Shockadelica

Shockadelica is a story about horror podcasters who are investigating a ghost in their apartment.  The investigation makes it feel like a Scooby Doo type of ghost story, but don’t let this fool you! This is a very smart read as transcripts of podcast interviews are interspersed throughout the book bringing a fun approach to topics like humor in horror, fabricated real life ghost stories and a history of the way witches were portrayed in film. And no, its not just a tangent for the author to show off research, it ties in well with the story!  This sets the tone for some of the dialogue that the podcasters have as they dip into possible explanations for the paranormal phenomenon from a wide variety of religious traditions.

I also like the diversity of character such a drag queen as one of the lead characters, an Indian woman being one of the people inhabiting the apartment.  O’Bergh does a great job at simply using these characters as people who are in the story with their unique perspective, demonstrating a great level of cultural sensitivity.

The investigation of the ghost seems to fall into a lot of classic ghost story tropes however that is not something I am one to complain about as those are my favorite tropes in horror fiction.  But wedded with the multicultural perspectives in a contemporary setting it brings a fresh voice.  I'd recommend it as an entertaining and smart summer read!

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I am also posting this review on Amazon and Goodreads.