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Draw the Dark
There are things in Winter, Wisconsin, folks just don't talk about. The murder way back in '45 is one. The near-suicide of a first-grade teacher is another. And then there is 17-year old Christian Cage. Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy, and ever since he's drawn and painted obsessively, trying desperately to remember his mother. The problem is Christian doesn't just draw his own memories. He can draw the thoughts of those around him. Confronted with fears and nightmares they'd rather avoid, people have a bad habit of dying. So it's no surprise that Christian isn't exactly popular. What no one expects is for Christian to meet Winter's last surviving Jew and uncover one more thing best forgottenthe day the Nazi's came to town. Based on a little-known fact of the United States' involvement in World War II, Draw the Dark is a dark fantasy about reclaiming the forgotten past and the redeeming power of love.
338 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2010
75 people are currently reading
1960 people want to read
About the author
Ilsa J. Bick
72 books1,597 followersAmong other things, I was an English major in college and so I know that I'm supposed to write things like, "Ilsa J. Bick is ." Except I hate writing about myself in the third person like I'm not in the room. Helloooo, I'm right here . . . So let's just say that I'm a child psychiatrist (yeah, you read that right)as well as a film scholar, surgeon wannabe (meaning I did an internship in surgery and LOVED it and maybe shoulda stuck), former Air Force major—and an award-winning, best-selling author of short stories, e-books, and novels. Believe me, no one is more shocked about this than I . . . unless you talk to my mother.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
June 19, 2020
this is one of those three-star situations where i am giving it three stars for me, karen, and not for the larger world. i liked her writing a lot, and i liked the premise, but i have been around the literary block a few too many times for this story to own me. i am certain its audience; those far younger and less handled by literature, would like it more.
it would have made a fantastic amazing stories episode. (you see how old i am??)
without giving too much away, i think that some of the elements could have been incorporated better into the narrative as a whole; it didn't feel as cohesive to me as i would have liked. but that's also what makes it entertaining, in a way, is the ambition of bringing together nazis in america, a little magic, a sort of dark narnia (or should i reference the fantastic movie the gate to further show my rings), and this family mystery all together in one ball. it's not perfect, no, but at least it's a little different. and again, a good "boy-book" for those reluctant readers; it might be a little challenging, at first, because she doesn't really lead up to the story so much as throw the reader into the story, but once it gets going, it was a good read.
i only read this because i saw all the fuss that her forthcoming book ashes was getting. i know w.d. had some complaints about it, but m.m. loved it, and maybe i will fall in between them. it sounds good to me, although i have come to trust w.d... so maybe you people will trust me. there are parts of this book that are a little predictable, but i liked so many of her descriptive passages, that i am eager to read more from her. so: three stars - solid, with promise, and more of a book that is perfect for its intended audience, but maybe not for the grown-ups, this time. let the kids have their own table for once, right?
and maybe that's it, maybe that's the problem. after the success in the adult market of books like the hunger games and, less deservedly, twilight, YA books are no longer being written for a teen audience, not really. everyone is trying to "write older" to attract the grown-ups, doubling their sales, but coyly staying in that YA market. i know this isn't news to anyone else, but i am still relatively new to the YA world, enough so that i am frequently still impressed and surprised and say things to myself like "this doesn't read like YA..." but you know what?? this one does. and more freaking power to it. come on, young'uns, this one is for you. and by that i don't mean that it is flawed or childish because it isn't, but i think it would be more fun for people who haven't already read every other book that exists. like i have.
by the way, i have a killer migraine right now, so i am not entirely sure i am making sense or being interesting at all. i am going to start a new subset of reviewing: MBRs. please contribute, internet...let's get this meme started...
come to my blog!
it would have made a fantastic amazing stories episode. (you see how old i am??)
without giving too much away, i think that some of the elements could have been incorporated better into the narrative as a whole; it didn't feel as cohesive to me as i would have liked. but that's also what makes it entertaining, in a way, is the ambition of bringing together nazis in america, a little magic, a sort of dark narnia (or should i reference the fantastic movie the gate to further show my rings), and this family mystery all together in one ball. it's not perfect, no, but at least it's a little different. and again, a good "boy-book" for those reluctant readers; it might be a little challenging, at first, because she doesn't really lead up to the story so much as throw the reader into the story, but once it gets going, it was a good read.
