Emma has been having these strange flashes for the last 5 years, where she checks out of her real life and sees pieces of other’s lives. She has stopped taking her medication, believing she can control it, when it suddenly gets worse and she doesn’t know where she is or how she got there. She meets some other kids, all at the same place, with no idea of how they all met or where they are. And that’s just the beginning of the nightmare.
This book took me forever to get through because it completely messed with my head. I would read a chapter and get so involved in the story that I would freak myself out, so I had to put the book down for awhile. I found this to be really scary. There were so many twisty and scary and disturbing parts. Maybe it was just me, but I alternated between being scared, engrossed, and confused when reading this book.
I don’t want to give too much away, because half the fun is trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Just when you think you understand, the ground opens up and swallows you whole…Or something like that. Emma felt like the main character, but the book alternated between all the characters point of view, which I completely appreciated because everyone did their own thing mostly and I wanted some sort of insight for this mess. When I got to the end of the book, I was expecting answers, I needed answers, but all I got was a twist. If you are looking for a standalone, this is not for you. This first book gave me absolutely no conclusion, so hopefully there will be more to come and quick.
Also, warning for those who are squeamish: there is so much blood and horror and death and abuse jammed into these pages. I think I would classify this as a supernatural horror mystery.
I read the Ashes series by this author and absolutely loved it. This is the first book in a very different series, equally well written, but a lot less straightforward. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.