Review — Amelia: My Own Ghost Story
Amelia: My Own Ghost Story by Ketra Amolia Dellos
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
When I first read the blurb for this book, I was absolutely delighted–a book in which someone’s ghost is the main character? How unique! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. This had the potential to be a phenomenal read, which is why I wrestled with the rating I ultimately gave the book.
Let me start off with the positives. Again, the premise is unique, very different from a lot of the ghost stories I’ve read. The story line, too, was very good, and the pace was just right–not too fast or too slow. While there was never any mystery as to who the killer would be, the progression of the plot did keep me wondering when and how it would happen. The ending was suspenseful, with a disturbing twist that I admit will very likely have me picking up the next book to see what happens.
Here’s where it fell apart for me. The writing seemed very rough and unpolished, as if the author skipped the editing process altogether. There were numerous places where I found obvious typos, wrong words being used, and other grammatical errors that pulled me out of the story. Also, there were quite a few places where the descriptions felt more like info dumps that pulled me from the action. The characters, too, often felt two-dimensional and their actions unrealistic. There were also some loose ends that were just left hanging; I’m assuming they will be addressed in a sequel, but it just felt unfinished.
I truly wanted to give this book 4 or 5 stars, but it is in dire need of serious editing.
