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postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated Everless in Books
Jan 9, 2018
The estate of Everless is formidible in Sempera. For Jules it is a symbol of what life was. Both she and her father had been cast out several years before and now live in squalor in the village of Compton, struggling to survive. In Sempera however there is a way to make money, it is terrible and dangerous and has brought her father close to death - blood iron. Time distilled through bloodletting. An hour, day or even a year can be taken but clearly with a toll for those who rely on it to as a means to survive on only the most basic of means. When an opportunity arises to gain work on the Everless estate, Jules sees an opportunity to lift her and her father out of debt, as long as she can remain unnoticed by the Gerling children, her childhood playmates. However, the work being offered is preparing the estate for the upcoming wedding of her childhood beau Roan and the Queen of Sempera's Ward, Ina; will Jules be able to stay away from her past?
As Jules becomes more embroiled in the wedding preparations she finds herself forging an unlikely friendship with Ina and stumbling down a path that reveals more about her past than she ever could have imagined and also a danger which shakes her to the very core.
Everless for me was a really enjoyable read. When I read the first chapter, I had to eye roll massively as we start out with Jules, the young female protagonist out as a huntress in the forest, searching for food for survival, this was thankfully one of only a few tropes and it quickly found it's own feet. Despite the shaky start for me, Jules is an immensely likeable character. She feels horribly wronged by the Gerlings and with good reason, she saved Roan's life, but in one of Everless's best kept secrets she was simply blamed for the burning down of her fathers forge on the estate and they had to flee. Her father, once highly skilled, has now suffered so greatly by the giving of time through blood iron that he hangs on by barely a thread. She shows immense bravery by wanting to attend the blood letters herself to pay the rent debt, but like so many things in the story her best intentions are always taken out of her hands. Only just 17 and having been treated so badly in the past, she is incredibly trusting, despite outwardly projecting otherwise. I was surprised how easily she was able to forge friendships, however there is much to be said for solidarity.
Her inquisitiveness far outweighs her common sense though and despite many warnings she continues to follow a path of investigating her heritage born out by a strange ability to slow the passing of time when she is emotionally heightened. The twists and revelations in relation to this are fantastic, there was so much I didn't see coming and I really enjoyed the excursions out of the Everless Estate (perhaps a lovely map wouldn't go amiss in book 2) which really helped prevent the story becoming stagnant in a single setting.
Everless was a huge page turner for me, I really love this kind of traditional fantasy and although there were a few points that didn't really work for me (like why would she throw away a year blood iron into the lake a breath after saying she would search through the mud if she has lost one) for the majority I found the story to be utterly engaging with a huge amount of originality. I am looking forward to hopefully having some aspects of the story explored further in book 2 as the true story of Jules's heritage for me was captivating
As Jules becomes more embroiled in the wedding preparations she finds herself forging an unlikely friendship with Ina and stumbling down a path that reveals more about her past than she ever could have imagined and also a danger which shakes her to the very core.
Everless for me was a really enjoyable read. When I read the first chapter, I had to eye roll massively as we start out with Jules, the young female protagonist out as a huntress in the forest, searching for food for survival, this was thankfully one of only a few tropes and it quickly found it's own feet. Despite the shaky start for me, Jules is an immensely likeable character. She feels horribly wronged by the Gerlings and with good reason, she saved Roan's life, but in one of Everless's best kept secrets she was simply blamed for the burning down of her fathers forge on the estate and they had to flee. Her father, once highly skilled, has now suffered so greatly by the giving of time through blood iron that he hangs on by barely a thread. She shows immense bravery by wanting to attend the blood letters herself to pay the rent debt, but like so many things in the story her best intentions are always taken out of her hands. Only just 17 and having been treated so badly in the past, she is incredibly trusting, despite outwardly projecting otherwise. I was surprised how easily she was able to forge friendships, however there is much to be said for solidarity.
