Official Review: The Ghost Box by Mike Duran

[dhaller]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Ghost Box" by Mike Duran.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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It is the 18th of February, and for Reagan Moon, it is about to be a very long day.

Mike Duran’s The Ghost Box, A Reagan Moon novel, takes place over two of the most action-packed days one can imagine. It begins with the introduction of its main character, a down-on-his-luck reporter for a paranormal magazine in the City of Angels who believes absolutely none of what he writes, as he is sent of a quest by the mysterious Felix Klammer, an eccentric billionaire. The quest? To uncover the truth behind Moon’s girlfriend’s death – a “supposed” accident that left Moon without a body to bury.

Hooked yet? I was.

The book follows Reagan through the occult underbelly of LA, as he visits mediums, is educated by a character nicknamed “The Mad Spaniard,” and eventually stumbles onto a plot much bigger than any story he’s ever written before. As Moon thinks, “this wasn’t like any other story I’d ever covered. It was turning into my story. And I was growing fearful that it wouldn’t turn out so well.”

“The Ghost Box” explores themes of belief in a cynical world. Moon begins the story a firm sceptic, having seen too many frauds in his line of work to take any claims of the supernatural seriously, but as the story progresses, the evidence begins to weigh against him. While reading, I found that I kept having to remind myself that the story lasted only two days – Moon’s continual dismissal of the world he was thrust into continues almost until the climax, making the otherwise street-smart reporter seem slow on the uptake. However, his humor, self-deprecation, and general demeanor go a long way towards making him a genuinely likable protagonist.

Mike Duran’s writing is solid – a tad poetic in parts, but Moon’s perspective is always amusing. Aside from a few exposition-heavy chapters that set up the world Duran is building, the plot keeps moving right up to the final, lightning-charged moments. Duran’s striking visuals expose the seething world just barely out of normal sight, although his characterization is somewhat rocky when it comes to Moon’s beliefs.

I enjoyed the voice of this book the most. While it was clear the Duran is building both his character and his world for future novels, Moon’s self-effacing voice never failed to amuse. It’s a nice break from characters in similar positions (private investigators, reporters, etc.) that take themselves too seriously. Moon knows he’s a bit of a screw up, and he does his best anyway. It’s refreshing.

On the other hand, I feel that Duran got a little too heavy-handed when it came to the thematic elements running through the book. Moon’s staunch refusal to believe the supernatural, even when evidence of it is directly presented to him, speaks of irrationality, not disbelief. And once Moon begins to believe, he relies entirely upon that faith, throwing himself into dangerous situations without even trying to come up with a plan. For all Moon’s inner dialogue, I didn’t get the impression that he was a thinking man.

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. It was fair – if you like mysteries involving snarky reporters and the supernatural, this is the book for you. If you prefer fiction where the characters really think – in non-trivial ways – about their circumstances, you may not enjoy this book as much. Either way, the world Duran built is fascinating, and Reagan Moon was at the very least amusing. I wouldn’t go door-to-door to get my friends to read it, but if you do want to give it a try, “The Ghost Box” won’t be a waste of your time.

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The Ghost Box
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[Cee-Jay Aurinko]

Dhaller, you are an amazing reviewer I can't wait to read more of your reviews. I like the title and the cover of this book - it's like nothing I've ever seen before. From what I've read in your summary, I would definitely read this book, even if it has its flaws. You mentioned, on the plus side, that Duran sketched a "fascinating" world. And that is definitely a plus in my book. Keep up the good work! Your review skills are top notch. Feel free to PM me whenever you have a new review published.

[dhaller]

Thanks Leon - it means a lot to me that you've posted this. I'm still pretty new here, so all the feedback I can get helps.