The Possession of Cassie Quinn by Kathryn Knutson review

A long, dark driveway towards an old farmhouse. A new stepsister with a nasty streak. A little sister who runs off. Something sinister lurking in the woods. Cassie Quinn's new home comes with . . . complications. Cassie never believed in ghosts before. But now she is receiving strange messages, telling her to stay out of the woods. Are the messages just a ploy by her stepsister? Or are they warning her of an evil that stalks the shadows of the woods beyond her home?

From Goodreads

I am not a fan of horror anything. If I watch a horror movie it must be a) during the day, b) with all the lights on, & c) preferably with someone who has already seen the film and can tell me when to look away/be prepared for a fright. As sad as it sounds, I still have nightmares from various movies I've seen over the years. I thought books might be a better approach, alas my imagination's ability to improve upon the author's description to a frightening degree also nixed that. Why am I telling you all this? Because I found a suspenseful, horror-based book that didn't give me nightmares but did spook me.

The Possession of Cassie Quinn begins like any other story with a newly blended family (dad & daughter with mom & her two daughters) moving into a new home. The spirit/entity is already on the property waiting for the new inhabitants. Unique family dynamics, like an outgoing, inquisitive younger sister & a "I wanna be seen as a tough girl" step sister, give the spirit even more wiggle room. Standard haunting tricks ensue, but with an individual twist. The mysterious deaths of two teenagers in the woods should be a sign, but of course no one listens.

Another thing I thought I'd get bored of quickly would be the characters themselves. I was sure they were all going to be thick-headed morons who couldn't be bothered to open their eyes to what was going on around them. These teens are surprisingly adept at handling supernatural forces. While there are still some understandably stupid actions (repeatedly going off into the woods alone) they are believable. 

If you're looking for a way to ease into these types of books, I highly recommend this one. Even better, it's going to have a sequel. It might have take a little bit for the book to get going (back story will do that) but once it was on a roll I was sad to see it end. Until I realized there would be more. :)

Anyone have any recommendations for a fraidy cat who likes gentler horror/suspense books?