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Solitary Tales #2
Gravestone
At first, Chris Buckley was simply warned. And watched. But as Chris unravels the haunting riddles of the town of Solitary, he finds that much more than the life of a town is at stake. Whether facing a pastor with a house full of skeletons or a cousin he never knew existed, Chris is forced to choose between light and darkness, life and nightmarish death. Every choice he makes reminds him that the unthinkable has already happened—and if he trusts the wrong person, it may happen again. This second book in the Solitary Tales continues Chris’s journey toward finding out who he is and what his own role is in the darkness suffocating his tiny new hometown. Filled with shocking twists, Gravestone is a tale of a teenager thrown into a battle over a town, a secret—and ultimately his own soul.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2011
35 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
About the author
Travis Thrasher
72 books419 followersNew York Times bestselling author Travis Thrasher has written over 75 books, from fiction in a variety of genres to memoirs and children’s books. He has collaborated with filmmakers, musicians, athletes, comedians and pastors. Travis lives with his wife and three daughters in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
December 6, 2012
GRAVESTONE is the second book in the Solitary Tales series (and yes, they must be read in order). Chris Buckley is a normal seventeen-year-old uprooted from Chicago and planted in a tiny, not-so-normal town. Something old and evil is at work in Solitary, and its residents all seem either complicit with said evil or oblivious to it. The losses of the first book forge a new Chris, one who will do anything to understand and prove what has happened here. And what is still happening.
If SOLITARY leaves Chris on a cliff's edge, GRAVESTONE pushes him along to explore it while rocks crumble under his feet, until finally (because Travis Thrasher clearly doesn't believe in things as passe as plot resolution), Chris is pushed right over the edge. Now we leave him in freefall. Wow, thanks, Mr. Thrasher, I guess I'll close this book and move on with my life. (Hold on a second while I check on my shipment of TEMPTATION. Surely it's reached my state by now.)
The best thing about GRAVESTONE: it isn't a stagnant rehash, stalling us until Book Three Where Stuff Finally Happens. I can't say much about the plot without spoiling details, but most of it involves digging for answers, and thank goodness, we get a few this time. The brilliant thing about this book (and about all great second-in-a-series stories) is that we also start asking new questions, the ones we didn't know enough to ask before now. The stakes skyrocket: namely, Chris's soul. Thrasher also introduces some fantastically nuanced secondary characters, and a few we met in the first book prove to be deeper than we thought. (There are two in particular I can't wait to see again.)
Only one thing makes me nervous here, and previous YA reading experience may have scarred me in this ... It's the love triangle. My first thought upon realizing that's where we were headed: No, please, no, I can't take one more of those, ever, for the rest of my life. After reading the blurb for TEMPTATION (book three), I'm even more confused. Another girl? Do we really need another one? I mean, I love Chris, but how many girls are going to fall in love with him?
That said, I'm in this series to stay and if we must have a love triangle, at least it's done well here. Plus, it's not the focus of the narrative. Plus, it's obviously not the primary source of conflict in TEMPTATION.
I'd nearly finished my crazed plow through the book when I realized the writing has improved (not that it had far to go). The paragraphs are cleaner, or something. I don't even know what, but it's better. Seamless. I don't see the author anymore. There's only Chris on these pages. The dialogue and point of view are both honed to this perfect edge that alternates between gleaming humor and slicing sorrow. Chris breaks my heart with his hilarious sarcasm. His post-traumatic stress symptoms (so, so realistic) tremble on the page.
At the end of SOLITARY, I wanted answers and justice. I still want those things. But like every great Book Two, now I want more. I want Chris to be safe and to feel safe. I want him to meet those secret Christians and hear the truth. I want rescue for his soul. And any author who can make me want all those things is dang good at his job.
If SOLITARY leaves Chris on a cliff's edge, GRAVESTONE pushes him along to explore it while rocks crumble under his feet, until finally (because Travis Thrasher clearly doesn't believe in things as passe as plot resolution), Chris is pushed right over the edge. Now we leave him in freefall. Wow, thanks, Mr. Thrasher, I guess I'll close this book and move on with my life. (Hold on a second while I check on my shipment of TEMPTATION. Surely it's reached my state by now.)
The best thing about GRAVESTONE: it isn't a stagnant rehash, stalling us until Book Three Where Stuff Finally Happens. I can't say much about the plot without spoiling details, but most of it involves digging for answers, and thank goodness, we get a few this time. The brilliant thing about this book (and about all great second-in-a-series stories) is that we also start asking new questions, the ones we didn't know enough to ask before now. The stakes skyrocket: namely, Chris's soul. Thrasher also introduces some fantastically nuanced secondary characters, and a few we met in the first book prove to be deeper than we thought. (There are two in particular I can't wait to see again.)
Only one thing makes me nervous here, and previous YA reading experience may have scarred me in this ... It's the love triangle. My first thought upon realizing that's where we were headed: No, please, no, I can't take one more of those, ever, for the rest of my life. After reading the blurb for TEMPTATION (book three), I'm even more confused. Another girl? Do we really need another one? I mean, I love Chris, but how many girls are going to fall in love with him?
That said, I'm in this series to stay and if we must have a love triangle, at least it's done well here. Plus, it's not the focus of the narrative. Plus, it's obviously not the primary source of conflict in TEMPTATION.
I'd nearly finished my crazed plow through the book when I realized the writing has improved (not that it had far to go). The paragraphs are cleaner, or something. I don't even know what, but it's better. Seamless. I don't see the author anymore. There's only Chris on these pages. The dialogue and point of view are both honed to this perfect edge that alternates between gleaming humor and slicing sorrow. Chris breaks my heart with his hilarious sarcasm. His post-traumatic stress symptoms (so, so realistic) tremble on the page.
At the end of SOLITARY, I wanted answers and justice. I still want those things. But like every great Book Two, now I want more. I want Chris to be safe and to feel safe. I want him to meet those secret Christians and hear the truth. I want rescue for his soul. And any author who can make me want all those things is dang good at his job.
March 23, 2012
Things have only gotten worse for Chris Buckley. Life had been bad enough since moving to the small, strange town of Solitary. Everything turned upside-down. Yanked from the life he knew – friends, school, familiar haunts and faces – uprooted and dragged to a backwoods freak-show of epic proportions, transformed from one of the “in” kids to an outsider. A weirdo. The “new kid” everyone stares at.
But then came Jocelyn. Pale. Beautiful. Mysterious. And about as inconstant as the wind. And, despite her warnings that she was no good for him, that nothing good could come of them being together, Chris did exactly what he didn’t want to: he fell in love.
Just in time to watch her die. In a blood-soaked Satanic ritual in the middle of the woods. Worst of all?
