Robert J. Duperre

Let me start by saying this book is weird. Like, very weird. It took me awhile to get into it honestly but once I did, I really enjoyed it! But yeah...weird. Read it with an open mind and you could be surprised.

The book starts off with a young boy getting possessed (for lack of a better word) by something called The Prophet. Be ready to not hear about this boy for several chapters. As I reading an advanced copy with no page numbers, I believe I read about 20% of the book before he reappeared show more again.

Your main character is Jacqueline, a 15 year old foster girl with a boy she talks to who lives in her compact. See..weird. The boy’s name is Mal and he is the one good thing in her life as she has moved between homes in her 5 years in foster care.

Her mother died when she was little then her father was put to death because he was convicted of killing over 300 people in a church fire. As she had no family, she landed in foster care.

At 15, an Aunt Mitzy shows up at her current home to claim her. This is when things all seem to change. She moves to a new town where she finally makes some friends and even gets feelings for a boy (who ended up being not so good). Life seems to be heading in the right direction.

But there is a force at work that needs Jacqueline. She is the key. And both the sides of good and evil are fighting for her.

This book is just part one of a series (I believe I read on the author’s twitter it would be 4 books) and it ends that way, pretty unresolved but in a good way. I want to know what happens next.

I “called” a twist (if one could call it that) but more towards the end and not right off the bat which is a cool change. Sometimes figuring things out early doesn’t lead to easy reading.

Boy in the Mirror is part Exorcist, part Watcher in the Woods (one scene in particular had me thinking of that movie), part every book/movie where good and evil wage war. What side do you chose? What side is right? What side is really the evil side? Hopefully all questions that will be answered in the coming sequels.

I’m glad I got the chance to read this book and I’m glad I gave it a chance, not giving up when it seemed too weird to try. I recommend you give it a try. If sci-fi/horror are your kinds of work, this book is probably up your ally. show less

Robert J. Duperre has written yet another amazing book in the Rift Series, with Death Springs Eternal! I was absolutely thrilled when offered the chance to read this, after having bonded with the characters in the first two novels, and found myself even more invested than I had been before! Putting this book down proved to be nearly impossible, as did eating or sleeping without wondering what was going to happen next, who would live and what would become of them.

I will say, this third show more installment in the series was incredibly heart-wrenching and left my mouth hanging wide open, and yes, sometimes tears in my eyes as I absorbed the hardship and terror these characters were put through! The second book, Dead of Winter was anything but peaceful, but I was left with a sense of optimism and hope. Death Springs Eternal made sure to rip those happy thoughts away, sometimes making me wish the characters would give up or give in just to save themselves. Screw humanity! The world was an evil, desolate place…what was the point of fighting or trying to save anyone?! But that was the point, it wasn’t all bad and there was a chance, however small it may be, to set things right!

Very few authors have been able to hold my attention and admiration the way that Mr. Duperre has, and I strongly suggest to anyone who hasn’t given these stories a try, to pick them up NOW!

Hazel O'Shea
Written for the Juniper Grove Blog show less

This was rather an odd book. It started off as a typical drama - the story of a man dealing with relationship issues and his own self-confidence. Then it became a thriller, as Ken's discovery of a dead girl lead to him confronting the murderer. It was only after he drove off in pursuit of said murderer that things got very, very strange indeed. Suddenly Ken found himself in another dimension - a dimension of scary monsters and even scarier people, a dimension in which the world as he knew it show more had been overwhelmed by global warming. There were robots, and cannibals and some really very scary vine monsters. All these he faced, his beloved dog, Silas, by his side. And what a dog! The disjointed nature of the plot is quite disorientating which I would guess is quite intentional, but does make it feel a tad awkward. Still, I did enjoy it and am now curious to read the series that picks up from this one. Silas and Ken's story might be over, but I have a feeling the author has much more to tell! show less

Ken is stuck in a rut. After all of his ambitious dreams in college, he's now stuck in a job he hates. His marriage has also become a shadow of it's former brilliance, and he battles with sometimes crippling depression. When his wife brings home a dog, Ken is furious. He doesn't have time for this. Things begin to change though, and soon Ken finds himself enamored with his new best friend. The dog, Silas, also proves to have the ability to sense danger. When Ken trusts Silas's instincts, he show more is able to save a family. He becomes reckless however, and ends up in a totally new world. Ken and Silas are soon on an amazing adventure in which they can save not only themselves, but several children as well. If they can survive that is.

This is really two stories in one. The first story takes place in our everyday world. Ken is struggling with his life. It's not what he always dreamed it would be, but shifting priorities in life forced him to do something vastly different than he had imagined. As his wife becomes more successful, the strain on their marriage becomes more apparent. Ken's only solace is found in Silas, a black lab who has become Ken's new best friend. Silas shows some special abilities, which leads Ken and Silas on to story number two. This one takes place in an entirely different world where monsters and feral people abound. Ken discovers he is part of something bigger than himself, and this gives him a new sense of purpose and direction. His life means something, and this shapes the rest of the story.

There were several interesting things in this book. The concept of your pet being like a child was beautifully expressed here. Ken loves Silas as much as a person can love anything. They are friends and companions, but more than that Ken sees Silas as a son. He trusts Silas with his life several times. Silas ends up giving Ken's life meaning in a very literal way. The fantasy aspects of the book were also very unique and interesting. I was often on the edge of my seat getting a real sense of danger for Ken. That's pretty great writing in my book. Overall I enjoyed this book very much.

Book provided for review. show less