If I had a nickel for every book I’ve read recently about a suddenly haunted suburb, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but I guess authors are stepping up to throw those sorts of neighborhood into the ghost void. The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste is a great little horror romp about a disappearing neighborhood, the weight of secrets, and the tension between growing up in a seemingly idyllic area with its own hidden horrors. I thought this book was a little scary, pretty fun, and a lot emotional: pretty much a perfect spooky season read.
The neighborhood of Velkwood was a viral national sensation when it suddenly disappeared, before viral posts were even a thing. A small street suddenly gone, with no indication as to why, and no one can enter? Reporters, scientists, and occultists all swarmed. Three former residents who were away at college when it disappeared—Talitha, Brett, and Grace—also become media sensations, but when they refuse to break their silence and when no one can find any answers or solutions to Velkwood, interest dies down. The government cordons off the area: no one in, even if the neighborhood would let them. Talitha struggles to move on with her life, gradually losing touch with Brett and trying to bury her memories of that time until a researcher approaches her with a photo and an offer: an offer to return to Velkwood and attempt to go inside, an offer she can’t refuse.
Mixed in with the present day scenes of Talitha returning to the scene of the haunting are her memories of her childhood there, and it becomes clear that Velkwood was far from the picturesque suburb it wanted to present itself as being. It also becomes clear that Talitha’s best friend Brett was more than her best friend. They were girlfriends, burgeoning lesbians trying to figure themselves out and also keep their relationship hidden for fear of the consequences, which is a thing that many of us who grew up in a small town will relate to. Faced with unbelievable pressure at home, they turn to each other and to college as an escape. After the Incident, they are fractured by the weight of their shared past and secrets. As we journey deeper into Talitha’s memories—and deeper back into Velkwood itself—history, memory, family, queerness, love, and horror all swirl together as Talitha realizes that sometimes you have to go home in order to really leave.
I thought this was a great horror novel. It simmered with both emotion and the supernatural in a pressure cooker confined to one neighborhood street. To me, it gave tangible feeling to living in a small town where everyone is in your business. I loved the way Kiste folded together past and present to slowly reveal the true circumstances of Talitha and Brett leaving town. I loved how spooky the ghost town was. I also enjoyed that the supernatural elements were in the open from the beginning of this one. The haunting part is what they mean. This was a really fun and spooky read that I enjoyed from start to finish.
Are you looking for a satisfying little horror book to finish off your spooky month? You could not do better than queuing up The Haunting of Velkwood to add some haunted yet emotional supernatural occurrences to your list. Gwendolyn Kiste delivers an emotional punch, and I will definitely be on the look out for further offerings from her.
