Hi all!

Welcome back! In August, we read Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! Spoilers ahead!

Quick Reminder: This month we are reading ‘Incidents Around The House’ by Josh Malerman.

Today I’m going to give a quick plot summary, plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

GHOST CAMERA BY DARCY COATES – AUGUST 2024

PLOT SUMMARY

When Jenine finds an abandoned polaroid camera, she playfully snaps a photo without a second thought. But there’s something wrong with the image: a ghostly figure stands in the background, watching her. Fixated on her. Moving one step closer with every picture she takes. Desperate, Jenine shares her secret with her best friend. Together, they realise the camera captures unsettling impressions of the dead. But now the ghosts seem to be following the two friends. And with each new photo taken, a terrible danger grows ever clearer…

DISCOVER CHILLING NEW BONUS STORIES, INCLUDING:

A woman survives a plane crash in a remote arctic tundra, accompanied only by a stranger who seems fixated on something moving through the blinding snow.

A house stands empty. Hungry. Waiting for the children drawn to it like moths to a flame.

A woman finds a shoe-box filled with old VHS tapes. They have a note attached: “Don’t watch. You’ll regret it.”

And more!

OVERALL STAR RATING 

I gave it 5/5 stars! Ghost Camera is in my top three favourite Darcy Coates stories of all time. I’m a huge fan of the horror photography trope. It may be short but it’s brilliant and TERRIFYING! To finally have it in paperback form, plus several bonus creepy tales, how could I not give it a high rating?

OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING 

I gave it a scare-factor rating of 5/5! It is one of the scariest short stories I have ever read. The extra tales were unsettling as well.

DISCUSSION TOPICS 

1.) What were some of your favourite stories in this collection? Discuss why. 

Ghost Camera is the best, followed by A Box of Tapes (which gave me The Ring vibes) and my third favourite was The Run to Broken Ridge Lighthouse, which I had actually read before in Darcy’s newsletter. In case it wasn’t obvious, I am a huge fan of the vengeful spirit trope. All three succeeded in creeping me out.

2.) What were your least favourite stories in this collection? Discuss why.

My least favourite stories were Payment for the Dead, The House on Boxwood Lane and Remains. I just didn’t connect with them as much as the others. The remaining stories: Death Birds, Cathedral and Untamed Things were mid-tier. I didn’t love them but I didn’t dislike them.

3.) If you had already read Ghost Camera before, what was your experience like re-reading it? 

My re-read of Ghost Camera was very surprising. You would think it couldn’t possibly scare me the second time around, knowing what was coming. NOPE! I was just as terrified as the first time. That’s the sign of a great horror story.

TRIVIA QUESTIONS 

Easy: How many tapes were in the cardboard box in ‘A Box of Tapes?’ 

Medium: What does the presence of a Death Bird indicate? 

Hard: What numbers signal the legend of Broken Ridge Lighthouse? 

I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the book club, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love xoxo

TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy: 6. Medium: A warning that death is coming. Hard: 1,1,1.