Novellas aren’t a commonly used form, but they can be very effective when done well. It’s said that they’re hard to publish and market, but I like them.
I didn’t realize that A Voice Calling by Christopher Barzak was a novella until I started reading it tonight. That was fine by me, though, and allowed me to read the whole thing in about 1 hour and 40 minutes. It’s not a long book, but it is a rather good one.
A Voice Calling is a haunted house story, but it’s not the typical type. Instead, we have a narrative that is told from the perspective of a town, as opposed to any other way. This is unique, and separates the reader from the action, as “We” replaces “I” or “They.” It allows for multiple time periods to be described and gone over, though, and works quite well.
That said: if you are looking for something scary, this isn’t it.
This is the tale of the aptly titled Button House, in rural Ohio. Situated not far from the border with Pennsylvania, it was built by an unnamed family but most recently served as a home for a button manufacturer and his heirs.
Of course, we quickly learn that something is wrong with this house; particularly its bathroom, where the letter ‘B’ is sometimes found written on the steamy mirror, and red curls are occasionally found in the sink. Its latest resident — a girl from town named Rose — says she can hear what haunts this home, and listens instead of speaking.
Over the course of its 100+ pages, we are told about Button House’s history and its previous residents’ outcomes. That’s the last I’ll say about the plot, to avoid spoiling anything.
This is a rather well written book, which surprised me at times. I admittedly didn’t love the first half of it, but I also didn’t dislike it. The second half hooked me, though, and I especially enjoyed learning more about the button factory. As a whole, I found it to be a good book, and my overall opinion obviously improved after the halfway point (or thereabouts).
Don’t check out A Voice Calling by Christopher Barzak if you want a more typical, or simply scary, haunted house story. Do check it out if you’re in the mood for a bit of a different take on the formula, and are open to something short. This is a good tale, and I recommend it.
We received an advanced digital copy from NetGalley and the book’s publisher, Psychopomp. Receiving a free copy did not sway our opinion.