Book review: Ghost Story by Elisa Lodato
When truth is stranger than fiction
Genres: Ghost story, supernatural drama, psychological thriller
Elisa Lodato’s Ghost Story is a moving story about sadness, grief, deception, and the haunting power of untold stories, as one woman embarks on a relentless pursuit for closure.
Here are my thoughts:
Let’s drop the synopsis:
She came to write, but the island has its own story . . .
Off the windswept coast of Scotland lies Finish Island, rugged and remote. Once a home, it now stands abandoned, a place of dark history and deep memory, a place that holds its stories close. Unable to write since her daughter's death, it's here that Seren comes to work, hoping that the solitude and silence will inspire her next novel.
But the island holds memories of its own, restless and unwilling to stay buried. As unsettling occurrences become even more bizarre and frightening, Seren starts seeing uncanny resonances between her past and the island's history. There is something on this island, something ancient and unforgiving. Will Seren discover its secrets before it's too late?
CCB thoughts:
With October now upon us and spooky season in full swing, I like nothing better than drawing the curtains, lighting a pumpkin spice candle, and hunkering down with a good, old-fashioned ghost story.
And boy, oh boy - Elisa Lodato’s Ghost Story did not disappoint. If you’re looking for Casper the Friendly Ghost, you won’t find him here.
Ghost Story is an eerie, psychological novel set against the atmospheric backdrop of the remote Finish Island, off the coast of Scotland. Our protagonist, Seren, a grief-stricken novelist who has been unable to write since her daughter’s death, retreats to this desolate island, hoping its solitude will inspire her next novel. However, what she finds is far from peace and quiet. Instead, she is immersed in a dark and hypnotic tale that blends personal trauma with growing dread as Seren unravels the island’s sinister secrets.
The premise immediately pulls readers into a story where isolation is not just physical but deeply emotional. Finish Island, once inhabited but now abandoned, becomes the perfect reflection of Seren's fractured state of mind. Lodato uses this desolate landscape to heighten the sense of abandonment and loneliness that permeates the novel (seriously, it gave me goosebumps!). The wind-swept cliffs, the crumbling buildings, and the raw silence of the island are rich with metaphor, as Seren herself is struggling with the ghost of her past - her daughter’s death.
As the novel progresses, unsettling occurrences punctuate Seren’s time on the island. Lodato teases these supernatural elements, never revealing too much too soon. The pacing is deliberately slow, much like Seren’s hesitant re-entry into the writing world. The strange sounds, the unexplained movements, and the sensation of being watched all build to a sense that the island itself is alive with restless, vengeful spirits. It’s a classic ghost story setup, but Lodato elevates it with a deep emotional core. Seren is not just running from her past, but from her grief - and the island seems to be reflecting that back at her.
Lodato also crafts a fascinating interplay between Seren’s internal world and the island’s external mystery. As Seren delves deeper into the island’s history, she uncovers stories of ancient, tragic events that uncannily echo her own trauma. There is something ancient and unforgiving here, and it seems to have been waiting for someone like Seren to arrive. These plot teasers - about the island’s dark history and the uncanny parallels with Seren’s life - are dropped in just the right places, pulling readers deeper into the mystery. The tension grows as Seren realises that she may be as much a part of the island’s story as the island is of hers.
What makes Ghost Story particularly compelling is Lodato’s exploration of how grief warps reality. As Seren investigates the island’s past, she starts to question her own mind. Is she truly being haunted by something supernatural, or are these strange events merely manifestations of her unresolved sorrow? Lodato never fully clarifies this, leaving readers in suspense, wondering if Seren’s growing paranoia is a sign of her unravelling mental state or a genuine supernatural threat.
Then, there are two additional but fundamental stand-out characters: Alex and Daley.