Chris suspects everyone’s in on it. The school administrators. The freakish (but oh-so-trendy and handsome) Pastor Marsh. His fellow classmates. The Sheriff. And in this second installment, Gravestone, the tension is ratcheted up to a nearly unbearable level. Chris is pressed from all sides: the principal, the school bully and his powerful father, the Sheriff, Pastor Marsh…leaving Chris with very few people he can trust.
And, along the way, his mother is falling apart. Descending deeper into her alcoholic stupor. Raving that a man sneaks into her room at night, menacing her, which Chris writes off as part of her worsening condition…
Until he finds the hole in the bathroom wall.
Leading to the tunnel under his house.
Which leads to a network of tunnels, a veritable labyrinth that may very well span the underside of Solitary itself.
Chris makes some knew friends (some unexpected female ones, also), but who can he trust? Kelsey, the seemingly-innocent “girl next door” he paints next to every day in Art Class? Jared, the mysterious young man who claims to be missing Uncle Robert’s son? Or Iris, the enigmatic, grave – yet strangely kind and wise – keeper of The Crag’s Inn?
Who can Chris trust but himself?
And how much longer before even that fails him?
In his second installment of The Solitary Tales, Travis Thrasher continues the fine form that’s won him legions of fans and critical acclaim. I’ve made no secret of my criticism of CBA (Christian Bookseller Association) fiction. Thrasher, however, is an exception. His prose is smooth – first person-present tense in this, which is hard to pull off – and there are genuine surprises here. Genuine tension. Second book into the series, and Thrasher has hid his secrets well.
Also, there’s something addicting about Trasher’s prose, down to the word-level. It’s compels the reader forward. And, even though the term “Christian Horror” is one that’s hotly debated in all sorts of circles, this is the type of thing that comes closest: because here, there are no guarantees. With Jocelyn’s apparent murder (and here’s hoping that doesn’t turn out to be “faked”), at the end of Solitary, all bets are off. A key element in good horror (or any good story) is suspense and anticipation, which leaves the readers both unsure and anxious to see how it all ends up. And Thrasher’s Solitary Tales offers that up in spades.
But then came Jocelyn. Pale. Beautiful. Mysterious. And about as inconstant as the wind. And, despite her warnings that she was no good for him, that nothing good could come of them being together, Chris did exactly what he didn’t want to: he fell in love.
Just in time to watch her die. In a blood-soaked Satanic ritual in the middle of the woods. Worst of all?
Chris suspects everyone’s in on it. The school administrators. The freakish (but oh-so-trendy and handsome) Pastor Marsh. His fellow classmates. The Sheriff. And in this second installment, Gravestone, the tension is ratcheted up to a nearly unbearable level. Chris is pressed from all sides: the principal, the school bully and his powerful father, the Sheriff, Pastor Marsh…leaving Chris with very few people he can trust.
And, along the way, his mother is falling apart. Descending deeper into her alcoholic stupor. Raving that a man sneaks into her room at night, menacing her, which Chris writes off as part of her worsening condition…
Until he finds the hole in the bathroom wall.
Leading to the tunnel under his house.
Which leads to a network of tunnels, a veritable labyrinth that may very well span the underside of Solitary itself.
Chris makes some knew friends (some unexpected female ones, also), but who can he trust? Kelsey, the seemingly-innocent “girl next door” he paints next to every day in Art Class? Jared, the mysterious young man who claims to be missing Uncle Robert’s son? Or Iris, the enigmatic, grave – yet strangely kind and wise – keeper of The Crag’s Inn?
Who can Chris trust but himself?
And how much longer before even that fails him?
In his second installment of The Solitary Tales, Travis Thrasher continues the fine form that’s won him legions of fans and critical acclaim. I’ve made no secret of my criticism of CBA (Christian Bookseller Association) fiction. Thrasher, however, is an exception. His prose is smooth – first person-present tense in this, which is hard to pull off – and there are genuine surprises here. Genuine tension. Second book into the series, and Thrasher has hid his secrets well.
Also, there’s something addicting about Trasher’s prose, down to the word-level. It’s compels the reader forward. And, even though the term “Christian Horror” is one that’s hotly debated in all sorts of circles, this is the type of thing that comes closest: because here, there are no guarantees. With Jocelyn’s apparent murder (and here’s hoping that doesn’t turn out to be “faked”), at the end of Solitary, all bets are off. A key element in good horror (or any good story) is suspense and anticipation, which leaves the readers both unsure and anxious to see how it all ends up. And Thrasher’s Solitary Tales offers that up in spades.
August 6, 2012
Posted on my blog: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...
Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/RVJL6RQ5...
Gravestone is the second book in "The Solitary Tales" and my favorite so far! It started out with a great prologue that right away brought me back to Solitary, North Carolina and all that is going on in Chris Buckley's life.
I found the story to be interesting and, at times, creepy (in a good way). There were a few times I found myself confused (and I think that was the point), but all that just made me want to keep reading to find out what was going on!
I liked the fact that there seemed to be a lot more talk of faith in Gravestone than I remember there being in Solitary - it gave more depth and meaning to the story and I'm hoping it continues in the next "Solitary Tales" novels.
I liked the characters and the way they reacted to certain things was believable. There was a lot of suspense, action, and mystery in Gravestone and with the ending it has, I can hardly wait to read the next book, Temptation, to see what will happen next.
Gravestone is a great read that I think mid-to-older teens and adults who like suspense and don't mind some weirdness will enjoy - I loved it! I recommend reading Solitary (book one) first, though, because that way things will be in context.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/RVJL6RQ5...
Gravestone is the second book in "The Solitary Tales" and my favorite so far! It started out with a great prologue that right away brought me back to Solitary, North Carolina and all that is going on in Chris Buckley's life.
I found the story to be interesting and, at times, creepy (in a good way). There were a few times I found myself confused (and I think that was the point), but all that just made me want to keep reading to find out what was going on!
I liked the fact that there seemed to be a lot more talk of faith in Gravestone than I remember there being in Solitary - it gave more depth and meaning to the story and I'm hoping it continues in the next "Solitary Tales" novels.
I liked the characters and the way they reacted to certain things was believable. There was a lot of suspense, action, and mystery in Gravestone and with the ending it has, I can hardly wait to read the next book, Temptation, to see what will happen next.
Gravestone is a great read that I think mid-to-older teens and adults who like suspense and don't mind some weirdness will enjoy - I loved it! I recommend reading Solitary (book one) first, though, because that way things will be in context.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
May 31, 2018
First reading: July 2013
Second reading (audiobook): May 2018
This sequel is a dark and winding road, much like the mountain path leading up to the Crag's Inn. It's gloomy. It's sad at times, intense in others, but just like the inn, there are rays of light beginning to penetrate Chris's messed up world.
Story-wise, it kept me on my toes as I tried to figure out who to trust. (Since it's been five years, I'd forgotten some of the twists!) There were some genuinely creepy moments, standing in stark contrast to several sweet interactions and thought-provoking conversations. Chris's emotions are very real--the grief, the anger, the confusion, the weariness, the fear.
