I want to start out with this: this was a really good book. It had my attention nearly the whole entire time. I wanted to finish this book as fast as possible because I liked it that much. But I only rated it three stars, and I’ll explain why below. 

So, the beginning of this book was so good. I think the ending was too, but I was too focused on what I didn’t like that it took away from my enjoyment of the ending of this novel. 

We’re set up in the town of Doubtful that’s haunted by a horrible string of murders that leaves whoever is taken sewn back together in ways that aren’t natural using bright red thread. Many people think it’s a serial killer, but it’s pretty obvious in the beginning that it’s something a little more… inhuman. I loved the characters that we’re automatically introduced to (they call themselves the Jackrabbits). I loved the scary background of the town. I loved the setup. Now, this is where it gets a little complicated for me. 

If you’ve ever read of watched Stephen King’s It, you’d be getting a lot of deja vu right about now while reading this book. You have a band of younger kids who have a group name. One of their siblings gets taken. Basically, it feels like what the plot of It would have been if the kids had known that Georgie was still alive. To tell you more about the similarities, I’d have to go into spoilers. So, if you want to know more, keep reading. 

Spoilers ahead. 

Okay, so when we’re going to face the monster with Abby and Rhys, they have to go into tunnels. It’s not the sewers, but it’s eerily similar in that it’s mines that span the underground length of the town. Then, we find out that Hope lost her arm (remind you of a certain sibling named Georgie?). THEN, we find out the monster has lights in its eyes that paralyze anyone who looks into them. The author literally describes them as floodlights. That’s when I decided this was a three star read. It felt WAY too similar to It and I found it boring and repetitive towards the end because of it even if I wanted to keep reading to see the ending. And guess what? One of the last scenes involves riding a bicycle…. Hiyo, Silver, Away! 

Overall, this novel had so much potential. Even though I still thoroughly enjoyed it despite its flaws, I was highly disappointed in its extreme similarities to Stephen King’s It. I get if you’re trying to pay tribute to an author, but this felt like the easy way out to come up with a plot for a novel that will sell. 

Source: Personal Copy

(P.S. You can read this book for free by signing up for a free trial of Audible, which gives you two free audiobooks of your choice!)