Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
My name is Ted O'Dell. I grew up on a farm in Saddle Rock, Kansas and I'd like to tell you about the summer of '55...A child of the devil is what my mother called my cousin Ilona. She had been crippled in a mysterious accident when she came to spend the summer with us. She was immediately drawn to the Trogler house as if she was already familiar with its violent past and whispered to me: "Do you believe in ghosts?" She could sense the evil that still lingered there - an evil that should have remained buried in the orchard behind the Trogler home. But Ilona's presence had a way of stirring up echoes that should have faded long ago.
Haunted Ground: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This dark fantasy horror novel contains supernatural violence involving children, disturbing themes of demonic influence, and a crippled child character who may be possessed or evil. The atmospheric 1950s Kansas setting masks deeply unsettling horror elements.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include child harm, death, and ableism (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teen readers drawn to atmospheric ghost stories and dark family secrets will find this chilling tale of a cursed summer unforgettable.