A review by asimilarkite
Dead River by Cyn Balog
2.0
Review written for WASHYARG:
Ever since Ki’s mother walked into a river and committed suicide, her father has been incredibly over-protective. All kinds of water (rivers, lakes, even swimming pools) are just off limits to Ki, which is why she’s incredibly nervous that her boyfriend, Justin, and best friend, Angela, have decided to go white-water rafting on the Dead River instead of going to prom. Ki’s not really an outdoorsy girl anyway, so when she starts having visions of strange people no-one else seems to be able to see, all Ki really wants to do is go home to her nice warm bed and running water. It seems, however, that the river has other plans. Though there is a deliciously creepy setting, Balog’s novel never really finds its footing, and it teeters on the edge of horror and paranormal romance. Because of this, the book never really finds its audience; it is too scary for paranormal romance fans, and too romantic for horror buffs. Ultimately, the thin character development combined with these factors makes this novel a shrug.
Ever since Ki’s mother walked into a river and committed suicide, her father has been incredibly over-protective. All kinds of water (rivers, lakes, even swimming pools) are just off limits to Ki, which is why she’s incredibly nervous that her boyfriend, Justin, and best friend, Angela, have decided to go white-water rafting on the Dead River instead of going to prom. Ki’s not really an outdoorsy girl anyway, so when she starts having visions of strange people no-one else seems to be able to see, all Ki really wants to do is go home to her nice warm bed and running water. It seems, however, that the river has other plans. Though there is a deliciously creepy setting, Balog’s novel never really finds its footing, and it teeters on the edge of horror and paranormal romance. Because of this, the book never really finds its audience; it is too scary for paranormal romance fans, and too romantic for horror buffs. Ultimately, the thin character development combined with these factors makes this novel a shrug.