A long, dark driveway
towards an old farmhouse. A new stepsister with a nasty streak. A little
sister who runs off. Something sinister lurking in the woods. Cassie
Quinn's new home comes with . . . complications. Cassie never believed
in ghosts before. But now she is receiving strange messages, telling
her to stay out of the woods. Are the messages just a ploy by her
stepsister? Or are they warning her of an evil that stalks the shadows
of the woods beyond her home?
From Goodreads
I am not a fan of horror anything. If I watch a horror movie it must be a) during the day, b) with all the lights on, & c) preferably with someone who has already seen the film and can tell me when to look away/be prepared for a fright. As sad as it sounds, I still have nightmares from various movies I've seen over the years. I thought books might be a better approach, alas my imagination's ability to improve upon the author's description to a frightening degree also nixed that. Why am I telling you all this? Because I found a suspenseful, horror-based book that didn't give me nightmares but did spook me.
The Possession of Cassie Quinn begins like any other story with a newly blended family (dad & daughter with mom & her two daughters) moving into a new home. The spirit/entity is already on the property waiting for the new inhabitants. Unique family dynamics, like an outgoing, inquisitive younger sister & a "I wanna be seen as a tough girl" step sister, give the spirit even more wiggle room. Standard haunting tricks ensue, but with an individual twist. The mysterious deaths of two teenagers in the woods should be a sign, but of course no one listens.
Another thing I thought I'd get bored of quickly would be the characters themselves. I was sure they were all going to be thick-headed morons who couldn't be bothered to open their eyes to what was going on around them. These teens are surprisingly adept at handling supernatural forces. While there are still some understandably stupid actions (repeatedly going off into the woods alone) they are believable.
If you're looking for a way to ease into these types of books, I highly recommend this one. Even better, it's going to have a sequel. It might have take a little bit for the book to get going (back story will do that) but once it was on a roll I was sad to see it end. Until I realized there would be more. :)
Anyone have any recommendations for a fraidy cat who likes gentler horror/suspense books?
Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.
From Goodreads
So, I couldn't really sum up this book very well, so I just used the summary from Goodreads. I never really got into this story. I read it, but only just to see what happened at the end. I was not a fan of the writing & the characters' actions & behaviors were quite foreseeable. It was a very cookie-cutter style futuristic, sci-fi piece that felt like a flop to me. I never became enamored with the characters & didn't find myself desperate to find out their outcome.
Vi was a decent enough character, a typical rebellious teen, with some side issues that cause her to scrutinize everything for the hidden meaning. Jag had more depth than I expected from his role, but still nothing compelling. I think the best thing he had going for him was the fact that the socio-economy/geographic populace he represents is completely misunderstood & being taken advantage of.
I think the most aggravating thing about this book was that it seemed, considering the lack of sufficient explanation, to expect the reader to already know how & why the things operated the way the did in the book. There wasn't really a lot of world-building or a chronicled chain of events leading to the present society. There was sufficient annotations, just no definitive overview.
I'm hoping this book will be revised before it hits shelves in June, but I'm not so sure. Has anyone else had the same reaction as me? Am I just expecting too much from the story?
