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thereaderdragon's review
4.0
Holy shit, this book was SO. DAMN. GOOD. For such a quick read, this novel is so dark! (and I'm not just referencing the title).
Ebony 'Black' Marshall in an outcast. She's only young, but has experienced so much grief and heartache. On three separate occasions, she's lost three friends.First was Jess, her best friend since kindergarten, who was hit by a car whilst crossing the road after school. Next was Black's first boyfriend, Louis, who fell to his death from the roof where they shared their first kiss. And most recently was her boyfriend Oscar, who died in a car accident.
As a result of these events, Black is thought to be cursed, turning her once-endearing nickname into a foreboding brand of malevolence. Father Ratchet and his religious cult - The Pure Apostles - believe that Black is possessed by the devil, and that it's their duty to exorcise the demon before it grows too strong. In an effort to prevent the town from suffering another tragic loss, the anonymous group of Whisperers monitor Black's every move, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And that moment is coming...
When the new boy in school, Aiden Sweet, ends up in intensive care after taking a liking to Black, it's not long before the campaign of the Pure Apostles starts to become aggressive.
With danger lurking around every corner, and in a town full of potential enemies, Black turns to the only person she can trust: her colleague and only friend, Ed. And it's not long before the pair begin to uncover the truth, and secrets her parents have kept from her begin to unravel. Secrets that might hold the answer to everything.
Like holy shitballs, this novel is really disturbing. It honestly gives me goosebumps to think that there are probably actual people out there just like The Whisperers of The Pure Apostles. They could be your local grocer. They could be your neighbour. THEY COULD BE YOU. (wut?) No but seriously, the fact that there are probably people out their taking matters into their own hands to cleanse some poor victim of a possession is honestly really horrifying because they probably don't care about the welfare of the host.
I love love LOVE that you have no clue as to whether or not Black is actually cursed or possessed, or if The Whisperers were just a bunch of delusional CRAaziES. This was one of the big reasons that I absolutely ate this book up. I absolutely l o v e paranormal horror, so I just had to know if this was indeed one or not. AND GUESS WHAT??? (lol read it to find out for yourself! seriously. in the words of our lord and saviour shia labeouf: JUST DO IT)
Also, a really quick shoutout to Ebony for being an amazing character! Not only has she suffered immeasurable amounts of heartache, but she's also had to put up with the taunts and torment from her fellow peers and townsfolk, all because she's been unfortunate enough to have lost her friends in random freak accidents. Despite all of this though, she still keeps her head held high, and I greatly admire her resilience.
Aiden, on the other hand, I didn't feel much for. I understand that he was needed to kickstart the whole story, but the relationship that he shared with Black felt a little too forced and rushed. A little too insta-love, if you ask me. Like I honestly cringed a bit whilst reading the first couple of pages (you'll understand once you read it). Buuuut in saying that, you'll get past it really quick, and you'll probably forget that it ever happened.
Besides the insta-love, I do have one other complaint: it wrapped up too quickly. As the end of the book was nearing, there were these really intense scenes. Like holy crap, I couldn't bear to put the book down. But then everything was sort of resolved in about the blink of an eye. I would have loved those intense moments to have lasted just a little bit longer.
Black is a disturbing, unsettling, riveting, and most importantly AMAZING novel that will keep you up way past your bedtime and long into the night. It's the novel that every fan of Young Adult thriller needs in their life!
rahhhh's review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
Honestly I and my book club couldn't buy in to this book. The world didn't feel real, neither did the characters. We had quite a few laughs reading out cringey passages of the (sooo not like other girls) main character and her underdeveloped friends, family and love interests. The plot twists were (for us) entirely predictable, and when the real action of the books kicked in we just didn't care enough about the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
bestdressedbookworm's review
4.0
I was never going to work any of that out! I really enjoyed this, having a "demon" in the story line was what made this really creepy and also "what the hell are you all thinking!" Kind of crazy. One of the better thrillers I have read so far this year.
ari_reading_'s review
2.0
This wasn't as good as other books I've read by Fleur Ferris, I'm disappointed.
mjaitely's review
3.0
If you're looking for a horror-mystery-thriller to read you don't have to look any further. This book is the ultimate novel with traces of romance and the never ending teen dramas but it is thriller at its core. It revolves around Black Marshall and the "curse" she has. It is bound to compel and shock you for days.
The love triangle between Aiden, Ed and Black (oops Ebony!) is captivating and it hurts me so much because I would not have been able to choose between these two. Ed saves the day but I like to believe that Black Marshall is no "Damsel in distress" (thanks Cole for that) and saves herself with her quick thinking. I felt Black's distress throughout the episode with Father Ratchet and Cole and was shocked to learn that Cole was on the other side.
The PA, the curse, Ged, exorcism and the house with the 7 layers of plastic, this is a book which screams creepy. The concept of the demons and the host body was scary. What was also amazing was the way Fleur tried to give an insight into the minds of the people who believe in such things and why they believe it to be true, I did feel sad for Ged and completely hated Father Ratchet till the end. The day that Ed and Ebony spend in the city kept on reminding me of some other similar interaction between 2 other close to heart characters and I had forgotten the name of the book so I looked and looked and looked and guess what the book was? WRECK by *drumroll* Fleur Ferris. And I don't know much about Fleur but I've read two of her books so I just now feel a lot closer to Fleur and she's sort of a favourite author.
