Review: An incredibly compelling read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 11, 2013
J.J. Michael's smart and sleek paranormal thriller, `Five Days of Darkness', is right up there among the best, most compelling books in the genre. Intricately woven, with a plot so complicated yet so satisfying as it unravels, this novel will keep you up through the night and will haunt you through most of the following day.With genetic strands of Philip Dicke's "Minority Report", Michael's `Five Days of Darkness' is, at its heart, about a family just trying to survive and function. However, regardless of how much Serenity and Jack try to keep up, the needs of their severely autistic child, Charlie, seem to keep on rising. Add to that is the fact that the couple have different, opposing ways to cope with their child--Jack's reaction is to distance himself, while Serenity is living the opposite of her name's meaning and is actually beginning to suspect she might be slowly sliding down insanity when Charlie starts "speaking" to her--through telepathy. Charlie demands that they all get the help of a person named Sophia, who happens to be involved in an organization that the government considers terrorist. Worse, Jack, Charlie's dad, is tasked to eliminate the very people that Charlie relies on for help. What follows is a rollercoaster ride of sorts, with the author deftly building up the intensity and excitement with every chapter--so much that by the time you're hitting the climax, you feel like your head is spinning.You won't forget `Five Days of Darkness' even days after reading it--the story will haunt you. Reading it is like entering a labyrinth, with only the author's confident, experienced voice skilfully guiding you throughout. Michael's writing washes over you like warm rain, yet it also has the power to make icy stabs in the heart, especially in the novel's white-knuckled turns and edge-of-your-seat twists.I can't recommend `Five Days of Darkness too highly. It is one of those books you'll keep talking about with your friends, or end up sending as a gift to people you'd like to impress. It deserves the five stars it can get.