I can't remember the last time a book gave me chills the way this one did. I will admit to never really having read Stephen King so I can't say if it's as perfect for his fans as the cover claims but for me - who used to devour James Herbert and Dean Koontz books, was a huge fan of shows like X-Files, the Twilight Zone, Poltergeist the Legacy and pretty much any and every horror film - this was right up my street. It's a lot of fun but so, so creepy. I loved it.
I didn't realize when I started reading this that it was the second in a series but honestly it didn't matter one bit. Yes there are a few references to the first book (which are mild spoilers if like me you plan to go back and read it later) but I didn't really feel like I'd missed much. Hell, I was around 150 pages in before I even discovered it was the second in a series (and that was only when I was looking it up on Goodreads).
The blurb is a little lacking in detail but the series is about a team who investigate myths, urban legends and unexplained phenomena, filming it for a YouTube show. When the team's leader, resident expert and show presenter, Nolan, discovers his ex wife Kristy is in a small town in Northern California investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl he convinces his team that now's the perfect time to visit that town to look into the mystery surrounding miles of walls in the area. No one knows who built these walls but they're incredibly old, are scattered throughout the area and often run for miles with no discernible purpose.
This is really an excuse to keep an eye on his ex (and maybe rekindle something) but as both Kristy and Nolan and his team start to experience some very strange things it seems both mysteries may be connected and there may be something very wrong in this town.
It's a classic creepy horror story with everything that entails - think Blair Witch (dark woods, mist, deserted streets, strange noises in the middle of the night, objects turning up in places they weren't left and a strange figure only certain people seems to see). Basically there were moments when it scared me witless - and yes I did have to put it down to go check the doors were locked (more than once).
What makes it a great fun read though is how the author mixes these genuinely chilling moments with a lot of humor. One second I'd be wanting to hide under the covers and the next I'd be chuckling at a one liner. I loved the relationships between Nolan and his team (Ken, Molly and Pierre). Ken and Nolan in particular are clearly close friends with a long history and there is some great banter between them to break the tension when it all starts to get a bit much.
The story itself fascinated me too. Initially I was probably in a pretty similar place to Nolan's team when he said walls, I mean how excited can you really get about some walls? But, the more that's revealed about them the more intriguing it gets and it turns out these walls are a real thing (I googled). It's so bizarre and strange that they're just there for no apparent reason.
I was probably less interested in the missing teenager side of the story (sorry missing teenager) but when the things happening get increasingly strange and spooky it was definitely hard to put the book down.
I do think the first half of the book was the strongest and for me the ending was probably the weakest part of the whole thing. The unknown is almost always scarier than the known so once the big reveal is made it loses it's edge. This wasn't really helped by it wandering into the really strange and bizarre and I have to admit to getting a smidge confused as to what was going on at points.
I did however love the author's writing style and the tone of the whole book. Was it a little slow in places? Maybe, but the other parts had enough tension and atmosphere to more than make up for it.
Overall a great read and one I'd recommend if you love a creepy horror story and don't mind a wander into the weird.
I didn't realize when I started reading this that it was the second in a series but honestly it didn't matter one bit. Yes there are a few references to the first book (which are mild spoilers if like me you plan to go back and read it later) but I didn't really feel like I'd missed much. Hell, I was around 150 pages in before I even discovered it was the second in a series (and that was only when I was looking it up on Goodreads).
The blurb is a little lacking in detail but the series is about a team who investigate myths, urban legends and unexplained phenomena, filming it for a YouTube show. When the team's leader, resident expert and show presenter, Nolan, discovers his ex wife Kristy is in a small town in Northern California investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl he convinces his team that now's the perfect time to visit that town to look into the mystery surrounding miles of walls in the area. No one knows who built these walls but they're incredibly old, are scattered throughout the area and often run for miles with no discernible purpose.
This is really an excuse to keep an eye on his ex (and maybe rekindle something) but as both Kristy and Nolan and his team start to experience some very strange things it seems both mysteries may be connected and there may be something very wrong in this town.
It's a classic creepy horror story with everything that entails - think Blair Witch (dark woods, mist, deserted streets, strange noises in the middle of the night, objects turning up in places they weren't left and a strange figure only certain people seems to see). Basically there were moments when it scared me witless - and yes I did have to put it down to go check the doors were locked (more than once).
What makes it a great fun read though is how the author mixes these genuinely chilling moments with a lot of humor. One second I'd be wanting to hide under the covers and the next I'd be chuckling at a one liner. I loved the relationships between Nolan and his team (Ken, Molly and Pierre). Ken and Nolan in particular are clearly close friends with a long history and there is some great banter between them to break the tension when it all starts to get a bit much.
The story itself fascinated me too. Initially I was probably in a pretty similar place to Nolan's team when he said walls, I mean how excited can you really get about some walls? But, the more that's revealed about them the more intriguing it gets and it turns out these walls are a real thing (I googled). It's so bizarre and strange that they're just there for no apparent reason.
I was probably less interested in the missing teenager side of the story (sorry missing teenager) but when the things happening get increasingly strange and spooky it was definitely hard to put the book down.
I do think the first half of the book was the strongest and for me the ending was probably the weakest part of the whole thing. The unknown is almost always scarier than the known so once the big reveal is made it loses it's edge. This wasn't really helped by it wandering into the really strange and bizarre and I have to admit to getting a smidge confused as to what was going on at points.
I did however love the author's writing style and the tone of the whole book. Was it a little slow in places? Maybe, but the other parts had enough tension and atmosphere to more than make up for it.
Overall a great read and one I'd recommend if you love a creepy horror story and don't mind a wander into the weird.