A review by pageglue
The Haunting of Tyrese Walker by J.P. Rose
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Shadow Man, Shadow Man, him come get you. Shadow Man, Shadow Man, him come take you.”
Months after the death of his father, Tyrese and his mother go to Jamaica to see family and stay with his Grammy and his cousin, Marvin. When all he wants to do is forget about what happened, his family, partly on the recommendation of his councillor, continue to mention his father repeatedly, driving Tyrese further into himself and away from them. One day when he runs off on his own, he stumbles upon a grave with a strange symbol on the tombstone. Tyrese, Marvin, and their new friend Ellie-Mae uncover a dark history that will haunt them all.
I’m still shocked that this book that’s recommended for 11-14-year-olds is the scariest horror book I’ve read this year! I’ll be upfront: the plot was messy. BUT the horror scenes were deliciously creepy! I really liked the characters, but the issues that Tyrese was going through were so dominant that I wished that the side characters had been more developed. I loved the setting and the folklore of the duppies. And I was frequently impressed with the writing, especially when it came to describing the setting and establishing the mood.
Despite its flaws, the good things about this book were excellent so I would easily recommend it. I would also warn that the depiction of grief is pretty heavy.
Months after the death of his father, Tyrese and his mother go to Jamaica to see family and stay with his Grammy and his cousin, Marvin. When all he wants to do is forget about what happened, his family, partly on the recommendation of his councillor, continue to mention his father repeatedly, driving Tyrese further into himself and away from them. One day when he runs off on his own, he stumbles upon a grave with a strange symbol on the tombstone. Tyrese, Marvin, and their new friend Ellie-Mae uncover a dark history that will haunt them all.
I’m still shocked that this book that’s recommended for 11-14-year-olds is the scariest horror book I’ve read this year! I’ll be upfront: the plot was messy. BUT the horror scenes were deliciously creepy! I really liked the characters, but the issues that Tyrese was going through were so dominant that I wished that the side characters had been more developed. I loved the setting and the folklore of the duppies. And I was frequently impressed with the writing, especially when it came to describing the setting and establishing the mood.
Despite its flaws, the good things about this book were excellent so I would easily recommend it. I would also warn that the depiction of grief is pretty heavy.