Dark Inside Book Review

Author: Jeyn Roberts. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9781442423510.

Annotation: As earthquakes ravage the world, four teens struggle to survive after an ancient evil is unleashed, turning people into calculating and homicidal monsters.

Personal thoughts:  Wow! This was one of those novels that I really could not put down. It was absolutely suspenseful from start to finish. The characters were well-developed and the plot was really well thought-out. I am very impressed with Jeyn Roberts, especially because this is her first publication! I highly recommend this novel to both teens and adults; it is excellent and appropriate for both groups! I am dying (no pun intended) for the sequel!   

Plot summary: The day begins like any other for four teens, Aries, Mason, Michael and Clementine, who live normal lives in different parts of the US. What these four, who have never met, don’t realize, however, is that their world is about to change forever. An earthquake of apocalyptical proportions ravages the west coast of America, destroying major cities including Los Angeles and Seattle. Similar earthquakes appear all over the globe, causing mass destruction and death. But the worst is yet to come. The earthquakes have unearthed an ancient evil: one that thinks and feels and is ready to hunt. Friends and family suddenly become homicidal, setting off bombs in schools, hospitals, and churches; murdering their sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers. Entire towns are executed at the hands of the few who seem to have become possessed with a maniacal force that speaks to them, telling them to carry out these horrendous acts. Aries, Mason, Michael and Clementine are each plunged headfirst into the horror that has taken control of the world and must survive as best they can. Their four stories will eventually overlap, but how and at what cost has yet to be determined.

Review:  Suspenseful and exciting from start to finish, this debut novel from author Jeyn Roberts makes for a must-read start to a new series for young adults that is perfect for those anticipating what the infamous year of 2012 will actually hold. The novel invokes many feelings and memories of famous apocalypse novels and movies of recent years, from Night of the Living Dead to The Road. Although some of the plot points are familiar, Dark Inside stands on its own as an original new take on the genre and would arguably make for a fantastic movie itself. The novel is told from the perspectives of all four teens and the additional voice of the Nothing. Although it is never clearly stated what the exact nature of the Nothing is, the reader comes to understand that the ancient evil that is ravaging the world is itself a co-narrator of the book. This makes for an intriguing twist as few apocalyptic stories actually give a voice to the means of the end. The other four narrators, Aries, Mason, Michael and Clementine, are all easy to root for and each has a unique backstory that allows to reader to genuinely care about their survival. Overall, Dark Inside is an absolute page-turner that any fan of apocalyptical or dystopian novels must read. The second novel in the series, Rage Within, will be released in September of 2012.

Genre: Science-fiction/Horror

Reading level: Grade 8+

Similar titles: The Road by Cormac McCarthy, The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch, Forest of Hands and Teeth series by Carrie Ryan, Blood Red Road by Moira Young.     

Themes:  Apocalypse, dystopian, possession, murder, survival.  

Awards/Reviews:  Positive reviews from VOYA.     

Series Information: First installment in Dark Inside series. Second novel, Rage Within, set to be released on September 4, 2012.     

Discussion questions:

- Who was your favorite of the five narrators? Why?

- What do you think the Nothing was?

- What do you think happened to make people become homicidal?

-  What would you have done if you were trying to survive the Baggers?

- What would you like to see happen in the sequel?

Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul Book Review

 Author: Leanna Renee Hieber. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire. ISBN: 9781402260520.

Annotation:  Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart’s father works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1880s New York City. When a strange new painting is brought to the museum, one that is rumored to be haunted, Natalie is captivated by the handsome, young Lord Denbury depicted on the canvas. Soon Natalie discovers that the rumors of the piece being alive are true, and that the painting is actually a prison, one that is holding Lord Denbury hostage.

Personal thoughts:  This novel was so full of things I loved that it almost seemed that Leanna Renee Hieber wrote it just for me! History, mythology, curses, romance, and the intriguing idea of someone being trapped in a painting…how could I not enjoy Darker Still? I was especially impressed with Hieber creating a leading lady with a very real disability. Natalie’s being mute played a role in the plot, but I also liked how Hieber took care to point out throughout the novel that she was a normal teenage girl despite the fact that she had to communicate via sign language. Overall, I really loved this novel and would highly recommend it to both teen and adult readers. I’m looking forward to the next installment in the series!  

