Things in the Basement

“What Makes You Afraid?” marks the beginning of the very first chapter of John Searles’ novel Help for the Haunted, a mysterious horror story about a young girl named Sylvie Mason and her elder sister, Rose Mason. John Searles takes his readers on an eerie scavenger hunt in search of clues that will reveal who really murdered Sylvie’s parents and expose the dark secrets of her family’s history. Help for the Haunted draws its reader in with a dark, macabre shell that entices them to keep reading until they realize that this book is not at all what they had expected. The book may be disguised as an escape from reality, but in truth it serves as a realization of the stark simplicity of the real world. Many readers may not enjoy this deception, but some others like me will be overjoyed by the surprise. This well-written novel uses the simple, but powerful thoughts of the young Sylvie Mason to convey an air of reality allowing young readers to feel connected with her and her emotions concerning the tragedy that has befallen her life.

The only foreseeable issue with the book is that it does require a patient and tolerant reader as there are characters that the reader will quickly learn to dislike and even despise. The book can also seem to drag on for some who are not accustomed to reading “coming-of-age” novels and the like. The best way to approach a book like Help for the Haunted is to simply expect nothing from it other than a good read. If a reader does this then they are bound to be very pleased with what they find within the dark walls of the Mason family home.