Her inquisitiveness far outweighs her common sense though and despite many warnings she continues to follow a path of investigating her heritage born out by a strange ability to slow the passing of time when she is emotionally heightened. The twists and revelations in relation to this are fantastic, there was so much I didn't see coming and I really enjoyed the excursions out of the Everless Estate (perhaps a lovely map wouldn't go amiss in book 2) which really helped prevent the story becoming stagnant in a single setting.
Everless was a huge page turner for me, I really love this kind of traditional fantasy and although there were a few points that didn't really work for me (like why would she throw away a year blood iron into the lake a breath after saying she would search through the mud if she has lost one) for the majority I found the story to be utterly engaging with a huge amount of originality. I am looking forward to hopefully having some aspects of the story explored further in book 2 as the true story of Jules's heritage for me was captivating
Darren (1599 KP) rated Skinwalkers (2007) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Skinwalkers starts as Varek (Behr) leads the hunt for a young boy for his werewolf pack, joined by Sonja (Malthe) he learns the location of Timothy (Knight) which takes him to small town to collect him.
Varek didn’t count on Timothy being under the watch of another prepared werewolf pack led by Jonas (Koteas) and his daughter-in-law Rachel (Mitra) who wasn’t ready to learn the truth that on Tim’s 13th birthday everything changes in the battle.
Thoughts on Skinwalkers
Characters – Varek is the leader of the werewolf pack that wants Timothy dead to stop the event he will cause, he hunts calmly through the film knowing how to get ahead of his enemies, though he is unaware of his connection to the child. Jonas has been protecting his nephew for years now, knowing what he means to the species, he has built the team his truss around him to make sure he is safe. Rachel is the mother of Timothy, she thinks he is just a normal kid and that she lives in a normal town, he must learn fast how to cope in this world filled with werewolves and protect her son. Sonja is the deadliest fighter on Varek side of the war, she enjoys hurting people and we see her take pleasure in this.
Performances – Jason Behr as the conflicted werewolf is good to watch, he shines on the bad boy side of this story, though when he must show the other side of the emotions we see him struggle at times. Elias Koteas is strong for his role which is one that we often see him in. Rhona Mitra does well in the reluctant heroes being the strong need to learn to battle mother figure in the film. everyone else in the film is fine without needing to be anything special, they fit their roles well to help the story flow.
Story – The story here follows two warring werewolf packs that know the importance of a child for both their existences, so basically something we have seen before only with a modern style to it. The fact the story does feel like an introduction to a much big world building idea is promising and while it isn’t the film’s fault we didn’t see the next chapter, it does show us how story telling can think ahead of time. If we are being honest this is a by the book storyline, it doesn’t bring us anything new to the werewolf mythology it just tries to keep it in the modern world.
Action/Fantasy/Horror – The action sequences are mixed bag because we have shoot-out which are routine and lack the peril for certain characters, while the fights show the effects that two werewolves fighting would have on each other. The fantasy world of werewolves living among humans is nicely done, showing two sides to them, though the horror does seem weak because we never feel terrified by what we are seeing.
Settings – The film uses the settings in a mix of quality and generic, the small town gets the big surprise with everyone being part of the protection, then we hit the road and its nothing we haven’t seen before.
Special Effects – The effects for the werewolves and wounds look nice, its just most are hidden from the full effect of the shock.
Scene of the Movie – Town stand off.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – There are a few blink and you miss it moments.
Final Thoughts –This is a by the book werewolf film, it has good moments, it has forgettable moments and ends up feeling like the pilot for a television show.
Overall: The werewolf genre done safely.
Varek didn’t count on Timothy being under the watch of another prepared werewolf pack led by Jonas (Koteas) and his daughter-in-law Rachel (Mitra) who wasn’t ready to learn the truth that on Tim’s 13th birthday everything changes in the battle.
