Book Review for The Girl Who Talks to Ghosts by J.H. Moncrieff
The Girl Who Talks to Ghosts, by J.H. Moncrieff, is a deranged horror about being trapped in a world where the dead are insane, and the living are merely empty shadows of the past.
Kate Carrlsson is a medium who helps others deal with the undead, friendly or otherwise. When she meets a woman named Vittoria Walkins and her young, possessed daughter Lily, things begin to take a dark turn. In order to save Lily from the ghost of a demented doctor who believes she is ill, Kate most go to Poveglia, an Italian isle whose inhabitants once suffered from the Black Plague. Lily, meanwhile, finds herself in a place of darkness and sorrow, with only her fears to keep her company. In a race against time, the two must find each other, all the while endeavoring to fight off the monsters hidden within this nightmarish adventure.
I loved reading about the Doctor of Death himself. He truly does believe he is helping his patients, despite what others may say. He is caring, so much so he refused to leave a girl who was mutilated by cannibals all by her lonesome. He may be malicious at times, and even downright mental, but he does have a good heart. Nevertheless, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and he proved that much when he tried using Lily for his revenge. Then there is Lily, the girl whom Doctor Death had whisked away to “heal.” She is struggling with her own mind, to separate herself from the Doctor and from Alessandra. I can’t begin to imagine the trauma she’ll go through. Still, she’s brave to say the least. She’s also very mature for her age, and her perseverance probably was the reason why she managed to get back home.
The setting of the story was also exceptional. The isolated loneliness of Poveglia was beautifully haunting. Despite the doctor’s intentions, because of his dark agenda, the cannibals, and even the ghosts, it’s a miracle Lily managed to survive as long as she had. To be honest, I’m more than likely to die from the moment I’ve stepped on that damnable island. The ghosts were also terrifying, despite what the other characters may say; the concept that any entity could kidnap you from your own home when you dabble in the spirit world is more than terrifying. It’s a common theme used in horror, and one that I love dearly.
Needless to say, I did have a problem with Kate. In my opinion, she was too bland for my tastes, even though she’s one of the protagonists. But despite this, I liked this book, and would give it an overall rating of a 3.6 out of 5 stars. The characters, alongside the gloomy, solitary atmosphere made for a chilling tale. As such, I would recommend this book to fans of Love, Death, and Other Lies by Jerome Sparks, and The Feral Sentence by C.G. Julien.
