Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Ghosted:
Quick synopsis:
A look at the history of ghost hunting including the charlatans and the unbelievers.
Fact for Non-History People:
A Gallup poll in 2005 of 1,000 found that 73% believed in some kind of paranormal activity.
Fact for History Nerds:
32% of those people believed in ghosts, specifically.
My Take on Ghosted:
With a name like Ghosted, Alice Vernon sure knows how to set the stage. The first thing she does is to tell the reader that she doesn’t believe in ghosts. However, she sure would like to.
What follows is a look at the past 200 years of ghost hunting in the U.S. and U.K., mainly. Vernon tells a few stories, but most look at how various frauds were uncovered and why they got so big in the first place. The sarcastic asides from Vernon are a personal favorite.
Still, the best parts are the sincere sections. Vernon is genuinely willing to allow for unexplained phenomena. No, she doesn’t think a ghost started yelling at her while blindfolded with headphones on in a haunted building. However, she did think she heard something even if it was just her brain getting creative. Most importantly, Vernon allows many people went down the ghost rabbit-hole because they desperately wanted to communicate with those they lost. You can feel Vernon’s sympathy for these poor souls, and it serves as a stark contrast from the dismissive contempt she has for those who would prey on them.
My one criticism is that Vernon tries to break down the chapters by type, and it doesn’t quite work cleanly. The same names pop up in multiple chapters, and it becomes a bit of a back and forth instead of an easy flow. It’s a minor quibble, and this is a fun book.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by Bloomsbury Sigma.)
Verdict:
Interesting with the right amount of spooky. Buy it here!
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