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House of Fallen Trees
“Two men have the carcass.� These words, heard over a crackling telephone line, change writer Karen Lewis’s life for the worse. Months earlier, her brother went missing in the small rural town of Fallen Trees, Washington. And now she finds out he willed his half of a bizarre bed and breakfast to her. “Two men have the carcass.� Is this ominous phrase enough to draw her into the mystery of Fallen Trees? Is the answer to her brother’s disappearance located there? Or is it just a trap, something designed to draw her into a nightmare world and break her sanity? What horror awaits Karen in the House of Fallen Trees?
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
10 people are currently reading
742 people want to read
About the author
Gina Ranalli
45books93followersGina Ranalli is the author of several novels, including Mothman Emerged, Rumors of My Death, Praise the Dead, House of Fallen Trees, Suicide Girls in the Afterlife, Chemical Gardens, Wall of Kiss, and Mother Puncher. Her collection, 13 Thorns (with Gus Fink) won the Wonderland Book Award for Best Story Collection of 2007. Her short stories have appeared in numerous publications including Bits of the Dead, The Beast Within, Horror Library Volume 3, and Dead Science, among others.
Gina lives in Washington state where she is working on her next novel. You can communicate with her online at and on twitter at
Gina lives in Washington state where she is working on her next novel. You can communicate with her online at and on twitter at
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 26, 2018
Well, I am sad to say that this book didn't work for me. I was very excited to start it and LOVED the gorgeous cover but I didn't enjoy this story. It was very dream-like and that's fine if I am invested in the main character but Karen didn't come alive for me. She was very bland and slightly annoying and though she tried to come across as a bad ass bitch she ran screaming to the menfolk whenever something scary occurred and that was annoying. Many people love and adore this story but I had some issues that I cannot ignore. Here are a few of them:
*An unclear timeline. Someone's lover dies (goes missing?) 6 months previous and this someone later says he's been trying to have sexy times with another guy for the past 6 months. WTF? That makes you a creepy jerk with no loyalty or feelings!
*Unrealistic and sometimes cringy dialogue. "Don't flatter yourself bi-boy" #NoJustNo
*Inconsistent characterization. One character is described as the quickest to laugh and 4 pages later he's a "gloomy Gus". Make Up Your Mind.
*It wasn't scary (to me).
*There was too much tedious telling and not enough showing.
*A lack of well done atmosphere. I should've felt a chill but I didn't.
*A character states animals do not have feelings. Screw you, Rory! Animals do too have feelings #SorryNotSorry
I'm giving it two stars because the dog Dusty lives. And you can yell at me for revealing that but if you are a dog person you NEED to know!
I wish I could write a positive review but I have to be honest.
*An unclear timeline. Someone's lover dies (goes missing?) 6 months previous and this someone later says he's been trying to have sexy times with another guy for the past 6 months. WTF? That makes you a creepy jerk with no loyalty or feelings!
*Unrealistic and sometimes cringy dialogue. "Don't flatter yourself bi-boy" #NoJustNo
*Inconsistent characterization. One character is described as the quickest to laugh and 4 pages later he's a "gloomy Gus". Make Up Your Mind.
*It wasn't scary (to me).
*There was too much tedious telling and not enough showing.
*A lack of well done atmosphere. I should've felt a chill but I didn't.
*A character states animals do not have feelings. Screw you, Rory! Animals do too have feelings #SorryNotSorry
I'm giving it two stars because the dog Dusty lives. And you can yell at me for revealing that but if you are a dog person you NEED to know!
I wish I could write a positive review but I have to be honest.
July 8, 2010
There are two reasons why I bought this book. One, I’m a huge fan of the author. Two, it’s the second book by the very promising GRINDHOUSE PRESS. It didn’t really matter to me what the story was about, really. I was just happy to get another Ranalli book.
This was originally published by CARGO CULT PRESS as a limited edition (and expensive) hardcover but I wasn’t able to afford it. Luckily this inexpensive paperback edition came out.
To be honest, I’m not a huge ghost story fan. I don’t hate them but that subgenre has been done to death and most of it just doesn’t spook me. I think the only exceptions are the movies AMITYVILLE HORROR and THE SHINING. Of course, a lot of the clichés probably stemmed from those movies/books. I know, there’s HELL HOUSE and THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (I’ve only read half of the former). I guess you can see how little I am interested in haunted fiction.
But I really enjoyed HOUSE OF FALLEN TREES.
What sets this apart from similar books is the setting. It’s picturesque and spooky which plays out really nice with Ranalli’s vivid descriptions. The book really made me want to actually visit the HOUSE OF FALLEN TREES despite the potential danger involved.
All of the “spooky� parts worked well and some were downright chilling even to me. The first scene itself, hell, even the synopsis on the back was spooky. (“Two men have the carcass.�) It’s practically screaming to be made into a movie. It has that good old-fashioned quality but doesn’t tread into outdated territory.
I’m reluctant to really call this a “haunted house� or “ghost story� book. It’s really more than that and in fact, when I started reading it� I had no idea what direction it was going to go in. The book is less about horror and more about love (of family, animals, nature), trust (in yourself, in the reality you see, your perspective), and fear.
The main character Karen is easy to relate to. She’s nice enough for you to like her but human enough to make you care about her. The other characters are well-written, three-dimensional, and real.
The one small problem I had is more of a personal preference. Karen is an author and so she’s often thinking like an author. Sometimes this makes me stop and wonder if it’s Ranalli thinking these things or just the character. Personally, I tend to shy away from stories that have writers as main characters. Despite this, it didn’t really bother me because there was so much to like about the story.
As a side note, the book cover and design are TOP-NOTCH.
