A very good novel with excellent themes and an intriguing cast of characters. S.A. Barnes knows how to write brooding claustrophobic space horror and Ghost Station is no exception. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Wow, SA Barnes does it again. I found this book fascinating, even if the pacing was really weird and seemed to make the book go on forever. The thing is, though, I feel like that made it better. Barnes strings you along, adding in a bunch of weird stuff here and there, making you question where this book is going, who is involved, who is safe, etc. I finished this 15 hour audiobook in two sittings just because I could not get enough of this. I loved the characters, loved how distinct they were and how their personalities both clashed and fit together perfectly. This book is the epitome of sci-fi horror, right behind classics like Alien and 2001. This book had me on the edge of my seat, absolutely riveted, for hours on end. I wish it was longer. I wish there was more. But at the same time, this book was perfect.

Ghost station was a fun listen! Felt like a doctor who episode at times. I liked the characters and thought most of the characters were fleshed out and had real
motivations. I would recommend!

I love the sci fi horror genre so I have to try every novel in this brilliant subgenre.

However I went into this novel with subdued expectations because I had such a mixed experience with Dead Silence, I was curious what this author would do with their sophomore novel, but knew this one could suffer from the same mistakes.

Once again, this novel felt like a thriller hiding inside horror marketing. The narrative style and the meat of the story leaned too heavily into a tropey thriller narrative.

I would mind less if it was an engaging thriller but it was pretty forgettable without a lot of punch. I hoped to love this one and am ultimately disappointed that it turned out to be only fine.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

S.A Barnes had a hit book release a couple years ago called Dead Silence that I really enjoyed so I was looking forward to this new release. This is another scary scifi story about an abandoned crew who must try to survive on an old planet. Fans of this authors storytelling we are in for another creepy claustrophobic feeling story that will definitly scare the pants off you so maybe have an extra pair on hand if you read this.

This is was my first book by SA Barnes and I absolutely love how they created a very creepy and claustrophobic environment in space .
Fans of Alien and Life ( movie) will absolutely love this !
thank you for the audiobook arc .

Isolation in space may just be the biggest horror/fear of all. An exploration crew is on an abandoned planet, joined by new member, psychologist Dr Ophelia Bray. When a number of people start succumbing to grisly deaths, with all signs pointing to a space-related condition that results in violence and mental breakdowns, the question remains as to who is responsible…and who is next at risk of a gruesome death.
Much of the book left me confused in parts but by the last half, the suspense definitely took off. The narrator was also great at bringing that pure fear to life through the audiobook.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you very much to Netgalley for an early release audiobook of Ghost Station. The narrator was just fine and made the listening experience very easy.

Now, for the novel itself…..oh my! What a wonderful psychological horror! I thoroughly enjoy more cerebral reads and this novel gives it to you through psychology and the metaphysical. I had such a great time with this read. If you love horror…obviously…and love the insidious build of creepy inner and outer struggles of characters, you’re going to eat this up! Also, body horror!!!

Ophelia comes from a background of wealth and entitlement that everyone around her reminds her with relentless ridicule. Thing is, these luxuries weren’t necessarily shared with her but often used against her. Now she has something to prove to others and mostly to herself. She places herself in the most dangerous situation of all. A perfect storm if conditions align. You will be thrust into a journey of sheer will for survival against an unknown alien entity with the most mind bending dangers, and survival against herself. Isolation, fear, and the deep black of cold space are your backdrops. I shuddered and cringed with anticipation as I listened to some of these wonderfully vivid scenes unfold. Never in my wildest nightmares would I want to be in this situation.

Audiobook file didn't work. This seems to be a NetGalley issue and not the author/publisher. Disappointed. Rating is reflection of the experience, not author's ability.

Dr. Ophelia Bray has tagged along with a crew setting up shop on an abandoned planet. Her goal is to treat the crew members to prevent any future cases of ERS, a disease caused by long periods of time in space. But not long into her journey Dr. Bray starts finding strange items that seem oddly out of place, and then the pilot is brutally murdered. Pretty soon some secrets come to light that would have been better stayed buried.

