Very well written book. The characters were so carefully and thoughtfully constructed.
I did think it was going to be more of a thriller so I was disappointed that it wasn’t. The story line turned into a plot I wasn’t much interested in, so maybe change the genre listing of this book.

This is definitely a tearjerker of a novel. I kept thinking to myself that Kelly and Jimmy’s life could not get any worse but boy was I wrong! So much happened in Jimmy’s life that it was wonderful when he was able to find some happiness. Abuse is in so many children’s lives that many of these children do not make it to adulthood. The final test was how the author handled the twist. I really did not see the end coming.

OMG what a book. This is a story about two kids, Jimmy and Kelly, growing up in a drug and abusive household. They have no one to rely on other than themselves.

"Real love never ends with anything - no matter how final the illusion of an ending may seem - because
real love simply never ends. Ever."

This will take you on a thought provoking and heartfelt journey and will have you crying. Not a horror, more a domestic novel in my opinion.
I can't really say too much without giving things away, but what i will say is, YOU MUST READ THIS. Fantastically written and will recommend to everyone i know. I will be looking into other books written by this clever author!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Black Rose Writing and Dustin McKissen for this ARC

Excellent book, with a creepy undertone that will have you intrigued. I loved the fact that Jimmy was just a real person, like you, me or the guy across the street.. It made his humanity stand out even more, when thrown in with such a horror-filled life. I'd definitely recommend this one!

Jimmy Lansford and his sister Kelly grew up in a poverty stricken family. Money isn’t everything, but there was no love in their home either. Their parents were abusive, drug addicts, who only saw their children as an inconvenience to their lives. After Jimmy and Kelly’s dad commits suicide, in the most violent and unexpected way, the two cling to each other to get through the abuse of their mother. After growing into an accomplished adult, with a family of his own, Jimmy starts to get an eerie feeling that something is happening in his house. He starts to relive memories from his childhood in Oklahoma and begins to wonder if there was more to his father’s death and mother’s rage then just drugs.
.
.
I was really torn on the rating for this one. I was under the impression it was going to be in the horror category. While it wasn’t, I still did find the story compelling and it really pulls at your heart strings. This story legit made my heart ache. Honestly though, I did love the end. It brings you a certain kind of peace. Although this isn’t my typical, fast paced, thriller, I really did enjoy the story.

The Poor and the Haunted is a psychological drama that is enthralling, full of suspense and possesses a supernatural dimension that may lead to horrors as the story unfolds.

Jimmy Lansford is the protagonist of the story which is told over two time periods; as a young boy of fifteen, in 1997, and as a married man and parent, twenty-two years later. As a young boy both Jimmy and his sister, Kelly, lived a very grim and poor existence at the hands of abusive and drug-addicted parents. His father committed suicide in a very unusual manner, which always struck Jimmy as bizarre and led him to believe he may have been possessed. His mother became a prostitute to fund her drug habit and both Jimmy and Kelly formed an inseparable bond that only a threatening upbringing could produce. Jimmy eventually escapes to university with the intention of bringing Kelly with him once he graduates.

As a husband to Jill and parent to Jonathan and Jessica he lives a happy family life that he has worked extremely hard for. At the point the story begins, Jimmy starts to feel an invisible presence and witnesses on several occasions a ghostly shape that can’t be explained. The great opening line of the novel lays the atmosphere that suggests a cloaked supernatural context.
“ ‘Why,’ Jessica asked, ‘do hauntings only happen to poor people?’ ”
The comparison between the two periods of Jimmy’s life are stark in terms of well-being but the unbreakable bond with his sister and later his loving wife, have provided an anchor for Jimmy. The narrative is beautifully written to draw the contrast and similarities. What he wants to keep out are the memories or demons that remind him of his previous life and the toll they took on someone he loved so very deeply.

The slow descent into mental turmoil as an adult is cleverly written, especially as a paranormal menace looms. The suspense keeps the two obvious threads finally balanced – is the unnatural presence causing the mental anguish or is a psychological breakdown manifesting itself as something supernatural.

Dustin McKissen’s book is easy to delve into and the captivating storyline keeps the flow going at a great pace. I would recommend reading this book and I'd like to thank Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.

This book weaves an intricate story of a brother and sister trying to survive an abusive and neglectful childhood. It’s not your typical horror story, and if may not even technically qualify into the horror genre, but I’m pleased I came across it. Few books cut me open and leave my emotions in a jumbled mess. This book did just that.
Jimmy and his younger sister Kelly leaned on each other through a disturbing and abusive childhood. Their father committed suicide, their mother is drunk and cruel, and they live in staggering poverty. The only thing holding them together is their iron-clad bond as siblings. I love their intense connection and how it plays into plot. These characters are brilliantly crafted with realism and sympathy that made me fall in love with them. From the start of the book, I cheered for this dynamic duo whose perseverance in the face of abuse created a tenderness that ran throughout the book.
But there is something haunting Jimmy, an entity that clings to him. It’s this element that plays into the horror aspect of the novel and builds a frightful tension. I was hooked and read this book in one sitting, filled with an urgent need to unlock the mystery.
The climax and ending touched a nerve, and I shed a few tears. Overall, this is a dramatic look at the bonds that keep us sane in the face of evil, and the human spirit’s undying tenacity. It may work better under a classification of dramatic fiction, but I still highly recommend giving it a chance.

