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Through Dead Eyes
Alex joins his father on a business trip to Amsterdam. During the day he hangs out with the daughter of a family friend. They visit the usual sights but also coffee shops and flea markets off the beaten track. At one of these markets Alex spots an ancient-looking mask. Before he knows what he's doing he buys it. Later, in his hotel room, he feels compelled to put the mask on. Alex is sucked into a parallel Amsterdam, one from centuries before which begins to reveal the dark past of both the building he is staying in and the little girl who once lived there . . . edging stealthily towards the terrible twist.
240 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2013
6 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Chris Priestley
58 books397 followersHis father was in the army and so he moved around a lot as a child and lived in Wales. He was an avid reader of American comics as a child, and when he was eight or nine, and living in Gibraltar, he won a prize in a newspaper story-writing competition. He decided then “that my ambition was to write and illustrate my own book”.
He spent his teens in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, before moving to Manchester, London and then Norfolk. He now lives in Cambridge with his wife and son where he writes, draws, paints, dreams and doodles (not necessarily in that order). Chris worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for twenty years, working mainly for magazines & newspapers (these include The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Economist and the Wall Street Journal) before becoming a writer. He currently has a weekly strip cartoon called 'Payne's Grey' in the New Statesman.
Chris has been a published author since 2000. He has written several books for children & young-adults, both fiction and non-fiction, and
has been nominated for many awards including the Edgar Awards, the UKLA Children's Book Award and the Carnegie Medal. In recent years he has predominantly been writing horror.
Ever since he was a teenager Chris has loved unsettling and creepy stories, with fond memories of buying comics like 'Strange Tales' and 'House of Mystery', watching classic BBC TV adaptations of M R James ghost stories every Christmas and reading assorted weirdness by everyone from Edgar Allen Poe to Ray Bradbury. He hopes Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror will haunt his readers in the way those writers have haunted him.
He spent his teens in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, before moving to Manchester, London and then Norfolk. He now lives in Cambridge with his wife and son where he writes, draws, paints, dreams and doodles (not necessarily in that order). Chris worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for twenty years, working mainly for magazines & newspapers (these include The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Economist and the Wall Street Journal) before becoming a writer. He currently has a weekly strip cartoon called 'Payne's Grey' in the New Statesman.
Chris has been a published author since 2000. He has written several books for children & young-adults, both fiction and non-fiction, and
has been nominated for many awards including the Edgar Awards, the UKLA Children's Book Award and the Carnegie Medal. In recent years he has predominantly been writing horror.
Ever since he was a teenager Chris has loved unsettling and creepy stories, with fond memories of buying comics like 'Strange Tales' and 'House of Mystery', watching classic BBC TV adaptations of M R James ghost stories every Christmas and reading assorted weirdness by everyone from Edgar Allen Poe to Ray Bradbury. He hopes Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror will haunt his readers in the way those writers have haunted him.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 2, 2013
Yes, it's for kids, but having enjoyed Priestley's The Dead of Winter and a few volumes of short stories, I couldn't resist requesting a copy of this, his new full-length novel. I love a good ghost story and the premise of this one promised an atmospheric and absorbing tale. It centres on a teenage boy, Alex, who accompanies his father on a business trip to Amsterdam, where they stay in an unsettling hotel. The macabre undertones of the trip - in which Amsterdam is portrayed as a gorgeous but unnerving city teeming with ghosts of the metaphorical kind - intensify when Alex visits an antiques market and feels compelled to buy a peculiar mask. It's not hard to work out what's going to happen next, but the route the book takes to its climax is intriguing, with at least a couple of unexpected twists.
There's another story going on in the background, a more mundane one that appealed to me far less than the spooky elements, but was still pretty well-crafted. Alex is struggling to come to terms with his parents' divorce and is taking a break from school due to some mysterious 'trouble'. In Amsterdam, he develops a crush on Angelien - the daughter of Saskia, his father's business partner and potential girlfriend - that mirrors this 'trouble', the nature of which is slowly revealed. I had some problems with this strand of the plot, but the interaction between Alex and Angelien sets up the creepy bits very nicely and helps to flesh out the story.
The narration is a bit 'Alex did this. Alex did that. Alex listened to a song on his iPod', but then there are some elegant phrases too: 'A girl ran by in a red hooded coat and her reflection dripped into the water like blood' (which, btw, is a 'Don't Look Now' reference, right?) To say that this is aimed at a young audience, it's largely a well-written book which portrays the setting quite beautifully. My main issue with the book was one of characterisation. Alex is a junior Nice Guy™ in training - in fact, at more than one point he actually expresses the opinion that girls only like 'bad' boys, don't mean what they say etc: 'girls were weird like that... they said they liked boys who were kind and treated them with respect, and then the next minute they were snogging some creep.' While Priestley does a good job of mimicking how a boy of this age might really think, I didn't feel it was ever made explicitly obvious that this kind of viewpoint is unequivocally problematic/wrong. I am guessing that , but I don't think it would send a clear enough message to young male readers.
My enjoyment of ghost stories is, I think, quite a childlike thing: it's partly because of that exhilarating feeling of being just-scared-enough that I like reading them so much. Therefore, I find it much easier to enjoy books of this type that are intended for children or teenagers, while I generally struggle with YA fiction of other genres. All in all, a decent little ghost story: naturally more suitable for younger readers, but if you don't mind reading about a teenage protagonist, I think it's perfectly enjoyable for an adult audience too.
There's another story going on in the background, a more mundane one that appealed to me far less than the spooky elements, but was still pretty well-crafted. Alex is struggling to come to terms with his parents' divorce and is taking a break from school due to some mysterious 'trouble'. In Amsterdam, he develops a crush on Angelien - the daughter of Saskia, his father's business partner and potential girlfriend - that mirrors this 'trouble', the nature of which is slowly revealed. I had some problems with this strand of the plot, but the interaction between Alex and Angelien sets up the creepy bits very nicely and helps to flesh out the story.
The narration is a bit 'Alex did this. Alex did that. Alex listened to a song on his iPod', but then there are some elegant phrases too: 'A girl ran by in a red hooded coat and her reflection dripped into the water like blood' (which, btw, is a 'Don't Look Now' reference, right?) To say that this is aimed at a young audience, it's largely a well-written book which portrays the setting quite beautifully. My main issue with the book was one of characterisation. Alex is a junior Nice Guy™ in training - in fact, at more than one point he actually expresses the opinion that girls only like 'bad' boys, don't mean what they say etc: 'girls were weird like that... they said they liked boys who were kind and treated them with respect, and then the next minute they were snogging some creep.' While Priestley does a good job of mimicking how a boy of this age might really think, I didn't feel it was ever made explicitly obvious that this kind of viewpoint is unequivocally problematic/wrong. I am guessing that , but I don't think it would send a clear enough message to young male readers.
My enjoyment of ghost stories is, I think, quite a childlike thing: it's partly because of that exhilarating feeling of being just-scared-enough that I like reading them so much. Therefore, I find it much easier to enjoy books of this type that are intended for children or teenagers, while I generally struggle with YA fiction of other genres. All in all, a decent little ghost story: naturally more suitable for younger readers, but if you don't mind reading about a teenage protagonist, I think it's perfectly enjoyable for an adult audience too.
January 2, 2019
At times this had the depth of something by MR James, Ramsey Campbell or even Peter Ackroyd, but written for younger readers. The ending let me down a bit. I appreciate Priestley's unwillingness to tidy everything up for his young audience, but this felt like one of those final twists cheesy horror films will squeeze in just before the end credits, for one last shudder from the audience. Or maybe I just felt so drawn in that I can't bear not knowing what happened next.
May 18, 2015
This story is set in Amsterdam. Alex has gone on this trip with his author father. Usually he stays at home but they are trying to reconnect after Alex's mum left them.
They meet up with an old friend of Alex's Dad and then stay in an old hotel. Alex is shown around the city by the friend's daughter and one day they find a stall off the main streets. Alex finds a strange mask and is compelled to buy it.
When he gets back to the motel and puts the mask up to his face, strange things begin to happen. He can see what the last wearer of the mask saw, many, many years before.
If you like creepy, you'll like this.
