Wistful YA~FINGERS IN THE MIST & Giveaway!

Wistful YA is my reoccurring spotlight, giving young adult literature center stage.

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If you like creepy, then you're in the right place. But honestly, even if you're not a huge fan of all that's chilling and shrilling I think you'd enjoy my next YA spotlight.

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FINGERS IN THE MIST by O'dell Hutchison
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC. Release Date: February 24, 2015 Pages: 280
I'd like to thank the publisher for supplying me with an eCopy in exchange for an unbiased review.
Favorite Line/Passage: I turn to see Mason lying on the ground, his entire body wracked with convulsions. His back arches until the top of his head sits on the road. His hands hover above the ground, shaking as if he'd been electrocuted. All at once, his body goes flaccid, collapsing into silence. His blue eyes stare at the sky, unblinking against the huge drops of rain that spatter them. Black gunk seeps from the corner of his mouth and blood streams from his nose. (page 3)
Description: Sixteen-year-old Caitlyn Foster never believed in the legend of the Redeemers. That was before the trees started to whisper her name. Before a murder of crows attacked the town. Before she and her family came home to find a bloody handprint on their front door, marking one of them as a sacrifice. As Caitlyn’s friends are ripped from their homes, she knows it’s only a matter of time before the Redeemers come for her. Caitlyn has the power to stop the terror, but she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to sacrifice herself to save those she loves. 

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY!

My Splats: a super eerie tale of a town living complacently under the blanket of invisible fear.

Caitlyn has a distinct voice, real and tangible. Her past mistakes are upfront from the opening of the story. Her strong will is a nice touch and it bounces nicely off her judgmental stepmother. Her risk-taking quality adds tension and suspense throughout the tale. I'm sure young people will either relate to her verve or secretly wish they had a bit of it for themselves. As far as the opening of the story, what I liked the most is the mystery of Cait feeling as though she's being watched and why it makes her tense to sudden anger. It's obvious to her and the reader that the town is different.

At a few points, the townsfolk seem too accepting of the legend of these Redeemers and living under their threat. But I believe that was a tactic used by the author to rattle the reader. It actually brought me deeper into the story, thinking how I would get out of this if most around me believed it to be true. Like they had no choice. 

The story began to feel similar to the film The Village, which made me nervous that it wouldn't be original. Then Caitlyn, three of her old friends, and a baby do something (no spoilers here), which turns the tale into its own. The dynamics of the four former now reacquainted friends, their hardships and pains, longings and regrets goes a long way to carry this tale toward the climax.

Creepy! Towards the climax, I kept getting the image of a Stephen King town--dank darkness, eerie stillness, a controlling force beneath the surface, and figures in the shadows. Very cool. And then a mystery about her mother and family tosses Caitlyn for a loop, adding even more strain and pulling in the guilt from her past mistakes mentioned at the beginning. There's conflict right up until the ending scenes, where she must choose right from wrong, only those lines are so blurred the reader is never quite sure what she'll do. 

The only misgiving I can sight is that spells are often mentioned but never really explained or shown. I would have loved a little description or scene showing that. 

I'd recommend this story to young adult and adult readers, who have a special love for the creepy, but also for those who like a good mystery. 

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About the Author: 

O’Dell was born in a small rural town in Idaho. There were no Redeemers living there (that he knows of). After attending college in the Pacific Northwest, he found his way to the Houston area. By day, he is a Business Systems Analyst and at night you can either find him sitting at home, dreaming of random super powers he wishes he had, or directing plays and musicals at various theaters around Houston.

Do you like creepy reads? What's the last one you read?