Plot summary: At a young age, Natalie Stewart witnessed the death of her mother in a tragic accident and found herself unable to speak from then on. Now seventeen-years-old, Natalie’s existence is one of longing; yearning to live a normal life, have friends, and fall in love. The year is 1880, and Natalie’s father works for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. One day, Natalie and her father meet Mrs. Evelyn Northe, a wealthy and kind woman with an interest in spiritualism. Mrs. Northe, like Natalie, is fluent in sign language and the two become fast friends. Mrs. Northe informs Natalie and her father that a painting with a curious history has come into her possession. It seems that late Lord Denbury, the attractive, young man depicted on the canvas, is rumored to haunt the piece. Upon seeing the painting, Natalie is immediately captivated by Lord Denbury’s magnetic blue eyes and handsome features. Soon, however, Natalie realizes that there is more to her infatuation than just a love for brushstroke on canvas. Small changes in the painting catch her eye, and it seems that Lord Denbury is calling to her, begging her to reach out and touch the canvas. When she does, Natalie falls into a strange world, one inside the painting that has become a prison for the handsome Lord. It seems that an evil spell has trapped Lord Denbury’s soul, while his body acts as a vessel for a sinister spirit in the outside world. Will Natalie find a way to reverse the curse and save the man she finds herself falling for?

Review:  Author Leanna Renee Hieber describes herself as a “gateway drug” for young readers into the literature of the 19^th century, and her latest novel, Darker Still, proves to be an intoxicating plunge into Victorian New York City. Almost from the first page, the reader is immediately as enraptured in the story as the heroine, the mute Natalie Stewart, is with the mysterious depiction of Lord Denbury. The novel is full of many things: romance, mysticism, mythology, religion, mystery, and horror. The intricate world of the painting and exactly how Natalie and Lord Denbury fit into it keep the reader guessing as the plot unfolds. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable story that pays homage to such classics as Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. The author’s passion for the Victorian era is evident in her detailed and loving portrayal of gas lamp light streets, gowns, carriages, and corsets. The first in a new series, Darker Still makes for an excellent start to something original and entertaining for teen and adult readers who are fans of gothic novels, mystery and romance.

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

Reading level: Grade 8+

Similar titles: Entwined by Heather Dixon, Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel, The Poisoned House by Michael Ford, Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury.

Themes:  Curses, art, Victorian era, New York City, mythology, spiritualism, grief, demons.

Awards/Reviews:  Positive review from Kirkus and Booklist.

Series Information: First installment in Magic Most Foul series.

Discussion questions: 

- Why do you think Natalie was unable to speak after her mother’s death?

- Do you think it is common for people to assume that those who cannot hear or speak are “dumb” as Maggie’s friends assumed about Natalie?

- Can you name all of the cultures/mythologies that were described as being involved in Lord Denbury’s curse?

- What do you think “the Whisper” was?

- What would you like to see happen next in Natalie and Lord Denbury’s story?

After Obsession Book Review

Author: Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Bloomsbury USA Childrens. ISBN: 9781599906812.

Annotation:  Seventeen-year-old Aimee Avery is still struggling with her mother’s death years before, especially because she is worried that her prophetic dreams and strange healing abilities will make people think she’s as crazy as they thought her mother was. Her recent dreams have been pointing to impending danger in her small Maine town and the arrival of a boy with dark hair and tan skin. When Alan Parsons moves from his home in Oklahoma and meets Aimee, she soon realizes that he is the one she has been dreaming about, and that he is in danger.

Personal thoughts:  Although I did find myself genuinely spooked out from time to time, my overall feeling after finishing After Obsession was that it was simple okay. I really liked the River Man/possession concepts, but I was a little too distracted by the overwhelming hokey vibes that Alan’s Navajo rituals/traditions gave off. As a huge fan of Navajo culture, I think it would have been much more pleasing to not chalk up Alan’s faith in his heritage to frequent visits to websites that apparently instruct readers in how to be a proper Native American. I really felt like this put a damper on Alan’s powers, and since they are such an important part of the plot, kept me from really enjoying the novel. As a sidenote, the Cheeto in the shape of Marilyn Monroe was utterly out of left-field in an otherwise serious storyline.  