I'm looking forward to revisiting the rest of the series.
Second reading (audiobook): May 2018
This sequel is a dark and winding road, much like the mountain path leading up to the Crag's Inn. It's gloomy. It's sad at times, intense in others, but just like the inn, there are rays of light beginning to penetrate Chris's messed up world.
Story-wise, it kept me on my toes as I tried to figure out who to trust. (Since it's been five years, I'd forgotten some of the twists!) There were some genuinely creepy moments, standing in stark contrast to several sweet interactions and thought-provoking conversations. Chris's emotions are very real--the grief, the anger, the confusion, the weariness, the fear.
I'm looking forward to revisiting the rest of the series.
July 6, 2011
Still more questions!!! ARGH! The use of dialogue and quotation improved enough for me to read it without a furrowed brow or curiosity as to what his HS english grades were...but I also found out it is book 2 in a 4 book series. And, of course, book 3 will be out next year, followed by the final book a year after that. I'm really growing tired of the waiting game. Some good twists and turns, and yet another cliffhanger ending-hoping that good triumphs over evil in this series, though. Book 3 is entitled 'Temptation' and book 4 'Hurt'...
August 4, 2012
Creepy!!! Yeah, I'm so smart reading this at 1:00 in the morning.
November 16, 2012
Thrasher's just dangling the carrot...
...right in front of our faces and I love it! Once again, to revert back to the good ole cliche, I just could not stop turning the pages on this one.
Gravestone is the immediate sequel to Solitary (if you haven't read that do so..immediately) and in keeping with the same theme as its predecessor, the town that is Solitary descends deeper and deeper into mystery. It's been a long time since I read a series (or novel for that matter) that raises more questions than it answers, that keeps the revelations of the mystery so tantalizingly just out of reach and not be driven mad by it. It's constantly one step forward, two steps back.
Just when you think a certain plot line between characters is going to move forward, something else more pressing pops into Chris's life. Just when you think a nugget of a clue as to what's really going on in the town is going to be revealed, it isn't.
Sounds maddening? It's not! I've read plenty of novels that take the cheap way out...that hide things from the reader only to pull the rug out from under them cheaply towards the end. It's a bad feeling. You feel duped and cheated. That's just not the case with this series. While precious little is revealed about the dark heart of the town of Solitary, Thrasher handles it in such a way that left me wanting more after every rapid fire chapter.
The same characters that are familiar from the previous installment are back and so are some brand new ones. Some existing characters are fleshed out more (to good effect) and the new ones raise mysteries and riddles are their own.
I kept asking myself, WHAT is going on in this TOWN?!?! all the while with a smile on my face because it's so enjoyable being left in the dark.
Chris's world is a shambles and he doubts his sanity. The way Thrasher handles the story progression you'll most likely feel about as crazy as Chris thinks he may be, but it's such a fun ride.
I felt myself asking as the tale nears it's 'conclusion', how is he going to tie this up with 20, 19, 18, etc pages left? Come to find out we're in for two new installments and I'm awaiting them with baited breath.
I've seen this series labeled as Young Adult or 'Christian'. Meh. Tags. Labels. I'm older (not telling how old ;p) and I normally don't read either genre but honestly, I don't find it dummed down and I never feel as if Thrasher is on his pulpit trying to preach his religious beliefs. These books are as dark as you get without being graphic and they deal with plenty of adult themes even though the cast of characters are in high school. The creep factor is high, the sense of dread always looms because you never know what's going to be thrown at poor Chris yet.
Can't recommend this highly enough.
...right in front of our faces and I love it! Once again, to revert back to the good ole cliche, I just could not stop turning the pages on this one.
Gravestone is the immediate sequel to Solitary (if you haven't read that do so..immediately) and in keeping with the same theme as its predecessor, the town that is Solitary descends deeper and deeper into mystery. It's been a long time since I read a series (or novel for that matter) that raises more questions than it answers, that keeps the revelations of the mystery so tantalizingly just out of reach and not be driven mad by it. It's constantly one step forward, two steps back.
Just when you think a certain plot line between characters is going to move forward, something else more pressing pops into Chris's life. Just when you think a nugget of a clue as to what's really going on in the town is going to be revealed, it isn't.
Sounds maddening? It's not! I've read plenty of novels that take the cheap way out...that hide things from the reader only to pull the rug out from under them cheaply towards the end. It's a bad feeling. You feel duped and cheated. That's just not the case with this series. While precious little is revealed about the dark heart of the town of Solitary, Thrasher handles it in such a way that left me wanting more after every rapid fire chapter.
The same characters that are familiar from the previous installment are back and so are some brand new ones. Some existing characters are fleshed out more (to good effect) and the new ones raise mysteries and riddles are their own.
I kept asking myself, WHAT is going on in this TOWN?!?! all the while with a smile on my face because it's so enjoyable being left in the dark.
Chris's world is a shambles and he doubts his sanity. The way Thrasher handles the story progression you'll most likely feel about as crazy as Chris thinks he may be, but it's such a fun ride.
I felt myself asking as the tale nears it's 'conclusion', how is he going to tie this up with 20, 19, 18, etc pages left? Come to find out we're in for two new installments and I'm awaiting them with baited breath.
I've seen this series labeled as Young Adult or 'Christian'. Meh. Tags. Labels. I'm older (not telling how old ;p) and I normally don't read either genre but honestly, I don't find it dummed down and I never feel as if Thrasher is on his pulpit trying to preach his religious beliefs. These books are as dark as you get without being graphic and they deal with plenty of adult themes even though the cast of characters are in high school. The creep factor is high, the sense of dread always looms because you never know what's going to be thrown at poor Chris yet.
Can't recommend this highly enough.
February 5, 2012
Still in shock over witnessing the death of his close friend and the girl he loved, Gravestone continues the story of teenager Chris Buckley, struggling to make sense of his existence in the town of Solitary. His mom still has a close relationship with the bottle, and he begins to question whether she knows more about the strange happenings in Solitary than she lets on. He's continuing to face bullying at school, while trying to understand the complicated world of girls. He makes bizarre discoveries that only lead to more questions. And the evil presence in the town only seems to be growing, with Chris questioning whether there is anyone at all whom he can trust.
As with the first book in the Solitary tales series, I again found myself held captive by Chris' story. By the last page of the book, the word that haunted my mind was creepy. There were actually scenes where I found myself gripping my ereader with white knuckles. I am glad I am not prone to nightmares, for this book would provide fodder for such. And yet it is not just the taut writing and the break-neck pace of the story that kept me spell-bound, but it is also the complex character of Chris, a tortured soul who is somehow brave and courageous and yet flawed and deeply human at the same time. I cannot help but read this book and find glimpses of myself in the pages.