i only read this because i saw all the fuss that her forthcoming book ashes was getting. i know w.d. had some complaints about it, but m.m. loved it, and maybe i will fall in between them. it sounds good to me, although i have come to trust w.d... so maybe you people will trust me. there are parts of this book that are a little predictable, but i liked so many of her descriptive passages, that i am eager to read more from her. so: three stars - solid, with promise, and more of a book that is perfect for its intended audience, but maybe not for the grown-ups, this time. let the kids have their own table for once, right?
and maybe that's it, maybe that's the problem. after the success in the adult market of books like the hunger games and, less deservedly, twilight, YA books are no longer being written for a teen audience, not really. everyone is trying to "write older" to attract the grown-ups, doubling their sales, but coyly staying in that YA market. i know this isn't news to anyone else, but i am still relatively new to the YA world, enough so that i am frequently still impressed and surprised and say things to myself like "this doesn't read like YA..." but you know what?? this one does. and more freaking power to it. come on, young'uns, this one is for you. and by that i don't mean that it is flawed or childish because it isn't, but i think it would be more fun for people who haven't already read every other book that exists. like i have.
by the way, i have a killer migraine right now, so i am not entirely sure i am making sense or being interesting at all. i am going to start a new subset of reviewing: MBRs. please contribute, internet...let's get this meme started...
come to my blog!November 23, 2014
Reading this book was kind of like riding the TGV train in Europe. It starts off kind of slow, just chugging along, until it gets it footing in wide open fields and starts barreling at its full potential: ramming down the countryside at 200 miles per hour and you're sitting there wobbling with the carriage enjoying the ride but somewhere deep in the back of your mind you're hoping the brakes are good.
This was such an amazing book. The more I read, the more I wanted to devour. I didn't want my lunch break to end because I wanted to keep reading. Would they notice if I went I few minutes longer? I just swallowed it up once I got over the beginning. It did meander a bit and it was a little slow to start. I felt getting into Christian's head could have been trimmed some because I was starting to feel, after a while, like saying 'get on with it.' Oh get on it did.
When I first met Christian I initially thought he was a little slow, mentally. Just the way he talked and the way he was portrayed as acting he just didn't seem like he was "all there," is I guess what you would want to say. But by the end not only was I totally over that notion, I thought Christian was actually a brilliant kid with a power that he didn't know how to wield so he functioned around it, not knowing how to control it. I loved him and felt for him and I was right there behind his eyes with him every step of the way.
I want to say this book is historical fiction but, technically, it doesn't fit the bill. But Christian relives the memories of people so much and I learned so much history about Winter through Christian's eyes that it's hard not to call it historical fiction. It also has fantastical elements too. It doesn't start out that way but once we start seeing that Christian isn't just strange but actually has the power to see people's thoughts, draw them out and tap into their darkest fears to actually destroy them, the fantasy starts coming out.
What I liked most about that, though, was that it's fantastical grounded in the realistic. We don't really know what's going on with Christian but we're in his head experiencing everything he is. But all of his visions are rooted in reality. He's not seeing Fey or ghosts but genuine memories from the past that help to solve a decades old murder and vindicate lives lost, both literally and figuratively.
The history that Bick draws on, Nazi prison camps in the US, just spurned my want to find out more. Really? Nazis here? I knew that our own government rounded up Japanese when we entered the war and relocated them to camps but we had POW camps? A quick Google search uncovered an extensive list of all the POW camps in the US just after World War II. One was about 20 minutes from where I live now, at the local airport. Reading, even fiction, enlightens us to historical facts sometimes. But in the midst of all of this, the strife that this caused this town of Winter (whether the actual events were real or not) is horrifying. A town populated by Jews are losing their jobs to Nazi prison workers. When they tried to unionize, the POWs took their jobs then too. Horrible.