The psychological thriller aspect is deeply rooted in the unsettling dynamic between Seren and Alex, a librarian she meets while researching her book. Alex gradually emerges as a chilling antagonist, accusing Seren of stealing his fictional work. This accusation becomes the foundation of his obsession, escalating his possessiveness as the story progresses. His growing fixation on Seren’s success and his increasingly erratic behaviour create a menacing presence that suffocates her emotionally and creatively. As Alex’s paranoia intensifies, he begins to blur the line between admiration and control, stealing Seren’s peaceful solitude and making life on the island increasingly unbearable.
Daley, the mysterious and intriguing character from the island's past, is deeply connected to the island’s dark history. This rough, rugged masculine figure represents a beacon of hope for Seren. Daley quickly becomes her companion and lover, offering comfort and connection in an otherwise isolating place. His history with the island adds a layer of intrigue as he helps Seren navigate its dark secrets while rekindling her belief in the possibility of a future beyond her sorrow. However, this hope is cruelly cut short, leaving Seren more vulnerable than ever.
The pacing of Ghost Story reflects Seren’s slow descent into both the island’s mysteries and her own psyche. The prose is constructed as a diary and is a book-in-book of sorts. I enjoyed this stylisation and the chance to dig into the shadowy corners of Seren’s mind.
Lodato also creates a creeping sense of dread by layering clues and red herrings, inviting readers to play detective alongside Seren. Small details - like mysterious figures seen from a distance, haunted voices, and terrifyingly vivid dreams - add to the novel’s ghostly atmosphere. Finish Island itself becomes an almost sentient force, an antagonist in its own right. The island’s stark beauty contrasts sharply with the ugliness of the secrets it harbours, and Lodato uses this juxtaposition to great effect. Lodato’s writing is rich with sensory detail, and her depiction of Finish Island evokes a gothic mood reminiscent of classics in the haunted-house genre.
Additionally, the novel touches on themes of motherhood, loss, and how grief distorts our perceptions of reality. Seren’s emotional turmoil is skillfully intertwined with the island’s history, raising questions about how much of what happens is real and how much is the product of Seren’s fragmented mind. While Ghost Story plays with familiar supernatural tropes, Lodato doesn’t rely solely on it to create tension; instead, she allows Seren’s inner demons to drive the narrative as much as the external forces at play.
However, the novel’s slow-burn pacing may not appeal to readers looking for more immediate thrills. Ghost Story is less about sharp shocks and more about a gradual, creeping unease. Some readers might occasionally find the multiple plot strands - the supernatural, Seren’s grief, and the island’s history - competing for attention. But, in my opinion, this novel offers a stunning, if understated, narrative for those who appreciate character-driven psychological thrillers. The final revelations may not shock, but they do deliver a poignant resolution to Seren’s story, wrapping up the novel’s emotional arc with a quiet, bittersweet punch.
Overall, Ghost Story is an atmospheric, thought-provoking novel that uses the supernatural as a lens through which to explore deeper themes of grief, memory, and the human psyche. Lodato has crafted a chilling narrative that lingers long after the final page, inviting readers to reflect on how the ghosts of our past haunt us.
Recommended for fans of:
Authors such as Shirley Jackson, Susan Hill and Sarah Waters
Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller and Laura Purcell’s The Silent Companions
Atmospheric, character-driven novels that blend psychological and supernatural elements
Content warnings:
Grief, child death, mental health, loneliness, captivity.
Buy the book:
You can purchase Ghost Story here and at your local bookstore.
Publisher: Manilla Press | Page count: 368
Discover what others thought:
Thank you to Tracy Fenton (Compulsive Readers) for inviting me on this book tour and Manilla Press for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About the author:
Elisa Lodato grew up in London and read English at Cambridge. Her debut novel, An Unremarkable Body, was longlisted for the 2016 Bath Novel Award and shortlisted for the 2018 Costa First Novel Award. Her second novel is The Necessary Marriage, and Ghost Story is her latest novel. Elisa lives in Gloucestershire with her husband and two children.
Will you grab a copy of Ghost Story? If you do, please let me know what you think in the comments below.
As always, happy reading!
Until next time,Â
Sian | Criminally Creepy Books