Thrasher's writing is brilliant, revealing ever-deeper layers into the mystery shrouding Solitary while raising more questions about how everything is connected and who is the mastermind behind what appear to be orchestrated events. I should warn that this book seems even darker than the first, and leaves Chris having lost his belief in God in the midst of the darkness. However, I am sensing that Thrasher is setting the stage for utter illumination, as I have no doubt that by the end of this four-part series, the Light will have conquered the evil. What a ride we get to experience in order to get there!
Nothing is as it appears, and I am left craving more in the Solitary tales. I highly recommend this book and award it 5 out of 5 stars.
An egalley version of this book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, David C. Cook, for the purposes of this unbiased review.
Jeremy @ Christian Fiction Addiction
As with the first book in the Solitary tales series, I again found myself held captive by Chris' story. By the last page of the book, the word that haunted my mind was creepy. There were actually scenes where I found myself gripping my ereader with white knuckles. I am glad I am not prone to nightmares, for this book would provide fodder for such. And yet it is not just the taut writing and the break-neck pace of the story that kept me spell-bound, but it is also the complex character of Chris, a tortured soul who is somehow brave and courageous and yet flawed and deeply human at the same time. I cannot help but read this book and find glimpses of myself in the pages.
Thrasher's writing is brilliant, revealing ever-deeper layers into the mystery shrouding Solitary while raising more questions about how everything is connected and who is the mastermind behind what appear to be orchestrated events. I should warn that this book seems even darker than the first, and leaves Chris having lost his belief in God in the midst of the darkness. However, I am sensing that Thrasher is setting the stage for utter illumination, as I have no doubt that by the end of this four-part series, the Light will have conquered the evil. What a ride we get to experience in order to get there!
Nothing is as it appears, and I am left craving more in the Solitary tales. I highly recommend this book and award it 5 out of 5 stars.
An egalley version of this book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, David C. Cook, for the purposes of this unbiased review.
Jeremy @ Christian Fiction Addiction
April 8, 2013
I have a problem- I like a book that is neatly tied up, shows a little redemption at least, and I know who the good guys and the bad guys are. All thru this book, you get intense. The second of a series, you need to read the first one, Chris and his mom move from Chicago to the town she grew up in. The town is not what it seems and if anything it seems evil and dark. The narration is told by Chris as he tries to figure out what happened to Joselyn. His mom finds him a job at a hotel outside of the creepy town he lives in and he develops a relationship with the old lady that runs it. As time goes on, she asks Chris what he believes in and he does'nt have an answer. His father who became a born again believer did not leave his son with any reason to believe in God. She tells him the powerful thing we have is love. The creepy pastor of the creepy town leaves Chris with a other extreme- Fear is the most powerful emotion, because with fear, you can make anyone do things that they would not normally do. History as a way of showing that to be true. So this got me thinking in a personal level about fear and love. It is no brainer that you cannot have fear and love together. Fear stops us, enslaves us that we cannot love purely and freely. Love cast out fear. What I liked about Chris, he was without fear. As I am reading, I am telling Chris don't go there, you don't have to know the truth. But back to my problem, the book does not tie things up like I am comfortable with. It probably reflects life and reality more than I care to admit.
December 28, 2011
Diving deeper into the madness with GRAVESTONE: The Solitary Tales, book 2…
If you just didn’t “get” the first book, it wasn’t your thing or you just flat out hated it, then don’t bother with GRAVESTONE because I’m pretty sure you won’t like it either. BUT!…If you were captivated by the uniqueness and mystery of SOLITARY (as I was) then you’ll love this second installment in the four part series even more… More bizarre, more creepy and more questions… oh so many more questions and it’s just all the more addictive.
Travis Thrasher’s Solitary Tales series is a rare find in the saturated YA literary market of today; wherein you can truly sink into the unpredictable and awful enigma of each thrilling twist of the plot at every terrifying turn. There is only one guarantee that the eerie and disturbing town of Solitary promises… no one can be trusted.
January 1, 2013
Gravestone picks up where Solitary left off, right after New Year's Eve and all the events that happened. Chris Buckley is isolated, alone and terrified, wondering who he can trust or believe in. He is broken, tired, terrified.
After the cliff hanger ending of Solitary, we are taken deeper into the turmoil caused by Pastor Jeremiah Marsh and the New Beginnings Church, which Chris believes to be the root of the evil in Solitary. Problem is, pretty much, no one else seems to think this.
I won't say I was confused by parts of this book, I was mystified, which I think is the author's purpose, to keep us guessing, because in life there aren't always easy, complete answers to the important stuff.
Again, this is dark, edgy, frightening. Again, Chris is an amazing narrator! Again, we have a cliff hanger ending! Well done!
After the cliff hanger ending of Solitary, we are taken deeper into the turmoil caused by Pastor Jeremiah Marsh and the New Beginnings Church, which Chris believes to be the root of the evil in Solitary. Problem is, pretty much, no one else seems to think this.
I won't say I was confused by parts of this book, I was mystified, which I think is the author's purpose, to keep us guessing, because in life there aren't always easy, complete answers to the important stuff.
Again, this is dark, edgy, frightening. Again, Chris is an amazing narrator! Again, we have a cliff hanger ending! Well done!
October 6, 2013
Just place just gets weirder. I'm really starting to think there's a bigger reason his mom moved him there. I'm loving this story but its driving me crazy with questions. Maybe it would be best if he didn't make friends.
September 2, 2015
I need a highly doses of reality, NOW!
This series is getting better and better!
I honestly don't know how Travis Thrasher is going to overcome this book but I'm looking forward to read it!
This series is getting better and better!
I honestly don't know how Travis Thrasher is going to overcome this book but I'm looking forward to read it!
March 13, 2022
I want to love this series, I really do. There was just so little action in this second book while the lead character wallowed in his teenaged angst and grief over the loss of a relationship he almost had. I truly believe that this whole story could be told in one novel if the pace were sped up and there wasn't so much time given to repetition of thoughts and emotions that don't move the story forward. I am confused by this writer, who can be almost brilliant with the turn of a phrase, yet at other times fumble the use of certain words. However, I am this far in and committed to finding out what in the world is going on in the evil town of Solitary.
August 19, 2017
My review: "I did not like this book... at all. I had high hopes, because I really enjoyed the first book, Solitary. (My review can be found here: ) But there was just something about this one that just didn't really work for me. It didn't grab my attention as much.
I often found myself bored. I had to stop reading quite a lot just so I could take a break and try to regain interest in it." Find the entire review here: https://thenerdybookwormsite.wordpres...
I often found myself bored. I had to stop reading quite a lot just so I could take a break and try to regain interest in it." Find the entire review here: https://thenerdybookwormsite.wordpres...