Anyway, Ranalli has written a unique little book here that will satisfy people who both love the “haunted house� genre and those like me who aren’t crazy about ghosts. It’s also the perfect length for the story being told. I’m very sensitive about books being either too long or too short� but HOUSE OF FALLEN TREES was just right.
Pick this one up!
This was originally published by CARGO CULT PRESS as a limited edition (and expensive) hardcover but I wasn’t able to afford it. Luckily this inexpensive paperback edition came out.
To be honest, I’m not a huge ghost story fan. I don’t hate them but that subgenre has been done to death and most of it just doesn’t spook me. I think the only exceptions are the movies AMITYVILLE HORROR and THE SHINING. Of course, a lot of the clichés probably stemmed from those movies/books. I know, there’s HELL HOUSE and THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (I’ve only read half of the former). I guess you can see how little I am interested in haunted fiction.
But I really enjoyed HOUSE OF FALLEN TREES.
What sets this apart from similar books is the setting. It’s picturesque and spooky which plays out really nice with Ranalli’s vivid descriptions. The book really made me want to actually visit the HOUSE OF FALLEN TREES despite the potential danger involved.
All of the “spooky� parts worked well and some were downright chilling even to me. The first scene itself, hell, even the synopsis on the back was spooky. (“Two men have the carcass.�) It’s practically screaming to be made into a movie. It has that good old-fashioned quality but doesn’t tread into outdated territory.
I’m reluctant to really call this a “haunted house� or “ghost story� book. It’s really more than that and in fact, when I started reading it� I had no idea what direction it was going to go in. The book is less about horror and more about love (of family, animals, nature), trust (in yourself, in the reality you see, your perspective), and fear.
The main character Karen is easy to relate to. She’s nice enough for you to like her but human enough to make you care about her. The other characters are well-written, three-dimensional, and real.
The one small problem I had is more of a personal preference. Karen is an author and so she’s often thinking like an author. Sometimes this makes me stop and wonder if it’s Ranalli thinking these things or just the character. Personally, I tend to shy away from stories that have writers as main characters. Despite this, it didn’t really bother me because there was so much to like about the story.
As a side note, the book cover and design are TOP-NOTCH.
Anyway, Ranalli has written a unique little book here that will satisfy people who both love the “haunted house� genre and those like me who aren’t crazy about ghosts. It’s also the perfect length for the story being told. I’m very sensitive about books being either too long or too short� but HOUSE OF FALLEN TREES was just right.
Pick this one up!
October 26, 2018
"Two men have the carcass."
I read House of Fallen Trees for book club with a few friends. I've had good luck with Grindhouse books, and the cover and synopsis for this book are awesome, so I had really been looking forward to it.
I was thrown off by the writing very early on. It seemed much more juvenile than I expected, yet the book did not seem to be directed toward a YA audience. I feel like there is potential for decent storytelling here, but this book was bogged down with unnecessary details and silly similes. It was distracting. Every time that I felt a little bit invested in the story, something would happen like saying the main character was going to mate with sleep when it was time for bed. It just didn't feel refined enough to work as a complete book.
The story starts off in an interesting way, but it heads in a nonsensical direction. I didn't really find the answers to the mysteries in this story to be satisfactory - I think the synopsis left big shoes to fill, and the different elements of this plot did not mesh well together.
The characters seem like different people in each chapter, and it was difficult to take the main character seriously. She was quite bland, and it wasn't very fun to be with her for an entire book.
I have another book from this author that I'm going to try one day. There were parts of this book that were promising, so I haven't given up hope completely. Hopefully I have better luck with a different title.
I read House of Fallen Trees for book club with a few friends. I've had good luck with Grindhouse books, and the cover and synopsis for this book are awesome, so I had really been looking forward to it.
I was thrown off by the writing very early on. It seemed much more juvenile than I expected, yet the book did not seem to be directed toward a YA audience. I feel like there is potential for decent storytelling here, but this book was bogged down with unnecessary details and silly similes. It was distracting. Every time that I felt a little bit invested in the story, something would happen like saying the main character was going to mate with sleep when it was time for bed. It just didn't feel refined enough to work as a complete book.
The story starts off in an interesting way, but it heads in a nonsensical direction. I didn't really find the answers to the mysteries in this story to be satisfactory - I think the synopsis left big shoes to fill, and the different elements of this plot did not mesh well together.
The characters seem like different people in each chapter, and it was difficult to take the main character seriously. She was quite bland, and it wasn't very fun to be with her for an entire book.
I have another book from this author that I'm going to try one day. There were parts of this book that were promising, so I haven't given up hope completely. Hopefully I have better luck with a different title.
June 1, 2019
House of Fallen Trees dishes up a delightfully creepy sense of uncomfortable ambiguity. The first half of the book takes its time to establish relatable characters and relationships, and to set the scene. The second half is an off-kilter mystery that keeps the reader guessing.
This book keeps you asking, “What’s going to happen next?� which is, for me anyway, the litmus test of any good story.
This book keeps you asking, “What’s going to happen next?� which is, for me anyway, the litmus test of any good story.
February 19, 2020
Rounded up from 1.5 stars.
While I didn’t hate this, it wasn’t good—it was just incredibly disappointing. Take inconsistent writing (at one point a character is terrified of the haunted house and won’t enter, but then 5 pages later he is addicted to it “like a drug� and demands to be allowed to go inside), add multiple unresolved plot points (why was everyone hallucinating? Why was there a sudden flea infestation in the basement? Did the Captain kill his wife or not? How were the trees able to move? Why did the main character’s brother disappear in the first place? Why is there a cross on the woman’s face on cover of this book?), liberally season with the most annoying characters committed to paper, and you have a pretty dissatisfying read.
