Thursday, July 17, 2014

Boy Next Door written by Emma Clark (200 pgs) – finished 12/10/13 – 4 stars


 Okay, where do I begin? Well, this book was definitely a hard read. So much going on in only a seemingly short novel. Yes, some things were difficult to read. But, I wouldn’t say it was a horror story per say, with fictional monsters like vampires or zombies. But, there was a monster present, and his name was Brandon. He was just so delusional...mentally unstable. Tender one minute and volitile the next. It was tragic. It was so sad. But, when dealing with the mental stability of some individuals, they just don’t understand that what they’re doing is not normal beyond any means whatsoever. And, Brandon had his issues that were aggressively violent that brought great pain to the trusting and intelligent Mia. She works in the local coffee shop just kind of wasting time after high school in a dismal and crummy job. While wiping down the counter, she glances up at amazing blue-green eyes staring at her from across the room. They belong to a tall dark-haired smiling guy that has that celebrity-enhanced quality. With his arm muscles bulging and a noticeable scythe tattoo on display, he just permeates with confidence and power. When Mia has finished her shift and tries to start her ancient car, it of course, has a mind of its own. Shit! It won’t start! The handsome guy from the coffee shop, who introduces himself as Brandon, offers to give her a ride home. He reveals to her that it just happens to be on his way after she tells him where she lives.  Does she take the ride from him or sit in this stressful situation alone? Mia, thinking that he seems nice enough, and it’s not that far a drive so what could possibly happen, decides to take him up on his offer. Mia, though, soon finds herself a victim to a horrible and physically violated situation by a mentally violent-strickened demon. What was she ever thinking by allowing this deviant freak give her a ride? Will she survive this barbaric assult and see her father again? Or will she become a fatal victim of Brandon’s continuous perverted violations?

Wow! Was this hard to read. Unfortunately, horrific abuse like this does occur. I remember not too long ago reading how three young women were found in Cleveland, OH that had been kidnapped ten years ago. They had also been victims of a madman that abused them sexually as well as emotionally. One has to be an exceptionally strong individual to survive that kind of cruel and merciless sense of trauma. So, this novel was equally heartbreaking to read. Ms. Clark creates two characters that are sadly neglected. Mia just had a hard time fitting in with her family as her father has remarried and there’s no obvious love between her and her step-mother. Brandon comes from wealth, but he’s expected to carry-on the family profession after graduating from med-school. So, much is expected of him from his father, and obviously, he just can’t handle the responsibility. Brandon’s mind is slipping out of reality, and he needs to be reassured that he’s in control fully. He needs to have Mia as his prisoner to remain in that dominate commanding situation. And, Mia finds herself yielding to his authoritative ways. Can there be more to their relationship as the months go by? And, when this catastrophe is finally over, will Mia find herself not being able to forget the oftentimes tender and loving "boy next door" that held her captive and took away her sense of decency and self-worth?

This novel wasn’t so much as brilliant, but nothing was held back – the emotion, the horror, the heartbreak, the sadness, and the intrigue as to how far the author will push the envelope was exposed. Looking forward to seeing what new thriller is next on the horizon for this enthralling author.





Review Written, 1/2/14

                                                                    

No comments:

Post a Comment