Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Der Geisterbaum by Christina Henry, Sigrun Zühlke

4 reviews

sonygaystation's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Cool concept but muddy execution. Especially towards the end. Plus i felt the slurs and vitriol to express racism was so unnecessarily too much
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meecespieces's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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bearregretsthis's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The book covers heavy topics such as murder, child death and pedophilia which some readers may find uncomfortable.

A great novel for anyone searching for a horror and dark fantasy. Although Lauren is the protagonist each chapter switches perspective and involves a diverse cast, each with a unique plotline. I found many of the characters loveable and others I loved to hate. For someone who struggles to read larger texts the book kept me hooked until the very end. 

I have previously read The Lost Boy by Henry and I hope to read more of her works however I found this story slightly less enjoyable than the  work I had previously read; however the book is nonetheless a great read. 
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sheryl_macca's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

In Part 1 of The Ghost Tree we're introduced to siblings Lauren, 14 and David, 4. With the loss of their father still very fresh in their minds, they both start to experience unexplained visions but say nothing to anyone. They live with their frazzled mother in the small town of Smith's Hallow which in the mid 1980's is full of teen angst, bigotry and money worries. When two girls are brutally murdered the town has some strange ideas why.

Part 2 gives us the wisdom of Lauren and David's grandmother, Jo. She tells the children of the legend of Smith's Hallow. Her house on the hill, as the legend goes, was once home to three witches who placed a curse on the town.

Part 3 brings the tragic legend to life for the towns folk of Smith's Hallow and especially for Lauren and David. The founding families have been unknowingly bound together throughout the history of the town, until now. They are suddenly threatened by an anomaly in the curse which changes the future of Smith's Hallow and for everyone in it t .

The Ghost Tree is a fairytale mixed with lots of teenage drama. Although my copy of the book was listed as adult fiction it feels very YA. It reminded me of the TV series The Vampire Diaries but without the glossy beauty and sexiness. It's somewhat predictable and structurally simple but I enjoyed the escapism, the 1980's references and the budding awkward romances. The swearing is most definitely not YA appropriate but it's rare and shocking when it happens. The descriptions of the bodies are also too graphic for YA but not graphic enough for a horror devotee like me.
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