Thoughts on Skinwalkers
Characters – Varek is the leader of the werewolf pack that wants Timothy dead to stop the event he will cause, he hunts calmly through the film knowing how to get ahead of his enemies, though he is unaware of his connection to the child. Jonas has been protecting his nephew for years now, knowing what he means to the species, he has built the team his truss around him to make sure he is safe. Rachel is the mother of Timothy, she thinks he is just a normal kid and that she lives in a normal town, he must learn fast how to cope in this world filled with werewolves and protect her son. Sonja is the deadliest fighter on Varek side of the war, she enjoys hurting people and we see her take pleasure in this.
Performances – Jason Behr as the conflicted werewolf is good to watch, he shines on the bad boy side of this story, though when he must show the other side of the emotions we see him struggle at times. Elias Koteas is strong for his role which is one that we often see him in. Rhona Mitra does well in the reluctant heroes being the strong need to learn to battle mother figure in the film. everyone else in the film is fine without needing to be anything special, they fit their roles well to help the story flow.
Story – The story here follows two warring werewolf packs that know the importance of a child for both their existences, so basically something we have seen before only with a modern style to it. The fact the story does feel like an introduction to a much big world building idea is promising and while it isn’t the film’s fault we didn’t see the next chapter, it does show us how story telling can think ahead of time. If we are being honest this is a by the book storyline, it doesn’t bring us anything new to the werewolf mythology it just tries to keep it in the modern world.
Action/Fantasy/Horror – The action sequences are mixed bag because we have shoot-out which are routine and lack the peril for certain characters, while the fights show the effects that two werewolves fighting would have on each other. The fantasy world of werewolves living among humans is nicely done, showing two sides to them, though the horror does seem weak because we never feel terrified by what we are seeing.
Settings – The film uses the settings in a mix of quality and generic, the small town gets the big surprise with everyone being part of the protection, then we hit the road and its nothing we haven’t seen before.
Special Effects – The effects for the werewolves and wounds look nice, its just most are hidden from the full effect of the shock.
Scene of the Movie – Town stand off.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – There are a few blink and you miss it moments.
Final Thoughts –This is a by the book werewolf film, it has good moments, it has forgettable moments and ends up feeling like the pilot for a television show.
Overall: The werewolf genre done safely.
The China Factor: Leveraging Emerging Business Strategies to Compete, Grow, and Win in the New Global Economy
Wiley, Amy Karam and Ken Wilcox
Book
The Innovation of Globalization proven strategies to succeed and out-compete emerging competition...
For Scrabble Lovers
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Canadian author Susin Nielsen continues to entertain children with her latest novel Word Nerd. Similarly with characters from previous novels, the pre-teen Ambrose is a bit of a misfit. With a deathly peanut allergy and an over protective parent who travels from job to job, Ambrose never manages to make any friends. Now settled in Vancouver, Ambrose is the happiest he has ever been. He is homeschooled away from all the bullies, has made a friend and found a passion in Scrabble. However, he has to keep all of this secret from his mother.
Ambrose is a funny, intelligent narrator who draws the reader in from the very first line: “The day I almost died…” Like many children who do not fit in with peers at school, Ambrose’s passions lie within less conventional past times, i.e. playing Scrabble. Able to quickly pull out several words from a jumble of letters – emphasized by the anagram chapter headings – he is overjoyed to learn of a nearby Scrabble club and knows just the person to accompany him.
Cosmo is a character that younger readers may struggle to come to terms with. An ex-convict and recovering drug addict, Cosmo also enjoys playing Scrabble and is persuaded by his annoying neighbour – Ambrose – to go to the club. An unconventional friendship sparks between the two of them, both unintentionally helping the other out. Cosmo encourages Ambrose to stand up to the bullies, whereas having a child around keeps Cosmo away from the things that resulted in a prison sentence. Despite the positives in this relationship, Ambrose’s mother believes Cosmo to be completely untrustworthy.
Although Ambrose and Cosmo are the main characters in Word Nerd, Ambrose’s mother maintains an important role. Having lost her husband suddenly and unexpectedly, she must have been terrified to learn of Ambrose’s peanut allergy. In order to prevent her son from leaving her as well, she has become overprotective and controlling, denying Ambrose the right to live his own life.
