What a fucking mess of a book. There was entirely way too much urination going on. It was RIDICULOUS. And quite frankly I got tired of the lead character Kelly having to pee ALL time. I get that it’s a purely involuntary response at times, especially when you’re so frightened you cannot control things like this. But she had to have wet herself five times throughout the novel, and experienced a ridiculous amount of painful need to urinate at least once a day, if not two or three times, the entire novel. (Well until she got back home, anyway....Kelly, honey? Go see your doctor now! There’s something VERY wrong with your bladder...,!)
Also, Kelly’s nickname, Kellorella, was used ad-nauseam. I wanted to smack the other character for using it constantly.
The writing was just.....ok, at first, and then it got a little silly. The subject matter could have been SO much better written, if the author hadn’t gone the way he had with this novel. It *should have been* right up my alley, but these issues mentioned, and a whole lot more, kept me from enjoying this book for the most part.
In fact, I had to force myself to finish the novel, and really and truly did NOT want to get back to it. Kelly seemed to really get on my nerves, but not as much as Simon did.
I was very sad that I’d spent my good money on this audiobook, and will never listen to it, or read the novel again. I have no idea why other readers like this novel so much, truthfully. But whatever.
So 2.5 stars, and not recommended at all. ( )

I have been a fan of Ronald Malfi's books since reading his Floating Staircase. He really knows how to involve the reader in the strange and eerie happenings that populate his books. I will have to agree with other reviewers that it was a bit too repetitious when it came to describing the character's dreams. I really liked the Josh character but the main character of Kelly became tedious. Overall the theme of the book was carried out very well and made for a creepy, horrific tale. ( )

From Amazon:

Kelly Rich, long estranged from her family, is forced to return home when her sister is involved in a mysterious accident. After years of suppressing the events that drove her away, she must struggle to unlock the mystery of her past in order to save her sister. But nothing is as it seems in her foreboding ancestral home, where cold hearts rule the hearth and deadly secrets lurk in the forest. Plunged back into the dream world of her youth, Kelly will have to face the dark reality of her own role in the horrors afflicting her family.

My Thoughts:

I have loved all of Ronald Malfi's books that I have read thus fr...all 4 and 5 star books. Sadly, this one just wasn't in the same league with these others. The story was slow to start and it seemed to take forever to get to the point. This author has a genuine talent for creating suspense, and he didn't fail here on that score. The book had good points...the characters were well drawn. The story line was solid, but it just didn't hold up. I'm just going to believe that this was just an off day, month, year...whatever, for this talented author. ( )

http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.asp?ID=563 ( )