Reading Wrap-Up is an occasional post where I share a few quick thoughts on books not received for review. I borrowed these two Gothic classics from the library:

THE WOMAN IN BLACK
by Susan Hill
★★★★

I’d always thought this book had been published around the turn of the last century, so I was surprised to learn it came out in the 1980s. The author captures the eerie atmosphere of an old fashioned Victorian Gothic perfectly. There were a couple of scenes that really gave me the chills. I think I said, “No! Arthur, don’t go in that room!!” But, he did. :-)  I liked the ending of the book. It was fitting for the overall story, but also very sad. Malevolent ghosts aren’t reasonable creatures after all…

WAIT TILL HELEN COMES
by Mary Downing Hahn
★★★★

Another ghost story from the 80s! FYI: This is a middle grade book about a restless spirit named Helen who haunts a blended family, especially the youngest daughter, Heather. I love how they lived in an old church out in the middle of nowhere, with a cemetery just a few yards away from their bedroom windows. Creepy. The author did a great job with the creep-factor, though nothing over the top scary. It was fun trying to figure out why Helen was targeting Heather, and what connection, if any, they had to each other. My daughter read this book in 4th grade, and she enjoyed it too.