Some readers may have experienced similar situations either at school or with their parents. Word Nerd, whilst being a form of entertainment, explains the potential reasons behind these scenarios, helping children to understand what may be occurring in their lives. It also highlights the dangers of drug addictions and crime, but also suggests that people can change their ways.
Word Nerd, whilst voiced by a twelve year old, is more appropriate for readers in their teens. Ambrose is very mature at such a young age, and the book contains subjects of drugs and violence as well as mild sexual references. What Susin Nielsen has produced is an amusing story with a powerful message. Both entertaining and insightful, Word Nerd is perhaps Nielsen’s best novel yet.
Canadian author Susin Nielsen continues to entertain children with her latest novel Word Nerd. Similarly with characters from previous novels, the pre-teen Ambrose is a bit of a misfit. With a deathly peanut allergy and an over protective parent who travels from job to job, Ambrose never manages to make any friends. Now settled in Vancouver, Ambrose is the happiest he has ever been. He is homeschooled away from all the bullies, has made a friend and found a passion in Scrabble. However, he has to keep all of this secret from his mother.
Ambrose is a funny, intelligent narrator who draws the reader in from the very first line: “The day I almost died…” Like many children who do not fit in with peers at school, Ambrose’s passions lie within less conventional past times, i.e. playing Scrabble. Able to quickly pull out several words from a jumble of letters – emphasized by the anagram chapter headings – he is overjoyed to learn of a nearby Scrabble club and knows just the person to accompany him.
Cosmo is a character that younger readers may struggle to come to terms with. An ex-convict and recovering drug addict, Cosmo also enjoys playing Scrabble and is persuaded by his annoying neighbour – Ambrose – to go to the club. An unconventional friendship sparks between the two of them, both unintentionally helping the other out. Cosmo encourages Ambrose to stand up to the bullies, whereas having a child around keeps Cosmo away from the things that resulted in a prison sentence. Despite the positives in this relationship, Ambrose’s mother believes Cosmo to be completely untrustworthy.
Although Ambrose and Cosmo are the main characters in Word Nerd, Ambrose’s mother maintains an important role. Having lost her husband suddenly and unexpectedly, she must have been terrified to learn of Ambrose’s peanut allergy. In order to prevent her son from leaving her as well, she has become overprotective and controlling, denying Ambrose the right to live his own life.
Some readers may have experienced similar situations either at school or with their parents. Word Nerd, whilst being a form of entertainment, explains the potential reasons behind these scenarios, helping children to understand what may be occurring in their lives. It also highlights the dangers of drug addictions and crime, but also suggests that people can change their ways.
Word Nerd, whilst voiced by a twelve year old, is more appropriate for readers in their teens. Ambrose is very mature at such a young age, and the book contains subjects of drugs and violence as well as mild sexual references. What Susin Nielsen has produced is an amusing story with a powerful message. Both entertaining and insightful, Word Nerd is perhaps Nielsen’s best novel yet.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Girls' Night Out in Books
Mar 10, 2019
Hokey & irritating, but has its intriguing moments
Natalie, Ashley, and Lauren have been friends since college, but lately their friendship has been showing a lot of strain. In fact, the trio has been estranged from Lauren for a year. So Ashley gets the idea for a girls' trip to Tulum, Mexico to help repair their friendship and mend fences. But once there, they find that fixing things isn't so easy. Each woman brings so much baggage and anger to the friendship. Natalie is angry at Ashley regarding the beauty business, BloMe, that they founded together. Lauren holds a grudge with Ashley relating to the death of her husband, Geoff. Both Natalie and Lauren are angry at themselves for letting their worlds revolve around Ashley. And their anger simmers even more when Ashley starts spending more time with Marco, a man she meets in Mexico, then with them. Suddenly, Ashley disappears. Did she run away with Marco? Was she kidnapped? Or--Natalie and Lauren fear--did they snap in anger at Ashley and harm her?
