Draw the Dark: Review

Title: Draw the Dark

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Release Date: October 2010

Published By: Carolrhoda Books

Pages: 328

Goodreads Rating: 3.67 stars

Review: Christian's parents disappeared when he was just a young boy, and ever since then he's drawn and painted obsessively in an effort to remember his mother. But he doesn't draw his memories - he draws the fears of people around him. He's the reason his first grade teacher committed suicide and his aunt died in a car crash. What he doesn't expect, however, are the secrets buried in his small town of Winter, Wisconsin - and what they mean for him.

DRAW THE DARK brings a creepy and fascinating concept to life - a boy who can capture the fears of the people around him, and has a strange connection to what's known as the Sideways Place. This story combined many interesting elements (a boy with powers, art, and a small town with a dark history) together to create a premise that will drag anyone into the pages.

I also loved the development of Christian's character throughout the book. Although he struggled with many issues that certainly no ordinary teenager has to deal with, he still had a fully fleshed-out personality and felt very much like a real person. He had many obstacles that he needed to overcome, and he handled them both honestly and admirably.

However, I did wish there was more of a focus and development on parts of the story that felt skimmed over. I wanted to know more about the Sideways Place and in general get more of a feel for Christian's abilities. This was one of the more interesting aspects of the novel and so I wished to know more about it than what was given.

All in all, DRAW THE DARK was a wonderfully creepy and suspenseful novel that I enjoyed reading. The protagonist had a well-developed personality, though I did wish for more details about his abilities and the Sideways Place. I recommend this for anyone who is appealed by the premise.