Review: the most poorly written book I have ever read
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 12 5, 2011
This is the first time I have ever given a book a one star rating but it was terrible, I found myself skipping pages hoping I would finally find a part where it started to improve.  I could not believe this author is supposed to be an established writer as it read as if it was the first attempt by a hopeful teenaged writer.I was left with the impression that the author wanted to make it as "exciting" as possible and thus threw in event after event without wasting time on such details as good character development.  Descriptions were horrendous such as "... she was happy with her cheerleader-like looks and athletic body" for the description of the main character, Jessica, in the book.There were also jarring word usages that did not fit in with what little characterization we were given.  For example, a policeman who up until this point in the book has spoken in fairly standard English suddenly tells Jessica, "You might be heroes," Patterson frowned, "but I'm still angry at how you disrespected me."As a further example of how the dialogue in this book progresses, Patterson then complains about how much paperwork he will have because of Jessica.  Jessica looks out the window and replies "Sorry. Please don't take it personally."  There is a lot of that snippiness in the book from the main characters who we are apparently supposed to respect for their tenacity in keeping going when everyone else is going into hysterics and making false accusations.Then there is the fact that perhaps it would have been easier to suspend disbelief and accept such things as the "coincidence" that leads Jessica to find out about the job in Salem and the willingness of her parents to allow her to accept a job that she was hired for over the phone without the person hiring her knowing anything about her other than she was an almost 18 year old girl who lived two states away.  Or the fact that once there, Jessica meets two girls who behave questionably and yet almost immediately considers them to be trustworthy friends and thus is willing to go into a cemetary crypt at night with them after knowing them less than one day.  Jessica is repeatedly talked out of calling the police for help when one of the new friends disappears by the other new friend who appears less than stable (to put it mildly.)Yes, Jessica, who repeatedly shows a lack of judgement and whose only growth in the story is a willingness to accept that the supernatural actually is real is the main character of the story.  I was never able to identify with her or any other character in this story.  The only emotions this story caused in me were shock that this was not written by a brand new writer and relief when I reached the end.I do not recommend this book at all.