They meet up with an old friend of Alex's Dad and then stay in an old hotel. Alex is shown around the city by the friend's daughter and one day they find a stall off the main streets. Alex finds a strange mask and is compelled to buy it.
When he gets back to the motel and puts the mask up to his face, strange things begin to happen. He can see what the last wearer of the mask saw, many, many years before.
If you like creepy, you'll like this.
March 13, 2014
Rezi: http://chrissies-kleine-welt.de/?p=1334
Alex reist zusammen mit seinem Vater nach Amsterdam. Dieser Urlaub soll eine Auszeit sein, denn zu Hause in England hat er gerade eine ziemlich komplizierte Zeit durchgemacht und die Wogen sollen sich glätten. Da sein Vater geschäftlich in Amsterdam zu tun hat darf er mitkommen. Beide quartieren sich in einem alten Hotel mit Charme ein und bereits vor dem ersten Betreten hat Alex ein seltsames, beobachtetes Gefühl.
Alex erkundet mit der Tochter der Geschäftspartnerin seines Vater Amsterdam und findet bald eine Maske, die ihn sein Hotel und seine seltsamen Gefühle durch andere Augen sehen lässt. Doch diese Maske hat auch Einfluss auf Alex, denn er fühlt sich immer wieder von ihr angezogen. Kann er ihrem Bann entfliehen?
Dies ist mein erster Roman von Chris Priestley. Er ist definitiv für junge Leser gedacht.
Alex ist ein Jugendlicher mit Scheidungshintergrund. Seine familiäre Situation hat ihn derart beeinträchtigt, dass er in seiner Schule ein sehr fragwürdiges Verhalten an den Tag gelegt hat und deswegen nun die Auszeit in Amsterdam bekommt. Ansonsten erscheint er mir wie ein normaler Jugendlicher, der vom Autor sehr schön gezeichnet wurde. Viele Autoren von Jugendbüchern neigen leider dazu ihre Charaktere überspitzt pubertär wirken zu lassen, was mich immer sehr abschreckt. Priestley tut dies aber nicht, weshalb ich mich mit seinem Protagonisten sehr wohl gefühlt habe.
Nach der Buchbeschreibung und dem sehr spannend klingendem Inhalt geht man für mein Verständnis leider mit falschen Erwartungen an dieses Buch heran. Natürlich existiert auch eine leicht gruselige Atmosphäre und ein mystischer Hintergrund, der Fokus der Geschichte liegt aber auf dem Innenleben von Alex, der Verarbeitung seiner privaten Probleme und des innerlichen Wachsens. Der Gruselcharakter wirkt hier unterstützend und gewiss auch metaphorisch. Lediglich auf den letzten zwei Seiten weicht Chris Priestley von diesem Schema ab und erzeugt eine wirklich gruselige Grundstimmung, die im Vordergrund liegt.
Das Buch selbst überzeugt durch eine sehr schöne Atmosphäre im Kinder- und Jugendbuchbereich. Der Schreibstil ist einfach und leicht verständlich. Leider ist das Buch relativ spannungsarm, daher muss man sich schon an Atmosphäre und guten Charakteren erfreuen können.
Mir hat “Dead Eyes: Der Fluch der Maske” für ein Jugendbuch für junge Leser gut gefallen. Das Buch ist für junge Teenager zu empfehlen, die eine leicht gruselige Atmosphäre wollen, aber keinen Pageturner brauchen.
Alex reist zusammen mit seinem Vater nach Amsterdam. Dieser Urlaub soll eine Auszeit sein, denn zu Hause in England hat er gerade eine ziemlich komplizierte Zeit durchgemacht und die Wogen sollen sich glätten. Da sein Vater geschäftlich in Amsterdam zu tun hat darf er mitkommen. Beide quartieren sich in einem alten Hotel mit Charme ein und bereits vor dem ersten Betreten hat Alex ein seltsames, beobachtetes Gefühl.
Alex erkundet mit der Tochter der Geschäftspartnerin seines Vater Amsterdam und findet bald eine Maske, die ihn sein Hotel und seine seltsamen Gefühle durch andere Augen sehen lässt. Doch diese Maske hat auch Einfluss auf Alex, denn er fühlt sich immer wieder von ihr angezogen. Kann er ihrem Bann entfliehen?
Dies ist mein erster Roman von Chris Priestley. Er ist definitiv für junge Leser gedacht.
Alex ist ein Jugendlicher mit Scheidungshintergrund. Seine familiäre Situation hat ihn derart beeinträchtigt, dass er in seiner Schule ein sehr fragwürdiges Verhalten an den Tag gelegt hat und deswegen nun die Auszeit in Amsterdam bekommt. Ansonsten erscheint er mir wie ein normaler Jugendlicher, der vom Autor sehr schön gezeichnet wurde. Viele Autoren von Jugendbüchern neigen leider dazu ihre Charaktere überspitzt pubertär wirken zu lassen, was mich immer sehr abschreckt. Priestley tut dies aber nicht, weshalb ich mich mit seinem Protagonisten sehr wohl gefühlt habe.
Nach der Buchbeschreibung und dem sehr spannend klingendem Inhalt geht man für mein Verständnis leider mit falschen Erwartungen an dieses Buch heran. Natürlich existiert auch eine leicht gruselige Atmosphäre und ein mystischer Hintergrund, der Fokus der Geschichte liegt aber auf dem Innenleben von Alex, der Verarbeitung seiner privaten Probleme und des innerlichen Wachsens. Der Gruselcharakter wirkt hier unterstützend und gewiss auch metaphorisch. Lediglich auf den letzten zwei Seiten weicht Chris Priestley von diesem Schema ab und erzeugt eine wirklich gruselige Grundstimmung, die im Vordergrund liegt.
Das Buch selbst überzeugt durch eine sehr schöne Atmosphäre im Kinder- und Jugendbuchbereich. Der Schreibstil ist einfach und leicht verständlich. Leider ist das Buch relativ spannungsarm, daher muss man sich schon an Atmosphäre und guten Charakteren erfreuen können.
Mir hat “Dead Eyes: Der Fluch der Maske” für ein Jugendbuch für junge Leser gut gefallen. Das Buch ist für junge Teenager zu empfehlen, die eine leicht gruselige Atmosphäre wollen, aber keinen Pageturner brauchen.
February 23, 2013
Characters: None of the characters were developed much at all over the course of the story, apart from an unlikely behaviour change in Alex’s father where at one point he suddenly gets angry at Saskia. Alex himself came across as childish and without much depth, despite a back story of his mother leaving and him getting into trouble at school for obsessing over a girl, suggesting he has some issues to deal with. Angelien was more interesting because of her knowledge of Amsterdam and her behaviour choices towards Alex (in particular one occasion when he tries to stop her from smoking).
Plot: It was an interesting story overall because the idea of the mask was spooky, but my problem is the pacing. It was very slow and repetitive with every day being in the format of ‘explore Amsterdam with Angelien, Dirk makes Alex angry because he has no chance with Angelien, Alex goes back to the hotel and tries the mask on and has a spooky vision’. Alex hardly did any of the figuring out himself, information was divulged in frequent nuggets by Angelien because of her convenient history project, and then the whole story was revealed at the end all at once, which took the excitement and horror out of it because it had less impact with too little build up (the snippets Alex saw through the mask weren’t enough). What I thought was going to happen didn’t, though the ‘cliffhanger’ ending suggested it could .
Other comments: It’s not that this book is bad, more that not a lot happens in it which made it seem like a weak story. It would probably have been better condensed into one of the short stories in Priestley’s Tales of Terror, which I much preferred. I would recommend Priestley's other books such as The Dead of Winter over this one.
Plot: It was an interesting story overall because the idea of the mask was spooky, but my problem is the pacing. It was very slow and repetitive with every day being in the format of ‘explore Amsterdam with Angelien, Dirk makes Alex angry because he has no chance with Angelien, Alex goes back to the hotel and tries the mask on and has a spooky vision’. Alex hardly did any of the figuring out himself, information was divulged in frequent nuggets by Angelien because of her convenient history project, and then the whole story was revealed at the end all at once, which took the excitement and horror out of it because it had less impact with too little build up (the snippets Alex saw through the mask weren’t enough). What I thought was going to happen didn’t, though the ‘cliffhanger’ ending suggested it could .