While I didn’t hate this, it wasn’t good—it was just incredibly disappointing. Take inconsistent writing (at one point a character is terrified of the haunted house and won’t enter, but then 5 pages later he is addicted to it “like a drug� and demands to be allowed to go inside), add multiple unresolved plot points (why was everyone hallucinating? Why was there a sudden flea infestation in the basement? Did the Captain kill his wife or not? How were the trees able to move? Why did the main character’s brother disappear in the first place? Why is there a cross on the woman’s face on cover of this book?), liberally season with the most annoying characters committed to paper, and you have a pretty dissatisfying read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2010
'House of Fallen Trees' is a throwback to books written a couple decades ago by authors like Richard Matheson and Peter Straub. Of those two, I preferred Straub's 'Ghost Story' MUCH more than Matheson's 'Hell House'. Gina Rinalli's 'House of Fallen Trees' definitely falls toward the Straub end of the spectrum. It begins with a slow-building story line, taking time and care to introduce us to the main character, Karen, a writer in the Northwest who heads out to her missing brother's remote bed and breakfast to find out what happened to him.
Around the half way mark, the story kicks into another gear, ratcheting up the creepy, ghostly happenings. The final 100 pages flew by as Rinalli keeps the tension high with mysterious plot turns that harken back to classic ghost stories. The final act makes this a must-read and the ending was just right.
My only hang up was the main character. I had trouble not picturing the author as Karen here, and that pulled me out of the story from time to time. This was more evident in the beginning as we meet the character and learn about her life, but once we are emerged in the House of Fallen Trees, the story really hits its stride.
This is a good, old-fashioned yarn that I would recommend to anyone who has read and enjoyed the aforementioned spook stories. It's also the second release from Grindhouse Press, following Andersen Prunty's excellent 'Morning is Dead'. So far, this newer publishing outfit is 2-for-2 and has jumped to the top of my list of favorite small presses. I look forward to reading their next few releases.
Around the half way mark, the story kicks into another gear, ratcheting up the creepy, ghostly happenings. The final 100 pages flew by as Rinalli keeps the tension high with mysterious plot turns that harken back to classic ghost stories. The final act makes this a must-read and the ending was just right.
My only hang up was the main character. I had trouble not picturing the author as Karen here, and that pulled me out of the story from time to time. This was more evident in the beginning as we meet the character and learn about her life, but once we are emerged in the House of Fallen Trees, the story really hits its stride.
This is a good, old-fashioned yarn that I would recommend to anyone who has read and enjoyed the aforementioned spook stories. It's also the second release from Grindhouse Press, following Andersen Prunty's excellent 'Morning is Dead'. So far, this newer publishing outfit is 2-for-2 and has jumped to the top of my list of favorite small presses. I look forward to reading their next few releases.
November 28, 2010
I was first introduced to Gina Ranalli's work through the Bizarro Starter kit. I read and really enjoyed her book SUICIDE GIRLS IN THE AFTERLIFE, so naturally I was very excited to dig into HOUSE OF FALLEN TREES.
HoFT surprised me. I wasn't expecting such a timeless horror story. SUICIDE GIRLS, while excellent in its own right, was told in a completely different voice, a different style. It seemed new, the author had a young, but solid voice - very 'punk,' for lack of a better word. The voice in HoFT is more like Richard Matheson, a classic tale told in a classic voice.
I don't want to give you any details, as there are many surprises throughout the book that I don't want to spoil for anyone who hasn't read it yet. I'll only say this - there were several moments when my skin was crawling. This is a creepy book, my friends. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good scary story.
I can't wait until payday. I'm going to order a buttload of books by Gina Ranalli... and I suggest you do the same.
HoFT surprised me. I wasn't expecting such a timeless horror story. SUICIDE GIRLS, while excellent in its own right, was told in a completely different voice, a different style. It seemed new, the author had a young, but solid voice - very 'punk,' for lack of a better word. The voice in HoFT is more like Richard Matheson, a classic tale told in a classic voice.
I don't want to give you any details, as there are many surprises throughout the book that I don't want to spoil for anyone who hasn't read it yet. I'll only say this - there were several moments when my skin was crawling. This is a creepy book, my friends. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good scary story.
I can't wait until payday. I'm going to order a buttload of books by Gina Ranalli... and I suggest you do the same.
November 11, 2018
Karen Lewis is surprised to receive a call from her estranged brother's partner, especially when said brother disappeared some time ago. Eager to learn more of his life, and perhaps even gain insight into his whereabouts, Karen agrees to visit the bed and breakfast she's apparently now partly in ownership of. If the rural town of Fallen Trees wasn't remote enough, the odd business her sibling was working on is even more isolated, and something within it seems restless.
(WARNING: This review contains MAJOR spoilers.)
This was the first ever group read for the team, adequately named . We were all fairly excited and eager to jump right in, but our optimism was quickly snuffed out along with any possibility of an enjoyable experience. My own thoughts are, of course, similar to my fellow banshees; I believe Ranalli had an idea, perhaps a solid one, but didn't quite get the execution down. There were inconsistencies in the timeline, poor characterisation anda general messy approach of several elements. The main character was depicted as a person out of touch with reality, frequentlylocking herself awayin her mind in a very extreme sense; losing hours and even days. At first I thought thiswould have had some sort of relevance -nobody in their right mind zones out for that length of time -but it didn't. Perhaps it was an attempt to portray her as quirky, but Karen truly was a weak protagonist, in every sense of the word. If not drowning in her own head, she was screaming for what seemed like the majority of the book, and too-often fled to the men to save her. Ranalli tried to justify the unappealing lack of courage by adding in this little gem; there was no denying that having a guy around made a woman statically safer.So much for a strong female lead, eh?
I don't even want to get into the other two; cliché, uninteresting - the one that had to serve as a weak form of a romantic interest, and the dislikeable one that much acted like the typical villain.