The ending was bittersweet. It wraps up the overall story and the mystery aspect of the plot but at the same time shatters something so sweet and innocent it actually took my breath away. It doesn't end on a fluffy, happy note, but an empowering one. Christian has grown up. He's not seen as some weirdo that likes to draw and keeps to himself all the time. He saves people. He solves murders. And he still draws. He tried his hardest to break out of his own shell and let people in. But even at the end, whether he survives his own accomplishments is in question.
The writing is glorious, compelling, and will suck you right into your own sideways place. Maybe you'll want to crawl out and back into the light. Maybe you won't. But you'll go in there and meet Christian. You'll curl up in his brain and ride his life with him. You'll feel his pain, his fear, his anger, his frustration. And when the last page turns, you'll be feigning for more.
If you want a book that'll tug at your brain and your heart all at once, read Draw the Dark. It's a gripping historical fiction set during the present day and told through the eyes of a teenager with a miraculous and terrifying gift. Once you hop aboard the train, it'll take you away and while you might be afraid of the speed, you won't want to get off. You'll never want it to end.
This was such an amazing book. The more I read, the more I wanted to devour. I didn't want my lunch break to end because I wanted to keep reading. Would they notice if I went I few minutes longer? I just swallowed it up once I got over the beginning. It did meander a bit and it was a little slow to start. I felt getting into Christian's head could have been trimmed some because I was starting to feel, after a while, like saying 'get on with it.' Oh get on it did.
When I first met Christian I initially thought he was a little slow, mentally. Just the way he talked and the way he was portrayed as acting he just didn't seem like he was "all there," is I guess what you would want to say. But by the end not only was I totally over that notion, I thought Christian was actually a brilliant kid with a power that he didn't know how to wield so he functioned around it, not knowing how to control it. I loved him and felt for him and I was right there behind his eyes with him every step of the way.
I want to say this book is historical fiction but, technically, it doesn't fit the bill. But Christian relives the memories of people so much and I learned so much history about Winter through Christian's eyes that it's hard not to call it historical fiction. It also has fantastical elements too. It doesn't start out that way but once we start seeing that Christian isn't just strange but actually has the power to see people's thoughts, draw them out and tap into their darkest fears to actually destroy them, the fantasy starts coming out.
What I liked most about that, though, was that it's fantastical grounded in the realistic. We don't really know what's going on with Christian but we're in his head experiencing everything he is. But all of his visions are rooted in reality. He's not seeing Fey or ghosts but genuine memories from the past that help to solve a decades old murder and vindicate lives lost, both literally and figuratively.
The history that Bick draws on, Nazi prison camps in the US, just spurned my want to find out more. Really? Nazis here? I knew that our own government rounded up Japanese when we entered the war and relocated them to camps but we had POW camps? A quick Google search uncovered an extensive list of all the POW camps in the US just after World War II. One was about 20 minutes from where I live now, at the local airport. Reading, even fiction, enlightens us to historical facts sometimes. But in the midst of all of this, the strife that this caused this town of Winter (whether the actual events were real or not) is horrifying. A town populated by Jews are losing their jobs to Nazi prison workers. When they tried to unionize, the POWs took their jobs then too. Horrible.
The ending was bittersweet. It wraps up the overall story and the mystery aspect of the plot but at the same time shatters something so sweet and innocent it actually took my breath away. It doesn't end on a fluffy, happy note, but an empowering one. Christian has grown up. He's not seen as some weirdo that likes to draw and keeps to himself all the time. He saves people. He solves murders. And he still draws. He tried his hardest to break out of his own shell and let people in. But even at the end, whether he survives his own accomplishments is in question.
The writing is glorious, compelling, and will suck you right into your own sideways place. Maybe you'll want to crawl out and back into the light. Maybe you won't. But you'll go in there and meet Christian. You'll curl up in his brain and ride his life with him. You'll feel his pain, his fear, his anger, his frustration. And when the last page turns, you'll be feigning for more.
If you want a book that'll tug at your brain and your heart all at once, read Draw the Dark. It's a gripping historical fiction set during the present day and told through the eyes of a teenager with a miraculous and terrifying gift. Once you hop aboard the train, it'll take you away and while you might be afraid of the speed, you won't want to get off. You'll never want it to end.
December 19, 2011
I was just so slow. I do not remember the last book that I read this slowly. I kept saying another 20 pages and it has to pick up but it didn't. I got about 100 pages in and decided since it was due back at the library I was done. I an just not going to pay late charges on a book I am having to force myself to read.
Who knows maybe for other people this book held their attention. But it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Who knows maybe for other people this book held their attention. But it just wasn't my cup of tea.
March 10, 2017
The story in itself was well written, but it's not plausible.
If that guy who was faking being the town head keep the baby for DAN testing samples why did he sell/rent that place? Why risk the baby being found? He could have kept parts from the baby, just saying...
Then WTH is wrong with Deker? Is he a psychopath? His character just goes from bully to batshit crazy. Again, not plausible and I did not see the point.
This book was trying too much to be scary and didn't focus on the story.
If that guy who was faking being the town head keep the baby for DAN testing samples why did he sell/rent that place? Why risk the baby being found? He could have kept parts from the baby, just saying...
Then WTH is wrong with Deker? Is he a psychopath? His character just goes from bully to batshit crazy. Again, not plausible and I did not see the point.
This book was trying too much to be scary and didn't focus on the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2012
When I first started this book I was a little confused but intrigued.......I want to give this book 2 stars because of the parts in that were almost enjoyable but overall the story just wasn't good.....It starts out with alot of potential that goes nowhere.....Christians magical drawing ability and how he goes back in the past is kind of cool or even how he draws people and they die.....his reference to the sideways place and how he thinks his parents are trapped there is the most idiotic part of the story......the fact that everyone he draws seems to die makes me annoyed that he hasn't just drawn the asshole who has been violently tormenting him the whole story.....The ending of this book was awful.....you still have no explanation of what the sideways place is but he goes there....and there is no explanation exactly for where Marta went or Catherine Bleverton mysteriously drowning right after the murder......Too many loose ends and the whole Halloween party fiasco and that damn door...just awful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2017
Christian Cage has always been an outsider in Winter, Wisconsin. Raised by his Uncle Henry after his mother disappeared, he prefers art to interaction, but strange things happen sometimes when Christian draws. He’s convinced that his mother is trapped in another dimension he calls the sideways place, the place where he gets the power to make his drawings come alive–or end in death. When Christian is blamed for vandalizing the barn of the richest man in town, he’s plunged into the secret anti-Semitic history of Winter and a murder that was never solved.
If you’re looking for something off the beaten path of typical YA, this novel might be for you. The story is an odd blend of realistic and magical, and it has a lot of unexpected turns. No matter how many times Christian revisited the same scene in his head, always from a slightly different angle, there was still a lot I didn’t see coming, and I’m usually pretty good at guessing plot twists.
The writing is occasionally distracting (“squirted” is just not a good word for moving through a crowd), and there’s an instance where a minor character’s name is changed that had me flipping back to make sure I hadn’t lost my mind. (If authors/editors don’t know their characters’ names, how can they expect readers to?) Christian leans toward the typical YA outsider, but fortunately, the potential romance is extremely underplayed. His relationships with his Uncle Henry and Dr. Rainier are complex and moving, and I liked Rainier’s character quite a bit.
Oddly enough, my favorite parts of the novel were not the supernatural elements, and they’re not as well developed as they could be in some places. Christian’s search for his mother and the sideways place seem rather important at the beginning, but they barely feature in the rest of the novel, and I never felt like that was explained well enough. The best parts of the book, for me, were the careful uncovering of history that Christian does, both through his abilities and through ordinary research. Bick takes an interesting approach toward Nazi war criminals in America and the effect that has on the Jewish community. The layers of anti-Semitism and its hideous consequences are well represented.
It’s not often I find historical aspects more interesting than supernatural ones, but the book was a lot stronger in those places. While I wouldn’t really call it a horror novel, there are one or two moments where reality is a lot more terrifying than the supernatural, and I’ve never met a novel that quite resembles it in content or theme. Had the writing and the characters been stronger, I would have liked it more, but as Bick’s first YA novel, there’s room to improve.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
If you’re looking for something off the beaten path of typical YA, this novel might be for you. The story is an odd blend of realistic and magical, and it has a lot of unexpected turns. No matter how many times Christian revisited the same scene in his head, always from a slightly different angle, there was still a lot I didn’t see coming, and I’m usually pretty good at guessing plot twists.
The writing is occasionally distracting (“squirted” is just not a good word for moving through a crowd), and there’s an instance where a minor character’s name is changed that had me flipping back to make sure I hadn’t lost my mind. (If authors/editors don’t know their characters’ names, how can they expect readers to?) Christian leans toward the typical YA outsider, but fortunately, the potential romance is extremely underplayed. His relationships with his Uncle Henry and Dr. Rainier are complex and moving, and I liked Rainier’s character quite a bit.
Oddly enough, my favorite parts of the novel were not the supernatural elements, and they’re not as well developed as they could be in some places. Christian’s search for his mother and the sideways place seem rather important at the beginning, but they barely feature in the rest of the novel, and I never felt like that was explained well enough. The best parts of the book, for me, were the careful uncovering of history that Christian does, both through his abilities and through ordinary research. Bick takes an interesting approach toward Nazi war criminals in America and the effect that has on the Jewish community. The layers of anti-Semitism and its hideous consequences are well represented.
It’s not often I find historical aspects more interesting than supernatural ones, but the book was a lot stronger in those places. While I wouldn’t really call it a horror novel, there are one or two moments where reality is a lot more terrifying than the supernatural, and I’ve never met a novel that quite resembles it in content or theme. Had the writing and the characters been stronger, I would have liked it more, but as Bick’s first YA novel, there’s room to improve.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
March 30, 2020
Actual Rating : 4.5 Stars
Tbh I only picked this book up because when I read the back cover, I realized that the story set in?based in? (whatever you called it, but I think you get what I mean), the state I live in. I haven't seen really any books that are based? set in? Wisconsin so I was kind of surprised when I found this one. The story though I actually found rather interesting I guess you could say. At first I only read around 74 pages, before I put it down. But then when I picked it back yesterday afternoon I wasn't able to put it down until I got to the end, and I don't really now if that's a good thing or not.
Okay, I'm done rambling about this now.
Tbh I only picked this book up because when I read the back cover, I realized that the story set in?based in? (whatever you called it, but I think you get what I mean), the state I live in. I haven't seen really any books that are based? set in? Wisconsin so I was kind of surprised when I found this one. The story though I actually found rather interesting I guess you could say. At first I only read around 74 pages, before I put it down. But then when I picked it back yesterday afternoon I wasn't able to put it down until I got to the end, and I don't really now if that's a good thing or not.
Okay, I'm done rambling about this now.
October 17, 2020
Rated 4.5 really.
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Original, well-crafted mix of paranormal/supernatural, mystery and modern history. Believable main character. Incorporates painting in a fascinating manner.
Cons: Requires more suspension of disbelief for a couple of mundane events than for the supernatural ones. The open ending may not sit well with everyone.
WARNING! Death and violence/gore.
Will appeal to: Fans of books off the beaten path. Art and history lovers. Everyone who enjoys a dark but ultimately hopeful story.
As I said above, this is a book that will appeal (among other people) to art and history lovers. Then again, I know very little about art, and I'm not a fan of stories set in the past (like part of this one is)...and I was hooked. I guess there's no better testament to the power of this particular narrative and its author's skills 😉.
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
Let's get it out of the way: this is NOT the story of a boy who pines for his parents (or better, his mother, since his father disappeared when he was too young to remember him) and embarks on a supernatural journey in order to find them/get them back. Though the "sideways place" where Christian's parents allegedly vanished is indeed a recurring theme, and the protagonist's obsession with finding his mother will play a surprising part in the narrative, this is NOT the story that Bick wants to tell. So, while on a level I can sympathise with those readers who felt robbed of a thrilling reading experience, I'd say that there's enough to love in this book for what it is - not to mention, for once the blurb didn't lie 😉. DTD is, at its core, the story of a boy and his demons, his uncanny ability to tune in to other people (under special circumstances, that is, and at a price for both him and them), and his loneliness despite having someone in his life who loves him (if not necessarily understands him); at the same time, it's the story of a small town with a penchant for burying its secrets, especially those rooted in a shameful and painful past. Its unique blend of supernatural/paranormal, mystery and the "ordinary" life of a damaged teen, along with strong characterisation, provides enough entertainment (if dark) and generates enough emotion without the need for it to add a metaphysical quest to the list. [...]
