Review: Meaty Backstory Goodness!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 6, 2012
****SPOILER ALERT!!***Halle has done it again. Every time I think I have connected to her books in such a deep and meaningful way I can't go any deeper, Halle writes something that touches my soul. Throughout the EIT series Perry has resonated with me. Despite not having the talk to ghosts and being terrorized by demons (nasty coworkers none-withstanding) thing that Perry endures, I connect with her character in a way that astounds me. And Old Blood showed me why. Because, again despite the whole ghost and demon thing, Pippa and I are surprisingly similar, similar events in our lives, men who betrayed us in a certain way etc. And this is why Halle's characters are so larger than life. They feel so real because they could be you. She puts such life and soul into her characters the supernatural stuff starts to sound extremely plausible too. And incredibly freaky.The revelations in this novella shook me to the core. The tragedy of Pippa's life and how nothing really even happened the way she dreamed was heart-breaking but the real sticking point for me was her daughter, Ingrid who also happens to be Perry's mom. That girl knew something was up with her mom from day one and never let her forget it. And committed her! The same act she is not trying to pull on Perry. Honestly, she makes me sick and she should be the one locked up for being a heartless bitch. But since I'm not the author I will just have to wait to see how this all plays out. However, Pippa is right to be cautious and worried for Perry.I loved Pippa and Dex's relationship, but it also opened up several more questions. Like how and why Dex can repressed his second sight (for lack of a better term) side. And was his mother afflicted which lead her to drink? Does he shun it because of his mother or did Pippa's decline frighten him into repressing it? And how did Perry and Dex come to be, did Pippa intercede like she wanted to or did Fate really want the two of them together? They are, after all, perfect for each other, being two people with these abilities and thus the perfect match. Something Pippa could never find. No wonder she wants that understanding in her granddaughter's life. Especially since it seems Pippa caused Perry's ability to ricochet up a notch having pulled her into the Otherside when she was six.The background in this story is amazing and very eye-opening. And sad. Hard to not feel grief for poor Pippa. But also a little resentment. She is the one who put Perry in this place to begin with. But it was because she lived her whole life separate and alone and just wanted to reach out to a part she felt connected to, like he felt connected to Dex. I think that separation hurt her a lot.But now there are more questions: Will Dex and Perry ever learn Pippa's true story? Is Perry's grandfather still alive and would he somehow come into her life? Will Perry's mom react against her daughters like she did her own mother? Will Dex reveal to Perry the extent of his relationship with Pippa. Because everything revolves around this poor tragic woman and the bad choices she made.The bonus at the end of this book of the first chapter of Into the Hollow made my heart soar. I can not wait for October so I can find out what happens next to Perry and Dex. In the mean time, I have the Dex Files to keep me company.