With his mother institutionalized for mental illness and his father out of work, Stephen’s only choice is to move to Spencer, Michigan with his father. There he finds his uptight grandmother, a few mysterious teenagers, and a whole bunch of small town superstitions.
It doesn’t take long for Stephen to realize how seriously this small town takes its superstitions.
(source)
I absolutely loved this book. Its descriptions of locations and characters lend it a very dramatic atmosphere. The plot manages to seem fresh and new despite containing many aspects that should seem trite.
Additionally, it caters perfectly to anyone with an affinity for all things goth. There’s well described alternative outfits, an actually accurate portrayal of tarot reading, and tombstone rubbings done in a cemetery known as the Playground. One of the characters even smokes clove cigarettes. How much more stereotypically gothy can you get? Not much.
Also wonderful, there is a gay couple, Scott and Cam. They’re fairly quiet characters, but their sexuality doesn’t end up being the key aspect about them, and I love that. It’s so nice when characters just happen to be queer, instead of it being the only reason they’re there.
That being said, all of these aspects seem to fit. None of it feels forced or overbearing. These characters aren’t two-dimensional cut outs put there to force some diversity into the book. They’re just characters doing what they do. It feels natural.
…Even if by the end some of those characters turn out to be more than what they seem.
My one complaint is that there aren’t really very many female characters. There are a few, but most of them play fairly small parts. The female characters that are important to the story are interesting and fleshed out well, but overall it would have been nice to have a few more.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a bit of spooky reading. It has some fantasy aspects, but it doesn’t shove them down your throat. Instead, it implies the fantasy while still leaving it ultimately up to you to decide whether fantasy creatures or human beings were to blame. There are also some wonderfully tense moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don’t worry, the end won’t let you down either.
That being said, all of these aspects seem to fit. None of it feels forced or overbearing. These characters aren’t two-dimensional cut outs put there to force some diversity into the book. They’re just characters doing what they do. It feels natural.
…Even if by the end some of those characters turn out to be more than what they seem.
My one complaint is that there aren’t really very many female characters. There are a few, but most of them play fairly small parts. The female characters that are important to the story are interesting and fleshed out well, but overall it would have been nice to have a few more.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a bit of spooky reading. It has some fantasy aspects, but it doesn’t shove them down your throat. Instead, it implies the fantasy while still leaving it ultimately up to you to decide whether fantasy creatures or human beings were to blame. There are also some wonderfully tense moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don’t worry, the end won’t let you down either.
