Grave's End

Rating:
Summary: Just another ghost story
Review: Some of the writing in this story is flat, and it's hard to tell when and where it is progressing and advancing. There's also not enough dialogue to keep the pace. There are long lulls that could have been more spiced up with detail. But it is a very interesting read. Not really an experience I'd want to have personally.

Rating:
Summary: Would have been better if not for the writing style
Review: The book has a really good story, but it's just told poorly. The author really never "built up" to any of the interesting events and I frequently found my mind wandering off. However, the first half of the book is much better than the latter half. The last several chapters of the book are very repetitive and I feel too much information went into the author's personal affairs (love life, job, school, her psychiatrist, etc.)... I really could have done without all of that. And also, towards the end of the book, it seemed as if the author was getting tired and just "brushed" over the interesting parts such as when she FINALLY began to research the history of the house. I also became very frustrated with her un-acceptance of everything... but I know she was just telling the story as it happened.

Overall, you can obviously tell the book was written by an amateur, and to me, that's what made the story not as fulfilling as it could have been. But, the book is short (and could have been a LOT shorter without the "filler" text) so it's worth a read if you're looking for something in this area.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: This is a very compelling story and will be fascinating to anyone who is interested in paranormal activity. I read this book in under 2 days, something I have never done before. I felt that the account was extrememely honest, and I found myself feeling bad about what happened to the family, and excited when they found their solution. If Mercado were to write another book, I would certainly read it.
Hans Holzer is mentioned in this book. If you find this story interesting, I suggest you check out some of Holzer's books as well, although his work is much more scientific and tougher to read.

Rating:
Summary: The best true ghost story !!!
Review: When Elaine Mercado and her first husband bought their home in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1982, they had no idea that they and their two young daughters were embarking on a thirteen-year nightmare. Within a few days of moving in, Elaine and her older daughter began to experience the sensation of being watched. Then came scratching noises and weird smells, followed by voices whispering, maniacal laughter, shadowy figures scurrying along baseboards, and small balls of light bouncing along the ceilings. From the beginning of the haunting, "suffocating dreams" were experienced by everyone except the younger daughter. These eventually accelerated to physical aggression directed at Elaine and both the girls. This book is the true story of how one family tried to cope with living in a haunted house. It also describes how, with the help of parapsychologist Dr. Hans Holzer and medium Marisa Anderson, the family discovered the tragic and heartbreaking secrets buried in the house at Grave's End. This is the best true ghost story book I've ever read. After you reading this one, you won't be able to turn-off the lights of your bedroom when you go bed. In spite of Elaine doesn't be a professional writer ( she is a nurse ), she did a good work here. Whether you are the kind of person that like to be frightened or barely like to read a good ghost story, you should read this one. You won't be disappointed. Good reading !!!