I had never read anything by the Fenton and Steinke writing team but had heard good things, so decided to try this one out. Its format takes a little getting used to: it switches in both time and narration, so you'll get Ashley, three days before the disappearance, and then the next chapter could be Lauren, two days after the disappearance. Once you get in the groove, it works pretty well, and builds suspense fairly effectively. Pieces of the story are slowly revealed, as we both don't know what happened to divide the friends in their friendship and, of course, don't know what happened to make Ashley disappear.
Honestly, I had just enough curiosity to find out what happened to Ashley that kept me reading. This was an interesting novel and certainly tense and intriguing, but I couldn't muster much interest or sympathy in these characters. Man, these women were just awful! I would not want a single one of them as my friend, that's for sure. Their friendship problems seemed petty, overblown, and childish, and I lost patience and interest with their myriad issues. There was just so much constant bickering. Bickering, drinking, more fighting, drinking, some more fighting. Ugh. They were so overly dramatic and even worse, most of the chapters would end with a sentence that had such an overblown "dramatic flair" to it that I found myself rolling my eyes at times.
A lot of the book just felt hokey, and I found myself wanting them to just go home and get their own lives (although their husbands didn't seem much better, honestly). Still, as mentioned, the reveals are interesting, and there is enough interest in what happened to Ashley to keep you reading. If you can get past the irritating characters, you'll be intrigued, albeit potentially annoyed.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
I had never read anything by the Fenton and Steinke writing team but had heard good things, so decided to try this one out. Its format takes a little getting used to: it switches in both time and narration, so you'll get Ashley, three days before the disappearance, and then the next chapter could be Lauren, two days after the disappearance. Once you get in the groove, it works pretty well, and builds suspense fairly effectively. Pieces of the story are slowly revealed, as we both don't know what happened to divide the friends in their friendship and, of course, don't know what happened to make Ashley disappear.
Honestly, I had just enough curiosity to find out what happened to Ashley that kept me reading. This was an interesting novel and certainly tense and intriguing, but I couldn't muster much interest or sympathy in these characters. Man, these women were just awful! I would not want a single one of them as my friend, that's for sure. Their friendship problems seemed petty, overblown, and childish, and I lost patience and interest with their myriad issues. There was just so much constant bickering. Bickering, drinking, more fighting, drinking, some more fighting. Ugh. They were so overly dramatic and even worse, most of the chapters would end with a sentence that had such an overblown "dramatic flair" to it that I found myself rolling my eyes at times.
A lot of the book just felt hokey, and I found myself wanting them to just go home and get their own lives (although their husbands didn't seem much better, honestly). Still, as mentioned, the reveals are interesting, and there is enough interest in what happened to Ashley to keep you reading. If you can get past the irritating characters, you'll be intrigued, albeit potentially annoyed.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Canadian author Susin Nielsen continues to entertain children with her latest novel<i> Word Nerd</i>. Similarly with characters from previous novels, the pre-teen Ambrose is a bit of a misfit. With a deathly peanut allergy and an over protective parent who travels from job to job, Ambrose never manages to make any friends. Now settled in Vancouver, Ambrose is the happiest he has ever been. He is homeschooled away from all the bullies, has made a friend and found a passion in Scrabble. However, he has to keep all of this secret from his mother.
Ambrose is a funny, intelligent narrator who draws the reader in from the very first line: “The day I almost died…” Like many children who do not fit in with peers at school, Ambrose’s passions lie within less conventional past times, i.e. playing Scrabble. Able to quickly pull out several words from a jumble of letters – emphasized by the anagram chapter headings – he is overjoyed to learn of a nearby Scrabble club and knows just the person to accompany him.
Cosmo is a character that younger readers may struggle to come to terms with. An ex-convict and recovering drug addict, Cosmo also enjoys playing Scrabble and is persuaded by his annoying neighbour – Ambrose – to go to the club. An unconventional friendship sparks between the two of them, both unintentionally helping the other out. Cosmo encourages Ambrose to stand up to the bullies, whereas having a child around keeps Cosmo away from the things that resulted in a prison sentence. Despite the positives in this relationship, Ambrose’s mother believes Cosmo to be completely untrustworthy.
