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A review by charmaineac
Hear by Robin Epstein
5.0
When I read the acknowledgements to this book, the one thing that stood out to me was Robin Epstein's urging to "Go darker." If that was the goal, I believe she truly hit the nail on the head.
This book is all sorts of creepy and dark. The visions serve as prophecies that loom in the distance. You worry and wonder when the next domino will fall. The foreshadowing (both through the visions, and through individuals' handiwork) is stellar. There are a lot of fake-outs along the way. You need to constantly be on your feet and remember every detail. Each scene is important, and yet I feel like we are only cracking the surface.
The prologue set the tone for the story. As we began to get to know the characters, it became quite evident who would be the victim. And while I could see who would detach themselves after the tarot readings, I had no idea WHY. I was also completely taken aback by someone's revelation of their inclusion to Camp Dodona. Does that mean... that person's ESP is merely the same as Uncle Brian's? A product of something else?
This book explores some really interesting topics. "There's a fine line between psychopathy and telepathy in the brain," really struck a chord with me. Each part was explained in such a plausible way that it felt creepy. The author's note, describing real engineering anomalies research labs, is fascinating. What are the odds of these revelations happening? How far-fetched is ESP, really? I was also completely freaked out early on, thinking that a main plot would discuss a shooting at UCLA... even though this book came out months before the actual UCLA shooting happened. Luckily, UCLA was something different in this case. Otherwise, I probably would've lost it (for real).
The ending was tantalizingly open. It wasn't really a cliffhanger — it was a full-blown set-up for a sequel. I fear for Kassandra in immeasurable ways. The HEARs are trapped. Not only that, but they are trapped in a cage with a known predator. It's jarring. I need to know what happens next, but I'll revisit the story with a hefty amount of caution. I hope Kass does the same.
This book is all sorts of creepy and dark. The visions serve as prophecies that loom in the distance. You worry and wonder when the next domino will fall. The foreshadowing (both through the visions, and through individuals' handiwork) is stellar. There are a lot of fake-outs along the way. You need to constantly be on your feet and remember every detail. Each scene is important, and yet I feel like we are only cracking the surface.
The prologue set the tone for the story. As we began to get to know the characters, it became quite evident who would be the victim. And while I could see who would detach themselves after the tarot readings, I had no idea WHY. I was also completely taken aback by someone's revelation of their inclusion to Camp Dodona. Does that mean... that person's ESP is merely the same as Uncle Brian's? A product of something else?
This book explores some really interesting topics. "There's a fine line between psychopathy and telepathy in the brain," really struck a chord with me. Each part was explained in such a plausible way that it felt creepy. The author's note, describing real engineering anomalies research labs, is fascinating. What are the odds of these revelations happening? How far-fetched is ESP, really? I was also completely freaked out early on, thinking that a main plot would discuss a shooting at UCLA... even though this book came out months before the actual UCLA shooting happened. Luckily, UCLA was something different in this case. Otherwise, I probably would've lost it (for real).
The ending was tantalizingly open. It wasn't really a cliffhanger — it was a full-blown set-up for a sequel. I fear for Kassandra in immeasurable ways. The HEARs are trapped. Not only that, but they are trapped in a cage with a known predator. It's jarring. I need to know what happens next, but I'll revisit the story with a hefty amount of caution. I hope Kass does the same.