The Saturday Night Ghost Club: Craig Davidson
Reviewed By Fiona Dodwell
The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson was a wonderful read. Although it doesn’t stretch under the umbrella of horror, it does explore paranormal elements and has a cast of characters that are authentic, likeable and interesting to follow.
It’s a story that, in some ways, reminds me of both It by Stephen King and the series Stranger Things. It follows a group of kids, who through a blistering hot summer, start a ghost club where each Saturday night they explore a local haunted spot, or urban legend etc. In a way, I related to it, as it reminded me of my own childhood of growing up obsessed with ghosts stories and haunted locations. In that way, it really touched something within me.
There is an emotional depth to the story, with elements of childhood trauma, bullying and family relationships. It really makes you feel invested in the characters and care about them. The ghostly tales scattered throughout the novel are creepy and unsettling, but it isn’t full of cheap, tacky scares – even the ghosts in the novel are very much born from human tragedy.
I found the novel to be beautifully written and, whether you like ghost stories or not, I think this coming-of-age tale will really engage with a lot of readers. I highly recommend.
The Saturday Night Ghost Club
Growing up in 1980s Niagara Falls – a seedy but magical, slightly haunted place – Jake Baker spends most of his time with his uncle Calvin, a kind but eccentric enthusiast of occult artifacts and conspiracy theories.
The summer Jake turns twelve, he befriends a pair of siblings new to town, and so Calvin decides to initiate them all into the “Saturday Night Ghost Club.” But as the summer goes on, what begins as a seemingly light-hearted project may ultimately uncover more than any of its members had imagined.
With the alternating warmth and sadness of the best coming-of-age stories, The Saturday Night Ghost Club is a note-perfect novel that poignantly examines the haunting mutability of memory and storytelling, as well as the experiences that form the people we become, and establishes Craig Davidson as a remarkable literary talent.
You can buy The Saturday Night Ghost Club from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Fiona Dodwell
Fiona Dodwell has been writing fiction for almost 10 years, with several horror/paranormal titles released under various publishers. Alongside this, she is a freelance writer for various websites and magazines. She has written features for Warner Music, Made In Shoreditch Magazine, Music-news.com and Tremr.
Fiona has studied Psychology, Film Studies, Theology and Health & Social Care.
Her biggest passion is reading dark fiction, as well as creating new stories of her own – the creepier the better!
To find out more about Fiona:
Twitter: @Angel_devil982
Books: Amazon Store
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