The Invocation

Carl Alves

When Kenna Trigg plays with an Ouija board, little does she know that she is about to unleash a malevolent spirit upon the world, leaving her and her older brother, Jake, to stop the spirit as it leaves a trail of dead bodies in its wake.

In The Invocation, a supernatural thriller that combines elements of Stranger Things and The Exorcist, Kenna Trigg and three of her friends from the fourth grade manage to befriend a spirit named Mia, who died in her late teens in a drowning accident, using of an Ouija board. Cotter, a malevolent spirit who had been a con-man and criminal in life, tricks Kenna and her friends into releasing him into our world by posing as Mia. Cotter has the ability to take control and possess people he comes across. With this new power, he begins a vicious crime spree. Kenna turns to her older brother, Jake, a professional mixed-martial artist who has recently been released from prison. Now, Kenna and Jake must stop Cotter from unleashing havoc in our world. 

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

(3 / 5) This novel has been described as a cross between Stranger Things and The Exorcist and I have to agree. The novel starts with a group of fourth graders playing with a Ouija board. It is fairly innocent but then turns into something sinister.  A hardened criminal in his previous life, finds a way into their world and starts occupying people’s bodies. He uses this ability as a way to murder and commit crimes, then leave that body and have no consequences. The scenes with this character are intense and scary.  He is gruesome in his crimes with no remorse. In contrast, the other characters are flawed and loveable. Young, innocent kids that are building a relationship with a friendly spirit and an ex con brother, trying to make the lives of his mom and sister happy. 

The novel was easy to read, and simplistic in the writing. While horror is not a genre I typically am drawn to, I found Alves made it an enjoyable read by developing characters I could connect with and relationships I could root for.  

The content was high in violence, language and intense situations. I recommend this book for anyone who loves creepy reads, Stranger Things or demonic possession.

I received this book from the author, Carl Alves, in exchange for an honest review.