Amity

by Micol Ostow

[kimbacaffeinate]

Amity delves into two different families arriving at and living at Amity. One occurs ten years ago and another in the present. There is Gwen’s family who has just moved into the present day Amity, then Conner, and his twin sister Jules, who lived there in the past. All of the characters are creepy, no downright weird would be more appropriate. Even their parents will make you shiver. Gwen suffered a mental breakdown prior to the move, and the author explains what occurred later in the novel, leaving us to guess for most of it. Conner, on the other hand, is disturbing and the more the author shows -well let us just say it made me shiver and leave it at that.

Amity takes us back and forth between the two families and the creepy events that unfold during their stay. As the tale progresses the two stories intertwine leaving the reader, scrambling to sort out what is real. The tale has some horror scenes that will remind you of the Amityville Horror movie, but these are tamer and toned down. Amity is itself a living breathing entity with a personality all of its own and I must give credit to Ostow in this regard.

As much as I enjoyed the creepy moments and suspenseful vibe, the tale had flaws that kept me from completely losing myself within its pages. I loved how Ostow weaved in historical facts and the multiple perspectives but at times, it did not move fluidly. Some moments felt rushed while others were over the top. The author does an excellent job of keeping the reader off balance through her characters and the house itself. I questioned the magical aspect of Gwen and wonder if it did not hurt the story. The characters are strange, and the author makes you look at them askew. They are not likeable, and I do not believe we were supposed to connect to them in any real way. Despite some predictable moments and lag in areas overall, I enjoyed this atmospheric tale and applaud the author’s approach.

Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review.This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer