Books*Reviews*Etc: THE HANGING TREE by Michael Phillip Cash

RATED 5 HANGING TREES

THE HANGING TREE

A Novella

Michael Phillip Cash

Published October 15th 2013

by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

OVERVIEW

(from Goodreads)

Enter a world where spirits roam the earth in Michael Phillip Cash's haunting new novella, The Hanging Tree. Set amid the eerie backdrop of Long Island, an area famously steeped in old legend, two young would-be lovers contemplate their future while visits from those who have come before them reveal the lure of fate...and the power of free will. At seventeen years old, Arielle's relationship with her parents is slowly deteriorating. Angry and defiant, she is at a loss on how to cope with the tumultuous situation in which she finds herself. Arielle's only comfort is Chad, an eighteen-year-old young man who seems to truly understand her struggles. Arielle and Chad meet beneath the low-hanging branches of what the local community has nick-named the "Hanging Tree". An ancient and majestic landmark, it has long been rumored that the tree is haunted by ghosts. These ghosts span various centuries and vary wildly in age, but each one of them has one thing in common: their deaths are all somehow connected to the tree itself. As Arielle and Chad commiserate over their current situation and their precarious nature of their future, the spectral inhabitants of the Hanging Tree witness their conversation. One by one,the ghosts begin reminiscing about their own lives-and deaths- as they examine the inner demons with which their human forms long struggled. An eerie meditation on the oft-overlooked power of choice, Cash's The Hanging Tree will stay with readers long after they turn out the light.

REVIEW

I am quite hooked on Mr. Cash's books, Brood X and Stillwell . Now he's done it again. THE HANGING TREE is his first Novella. You just know after reading the other two books that this is going to be another great read. It was different than the other two but it was still holding you from the moment you opened the book until the very end. I didn't expect anything else from Mr. Cash except a gripping thriller. The story takes place on Long Island, that is known for hauntings and legends.

Two young teenagers, Arielle, who is 17 years old and very unhappy with her father. She is with Chad and are making out under an old tree everyone calls "the hanging tree". Chad is wanting Arielle to go in a direction that she isn't sure she wants to go. She has to make a choice. There is a Harmond family curse, placed by a witch centuries ago for wrong doings that has been carried through the generations. Mr. Cash did an interesting way of weaving five spirits from the past into the story, who are watching everything as it happens. The spirits start telling of their tragic encounters at "the hanging tree". Their stories and their deaths are all wrapped around "the hanging tree" and it's curse.

Will the curse happen again with Arielle and Chad? Can the curse be broken and if so, how? Whatever choices Arielle makes are hers and so are the consequences. This is true for all of us. We live with our choices. The story is a short read with lots of descriptions. It is definitely a page turner and a little gripping. A few times I found myself getting a little rigid. That's a sign to me that the book is definitely a keeper. Mr. Cash, we're all waiting anxiously for the next one.

I would give this book 5 Hanging Trees.

I was given a complimentary copy of THE HANGING TREE from the author, Michael Phillip Cash for this uncompensated review.

AUTHOR

Born and raised on Long Island, Michael has always had a fascination with horror writing and found footage films. He wanted to incorporate both with his debut novel, Brood X. Earning a degree in English and an MBA, he has worked various jobs before settling into being a full-time author.Michael Phillip Cash 's first book Brood X- A Firsthand Account of the Great Cicada Invasion is presently under consideration for a film adaptation. His well received second novel, Stillwell- A Haunting on Long Island, has stayed on the top of Amazon's "100 Best Seller" in it's genre since its release earlier this year. He is currently working on another ghost story. He lives on Long Island with his wife and children.