American Haunting, An (Book)

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It happens to all of us while we’re growing up. We hear about “that” house on the hill or down the block. The haunted house.

You’ll be dared by your friends to go up and knock on the door; meanwhile, they wouldn’t even dream of doing it themselves. The house literally haunts you and causes you to walk on the other side of the street so you won’t get too close. Sometimes you just stand in front of it and gawk. What was that in the window? Did I just see something? A curtain move? It follows you home. It seeps into your dreams, turning them into nightmares. There are many such houses across America.

In his new book, An American Haunting, author Scott A. Johnson invites you into just such a house. A house that you might never leave and not because it’s so damned comfortable. Comfort has nothing to do with this place. Damned, however . . .

Enter the story’s principal characters: an average family down on their luck financially. They find a house for the right price, move in, and then discover that they’re not the only inhabitants. It’s a very familiar tale, one we have read time and time again. However, Johnson slickly manages to change the rules a bit. He preys on our fears. He unlocks every door that should have remained shut, and he does so at a blistering pace. There are moments in this book that will have you turning the pages so fast you’ll barely have time to breathe.

An American Haunting will stay with you. It will force you to read on, even though you’re fearing the worst. It will enter your dreams just like that old structure on the hill that you grew up with. Something to whisper about in the night. A new house just waiting to terrify the horror fan and a new author that seemingly takes a lot of twisted pleasure in leading you through it, room by darkened room. Dare you knock on the door? Can you stand to take the trip?

One thing’s for sure: We could not ask for a better guide, and I cannot wait to see more from Scott A. Johnson.

— Uncle Creepy

An American Haunting (2004)
Author: Scott A. Johnson
Publisher: Harbor House
No. of pages: 250
Coming in October of 2004

4 out of 5

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