January 20, 2023
What felt novel and intriguing in the first book started to quickly feel redundant in this second book. This series contains a promising plot but the author meanders excessively. We have lots of supporting characters with their different roles in Chris’s ongoing nightmare in Solitary. Yet Thrasher can’t seem to neatly tie it all together. A lot of what happens feels very random and thrown in to keep the story going. I gave it three stars just because I really like Chris and appreciate the spiritual elements. I do plan to finish the series.
January 12, 2019
Good, but slow
or I am a very anxious person or the drama is too slow. It makes me keep going. Maybe that's the purpose. I do enjoy reading it... very soon I'll get the next story... might be Temptation.. something like that. I like series... long stories.. but not too slow...anyway.. I liked it in general.
or I am a very anxious person or the drama is too slow. It makes me keep going. Maybe that's the purpose. I do enjoy reading it... very soon I'll get the next story... might be Temptation.. something like that. I like series... long stories.. but not too slow...anyway.. I liked it in general.
May 28, 2021
Riveting
This book kept me on the edge of my seat always wondering what was next. I thoroughly enjoyed the pictures the writer created which gave vivid details of the environment and the characters of the story. I am looking forward to the third book in this series. Well done Travis Thrasher. You have now become one of my favourite authors.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat always wondering what was next. I thoroughly enjoyed the pictures the writer created which gave vivid details of the environment and the characters of the story. I am looking forward to the third book in this series. Well done Travis Thrasher. You have now become one of my favourite authors.
August 12, 2017
This book was better than the first one. Now I have to finish the series.
Read
February 2, 2021This book was definitely scary. Like very scary. It ended weird and at times I didn't understand what was happening. I do not think I have the guts to read the next book.
August 14, 2024
If there's a God of Hate-Reading, then I worship at his altar fervently.
August 1, 2012
Chris Buckley is looking for answers but it seems like he doesn't know quite whom he can trust anymore. The one person who meant the world to him has been murdered and his mom seems to be in a perpetual drunken state all the time. Now that he finds himself back in high school again, he reaches out to the only three friends he had left, but he can't find Rachel. She doesn't seem to be in school any longer and Poe, refuses to acknowledge him except for angry outbursts. Relying on the only friend left, he meets with Newt over lunch. But all Newt will say to him is that lunch is the place for eating only.
When Chris pushes him for more, Newt simply tells him to meet after school. When the boys arrive in Newts basement the only thing he tells Chris is that Rachel has moved away. He warns Chris that the less he is told, the less Newt knows. He also tells Chris that, "they have a way of making thing like this happen. People disappearing. People moving, People moving on. There are reasons I remain quiet and if I were you, I'd get as far away from this place as I could."
But can Chris simply forget and walk away from the town of Solitary? Can he let go of the murder of Jocelyn and not do anything, tell anyone? And just what if he does? Will he disappear or will he move on?
In the chilling sequel to Solitary by Travis Thrasher, the reader is brought back with the aftermath of what happened in the deep dark forest with Jocelyn and the cult that murdered her. There appears to be something happening in this Zombie-like town but Chris isn't sure who he can trust any longer. When an encounter with a man who claims he is Chris's cousin Jared who is searching for his father Robert who has gone missing, he isn't sure what is real any longer. Is Jared someone he can truly trust. He tells him that his mother is part of what the town is hiding and that knowing just who he can trust will make the difference between choosing light or darkness in the battle for his own soul.
I received Gravestone as a personal purchase to continue in series of Travis Thrasher's Solitary Tales. I enjoyed Solitary so much I had to see where the story picked up with Chris on the verge of wondering just what is going on and how much of it is crazy and how much of it is a chilling reality that the town wants to remain a secret. What will it cost for Chris to solve the mystery? You'll have to pick this one up to find out, but I would advise reading book 1 in the series first, to gain an understanding of the darkness keeping this town in secrecy! This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait to review the 3rd book in the series, Temptation!
When Chris pushes him for more, Newt simply tells him to meet after school. When the boys arrive in Newts basement the only thing he tells Chris is that Rachel has moved away. He warns Chris that the less he is told, the less Newt knows. He also tells Chris that, "they have a way of making thing like this happen. People disappearing. People moving, People moving on. There are reasons I remain quiet and if I were you, I'd get as far away from this place as I could."
But can Chris simply forget and walk away from the town of Solitary? Can he let go of the murder of Jocelyn and not do anything, tell anyone? And just what if he does? Will he disappear or will he move on?
In the chilling sequel to Solitary by Travis Thrasher, the reader is brought back with the aftermath of what happened in the deep dark forest with Jocelyn and the cult that murdered her. There appears to be something happening in this Zombie-like town but Chris isn't sure who he can trust any longer. When an encounter with a man who claims he is Chris's cousin Jared who is searching for his father Robert who has gone missing, he isn't sure what is real any longer. Is Jared someone he can truly trust. He tells him that his mother is part of what the town is hiding and that knowing just who he can trust will make the difference between choosing light or darkness in the battle for his own soul.
I received Gravestone as a personal purchase to continue in series of Travis Thrasher's Solitary Tales. I enjoyed Solitary so much I had to see where the story picked up with Chris on the verge of wondering just what is going on and how much of it is crazy and how much of it is a chilling reality that the town wants to remain a secret. What will it cost for Chris to solve the mystery? You'll have to pick this one up to find out, but I would advise reading book 1 in the series first, to gain an understanding of the darkness keeping this town in secrecy! This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait to review the 3rd book in the series, Temptation!
February 13, 2012
“Gravestone” pretty much continues right where “Solitary” left off.
Chris is enraged…enraged over what happened to Jocelyn. Enraged because he can’t trust anyone. Enraged because he still can’t get any answers to what the deal is with Solitary! Out of nowhere, a young man appears claiming to be his cousin Jared, offering help. And then there is Iris, the proprietor of the Crag’s Inn, where Chris finds part time work. Lastly, there is Kelsey, the girl from Art class who reminds him that life goes on. With all Chris has gone through, who can he trust?
These new characters provide Chris with some more food for thought in terms of the mysteries of Solitary. Especially Iris. Her Inn is out of Solitary’s influence and serves as a ray of hope for Chris, and Iris is a guiding light. But it all seems to come down to Chris vs. Pastor Marsh. Marsh is front and center, making Chris’ life a living hell.
This story continues to twist and turn, I don’t even bother to try and figure out what is going to happen because I can’t get a read on who Chris can trust either, I just fasten my seatbelt and hang on. I think the only person I trusted, out right, was Iris. Well, and Kelsey…she certainly didn’t have an agenda other than the fact that she really likes Chris.
We get little hints as to what might be going on in this installment. This is clearly a “good vs. evil”, but we don’t know what form the evil is going to take…and it’s become pretty clear that the forces are fighting for possession of Chris. But why? The story hints as it having something to do with his lineage…but that’s just assumption on my part and I’m not going to take anything for granted until Mr. Thrasher puts it in writing.
