Greg Boose

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Witches eating children's hair and an haunted house... Sounds interesting.

Meet Lake, she's been a bit off since her brother disappeared from his bedroom four years earlier. Always looking for a thrill, she, two friends and one potential love-interest decide to visit the alleged haunted house in the woods. These things are always in woods, aren't they? There have been a number of disappearances in the past in the region from people who visited the place. This of course only adds up to the fun they'll have. The real surprise is that they visit the wrong house, but Lake finds a real haunted house later where she's freaked out by something she didn't expect to find at all...

Although it started okay, it soon took a turn for the worse as it builds cliché on cliché, like splitting up for no particular, exposition via some random guy they conveniently meet, and oh, Lake is the girl from the cover: The Chosen One. (No surprises there I suppose). As soon as she's told it's her legacy she moves from being sceptical about hair eating witches (as any normal person would) to Buffy the Vampire Hair-Eating-Witch Slayer.

Even worse was the forced love triangle which I've never seen in YA before. Somewhere along the way they pick up a 400 year old boy (magic!) and Lake decides her love life isn't interesting enough and for some reason she instaloves him. I mean, supposedly puritan boys who are 400 years old and keeper of a room of kind-of zombie children are irresistible of course, there's no denying that, but she hardly knows him!

Is this the end? you ask. Of me caring, it certainly is. It's an easy, quick read, and it reads like a not-so-good horror movie perhaps, but it's very important you don't start thinking, because a lot looks just like easy ways to solve plotholes in a not so good or original way. In a more literal way it's not the end either. It's so hard these days to find some YA (Dystopian or Fantasy) that isn't also the start of a new series, and this book unfortunately is no exception because the story certainly isn't over yet.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

The Red Bishop was such an interesting read. Lake Price is the epitome of a slightly out of control teenage girl, and rightfully so. Four years ago, her older brother was kidnapped from his bedroom and never seen again. It has left Lake on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. On one hand, she is consumed with grief and sadness and fear for her brother Kimball, not quite able to admit that he may be dead. On the other hand, she is numb, just completely emotionally numb to anything else. As a result, she has become a thrillseeker, always overly intense and extreme. She will essentially do anything to just feel. She seeks out the scariest things she can, just trying to feel anything other than pain. It is that need that leads Lake and her friends to a purportedly haunted house. That one decision literally changes her entire life.

The mythology of this story is great, different from anything I have read before. The story takes place in Massachusetts, bringing the rich, witchy history of the area into the story. The witches in this story are positively frightening. Their method of survival is disturbing and creepy at best. There is definitely a bit more gore than the average YA novel, but not so much to be overdone. Just enough to make it deliciously scary!!

There is time travel, magic, romance, mystery, betrayal, and a bit of an epic quest. The cast of characters is just as diverse. There was a twist with one of Lake's friends that was rather unexpected, the twist completely not what I thought it was going to be. There was even a love triangle, and I am not at all sure how I feel about it!

The ending left me a little confused. I'm hoping it is a cliffhanger for another book in the future because I want to know MORE!

Things to love...

--The scary, creepy factor!
--The unique (and creepy) mythology.
--The twists and turns.

Things I wanted more/less of...

--More Madison and I can't explain why! NO SPOILERS!

My Recommendation: If you like a little horror/witchy mystery, this is a great read!… (plus d'informations)