Liam Moiser

This is a definite improvement on an earlier book by this author. The story was captivating at times with just about the right amount of suspense for the young audience it is aimed at. There is still some work to be done by the author to hone his writing skills particularly regarding dialogue but I can see great potential. As with the last book I read, I am confused about the time period the novel is set in. Definitely pre-digital but some things don't add up for me. I am grateful to Liam show more for sending me a signed copy after he found out I had not received a copy of a previous book under the Early Reviewers scheme. It would be good to see a series of books with the same characters so that they could be developed more which is impossible in such a short book. show less

Devil’s Mist by Liam Moiser needs a good editor badly. The prose is incredibly awkward at times, feeling like it’s been written by someone for whom English is perhaps their third or fourth language. The characters are one-dimensional and wooden. You could almost replace one of them with any other of them. I found the dialogue bland and reading like the Steve Buscemi/30 Rock meme: “how do you do, fellow kids?”

The concept is there, but the execution needs (a lot of) tweaking. Perhaps a show more longer form would be more suitable to better flesh out the characters and the background. show less

Devil's Mist is a short spooky tale about a young teenager, Rosie, getting caught up in an old local legend about a disappearance ages ago and a mysterious mist that engulfs part of the town. Rosie and her friend, Jenny, soon learn the scary legend in their town is true and must figure out a way to escape the curse that already fell on Lucy a long time before. Throughout this short story, Rosie and Jenny promise to save Lucy from her fate as they try to keep Rosie safe as well. Secrets show more unravel around these young characters.

The premise of this short story is intriguing and captured my attention at first. The beginning started off a bit solid and set up the legend and the secrets surrounding it well. It had the right amount of spooky atmosphere that made me excited to uncover the secrets of Lucy's disappearance along with Mr. Brown's (Rosie's father) involvement in Rosie's present day predicament. But just as quickly as this story started, the plot jumps at an even faster speed. The pacing was too quick for me. It felt very rushed from the middle and onwards.

And although it was a quick read, the jerky jumping ahead personally felt like a slough to read. Characters were introduced but weren't fleshed out well. Even the main characters (the girls) weren't fully developed; although, they did have more promise, especially Jenny. The dialogue felt forced at times, especially towards the end. Each new mystery brought anticipation of something spooky and the promise of being a big climatic surprise only to be revealed abruptly and fall flat. Which was unfortunate because I felt there was great potential with this story had it been more fleshed out and not rushed.

Also the secondary characters seemed to be introduced randomly and then weren't given a purpose other than to move the plot along with no satisfaction. Almost like they were an afterthought. For example, James was randomly and briefly mentioned in one scene. Later during the climax of the story, he demands to be apart of the girls plan to save Rosie and Lucy from their fates when that was our only glimpse of him in his first scene.

[Spoilers in next paragraph]

And then sacrifices himself in place of Rosie. It was a bit comical to me because there was no warning, and then we're expected to care about a background character we hardly know anything about. And then, Rosie and company just leave him to his fate for about a week as they leisurely come up with a plan the readers aren't in on either. Like what? Poor James. [Major Spoilers] Plus! Turns out Jenny has to point out to Rosie that James likes her and that's why he sacrificed himself for her. But wait! A kiss on the cheek and true love is what breaks James' curse. Love. When Rosie barely knew he existed moments before.

Overall, this short story has great promise and much more potential if more supporting detail is given, the paced allowed to progress at a more natural pace, and fleshing out the characters and spooky mystery. It has a great concept that would flourish better as a novel. This story is perfect for a younger, middle school audience. show less

Interesting book, but there are some gaps. But basically starts off with a camping trip with a friend’s family, a campfire to sit around to tell scary stories although Rosie’s dad says this one is true. The house across the lake hosts a strange curse, a missing daughter and a threat that anyone who ventures close will meet the same fate. Nice quick read for anyone who struggles with large heaty tomes, or a good one if know of anyone who does struggle reading. Aimed I think at perhaps show more pre-teen, rather than adult. show less