Review: Ghostland by Duncan Ralston

Author: Duncan Ralston
Publisher:Shadow Work Publishing
Publication Date: November 8th 2019 by 

People are dying to get in. The ghosts will kill to get out.

Be first in line for the most haunted theme park in the park in the world - GHOSTLAND! Discover and explore hundreds of haunted buildings and cursed objects! Witness spectral beings of all kinds with our patented Augmented Reality glasses! Experience all the terror and thrills the afterlife has to offer, safely protected by our Recurrence Field technology! Visit Ghostland today - it's the hauntedest place on earth!

After a near-death experience caused by the park's star haunted attraction, Ben has come to Ghostland seeking to reconnect with his former best friend Lilian, whose post-traumatic stress won't let her live life to the fullest. She's come at the insistence of her therapist, Dr. Allison Wexler, who tags along out of professional curiosity, eager to study the new tech's psychological effect on the user.

But when a computer virus sets the ghosts free and the park goes into lockdown, the trio find themselves trapped in an endless nightmare.

With time running short and the dead quickly outnumbering the living, the survivors must tap into their knowledge of horror and video games to escape… or become Ghostland's newest exhibits.

I've been on a hunt to find a good amusement park story.  Ghostland was a random pick from my library.  In this world, a scientist has found a way to capture and show the essence of a ghost.  A deceased horror author's foundation has built a park with some of the most famous haunted buildings and opening day is around the corner.  Anyone who has read Jurassic Park will know that just because you can build something like that, doesn't mean you should.

I ended up enjoying this one.  I think it would make a cool movie.  There a was a sufficient amount of gore without being over the top. I just wish it was a little bit scarier.  I think the setting of the park didn't allow for  a "spooky" feeling.  Instead, the author relied more on the gore factor for scares.  The main characters, Ben and Lilian were fun characters.  I liked their friendship and their banter.  I also loved how their gamer experience came into play once things started going haywire in the park.  The ending left things open for maybe a sequel.  I would recommend trying this one out.