The Blood That Defines Us

by Majanka Verstraete

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

The Blood That Defines Us is a gloriously rich mix of gothic elements combined with a new warped and twisted take on evil and what it truly is. For anyone who is a fan of the horror book genre, this would be the novella that you would definitely want to read on those dark frightening nights when you find yourelf in the mood for a good scare. One of the things that I like most about this book, is the way in which the author examines evil close up personally and how it affects each individual from one generation to the next, while showing that same line of evil is carried through.

The room hidden in the attic, is perhaps the most creepy element about the novel itself. It cannot be found unless the evil wants it to be found and it's rather interesting how everything has to be done through the sheer force of free-will, instead of a forcefulness brought on by the evil itself that usually occurs in most horror stories told. The imagery lent itself quite well to the novella and serve to showcase the mansion even more frightening than I had originally anticipated it to be. The secrets locked away, had a way of making the story slightly more edgey and sinister than I had originally imagined it would be.

In a sense it had a Flowers In The Attic type feel to it, but this small novella managed to take it to a whole new level with it's own uniqueness and style that had me so richly engrossed that I just had to finish it in one sitting. I have no problem giving this novella a perfect five start rating, as I was quite pleased with it and if you're a fan of the horror novel genre, then I definitely suggest you read this.