The Darkling

by R. B. Chesterton

[tellemonstar]

I DNF’d this one. I just couldn’t get into it. The beginning is way too slow, and the parts that should have been spooky, or at the very least a bit freaky aren’t.

The Darkling should have been creepy, and should have made you either want to stop reading it because it was just too damn scary, or keep reading it for the same reason. But I just don’t buy it, which is unfortunate as the plot seems like a really interesting premise. Orphaned child, sweet and mostly loving foster family, everyone dies but the tutor.

Apparently it gets better later on, but I don’t want to read more to find out if it does. I’ve already figured out that Annie is ‘bad’ and probably not actually human, and I don’t want to keep reading to find out what she does because I’m not motivated by the novel to do so.

I’m not always a fan of horror/thriller, because I have an over-active imagination, but even that’s having a hard time with this one. I don’t think it’s a bad book, it’s just not for me. People who like a certain style of ‘horror’ will probably enjoy this once they get past the slow part. I can’t get past the slow part.