Whole review here.
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Original, well-crafted mix of paranormal/supernatural, mystery and modern history. Believable main character. Incorporates painting in a fascinating manner.
Cons: Requires more suspension of disbelief for a couple of mundane events than for the supernatural ones. The open ending may not sit well with everyone.
WARNING! Death and violence/gore.
Will appeal to: Fans of books off the beaten path. Art and history lovers. Everyone who enjoys a dark but ultimately hopeful story.
As I said above, this is a book that will appeal (among other people) to art and history lovers. Then again, I know very little about art, and I'm not a fan of stories set in the past (like part of this one is)...and I was hooked. I guess there's no better testament to the power of this particular narrative and its author's skills 😉.
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
Let's get it out of the way: this is NOT the story of a boy who pines for his parents (or better, his mother, since his father disappeared when he was too young to remember him) and embarks on a supernatural journey in order to find them/get them back. Though the "sideways place" where Christian's parents allegedly vanished is indeed a recurring theme, and the protagonist's obsession with finding his mother will play a surprising part in the narrative, this is NOT the story that Bick wants to tell. So, while on a level I can sympathise with those readers who felt robbed of a thrilling reading experience, I'd say that there's enough to love in this book for what it is - not to mention, for once the blurb didn't lie 😉. DTD is, at its core, the story of a boy and his demons, his uncanny ability to tune in to other people (under special circumstances, that is, and at a price for both him and them), and his loneliness despite having someone in his life who loves him (if not necessarily understands him); at the same time, it's the story of a small town with a penchant for burying its secrets, especially those rooted in a shameful and painful past. Its unique blend of supernatural/paranormal, mystery and the "ordinary" life of a damaged teen, along with strong characterisation, provides enough entertainment (if dark) and generates enough emotion without the need for it to add a metaphysical quest to the list. [...]
Whole review here.
August 6, 2010
Pretty much from the moment I first saw this cover I wanted to read this book... and lucky me got the chance via Netgalley (it doesn't come out until October). Somehow the red barn looked really creepy.
Ever since his mom disappeared into the sideways place, Christian has been drawing on his walls, drawing things OUT. People in the small town of Winter, Wisconsin are leery of him since that incident with his first grade teacher... and his Aunt Jean... and now he's being blamed for painting a cryptic note on the side of an abandoned barn, which he doesn't remember doing. But knows somehow that he did do.
Now Christian is uncovering a decades-old mystery that the town of Winter wants buried, drawing it out of the darkness. Years ago a man was murdered, but no one wants to talk about it. With flashbacks coming more and more frequently, Christian needs to find out the truth.
I loved the language of this book - it was very visual and I could see everything. The historical details of the murder were very interesting and introduced me to some information I hadn't known previously. The characters were also well done and I particularly enjoyed Christian's relationships with Uncle Hank and Dr. Rainier, although I wished that Dekker had more good in him. This was a creepy story somehow without there being ghosts or much that was paranormal other than Christian's ability to draw out people's pasts (or their nightmares). The play on the word "draw" was cool and unexpected.
I will say that there was one major thing that disappointed me about this story. It begins talking about the sideways place and wanting to find his mother, and I expected a trippy journey to the sideways place, something reminiscent of Stephen King's The Talisman or The Dark Tower. I don't think this story will have a sequel, and I can see why it ended the way it did, but I just wanted that crazy horror show that the sideways place would have been. With the violence and language I'd recommend this for high school age readers and up.
Ever since his mom disappeared into the sideways place, Christian has been drawing on his walls, drawing things OUT. People in the small town of Winter, Wisconsin are leery of him since that incident with his first grade teacher... and his Aunt Jean... and now he's being blamed for painting a cryptic note on the side of an abandoned barn, which he doesn't remember doing. But knows somehow that he did do.
