Whoa!August 23, 2007 5 out of 5 found this review helpful
What an amazing book. Elaine Mercado takes you on her journey of disbelief and finding "logical reasons" for the things that were happening in her house. I, myself, shared her skepticism at first and like her I was forced to face the ultimately indisputable fact that her place was haunted. Her husband proves to be the ultimate example of how we will cling to what we believe to be reality so desperately that when the "impossible" happens we just ignore it. Read the book and you'll know what I mean. This is the only true haunting story so far that has scared the daylights out of me. The journey of Elaine Mercado and her family is terrifying but also enlightening and in the end the truth of what was behind what was happening makes great sense thanks to the logical Hans Holtzer. I bought another copy just so I could lend it to more people. I recommend this book highly.
A True Ghost StoryJuly 12, 2007 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a very good book if your like books about true ghost stories.
The author is very good about communicationg what she felt over the period of time that her house was experience paranormal activity.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for somthing deeper than you would get if you got a book that had a collection of ghost stories.
foreword by the famous Parapsychologist and Author, Prof. Hans HolzerMay 8, 2007 5 out of 5 found this review helpful
It was supposed to be their dream house, an escape from apartment dwelling, home sweet home. It turned out to be a nightmare that didn't go away even when you slept with the lights on. In 1982 Elaine Mercado, her husband and two daughters moved into the house they had bought in Brooklyn, N.Y. With her husband's business in the upper two floors, Elaine was rarely alone in the house, but she never felt alone anyway; she had a constant feeling of being watched.
Over the course of 12 years there would be a great deal more than feelings of being watched. The house was haunted. It took Elaine quite a long time to admit that fact; admitting it would make it real. But there were dreams that she and her daughter both experienced, dreams that were suffocating in nature. In fact it felt as though something were holding them down, pressing them into the bed to such an extent that they were unable to move and at times, unable to breath. Balls of light danced about the house and small blurry shapes of shadow crept along the floorboards. A figure of mist would sometimes pass by one daughter's bedroom door and at times there would be whispering, right in their ears, of things like, "You leave us alone, and we'll leave you alone."
After years of not getting a decent night's sleep, years of feeling terrified on an almost constant basis, Elaine does some digging into the past of the house. Many stories are uncovered, but none of them are very comforting. The decision is made to call in a psychic investigator. Someone had to know what was going on and how to make it stop.
This is a true story, told by Elaine herself, a registered nurse and a woman of great strength of character. She admits her terrible fear and frustration in an effort to let people know that they are not alone in situations such as these. The lost spirits that shared her home were in great misery and pleading for help, though in ways that would scare even the bravest of people. It took an understanding to help the souls that Elaine did not posses at the time. This book is her passing on of the knowledge that even challenges such as this can be remedied.
The book goes into great detail of the haunting and the writing is such that you truly feel the hair standing up on the back of your neck. You may feel a desire to leave the lights on at bedtime, or the need to look over your shoulder for the feeling of being watched is contagious. You may even go so far as to do a great deal of research before purchasing your next home.
A foreword by the famous Parapsychologist and Author, Prof. Hans Holzer, who incidentally played a large part in the resolution of Elaine's unwanted houseguests, lends additional validity to the book, but the work is well written and most definitely believable.
Excellent read..though with many questions unansweredMay 7, 2007 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I just finished reading this book yesterday at the beach...and I have to say that as it got to the point where I would only read this book during the daytime....just as the author later states in writing this book she would only write/edit it during the day because her own story still was an uneasy experience for her to read about! The author drew you into her story with such ease that you actually felt a part of it all. My only caveats are (don't get me wrong -- this was a highly-effective and scary read) during the "cleansing" of the house and the self-interest reaction of her eldest daughter, and when the author attends classes on the paranormal, she doesn't say whether or not she learned anything there....and was able to apply it to her situation...give her a better understanding of sorts. I was half expecting her to reveal her home situation to the class professor to get some sort of insight into her situation. But, again, this is not delved into. Another is the one question you're left to ponder at the end of the story: after the house has been professionally "cleansed", she is still scared of the past happenings, and unfortunately for her, "new" apparations, etc., commence.....and yet, she still chooses to live there. I just can't comprehend that one. The epilogue states that she is still living there......though I just read the book and I know it came out many years ago....one would think that peace of mind (and house) would prevail and she would decide to sell, and live happily ever after with the new hubby.....elsewhere. Great geographic location for her...close to her work....but having to live with the souls of the dear departed indefinitely? Oy!
Graves EndMarch 19, 2007 5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book was very good.you really start to feel as if you know this family. the things they had to go through in this house was pretty scary. the part I thought was really creepy was the story about her cat and the carpet that was strange. anyone who likes to read about haunted houses this is the book for you. it will keep you reading until the last page!