Although Ambrose and Cosmo are the main characters in <i>Word Nerd</i>, Ambrose’s mother maintains an important role. Having lost her husband suddenly and unexpectedly, she must have been terrified to learn of Ambrose’s peanut allergy. In order to prevent her son from leaving her as well, she has become overprotective and controlling, denying Ambrose the right to live his own life.
Some readers may have experienced similar situations either at school or with their parents. Word Nerd, whilst being a form of entertainment, explains the potential reasons behind these scenarios, helping children to understand what may be occurring in their lives. It also highlights the dangers of drug addictions and crime, but also suggests that people can change their ways.
<i>Word Nerd</i>, whilst voiced by a twelve year old, is more appropriate for readers in their teens. Ambrose is very mature at such a young age, and the book contains subjects of drugs and violence as well as mild sexual references. What Susin Nielsen has produced is an amusing story with a powerful message. Both entertaining and insightful, <i>Word Nerd</i> is perhaps Nielsen’s best novel yet.
Canadian author Susin Nielsen continues to entertain children with her latest novel<i> Word Nerd</i>. Similarly with characters from previous novels, the pre-teen Ambrose is a bit of a misfit. With a deathly peanut allergy and an over protective parent who travels from job to job, Ambrose never manages to make any friends. Now settled in Vancouver, Ambrose is the happiest he has ever been. He is homeschooled away from all the bullies, has made a friend and found a passion in Scrabble. However, he has to keep all of this secret from his mother.
Ambrose is a funny, intelligent narrator who draws the reader in from the very first line: “The day I almost died…” Like many children who do not fit in with peers at school, Ambrose’s passions lie within less conventional past times, i.e. playing Scrabble. Able to quickly pull out several words from a jumble of letters – emphasized by the anagram chapter headings – he is overjoyed to learn of a nearby Scrabble club and knows just the person to accompany him.
Cosmo is a character that younger readers may struggle to come to terms with. An ex-convict and recovering drug addict, Cosmo also enjoys playing Scrabble and is persuaded by his annoying neighbour – Ambrose – to go to the club. An unconventional friendship sparks between the two of them, both unintentionally helping the other out. Cosmo encourages Ambrose to stand up to the bullies, whereas having a child around keeps Cosmo away from the things that resulted in a prison sentence. Despite the positives in this relationship, Ambrose’s mother believes Cosmo to be completely untrustworthy.
Although Ambrose and Cosmo are the main characters in <i>Word Nerd</i>, Ambrose’s mother maintains an important role. Having lost her husband suddenly and unexpectedly, she must have been terrified to learn of Ambrose’s peanut allergy. In order to prevent her son from leaving her as well, she has become overprotective and controlling, denying Ambrose the right to live his own life.
Some readers may have experienced similar situations either at school or with their parents. Word Nerd, whilst being a form of entertainment, explains the potential reasons behind these scenarios, helping children to understand what may be occurring in their lives. It also highlights the dangers of drug addictions and crime, but also suggests that people can change their ways.
<i>Word Nerd</i>, whilst voiced by a twelve year old, is more appropriate for readers in their teens. Ambrose is very mature at such a young age, and the book contains subjects of drugs and violence as well as mild sexual references. What Susin Nielsen has produced is an amusing story with a powerful message. Both entertaining and insightful, <i>Word Nerd</i> is perhaps Nielsen’s best novel yet.
My rating: 3.5
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
Erin Eveland is known for her short horror stories but she has moved onto writing novels with <i>Darkness</i> being her first of a series. It was not scary in the way that horror books are generally perceived to be but it did contain a good deal of paranormal ideas.
