A gothic haunted house novel full of nightmarish images, disturbing terrors and are a mix of occult and cosmic horrors.
- Entertainment factor: ★★★★★
- Scare factor: ★★★★★
- Occult factor: ★★★★★
- Haunted house factor: ★★★★★
Apartment 16 is a supernatural horror that has a gothic haunted house vibe. With elements of the occult, and cosmic horrors, this book is full of nightmarish images of paintings that come to life to haunt you and drag you away into the Vortex of hell.
It consists of 449 pages.
Plot
Apryl and her mother have inherited an apartment and all the belongings of Apryl’s great-aunt Lillian. Before WOII she moved to England to marry her big love Reginald. They lived in an apartment in the Barrington, a big gothic luxurious apartment building. Because her mother is afraid of flying, Apryl has come alone to deal with all the paperwork and sell the apartment.
She is overjoyed when she finds the place and all the beautiful vintage clothing. Although the apartment is stuffy and neglected. But she also finds Lillian’s diaries which are quite disturbing. After Reginald died, some time ago, Lilian wasn’t well. Apryl wonders why she never came back to America to live with her and her mother but the diaries give a answer to that, be it somewhat strange and confusing. The more she reads about her great-aunt the more she suspects that she might have been crazy, but that there is also something else stirring under the surface. She goes out investigating and stumbles upon the name of Felix Hessen an artist who lived in the building, in apartment 16, the same time Lillian and Reginald did, but he disappeared.
Meanwhile we follow the night porter Seth, who is an art student but has been broken by London. He get’s in the grip of a strange boy and comes in contact with the work and paintings of Felix Hessen which sets him on a destructive nightmarish path.
While both Apryl and Seth are sucked into the history and influence of Hessen, Hessen’s influence seems to get stronger. When their paths finally cross, Apryl is to find out what’s inside apartment 16 with dangerous and deadly consequences.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This painting “Spring” is made with soft pastels. You can buy this fine art print on museum-quality paper in my shop at Printify. Take a look at my other art prints as well.
Short Review
The story slowly builds with both characters Apryl and Seth who both come into contact with the works of Felix Hessen. We get to know them and while Apryl is a smart sophisticated young woman, Seth is a lost soul who desperately wants to be an artist and has dealt with his own demons since childhood. Apryl herself is a sleuth and curious about her great-aunt and why she didn’t or couldn’t leave the Barrington and eventually wants to know everything about Hessen, who according to Lillian was pure evil. Seth is sought out to act as a minion of evil, already fragile and broken he is susceptible to anyone or anything that promises him to become a great artist.
The most part of the book we follow them separately, each chapter alternating between the two main characters. Until they finally come together as the story reaches its final climax.
The atmosphere is also slowly build. From a mystery and strange encounters, a feeling of being haunted and watched, to full on nightmarish images. The stories the old residents have to tell Apryl about Hessen not only give her more information, but are also disturbing. As are the livid nightmares of Seth and his visions of the people all around him.
The images he sees and describes, the paintings of Hessen, are all grotesque, disturbing and abominable. The descriptions given of these nightmares and horrors are very livid and come to life creating a disturbing read that scares. The building alone is a wonderful gothic setting for these nightmares, creating a claustrophobic surreal atmosphere. But when these nightmarish images are being seen and described by Seth at daytime outside in a small supermarket and on the street, I found them maybe even more disturbing. Because in such an old gothic building you might expect being haunted, but in broad daylight in the street is a whole other story. It means that nowhere is save and that’s exactly how Seth feels. He can’t escape the horrors, so he is fascinated by them.
With fine prose the story builds up to a crescendo of horrors and an unexpected ending. The story is imaginative, original and will certainly scare you. Be prepared to watch the corners of the mirrors and be afraid of dark hallways and the things that lurk in the dark. Things with a red flash over its face.
Read more reviews of books by Adam Nevill:
Did You Know I Also Make Art and Designs?
you can buy my designs on apparel or stationary, mugs and more. You can learn more about it on my art & design shop page or go directly to one of my shops.