Dead River by Cyn Balog

Series: Standalone

Genera: Paranormal/Horror/Mystery

Subjects: Ghosts, supernatural, rivers, rafting, death, Maine

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 242 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Summary/ product description: “My friends and I are spending prom weekend at a remote wooded cabin on the Dead. The Dead River.
I thought it was going to be just us.
I was wrong.
Nothing is what it seems in this creepy paranormal thriller by Cyn Balog.”

My Review: This was not one of Cyn’s best standalones. I loved her last book, Touched, and enjoyed pretty much all her books before that. This one, despite the awesome setting, fell flat. The main character doesn’t seem very deep. She’s a bit of a Mary-Sue. And very whiny about not wanting to go on this trip.  She’s clumsy (very Bella Swan), blond, and unsure of herself. I’d much prefer the main character to love the outdoors. Kiandra seems to hate the outdoors, and would rather go shopping or go to prom. She’s so very, very, un-unique.

If you want a story filled with scary twists and turn and a lot of horror, this is not that kind of book. The main character can see ghosts around rivers, and know their deaths. This is kind of a paranormal romance, and not one of the better ones. She has a boyfriend named Justin who loves rafting and the outdoors, and her cousin, Angela who also like the outdoors. Justin is so not right for Kia even if he says he loves her.

This book could have had so much potential. It has an amazing setting, along the Dead River in Maine. Maine’s a great place to set paranormal books. I was hoping for something more. A horror story, with a murderer and a mystery. There was a unique idea of Kia being connected to the rivers, and her abilities. I reminded me of the Greek myth of the river Styx. I’m just so disappointed. Cyn’s characters are usually so well developed. This one was unimpressionable and boring.

If you liked Hereafter by Tara Hudson, you might like this book. Also, check out other people reviews of this book. They may have enjoyed it more than me. I may have not been in the right mood for this book. I did just read two very awesome books. Might just be the book hanger over making other books seem dull.

Cover Art Review: Scary and kind of gross. The river looks dried up and very dead. The cover’s ugly, but it’s meant to be that way.