I admit, I found some scenes to emanate an eeriness that definitely sparked potential. I believed the plot was leading up to something that might well have surpassed my negative opinions, but in actuality, it was so painfully anticlimactic. The phrase that started it all and was a consistent factor throughout - two men have the carcass - was nothing but a misleading plot device; an attempt to instil a sense of mystery, which it successfully did, right up until the nonsensical conclusion. This appeared to be a common theme, in that several things were added and left vague, were outright pointless or simply held no significance. The physic connection between brother and sister for instance, completely baffled me in its absurdity - the "we had it once, but it went away, but now it's suddenly back" just didn't strike me as a decent explanation.
I have a lot of complaints, yes, but there were minor aspects that made it stand out ever-so-slightly. The ship in the middle of the woods was certainly unique, and the survival of the dog was, of course, appreciated. Everything else, though - the haunting, the mishmash of ideas that were clumsy, the characters that I didn't connect to - it didn't work for me. I don't want to necessarily use the word "amateur", but overall, I was given the impression of an author trying too hard, rather than appropriately tying it all together.
In conclusion: I found many problems with this one, and that doesn't include the unoriginal concept. It, most times, didn't add up. There were many inconsistencies and eye-rolling moments. Whilst I don't recommend it, many have and still are enjoying Karen's little adventure, so don't take my word for it.
Notable Quote:
Sleep was her friend, almost a lover,and now she needed to mate with it, become one and just disappear for a time.
© Red Lace 2018
~
(WARNING: This review contains MAJOR spoilers.)
This was the first ever group read for the team, adequately named . We were all fairly excited and eager to jump right in, but our optimism was quickly snuffed out along with any possibility of an enjoyable experience. My own thoughts are, of course, similar to my fellow banshees; I believe Ranalli had an idea, perhaps a solid one, but didn't quite get the execution down. There were inconsistencies in the timeline, poor characterisation anda general messy approach of several elements. The main character was depicted as a person out of touch with reality, frequentlylocking herself awayin her mind in a very extreme sense; losing hours and even days. At first I thought thiswould have had some sort of relevance -nobody in their right mind zones out for that length of time -but it didn't. Perhaps it was an attempt to portray her as quirky, but Karen truly was a weak protagonist, in every sense of the word. If not drowning in her own head, she was screaming for what seemed like the majority of the book, and too-often fled to the men to save her. Ranalli tried to justify the unappealing lack of courage by adding in this little gem; there was no denying that having a guy around made a woman statically safer.So much for a strong female lead, eh?
I don't even want to get into the other two; cliché, uninteresting - the one that had to serve as a weak form of a romantic interest, and the dislikeable one that much acted like the typical villain.
I admit, I found some scenes to emanate an eeriness that definitely sparked potential. I believed the plot was leading up to something that might well have surpassed my negative opinions, but in actuality, it was so painfully anticlimactic. The phrase that started it all and was a consistent factor throughout - two men have the carcass - was nothing but a misleading plot device; an attempt to instil a sense of mystery, which it successfully did, right up until the nonsensical conclusion. This appeared to be a common theme, in that several things were added and left vague, were outright pointless or simply held no significance. The physic connection between brother and sister for instance, completely baffled me in its absurdity - the "we had it once, but it went away, but now it's suddenly back" just didn't strike me as a decent explanation.
I have a lot of complaints, yes, but there were minor aspects that made it stand out ever-so-slightly. The ship in the middle of the woods was certainly unique, and the survival of the dog was, of course, appreciated. Everything else, though - the haunting, the mishmash of ideas that were clumsy, the characters that I didn't connect to - it didn't work for me. I don't want to necessarily use the word "amateur", but overall, I was given the impression of an author trying too hard, rather than appropriately tying it all together.
In conclusion: I found many problems with this one, and that doesn't include the unoriginal concept. It, most times, didn't add up. There were many inconsistencies and eye-rolling moments. Whilst I don't recommend it, many have and still are enjoying Karen's little adventure, so don't take my word for it.
Notable Quote:
Sleep was her friend, almost a lover,and now she needed to mate with it, become one and just disappear for a time.
© Red Lace 2018
~
July 13, 2010
I won this book through First Reads and was excited to get the chance to read it. This book is a horror/ghost story. It is not in my typical genre that I read. Despite not being what I usually read, I was pulled into the story immediately. Literally several pages in, I felt connected to the main character. Ranalli artfully draws the characters and gives them life. The main character is a loner and a writer. Her brother has recently gone missing and she has nothing in her life beyond writing.
This book scared me. I was afraid to turn off the lights. I started reading it while on vacation and renting an old house for the week, I was afraid to read it at night! The scenes are set up to scare and they do. The end of the story was slightly dissapointing, in that it ended in the manner that many horror films do -- with a not happy ending! By the end of the book I completely cared about the characters and their development, and I was frustrated that the end did not resolve everything and left me hanging. However, the ending was true to the story and I think Ranalli did right by the story and the genre to end the way she did.
I would recommend this book.
This book scared me. I was afraid to turn off the lights. I started reading it while on vacation and renting an old house for the week, I was afraid to read it at night! The scenes are set up to scare and they do. The end of the story was slightly dissapointing, in that it ended in the manner that many horror films do -- with a not happy ending! By the end of the book I completely cared about the characters and their development, and I was frustrated that the end did not resolve everything and left me hanging. However, the ending was true to the story and I think Ranalli did right by the story and the genre to end the way she did.
I would recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2018
Why did I read House of Fallen Trees?
House of Fallen Trees was a with the Ladies of Horror Fiction team.
The Strengths
The cover was striking.
There was a dog in House of Fallen Trees, and she didn't die.
