Lou Rera

I'm a sucker for a supernatural thriller, heavy on the creepy atmosphere. This book absolutely delivers on that aspect. Lou Rera is a master at creating a setting reminiscent of a Twilight Zone episode. I loved the eeriness of the story. As the mood darkened, I ventured ahead with both trepidation and fascination. The scenes play out with a cinematic feel, and I felt like I was standing alongside the characters, seeing exactly what they saw.

Throughout this book, the reader, like the show more characters, is kept off balance. We're shrouded in a dense fog of the unknown, left on our own to determine what, if anything, is real. While this held me riveted in the first half of the book, by the second half of the book this aspect became too convoluted. I needed some sort of foothold to keep me grounded in the story. We have a lot of back-and-forth in time, with scenes shifting constantly, which added to confusion.

This book is heavy on symbolism. Again, this worked well for me in the first half, but, by the second half, I wanted to understand their meanings. Things such as the green needles and the man with a cane are never explained. This could have been a stylistic choice by the author, allowing readers to reach their own conclusions. For me, though, the sudden shift away from the things that played such a huge role in the story left me feeling cheated. I wanted the connection, so I could understand the pieces of the puzzle.

The plot has some loose ends, with minor aspects unresolved. And, unfortunately, the ending fell apart for me. This has to do with Marlene's character, as well as some police involvement. I don't want to give spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.

Ultimately, the second half didn't live up to the promise of the first half. That being said, Rera's writing style easily pulled me right into the story and kept me turning pages. The issues that bothered me certainly won't bother all readers. So, if you enjoy supernatural stories that make you question reality, give this book a try. show less