Hovering

Name: Hovering
Price: 10.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781913387792

✍️ Dorothy-Jane Daniels

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$10.99

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A woman trapped in a shifting Sydney bed and breakfast faces ghostly echoes.

The narrative centers on Zo, a traveler whose vehicle fails in Sydney. She takes shelter at a bed and breakfast, intending a short stay that extends indefinitely. The house changes around her, alternating between decay and normality. Ghostly presences appear, suggesting other lives linger there. Daniels portrays the protagonist’s growing dread as she realizes she is being held against her will. The story explores the fear of losing one's identity to become just another echo in a haunted space.

Key Themes

psychological entrapment haunted bed and breakfast ghostly presences

Literary Context

Set in Sydney, Australia, this work engages with the gothic tradition of the haunted house. It uses the isolation of a traveler to explore supernatural themes. The story reflects on how places retain memories of previous occupants.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · Robert Aickman · M.R. James · Daphne du Maurier

🗡️

Dark Fantasy

🏛 Luna Press Publishing 📅 2022 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781913387792

📝 Description: Hovering

Zo finds herself stranded in an unfamiliar part of Sydney after her campervan breaks down. She chooses to stay at a local bed and breakfast while waiting for repairs. The narrative follows her experience as days turn into weeks, creating a sense of entrapment that feels increasingly psychological and supernatural. Dorothy-Jane Daniels writes this story with attention to the shifting nature of the house itself. The setting oscillates between states of decay and normality. Zo senses ghostly presences and echoes of lives previously lived within those walls. The author constructs a slow-burning tension where the protagonist realizes something is keeping her from leaving. She fears becoming merely an echo if she stays longer. This book suits readers who enjoy atmospheric gothic fiction and stories about psychological entrapment. It draws on traditions of haunted house narratives where the setting acts as an antagonist. The story does not rely on jump scares but rather on a creeping sense of wrongness. Readers seeking fast-paced action or clear resolutions may find the ambiguous ending unsatisfying. The narrative focuses entirely on Zo’s internal and external struggle against the unseen forces holding her captive.

💎 Our verdict on Hovering

“

🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Daniels constructs a compelling portrait of entrapment through the shifting architecture of a Sydney bed and breakfast. The narrative excels in building psychological tension, using the oscillation between decay and normality to create a pervasive sense of unease. Zo’s gradual realization that she is held against her will drives the story effectively, avoiding reliance on cheap thrills for a more sophisticated horror experience. This approach suits fans of literary horror who prefer ambiguity over resolution. While the lack of fast-paced action may deter some, the focus on internal and external struggle provides a rich, unsettling examination of identity loss within a haunted space.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate slow-burning tension and atmospheric gothic fiction will find value in this narrative. It appeals to those interested in psychological entrapment and the fear of losing one's identity, offering a study in creeping wrongness rather than jump scares. The book suits individuals who enjoy stories where the environment acts as a hostile force, trapping the protagonist in a cycle of decay and normality. Those seeking ambiguous endings that focus on internal struggle against unseen forces will gain satisfaction from this exploration of dread.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Daniels constructs a compelling portrait of entrapment through the shifting architecture of a Sydney bed and breakfast. The narrative excels in building psychological tension, using the oscillation between decay and normality to create a pervasive sense of unease. Zo’s gradual realization that she is held against her will drives the story effectively, avoiding reliance on cheap thrills for a more sophisticated horror experience. This approach suits fans of literary horror who prefer ambiguity over resolution. While the lack of fast-paced action may deter some, the focus on internal and external struggle provides a rich, unsettling examination of identity loss within a haunted space.