"Trick or Treat" by Richie Tankersley Cusick

This book was an awesome horror/mystery/thriller. I know it was first published way back in 1989, when the teen horror genre was first getting serious interest on the market, but I just found it out in January of this year when Netgalley put it on their list. I was instantly drawn to it, so naturally I requested it.
I'm happy I did it, because "Trick or Treat" was an adrenaline-rush ride that really got me sweating. Not that I'm much of a horror reader - in fact, after I read the first chapter, I found myself turning off my kindle and just leaving the book as if it was cursed. But it made such a strong impact on me, that even through the biting of my nails I still stuck to it and read on.
The story wasn't all that original - haunted house, murder story, creepy new town with creepy people who look at you like you just returned from the dead - but the familiar was good for my psyche because otherwise I would've freaked out on a much greater scale. The abundance of twists and turns made me wonder who was making the phone calls, who was creeping in the house, who was watching Martha from so close yet so far. It wasn't until I was 75% through that a sudden idea took over me! And I couldn't believe that I'd solved the mystery on my own!!! I'd figured out the murderer with no help. I was so proud of myself when the ending confirmed it, I almost danced a happy dance!

The characters:
*Martha - well, she was a bit whiny, but I think that I'd be at least as much whiny as her if I ever found myself in a haunted house that neighbored a cemetery. I didn't like how she always accused Conor of everything, when all he did was try to protect her. But she did gain my respect towards the end.

*Conor - he's mysterious, smart and highly perceptive to things that aren't quite normal. He mostly kept to himself, but I have the feeling that if Martha had opened up to him, he'd really show all his potential.

*Blake - oh, Blake! Swoon worthy, always winner Blake!! He was on my list of murder suspects right away. He looked too good to be true, too surreal, and yet he was all he said he was. His Halloween costume kind of freaked me out, but it was good for building up the tension.

*Wynn - that girl played her role so well, I can't even describe it. When they say total makeover... well she's the queen of it.

*The parents - UGHH!!! I hate it when parents never consider their kids' feelings and opinions. It's just wrong. And who leaves their teenage kids all alone in a new town, at a new spooky house for weeks without even calling to check on them??

Anyway, the book was worth my time and I recommend it to anyone who loves some thrill and isn't scared of ghostly houses and the like.