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Erica Robyn Reads

a horror book review blog

[Book Review] Ghosts of Salem by Sam Baltrusis

October 22, 2018      Erica Robyn      20 Comments

Book Review of Ghosts of Salem by Sam Baltrusis

Ghosts of Salem: Haunts of the Witch City is a really interesting collection of historic and paranormal tales.

I had previously read New Hampshire Book of the Dead: Graveyard Legends and Lore by Roxie J. Zwicker and LOVED every second of it. Unfortunately, this one was quite different, but it was still one I would definitely recommend.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on Ghosts of Salem: Haunts of the Witch City by Sam Baltrusis

I’ll admit, after Roxie’s book, my hopes for this one were pretty high. I found it interesting that the author stated in the introduction; Ghosts of Salem is, in essence, supernatural– themed travel guide written with a historical lens. Keeping that in mind, I dove in.

It was immediately apparent to me that this is a book that would be better read in small chunks rather than all at once like I did because it is very repetitive. The first chapter is especially repetitive… specifically with explaining who Giles Cory was. 

The repetition was prevalent throughout the book, which really started to get on my nerves, along with how frequently the author used the word “Yep” usually followed by more repetition, or a semi-snarky comment. But the content was still super interesting, so I never thought about stopping. 

The file under notes at the end of each tale were pretty funny… for the most part. It worked semi-well with the random lines in each section that tried to lighten the mood a bit. For example, “File under: resident evil” was included after a tale about the Samuel Pickman House, where two people, living in the house at different times, suddenly became very violent. However, these little bits weren’t added to each story, which was kind of odd, and sometimes they seemed a little too light for the content we had just read.

Overall, definitely a worthwhile read!

This is one that I can see myself picking up before my next trip to Salem to refresh my memory about certain buildings and locations. And of course, this is a great read for a dark, cold, and windy night!

Definitely a must read for anyone looking for more information about the history of the area.


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angela Lawrence says

    October 22, 2018 at 11:41 am

    Definitely sounds like a fun read if I was taking a trip to Salem!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 22, 2018 at 12:14 pm

      😀

      Reply
  2. Amber Elise says

    October 22, 2018 at 12:08 pm

    I would definitely pick this one up, reading small chunks at a time seems like the way to go.

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 22, 2018 at 12:15 pm

      For sure!! It's a lot to take in too, so small chunks would be perfect!

      Reply
  3. Barb says

    October 22, 2018 at 12:45 pm

    I've always wanted to visit Salem – maybe someday!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 22, 2018 at 5:07 pm

      It's SO amazing to be there! The museums and witch-related shops are so interesting, but the local shops that don't follow the witch theme are amazing as well!

      Reply
  4. Paige says

    October 22, 2018 at 5:58 pm

    What an interesting genre mash-up. Glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 22, 2018 at 8:37 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Sierra Winfield says

    October 22, 2018 at 6:19 pm

    Sounds like such a good read

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 22, 2018 at 8:37 pm

      It sure was! I love stuff like this so much!

      Reply
  6. jenn G says

    October 22, 2018 at 7:58 pm

    I would definitely like to read that

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 22, 2018 at 8:37 pm

      😀

      Reply
  7. Shooting Stars Mag says

    October 22, 2018 at 11:32 pm

    Seems like an interesting read – though definitely not to be read all the way through.

    -Lauren
    http://www.shootingstarsmag.net

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 23, 2018 at 8:56 pm

      😀

      Reply
  8. BiblioSanctum says

    October 23, 2018 at 2:57 am

    This one sounds perfect for the season. And now I'm off to check out the New Hampshire Book of the Dead because you make that one sound so good too!

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 23, 2018 at 8:56 pm

      Definitely! Ah yay!!! Enjoy!!! It's so interesting!

      Reply
  9. chucklesthescot says

    October 24, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    I always mean to read more about the Salem witch trials but never seem to get round to it-seeing this book title kind of reminded me!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 24, 2018 at 9:39 pm

      😀

      Reply
  10. Olivia-Savannah says

    October 28, 2018 at 10:13 pm

    Ah, I think the repetition aspect of this one would bother me to no end so I don't think I am going to pick it up. But that aside I am glad it wasn't too bad of a book.

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      October 29, 2018 at 10:47 am

      Yeah the repetition was certainly though to deal with… that's my biggest reading irk!!

      Reply

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Erica Robyn of Erica Robyn Reads
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