Other comments: It’s not that this book is bad, more that not a lot happens in it which made it seem like a weak story. It would probably have been better condensed into one of the short stories in Priestley’s Tales of Terror, which I much preferred. I would recommend Priestley's other books such as The Dead of Winter over this one.
September 4, 2024
Original review on my blog:
http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co....
I was lucky enough to hear Chris Priestley talk about Gothic literature at Lancaster Litfest, and it was there that I discovered his work. When I saw the creepy cover of his latest book, Through Dead Eyes, I decided to request it from Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for giving me the chance to review it!
When Alex accompanies his dad on a business trip to Amsterdam, he doesn’t expect much, least of all the company of an attractive older girl, his dad’s friend’s daughter Angelien. When exploring the local market, he feels drawn to a peculiar old mask, which gives him a creepy feeling. But when he sees an old painting in the museum of someone wearing that very same mask, he finds himself drawn into a dark mystery surrounding the mask, the painting, and its painter and subjects.
But the truth is more terrifying than he could have imagined: the mask gives him the ability to see through the eyes of a girl who could see the dead.
This is an atmospheric and subtle horror story. The setting of Amsterdam is very well described, and Alex is a likeable protagonist, an ordinary teenager who is going through a rough patch. I didn’t like Angelien much - I think she was a bit cruel to Alex - and the other characters are a bit undeveloped. The horror element doesn't kick in for a while and a lot of the build-up felt unnecessary, but the mystery is engaging, even though the action is slow to build. Though this is tame compared to say, Stephen King’s novels, it’s a great read for young adults and even though the final twist was a little predictable, the plot remains gripping and interesting. If you’re looking for a quick, spooky read, I’d recommend checking this out!
http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co....
I was lucky enough to hear Chris Priestley talk about Gothic literature at Lancaster Litfest, and it was there that I discovered his work. When I saw the creepy cover of his latest book, Through Dead Eyes, I decided to request it from Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for giving me the chance to review it!
When Alex accompanies his dad on a business trip to Amsterdam, he doesn’t expect much, least of all the company of an attractive older girl, his dad’s friend’s daughter Angelien. When exploring the local market, he feels drawn to a peculiar old mask, which gives him a creepy feeling. But when he sees an old painting in the museum of someone wearing that very same mask, he finds himself drawn into a dark mystery surrounding the mask, the painting, and its painter and subjects.
But the truth is more terrifying than he could have imagined: the mask gives him the ability to see through the eyes of a girl who could see the dead.
This is an atmospheric and subtle horror story. The setting of Amsterdam is very well described, and Alex is a likeable protagonist, an ordinary teenager who is going through a rough patch. I didn’t like Angelien much - I think she was a bit cruel to Alex - and the other characters are a bit undeveloped. The horror element doesn't kick in for a while and a lot of the build-up felt unnecessary, but the mystery is engaging, even though the action is slow to build. Though this is tame compared to say, Stephen King’s novels, it’s a great read for young adults and even though the final twist was a little predictable, the plot remains gripping and interesting. If you’re looking for a quick, spooky read, I’d recommend checking this out!
June 30, 2014
Apart from old dolls, masks have a great potential for creeping someone out. Something Chris Priestley makes work ever so well in this book.
I have been to Amsterdam a few times but never did the touristy thing, so reading about the places Angelina takes Alex to was interesting. (It also makes me want to go and see them.) The story of Hanna’s past really hooked me on this book I thought that certainly the first half worked at unnerving the reader. The more Alex discovers about the mask and Hanna the better it gets.
With the slow build in tension and horror working so brilliantly, however I felt the ending wasn’t as dramatic as it could have been. Apart from the very last page, which I loved.
Sometimes the descriptions were a bit much, knowing which motorway Alex was on wasn’t key to the story. Also I never cared that much about him, maybe the ending would have has more impact if I had.
Through Dead Eyes is the second book by Chris Priestley I’ve read and it’s only confirmed that I want to read more.
I have been to Amsterdam a few times but never did the touristy thing, so reading about the places Angelina takes Alex to was interesting. (It also makes me want to go and see them.) The story of Hanna’s past really hooked me on this book I thought that certainly the first half worked at unnerving the reader. The more Alex discovers about the mask and Hanna the better it gets.
With the slow build in tension and horror working so brilliantly, however I felt the ending wasn’t as dramatic as it could have been. Apart from the very last page, which I loved.
Sometimes the descriptions were a bit much, knowing which motorway Alex was on wasn’t key to the story. Also I never cared that much about him, maybe the ending would have has more impact if I had.
Through Dead Eyes is the second book by Chris Priestley I’ve read and it’s only confirmed that I want to read more.
April 24, 2019
There was a lot to like about this creepy little yarn, but it never quite hit enough right notes to elevate it from a light read to something really engrossing.
The good, then.
It was creepy. Priestly does fear well, which he should do by now, having penned many very successful books within the YA horror genre. This is the first I’ve read, but I’ve heard many good things about his Tales of Terror series. And if this is anything to go by, I can see why he’s so popular. I was reading it in bed at night, with the Boyfriend sat next to me, and yet I still felt myself getting freaked out. (I am a total wuss.)
The characters were well drawn – and viewing them through Alex’s eyes allowed for lots of the audience seeing more of the characters than the protagonist is able to, which I love. I just think it’s so very clever when done successfully, which Priestly does.
On the not so good, there were lots of bits where I felt like the story wasn’t really going anywhere. There was lots of wandering around Amsterdam, which was all very nice, but didn’t really keep the pace up. And as the book was only very short, a lot of the time it felt like padding. It felt like it should have been a short story in a collection, rather than a short novel. I think it could have been very intense and scary as a short story, but fleshed out it just sagged a little between the frightening moments. Which does give wimps like me a chance to recover somewhat, but doesn’t do the overall tension many favours.
I’d definitely pick up another book by Chris Priestly if I saw one, but I won’t be rushing out to hunt one down. Through Dead Eyes was lots of promise that didn’t quite deliver, but overall was enjoyable.
The good, then.
It was creepy. Priestly does fear well, which he should do by now, having penned many very successful books within the YA horror genre. This is the first I’ve read, but I’ve heard many good things about his Tales of Terror series. And if this is anything to go by, I can see why he’s so popular. I was reading it in bed at night, with the Boyfriend sat next to me, and yet I still felt myself getting freaked out. (I am a total wuss.)
The characters were well drawn – and viewing them through Alex’s eyes allowed for lots of the audience seeing more of the characters than the protagonist is able to, which I love. I just think it’s so very clever when done successfully, which Priestly does.
On the not so good, there were lots of bits where I felt like the story wasn’t really going anywhere. There was lots of wandering around Amsterdam, which was all very nice, but didn’t really keep the pace up. And as the book was only very short, a lot of the time it felt like padding. It felt like it should have been a short story in a collection, rather than a short novel. I think it could have been very intense and scary as a short story, but fleshed out it just sagged a little between the frightening moments. Which does give wimps like me a chance to recover somewhat, but doesn’t do the overall tension many favours.
I’d definitely pick up another book by Chris Priestly if I saw one, but I won’t be rushing out to hunt one down. Through Dead Eyes was lots of promise that didn’t quite deliver, but overall was enjoyable.
April 12, 2023
Not much to say of this book. The book felt incomplete, and not just because of the cliffhanger at the end. There wasn't much that hooked me in the book and I was only able to finish the book because I wanted to see what all the hype around this 'haunted' mask was about. I was quite disappointed to say the least when I finished as the plot around the mask seemed underwhelming and additionally, there was no character development.
Alex stalking Molly and becoming obsessed with her seemed like a completely useless plotline to me and a missed opportunity. When it got introduced I got slightly excited as I had thought that this would be an opportunity for some character development, but at the end of the novel, Alex is the exact same person as he was in the beginning. The only difference was that he was more open to the idea of contacting his mother, but that's it.
Alex isn't the only character that suffers from poor writing. His father too, someone who plays an integral role in Alex's life, has little to no character development throughout the novel. He's still someone who doesn't listen to anyone by the end, just like he was at the beginning.
