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A review by wolfgiselle
Obsession by JoAnne Keltner
2.0
I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway and finally got around to reading it.
I actually, sorta-enjoyed this book for what it was. A short sweet thriller about a 13-year-old girl named Abby and the young girl who haunts her family's new property. The writing was descriptive but easy to read, and the main story simple.
If there's one main thing to complain about, it's the lack of character development. The only character we get to know is Abby and she spends pretty much the whole book complaining about wanting to move back to their old home; Then, when she finally comes up with a plan that gets her back for a week, she spends THAT whole week complaining about wanting to go back to her new one. Teenage girl or not, that got annoying - even if I could see it as realistic behavior. The other characters seem to only really be there to move the plot forward. I can't name any of them that I liked...besides the dog, Carl.
Greg is one creepy fellow. There is something seriously wrong with him that he can't seem to understand that 'no' means 'no'. That he's not nearly as attractive as he seems to think he is. He's the creepy psychotic stalker that you never want to have. His father's no picnic either. Once again, though, there's no character growth. He's just a stereotypical villain and Debbie - the ghost girl - is the stereotypical dead girl victim there to warn away the villain's 'newest' victim before it's too late. What little we learn about 'her' comes through mostly in the very short, fragmented entries she'd written in her diary before her death. A diary that Abby eventually finds. Said journal turns out to be, once again, more plot-oriented than working characterization.
The ending was nice, if not a bit rushed. It's kind of hard to say. The whole book moves pretty quickly. It's ending also seemed a little 'too-good-to-be-true'. But then again, that could be me bringing in too much personal perspective.
I recommend this for someone looking for a short, quick read. I finished it in a couple of hours, and I don't regret having read it. Middle school to high school students might get the most out of it, but it doesn't alienate adult readers. If my commentary above didn't turn you off the book then it just might be perfect for you. I thank the author for a fun read.
I actually, sorta-enjoyed this book for what it was. A short sweet thriller about a 13-year-old girl named Abby and the young girl who haunts her family's new property. The writing was descriptive but easy to read, and the main story simple.
If there's one main thing to complain about, it's the lack of character development. The only character we get to know is Abby and she spends pretty much the whole book complaining about wanting to move back to their old home; Then, when she finally comes up with a plan that gets her back for a week, she spends THAT whole week complaining about wanting to go back to her new one. Teenage girl or not, that got annoying - even if I could see it as realistic behavior. The other characters seem to only really be there to move the plot forward. I can't name any of them that I liked...besides the dog, Carl.
Greg is one creepy fellow. There is something seriously wrong with him that he can't seem to understand that 'no' means 'no'. That he's not nearly as attractive as he seems to think he is. He's the creepy psychotic stalker that you never want to have. His father's no picnic either. Once again, though, there's no character growth. He's just a stereotypical villain and Debbie - the ghost girl - is the stereotypical dead girl victim there to warn away the villain's 'newest' victim before it's too late. What little we learn about 'her' comes through mostly in the very short, fragmented entries she'd written in her diary before her death. A diary that Abby eventually finds. Said journal turns out to be, once again, more plot-oriented than working characterization.
The ending was nice, if not a bit rushed. It's kind of hard to say. The whole book moves pretty quickly. It's ending also seemed a little 'too-good-to-be-true'. But then again, that could be me bringing in too much personal perspective.
I recommend this for someone looking for a short, quick read. I finished it in a couple of hours, and I don't regret having read it. Middle school to high school students might get the most out of it, but it doesn't alienate adult readers. If my commentary above didn't turn you off the book then it just might be perfect for you. I thank the author for a fun read.