Ghost Station Review

by S.A. Barnes

Rating: 4/5

Space exploration can be lonely and isolating.

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS—a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something.

While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's hasty departure than opening up to her.

That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia’s worst nightmare starting—a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something more sinister?

Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what’s happening. But trust is hard to come by… and the crew isn’t the only one keeping secrets.

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After reading Barnes’ previous book Dead Silence, I couldn’t have been more excited when I heard this new book was coming out. I loved Dead Silence, finding it creepy and haunting. And with the premise of this one, I couldn’t wait to pick this one up!

From the start, I was hooked. I found our main character, Ophelia interesting to get to know, with her background and dedication to helping others with their mental health. However, the further I read, I started to question who I could trust or believe including our main character. There were just so many secrets and the drama we were seeing at this abandoned planet just increased the tension among the crew members.

I had no idea what to expect as I made my way through this story, the twists and turns really had me going through a loop. I had so many questions, trying to figure out what was going on, what happened at this abandoned planet, with this crew that Ophelia was assigned to, and why they were required to have a psychologist join their team to go on this mission. 

I found this to be a truly haunting read as well, as we see the horrors on this planet and the abandoned station left by the previous discovery team. The horrors were so vivid and felt so real with how Barnes described them. I could easily visualize everything, even if my brain did not want to. I still get shivers remembering a few particular scenes.

My only disappointment was that the ending felt so abrupt. It seemed like we didn’t truly see everything resolved. I was left with even more questions after we got to the epilogue. It reminded me of how sci-fi movies end sometimes. Not truly showing us what happens after all the horrors we see. It was frustrating to me! But at the same time, I can’t stop thinking about it. So I guess it did its job! The ending is one I just love to hate!

If you enjoy horror and sci-fi, especially around space, aliens, and exploration then definitely look into S.A. Barnes! Both this and Dead Silence are great picks! I already can’t wait for their next book!