I learned of this book from the author. She messaged me on Instagram because she saw that I liked a book similar to hers. I decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did.
Recurring Nightmares:
Real Life Memoirs of a Haunted House
By Holly Eccles
This book is a collection of poems and stories. Apparently, some of these stories are true.
A recurring character named Gracie is in many of the poems and stories. She sees things and hears horrible things that no one believes. It must be her imagination, they say. She can’t escape; she must survive.
Because this poetry rhymes it feels like it’s written for a younger audience. It is a blend of terror with the beauty of poetry.
“Another evil roamed the haunted halls during Gracie’s young life. This evil lurked around every corner and darkened every doorway.
Recurring Nightmares, from the chapter called “Mr. Pole”
This evil lived at her grandparents’ house.”
Who will like this Book?
My 9 year old loves it but is a little bit creeped out by some of the stories. But he loves it. But it scares him. …and so forth.
Seriously though. He is strangely, not a huge book person, yet he keeps requesting this story to read with me. (Without prompting!) I could definitely see 10-12 year olds telling these ghost stories to each other at slumber parties and scaring the living daylights out of themselves.
Apparently I love macabre poetry because this book appeals to me. (And Edgar Alan Poe is one of my favorite poets.) I felt a sense of nostalgia with these stories because they reminded me of my teen years telling creepy ghost stories like “The Hitchhiker” and “The Hand.”
Fun facts about “The Hitchhiker.” And if you haven’t heard “The Hand” https://www.scaryforkids.com/the-hook/ . The version of this story that I heard, ended badly for the young man.
What can we learn from this book?
This author knows how to use onomatopoeias to good effect. That is, she knows how to use it to build tension. Tension building overall was good.
She also did a lovely job describing with all the senses. She even describes what sounds were missing when necessary–a tool I have found to be useful.
As she says in the beginning, read if you dare…
Quill and Books 
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