The Haunting Between Us by Paul Micheal Winters

3/5 Stars

This book was said to be Heartstopper meets The Haunting of Hill House. While I enjoyed it, and I really did, the narrative weighed more towards Heartstopper when it should have tilted towards Hill House.

Cameron, a boy with a deep hatred for the house opposite his own, is surprised when Hugo, a cute boy, moves into 16 Sycamore Lane. Quickly becoming friends, then lovers, they uncover the dark connection they share with Crimson House.

Who is the White Lady of Sycamore Lane? Does she mean harm?

While this book was cute, I can’t say I loved it. Going in I expected deep paranormal themes, though they were only a partial portion of this book. In some ways, they seemed secondary to the romance. There are only so many times I can read about kissing, cuteness, and love when I really want to read about a ghost.

Not that Cameron and Hugo’s relationship wasn’t cute, it was. Paul Micheal Winters knows how to make people feel real. To those who prefer a cosy paranormal read, this is the perfect book for them. The love story feels authentic, despite feeling a bit insta-lovey, two souls aching for someone to call home. It’s beautiful.

While the story is compelling, I kept reading on, so it must have been; there were also a certain number of aspects which made me roll my eyes.

1) The whole friendship group. It didn’t need to be so big, or, at least, not everyone needed to get involved in the paranormal side of things. The story would feel less crowded if maybe Abby had the psychic powers, cutting Chloe and Maya. It would have also meant more to her obsession with the paranormal. And Matty definitely didn’t need to be a character. It felt like he just played the part of the cool straight ally.

2) Mr Peterson feels like a beacon of knowledge. Whenever things need explaining, guess what, this librarian just so happens to know what’s going on. He somehow managed to figure out the huge plot twist within the space of an hour, since he’d last spoken to Cameron and gave him an update on his original findings. Either that, or he forgot, which doesn’t make sense.

3) I could have done with less Bryce. Sure, have him there to get Cameron and Hugo together, but what was the use of his scenes after?

4) And finally, did we really need a homophobic side plot? The romance and haunting would have been more than enough in such a short book.

So, if you are looking for hard-core paranormal, this book isn’t for you. If you are looking for something to read this Halloween with a hot chocolate and a blanket, you should pick this story up.

Although at certain times I was sure that I’d DNF this book, I’m glad that I didn’t. This type of story has a place in fiction, even if it wasn’t completely for me. I go away with more than I had when I started reading, no time feels wasted.

P.S. That ending was soooo cheesy, but made me chuckle.