Will I love The Amityville Horror?

I read this chilling story of the supernatural infestation of the Lutz’s home when I was a teenager, and it scared me so much (because it was a true story) that I could only read it during the day!

The idea that an other-worldly entity primarily communicated with the children was both captivating and creepy, perpetuating the belief that kids and animals are more sensitive to the paranormal world, and compelled me to read more about this genre.

Like a lot of screen adaptations, the book is so much better than the movie!

Growing up in Rhode Island, I can't tell you how many times I told someone where I was from, and they would respond with, "Oh, Long Island, New York." Ugh.

Naturally, a haunted house story set in Long Island caught my eye. I can honestly say this book gave me nightmares. Oddly enough, I'm not easily sucked into supernatural thrillers because they often require too big of a leap of faith. The Amityville Horror was different.

My sisters and I all read the book and regularly tried to scare the crap out of each other with scenes from the story.… show more.

What sets The Amityville Horror apart from other haunted house stories is that it is supposedly true. The objective facts are that 24-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed his parents and four siblings while they were asleep in their home. At his trial, he claimed that voices in the house told him to do it. The Lutz family moved into the home the next year and vacated the house 28 days later. According to Jay Anson’s book, the same spirits that possessed DeFeo were still doing their thing when the Lutzs moved in. A priest was told to “Get out!” and… show more.