In the end I would say it was something completely different to what I usually read but it was a page-turner which is probably why I finished it in 2 days and couldn't wait. It was a captivating read and I would 10/10 recommend it.
Spoiler
The love triangle between Aiden, Ed and Black (oops Ebony!) is captivating and it hurts me so much because I would not have been able to choose between these two. Ed saves the day but I like to believe that Black Marshall is no "Damsel in distress" (thanks Cole for that) and saves herself with her quick thinking. I felt Black's distress throughout the episode with Father Ratchet and Cole and was shocked to learn that Cole was on the other side.
The PA, the curse, Ged, exorcism and the house with the 7 layers of plastic, this is a book which screams creepy. The concept of the demons and the host body was scary. What was also amazing was the way Fleur tried to give an insight into the minds of the people who believe in such things and why they believe it to be true, I did feel sad for Ged and completely hated Father Ratchet till the end. The day that Ed and Ebony spend in the city kept on reminding me of some other similar interaction between 2 other close to heart characters and I had forgotten the name of the book so I looked and looked and looked and guess what the book was? WRECK by *drumroll* Fleur Ferris. And I don't know much about Fleur but I've read two of her books so I just now feel a lot closer to Fleur and she's sort of a favourite author.
In the end I would say it was something completely different to what I usually read but it was a page-turner which is probably why I finished it in 2 days and couldn't wait. It was a captivating read and I would 10/10 recommend it.
ajlawford's review
5.0
Wow what a page turner! So thrilling and mysterious. A very entertaining read. Loved it.
lozlox's review
4.0
I love this author and this is my favourite of her books (while I'm patiently waiting for 'Wreck').
'Black' is about a girl, Ebony Marshall, who everyone believes is cursed because it seems like everyone she gets close to ends up buried in the dirt. The sypnosis made me snatch up this book immediately and they say not to judge a book by it's cover but hey... that's a pretty cover.
There is a love triangle type subplot in this novel that I'm not at all against, I don't like books in which the primary plot is about romance (I didn't like Pride and Prejudice, sorry). Book romance, for me, is refreshing to hear about in the background and I also lowkey fell in love with Aiden Sweet (oops).
But despite all the lovey stuff it gets really dark and twisted when the story reaches it's climax. To put it simply, 'Black' is my kind of book.
Every book has it's flaws, for me some parts were messy, some were slightly predictable but then there were shockers and chapters of the novel that had my nose touching the pages (Rest In Peace, Lo's eyesight). But overall I love the return of that overwhelming sense of danger that lingers like a black cloud over the heads of the characters, a danger that was very present in 'Risk'.
I could connect to Black Marshall, I felt desperate for her and I felt her desperation. It's easy to relate to a character like Black because we've all (excluding the very lucky ones) lost someone in our lives, whether it be through death or maybe they've moved away/on...
I'm pretty sure Aiden Sweet is too perfect for a teenage boy but I'll ignore that because he's sweet *finger guns* and it's nice to read about a genuinely kind person.
'Black' is about a girl, Ebony Marshall, who everyone believes is cursed because it seems like everyone she gets close to ends up buried in the dirt. The sypnosis made me snatch up this book immediately and they say not to judge a book by it's cover but hey... that's a pretty cover.
There is a love triangle type subplot in this novel that I'm not at all against, I don't like books in which the primary plot is about romance (I didn't like Pride and Prejudice, sorry). Book romance, for me, is refreshing to hear about in the background and I also lowkey fell in love with Aiden Sweet (oops).
But despite all the lovey stuff it gets really dark and twisted when the story reaches it's climax. To put it simply, 'Black' is my kind of book.
Every book has it's flaws, for me some parts were messy, some were slightly predictable but then there were shockers and chapters of the novel that had my nose touching the pages (Rest In Peace, Lo's eyesight). But overall I love the return of that overwhelming sense of danger that lingers like a black cloud over the heads of the characters, a danger that was very present in 'Risk'.
I could connect to Black Marshall, I felt desperate for her and I felt her desperation. It's easy to relate to a character like Black because we've all (excluding the very lucky ones) lost someone in our lives, whether it be through death or maybe they've moved away/on...
I'm pretty sure Aiden Sweet is too perfect for a teenage boy but I'll ignore that because he's sweet *finger guns* and it's nice to read about a genuinely kind person.
cassie_the_weird's review
3.0
I had heard good things about this book, but unfortunately it just didn't impress me.
I was still reasonably enjoyable, but I found it fairly predictable, which made it lose a lot of the creepiness and suspense.
Also, I spent some time rolling my eyes at the romance.
I was still reasonably enjoyable, but I found it fairly predictable, which made it lose a lot of the creepiness and suspense.
Also, I spent some time rolling my eyes at the romance.