It begins when the main character, Catherine, is six years old and living with her grandmother. She is constantly haunted by an unseen presence, a nameless terror, which worries her grandmother immensely. Very suddenly, Catherine’s grandmother suffers a fatal heart attack and Catherine ends up being removed from her well looked after home to a dirty trailer park to live with her alcoholic mother. The novel then fast-forwards ten years to a time when Catherine is mostly fending for herself and her mother never goes a day sober. The terrors of her childhood have all but been forgotten but Catherine is beginning to remember and have similar experiences all over again. These incidents increase with the mysterious appearance of a man named Jorgen who insists he wants to protect Catherine. Meanwhile, Nathan, a friend of Catherine, comes into contact with an intriguing man in black who begins to teach him about colours and Darkness – something which could have done with a little more detail. Unbeknownst to Nathan, his dealings with this man may result in harming Catherine, especially as the two friends begin to see odd moving shapes – shadow creatures.
For a while there appeared to be a very thin line between heroes and villains as it took some time to work out the intentions of Jorgen and Artros (the man in black). The novel would have benefitted with more description about these characters: who they are or more importantly, what they are, as well as the significance of the shadow creatures.
Although it was good to be introduced to the paranormal aspects right at the start, this resulted in lessening the amount of foreboding and dread throughout the main bulk of the novel. Even though <i>Darkness</i> is the first in a series, it did not feel that it was properly starting until nearer the end. On finishing, the reader still does not know much about the shadow creatures or what the Darkness is. Presumably the sequel will be more enlightening.
<i>Darkness</i> is sub-titled “An Interactive Novel” and includes Quick Response codes at the beginning of each chapter to heighten the reading experience with the interactive addition of art and music. Of course to benefit from this a smart phone is required (I do not have one therefore cannot comment further on this feature).
Overall, <i>Darkness</i> is a well-written book full of originality that has the potential to become an exciting young adult series.
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
Erin Eveland is known for her short horror stories but she has moved onto writing novels with <i>Darkness</i> being her first of a series. It was not scary in the way that horror books are generally perceived to be but it did contain a good deal of paranormal ideas.
It begins when the main character, Catherine, is six years old and living with her grandmother. She is constantly haunted by an unseen presence, a nameless terror, which worries her grandmother immensely. Very suddenly, Catherine’s grandmother suffers a fatal heart attack and Catherine ends up being removed from her well looked after home to a dirty trailer park to live with her alcoholic mother. The novel then fast-forwards ten years to a time when Catherine is mostly fending for herself and her mother never goes a day sober. The terrors of her childhood have all but been forgotten but Catherine is beginning to remember and have similar experiences all over again. These incidents increase with the mysterious appearance of a man named Jorgen who insists he wants to protect Catherine. Meanwhile, Nathan, a friend of Catherine, comes into contact with an intriguing man in black who begins to teach him about colours and Darkness – something which could have done with a little more detail. Unbeknownst to Nathan, his dealings with this man may result in harming Catherine, especially as the two friends begin to see odd moving shapes – shadow creatures.
For a while there appeared to be a very thin line between heroes and villains as it took some time to work out the intentions of Jorgen and Artros (the man in black). The novel would have benefitted with more description about these characters: who they are or more importantly, what they are, as well as the significance of the shadow creatures.
Although it was good to be introduced to the paranormal aspects right at the start, this resulted in lessening the amount of foreboding and dread throughout the main bulk of the novel. Even though <i>Darkness</i> is the first in a series, it did not feel that it was properly starting until nearer the end. On finishing, the reader still does not know much about the shadow creatures or what the Darkness is. Presumably the sequel will be more enlightening.
<i>Darkness</i> is sub-titled “An Interactive Novel” and includes Quick Response codes at the beginning of each chapter to heighten the reading experience with the interactive addition of art and music. Of course to benefit from this a smart phone is required (I do not have one therefore cannot comment further on this feature).
Overall, <i>Darkness</i> is a well-written book full of originality that has the potential to become an exciting young adult series.
Reading Trainer for iPhone
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