Review: Slightly Unrealistic, but a Compelling, Gripping Read for those who like Paranormal/ Horror
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 4, 2014
Summary: Stacy Cutlett, a high school senior, has a lot more to deal with than normal teen drama, though there's plenty of that too. She's got an identical twin sister who's been acting shady lately, a kid brother who finds an evil ancient book in a mysterious cave, and a high school that may be losing students to a murderous demon.Random (neutral) comments: I'd categorize the book more as horror than paranormal, but that's splitting hairs.The book contains enough casual cursing to make me hesitate ever recommending it to a young teen, though I suppose upper YA and NA people still fit the target audience.Most of the characters sound the same regardless of age or gender. Stacy, the main protatonist, sounds slightly more unique.Could be improved:Several character actions and reactions don't seem authentic. For example, there's a mishap in a chemistry class lab and the teacher tells the students to continue with the lab while she takes care of the situation. I guess people react in different ways, but I am a chemistry teacher and this lady's response just didn't ring true. Another example is that the cop wanting to talk to Stacy calls her at home first. I'm not a cop but I think most cops want to get a feel for how somebody's responding to their questions. There's a stronger example of a terrible cop reaction later but I'll refrain from divulging to keep out spoilers.Several plot points are gigantic coincidences. (Todd's discovery, Todd's search for answers, Meg's relationship with her mysterious friend(s), Stacy and Todd's search for answers later, etc)Neutral: $0.99 is a reasonable price for the size story it is.Good: The book is reasonably well-written with a mix of long and short chapters. The ending (last 15 ish pages) contains a nice amount of suspense and action yet has a satisfactory conclusion. It's not exactly a feel good book, but it keeps one reading and doesn't drop the reader in the end. Nice job.Conclusion: It's a compelling read if you can suspend disbelief for some of the ordinary events. (Of course, you have to suspend disbelief where the demon descriptions are concerned, but I'm talking about the reactions of a lot of the adults - parents, professors, teachers, cops - in the book.) I stand by my claim that it's a decent book and you should give it a chance.