Plot summary: Seventeen-year-old Aimee Avery’s seemingly happy existence is a facade: still struggling to cope with her mother’s apparent suicide years before, Aimee must now help her best friend, Courtney, who has just lost her father in a tragic fishing accident. To make matters worse, Aimee’s often prophetic dreams have become more and more intense: she senses that danger is lurking nearby, ready to pounce on everyone living in her small Maine town.  Aimee has also been dreaming of a boy her age with dark hair and tan skin, someone who is important but in as much danger as she is. In the meantime, seventeen-year-old Alan Parsons has just moved from Oklahoma with his mother to help his cousin, Courtney (Aimee’s best-friend), and Aunt Lisa following the death of Courtney’s father. Alan immediately stands out in the small Maine town: he is half Navajo, has long dark hair, tan skin, and wears a medicine pouch full of sacred items at all times. Like Aimee, Alan can also sense what’s coming with the help of his spirit guide, a cougar he calls Onawa. Onawa has been showing him visions of a girl his age with red hair and piercing green eyes. When Alan and Aimee finally meet in school one day they realize the truth: they have been dreaming of each other. Despite their immediate attraction, they also realize that their meeting signifies that the danger they both sense is also real. It seems that the small Maine town has been plagued for decades by an evil spirit, one many refer to as simply the “River Man.” Aimee is convinced that the River Man is the one who killed her mother, and, when Courtney begins acting strangely, that he has decided to possess her best friend next. Will Aimee and Alan be able to use their powers to stop the demon once and for all?

Review:  Told in alternating voices between its two protagonists, After Obsession offers an often muddled but frequently creepy collaboration between two successful authors. The high and low points of the novel are easily distinguished. An appropriate amount of suspense is created by the many spooky moments in the story: dark figures appearing in windows, phantom dust storms, knives standing on end and spinning, and more. The gradual deterioration of the town is also unique: it seems that the evil entity does not limit itself to one person, but instead affects everyone in the vicinity. These positives, however, are a bit hampered by some of the weaker elements of the plot. In terms of character development, Aimee and Alan live a bit to be desired. Aimee’s strange abilities never seem to be explained, only that she thinks they might be genetic. Alan’s transformation into a Navajo warrior is chalked up to a heavy amount of internet research into the practices of his “ancestors.” The romance between the two seems a bit forced at times. At the start of the novel, Aimee is described as having dated her boyfriend, Blake, for “a long time.” After Alan arrives, however, she quickly shrugs off her steady beau (fortunately, he makes some racist remarks that justify the break-up), and immediately begins to date the new guy in town. In fact, the events of the entire story transpire over roughly a week, making the intense “spiritual connection” between Alan and Aimee seem unlikely, even for a young adult novel. Thrown into the mix are some other oddities as well: there is a running plot line about a Cheeto in the shape of Marilyn Monroe, for example. Despite the moments of lag, After Obsession does, when it is all said and done, prove to be, at the very least, entertaining. No mention is made of a sequel, though the ending does leave it somewhat open to continuation.

Genre: Fiction/Horror

Reading level: Grade 7+

Similar titles: Soul Screamer series by Rachel Vincent, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.        

Themes:  Ghosts, demons, possession, death, murder, supernatural powers, rivers, Maine, Navajo, dreams.  

Awards/Reviews:  Written by best-selling authors.   

Series Information: No mention of sequel.   

Discussion questions: 

- Did you like the dual perspectives style of narrative in the novel? Why or why not?

- Which character did you identify with more: Alan or Aimee? Why?

- Do you think that Aimee’s mom was crazy? Why or why not?

- Alan is described as having learned most of his Navajo traditions and rituals online. Do you think the internet is a reliable source of spiritual information? Why or why not?