Review: A step outside of my comfort zone
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 3, 2014
Hunter Shea's The Waiting isn't my typical type of read. Paranormal activity and an undercurrent of terror aren't generally selling points that ensure a story gets on my to-read list. And yet I don't regret reading the story; in fact, I enjoyed the book!The Waiting is part medical mystery, part a journal of the pain of watching a person who you love suffer and struggle to recover, and part spine-tingling paranormal tale."A small boy stood in the center of the hall . . . [his] face was expressionless. it was as if he were wearing a mask, and a damn good one at that."Shea's narrative is succinct, yet rich. The first chapter is brief, but shows a deep history between newlyweds Cassandra and Brian. The result is that, by the end of the first chapter, when Cassandra mysteriously collapses, there is a strong sense of investment and a desire to find out what happens next. Subsequent chapters are the same; Shea's storytelling is skillful.The threads of fear that run through The Waiting never knit together into a full tapestry of terror - and I'm glad for it. Not only because it would have scared me senseless, but because it's more tantalizing to be giving the teasing tidbits and let your mind do the rest.The Waiting is a short book and a quick read. I'm glad that I took a chance and side-stepped a little out of my comfort zone to read it.