I confess to a little bit of trepidation about the two Carolrhoda Lab standalones in spring 2013. They are not . . . cheerful. Fortunately:
“Jacobs’ storytelling has the effortless velocity of early Dean Koontz, and his prose is textured with hard-boiled grit: each kid’s supernatural flexing causes nosebleeds and vomiting, not to mention the realistic mangling of innocent people. An expertly spiced stew of attitude, humor, horror, and grief—and with a movie-ready plot to boot. Sequels? Probably. Let’s make that hopefully.”*
–Booklist, STARRED.
“Bick’s compelling tale manages to be a blistering confessional and a page-turning whodunit (or maybe what-really-happened) all in one. Ben’s thoughts on sexuality, the dangers of rumor, individual freedom and personal responsibility, among other topics, will resonate with teens, who won’t mind the lack of a tidy end.
“Readers won’t be able to look away even if they find they don’t much like—or trust—Ben.”
–Kirkus, STARRED.
Trepidation, assuaged.
*Such hopes are not misplaced.
