From an adaptation standpoint, Ghost Lips from the Trickster screams cult horror film potential. It has all the right ingredients: a morally-tortured protagonist, eerie visions, supernatural manipulation, and a creeping dread that never quite settles. Visually, the blend of period detail with surreal horror elements could create a uniquely atmospheric film, something that channels the tone of The Witch, Annihilation, or even The Sixth Sense, but with a Civil War backbone.
Ghost Lips from the Trickster is a haunting, genre-bending novel that fuses Civil War-era psychological trauma with supernatural horror and subtle science fiction. Far from a traditional historical war story, it follows Victor Peters, a Union soldier who returns home not just wounded in body, but fractured in spirit. He is plagued by dark visions, unseen forces, and a growing suspicion that something ancient and otherworldly is preying on those he loves.
What sets this novel apart is its originality. The setting: a recovering postbellum town, shadowed by ghosts both figurative and literal, anchors the story in a period of historical familiarity. But from there, Dennis Boisvert launches into a slow burning descent into the bizarre. Victor’s daughter begins suffering from the same kind of nightmares he experienced as a boy, and these shared visions signal a deeper, perhaps generational, psychic breach, one that ties into the malevolent presence of a witch-like figure known only as The Trickster.
The Trickster, far from being a mere folklore echo, is a chilling antagonist who manipulates grief-stricken widows by promising them contact with their dead husbands, only to draw them into her web of illusion and control. Layered within this story is the emergence of an alien-like creature, whose strange nature hints that what’s happening might not be magical at all, but part of something far more complex and sinister.
Victor Peters is a standout lead. He’s quiet, damaged, and desperate to protect his daughter from a force he barely understands. His emotional arc is compelling, and his unraveling is portrayed with sincerity rather than melodrama. The pacing is intentionally uneven, slow at times, but it mirrors Victor’s confusion and descent into psychological disarray.
There are moments where the prose leans heavy into introspection or obscure metaphysical imagery, which could challenge less patient readers. Some trimming and structural refinement may be needed in adaptation to maintain flow. But those quirks are also what give this novel its texture and unique voice.
Ghost Lips from the Trickster isn’t just another Civil War story. It’s a disturbing and imaginative ride into loss, trauma, and unseen terrors that stretch across time and family lines. With the right creative team, this could become a quietly unsettling psychological horror film with lasting emotional weight.
Purchase the Book Today on Amazon.
Author: Dennis Boisvert
Page Count: 172 pages
Reviewer: Sophia Rogers
