Book Reviews

Book Blurb

After Todd's mother dies from cancer, he moves back to his hometown in the foothills of the Appalachians from Chicago. It's 1997 and he's just been given a death sentence--an HIV-positive diagnosis.

Todd expects his remaining time on earth to be spent alone. But Cal, his handsome next-door neighbor, has other ideas.

Cal is not the only surprise in Todd's new life. Todd begins having visions of an older woman, Essie, when he dims the lights. Is she just a figment of his imagination? Or is she a truth teller? When she talks to Todd, she's smart and hopeful.

When Todd tells Cal about the ghost, Cal knows her already because Todd's mother spoke with her before her death. Essie was a godsend when Todd's mom was in so much pain.

And now, Essie urges Todd to live...for himself...for new love. But is she too late?

Book Review

Hope may be a virtue, but it is also a pretty fundamental part of human life, almost a necessity. So much so that I don’t think many people realize it – until it is no longer there. This story, set in 1997, makes this painfully obvious when Todd has to deal with not one but two major blows to his life. The source of new hope is somewhat unexpected, at least parts of it, and I liked that little paranormal twist a lot.

Todd has been living it up in the big city – not really caring about the long-term, and enjoying as many men as he can. Then he gets hit with a double whammy – his mother dies of cancer before he can make it home, and his own health goes from “perfect” to “how many months do I have left to live”. He moves back to his small hometown and into the house his mother left him, and begins to fall apart. Not just does he have a ghostly woman appear in his hallway at night, his cute neighbor is clearly interested in him. But Todd can’t take things further with him no matter how much he wants to – or can he?

As stupid as Todd may have been in terms of the risks he took without even thinking about it, that is a very human condition. The way he dealt with his mother’s death was touching, and his slow recovery of his balance was a joy to watch. No, everything isn’t perfect at the end, but that isn’t what hope is all about. If you like stories about real men with real problems, yet with an added touch of the mysterious, then you will probably enjoy this short story.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. The anthology this short was published in was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Short Story, 41 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	31-October-2019
Price	$2.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Ghost-Rick-R-Reed-ebook/dp/B07Z27JRW8