Death by the River

by Alexandrea Weis

[zooloo1983]

Ever since I took part in the cover reveal in April for this book (this is on the old blog!) I was looking forward to being able to read this book! Now I have read it, I am really not sure what I have read! There was a part of the supernatural world nodded to by the haunting of “the Abbey” but it was never really explored until the end and THAT ENDING!! WOW

Beau, seriously this kid, Mr Perfect, is far from perfect. He is a psychopath of the terrifying and damn right dangerous kind. The anger he has that he needs sedating and the way to oppress it was horrific. His obsession with Leslie, his girlfriend’s twin sister is sinister, to say the least. He blames her for all the bad in his life and that he acts out all because she rejected him.

Some of the most graphic and troubling scenes were not written but had been alluded to and I had to re-read a couple of passages just to be sure!

The story is told from a few different points of view, Beau, his girlfriend Dawn, her twin sister Leslie and Derek, Leslie’s boyfriend. All to give a varied view of the main story. You aren’t told who is talking, but it is written in the way where I felt, I just knew who it. I knew when it was the loving boyfriend, the realist, the victim and the monster.


I did read this in pretty much one sitting because even though you didn’t feel like a lot was going on, there was still a pull in the book to get it finished! The stalker and sinister capabilities of Beau, just makes you realise how much we don’t really know anyone. People playing the part for appearances and namesakes, heaven forbid you tarnish a good name! Beau is manipulative, he has Dawn right where he wants her…for now. But he bored and when her back is turned, the dark and true Beau comes out to play, to the dismay of the women in his wake. For this to be teenagers living through this, I think makes it all that more horrifying, the urges of one boy, I mean WOW.

I really am not sure how to write this review, it is a toughie to write. I think I did enjoy this book, as much as you can enjoy a teen angst book with such dark and depraving topics!! I found the ending quite sad for one of the characters and damn right shocking when I read the epilogue. I had to read it twice as I couldn’t believe what I had just read, I mean it was a COLD! Nothing less than what was deserved but so damn cold! It also left me with questions, and I know they won’t get answered. Hmm!

I loved that Leslie could see right through Beau, all through the torture he put her through. But how can she make Dawn see sense? These twins were once so close and it was heartbreaking to see the gap grow between them. Leslie trying to be so protective, but she is not able to get through to Dawn, and then things start to happen.

The writing of this story was so good, getting right into the minds of the teenagers. The angst of fitting in, of playing a role with the weight of popularity, whilst adding darkness, ghost stories and murders. Overall, it was an intoxicating read. One other thing to point out with all the points of view with the writing is this is written by two authors! You can not tell where one author begins and the other ends, it all flowed and complimented each other so well!

I do have to say one thing I love the cover!