To appreciate Dekker is to understand how allegory works. Those who don't like his books don't get the biblical allegory, but if you do--wow--these books in this series will absolutely stay with you. Don't think of them as straightforward horror/mystery, because they don't work that way.

Five strangers, trapped in the small town of Summerville due to a freak storm, become targets of a deranged killer intent on revenge. Sounds like a great premise for an exciting psychological thriller right? Unfortunately choppy writing, stilted dialogue and absolutely every plot cliché, tragic backstory and eye-roll inducing character action ruined this for me. The ending was actually very unexpected and it's only saving grace.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faith Words/Center Street for providing a digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

The truth under the skin of the world. And the lookout for it together.

There is a killing spree in the Summerville. The killer Sterling Red is on a mission - to get the group of the 5 people, supposedly unknown to each other, to find the most ugly amongst them and kill him/her. But who is truly ugly? And why is Red after them? And is there a way out?

Honestly, I would love to love this book. But I can't. My main reason is that I am unable to connect with the plot. I just don't care about the killer, the victims of the logics behind that. Which is a shame, because the idea behind the book is interesting.
And truly, I don't care for the most of the characters. They are supposed to be "valid" somehow, but they just feels random and there is a little logics and/or consistency in their behaviours.
But I do care about 2 of them - Colt and Wendy, but mostly Wendy, whom I would love to have as a friend. Wendy with her hard upbringing in the cult, Wendy knowing about being still imprisoned in her mind because of the abouse during her growing up years, Wendy learning and trying to love herself as she is - she is the saving grace of the book. Colt is very similar than her - horrible childhood also, trying his best also - but he is not as far in trying to value himself as Wendy is. He got frozen in the time, just living, but not being alive. And yet Colt is the strongest, most responsible and most self-sacrificing amongst them.
They feel good together as they are able to bring up the best out of each other.

I understand that the book was first published in 2006. I am quite sure that the author has used the following years up to now well, as he is obviously capable, but the writing obviously needs some polishing and the the quality of it needs even more soul-searching. But the potential is obviously here! So I will follow the author.