Book Review: The Abandoned by Amanda Stevens

5/5***** Finally a proper, chill-inducing ghost story that leaves you begging for more

eBook

Title:
The Abandoned
(The Graveyard Queen Series #0.5)
Author:
Amanda Stevens
Source:
Kobo, free eBooks
Publication History
Kindle March 14th 2011 by MIRA
eBook April 1st 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises
Genre:
Mystery/ Thriller, Supernatural


Review:
This is a review of "firsts". I usually don't bother reviewing "between" novellas and I usually don't review non-YA.
Today I'm going to make an exception because this one simply blew me away. I've been tortured with a host of terribly written supernatural short stories over the past few months so this was a true beacon of light to me - especially since I actually had goosebumps from the creepiness of the story.
I've always had a thing for ghost stories, nothing better to creep you out than something you cannot see, and therefore it is hard to come across something that is actually still scary. This one was.

The Abandoned is the prelude to Stevens' new series The Graveyard Queen and while we get to see a short glimpse of its protagonist Amelia Gray, this story revolves around Ree Hutchins, a psychology student at Charleston University, and serves more to introduce the reader to the small town of Charleston, the premises of Oak Grove Cemetery, the Order of the Coffin and the Claw and Stevens' ghost lore.
All these aspects are craftily woven together into a tight, fast, creepy, mysterious and sexy novella that will have you begging for more.

I downloaded this because I got an ARC of The Restorer, first book in the Graveyard Queen Series, and if the main series is anything like this novella, I'm going to be totally hooked!