I did not have the same experience with Ghost Station as I did with Barnes's first endeavor, Dead Silence. For the most part Dead Silence was an enjoyable read, and I liked the main character. I wish I could say the same for Ghost Station. I could not stand Ophelia, and we spend the majority of the book with her. I felt that her history came much too late for the reader to develop any sympathy for her. By the time the truth came out, I was already way beyond over her as a character. I thought the writing was okay, but this book was not at all scary. In fact, it read more like a mystery than a horror. There wasn't a single moment in the book that I recall being scared. Not one unfortunately. Also, this book was far too long for my tastes. So much so that I felt the length of it more than once.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Zura Johnson was a good narrator, but ultimately this book just was not for me.

Another 5 star Book by SA Barnes.
After Dead Silence, which I loved, I was hoping Ghost Station was as good, I was wrong, it was even better!
Great storyline, Great characters…. Just Great all around.

ARC From Netgalley:

Listened to the audiobook for this one and it blew me away. Really 3 dimensional characters with some genuinely scary sequences.

This feels like horror written for people with anxiety.

No spoilers but I was in for the ride.

3.25 stars!

Thank you to S. A. Barnes and Tor Nightfire for an ARC in exchange for my full, honest review.

This is a solid middle-of-the-road book for me and I don't have a lot of big problems with it but it fell flat in a few ways. Firstly, I just had fun with this book. It's pretty fast-paced and I thought the characters' interactions were really engaging. The sci-fi elements that were there were fleshed out pretty well and while I found the mystery/thriller element a little predictable, I still enjoyed seeing things play out and there were surprises along the way. Even having a lot of criticisms, the sheer entertainment value of this book is great.

I love sci-fi horror. I write sci-fi horror and I feel like it's one of the niche genres that has so much potential, so it was a shame that Ghost Station didn't really follow through on either the "sci-fi" or "horror" elements. I'm not really sure that this is horror. It definitely has horror elements but there's not a lot of the intricate dread or straight up disturbing imagery I usually associate with horror. The "whodunnit" style of the narrative makes it more of a thriller, although if you have pretty low tolerance for horror this book might be a great introductory horror read. As for sci-fi, the technological advancement and backgrounds of certain characters allude to a much broader world, but so little of that is fleshed out that the novel really feels contained to the station. This is also more of a personal preference, but I like explanations of the "science" at play in my sci-fi and this has pretty much none of that. Very little of this book would have played out differently if they had been on an isolated research station on earth (Alien style) instead of a habitat in space.

The other factor that prevent me from really becoming engrossed with the story was the main character. Ophelia has been through A LOT, but she doesn't have much of a defined character outside of her internal conflict based on her history. Yes, trauma can majorly affect how someone lives their lives, but when every single action and thought a character has is defined by their past, it doesn't leave a lot of room for personality. She does have character development, but I never really got a sense of her outside of her internal conflict. Her job? Based on her trauma. Her choices? Based on her trauma. She can't have a conversation or express an opinion without it being tied to specific events of her past, which makes her feel very one-dimensional for me. The other characters are fine, but they're pretty archetypal.

I know this comes off like I hated this book, but I think it's a really good time. If you like the description, you'll probably like the book. If you're looking for a gruesome, complex world with well-developed characters that you're really rooting for, this might fall short. This book definitely isn't a waste of your time or anything, I do think you should give it a try if it sounds interesting to you. Happy reading!

2.5-2.75 Stars

Although I was looking forward to this novel, being a fan of the author's previous work, Dead Silence, I did find myself a bit let down. While the story had a lot of potential, it seemed to progress slowly and had some repetitive plot points that made it hard for me to stay engaged. Additionally, the main character, Ophelia, made some decisions that I found to be frustrating. Overall, I think this book has a lot of promise, and with some adjustments to the pacing and character development, it could be a great read.