While reading this, I felt extremely underwhelmed and at the end of the book I couldn't help but feel disappointed. The only thing that stops me from giving it one star is that I've read worse books and that I feel if it was slightly longer, this could've been much better and perhaps one of my favourite books.
Alex stalking Molly and becoming obsessed with her seemed like a completely useless plotline to me and a missed opportunity. When it got introduced I got slightly excited as I had thought that this would be an opportunity for some character development, but at the end of the novel, Alex is the exact same person as he was in the beginning. The only difference was that he was more open to the idea of contacting his mother, but that's it.
Alex isn't the only character that suffers from poor writing. His father too, someone who plays an integral role in Alex's life, has little to no character development throughout the novel. He's still someone who doesn't listen to anyone by the end, just like he was at the beginning.
While reading this, I felt extremely underwhelmed and at the end of the book I couldn't help but feel disappointed. The only thing that stops me from giving it one star is that I've read worse books and that I feel if it was slightly longer, this could've been much better and perhaps one of my favourite books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2019
'You cannot know how people behave when they're in any kind of relationship. People don't always act like they do with other people. We're sometimes most cruel to the ones we love. It's just a part of life.'
'We all have different faces we show to different people.'
'We cannot always help who we love or how we love.'
Alex joins his father on a business trip to Amsterdam. During the day he hangs out with the daughter of a family friend. They visit the usual sights but also coffee shops and flea markets off the beaten track. At one of these markets Alex spots an ancient-looking mask. Before he knows what he's doing he buys it. Later, in his hotel room, he feels compelled to put the mask on. Alex is sucked into a parallel Amsterdam, one from centuries before which begins to reveal the dark past of both the building he is staying in and the little girl who once lived there . . . edging stealthily towards the terrible twist.
'We all have different faces we show to different people.'
'We cannot always help who we love or how we love.'
Alex joins his father on a business trip to Amsterdam. During the day he hangs out with the daughter of a family friend. They visit the usual sights but also coffee shops and flea markets off the beaten track. At one of these markets Alex spots an ancient-looking mask. Before he knows what he's doing he buys it. Later, in his hotel room, he feels compelled to put the mask on. Alex is sucked into a parallel Amsterdam, one from centuries before which begins to reveal the dark past of both the building he is staying in and the little girl who once lived there . . . edging stealthily towards the terrible twist.
October 6, 2014
I have also posted this review on my blog A Blonde Librarian
Within the beauty of Amsterdam, lies a secret behind a mask
Ok, so I was unsure whether to even review this book, and here is why....
Basically, I picked this up from the YA section of my local bookshop (my frequent haunt), and having heard nothing at all about it, I was intrigued enough to take it home and give it a go. After finishing it, it became clear that this book is aimed more towards the 'young' in young adult...and definitely not towards a 20-something like me who does happen to enjoy YA fiction.
For that reason, I had to think more about my judgements of Through Dead Eyes by Chris Priestley. If, I am not indeed the target audience - then maybe my opinion of the book doesn't matter as much. Maybe someone else who is more fitted to who the author wrote this book for - would get alot more from it? Does that make sense? I didn't want to unfairly judge this book, when I think that I was just the wrong person to read it.
That being said, I HAVE decided to review it on here. I am going to keep objective about it. I will be stating a few things I wasn't so keen on, but for the most part I will be keeping my big opinionated nose out of the process, and forwarding some gentle advice about who I think should read this book, and who I think may be disappointed in it.
Okay...so what is this book? Through Dead Eyes is a story about a boy named Alex. Moving away from a troubled home and school life, Alex and his father are taking a trip to Amsterdam for one of his father's business ventures. When they arrive, Alex finds himself settling into a creepy old hotel...and he can't shake the feeling that someone is watching him in his room. With Alex's father tied up in business meetings, Alex is left in the somewhat unstable hands of Angelien - the daughter of Saskia, a business friend of Alex's father (or maybe more?). Angelien spends her days showing Alex around the beautiful city of Amsterdam. It is on one of these visits that Alex finds, and is instantly drawn to an antique mask. Investigation leads him to find that the mask has strange and unusual ties to the hotel where Alex is staying, and nothing can prepare him for the horrific past he discovers when he looks through the mask....through dead eyes.
I will talk first about the writing style - which I think is great. Priestley does a fantastic job of pulling you in to a story. He creates suspense and mystery without giving too much away, and I felt like the characters were interesting and pretty well fleshed out for quite a small book. The fact that this is set in Amsterdam was definitely my favourite aspect of the book. The writing is beautifully descriptive in all the right places, and I adored exploring the city with Alex and Angelien. In our life, we hear alot about the party scene in Amsterdam, but less about the beauty that lies in the place...this was something I really enjoyed throughout the book.
Speaking of characters, these are an interesting bunch who are very well developed even though the story is only just over 200 pages. Angelien was really intriguing, I would've loved to know more about her, the same goes for Alex and his backstory. We get glimpses...but I felt like we needed more to understand him properly. I really enjoyed the relationship between Alex and his father - a mixture of genuine love and comfort mixed with the frustration of a parent and his petulant teenager. I will talk about the ending more in a moment (no spoilers I promise), but I felt as though the ending didn't really do the characters much justice and kind of just threw them away.
The mystery behind the mask was definitely interesting. The idea that you can look through something and see the world through the eyes of the previous owner is pretty cool (and terrifying!). I enjoyed learning more about the history behind the hotel, it's previous occupants and the creepy story of Hanna - the girl who wore the mask.
However, by the end of the book I was left disappointed. I felt as though things were rushed. We kind of get an answer to the mystery - but lots of things are left unexplained. The build-up of characters feels irrelevant as we are suddenly expected to drop some of them without much of a goodbye or any closure....I didn't like it. For me, the end of this book just wasn't enough. Not enough explanations, too many loose ends - and I'm not talking about the twist/cliffhangar ending (which I found predictable and not enough to save the story for me).
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but just wished for more. More backstory, more development, more depth - something was lacking - which is a shame because the writing was good and the story had promise. This isn't a bad book by any means, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone over the age of around 13, as it just doesn't pack enough punch. I was going to rate this 2 stars, but wanted to be a little more fair, as I feel like a younger reader will probably enjoy this alot more than I did, and take much more away from it. It definitely has a Goosebumps-esque feel to it (which is in no way a bad thing!), but bear that in mind if you decide to pick this up.
Within the beauty of Amsterdam, lies a secret behind a mask
Ok, so I was unsure whether to even review this book, and here is why....
Basically, I picked this up from the YA section of my local bookshop (my frequent haunt), and having heard nothing at all about it, I was intrigued enough to take it home and give it a go. After finishing it, it became clear that this book is aimed more towards the 'young' in young adult...and definitely not towards a 20-something like me who does happen to enjoy YA fiction.
For that reason, I had to think more about my judgements of Through Dead Eyes by Chris Priestley. If, I am not indeed the target audience - then maybe my opinion of the book doesn't matter as much. Maybe someone else who is more fitted to who the author wrote this book for - would get alot more from it? Does that make sense? I didn't want to unfairly judge this book, when I think that I was just the wrong person to read it.
That being said, I HAVE decided to review it on here. I am going to keep objective about it. I will be stating a few things I wasn't so keen on, but for the most part I will be keeping my big opinionated nose out of the process, and forwarding some gentle advice about who I think should read this book, and who I think may be disappointed in it.
Okay...so what is this book? Through Dead Eyes is a story about a boy named Alex. Moving away from a troubled home and school life, Alex and his father are taking a trip to Amsterdam for one of his father's business ventures. When they arrive, Alex finds himself settling into a creepy old hotel...and he can't shake the feeling that someone is watching him in his room. With Alex's father tied up in business meetings, Alex is left in the somewhat unstable hands of Angelien - the daughter of Saskia, a business friend of Alex's father (or maybe more?). Angelien spends her days showing Alex around the beautiful city of Amsterdam. It is on one of these visits that Alex finds, and is instantly drawn to an antique mask. Investigation leads him to find that the mask has strange and unusual ties to the hotel where Alex is staying, and nothing can prepare him for the horrific past he discovers when he looks through the mask....through dead eyes.