I’m still loving this series…there are elements of spirituality without being preachy or self-righteous. There is a ton of suspense that really reminds me of “Salem’s Lot”. And some really great characters! I’m loving Chris, although, at times I want to smack him upside the head and yell, “snap out of it!”. But he’s a typical teen boy…selective and self-serving hearing and memory! I love Poe, Iris, Kelsey, and, of course, Newt! I already have the third book and can’t wait to see what all is revealed! And I’ve discovered there is a prequel that tells the story of Pastor Marsh…that is now on my “to-read” list after I finish book #3.
Chris is enraged…enraged over what happened to Jocelyn. Enraged because he can’t trust anyone. Enraged because he still can’t get any answers to what the deal is with Solitary! Out of nowhere, a young man appears claiming to be his cousin Jared, offering help. And then there is Iris, the proprietor of the Crag’s Inn, where Chris finds part time work. Lastly, there is Kelsey, the girl from Art class who reminds him that life goes on. With all Chris has gone through, who can he trust?
These new characters provide Chris with some more food for thought in terms of the mysteries of Solitary. Especially Iris. Her Inn is out of Solitary’s influence and serves as a ray of hope for Chris, and Iris is a guiding light. But it all seems to come down to Chris vs. Pastor Marsh. Marsh is front and center, making Chris’ life a living hell.
This story continues to twist and turn, I don’t even bother to try and figure out what is going to happen because I can’t get a read on who Chris can trust either, I just fasten my seatbelt and hang on. I think the only person I trusted, out right, was Iris. Well, and Kelsey…she certainly didn’t have an agenda other than the fact that she really likes Chris.
We get little hints as to what might be going on in this installment. This is clearly a “good vs. evil”, but we don’t know what form the evil is going to take…and it’s become pretty clear that the forces are fighting for possession of Chris. But why? The story hints as it having something to do with his lineage…but that’s just assumption on my part and I’m not going to take anything for granted until Mr. Thrasher puts it in writing.
I’m still loving this series…there are elements of spirituality without being preachy or self-righteous. There is a ton of suspense that really reminds me of “Salem’s Lot”. And some really great characters! I’m loving Chris, although, at times I want to smack him upside the head and yell, “snap out of it!”. But he’s a typical teen boy…selective and self-serving hearing and memory! I love Poe, Iris, Kelsey, and, of course, Newt! I already have the third book and can’t wait to see what all is revealed! And I’ve discovered there is a prequel that tells the story of Pastor Marsh…that is now on my “to-read” list after I finish book #3.
September 18, 2011
In the first Solitary Tale, readers met up with a young man by the name of Chris Buckley, who moved to Solitary, North Carolina with his mother. His mother has a slightly odd past, and some roots in Solitary, and Chris didn’t do so well when he came to town and those ‘odd’ things began to come out of the woodwork. In fact, he quickly found out that there were children/teens disappearing from his neck of the woods, and no one could understand where they had gone.
In Book II, Chris is back, standing in front of his nemesis - Pastor Marsh - who is, quite literally, the head of a group of people in this small town that look and act a great deal like a Satanist KKK ‘Order.’ Pastor Marsh is a man who can literally creep you out just by being written about on a page, and readers are attached to Chris as he tries desperately to figure out why his girlfriend is dead, why she was killed, and why he still sees her in a dimension that is somewhere between Heaven and Earth.
Mom and Chris still live in Uncle Robert’s cabin in Solitary, and he soon meets his cousin Jared on a snowy night - a man who is looking for his father, Robert, who simply up and disappeared one day. Now, Jared knows a lot more than he’s letting on - just like a great number of people in Solitary. They don’t want to speak out loud for fear that Pastor Marsh will turn his beady-little eyes on them and take them out of the world. So Chris, much to his dismay, is still walking through Solitary alone, trying to put the puzzle pieces together to find a way to defeat the horrific Pastor.
Bring in a storyline about the Pastor’s wife, and letters she wrote to Uncle Robert (as if they were once in love); a mother who is so ‘spent’ that all she does is drink and sleep; strange notes being left inside Chris’s locker; and, an old woman who owns an Inn on the side of a mountain who hires Chris to study some old records, photos, and history that will show Chris an almost paranormal life that is happening right next to present-day life in Solitary, and you have a huge adventure on you hands.
It will be interesting to see what Book III delivers when, eventually, Pastor Marsh and Chris will have to come face to face in a war to end all wars. Who knows whose side God will be on then? Enjoy the Creepfest!
In Book II, Chris is back, standing in front of his nemesis - Pastor Marsh - who is, quite literally, the head of a group of people in this small town that look and act a great deal like a Satanist KKK ‘Order.’ Pastor Marsh is a man who can literally creep you out just by being written about on a page, and readers are attached to Chris as he tries desperately to figure out why his girlfriend is dead, why she was killed, and why he still sees her in a dimension that is somewhere between Heaven and Earth.
Mom and Chris still live in Uncle Robert’s cabin in Solitary, and he soon meets his cousin Jared on a snowy night - a man who is looking for his father, Robert, who simply up and disappeared one day. Now, Jared knows a lot more than he’s letting on - just like a great number of people in Solitary. They don’t want to speak out loud for fear that Pastor Marsh will turn his beady-little eyes on them and take them out of the world. So Chris, much to his dismay, is still walking through Solitary alone, trying to put the puzzle pieces together to find a way to defeat the horrific Pastor.
Bring in a storyline about the Pastor’s wife, and letters she wrote to Uncle Robert (as if they were once in love); a mother who is so ‘spent’ that all she does is drink and sleep; strange notes being left inside Chris’s locker; and, an old woman who owns an Inn on the side of a mountain who hires Chris to study some old records, photos, and history that will show Chris an almost paranormal life that is happening right next to present-day life in Solitary, and you have a huge adventure on you hands.
It will be interesting to see what Book III delivers when, eventually, Pastor Marsh and Chris will have to come face to face in a war to end all wars. Who knows whose side God will be on then? Enjoy the Creepfest!
March 15, 2013
I won the last book (Hurt) which kinda sucked, because... well it's the last book and who wants to read the final book of a series first? However, I was really grateful to receive all four of the books and tore through them all.
I will just say that I think he is a good writer, really. However, I just think the stories are a bit too formulaic and then little bits of weird things are thrown in to spice it up that just don't make sense or are left unfinished.
Very predictable story about a boy who does not like God, hates his dad who found God, and pretty much thinks people who have faith are dumb. However, through events that transpire he will probably start to have faith and then go all Godly. It's not marked as Christian Fiction on the back for shelving, but I'm finding online reviews are shelving it that way. My particular package came with pamphlets about how I can be a soldier for Christ (something like that, and to be fair it's the publisher and not the author) which made made me weary. Someone complained that it was "pushed" on them - I didn't feel that way at all. Once I knew what I was reading, I took the story as it was and could look past the bible verses.
