Review: Wicked Dead: Lurker

Wicked Dead: Lurker by Stefan Petrucha and Thomas Pendleton

Every night, four ghostly girls gather in an abandoned orphanage to tell their ghostly stories. With each roll of their magic bones, a new story is revealed, with the hope the each one will eventually find their own story.

Tonight’s story is about Mandy, a normal high school with a perfect little town life. But Mandy’s world is completely shattered when popular Nicki Bennington is found murdered (with her insides hacked to pieces) behind the town library. Everyone is shocked by this turn of events. After all, how could such a grisly murder happen in their safe little hometown?

After a few weeks of mourning, the town is ready to move on. Mandy wants to get on with her life, but Nikki’s fate has shocked her to the core. So when she gets an instant message from a boy named Kyle Nevers, Mandy decides it’s time to branch out. Partly out of friendliness, and partly out to make her recently ex-boyfriend Dale jealous, Mandy begins to chat with Kyle.

It isn’t long before Mandy is fully involved with Kyle’s life. She’s never seen him in person because he’s home schooled, but Mandy can’t help but be drawn to this boy that she has so much in common with. Despite her friends’ warnings, Mandy gets in deeper and deeper with Kyle. But then she starts getting mysterious phone and text messages. Could Kyle not be all he seems?

Anyone who knows my reading tastes well will know that horror is not one of my big things. I don’t like being scared out of my wits. That being said, I’m not really sure where to place Lurker genre-wise. Except for the last few chapters, it really reads more like regular teen fiction than horror. But the end definitely creeped me out enough (bad idea for me to read it moments before falling asleep…).

Mandy’s story was truly that of a teen girl trying to find herself in an uprooted world, and readers who’ve experienced similar situations will probably relate to her feelings. Despite my horror misgivings, the book is interesting enough. The premise of the whole Wicked Dead series is to hear a new story each book (each “night” if you will), and I was engaged enough in Mandy’s story to pick up the next book in the series. Horror fans may find this one a little light, but it makes a great read for Halloween.

Shady Glade Rating: 7/10

If anyone would like a free copy of this book, I have one I am willing to trade. Email me at shadyglade@mail.com if you are interested. Or, if you are a member of Bookmooch.com, you can simply go and order it there (see below for an example of some of the books I have). If you have questions, just let me know!



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