I gem of a book. I loved all of it. From where he came to where he ended. I was just knocked down in the last chapter. Not at all a horror read, save his parents ... who were evil in parenting.
I cannot wait to tell the world of this book.
Thanks, NetGalley for the advance copy to review.

An excellent story of haunting and possession with a twist that left me in shock and tears. Highly recommended!

“Love is expressed in all sorts of ways, words being the least important among them.”

The Poor and The Haunted is definitely a horror story it just may not be your ‘classic’ horror tale. The elements are there but they twist around the real-life horror. Trauma is a main feature in McKissen’s story of two young people who get a shocking start in life with terribly drug-addicted parents - but worse than just addicted, they are nasty, selfish and violent.
 
The thing about this novel is that while it presents the worst in life - and believe me, it was harrowing - right there alongside it is the best. There were some beautiful relationships illustrated between the siblings, Jimmy and Kelly, a cop called Carlisle who takes the kids under his wing, and also between an adult Jimmy and his family. Those relationships were a treat to read about and it endeared the characters to me in a way that had me deeply invested in their outcomes.

The writer’s version of Jimmy’s grown up family showed some sweet parenting that was down-to-earth and very relatable, and he delivered the story sensitively, with characters who felt believable.

McKissen used two devices. An observer who regularly states what they see happening in the story and of alternating chapters for present time (2019) and the late nineties to early 2000s. Both methods worked really well (which is great because they would be tiresome if they didn’t).
 
This wasn’t a perfect novel. I found it shaky in the beginning and I wondered if it would be a drag to read. Then, a few chapters in I changed my tune. Regarding the ending….I was very pleased (I’ll just leave it at that), and  I struggled to stop reading at several junctures, I was so desperate to find out what happened.

I’m SO glad I read this - huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Black Rose Writing, for my free copy in exchange for honest review.

The depravity cuts you to the core, and stays with you long after the final page is done. The book is truly a test of the human psyche, for the characters, and the reader.

The slow burn of the novel was welcomed, as each chapter—alternating between past and present—provides one more clue to the underlying horror of the story.

No, it isn’t a singular horror novel, but also a psychological thriller and a gripping account of childhood abuse. Where the horror is rooted is up for debate.

Jimmy and his little sister Kelly live in a horrible family where the parents are abusive and addicted to drugs. They take out all their anger out on the children. Jimmy's dad commits suicide and the family moves to public housing. A policeman that was one of the first on the scene takes the kids and watches over them through the years. Though the family is poor they succeed in other ways with good grades and for Jimmy track.
We are watching Jimmy in his adult years with his own family thinking about the past with their bad mother, his love for his sister and Carlisle the policeman that was like a big brother. This is a paranormal book but it is no crazy stuff that is not believable. I truly loved this book.

When I started reading this I thought this was going to be quite a dark horror book but it isn't quite what I was expecting and I kept willing for things to ramp up a gear and then I was at the end! You might think this is a criticism of the book but I actually really enjoyed this story. The ending was simply perfect and I ended the book was a sad but satisfied smile. Yes this book explores horror but a real horror that many do experience every day which is actually scarier than pretend demons. Characters were brilliantly created and I loved the strong bonds between siblings and saviours. So no, this book wasn't what I was expecting but it was far better.

Jimmy and his sister have up in a fragmented dysfunctional home. His father committed suicide when Jimmy was 15 years old. It made Jimmy protective of his 12 year old sister, Kelly as their mother was a drug addict. A policeman looks out for Jimmy as much as possible. He buys a brand new pair of expensive good quality running shoes when he realizes that Jimmy wants to go to college and needs a scholarship that will pay his way. Jimmy ends up going to a college in Arizona and leave his sister with his mom at home even though it wasn’t his plans to do so. What was he going to do for his sister? Jimmy has some unusual experiences that make him think that the devil is taking over his mind. what occurs that makes him think so? After his daughter’s birthday, he comes home to find muddy shoe prints in his bathroom. He thinks the presence he feels is the devil. Is it? He leaves and goes on a run that almost kills him. Due to that run, he ends up in the hospital due to dehydration. Why did he do that?

This novel does have a paranormal aspect to it. It is written in a style where the author goes back and forth in Jimmy’s life which makes reading it made me understand why Jimmy is struggling despite all the good in his life. He is a good man. He blames himself for his sister’s death which wasn’t his fault. His story tells us what may happen when one doesn’t let go of past hurts.

Well...
This was not an altogether bad book, but it is misleading to call it a horror novel. It isn't. It is the story of a man who was raised in an abusive and neglectful home by drug addled parents living in a poverty of their own making. It is a story of strength and love, it is a story of how this man escaped these awful circumstances, attended college and built a life for himself. It is a story of stopping the cycle of abuse, raising his own children with his wife and making a real family. It is also the story of how his upbringing still haunts him. But even throwing a ghost in the mix does not make this a horror novel.

