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A review by labalkana
Favorite by Karen McQuestion
3.0
3,5 stars
Angel Favorite wakes up at the hospital, thinking about the day her mother disappeared and how she lost her mother, her father and her home within days.
The last thing she remembers is some strange man dragging her from the parking lot, telling her there's something she needs to see. Her attacker was arrested but as he committed suicide in his cell, she's left without any explanation.
But Mrs. Bittner, his mother, wants to apologize, telling her how mentally disabled Scott wasn't a bad person. She invites her to the family's massive estate but things become awkward when the old woman starts mentioning her mother, the castle becomes a trap and she discovers that the tower holds secrets...
This had me hooked from the beginning but especially when Angel meets Mrs. Wittner and plot picks up from there. But that's also when it started splitting into parts I liked and parts I didn't.
There is this strange feeling as soon as they step into the castle but Angel behaves poorly towards the woman, that just lost her son and wants to make up to her. Even though it later turned out to be right, it came from competely different thought than I had. Then again, Angel distrusting the old woman, the staff and everything else, feels natural because the strangeness was well transported.
It was a crisp journey through the teenage mind, which might explain some of her behaviour. But there's also the others behaving far from what I expected them to. Parts of this really made me angry. Like how can no one do anything about the crazy old lady keeping them hostage? That gives a ridiculous aftertaste to the dark, mysterious vibes.
But all in all, I did like the characters. The father, still waiting for his band to succeed but doing his best and the sweet grandma on her honeymoon cruise. But also Mike and even Mrs. Bittner, Hank and Trudy. All pretty simply drawn because it's a short, quick read but they make a good cast.
And when the secret is revealed and Angel discovers what's hidden in the tower the pieces fit and come together to a well made mystery. Especially the tragedy of poor Scoot, who always just wanted to help and meant well.
It could have been a great story, if told somewhat differently. But it's not bad and might have been even better, had I read it 10 years ago.
Angel Favorite wakes up at the hospital, thinking about the day her mother disappeared and how she lost her mother, her father and her home within days.
The last thing she remembers is some strange man dragging her from the parking lot, telling her there's something she needs to see. Her attacker was arrested but as he committed suicide in his cell, she's left without any explanation.
But Mrs. Bittner, his mother, wants to apologize, telling her how mentally disabled Scott wasn't a bad person. She invites her to the family's massive estate but things become awkward when the old woman starts mentioning her mother, the castle becomes a trap and she discovers that the tower holds secrets...
This had me hooked from the beginning but especially when Angel meets Mrs. Wittner and plot picks up from there. But that's also when it started splitting into parts I liked and parts I didn't.
There is this strange feeling as soon as they step into the castle but Angel behaves poorly towards the woman, that just lost her son and wants to make up to her. Even though it later turned out to be right, it came from competely different thought than I had. Then again, Angel distrusting the old woman, the staff and everything else, feels natural because the strangeness was well transported.
It was a crisp journey through the teenage mind, which might explain some of her behaviour. But there's also the others behaving far from what I expected them to. Parts of this really made me angry. Like how can no one do anything about the crazy old lady keeping them hostage? That gives a ridiculous aftertaste to the dark, mysterious vibes.
But all in all, I did like the characters. The father, still waiting for his band to succeed but doing his best and the sweet grandma on her honeymoon cruise. But also Mike and even Mrs. Bittner, Hank and Trudy. All pretty simply drawn because it's a short, quick read but they make a good cast.
And when the secret is revealed and Angel discovers what's hidden in the tower the pieces fit and come together to a well made mystery. Especially the tragedy of poor Scoot, who always just wanted to help and meant well.
It could have been a great story, if told somewhat differently. But it's not bad and might have been even better, had I read it 10 years ago.