A Magic Dark and Bright
Asylum, Book 1
Bookish Group Press
February 5, 2015
Paperback
328
She meant to help a ghost...not unleash a curse. Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died. The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return. Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace--and Charlie agrees to help her. But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.
Review:
When I was given the opportunity to review and arc of “A Magic Dark and Bright”, the first book in the Asylum series, I was expecting a few creepy feelings in the vein of the Fear Street Series. Here is what really happened:
I had insomnia, and for whatever reason decided that 2 am was a good time to start a ghost story. By 2:30 am I was convinced a visitor from the grave was looking at me from the yard and spent the next thirty minutes trying to convince myself I needed to peek out of the curtains. Then I decided that would be the type of the idea that is acted upon in the first three minutes of a slasher film, so chose instead to hide under the covers.
I was reading Stephen King in elementary school, so I wouldn’t exactly consider myself a horror genre wimp. This book really managed to hit a fear center for me. I don’t anticipate looking out of the window at night any time in the near future. The characters are compelling, it’s a quick and easy read, the imagery is perfectly creepy, and it doesn’t rely on gore for the fright. The only reason I made it four stars, instead of five, is that there were some timeline shifts that became a bit disorienting at points.
I recommend “A Magic Dark and Bright” for upper middle graders to adults, providing they enjoy being scared while reading. Make sure you have curtains in your bedroom. Shut them before reading. Trust me.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Violence, Language, Sexual Content, Intensely Creepy Stuff