What I really disliked most (although it was a little creative but executed poorly) was the author added a "dessert" which is advertised as a little bonus section after you read. It's just his iPod list. Booo.
I like a lot of the songs that isn't the problem, but I thought this was a little pretentious. There are several created playlists for the books, and then one was pretty arrogant enough to include a play list "For the Movie" and then adds to the list several other songs - including songs from other movie soundtracks like Donnie Darko. No. Don't touch my Donnie Darko! ;)
Even one of the chapters quotes too much of Mad World (Gary Jules style, and not Tears for Fears although they are mentioned several times in the other books).
Overall, great story telling, intriguing environments, great details and imagery, just a little messy in some parts.
I will just say that I think he is a good writer, really. However, I just think the stories are a bit too formulaic and then little bits of weird things are thrown in to spice it up that just don't make sense or are left unfinished.
Very predictable story about a boy who does not like God, hates his dad who found God, and pretty much thinks people who have faith are dumb. However, through events that transpire he will probably start to have faith and then go all Godly. It's not marked as Christian Fiction on the back for shelving, but I'm finding online reviews are shelving it that way. My particular package came with pamphlets about how I can be a soldier for Christ (something like that, and to be fair it's the publisher and not the author) which made made me weary. Someone complained that it was "pushed" on them - I didn't feel that way at all. Once I knew what I was reading, I took the story as it was and could look past the bible verses.
What I really disliked most (although it was a little creative but executed poorly) was the author added a "dessert" which is advertised as a little bonus section after you read. It's just his iPod list. Booo.
I like a lot of the songs that isn't the problem, but I thought this was a little pretentious. There are several created playlists for the books, and then one was pretty arrogant enough to include a play list "For the Movie" and then adds to the list several other songs - including songs from other movie soundtracks like Donnie Darko. No. Don't touch my Donnie Darko! ;)
Even one of the chapters quotes too much of Mad World (Gary Jules style, and not Tears for Fears although they are mentioned several times in the other books).
Overall, great story telling, intriguing environments, great details and imagery, just a little messy in some parts.
December 28, 2013
His Fear Will Soon Turn to Anger….
At first, Chris Buckley was simply warned. And watched. But as Chris unravels the haunting riddles of the town of Solitary, he finds that much more than the life of a town is at stake.
Whether facing a pastor with a house full of skeletons or a cousin he never knew existed, Chris is forced to choose between light and darkness, life and nightmarish death. Every choice he makes reminds him that the unthinkable has already happened—and if he trusts the wrong person, it may happen again.
This second book in the Solitary Tales continues Chris’s journey toward finding out who he is and what his own role is in the darkness suffocating his tiny new hometown. Filled with shocking twists, Gravestone is a tale of a teenager thrown into a battle over a town, a secret—and ultimately his own soul.
My Review:
I'm not going to lie. Thrasher scares me. He's not just a scary, good writer, but he actually terrifies me with his stories. I am blown away by the level of reality Thrasher brings to his novels with just words, and what depth of terror he invokes with a stroke of his pen. So many questions were left unanswered with the first novel in the series, and though Gravestone answers some of them, we are still left with an eerie sense of disquiet and unrest.
The atmosphere of this novel was dark, and ominous. So much in fact, that I read during daylight hours only. Thrasher pushes us deeper into the turmoil of Chris's life in Solitary, that dark, frightening, little town where absolutely nothing makes sense, yet feels like a safe haven for many. Chris is still a little whiny, but after all he's been through, I really don't blame him!
The biggest question of all remains, and it is to my credit that I have the rest of the series at my disposal. I am fearful to continue reading, yet the mysteries not yet revealed call to me through me through the pages of modern literature, beckoning me to enter therein and discover all their secrets...
This book was provided by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.
At first, Chris Buckley was simply warned. And watched. But as Chris unravels the haunting riddles of the town of Solitary, he finds that much more than the life of a town is at stake.
Whether facing a pastor with a house full of skeletons or a cousin he never knew existed, Chris is forced to choose between light and darkness, life and nightmarish death. Every choice he makes reminds him that the unthinkable has already happened—and if he trusts the wrong person, it may happen again.
This second book in the Solitary Tales continues Chris’s journey toward finding out who he is and what his own role is in the darkness suffocating his tiny new hometown. Filled with shocking twists, Gravestone is a tale of a teenager thrown into a battle over a town, a secret—and ultimately his own soul.
My Review:
I'm not going to lie. Thrasher scares me. He's not just a scary, good writer, but he actually terrifies me with his stories. I am blown away by the level of reality Thrasher brings to his novels with just words, and what depth of terror he invokes with a stroke of his pen. So many questions were left unanswered with the first novel in the series, and though Gravestone answers some of them, we are still left with an eerie sense of disquiet and unrest.
The atmosphere of this novel was dark, and ominous. So much in fact, that I read during daylight hours only. Thrasher pushes us deeper into the turmoil of Chris's life in Solitary, that dark, frightening, little town where absolutely nothing makes sense, yet feels like a safe haven for many. Chris is still a little whiny, but after all he's been through, I really don't blame him!
The biggest question of all remains, and it is to my credit that I have the rest of the series at my disposal. I am fearful to continue reading, yet the mysteries not yet revealed call to me through me through the pages of modern literature, beckoning me to enter therein and discover all their secrets...
This book was provided by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2012
Can anything be worse than being picked up in your junior year of high school in a big city and plunked down in a small rural town where you’re known as the outsider? That’s Chris Buckley’s predicament. When his parents divorce, he is forced to leave his normal teenage life in Chicago and move to the small Southern town of Solitary in North Carolina. He has no friends, his mother is caught up in her own world of grieving, and Chris is left to his own devices to figure out what his life will be from this point on.
That would be a crushing blow for most teenagers, but Chris has added issues. Solitary is a town full of secrets that can’t be discussed and evil that can’t be hidden. Chris’ girlfriend, the one person he trusted, has supposedly moved away with her family, but Chris knows better. He saw what happened to her one night. Of course, no one in town will believe him. Not his mother, not the school, not the sheriff. He has never been more alone, and now it appears that he is the next one targeted. Can he find out what is occurring in the town, and how to survive it?
Gravestone is the second book in Travis Thrasher’s series, The Solitary Tales. Fans of suspense and horror will enjoy the slow unraveling of the evil that surrounds Chris, and his attempts to discover what is happening before it overwhelms him entirely. The writing is moody and somber, with an insistent pulse of eminent disaster that grows and grows as the reader discovers more of Solitary’s secrets. This book is recommended for horror fans looking for a series that will satisfy their interest in things that go bump in the night.
