BOOK REVIEW - Screamcatcher: The Shimmering Eye by Christy J. Breedlove

Screamcatcher: The Shimmering Eye

Series: Screamcatcher, Book 3

Author: Christy J. Breedlove

Genre: YA Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Supernatural

Publication Date: 18th August 2020

Book Description:

Eighteen-year-old Jory Pike, a half-blood Chippewa, is depending upon her Native ancestry to help her investigate one of the strangest hauntings she’s ever encountered. A 500-plus acre ranch in rural Montana is under psychic and physical attack. The ranch’s owner, the elderly Ambrose Tucker, is determined to hold steadfast and courageously to his beloved property. Answering an ad in Jory’s outfit, The Badlands Paranormal Society, Ambrose hopes to rid his property of evil spirits once and for all.

Jory and her crew of three other teenagers, each of whom bring to the table their own line of skills and expertise, have brought every known piece of hardware and technical equipment to Granite Springs Ranch. Although the assignment seems ordinary at first, and the answer to the haunting seems eminent, everything spirals out of control and leaves the team terrified. The problem is, they have no idea that they’re being outclassed and sabotaged by a malevolent spirit, who seems to know their every move.

If Jory and the Badlands Paranormal Society don’t solve the problem in quick fashion, they stand to lose the $50,000 extermination fee, but worst of all, they will allow a dangerous and unmerciful entity to unleash a hoard of vicious mythological creatures that will run rampant over the ranch and surrounding properties. Jory has no idea how she and her teammate’s mettle will be tested, bringing them near the edge of insanity, physical endurance and death.

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BOOK SUMMARY

It's a UFO ... It's a ghost ... It's a demon ... It's ... No one knows. And therein lies the problem. How do you defeat an enemy if you don't know what you're up against? 

The Scooby gang are back with another whirlwind adventure, battling an enemy that has terrorised Granite Springs Ranch in rural Montana for what could be centuries. Jory and the gang have faced challenging opponents before, but this enemy may just be the death of them. Always seeming to be one step ahead of the gang, The Badass (sorry, I mean "Badlands") Paranormal Society have to solve the mystery surrounding the identity of their enemy if they wish to stand a chance at defeating it before it destroys them one by one.

WHAT I LIKED

The fact that the story was set in one location really worked well in building suspense and a tense atmosphere, which at times allowed elements of horror to slowly seep into the narrative. This would be great as a movie. I got vibes of Jordan Peele's movie "Nope". With the focus being in one location, you really got the chance to see the characters' personalities more than we did in previous books. It was a little hard to connect with the characters other than Jory in previous books, but in this one, their character traits stood out more and we get to learn a bit more about their background and upbringing. You get to see that they are distinct characters and got a better insight into what each of them bring to the team individually, their strengths and weaknesses, so to speak.

I don't fully recall the previous books in detail, but I'm sure I didn't think of (or don't recall) the characters as being humorous, however, in this book, there were some good banter between the gang, particularly Darcy and Lander. I found myself laughing a lot more in this book than the previous ones, which was enjoyable as the burden of battle was very weighty and prolonged, so it was nice to see some light moments and fun between the characters despite trying times.

There were some good action scenes where the characters were getting their asses handed to them by their enemy. They also put up a good fight.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

I would have liked the enemy to feel more of a threat to the characters. There was a lot of suspense built up around unveiling its identity, but given there was no evidence of it killing humans, it didn't always seem as though they were truly at risk of dying or being badly hurt. I had also expected a bigger final fight. It wasn't as gripping as I had hoped it would be given the intelligence of the creature throughout the story.

There was oftentimes more telling than showing, which also killed some of the suspense and character development.

VERDICT:

A thoroughly entertaining read for anyone seeking a thrilling adventure coupled with fantasy and sci-fi elements.

RATING:

Source: Author