I will talk first about the writing style - which I think is great. Priestley does a fantastic job of pulling you in to a story. He creates suspense and mystery without giving too much away, and I felt like the characters were interesting and pretty well fleshed out for quite a small book. The fact that this is set in Amsterdam was definitely my favourite aspect of the book. The writing is beautifully descriptive in all the right places, and I adored exploring the city with Alex and Angelien. In our life, we hear alot about the party scene in Amsterdam, but less about the beauty that lies in the place...this was something I really enjoyed throughout the book.
Speaking of characters, these are an interesting bunch who are very well developed even though the story is only just over 200 pages. Angelien was really intriguing, I would've loved to know more about her, the same goes for Alex and his backstory. We get glimpses...but I felt like we needed more to understand him properly. I really enjoyed the relationship between Alex and his father - a mixture of genuine love and comfort mixed with the frustration of a parent and his petulant teenager. I will talk about the ending more in a moment (no spoilers I promise), but I felt as though the ending didn't really do the characters much justice and kind of just threw them away.
The mystery behind the mask was definitely interesting. The idea that you can look through something and see the world through the eyes of the previous owner is pretty cool (and terrifying!). I enjoyed learning more about the history behind the hotel, it's previous occupants and the creepy story of Hanna - the girl who wore the mask.
However, by the end of the book I was left disappointed. I felt as though things were rushed. We kind of get an answer to the mystery - but lots of things are left unexplained. The build-up of characters feels irrelevant as we are suddenly expected to drop some of them without much of a goodbye or any closure....I didn't like it. For me, the end of this book just wasn't enough. Not enough explanations, too many loose ends - and I'm not talking about the twist/cliffhangar ending (which I found predictable and not enough to save the story for me).
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but just wished for more. More backstory, more development, more depth - something was lacking - which is a shame because the writing was good and the story had promise. This isn't a bad book by any means, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone over the age of around 13, as it just doesn't pack enough punch. I was going to rate this 2 stars, but wanted to be a little more fair, as I feel like a younger reader will probably enjoy this alot more than I did, and take much more away from it. It definitely has a Goosebumps-esque feel to it (which is in no way a bad thing!), but bear that in mind if you decide to pick this up.
September 10, 2019
เรื่องนี้คืองานหลอกดาวขนานใหญ่! บรรยายด้วยฉากสวยๆในอัมสเตอร์ดัม แฝงประวัติศาสตร์ ด้วยอารมณ์เด็กน้อยมาเดินทางกะพ่อ จริงๆมันก็ดูเป็นนิยายเด็กใสๆ เรียบง่าย ที่มีเรื่องลึกลับเป็นตีม... อย่างไรเสีย Priestley ก็ไม่ทำให้เราผิดหวังกับงานของเขา ที่ลงลายเซ็นไว้เช่นเดิม ตอนจบนี่ อึ้งไปเลยจ้า แต่ช่วงต้นกะกลางเรื่องมันเนอบมากไปหน่อย ก็เลยให้สามดาวพอ หุหุ
June 5, 2023
Through Dead Eyes is a good book and is certainly a page-turner. Set in Amsterdam, this novel is great for those who like mystery and suspense. I like how Alex (the protagonist of this story) buys a creepy mask from a stand and is able to see in greater depth using that mask. In conclusion, this is a nice book but can come across as a little bit scary.
February 23, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book. I read it in two days. I was hoping for it to be a lot more scary but I guess it's alright. I liked plot twist at the end.
May 21, 2017
3.5 Sterne.. bringt einen dazu über die Schultern zu schauen und sich ein bisschen zu fürchten ;)
January 31, 2018
I did not like the writing style. The story had a lot of potential but it felt like all avenues had not been explored. Overall good read, but nothing special.
March 6, 2021
It was okay. First in a series.
May 19, 2021
Though the story was very gripping and had considerably well-written characters, some parts of the book just seemed a bit off and nedded rereading to understand them. But overall, not a bad book.
February 5, 2023
Good book for teens, very easy read. I bought & read this book as I loved it when I was younger. Not the same now though :)
March 6, 2021
⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️
Alex begleitet seinen Vater bei einer Geschäftsreise nach Amsterdam. Schon bevor Alex das Hotel betritt merkt er, dass irgendetwas seltsames vor sich geht.
Mit der Tochter der neuen Partnerin seines Vater erkundet er Amsterdam. Bei einem Antiquitätenmarkt entdeckt er eine unheimliche Maske, die ein düsteres Geheimnis in sich birgt und Alex mit auf eine schaurige Reise in die Vergangenheit der Stadt nimmt.
⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️
Ich muss erst mal sagen, wie toll ich die Umgebung bzw. den Schauplatz der Geschichte fand. Ich will auch unbedingt mal nach Amsterdam und mir hat die Szenerie super gefallen. Man erfährt sehr viel über Amsterdam und dessen Vergangenheit, was ich sehr interessant fand.
Die Charaktere sind sehr gut beschrieben. Alex als Protagonist ist sehr interessant. Er ist kein perfekter Charakter, hat Fehler gemacht und macht auch eine Wandlung in der Geschichte durch. Man kann sich in Alex hineinversetzen und nachvollziehen, wieso er so handelt, wie er es tut.
Die Atmosphäre war klasse. Die Geschichte mit der unheimlichen Maske baut sich langsam auf und bleibt bis zum Schluss spannend.
Der Schreibstil ist sehr einfach gehalten, was man bei einem Jugendbuch total nachvollziehen kann.
Das Buch bekommt von mir 4/5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Ich kann es definitiv jedem Empfehlen der auf Jugendbücher mit Mystery (Geistern) steht.
Alex begleitet seinen Vater bei einer Geschäftsreise nach Amsterdam. Schon bevor Alex das Hotel betritt merkt er, dass irgendetwas seltsames vor sich geht.
Mit der Tochter der neuen Partnerin seines Vater erkundet er Amsterdam. Bei einem Antiquitätenmarkt entdeckt er eine unheimliche Maske, die ein düsteres Geheimnis in sich birgt und Alex mit auf eine schaurige Reise in die Vergangenheit der Stadt nimmt.
⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️
Ich muss erst mal sagen, wie toll ich die Umgebung bzw. den Schauplatz der Geschichte fand. Ich will auch unbedingt mal nach Amsterdam und mir hat die Szenerie super gefallen. Man erfährt sehr viel über Amsterdam und dessen Vergangenheit, was ich sehr interessant fand.
Die Charaktere sind sehr gut beschrieben. Alex als Protagonist ist sehr interessant. Er ist kein perfekter Charakter, hat Fehler gemacht und macht auch eine Wandlung in der Geschichte durch. Man kann sich in Alex hineinversetzen und nachvollziehen, wieso er so handelt, wie er es tut.
Die Atmosphäre war klasse. Die Geschichte mit der unheimlichen Maske baut sich langsam auf und bleibt bis zum Schluss spannend.
Der Schreibstil ist sehr einfach gehalten, was man bei einem Jugendbuch total nachvollziehen kann.
Das Buch bekommt von mir 4/5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Ich kann es definitiv jedem Empfehlen der auf Jugendbücher mit Mystery (Geistern) steht.
December 17, 2022
Good story but the characters annoyed me a bit, and the ending was a let down.
November 17, 2015
I was unsure of whether or not to give this 2 stars or 2.5. I considered bumping my rating up to 2.5, because the story was good when the dialogue didn't exist, but the interaction between the characters and the attempt to create a compelling, gripping, truly creepy story was awkward and clumsy. In the end, I just couldn't justify giving this anything more than a "meh" rating.
The reviews on the back of the book promise a "creepy....psychological thriller" that is "chilling". I love the kinds of horror novels that keep you on the edge of your seat and your fingers swiftly turning the pages until you've finally finished the book or fallen asleep, so I was excited for this. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE psychological thrillers in any aspect. And "a sinister, supernatural mystery"? Count me in, I am so here for this!
I was so let down. To sum this up very briefly, we encounter a teenage boy named Alex, who was rocked by his parents' divorce and an incident at school. To make up for things, his father, a historian, allows Alex to travel with him to Amsterdam on a business trip. While there, Alex meets the older daughter of his father's colleague (who was kind of a love interest, but kind of not...it was implied but it never really went anywhere), who shows him around Amsterdam. Alex finds a creepy Japanese mask while exploring, and after putting it on, is drawn into this dizzying world where more and more layers peel back to reveal a truly haunting, chilling story.