Weaknesses
My first complaint was the timeline. The main character's brother was missing. Between the nine of us reading the book together, we couldn't figure out how long he had been gone. The main character also seemed to be losing time/days in the beginning of the book, and I have no idea if that was character development (a flaky character) or plot development that was simply forgotten as the plot progressed.
The character development was really inconsistent. Did she love her brother? Hate her brother? Know her brother? Did she have social skills? Was she anti-social? There was no consistency with any of the characters.
House of Fallen Trees was very unoriginal most of the way through, and yet it still managed to confuse me.
House of Fallen Trees turned out to be more of a mystery novel than a horror novel. This would have been OK, but the conclusion to the mystery was unsatisfying for me.
Would I recommend House of Fallen Trees to others?
House of Fallen Trees made for a really fun buddy read, but unfortunately, the weaknesses outweighed the strengths for me.
November 16, 2010
House of Fallen Trees is the fourth Gina Ranalli story I've read, but the first that I didn't care for. In fairness, I don't like haunting stories. I don't care for their lack of logic, weak characters, or events that can only be described as "dreamlike" because logic and continuity are both missing from the outset. This book is a habitual offender of all of these flaws, so this is going to come across as a harsh review.
Karen Lewis is a "famous writer" who somehow earns money despite being antisocial and incapable of keeping track of time. She's obsessed over her missing brother, Sean, though they haven't spoken to each other since Karen moved away to become a drunk crazy cat lady, sans the cats. (She keeps pet flames because she's too antisocial for cats.) She's phoned out of her latest daze of writing by a chilling message: two men have the carcass. This makes her think of Sean, and the "haunting message" is so chilling that she...goes back to work on her book.
But then, like a week later, the ghost realizes that Karen is an idiot and gets less subtle. At the same time that the ghost strikes her repeatedly with a clue bat, her missing brother's gay lover calls Karen to let her know that the brother she can't stop thinking about didn't talk about her at all, but he did buy a bed and breakfast in a homophobic and xenophobic redneck town to start a new life away from his homophobic and neglectful parents. (Showing that he has about the same intelligence as his sister.) Though they never made contact before, Sean's lover knows how to contact an antisocial hermit. (Logic? What's that? Sounds foreign.)
Despite being so clueless, Karen decides that she's the only one who can get to the bottom of her brother's disappearance. She takes off for Fallen Trees, Washington, where right off the bat, the locals prove that they can be stereotypical, even if'n they can't rightly spell it. After meeting the local goobers and finding out how friendly they are, Karen goes to a stranger's house and does some drunken talking about her brother with his lover and their handyman, which passes vaguely for character development.
Karen used to have psychic powers with her brother, but only when he was getting his ass kicked. She recalls how this power worked one time, and...gosh, maybe the link is still working, even if Sean is totally dead. I don't know why she'd need a psychic connection, seeing as how the ghost phoned her, sent instant messages, and typed on her laptop. If Sean's lover hadn't phoned with his address, I'm sure the ghost would have revealed the ability to use Google Maps and a printer with wireless networking. But no, Karen gets a psychic connection, I guess because this story wasn't suffering from enough tired haunting clichés yet.
But finally, the trio arrives at the haunted house, which is of course so far away from civilization that "no one can hear you scream." (Or sigh.) Everything that happens after this has already happened in a Hollywood haunting movie. The house is eccentric, as are all ghost story houses. The ghost doesn't have a clue of what subtle means any more than the redneck locals knew the meaning of hospitality. As soon as Karen is alone in the bedroom, the ghost jumps out of hiding with a full CGI special effects extravaganza. What follows is a by the numbers haunting moving in a rapid-fire attempt to generate tension. But it’s all so fast and sloppy that nothing registers. The ending was just as much a disappointment as the beginning and the middle. At no point was I scared, nor even interested in the story or the characters. There's nothing to connect me to events. Stuff happens, and characters change locations, but none of it means anything.
But my biggest complaint is, nothing original was done with the premise. In reading Suicide Girls in the Afterlife, Wall of Kiss, and Swarm of Flying Eyeballs, what made the stories great was a sense of something original and unique being added to the seemingly familiar. Here, the something original is missing, and this reads like a novelized treatment of a Hollywood ghost story. In fact, Karen's insane psychic writer reminds me a lot of Nell from The Haunting. (Well, except Nell had a personality.)
I give House of Fallen Trees two stars and would only suggest it to fans of haunting stories who love pastiche and "dreamlike narratives." Everyone else will find these worn hallways dull and routinely familiar.
Karen Lewis is a "famous writer" who somehow earns money despite being antisocial and incapable of keeping track of time. She's obsessed over her missing brother, Sean, though they haven't spoken to each other since Karen moved away to become a drunk crazy cat lady, sans the cats. (She keeps pet flames because she's too antisocial for cats.) She's phoned out of her latest daze of writing by a chilling message: two men have the carcass. This makes her think of Sean, and the "haunting message" is so chilling that she...goes back to work on her book.
But then, like a week later, the ghost realizes that Karen is an idiot and gets less subtle. At the same time that the ghost strikes her repeatedly with a clue bat, her missing brother's gay lover calls Karen to let her know that the brother she can't stop thinking about didn't talk about her at all, but he did buy a bed and breakfast in a homophobic and xenophobic redneck town to start a new life away from his homophobic and neglectful parents. (Showing that he has about the same intelligence as his sister.) Though they never made contact before, Sean's lover knows how to contact an antisocial hermit. (Logic? What's that? Sounds foreign.)
Despite being so clueless, Karen decides that she's the only one who can get to the bottom of her brother's disappearance. She takes off for Fallen Trees, Washington, where right off the bat, the locals prove that they can be stereotypical, even if'n they can't rightly spell it. After meeting the local goobers and finding out how friendly they are, Karen goes to a stranger's house and does some drunken talking about her brother with his lover and their handyman, which passes vaguely for character development.
