention the creep factor? I think I’ll be forever afraid of old women with lipstick on their teeth and poofball sweaters. Don’t bring any of that shit over here.

Overall, excellent first book and great job setting up the series. You may have already noticed that I finished the second book in the day and rated it five stars and it was POSITIVELY HORRIFYING and so damn good. I hear it only gets better. I can’t wait. 

Let’s be friends on goodreads, if you want.