The Motel Room: A Ghost Story/ Alyssa Cooper

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Ghost Story/ Contemporary Fiction/ Short Story

Approximate word count: 8-9,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Alyssa Cooper was born in Belleville Ontario, and has lived in Canada for her entire life. Writing and art have been her greatest passions since she was a child, and she has dedicated her life to perfecting her skills and pushing the limits of her craft. She is currently working as a graphic designer in Belleville, where she lives with her typewriter and her personal library.”

Ms. Cooper “is the author of three traditionally published books, Salvation, Benjamin, and Cold Breath of Life. The Motel Room is her first foray into independent publishing.”

You can learn more about Alyssa Cooper on her website or follow her on Facebook.

Description:

“The Motel Room is a new take on the classic ghost story, telling the tale of a haunted motel room from the perspective of the haunter, rather than the haunted.

Since his death, our Narrator has been trapped in a motel room, watching the comings and goings of his nightly guests. The strangers never stay more than a night or two, and they never pay him any mind. Then one morning, a maid turns her head and the two lock eyes - the first time he has been seen since his death. Only then does he begin to discover the true power behind his ghostly form.” 

Appraisal:

After reading this story, if I ever have the feeling of being watched I am sure to think there is a ghost hiding in the corner keeping his eyes on me. The ghost narrating this story isn't given a name, he has a sad and miserable existence with no sense of time as the years pass by. Although he has some beautiful memories of his wedding and a loving wife to help him through. They were both young and in love celebrating their first anniversary when tragedy struck.

Alyssa Cooper has written a unique and insightful perspective from her ghost's point of view with some wonderfully descriptive prose. I have to say that when the light bulb came on and I realized how well and truly trapped this ghost was in that miserable motel room, I was horrified! We really have no idea how powerful our brains are on a spiritual level and we will most likely never know. But there is no denying that we can be selfish without realizing how hurtful that might be to others, living or not.

I highly recommend this short story for anyone who has lost a loved one.  We also need to remember that we can let them go and still relish their memories.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant issues with editing. The author is from Canada and may have used some Canadian spellings, honestly I didn't even notice.

Rating: **** Four Stars