Possessed by Kate CannMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 3 days
Pages - 331
Publisher - Scholastic
Blurb from Goodreads
Rayne can't wait to start her summer job at a remote country mansion, far from the crowded, noisy London she so desperately wants to escape. But the retreat soon turns into a nightmare -- the mansion is creepy, the legends of ghosts keep Rayne up at night, and she doesn't feel safe anywhere.
Can Rayne figure out why she's so freaked -- before she becomes a ghost story herself?
My Review
Rayne is our main character, living with her mum and little brother, on a rough estate and dating Day Damian, a bad boy lusted after by many but hers alone. She is frustrated by her situation and ready to break free, when a job opportunity arises at a secluded country manor she has to go. It is quiet, spooky and feels spooky, it also has the pull of St John, a young chap and his group of friends who welcome Rayne with open arms although all is not as it seems.
The author described the setting of the ancient house and its grounds perfectly, it had the feel for some spooky and ghostly happenings. However the biggest focus on the story surrounds Rayne, her feelings, her playing her boyfriend and mum, screening their calls and some teen angst behavior which I didn't much care for. When the story gets into the heart of the spookiness and mystery surrounding the manor and it's history it did pick up. I would say this had more of a gothic or teenangst person growth type feel to it, I certainly wouldn't rate it as a horror.
I enjoyed reading about the growth of Rayne's character however I can't say by the end of the book I was much liking her. The mystery surrounding the whole book also was a bit, for me, anticlimactic . That said, the writing is easy to follow and I would read this author again, in fact this book has a follow up which I would read although not actively seek it out. 2/5 for me this time, I would certainly suggest you try it as I seem to be in the minority with this one, it just wasn't for me.
That's too bad. The teenage angst doesn't appeal to me either though.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like this book got off to a good start and had a lot going for it. It's too bad it turned out to be anticlimatic. That can really ruin my enjoyment of a book.
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