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aly36's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was an audio book and I liked the narrator and the characters and the story line. Everybody being sick and possessed was kind of scary because you didn't know if Dharma Moore was going to live of die. Being hexed is no fun! Curses, ghosts and a baby brother this book has it all. I loved it!
pelicanfreak's review
3.0
A SERIES OF CONVENIENT EVENTS - with some actual effort, and continuity, this could be great.
This book was okay, just okay and full of clichés for a while. It was okay enough that I was curious enough to hang in there, so that isn’t a bad thing...it just wasn’t spectacular and didn’t seem original. It did manage to be mysterious, just a little bit, if that makes sense, that I hung on.
Around 50% or so, it finally got more interesting. At this point I was annoyed with how full of been-done-to-death clichés, begging this author to hire a professional editor, but still curious to see where it was going. It ended up going in an unoriginal direction that was very full of convenient events, making me feel the author could have used more effort. Excitement didn’t happen for me, but it did wrap up pretty neatly. It’s an okay read if you can get past all the convenience and poor continuity. It could be an outstanding read if the author used a content editor.
Formatting:
Bland but clean.
Editing/proofing:
Mostly clean, spelling & grammar wise but could use some content editing help.
Character development:
I liked the characters and they had their own consistent voices, however they weren’t original. These are characters I’ve also read and watched in countless other productions so there was some disappointment too.
Overall:
I give it 3 stars and recommend re-releasing with the help of a strong content editor.
This book was okay, just okay and full of clichés for a while. It was okay enough that I was curious enough to hang in there, so that isn’t a bad thing...it just wasn’t spectacular and didn’t seem original. It did manage to be mysterious, just a little bit, if that makes sense, that I hung on.
Around 50% or so, it finally got more interesting. At this point I was annoyed with how full of been-done-to-death clichés, begging this author to hire a professional editor, but still curious to see where it was going. It ended up going in an unoriginal direction that was very full of convenient events, making me feel the author could have used more effort. Excitement didn’t happen for me, but it did wrap up pretty neatly. It’s an okay read if you can get past all the convenience and poor continuity. It could be an outstanding read if the author used a content editor.
Formatting:
Bland but clean.
Editing/proofing:
Mostly clean, spelling & grammar wise but could use some content editing help.
Character development:
I liked the characters and they had their own consistent voices, however they weren’t original. These are characters I’ve also read and watched in countless other productions so there was some disappointment too.
Overall:
I give it 3 stars and recommend re-releasing with the help of a strong content editor.
very_vero's review
4.0
Rating: 3.5/5
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
River of Bones is the first book by Angela J. Townsend I've read but it won't be the last. That woman has a unique way to describe a story's setting. From the swamp to the little details of the house, she set the perfect creepy mood for the story.
In River of Bones, Dharma, her mother and her baby brother move to a new 'haunted' house as part of Dharma's mother job of performing fake exorcisms. Dharma thinks it'll be just another quick stop, a few weeks pretending to clear the house of malevolent spirits, before they pack up again and leave. But once they arrive, Dharma's mum goes missing and Dharma and her brother get chased to the swamp where Dharma gets cursed by the evil spirit residing in the water. Now, Dharma has to fight the evil spirit before it's too late for her.
The best thing about this book, as I already said, is the setting. It is so creepy and gothic. The old plantation and the swamp, the rooms inside the mansion. It all helps bring the story into live. And also creeps the hell out of the reader. Another thing I did enjoy a lot was the history of the place. The old family and the slaves and the curse. It all wrapped up pretty well.
What I did not enjoy that much was firstly the romance. I think the book would be so much better if Wolf, the love interest, was a girl and he was just a new friend for Dharma. I didn't care much for their growing love. And it was also kind of an instant love, which I am not a big fan of. Also I didn't really connect with Dharma, and since she is the main character that was a problem while reading the story. The one character I did enjoy was Sassy, the old lady that knew all about the house and the curse.
All in all, this was a creepy read. The story will definitely pull you in. It's fast paced and never really dull.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
River of Bones is the first book by Angela J. Townsend I've read but it won't be the last. That woman has a unique way to describe a story's setting. From the swamp to the little details of the house, she set the perfect creepy mood for the story.
In River of Bones, Dharma, her mother and her baby brother move to a new 'haunted' house as part of Dharma's mother job of performing fake exorcisms. Dharma thinks it'll be just another quick stop, a few weeks pretending to clear the house of malevolent spirits, before they pack up again and leave. But once they arrive, Dharma's mum goes missing and Dharma and her brother get chased to the swamp where Dharma gets cursed by the evil spirit residing in the water. Now, Dharma has to fight the evil spirit before it's too late for her.
The best thing about this book, as I already said, is the setting. It is so creepy and gothic. The old plantation and the swamp, the rooms inside the mansion. It all helps bring the story into live. And also creeps the hell out of the reader. Another thing I did enjoy a lot was the history of the place. The old family and the slaves and the curse. It all wrapped up pretty well.
What I did not enjoy that much was firstly the romance. I think the book would be so much better if Wolf, the love interest, was a girl and he was just a new friend for Dharma. I didn't care much for their growing love. And it was also kind of an instant love, which I am not a big fan of. Also I didn't really connect with Dharma, and since she is the main character that was a problem while reading the story. The one character I did enjoy was Sassy, the old lady that knew all about the house and the curse.
All in all, this was a creepy read. The story will definitely pull you in. It's fast paced and never really dull.
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