Sounds good, right? Too bad that the actual meat of the story doesn't live up to the hype. I get what the author was trying to do, but honestly, this came off as a less interesting and more poorly written version of The Haunted Mask, which I actually still love to this day, even though it is a kids book. And that's another thing that you need to bear in mind before you buy this book: it is a children's book. That's not a bad thing, I just wasn't expecting it when I picked it up. I actually still read children's books from time to time, and most of them can keep me engaged.
The biggest problem with this book was that it just read too young for me. Alex is meant to be a teenage boy, but his actual age is never stated. But even though he's a teenager, his voice and attitude is more like that of a second or third grader's at times. Also, the dialogue and interaction between he and his father, and Angelien, the female character, was VERY awkward. It was just very unrealistic. At one point, Alex reveals his secret about what happened in school back in England to Angelien, and her reaction is way, way off base for how anyone would normally react to something like that. I can't reveal it without spoiling anything, but she sort of just brushes it off. She also treats Alex like he is stupid, continuously. She's just mean.
The idea was a good one, and the author could very well craft a creepy tale of suspense, but this one was a dud for me. Dialogue is not his strong point, nor is creating multi-dimensional characters.
The reviews on the back of the book promise a "creepy....psychological thriller" that is "chilling". I love the kinds of horror novels that keep you on the edge of your seat and your fingers swiftly turning the pages until you've finally finished the book or fallen asleep, so I was excited for this. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE psychological thrillers in any aspect. And "a sinister, supernatural mystery"? Count me in, I am so here for this!
I was so let down. To sum this up very briefly, we encounter a teenage boy named Alex, who was rocked by his parents' divorce and an incident at school. To make up for things, his father, a historian, allows Alex to travel with him to Amsterdam on a business trip. While there, Alex meets the older daughter of his father's colleague (who was kind of a love interest, but kind of not...it was implied but it never really went anywhere), who shows him around Amsterdam. Alex finds a creepy Japanese mask while exploring, and after putting it on, is drawn into this dizzying world where more and more layers peel back to reveal a truly haunting, chilling story.
Sounds good, right? Too bad that the actual meat of the story doesn't live up to the hype. I get what the author was trying to do, but honestly, this came off as a less interesting and more poorly written version of The Haunted Mask, which I actually still love to this day, even though it is a kids book. And that's another thing that you need to bear in mind before you buy this book: it is a children's book. That's not a bad thing, I just wasn't expecting it when I picked it up. I actually still read children's books from time to time, and most of them can keep me engaged.
The biggest problem with this book was that it just read too young for me. Alex is meant to be a teenage boy, but his actual age is never stated. But even though he's a teenager, his voice and attitude is more like that of a second or third grader's at times. Also, the dialogue and interaction between he and his father, and Angelien, the female character, was VERY awkward. It was just very unrealistic. At one point, Alex reveals his secret about what happened in school back in England to Angelien, and her reaction is way, way off base for how anyone would normally react to something like that. I can't reveal it without spoiling anything, but she sort of just brushes it off. She also treats Alex like he is stupid, continuously. She's just mean.
The idea was a good one, and the author could very well craft a creepy tale of suspense, but this one was a dud for me. Dialogue is not his strong point, nor is creating multi-dimensional characters.
March 3, 2014
Für den kleinen Grusel
Alex reist mit seinem Vater nach Amsterdam. Obwohl auf seinen Vater, der Historiker ist, dort einiges an Arbeit wartet, so hat Alex doch nicht erwartet, dass sie so wenig Zeit miteinander verbringen können. Stattdessen fühlt es sich an, als würde er an Angelien, die Tochter einer alten Freundin seines Vaters, abgeschoben werden. Die beiden erkunden erst unwillig, doch bald schon mit etwas mehr Begeisterung Amsterdam. Auf dem Markt findet Alex unter allerlei anderem Krams eine Maske, die ihn magisch anzuziehen scheint. Und auch Angelien scheint zufälligerweise einiges über diese Maske zu wissen…
Vor dem Lesen erwartete ich ein hautnahes, spannendes Abenteuer erwartet, die Erforschung der Maske, gruselige und unerklärliche Momente. Teilweise habe ich das auch bekommen, aber leider eben nur teilweise. Es gab tatsächlich hautnahe Erlebnisse mit der Maske, die Hintergrundgeschichte der Maske und all die Zusammenhänge werden allerdings von Angelien recherchiert und erzählt. So erhält man als Leser eine Mischung aus Erlebnis und Recherche und der Grusel zeigt sich auch an der einen oder anderen Stelle. Die Geschichte deckt sich in kleinen Häppchen auf, wird immer schauriger und fügt sich erst am Ende zu einem Ganzen.
Die Geschichte ist ganz klar für junge Leser / Jugendliche gedacht, also ist der Grusel nicht zu heftig. Für Sensibelchen wie mich kommt da allerdings auch schon einiges bei rum. Der Schreibstil ist flüssig, an die Zielgruppe angepasst und besticht vor allem mit der schönen und atmosphärischen Beschreibung der Umgebung. Auch andere Aspekte aus dem Leben eines Jugendlichen (auch wenn nicht wirklich deutlich wurde, wie alt Alex denn nun wirklich ist) werden behandelt, wobei einige leider nicht wirklich oder für mich unbefriedigend abgeschlossen werden. Die Charaktere in dieser Geschichte kommen auch eher blass daher. Hier und da wird zwar immer mal wieder etwas eingestreut, das die Charaktere beschreibt. Doch leider hatte ich bis zum Schluss nicht das Gefühl, dass ich verstehe, wieso sie eben so handeln, wie sie es tun.
Da die Geschichte um die Maske allerdings im Vordergrund steht, die während der atmosphärischen Erkundungstouren durch Amsterdam sehr interessante Dinge ans Licht bringt, ist dieses Buch dennoch eine Empfehlung von mir an alle, die den kleinen Grusel suchen.
Alex reist mit seinem Vater nach Amsterdam. Obwohl auf seinen Vater, der Historiker ist, dort einiges an Arbeit wartet, so hat Alex doch nicht erwartet, dass sie so wenig Zeit miteinander verbringen können. Stattdessen fühlt es sich an, als würde er an Angelien, die Tochter einer alten Freundin seines Vaters, abgeschoben werden. Die beiden erkunden erst unwillig, doch bald schon mit etwas mehr Begeisterung Amsterdam. Auf dem Markt findet Alex unter allerlei anderem Krams eine Maske, die ihn magisch anzuziehen scheint. Und auch Angelien scheint zufälligerweise einiges über diese Maske zu wissen…
Vor dem Lesen erwartete ich ein hautnahes, spannendes Abenteuer erwartet, die Erforschung der Maske, gruselige und unerklärliche Momente. Teilweise habe ich das auch bekommen, aber leider eben nur teilweise. Es gab tatsächlich hautnahe Erlebnisse mit der Maske, die Hintergrundgeschichte der Maske und all die Zusammenhänge werden allerdings von Angelien recherchiert und erzählt. So erhält man als Leser eine Mischung aus Erlebnis und Recherche und der Grusel zeigt sich auch an der einen oder anderen Stelle. Die Geschichte deckt sich in kleinen Häppchen auf, wird immer schauriger und fügt sich erst am Ende zu einem Ganzen.
Die Geschichte ist ganz klar für junge Leser / Jugendliche gedacht, also ist der Grusel nicht zu heftig. Für Sensibelchen wie mich kommt da allerdings auch schon einiges bei rum. Der Schreibstil ist flüssig, an die Zielgruppe angepasst und besticht vor allem mit der schönen und atmosphärischen Beschreibung der Umgebung. Auch andere Aspekte aus dem Leben eines Jugendlichen (auch wenn nicht wirklich deutlich wurde, wie alt Alex denn nun wirklich ist) werden behandelt, wobei einige leider nicht wirklich oder für mich unbefriedigend abgeschlossen werden. Die Charaktere in dieser Geschichte kommen auch eher blass daher. Hier und da wird zwar immer mal wieder etwas eingestreut, das die Charaktere beschreibt. Doch leider hatte ich bis zum Schluss nicht das Gefühl, dass ich verstehe, wieso sie eben so handeln, wie sie es tun.