Karen used to have psychic powers with her brother, but only when he was getting his ass kicked. She recalls how this power worked one time, and...gosh, maybe the link is still working, even if Sean is totally dead. I don't know why she'd need a psychic connection, seeing as how the ghost phoned her, sent instant messages, and typed on her laptop. If Sean's lover hadn't phoned with his address, I'm sure the ghost would have revealed the ability to use Google Maps and a printer with wireless networking. But no, Karen gets a psychic connection, I guess because this story wasn't suffering from enough tired haunting clichés yet.
But finally, the trio arrives at the haunted house, which is of course so far away from civilization that "no one can hear you scream." (Or sigh.) Everything that happens after this has already happened in a Hollywood haunting movie. The house is eccentric, as are all ghost story houses. The ghost doesn't have a clue of what subtle means any more than the redneck locals knew the meaning of hospitality. As soon as Karen is alone in the bedroom, the ghost jumps out of hiding with a full CGI special effects extravaganza. What follows is a by the numbers haunting moving in a rapid-fire attempt to generate tension. But it’s all so fast and sloppy that nothing registers. The ending was just as much a disappointment as the beginning and the middle. At no point was I scared, nor even interested in the story or the characters. There's nothing to connect me to events. Stuff happens, and characters change locations, but none of it means anything.
But my biggest complaint is, nothing original was done with the premise. In reading Suicide Girls in the Afterlife, Wall of Kiss, and Swarm of Flying Eyeballs, what made the stories great was a sense of something original and unique being added to the seemingly familiar. Here, the something original is missing, and this reads like a novelized treatment of a Hollywood ghost story. In fact, Karen's insane psychic writer reminds me a lot of Nell from The Haunting. (Well, except Nell had a personality.)
I give House of Fallen Trees two stars and would only suggest it to fans of haunting stories who love pastiche and "dreamlike narratives." Everyone else will find these worn hallways dull and routinely familiar.
August 4, 2010
House of Fallen Trees is a rare horror story, in that it's actually creepy and frightening. Gina is a great writer, and her books (this one definitely included) are built upon great characters in interesting situations rather than propped up on gimmickry and dick and fart jokes.
I would recommend this book to any and all horror fans.
I would recommend this book to any and all horror fans.
December 21, 2014
In my mind I had been looking forward to this book forever. Several ŷ friends really enjoyed it, plus it had been on my "wish list" for so long I think I built it up in my mind to something it just didn't turn out to be.
Karen is a writer, estranged from her brother as well as the rest of the family (or are they dead? I can't be bothered to check.). Her brother Sean is missing and she is surprised to receive a phone call from Rory, her brother's partner, saying that he is in possession of a letter written by Sean making Karen his heir. The couple didn't own much, but were in the process of renovating a bread and breakfast. Karen, hoping to get to know more about her brother heads west and meets Rory and friend Saul. They spend a little time together then head out for the BnB.
OK, first, this BnB is NOT ACCESSIBLE BY CAR - it requires hours of rough bush hiking for the group to get there. Who in the world is going to come to this place and how did so many supplies get there? Things like this drive me crazy.
This is horror, so lots of spooky things happen and Karen screams for roughly 1/3 of the book. If I were Rory and Saul I would have given up even going to see what was wrong with her after awhile. The house is odd (a ship built by a sailor, but in the middle of the woods) but Ranalli didn't really focus on the house or WHY it would be haunted. By about halfway through I knew the dog was going to be the only character I cared about and I was right. And, oh, that epilogue. Where the hell did that come from?
Again, I know many people are big fans of this one but it really didn't work for me. Except Dusty. I was totally pro-Dusty.
Karen is a writer, estranged from her brother as well as the rest of the family (or are they dead? I can't be bothered to check.). Her brother Sean is missing and she is surprised to receive a phone call from Rory, her brother's partner, saying that he is in possession of a letter written by Sean making Karen his heir. The couple didn't own much, but were in the process of renovating a bread and breakfast. Karen, hoping to get to know more about her brother heads west and meets Rory and friend Saul. They spend a little time together then head out for the BnB.
OK, first, this BnB is NOT ACCESSIBLE BY CAR - it requires hours of rough bush hiking for the group to get there. Who in the world is going to come to this place and how did so many supplies get there? Things like this drive me crazy.
This is horror, so lots of spooky things happen and Karen screams for roughly 1/3 of the book. If I were Rory and Saul I would have given up even going to see what was wrong with her after awhile. The house is odd (a ship built by a sailor, but in the middle of the woods) but Ranalli didn't really focus on the house or WHY it would be haunted. By about halfway through I knew the dog was going to be the only character I cared about and I was right. And, oh, that epilogue. Where the hell did that come from?
Again, I know many people are big fans of this one but it really didn't work for me. Except Dusty. I was totally pro-Dusty.
September 22, 2010
Second Grindhouse Press Book I've read. Second Gina Ranalli novel I've read. Both press and novelist are worth reading.
In Gina creates a very CREEEEEPY atmosphere that puts the reader right in the midst of the action and suspense which left me wondering what's really going on until the very end. I really enjoyed the mind tricks she plays with the reader because it made me second guess everything that was happening. Is it real? Is it my imagination? What's going on? How is this story going to resolve itself? Well, let me tell you, you'll be surprised by the ending.
In Gina creates a very CREEEEEPY atmosphere that puts the reader right in the midst of the action and suspense which left me wondering what's really going on until the very end. I really enjoyed the mind tricks she plays with the reader because it made me second guess everything that was happening. Is it real? Is it my imagination? What's going on? How is this story going to resolve itself? Well, let me tell you, you'll be surprised by the ending.
