I thought this was a very unsettling ghost story. Mark and Steph live in Cape Town, South Africa with their young daughter, Hayden. Then they experience a home invasion that leaves them very shaken and nervous living in their home. At the suggestion of a friend, they end up doing an apartment swap to provide for a cheap way to go to Paris for what they hope will be a calming experience. But when they get there, they find the apartment to be a hellish dump with a very disturbing background. No one is living there other than a squatter in an upper apartment. The place is dirty and musty and contains some unpleasantness like buckets of hair in the closet. The person upstairs warns them to leave and then later commits suicide by jumping out a window. Mark and Steph do leave early but something seems to go with them...a specter that makes Mark think his dead daughter from a prior marriage has returned. The novel is told from alternate perspectives by Mark and Steph. While Steph feels that Mark is going insane, Mark tries to find out why his dead daughter seems to be haunting him. All of this leads to a somewhat shocking conclusion.
Overall, a mild recommendation for this one with its overall brooding atmosphere and sense of foreboding.
Overall, a mild recommendation for this one with its overall brooding atmosphere and sense of foreboding.
This is the type of story that will make you think twice before house swapping, with details lingering long after you finished the last page. You won't find overt violence here, but the weirdness quickly develops into something far more sinister and threatening, with a chilling twist at the end. A riveting read. 3.5 stars.
At some time in your life you may experience a bone-chilling encounter that is so horrible it will change your life forever. And when you later look upon someone you will say..."I'm sorry it had to be you."
The Apartment is gripping, creepy as all hell, and the dread will linger for days afterward,It's dark and deeply disturbing. trust me - it's not for kids!So if you have the courage open the door and meet husband and wife, Mark and Steph, an encounter you will never forget. Gery
The Apartment is gripping, creepy as all hell, and the dread will linger for days afterward,It's dark and deeply disturbing. trust me - it's not for kids!So if you have the courage open the door and meet husband and wife, Mark and Steph, an encounter you will never forget. Gery