Da die Geschichte um die Maske allerdings im Vordergrund steht, die während der atmosphärischen Erkundungstouren durch Amsterdam sehr interessante Dinge ans Licht bringt, ist dieses Buch dennoch eine Empfehlung von mir an alle, die den kleinen Grusel suchen.
August 24, 2014
Kurzer Einblick:
Gemeinsam mit seinem Vater ist Alex in Amsterdam gelandet. Während dieser Beruflich sehr viel zu erledigen hat, geht Alex gemeinsam mit der Tochter seiner Arbeitskollegin auf Entdeckungsreise durch Amsterdam. Auf einem Markt ersteht Alex eine alte Maske, die ihn wie magisch angezogen hat. Er findet heraus, dass diese Maske einst einem jungen Mädchen gehörte, dass in diesem Hotel lebte und dort von ihrem Vater festgehalten wurde. Ihr düsteres und schauriges Aussehen ist jedoch nicht allein was ihm Ängste bereitet. Eines Abends ist die Verlockung so groß, dass er die Maske aufsetzt. Durch sie sieht er die Welt aus den Augen des jungen Mädchens. Immer mehr geriet er in den Bann der Maske und merkt nicht wie er sich dadurch selbst in Gefahr bringt...
Meine Meinung:
Eine wirklich sehr spannende, mysteriöse und unterhaltsame Handlung, die den Leser nicht nur auf Entdeckungstour durch Amsterdam und dessen Geheimnisse einlädt, sondern auch eine fast ausweglose Geschichte von Alex und dem unbekannten Mädchen erzählt.
Erzählstil:
Der Erzähler des Hörbuches hat eine sehr ruhige und fesselnde Art wie er die Handlung erzählt. Seine Stimme wirkt sehr ruhig und angenehm, aber bringt auch in den passenden Momenten eine Spannung auf, die einen Nervenkitzel auslöst. Der einzige Kritikpunkt den ich zu bemängeln habe ist, dass er manche Wortendungen sehr in die länge zieht, so das die Wörter etwas sehr "unrund" wirken.
Charaktere:
Alex wirkt zu Beginn der Handlung sehr unsicher und schüchtern. Nach und nach steigert sich während der Handlung sein Selbstbewusstsein und er lernt sich zur wehr zu setzten. Er war mir direkt sehr sympathisch!
Fazit:
Spannende Unterhaltung, fesselnd bis zum Schluss! Ein Erzähler, der weiß wie man Nervenkitzel aufbringt!
Danksagung:
Ein riesen Dankeschön geht an den audiolino-Verlag, der mir dieses Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt hat!
Gemeinsam mit seinem Vater ist Alex in Amsterdam gelandet. Während dieser Beruflich sehr viel zu erledigen hat, geht Alex gemeinsam mit der Tochter seiner Arbeitskollegin auf Entdeckungsreise durch Amsterdam. Auf einem Markt ersteht Alex eine alte Maske, die ihn wie magisch angezogen hat. Er findet heraus, dass diese Maske einst einem jungen Mädchen gehörte, dass in diesem Hotel lebte und dort von ihrem Vater festgehalten wurde. Ihr düsteres und schauriges Aussehen ist jedoch nicht allein was ihm Ängste bereitet. Eines Abends ist die Verlockung so groß, dass er die Maske aufsetzt. Durch sie sieht er die Welt aus den Augen des jungen Mädchens. Immer mehr geriet er in den Bann der Maske und merkt nicht wie er sich dadurch selbst in Gefahr bringt...
Meine Meinung:
Eine wirklich sehr spannende, mysteriöse und unterhaltsame Handlung, die den Leser nicht nur auf Entdeckungstour durch Amsterdam und dessen Geheimnisse einlädt, sondern auch eine fast ausweglose Geschichte von Alex und dem unbekannten Mädchen erzählt.
Erzählstil:
Der Erzähler des Hörbuches hat eine sehr ruhige und fesselnde Art wie er die Handlung erzählt. Seine Stimme wirkt sehr ruhig und angenehm, aber bringt auch in den passenden Momenten eine Spannung auf, die einen Nervenkitzel auslöst. Der einzige Kritikpunkt den ich zu bemängeln habe ist, dass er manche Wortendungen sehr in die länge zieht, so das die Wörter etwas sehr "unrund" wirken.
Charaktere:
Alex wirkt zu Beginn der Handlung sehr unsicher und schüchtern. Nach und nach steigert sich während der Handlung sein Selbstbewusstsein und er lernt sich zur wehr zu setzten. Er war mir direkt sehr sympathisch!
Fazit:
Spannende Unterhaltung, fesselnd bis zum Schluss! Ein Erzähler, der weiß wie man Nervenkitzel aufbringt!
Danksagung:
Ein riesen Dankeschön geht an den audiolino-Verlag, der mir dieses Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt hat!
April 8, 2013
We begin Through Dead Eyes with Alex and his father Jeremy arriving at Schiphol Airport on a rainy day in March. Jeremy is an expert on WW2 and his recent book is a best seller in England and Holland. He’s in Amsterdam to meet with publishers and negotiate a TV deal.
On arrival at the hotel, Alex looks up and is drawn to a face at a window. This is the beginning of coincidences that pull Alex into another era.
Family friend Angelien is studying history for a doctorate and she has journals from an artist who lived across from what is now the hotel (although then it was the home of a wealthy merchant Van Kempen and his daughter Hanna). It is at the antiques market on one of their trips out that Alex is drawn to the Japanese mask. Each time he wears the mask, adjusting to a parallel world gets easier and easier.
Through Dead Eyes is not just about the mask. Running alongside the paranormal is Alex’ pain from his parents breakup and his crush on Angelien. Conflict comes from Angelien’s boyfriend. Amsterdam and the culture is portrayed really well and for me, learning a little about its history gave the story an added edge. My 3 x gt grandfather was a British citizen born in Holland in 1810 and this has given me added impetus to find out more!
On the flight on the way home from Amsterdam, Alex finds out the truth of Hanna and her family. This brings home that sometimes what we see is not the truth but our own interpretation of events! The journey in the car and the ending gave me shivers …
This is definitely a story that YA’s will love. They will identify with the parenting and confused emotions. The horror will engross and the ending will provoke thoughts of what could happen next …
I would like to thank the publishers for accepting my request to review on Netgalley.
On arrival at the hotel, Alex looks up and is drawn to a face at a window. This is the beginning of coincidences that pull Alex into another era.
Family friend Angelien is studying history for a doctorate and she has journals from an artist who lived across from what is now the hotel (although then it was the home of a wealthy merchant Van Kempen and his daughter Hanna). It is at the antiques market on one of their trips out that Alex is drawn to the Japanese mask. Each time he wears the mask, adjusting to a parallel world gets easier and easier.
Through Dead Eyes is not just about the mask. Running alongside the paranormal is Alex’ pain from his parents breakup and his crush on Angelien. Conflict comes from Angelien’s boyfriend. Amsterdam and the culture is portrayed really well and for me, learning a little about its history gave the story an added edge. My 3 x gt grandfather was a British citizen born in Holland in 1810 and this has given me added impetus to find out more!
On the flight on the way home from Amsterdam, Alex finds out the truth of Hanna and her family. This brings home that sometimes what we see is not the truth but our own interpretation of events! The journey in the car and the ending gave me shivers …
This is definitely a story that YA’s will love. They will identify with the parenting and confused emotions. The horror will engross and the ending will provoke thoughts of what could happen next …
I would like to thank the publishers for accepting my request to review on Netgalley.
May 20, 2013
Having just visited Amsterdam I loved the touristy detail of the city. Was pretty slow-going until those last few chapters. Really liked that the story didn't end up as I expected!
Full review:
I've never read a book by this author before but what really attracted me to Through Dead Eyes by Chris Priestley is this very creepy cover and also that the book is set in Amsterdam, a place that I very recently visited. I really enjoy it when an author presents a place like Chris Priestley does with Amsterdam in such an accessible way. Alex describes his first impressions of Amsterdam in a way that felt believable to me. I loved viewing his brief attempts at tourism along the canals and through the Red Light District and seeing the flower market and some of the major museums in Amsterdam were similar to my own. It gives a great overview of what it might be like to visit this city for the first time, which made me happy.
