A review by b0okcupidity
Ammie, Come Home by Barbara Michaels

3.0

I'm sort of at a loss as to what to say. I don't have any deep feelings regarding the book other than I liked it fine. I was a completely horrible, awful buddy read participant. I started this yesterday afternoon and was so afraid of getting spoiled on any of it that I steered clear of all discussion. It was also such a breeze to read that I just pushed through full throttle to the finish. Perhaps if I were more in-tuned to everyone's thought's, I would have cultivated a couple of my own. ;)

As a ghost story, I thought it was well-written and eerily creepy. I particularly liked how all of my imaginings of the house, the events, the garden, all took on that particular color of daylight that early winter has - a sort of golden color that goes bluish once the sun sets. So many little things that could easily be overlooked, such attention to detail - from the papered walls to the laid out silver to the wind and overgrown garden - really pulled a time gone by forward to set a perfect stage.

*SPOILER* *SPOILER**SPOILER**SPOILER**SPOILER**SPOILER*

When it came to the characters and the mystery itself, I only had one small complaint - I really hate it when the reader sees the clear path while the characters are still dithering. It seemed obvious to me what would happen to Pat, from the first 'heart attack' moment when he clearly felt it more deeply. The thought to break down the cellar door took the long way around.

At the same time to give credit, I thought the bit about the bible working against the ghost rather than the crucifix due to Douglass' protestant belief to be rather clever.

There was some blatant social commentary about the 60's that I only really grasped because it was so obvious. That and my viewing of Hell House not a few days earlier had me grinning at some idiosyncrasies familiar to the time period - ectoplasm from the hands and the use of hypnosis in particular. Still, I'm sure I missed loads. 

Overall,  I enjoyed the book and am happy it was chosen as a buddy read as I'm not sure I would have discovered it myself otherwise.