Being a teenager is hard under the best of circumstances, but for Jaret Bachmann the deck contains a few more jokers complicating his life. Damian Serbu’s The Bachmann Family Secret is a young adult, paranormal thriller with a sexual awakening that torments, as it lessens the struggle of one young man’s life.Jaret has a gift; he communicates with the dead. Unfortunately, his parents refute his claim and seek therapy for him. Their actions only serve to isolate the young man from the support he needs, forcing him to navigate the spirit world with only the support of his fateful companion, Darth. Dread quickly settles when his deceased grandfather reaches out, warning him to stay away from the Bachmann family home, as his branch of the Bachmann family ventures to Nebraska for the funeral.Jaret feels a whirlwind of emotions. His beloved grandfather has passed, he toils daily with spirts, and he has yet to tell his family he is gay. His emotions escalate when he and his family arrive at the Bachmann family mansion, where the grief alone would be enough. But his grandfather appears to be two different ghosts. The one Jaret remembers, as kind and gentle with his grandson. The other is pure evil and enjoys nothing more than taunting Jaret and his family.The one bright spot is Steve, the small-town football player who Jaret meets on one of his jaunts to get away from the creepy grandpa at the mansion. There is an immediate attraction and insta-love between Jaret and Steve, that is somewhat hard to grasp for two young men discovering themselves. However, Steve is a foundation for Jaret as he keeps the oddity surrounding the Bachmann family concealed.The Bachmann family is full of secrets that reveal themselves as they search for the infamous Bachmann jewels, before they sell the mansion, along with all its creepy vibes. There is plenty of strangeness, like an attic door that cannot be opened, rumors around town that the mansion is haunted, and Jaret’s encounters with the disparate grandfathers.The Bachmann Family Secret is a decent ghost story derived from family secrets and sad unfortunate events melded with a first-time young adult romance. The family has its interesting quirks, but you can sense the familial bond that overrides it all.