And then together with this, there's also the very creepy and slightly sinister aspect of Alex finding this mask in a flea market that has connections to the little girl who lived in Alex and his dad's hotel centuries beforehand. Suddenly, Alex is pulled into a different and much older Amsterdam in which this little girl lived in and Alex can't help but want to find out more about her and what happened to her based on the experiences of hers that he witnesses through putting on the mask.
I did find the first two thirds of the book to be slightly slow-going. There seemed to be a lot of detail and build-up towards something dramatic happening but that doesn't happen until very near the end. I did really enjoy the fact that the conclusion to this story was very unexpected and came as a bit of a surprise!
Full review:
I've never read a book by this author before but what really attracted me to Through Dead Eyes by Chris Priestley is this very creepy cover and also that the book is set in Amsterdam, a place that I very recently visited. I really enjoy it when an author presents a place like Chris Priestley does with Amsterdam in such an accessible way. Alex describes his first impressions of Amsterdam in a way that felt believable to me. I loved viewing his brief attempts at tourism along the canals and through the Red Light District and seeing the flower market and some of the major museums in Amsterdam were similar to my own. It gives a great overview of what it might be like to visit this city for the first time, which made me happy.
And then together with this, there's also the very creepy and slightly sinister aspect of Alex finding this mask in a flea market that has connections to the little girl who lived in Alex and his dad's hotel centuries beforehand. Suddenly, Alex is pulled into a different and much older Amsterdam in which this little girl lived in and Alex can't help but want to find out more about her and what happened to her based on the experiences of hers that he witnesses through putting on the mask.
I did find the first two thirds of the book to be slightly slow-going. There seemed to be a lot of detail and build-up towards something dramatic happening but that doesn't happen until very near the end. I did really enjoy the fact that the conclusion to this story was very unexpected and came as a bit of a surprise!
December 21, 2020
A fantastically creepy story from a master of YA horror.
Alex hasn't had things easy lately. His mum has left his dad, and he's been in trouble at school. His father, a writer of WWII books, takes Alex out of school to accompany him on a business trip to Amsterdam. There, Alex and his dad stay in a creepy old hotel, and the moment Alex steps into his room, he can't shake the feeling that there is something else in the room with him, watching him.
His father has a lot of business stuff to do, and so Alex is paired with Angelien, the daughter of his dad's publisher. Angelien and Alex hit it off, despite an age difference (he's a teenager, she's uni student) and she shows him round Amsterdam, and tells him about the history of the place in the 17th century. While at an antiques market, Alex feels compelled to buy a strange old Japanese mask. He learns that the mask is connected to the dark history of his hotel, which was once the home of a wealthy merchant and his strange daughter, who wore a Japanese mask.
Things get increasingly dark and creepy from there.
'Through Dead Eyes' has distinct flavours of M.R. James (creepy old hotels, strange and dangerous objects) and Susan Hill (it reminded me of 'The Man in the Picture') but is definitely it's own book as well, with a great plot and characters. Priestley always relies on creepy horror, the fear of things half seen, rather than out and out gore, and this is very effective.
The story at one point seems to end rather suddenly, but Priestley has a twist to add that I didn't see coming and leaves the reader thoroughly creeped out.
Alex hasn't had things easy lately. His mum has left his dad, and he's been in trouble at school. His father, a writer of WWII books, takes Alex out of school to accompany him on a business trip to Amsterdam. There, Alex and his dad stay in a creepy old hotel, and the moment Alex steps into his room, he can't shake the feeling that there is something else in the room with him, watching him.
His father has a lot of business stuff to do, and so Alex is paired with Angelien, the daughter of his dad's publisher. Angelien and Alex hit it off, despite an age difference (he's a teenager, she's uni student) and she shows him round Amsterdam, and tells him about the history of the place in the 17th century. While at an antiques market, Alex feels compelled to buy a strange old Japanese mask. He learns that the mask is connected to the dark history of his hotel, which was once the home of a wealthy merchant and his strange daughter, who wore a Japanese mask.
Things get increasingly dark and creepy from there.
'Through Dead Eyes' has distinct flavours of M.R. James (creepy old hotels, strange and dangerous objects) and Susan Hill (it reminded me of 'The Man in the Picture') but is definitely it's own book as well, with a great plot and characters. Priestley always relies on creepy horror, the fear of things half seen, rather than out and out gore, and this is very effective.
The story at one point seems to end rather suddenly, but Priestley has a twist to add that I didn't see coming and leaves the reader thoroughly creeped out.
May 31, 2015
Alex ist ein Scheidungskind und lebt bei seinem Vater. Die Scheidung hat ihn mehr mitgenommen als er sich selbst eingesteht. Da er an der Schule ein merkwürdiges Verhalten an den Tag gelegt hat, wurde er suspendiert. Die Reise nach Amsterdam ist also eine Auszeit für ihn und auch die in seiner Heimatstadt. Kurz gesagt: Die Wogen sollen sich glätten. Chris Priestley hat Alex wunderbar gezeichnet. Ein Jugendlicher der schon sehr erwachsen wirkt aber trotzdem mit Teenagerproblemen zu kämpfen hat. Alex lernt der Leser am besten kennen, ebenso seine Gedanken und Gefühle. Auf diesem Punkt liegt meiner Meinung nach auch der Fokus des Buches. Und genau hier ist das Problem.
Wer einen Gruselroman erwartet hat, der an Priestley´s Kurzgeschichten erinnern, wird enttäuscht sein. Dead Eyes hat zwar etwas mystisches und eine tolle Atmosphäre aber wirklich gruselig oder spannend ist er nur auf den letzten Seiten. Da ließ zumindest bei mir der Klappentext etwas anderes erwarten. Der Schreibstil widerum ist flüssig und gut zu lesen und auch die Geschichte um Amsterdam ist interessant zu lesen.
Fazit
Wer einen wirklich gruseligen Roman erwartet, wird enttäuscht sein. Wer jedoch gute Unterhaltung mit mystisches Einflüssen lesen mag, darf hier gerne zugreifen.
Wer einen Gruselroman erwartet hat, der an Priestley´s Kurzgeschichten erinnern, wird enttäuscht sein. Dead Eyes hat zwar etwas mystisches und eine tolle Atmosphäre aber wirklich gruselig oder spannend ist er nur auf den letzten Seiten. Da ließ zumindest bei mir der Klappentext etwas anderes erwarten. Der Schreibstil widerum ist flüssig und gut zu lesen und auch die Geschichte um Amsterdam ist interessant zu lesen.
Fazit
Wer einen wirklich gruseligen Roman erwartet, wird enttäuscht sein. Wer jedoch gute Unterhaltung mit mystisches Einflüssen lesen mag, darf hier gerne zugreifen.
March 15, 2013
A boy visiting Amsterdam buys a mask which sucks him into the past.
The first 150 pages of the book didn’t really go anywhere and the characters were bland (it read like padding). Then a couple of chapters from the end the story actually started and the book came to life.
It would be a much better book as a short story (50 pages) or with the story starting at page 150 and really developing what happens to the characters when they discover the truth (which is where the book currently ends).
I might try one of the other books by this author but will be borrowing it from the library.
The first 150 pages of the book didn’t really go anywhere and the characters were bland (it read like padding). Then a couple of chapters from the end the story actually started and the book came to life.
It would be a much better book as a short story (50 pages) or with the story starting at page 150 and really developing what happens to the characters when they discover the truth (which is where the book currently ends).
I might try one of the other books by this author but will be borrowing it from the library.
March 29, 2013
Alex goes with his father to Amsterdam and, whilst his father works on his documentary with his publisher, he is taken around the city by her daughter, Angelien, a history student. He is strangely compelled to buy an old mask at an antiques market and then discovers some startling and rather disconcerting connections between his hotel and the original owner of the mask. The mystery deepens as Angelien's research reveals even more of the story. Then, when Alex puts the mask on, he realises he can see into the past ...
Taut, gripping and beautifully written.
Taut, gripping and beautifully written.
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