{Book Review} The Weeping by O’Dell Hutchison

Expected publication: March 6th 2012 by H, C & B Publishing(That’s Today!!)

Age Group: YA

Source: Blog Tour

Challenges: Ebook challenge, YA challenge, 150+ reading challenge, standalone challenge, ABC, sophomore reading challenge

Buy this Book: Amazon

Summary( from goodreads):

Twenty years ago, Catherine Whitley was the victim of a horrible crime. Betrayed by her friends, including the boy she loved, she was left to die when the Rock Harbor Opera House caught fire, taking a disturbing secret with her to her grave.

Seventeen-year-old Heath Ingram was driving the night his Jeep careened off the road, killing three of his closest friends. Once a popular, outgoing athlete, Heath now suffers from severe depression and crippling anxiety. His parents decide to send him to stay with his uncle in Rock Harbor, Oregon for the summer, praying that by getting away he will be able to put this awful tragedy behind him.

When Heath starts working at the newly renovated Rock Harbor Opera House, he meets Molly, a young dancer who awakens in him a desire to start over and move on. But, when he begins having visions of a half-burned girl in a white dress, he starts to think he may be slipping even further over the edge.

As the apparent hauntings become more intense, Heath begins to fear for his safety. With the help of his friend Josie, Heath discovers an unsettling secret that ties the mysterious girl to both their families. When two of their friends die unexpectedly, Josie and Heath realize that something, or someone, is after the children of those who wronged Catherine, and they are next.

This book needs to be made into a movie!! Seriously, the whole time I was reading I kept picturing how it would play out in the movies. I love a good suspense/thriller, and this book has it all. Great twists and turns and it is seriously creepy. I was reading it late at night and then my sister walked into my dark bedroom and I about jumped out of my skin. She got a good laugh out of that! If I had known how scary this was going to be I would not have read it at night. Haha! (a little disclaimer- I get spooked pretty easily, but I love scary books and movies!)

I sympathized with Heath. I felt awful that the guilt was eating him up, and with some of the things that happened during the story- oh man! What a poor poor guy. He could not catch a break. The accident really changed him. When I started the book, I felt bad because he is such a good guy. Then as the story goes on and we get some more back story on him, I was surprised to find out that he was a bit of a jerk before. Not awful, but he was a typical immature popular guy. That was so different than the Heath that I was getting to know, and in a way I was happy that he went through such a life changing event, because it helped him to become a really great guy. I want such good things for Heath.

I will give you this warning- there is death in this book. I was surprised by the way the story turned out. And I am not even talking about the ending. (I will get to that in a minute) The pacing is pretty consistent for the first half and then right after the halfway point the story just kind of speeds up. I loved it! It was a bit slower, but not too slow, for the foundational part of the story and then once all the players have been introduced the story really takes off. I was riveted! Such a great scary story. If anyone likes mystery/suspense/horror or scary of any kind you NEED to read The Weeping! The ending though. Oh boy did that ending kill me! Talk about a what if ending! I don’t know if it was a cliffhanger or just a drive you completely crazy final line. I just stared open mouthed at the last page on my kindle. I kept clicking the next button, hoping there would be more. The Weeping is such a great book- go read it!

4/5 gavels

If you were shocked/angry/sad/curious or just want to see how else the book could have ended, the author has posted and alternate ending HERE 

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