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Possessed


Possessed is a YA supernatural thriller/horror book by Kate Cann from back in February 2010.

Sixteen-year-old Rayne hates her life. She hates the noise of London. She hates the crowded-ness of it all. She wants quiet. She wants solitude. She wants away from her mother. She wants away from her possessive boyfriend. Desperate to finally get away, as she feels her very life is being sucked from her in the crime-infested portion of the city she lives - she decides to take a year off before college and find a job that will take her anywhere. Anywhere that is not where she is now.

So, when she finds a job at a secluded, extremely old and historical country estate, Morton's Keep, she takes it. Rayne loves the absolute silence of it. Thing is, the rumors about the place are pretty weird. And she can't help but notice the creepy, frightening energy that seems to encompass it. The nights are... hard.

But Rayne is determined to stay away from her home - to be independent and alone. But will the prison she left be replaced by a new, more subtle sort of prison? Because as she stays, she becomes more and more convinced that there is something here that wants to keep her... forever.

Oooh boy! Okay fellow readers, one BIG suggestion: try not to read Possessed at night, alone, or right before bed. Sadly, I did all three of these things and paid for it dearly. Lol. Quite a goosebump-inducer, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, Kate Cann shows her immense writing talent (I have previously appreciated some of her other novels, like Grecian Holiday, Spanish Holiday, and California Holiday, back before I was blogging) by creating a believably moody, smoggy atmosphere where Rayne's misery is palpable. The dark, urban feel has an eeriness early on that hearkens to what may come. And come it does.

Rayne is so suffocatingly unhappy where she lives that I am happy for her when she leaves - despite the ominous cover of the book and title. I almost immediately sympathize with her and soak up the dramatic (not melodramatic) sensations Possessed causes early on in the novel.

Like a ghost story that makes it hard to go to sleep, or even move, in the dark - Possessed is spooky, creepy, and pretty darn scary. There is that raw, real freaked-out feel of, "Who's watching me?" And the isolated, hushed and maybe not altogether paranoid feelings that come with that.

Possessed manages to be seductive and alluring with a strong hypnotizing quality that continued to draw me in, yet also continued to, well, scare me. Lol. Let's be honest here, people! Possessed is extremely successful at its aim - to make you want to look over your shoulder every time Rayne does.

There is a haunting perception to Possessed that there is always something being kept from you - a secret, unspoken fear that keeps the suspense crackling. The reader feels like he/she is on the rainy, stormy, foggy, eerie, terrifying grounds of Morton's Keep - not to mention in the mansion itself where the descriptive information makes you not only see the interior in your mind's eye, but makes you want to get the heck out of there (but of course you don't really, because you're loving the read)! Kate Cann really revs up the atmosphere.

Possessed gives you heavy helpings of rumor-ridden woods to add to the, er, "fun", as well as other myths and legends about the place and town... that may not be as much legends and myths as history. Of which the revelations far exceed the horrifying imaginations of the rather frightened reader - happily.

It's strange to explain how a scary book like this one can be so entertaining - but I can tell you that I never wanted to stop reading it - ever. And the writing quality is truly great. There's something kinda fun about getting all shivery and horrified and watching the pages fly by so fast. That is, not right before bed.

When I found out that Possessed is going to have a SEQUEL (looks like it is entitled Consumed and has an awesome cover, too) I was honestly excited, as well as filled with trepidation. Lol. I would love to continue to follow Rayne's rather terrifying story and see where things will go at Morton's Keep.

I doubt you'll be able to resist its unearthly pull either. So, let's not fight it but embrace it! Pick up your copy of Possessed and be ready for chills!

Don't forget your bookworm nightlight! ;)

Special Note: Because I am still super duper busy with reading and reviewing, the Friday posts will continue in November! In fact, because there doesn't seem to be enough Mondays and Fridays in the month to post all the reviews I am writing I will now be adding in a temporary WEDNESDAY posting for November, as well. Please check back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for new reviews and ramblings from a crazy bibliophile (me)!

Comments

Kate Cann said…
Hello, it's the author here. Just wanted to express my thanks for that wonderful and deeply felt review. Drawing the reader into the twisted heart of the dark old house was one of the things I hoped to achieve - so I'm glad I scared you silly! Kate Cann x

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