Haunting and Thrilling ...September 11, 2007 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
During a recent camping trip, we found this book and three others (the fifth one is in hardback and we decided to wait till it was in paperback) at the state park visitor center. My parents have the series and my nieces and nephew absolutely love these books ~~ they would beg my dad to read it to them. So we thought we would introduce a new tradition for our boys. There was a small problem though ~~ the stories in here are just a little bit too advanced for five year olds' comprehension.
But it's perfect for me. I couldn't read it at night though as the stories were spooky. And I had to walk to the bathroom in the dark with only a flashlight to protect me. (The nights before I read this book, I was more worried about bears. After reading this book, I am now more worried about spooks!)
The stories in here are about familiar history pieces that I've heard over the years. I've been to lots of these towns and never realized that they had haunts of their own. I am a skeptic about ghosts since I have never seen one. But the stories in here are thrilling, sad, spooky and sometimes, just plain weird. Some of my favorites are: The Ghostly Girl of Woodland Cemetery (that cemetery is absolutely beautiful ~~ makes me want to go back and see it!); all of the ghost stories of the Victoria Theatre in Dayton (I used to be an usher there and never heard the stories till now); Julia Grant's stories and so on.
This book is a combination of stories and historical bits all tied in together. It is a compilation of stories (and not all that well-written in some cases as I had to re-read several stories again to make sure that I understood them correctly) that Ms. Woodyard collected over the years. These stories are perfect to read over the campfire at night ...
Just be sure to carry a heavy flashlight when you go out for a nightly walk to the bathroom ...
9-11-07
You actually get what you pay for (and then some)July 22, 2007 I avoided this book series for years simply because of the price, since most ghost story books tend to be formulaic I just assumed these were the same. Then one day I decided to give them a try, and I have been hooked ever since. It is well worth the price. This is without doubt one of the scariest compilations ever put together, I can't recommend it enough there a ton of stories in each volume to keep you busy for a while. More then likely it will leave you wanting more, so don't worry there are plenty of additional books in this series (haunted Ohio addiction is fairly common, Chris Woodyard is the supernatural equivalent of Patrick O'Brian, you can't help but want more.) I should warn you though, this book may give You a sleeping disorder. Actually this thing should come with a complementary night light.
Well Worth the MoneyOctober 21, 2003 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The entire Haunted Ohio series has been excellent. Woodyard has an engaging writing style, unlike a lot of the other dry, sketchy true ghost story collections I've read. There is enough historical background to flesh the stories out without making them read like a textbook. Highly recommended!
Happy Haunting!September 23, 2002 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I liked Haunted Ohio because it wasn't just a collection of ghost stories put together by an author. It also contains one of Chris Woodyard's personal experiences of living above a haunted store in "The Ghost of Unicorn Vintage Clothing." She also showcases her extensive historical research by bringing out little known paranormal facts, such as due to the high casualty rate in WWI the production of Ouija Boards increased. A reference section is provided that has been divided by chapter so that a reader may look up the original stories. Woodyard's stories are written in a lively style and though short are detailed enough to be wonderfully scary.
Scary as HellSeptember 2, 2001 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Local stories that will keep the lights on....she brings them to life..a great story teller!