That would be a crushing blow for most teenagers, but Chris has added issues. Solitary is a town full of secrets that can’t be discussed and evil that can’t be hidden. Chris’ girlfriend, the one person he trusted, has supposedly moved away with her family, but Chris knows better. He saw what happened to her one night. Of course, no one in town will believe him. Not his mother, not the school, not the sheriff. He has never been more alone, and now it appears that he is the next one targeted. Can he find out what is occurring in the town, and how to survive it?
Gravestone is the second book in Travis Thrasher’s series, The Solitary Tales. Fans of suspense and horror will enjoy the slow unraveling of the evil that surrounds Chris, and his attempts to discover what is happening before it overwhelms him entirely. The writing is moody and somber, with an insistent pulse of eminent disaster that grows and grows as the reader discovers more of Solitary’s secrets. This book is recommended for horror fans looking for a series that will satisfy their interest in things that go bump in the night.
July 12, 2016
I wanted to rate this book a lot higher. Thrasher has a real talent for genuine suspense. That being said, he completely forgets what's supposed to follow the suspense: thrills.
The suspense builds so nicely, but then it just kinda whimpers away, no triumph, no thrill. And then rinse and repeat. Especially at the end, when you just need that moment of 'YES!'; what we get instead is another whimper.
I almost did not read this book after Solitary's (book one's) ending. And having read it; I'm not so sure I wanna read book three.
One thing that frustrates me a lot is the way Thrasher baits the hook without any kind of resolution. How many times do the characters say, "Just. Don't. Not here", or "There's more to it, but I can't tell you any more than that"?
And follow that up with Chris waiting to find things out for no reason. At times, he holds evidence with possible answers in his hands, and says, "I'm too tired and too fried to find out what's in it."
I mean, really that's just an insult to the reader's intelligence.
.
.
*END SPOILERS.....*
All in all, the suspense is good, but unremarkable, the "twists" range from great to horrible. The characters are at times relatable, and other times... Not so much...
The suspense builds so nicely, but then it just kinda whimpers away, no triumph, no thrill. And then rinse and repeat. Especially at the end, when you just need that moment of 'YES!'; what we get instead is another whimper.
I almost did not read this book after Solitary's (book one's) ending. And having read it; I'm not so sure I wanna read book three.
One thing that frustrates me a lot is the way Thrasher baits the hook without any kind of resolution. How many times do the characters say, "Just. Don't. Not here", or "There's more to it, but I can't tell you any more than that"?
And follow that up with Chris waiting to find things out for no reason. At times, he holds evidence with possible answers in his hands, and says, "I'm too tired and too fried to find out what's in it."
I mean, really that's just an insult to the reader's intelligence.
.
.
*END SPOILERS.....*
All in all, the suspense is good, but unremarkable, the "twists" range from great to horrible. The characters are at times relatable, and other times... Not so much...
June 27, 2011
A recent tragedy has left Chris Buckley numb. He goes to school, gets a job, and tries to make heads or tails of the insane town of Solitary, North Carolina. His investigations in to what happened only leave him with more questions—and more warnings to stay out of it. His mom is convinced a man haunts her in her dreams, and now she is drinking more than ever.
Chris befriends a girl in art class, but he’s afraid that any new friends he makes may end up getting hurt. He searches for sparks of light in his dismal hometown, but everything only seems to lead to more darkness.
Okay. I’m officially hooked now. I wasn’t too sure after Solitary (book one). I loved the writing, but the story was borderline too scary for me. And since it was borderline, I went and bought book two. I’m glad I did, though I wish I’d have waited a few years so that I could go and read books three and four in the series. Alas, now I have to wait, wait, wait.
This is the first Christian young adult horror series I’ve ever read. David C. Cook is calling this “young adult mystery/suspense,” but it’s horror if I’ve ever read horror. But it’s cool and creepy and entertaining—and you can’t possibly guess what’s going to happen. That’s what I like most, second to Chris Buckley’s voice. If you like your creepy horror stories, pick up this series. But keep in mind: there will be four books. So you’ll have to wait, wait, wait with the rest of us.
Chris befriends a girl in art class, but he’s afraid that any new friends he makes may end up getting hurt. He searches for sparks of light in his dismal hometown, but everything only seems to lead to more darkness.
Okay. I’m officially hooked now. I wasn’t too sure after Solitary (book one). I loved the writing, but the story was borderline too scary for me. And since it was borderline, I went and bought book two. I’m glad I did, though I wish I’d have waited a few years so that I could go and read books three and four in the series. Alas, now I have to wait, wait, wait.
This is the first Christian young adult horror series I’ve ever read. David C. Cook is calling this “young adult mystery/suspense,” but it’s horror if I’ve ever read horror. But it’s cool and creepy and entertaining—and you can’t possibly guess what’s going to happen. That’s what I like most, second to Chris Buckley’s voice. If you like your creepy horror stories, pick up this series. But keep in mind: there will be four books. So you’ll have to wait, wait, wait with the rest of us.
September 19, 2013
As Travis Thrasher’s Solitary series presses on toward what we can only imagine is a cataclysmic battle of good and evil, this second installment to the series leaves no thrills or chills behind. Unfolding like an old fashioned Hitchcockian adventure, this book is guaranteed to leave you with goosebumps and perhaps, a desire to check all the cabinetry in your home to be sure it’s really what it’s supposed to be.
Containing a variety of pop culture references sure to make you laugh, cringe and more deeply enjoy the tale, one can’t help but compare Thrasher’s work to that of the culture bending phenomenon that was the television show, LOST. Leaving you with more questions than answers but promising (in the author’s notes at the end) that he really does know where he’s going and where this will end up, it’s hard not to see the parallels.
If you enjoyed LOST, you’ll enjoy Gravestone and all that is Travis Thrasher’s Solitary series. If you weren’t a fan of meandering through endless mazes of questions without answers, it might not be the ride for you. But still, packed full of endless plot twists, fascinating characters and engaging dialogue, it’s easy to see how this book will enthrall audiences and keep them coming back to see what Thrasher has to throw at them next.
*Review copy provided by Publisher
Containing a variety of pop culture references sure to make you laugh, cringe and more deeply enjoy the tale, one can’t help but compare Thrasher’s work to that of the culture bending phenomenon that was the television show, LOST. Leaving you with more questions than answers but promising (in the author’s notes at the end) that he really does know where he’s going and where this will end up, it’s hard not to see the parallels.
If you enjoyed LOST, you’ll enjoy Gravestone and all that is Travis Thrasher’s Solitary series. If you weren’t a fan of meandering through endless mazes of questions without answers, it might not be the ride for you. But still, packed full of endless plot twists, fascinating characters and engaging dialogue, it’s easy to see how this book will enthrall audiences and keep them coming back to see what Thrasher has to throw at them next.
*Review copy provided by Publisher
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