I received this from netgalley in return I am supposed to give an honest review

To which I say I honestly DNF-ed the book it just wasn't for me,

The Poor and The Haunted is an amazing spiral of a story that provokes a multitude of emotions throughout the entire tale. I was drawn into the characters from the beginning page until the final page. I do have to say that the story was different than I had anticipated when I read the synopsis. However, I was blown away by Mr. McKissen, the characters that he created and the story that he weaved.
Told in alternating times frames, the reader is taken along on a journey with Jimmy, the main character, between his life as a teenager and the present time, where he is an adult. This is done in such a way that it is clear and never confusing, as some stories that switch between time frames can be. Jimmy's childhood was a nightmare that one would not wish upon their worse enemy, with drug addicted and abusive parents, where scenes rip out the reader's heart. Jimmy and his sister, Kelly, are all the unconventional love they have ever known. As an adult, Jimmy is a successful businessman with a loving wife and two beautiful children. His life is finally one of peace and love, until one day that is shattered by seeming hauntings and unexplainable things that begin to happen to him. Jimmy begins to wonder if he is possessed and if there is anything that can help and save him before he meets the same horrific death as his Father's.
Filled with tense moments, suspense, emotions and surprising twists, The Poor and The Haunted is one of the best reads that I have read this year and I highly recommend it!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

I have to agree with the beginning of a number of other reviews. This story is not really a horror story unless you consider the horrors both Jimmy and his sister dealt with as children.

And now Jimmy has to deal with the demons that he wonders are part of his DNA makeup or if he is going crazy.

I found this book heartbreaking and interesting. I think this author has a bright future in the way he writes. The story is short (160 pages) but there is a lot said in these pages and a incredible story that pulls you in right away.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Bravo!! With some supernatural elements incorporated into this horror story, you find it difficult to put it down until the very end. Very engrossing!

“It was terrifying to know nightmares didn’t wait for the sun to fade - or for sleep to come.”

Jimmy and Kelly knew fear and uncertainty from a young age. Their parents fought regularly and violently, drank excessively and abused drugs. Living in poverty and neglected, Jimmy did whatever he could to protect his younger sister. When their father dies by suicide, their mother becomes increasingly abusive.

“In the Lansford home, normal was not an option, and Jimmy faced two choices: Let life eat him and Kelly alive, or shoulder more of the burden than any child should.”

Although he remains haunted by his childhood, Jimmy’s adult life is outwardly normal. He has a nice home, is employed and has a loving wife and children. Jimmy does everything he can to ensure his children never experience anything approximating what he and his sister did when they were children.

“Things change, and not always for the better.”

Jimmy’s daughter is now the same age his sister was when their father died and Jimmy’s carefully constructed world is coming undone. He begins to experience things he can’t explain as painful memories resurface.

As this book was marketed as horror I expected to encounter lots of things that go bump in the night. Although there are supernatural elements to this story that I won’t explain because that would take us into spoiler territory, the main horror I experienced was as a result of more natural (if you can call them that) occurrences.

Child abuse is its own horror and when you consider the legacy of childhood trauma, its impacts on the person who has experienced it and by association everyone who loves them, that’s true horror right there.

PTSD and survivor’s guilt are explored in this book. Because the impacts of these are so pervasive it became difficult to distinguish whether specific events in this book were supernatural in origin or a symptom of one or both of these. This could irritate me in different circumstances but here it made me feel like I was getting a glimpse of what Jimmy was experiencing. I did wonder whether some of Jimmy’s experiences were dissociative in nature; another explanation was provided but I could make the case for both possibilities.

Given some of the content of this book I expected to feel sad and hopeless overall but there was some light pushing back the shadows. Jimmy’s bond with his sister and his repeated attempts to protect her from the harshness of their lives was heartwarming. Detective Mike Carlisle, the only responsible adult in the Lansford kids’ lives, was someone I looked forward to spending time with. He modelled unconditional love and was a positive role model, particularly for Jimmy, whose life could have been vastly different without his influence.

I was left with a couple of unanswered questions. I still don’t understand why Jimmy’s daughter bit his neck. I know his sister did that to their father but I would have thought, if this was Kelly’s influence, she would have chosen a shared memory that was less violent to get her message across. Also, if Kelly had the ability to leave a handprint then couldn’t she find a way to let her brother know it was her? Cliché or not, it doesn’t seem far fetched to me that she could have written a message on a foggy bathroom mirror or something similar.

Pop culture and this book: There were plenty of references to TV series, including ‘Friends’ and ‘Stranger Things’, and music, in particular Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’. (I love that song!) However, there were so many references to Stephen King’s stories that I made a list. Keep in mind that I am by no means an expert on the King-dom so I expect some references flew straight over my head. Having said that, here’s what I found:

* Jimmy stays in hotel room 237
* The dairy farm the family lived on for a while is owned by the Torrance family and it’s located on Torrance Road
* The ice cream shop is called Derry’s
* There’s mention of “the neighborhood Cujo”
* Jimmy’s daughter watches ‘IT’.

If you read this book and find references to anything Stephen King related that I’ve missed, please feel free to let me know.

Content warnings include child abuse, death by suicide, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, mention of torture of animals and self harm.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.