A satisfying whodunit with a supernatural flair.
The witness protection program isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in this YA thriller.
Shana O’Sullivan is a typical teenager with an atypical life. Her father, a powerful man with strong connections to the mob, crosses the wrong guy, and the O’Sullivans of Boston barely escape an attack on their lives. Turning to the FBI for protection, Shana and her family assume false identities and take up residence in a vacant (and creepy) house in the small town of Noxhelm, California. Shana misses home and struggles to fit in with her new classmates, though she makes friends with the girl next door and even develops a crush on a cute boy. Her small successes are negated when the boy is killed at his own party and Shana is identified as the prime suspect. Her involvement in the murder case puts her family’s safety at risk, especially since Shana is being watched by an unknown stalker who threatens to reveal her secrets. Blossman (Dregs Island, 2017, etc.) successfully mixes genres in her latest novel, using a haunted house (known as Ripper House) with a violent past as an engaging backdrop for her murder mystery. While trying to identify a killer, Shana is also cohabitating with the spirit of a dead girl who seems to need something from her. The author creates a strong protagonist in the character of Shana, who is an effective vehicle for moving the plot forward. She’s a teen with relatable problems whose family history and familiarity with violence mark her as singular. It’s entertaining to watch the unflappable Shana, unfazed by guns and murder, become thoroughly unsettled by a ghost. Ripper House is both the setting and a character, though it could benefit from a more thorough exploration of its construction and history. Real-world problems, such as a troubling new drug on the streets and the ramifications of social media use, intersect with a solid supernatural storyline. Unexpected narrative twists result in a surprising ending.
A satisfying whodunit with a supernatural flair.Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9965248-5-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This novel began as a reworking of W.W. Jacobs' horror classic "The Monkey's Paw"—a short story about the dreadful outcome when a father wishes for his dead son's resurrection. And King's 400-page version reads, in fact, like a monstrously padded short story, moving so slowly that every plot-turn becomes lumberingly predictable. Still, readers with a taste for the morbid and ghoulish will find unlimited dark, mortality-obsessed atmosphere here—as Dr. Louis Creed arrives in Maine with wife Rachel and their two little kids Ellie and Gage, moving into a semi-rural house not far from the "Pet Sematary": a spot in the woods where local kids have been burying their pets for decades. Louis, 35, finds a great new friend/father-figure in elderly neighbor Jud Crandall; he begins work as director of the local university health-services. But Louis is oppressed by thoughts of death—especially after a dying student whispers something about the pet cemetery, then reappears in a dream (but is it a dream) to lead Louis into those woods during the middle of the night. What is the secret of the Pet Sematary? Well, eventually old Jud gives Louis a lecture/tour of the Pet Sematary's "annex"—an old Micmac burying ground where pets have been buried. . .and then reappeared alive! So, when little Ellie's beloved cat Church is run over (while Ellie's visiting grandfolks), Louis and Jud bury it in the annex—resulting in a faintly nasty resurrection: Church reappears, now with a foul smell and a creepy demeanor. But: what would happen if a human corpse were buried there? That's the question when Louis' little son Gage is promptly killed in an accident. Will grieving father Louis dig up his son's body from the normal graveyard and replant it in the Pet Sematary? What about the stories of a previous similar attempt—when dead Timmy Baterman was "transformed into some sort of all-knowing daemon?" Will Gage return to the living—but as "a thing of evil?" He will indeed, spouting obscenities and committing murder. . .before Louis must eliminate this child-demon he has unleashed. Filled out with overdone family melodrama (the feud between Louis and his father-in-law) and repetitious inner monologues: a broody horror tale that's strong on dark, depressing chills, weak on suspense or surprise—and not likely to please the fans of King's zestier, livelier terror-thons.
Pub Date: Nov. 4, 1983
ISBN: 0743412281
Page Count: 420
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1983
BOOK TO SCREEN
In his quest for easy moolah, Owen learns that the road to financial solvency can be rocky and fraught with work. Greene (Owen Foote, Soccer Star, 1998, etc.) touches upon the often-thorny issue of chores and allowances: Owen’s mom wants him to help out because he’s part of the family and not just for the money—while Owen wants the money without having to do tedious household chores. This universal dilemma leaves Owen without funds and eagerly searching for ways to make a quick buck. His madcap schemes range from original—a “free” toilet demonstration that costs 50 cents—to disastrous, as during the trial run of his children’s fishing video, Owen ends up hooking his ear instead of a trout. Enlisting the aid of his stalwart, if long-suffering, friend Joseph, the two form a dog-walking club that becomes vastly restricted in clientele after Owen has a close encounter with an incontinent, octogenarian canine. Ultimately, Owen learns a valuable lesson about work and money when an unselfish action is generously rewarded. These sudden riches motivate Owen to consider wiser investments for his money than plastic vomit. Greene’s crisp writing style and wry humor is on-target for young readers. Brief chapters revolving around a significant event or action and fast pacing are an effective draw for tentative readers. Weston’s (Space Guys!, p. 392, etc.) black-and-white illustrations, ranging in size from quarter- to full-page, deftly portray Owen’s humorous escapades. A wise, witty addition to Greene’s successful series. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2000
ISBN: 0-618-02369-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
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