Review: Paranormal with a Twist - Not Just for Kids
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 21, 2013
I had a little trouble getting into this book at first. However, once I did it progressed nicely.I would classify Hallowed as YA Paranormal Fiction, but I say this mostly because the two main characters are teenagers. Other than that, this book should appeal to adults as well.Paul Graves is a likeable kid who lives in a small Texas town where not much happens. When a former childhood friend, Claudia (a Goth loner with some issues), moves back to town, Paul becomes her only friend. Soon after, a string of murders disrupts their sleepy town of Haven and Claudia begins tutoring Paul on the traits and techniques of the average serial killer. What starts out as a way to pass the time quickly becomes an activity that puts both Paul and Claudia in the crosshairs of a deranged killer.Author, Bryant Delafosse, manages to weave several subplots within the story, which adds to the mix nicely and eventually ties things together. He also does a nice job of explaining some factual bits of some common and not so common religious practices, rituals and traditions.  It was refreshing to read about Wicca, Spirituality and other Earth-based religions in a positive light for a change. The dialogue was believable, unlike some of the other YA novels I've read. Not once did I think, "a teenager would never say or do that".I enjoyed this book and I wanted to give it five stars, but just couldn't. There were several typos, which I found a little jarring. The ending went on longer than I thought was necessary, but I still honestly feel it earned the four star rating. I could see Hallowed becoming a movie (even if only as a made for television movie), as it certainly had more substance than many of the paranormal and suspense-style movies being made today. I would definitely recommend Hallowed to readers interested in paranormal mysteries.