Review: Need to know what happens next!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2013
His dad having tragically disappeared on a hunting trip years ago, teenager Gavin has taken on the responsibility of providing for his brother and mother by following in his father's footsteps -- becoming one of the village hunters. Because the game in the forests surrounding their village is getting scarcer, Gavin and his hunting partner Conn, are determined to hunt on a "haunted island" just offshore where Gavin's certain the forests are teeming with wildlife. However, upon landing on the island's silent, foggy shores, both boys quickly discover that perhaps the rumors weren't entirely unfounded, and that there's something definitely "off" about this island.This short story is a prequel story to Souders' full-length novel, Renegade, which I have not read yet, and I must say A Dark Grave definitely piqued my already-high level of interest. Gavin is an empathetic figure and I definitely want to find out what happens to him. He's interesting, because while committed to protecting his family, but he's a bit of a risk-taker and he desperately misses his father. I'm also very eager to find out more about this world, as Souders creates a very eery, unsettling atmosphere in this short story. And if she can do that in several pages, I definitely want to see what she does with this world on a larger scale.Overall, I must know what happens next.