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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
Though the story does not follow in the true roots of M. Verano's first book, it still had a very important meaning. The Possession Laetitia was inflicted with was not what some consider a traditional possession. The book does not have the same creepy atmosphere either. I had a very hard time identifying with Laetitia, she for most of the book seemed very disingenuous and fake, but the story of real life racisim is very really and sadly happens far to often.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Despite some shakiness initially, this book turned into a very engaging read once the plot started to pick up. The multimedia format makes the book much more effective, especially when the horror elements really kick into high gear. Due to the personal nature of the blog format, some of these descriptions really made you feel them.
However, the blog format also led to some pretty hasty exposition in the start, since the main character is just talking to the audience. I also had difficulty believing a teenager would write this way on a blog. It takes you out of the moment a little bit when she coughs up animal bones and then goes and calmly writes with semicolons.
Overall, it was a good read if you're in the mood for something spooky and different! I'm always a sucker for an author taking a pen name of an in-universe character, too. Once you get past the fairly repetitive setup, the cascading plot becomes tough to look away from.
However, the blog format also led to some pretty hasty exposition in the start, since the main character is just talking to the audience. I also had difficulty believing a teenager would write this way on a blog.
Overall, it was a good read if you're in the mood for something spooky and different! I'm always a sucker for an author taking a pen name of an in-universe character, too. Once you get past the fairly repetitive setup, the cascading plot becomes tough to look away from.
dark
medium-paced
Although the narrative of this book is deep in parapsychology I think it is an excellent metaphor for the current climate of the United States. Although the book doesn't come out and explicitly say where it is, based on general events of the book, assuming that one has followed any sort of news over the last 5 years or so, one can infer the general area of where it is. Regardless, using possession as a means of explaining how youth, especially in areas that could be considered disenfranchised, feel that they have no control and are powerless over their own situations and local tragedies is amazing!
I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something that offers a deeper meaning that you can read into however you'd like.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something that offers a deeper meaning that you can read into however you'd like.
It was amazing ! The medical and police reports, the blog and the pictures, that is really original and cool. The writing is easy to read and simple, I liked it. The pictures and reports are realistic, so it makes the story better and seems even more realistic itself. I liked the characters, their mind and actions, they were well built.
It is a really good book, I enjoyed reading it and when I was reading it, I was only waiting to do.
It is a really good book, I enjoyed reading it and when I was reading it, I was only waiting to do.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
awesome book, well written, enjoyed the story, read it in a day
The first book in the "series" was much better overall, though this did have a few really great scenes.
This was very good.
I think people who read a lot of horror will be surprised by the direction the book takes- because it's not necessarily something you'd expect from a horror book.
I enjoyed Laetitia's voice throughout her blog entries and was deeply invested in what was happening to her.
I think the strongest part of this book (especially having read the first one) was the fact that the author chose to go with the possibility of divine supernatural behavior, as opposed to demonic. It did not occur to me until the book actually started talking about it that this could be something other than a demonic/ghost possession.
At the same time, the author leaves a nugget of doubt for you. When the police come to assist Renee in removing Laetitia from her home, she crawls up the wall and starts speaking in Latin; and during the exorcism that precedes this scene, Laetitia outright says that she feels like Miss Pierre was about to remove something from her (specifically, that a part of her was about to come out, something that she holds onto when Miss Pierre completes the ritual). And then there's the fact that at several points in the book, Laetitia becomes distressed and pained whenever her mother and grandmother start praying over her.
All of those things lay just enough doubt to suggest that while the forces affecting Laetitia certainly could be divine... They also might not be. And that was extremely creepy.
I look forward to the author's next entry in this series, if indeed she's planning anymore.
I think people who read a lot of horror will be surprised by the direction the book takes- because it's not necessarily something you'd expect from a horror book.
I enjoyed Laetitia's voice throughout her blog entries and was deeply invested in what was happening to her.
Spoiler
It was hard, knowing that the beginning of the book flat-out says that she's going to die by the end.I think the strongest part of this book (especially having read the first one) was the fact that the author chose to go with the possibility of divine supernatural behavior, as opposed to demonic. It did not occur to me until the book actually started talking about it that this could be something other than a demonic/ghost possession.
At the same time, the author leaves a nugget of doubt for you. When the police come to assist Renee in removing Laetitia from her home, she crawls up the wall and starts speaking in Latin; and during the exorcism that precedes this scene, Laetitia outright says that she feels like Miss Pierre was about to remove something from her (specifically, that a part of her was about to come out, something that she holds onto when Miss Pierre completes the ritual). And then there's the fact that at several points in the book, Laetitia becomes distressed and pained whenever her mother and grandmother start praying over her.
All of those things lay just enough doubt to suggest that while the forces affecting Laetitia certainly could be divine... They also might not be. And that was extremely creepy.
I look forward to the author's next entry in this series, if indeed she's planning anymore.