Review: Pretty good.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 27, 2012
From Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance BlogAt a GlanceIt took me quite some time to get into this book, but once I did I enjoyed it and all its creepy glory.The GoodAfter accepting a ride home from a stranger, Sam and Lloyd find themselves trapped in a mansion by a deviant madman. With Lloyd catatonic with fear, it's up to Sam to get them out of this mess. If only there wasn't a twenty foot fence keeping them within the property and within the kidnapper's grasp.The Long Weekend was pretty good once it got going. It became very intense once Sam realized that this strange man was not there to entertain them but to do horrible, unspeakable things to them. His best friend Lloyd, being too trusting, lets the stranger separate them into two different rooms, and that's when things really go downhill. Barely escaping the madman's demented plans, Sam is now on a mission to find Lloyd and get them out before they both get killed.I really respected Sam for his tenacity and bravery, especially since he is only 11 years old. He takes charge, risking his life to save his friend and trying to find a way out of their ordeal. Even when Lloyd withdraws into himself, Sam never leaves him behind.  His resourcefulness was astounding. Without Sam's strong determination, I don't think either boy would have had a chance of surviving.I was truly scared for both the boys. We knew so little about the man that took them that I didn't know what to expect from him. This book really plays on your emotions. I went from anxious, to sickened, to hopeful, then aggravated as the story went on. And the ending was perfect. Nothing was left unanswered, it wrapped things up 100%. I still have chills just thinking back to this book.The BadI read the first 3 pages and put this book down and did not pick it up for about a week. I know this is not a YA book but the main character is 11 years old so the writing is very childlike since we are in his point of view. It made it very hard to get into the story. Also, there was way too much backstory in the beginning. I get why Kalhan did it that way, but it really gave a bad first impression.The SnugglyThis book contains implied child molestation, nothing graphic but very unsettling.OverallThe Long Weekend was a powerful and shocking read once it got to the meat of the story. Sometimes it was hard to take, knowing what these boys were going through, but it happens in real life so it's not unrealistic. This thriller was a quick read that left me breathless. Recommended for horror/thriller readers.Quote"Fear made you cold. It made you tremble. Anger made you hot. It made you want to hurt someone."