REVIEW: Amity by Michol Ostow

Title: Amity
Series: none
Author: Michol Ostow
Published Date: August 26, 2014 (expected)
Publisher: Egmont USA
Format: ebook
Pages: 368
ISBN: 978-1-60684-380-2
Copy provided by: NetGalley
Genre: horror
Add to: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: For fans of Stephen King and American Horror Story, a gruesome thriller suggested by the events of the Amityville Horror.

Connor's family moves to Amity to escape shady business deals. Ten years later, Gwen's family moves to Amity for a fresh start after she's recovered from a psychotic break.But something is not right about this secluded house. Connor's nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons and destruction. Dreams he kind of likes. Gwen has lurid visions of corpses that aren't there and bleeding blisters that disappear in the blink of an eye. She knows Amity is evil and she must get her family out, but who would ever believe her?Amity isn't just a house. She is a living force, bent on manipulating her inhabitants to her twisted will. She will use Connor and Gwen to bring about a bloody end as she's done before. As she'll do again. Alternating between parallel narratives, Amity is a tense and terrifying tale suggested by true-crime events that will satisfy even the most demanding horror fan.

My Review: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I knew there was a reason why I didn't read or watch horror...it terrifies me. Fortunately, it wasn't so bad that I had to sleep with the lights on, and I was able to get my head out of the story and actually get some sleep every night.
The book itself was very well written, and a very psychological book. Part of the greatness of this book is in its absolute possibility. Every thing that we sense is filtered through our brain, and one small break in a person's psychological capabilities can turn a normal person into a sociopath.
This is not a retelling of the Amityville story, although there are many many similarities to it. It's a twist that brings you into two different timelines and two different, very broken people. Overall, it was a great horror book to read that didn't keep me too terrified. If you're a hard-core horror enthusiast, you may find this to be a bit disappointing in your ability to fall asleep at night.