March 26, 2013
Having never read a Gina Ranalli, and when I won this as a ŷ giveaway, I immediately put it on the top of my TBR pile.
I really enjoyed this book. I was able to read it in a few sittings, and could barely put it down. If you're in the mood for a fast paced ghost story, this is the novel for you.
I highly recommend this book, and am looking forward to reading my next Ranalli.
I really enjoyed this book. I was able to read it in a few sittings, and could barely put it down. If you're in the mood for a fast paced ghost story, this is the novel for you.
I highly recommend this book, and am looking forward to reading my next Ranalli.
January 9, 2010
I read an early draft of this novel. To me this is Gina's best novel. It takes alot of traditional horror tropes and spins them in lots of fresh ways. I know this book is expensive but it is a fantastic horror novel.
Want to read
January 15, 2015This is copy 89 of 90 signed and numbered copies.
July 19, 2019
This was my first Gina Ranalli book. I was honestly surprised to see that Grindhouse Press released it, as past releases have always been a bit more on the extreme end. House of Fallen Trees has a few nasty moments, but I wouldn't say it falls anywhere close to hardcore horror.
Overall, I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would. I thought it started strong, but slumped a bit midway. It picked up at the end but the resolution didn't necessarily do it for me. There was good character growth that sometimes fell victim to bad dialogue. And by the end, I felt like I was just reading to be done with it. I hate that this didn't resonate with me more, as I've heard plenty of praises from folks who I normally see eye-to-eye with when it comes to books. But House of Fallen Trees just didn't grab me.
That said, Ranalli has some definite chops, and there are plenty of creepy, atmospheric moments in here. I want to give more of her output a shot to see if anything else resonates with me more.
Overall, I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would. I thought it started strong, but slumped a bit midway. It picked up at the end but the resolution didn't necessarily do it for me. There was good character growth that sometimes fell victim to bad dialogue. And by the end, I felt like I was just reading to be done with it. I hate that this didn't resonate with me more, as I've heard plenty of praises from folks who I normally see eye-to-eye with when it comes to books. But House of Fallen Trees just didn't grab me.
That said, Ranalli has some definite chops, and there are plenty of creepy, atmospheric moments in here. I want to give more of her output a shot to see if anything else resonates with me more.
November 1, 2019
There is a space inhabited by narratives between mystery novels and gory horror stories. The novels nestled in this gap pack the best of both worlds. ’s House of Fallen Trees is exactly that: a creepy tale full of dark visions, an eerie atmosphere and a very healthy dose of psychological horror
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by .
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by .
September 3, 2020
A fantastic first three quarters of a haunting ghost story/mystery that suddenly seems to fall apart and become a muddled mess in the home stretch. I was tempted to go only two stars once I'd finished, but have to stay at three based on how much I really did like the earlier parts.
July 4, 2018
It was a pretty good book.
May 11, 2020
Good writer, good premise but never lived up to its potential
June 25, 2017
It was a long time since I had to quit reading cuz things where getting too creepy, but this one had me do just that! Def reading more by Ranalli!
February 5, 2012
I'm a fan of haunting-style stories, so I had a feeling this one would be fun for me. While there's always a lack of logic to these sorts of stories, I liked that this one made an actual effort to address them (as in: why don't they GTFO if the place is so creepy?). I'll gladly suspend my disbelief in favor of a few chills, but that was a nice touch.
The thing I really loved about this story was the up-close, under-the-skin moments of fear and terror, irrational in many cases, yet so familiar, and how and when they flashed through Karen's mind. They rang entirely true. I was one of those kids who used to think I saw things moving in a dark room, then make myself stand there and stare at them until my heart stopped racing. I felt a lot of that in this book, and that meant I had a grin on my face for much of it.
Yeah, I know, considering the subject matter that's a little sick of me. But my investment in this one wasn't emotional, like Karen's. It was super, super fun. Which is not to say that I didn't like the characters -- I liked Karen, Saul, and Rory even though they're so absurd at times. Maybe because they're so absurd at times? But Dusty is the best.
The first few pages are a little slow, with some of the internal stuff looping back on itself. That's a byproduct of the MC being a hermit-writer type -- which is what makes the rest of it work, but makes it difficult to intro a character when it's just her in a room. Within fifteen minutes I was tearing through it. The events and hauntings get progressively more and more interesting, and the ending left me with an evil grin.
The thing I really loved about this story was the up-close, under-the-skin moments of fear and terror, irrational in many cases, yet so familiar, and how and when they flashed through Karen's mind. They rang entirely true. I was one of those kids who used to think I saw things moving in a dark room, then make myself stand there and stare at them until my heart stopped racing. I felt a lot of that in this book, and that meant I had a grin on my face for much of it.
Yeah, I know, considering the subject matter that's a little sick of me. But my investment in this one wasn't emotional, like Karen's. It was super, super fun. Which is not to say that I didn't like the characters -- I liked Karen, Saul, and Rory even though they're so absurd at times. Maybe because they're so absurd at times? But Dusty is the best.
The first few pages are a little slow, with some of the internal stuff looping back on itself. That's a byproduct of the MC being a hermit-writer type -- which is what makes the rest of it work, but makes it difficult to intro a character when it's just her in a room. Within fifteen minutes I was tearing through it. The events and hauntings get progressively more and more interesting, and the ending left me with an evil grin.
October 15, 2014
On the face of it, this is a haunted house story. A female writer who hasn't seen her brother in years receives a phone call from his boyfriend (she hadn't known he was gay) some time after he disappears, presumed dead. The boyfriend informs her of a handwritten will in which her brother left his half of an old house to her, which the pair were doing up as a bed and breakfast.
