Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Ghosts and Cookies

The Last Seer and the Tomb of Enoch by Ashland Menshouse

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Summary: Do you believe?
Can a ghost haunt more than your home? Can a Sasquatch track more than footprints?
Aubrey Taylor's quaint and cozy life in the subdued, Appalachian town of Lake Julian had never been exceptional. Shouldered by his lifelong friends, Buzz Reiselstein and Rodriqa Auerbach, he quietly endured the puerile punishments of a persistent pack of pesky bullies that included the most-feared kid in school, Magnos Strumgarten, and his own obnoxiously, well-accomplished brother, Gaetan. Comfortable in his humdrum niche of the absolutely average, Aubrey never pushed back.
Until...fate dug a little too deep...and the unseen darkness of unspoken places rattled his mediocrity.
When spurious specters and elusive mountain men battle for a tomb of Watchers, buried in ages past, only those who choose to look beyond the surface feel the grip of the ancients' revenge. Unusual disappearances, a colorful cadre of insightful townsfolk and a whirlwind of blunders and mishaps exposes the struggling forces that transform Aubrey and his friends into more than spectators amidst the oldest war of all.
Prepare yourself to see the unseen as you've never seen it before.

Review: An enjoyable young adult supernatural adventure that suffered from being too long and too much description.

The first thing that I noticed was the length of this book. I am used to some young adult novels being over 500 pages, but those 500 pages are quite easy to read so I was expecting a fairly quick read. The Last Seer and the Tomb of Enoch was a pretty quick read although not as quick as I was expecting. The book was bogged down with too much description and too much additional information. While everything in the book did contribute to the telling of the story, I felt like a hundred or so pages could have been cut out of the book.

The mythology was fascinating although sometimes it could be confusing. My favorite part was the explanation for Big Foot and why people can never seem to find them despite sightings. Like some other supernatural and fantasy books I’ve read recently, this book was an enjoyable blend of magic and technology. I loved Buzz’s inventions, especially the Buzz Beetle. The characters were likeable enough and their banter was quite funny to read. The ending does wrap up rather quickly and leaves an opening for a sequel.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy young adult supernatural novels.

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