***Thank you to NetGalley, S.A. Barnes, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Ghost Station is a tense, hard-driving sci-fi thriller! The excitement never stops. The characters are unique and engaging.

I listened to the audiobook and was fully engaged throughout the entire story without my mind drifting away. The narrator does a fantastic job differentiating the characters and guiding the emotions without overselling them.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the arc!

Ghost Station by S. A. Barnes follows a crew as they explore and try to survive on an abandoned planet. Our main character, Ophelia, is a psychologist who wants to do her job to the best of her ability with a crew that doesn’t quit trust her. The premise of this book was so intriguing. The isolation of space was dreadful. The story made you feel claustrophobic and you could sense the danger brewing.

While I was super excited to read Ghost Station since it was a highly anticipated release, I honestly have to say I was let down. I did feel like this book was more of a thriller. I expected and craved more horror elements and when I realized I wasn’t going to get it, I became very disappointed. It took about 50-60% for me to even become invested, at which point I had considered DNFing. I listened to the audiobook Dead Silence by the same author and not only loved that book, but found it so engaging and was unable to put it down.

There was a lot of suspense in Ghost Station and ultimately I feel like something was lacking, it didn’t deliver. Since thrillers aren’t my preferred genre, I just don’t think this one worked for me.

I received a gifted copy of GHOST STATION by S.A. Barnes from Tor Publishing!

GHOST STATION follows psychologist Ophelia Bray. Her field of study is ERS, a mental condition that can develop in space, one that has historically led to a brutal murder spree. This is a cause close to Ophelia's heart and her past. She's put into cold sleep and sent to join a crew that has recently lost one of their members. The idea is to address the mental health concerns sooner than waiting for them to finish their work and return home.

Working with the small crew, Ophelia sees the need for help even as the crew don't exactly welcome her interventions. It doesn't take long before she begins to see signs of more going on than she expected, and she is not out of danger herself.

I really loved Barnes' DEAD SILENCE last year, so this was a highly anticipated read for me. The book started off well for me, but I sadly didn't entirely feel the same connection to this book as I did with DEAD SILENCE. There were a few moments of tension that I enjoyed, but the pace felt a bit slow to me in other places.

I did enjoy the idea of mental health services in space and some of the discussions that came out of that. There is representation for past trauma and that leads to a lot of questions in the text. There are also complicated relationships with family and the crew that gave a lot to unpack.

This wound up being a book I liked, but didn't love and didn't feel quite as compelled to binge. That said, I definitely will pick up more from this author in the future.

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where sci fi is popular.

Dr Ophelia Bray, a psychologist, is joining a small crew going from planet to planet, basically marking claims for their company. Her intent is to help prevent a sort of space madness before it has a chance set in, as it is much more difficult to treat once sufferers return planet side. She's also looking to escape some bad press, and bad feelings after a patient of hers committed suicide by jumping of the office building she worked out of. To further complicate her life, she is the related to the family running a company in direct competition to her employer.

Ophelia has been chose to join this particular small crew as they recently suffered as loss that seems to be attributed to the space madness (I think they called ERS, but I can't recall what that stood for!) Unfortunately, the crew doesn't want her there and does not trust her intentions. Despite this, she attempts to earn their trust so that she can help prevent the ERS and prove to her employers, and herself, that she is good at her job.

As the crew and Ophelia spend time on their first assigned planet it is obvious that none of them were given all the information they needed to safely gather samples and complete their mission as there is something very... very wrong.

While I did not find myself enjoying this title as much as Barnes previous space endeavor, Dead Silence, it was still very enjoyable. Barnes kept me interested in what was happening on the planet and how.. or if.. the crew would be able to survive, as well as expertly weaving in Ophelia's trouble backstory.

Narration was excellent.



Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

This was fine but slow-paced and the main character made too many unrealistic choices for my liking. It's hard to relate to her at times. I like how the atmosphere was described and felt like I was with them. I wish we were not in Ophelia's head as much in the story. She was so self-deprecating throughout the story that it made it tiresome.