3 stars
A fun exploration of some of America’s paranormal and true crime locations. This is a perfect reference guide for both fans of the podcast as well as anyone looking for an odd road trip exploring ghosts, murders, and general creepiness.
I’ll admit, going into this I knew nothing about the podcast. I didn’t even really listen to podcasts in general. But after giving a few episodes a try, it sparked my interest in podcasts. Yay!
Based on other reviews, I would recommend the physical book over the audiobook. There are quite a few lists of recommendations that I don’t think transfer well to the audio format.
The book is well organized, broken into regions (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Northwest). Each location comes with a paranormal story from Em and a true crime tale from Christine complete with fun facts, as well as recommended bars, ice cream/milkshake shops, haunted hotels, spooky tours, and other weird sites to check out.
Em and Christine bring their wit and humor to each section. Obviously, some of the sections get pretty dark, but they are always quick with a joke or pun which helps lighten the mood.
I read the book from start to finished. Because of that, there were some repetitive elements. After a while, many of the details start to blur together and the paranormal tales tend to devolve into a list of things people have experienced. There are quite a few references to Zak Bagans from Ghost Adventures, which got a bit repetitive.
As a reference, it was a helpful guide for locations. My husband recently went to New Orleans for work and visited some of the recommended bars. It’s a great guide for exploring different areas.
Overall, an interesting read for lovers of the paranormal and true crime. Perfect for those who enjoy the podcast. It was a fun book to explore and works well for planning your next creepy road trip.