A series of weird incidents ensure, strange phone messages and messages on her computer, till she decides to go and see the place, accompanied by her brother's boyfriend and his chum. The house itself is a strange one, built to resemble a ship in the middle of a forest, and it's all very atmospherically described and brought to life.
Things get weirder and weirder, with strange phenomena affecting all three of them in different ways. Facts which have been taken granted are shown to have (possibly) been hallucination; sanity is questioned; the apparently impossible happens again and again.
The story is told from the main character's perspective (and all of the characters are well drawn). The reader is left to piece together exactly what happened and why, instead of being spoonfed. All of the clues are there. In some cases there may be more than one possibility, but the touch of mystery suits such a mysterious tale.
A series of weird incidents ensure, strange phone messages and messages on her computer, till she decides to go and see the place, accompanied by her brother's boyfriend and his chum. The house itself is a strange one, built to resemble a ship in the middle of a forest, and it's all very atmospherically described and brought to life.
Things get weirder and weirder, with strange phenomena affecting all three of them in different ways. Facts which have been taken granted are shown to have (possibly) been hallucination; sanity is questioned; the apparently impossible happens again and again.
The story is told from the main character's perspective (and all of the characters are well drawn). The reader is left to piece together exactly what happened and why, instead of being spoonfed. All of the clues are there. In some cases there may be more than one possibility, but the touch of mystery suits such a mysterious tale.
August 7, 2015
This is one of those 3 1/2 star books.
There was good and bad, a little from column a and a little from column b.
First the good. I got sucked in, the story moved along at a near perfect pace for the most part and as a BIG fan of Shirley Jackson, the stylistic homage was just lovely (I assume it was on purpose, so benefit of the doubt there)
The characters were well drawn out, the dynamic in the house was excellent. It was creepy and as a ghost story all I can say is bravo.
Now the bad.
There were a few lines that seemed so clunkily written i could have screamed. "she switched off the internet and turned on her Microsoft Word program" - ouch.
But that was a small quibble, my main gripe is the ending. Without giving anything away I felt the main ending was rushed and a bit "oh, was that... ah ok?" BUT THE EPILOGUE!! It's almost like she had 2 endings and couldn't work out how to have them both, so it seemed tacked on and rushed. which was a real shame indeed.
Overall though, I still really enjoyed most of it.
There was good and bad, a little from column a and a little from column b.
First the good. I got sucked in, the story moved along at a near perfect pace for the most part and as a BIG fan of Shirley Jackson, the stylistic homage was just lovely (I assume it was on purpose, so benefit of the doubt there)
The characters were well drawn out, the dynamic in the house was excellent. It was creepy and as a ghost story all I can say is bravo.
Now the bad.
There were a few lines that seemed so clunkily written i could have screamed. "she switched off the internet and turned on her Microsoft Word program" - ouch.
But that was a small quibble, my main gripe is the ending. Without giving anything away I felt the main ending was rushed and a bit "oh, was that... ah ok?" BUT THE EPILOGUE!! It's almost like she had 2 endings and couldn't work out how to have them both, so it seemed tacked on and rushed. which was a real shame indeed.
Overall though, I still really enjoyed most of it.
January 20, 2012
Karen's just starting to get her life back on track after the disappearance of her twin brother months ago. Until a strange voice on the phone tells her ″Two men have the carcass.� When a man calls claiming to be her brother's partner, both romantically and in a budding B&B in Fallen Trees, Washington Karen feels the overwhelming urge to travel to the small town in the middle of nowhere and retrace her brother's last steps. But what she finds at the House of Fallen Trees is a classic creepy ghost tale that might have killed her brother.
House of Fallen Trees is a fast, compelling read. It's dark, twisted and will have readers questioning Karen as much as the strange happenings the giant ship built in the middle of the woods. Creepy and fun it's a stellar ghost tale in a thin market. A definite good choice for horror collections.
Contains: Sexual language, foul language
House of Fallen Trees is a fast, compelling read. It's dark, twisted and will have readers questioning Karen as much as the strange happenings the giant ship built in the middle of the woods. Creepy and fun it's a stellar ghost tale in a thin market. A definite good choice for horror collections.
Contains: Sexual language, foul language
February 19, 2011
A fairly solid idea: spooky messages from the beyond about a missing brother, an old haunted house in a remote location, legitimate questions of who can be trusted and who is or isn't insane.
All perfectly fine components for a scary book - which, truth be told, did have a few scary moments. But they were very isolated moments, and the frights ultimately seemed benign because the mood wasn't consistently sustained.
I feel bad not giving this book a better review, but it was really lacking something in my opinion.
All perfectly fine components for a scary book - which, truth be told, did have a few scary moments. But they were very isolated moments, and the frights ultimately seemed benign because the mood wasn't consistently sustained.
I feel bad not giving this book a better review, but it was really lacking something in my opinion.
September 22, 2014
I really liked House of Fallen Trees... until the book just sort of stopped. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Mystery, spookiness, lots of momentum and then full-stop. A lot of books have the opposite problem but I really wish this author would have drawn the story out further. I wanted more interaction between the protagonist and her brother's SO and friend. I also wanted to get to know the house better. Plus, for obviously being part of the plot, the forest barely played a part other than the storm. It seemed like a huge waste of a setting to me.
October 7, 2014
I liked this book. Great haunting type tale. This book will creep you out and make you feel extremely anxious at the same time.
That being said, there are plot gaps and holes. You just wonder how no one noticed.
In the end that's not really all that important. It is definitely worth a read. You should enjoy it if you have a fondness for "haunted" stories.
That being said, there are plot gaps and holes. You just wonder how no one noticed.
In the end that's not really all that important. It is definitely worth a read. You should enjoy it if you have a fondness for "haunted" stories.
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