Review: Haunted: Purgatory (Haunted #3)
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3 stars. This book really stuck the landing... kind of reminded me of a Kool-Aid Man moment. I have to admit I skimmed through some parts - there's a fuckton of talking in this one - but it was all worth it in the end, and I'll definitely continue with the series.
Picking up where the first book left off, Sarah decides to hire David and his team to conduct an investigation, which would hopefully result in obtaining an exorcism from the church and freeing the soul of her sister. Unfortunately, the house has its own devious agenda and thwarts their progress at almost every turn. Can Sarah get the evidence she needs to help her sister find peace? Can David grapple with his own history with the house? Can his team stay safe? The stakes are apocalyptic, people!
Back to the talking: I really, really admire this author's ability to write crunchy, concise prose that feels effortless to read from a word-choice perspective. But this book really suffered from poor pacing, and, as mentioned, talking. It's not just dialogue - it's conversations designed to catch characters up to what the reader already knows; it's conversations where characters talk in circles only to land on an inevitable conclusion; it's conversations full of "but what if this?" answered with "then this" and so on and so forth.
(Every now and then I feel like I have to throw out a disclaimer - I've never written a book, and it seems ridiculously hard. Just noting something that pulled me out of an otherwise immersive, fun, scary experience.)
Otherwise, these books are like popcorn - addicting! I always want one more handful.