Sometimes I buy a
book solely for its cover. If I had seen this short novel in my local indie
bookstore, I would have been intrigued. The title would have made me leery, but
on flipping through it, the antique photos of the main characters creeped me
out enough to make me want to purchase it. Lucky for me, I didn’t have that
conundrum. The authors sent me a copy.
At the beginning,
it seems as if the book is told in vignettes without any rhyme or reason. But a
few sections into it, the reader sees there is a pattern. The four main plot
lines move between 1904 St. Louis (which is a favorite for me since I live in
the Gateway City), Savannah 1979 and 2010, and Onyx’s 2012 journal. Each
vignette is also divided by quotes from Onyx and other famous and not-so-famous
personalities. While I cannot say I found the book spine-tingling, I was
compelled to read…in fact, I read it in one evening.
The first story of
Onyx and her daddy Catfish visiting the 1904 World’s Fair reminded me a lot of
Erik Larsen’s Devil in the White City. As I read, my spidey sense was getting that
“this isn’t going to turnout well” sense.
The second story
of Juniper and Quinn Cole also raised a few hairs. Child piano prodigy leaves
all that behind as she grows up. We see her headed out to her high school prom,
and again, my spidey sense starts getting nervous.
The third story is
about a young man who manages to blow $20 million dollars in a short period of
time. This one, well it didn’t give me the same anxious feeling the other two
did.
The fourth
plotline, Onyx’s journal, seemed out of place and just stuck in there. I’m sure
it will start to gell in later episodes.
I have some issues
with this structure: first, while there are resolutions, there is the overall
sense that the whole story isn’t told. I
felt let down when I reached the end. The authors warned me: Episode One. I’m
not sure that I would pick up Episode Two unless it was immediately available.
Give me six months, and I won’t be interested. Second, the authors got some of
their facts wrong (which drives me nuts): Tennessee Williams was wasn't born until 1911, and, therefore, could not have been the “celebrated playwright” in
attendance at the 1904 Louisiana Exposition. Arrggghhhhhh. Nor was there ever
(that I could find), a St. Louis News
Dispatch newspaper.
Double arrggghhhhhhh. Third, there is the introduction of the Southern
Gentleman near the end. I’m sure that’s to add spice and anticipation for
Episode Two, but it annoyed me.
Overall, I’m not
sure I would classify this as paranormal, but that could be confirmed I future
volumes. The writers have talent, no doubt. I wish the story had been more
linear with less creepy photos and quotes. Still I’m giving the story 4 stars…I
liked it but I won’t be talking about it in six months.
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