Bitten by Books
Restoring a long-shuttered amusement park and hotel on the shores of Lake Erie seemed like a strange choice for the family from California, but Nick and May Connors hoped that they would be able to make a fresh start. May’s guilt weighed heavily on her when she saw how unhappy her eldest daughter was, though she did her best to push the affair out of her mind and concentrate instead on getting the hotel ready for occupancy. The three younger children seemed to be adjusting well to their new lives and Nick seemed content with his repairing and refurbishing work, but May still felt unsettled and vaguely unhappy. The old man Nick had hired—Clem— made her horribly uncomfortable, and she could not explain why. Nick was impressed with Clem’s knowledge and skill with the old machines, and Clem’s past experience working for the park made Nick feel fortunate to have hired him.
As May walked through the park looking for Nick, she sensed the shadows of those who had visited before, in their long skirts and hats, and felt a wave of sadness rush over her. As she came upon the Laugh in the Dark ride, the life-sized model of Laughing Lucy activated, startling May, and when Clem came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, she jumped in fright. Later that night, the family was awakened by a scream coming from the park, and after checking on their youngest daughter, they ran through the park searching for Beatrice, finally finding her at the carousel. She was sleepy but unharmed and told her parents that a boy and a girl dressed in funny clothes had asked her to play on the carousel with them. Had Beatrice been dreaming, or was the visit a sign of more difficulties to come?
The strain on Nick and May’s marriage is evident, and even though they moved halfway across the country to escape, their unhappiness and stress came with them, compounded by the problems of restoration and running a business. Their personal stresses, and the trouble in their relationship, make them perfect targets for psychological warfare, and when that warfare encompassed their children, May felt even more helpless and alone. I was expecting a basic “oooh, the park is haunted” story and instead I found a wonderfully interesting tale with many surprises and a completely unexpected ending. The storyline flowed smoothly, and I loved the descriptions of the park. I thoroughly enjoyed Laugh in the Dark and can easily recommend it, especially to those who prefer their horror more on the psychological side than blatant blood and guts.
Book Stats:
- File Size: 158 KB
- Print Length: 78 pages
- Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
- Publisher: eXtasybooks (November 1, 2010)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B004BLK94Q
Buy a Kindle copy of Laugh in the Dark from Amazon by clicking here.
Review Overview
Overall Rating
Total
Summary : I was expecting a basic “oooh, the park is haunted” story and instead I found a wonderfully interesting tale with many surprises and a completely unexpected ending. The storyline flowed smoothly, and I loved the descriptions of the park. I thoroughly enjoyed Laugh in the Dark and can easily recommend it, especially to those who prefer their horror more on the psychological side than blatant blood and guts.