Now Christian is uncovering a decades-old mystery that the town of Winter wants buried, drawing it out of the darkness. Years ago a man was murdered, but no one wants to talk about it. With flashbacks coming more and more frequently, Christian needs to find out the truth.
I loved the language of this book - it was very visual and I could see everything. The historical details of the murder were very interesting and introduced me to some information I hadn't known previously. The characters were also well done and I particularly enjoyed Christian's relationships with Uncle Hank and Dr. Rainier, although I wished that Dekker had more good in him. This was a creepy story somehow without there being ghosts or much that was paranormal other than Christian's ability to draw out people's pasts (or their nightmares). The play on the word "draw" was cool and unexpected.
I will say that there was one major thing that disappointed me about this story. It begins talking about the sideways place and wanting to find his mother, and I expected a trippy journey to the sideways place, something reminiscent of Stephen King's The Talisman or The Dark Tower. I don't think this story will have a sequel, and I can see why it ended the way it did, but I just wanted that crazy horror show that the sideways place would have been. With the violence and language I'd recommend this for high school age readers and up.
July 28, 2013
To say that I loved this book would be an understatement. To explain why I loved it so much is difficult, perhaps because I don't quite know myself. All I do know for certain is that I couldn't put it down, I cared about the characters, I didn't see the twists and turns coming, and the end was amazing. I could not ask any more of any story. Because I'm an author myself, perhaps the best compliment I can give is to say that I wish I had been the one to write it. Draw the Dark will have a place of honor on my keeper shelf. Thank you Ilsa J. Bick for this treasure.
November 20, 2010
I really wanted to like this one, I really, really did. I am, after all, a northwoods girl, & I been to many a b-ball game in Winter, WI. And, somehwere, buried deep, there appears to lurk a great story...
I just couldn't find it -- the book cries for a tighter editing job.
I just couldn't find it -- the book cries for a tighter editing job.
August 31, 2025
3 1/2 stars
Not my favorite read of the year, but stronger than several others I have suffered through!
Started off super strong, towards the middle it started to lack in some areas. The ending wasn't terrible, but I was hopeful for more.
Overall would I tell others to read? It would go in the maybe pile.
Not my favorite read of the year, but stronger than several others I have suffered through!
Started off super strong, towards the middle it started to lack in some areas. The ending wasn't terrible, but I was hopeful for more.
Overall would I tell others to read? It would go in the maybe pile.
February 3, 2012
After finishing up Ashes I was at a loss, I wanted more. You know how it is sometimes; it makes picking up the next book a bit harder. However, I had Draw the Dark in my BEA pile and since it was Ilsa's book prior to Ashes it was the closest I was going to come, not more Ashes but more Ilsa Bick.
From Goodreads:
"The things I draw: They tend to die."
There are things the people of Winter, Wisconsin, would rather forget. The year the Nazis came to town, for one. That fire, for another. But what they'd really like to forget is Christian Cage.
Seventeen-year-old Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy. Ever since, he's drawn obsessively: his mother's face...her eyes...and what he calls "the sideways place," where he says his parents are trapped. Christian figures if he can just see through his mother's eyes, maybe he can get there somehow and save them.
But Christian also draws other things. Ugly things. Evil things. Dark things. Things like other people's fears and nightmares. Their pasts. Their destiny.
There's one more thing the people of Winter would like to forget: murder.
But Winter won't be able to forget the truth, no matter how hard it tries. Not as long as Christian draws the dark...
Draw the Dark had a much slower beginning than Ashes and it took me awhile to get my head around the story. For instance, somehow I missed that he was 17 and thought he was 12 until page 134, which was pretty confusing when I realised he was much older than I was picturing. That being said, by about the midway point my interest was peaked and I was starting to have a hard time putting the book down.
My one iffy point on the story was how everyone so easily accepted what Christian was able to do. If it's not the whole town condemning him as evil, over some very loose reasons, then it's a doctor/psychologist who's immediately convinced he can draw people to death. Though, just like Ashes, Bick makes a strong effort to explain the whole thing in scientific and medical ways, I just didn't feel she was as successful or that her characters would believe it as easily as they did. Also I felt like a more thorough description of the death of his teacher was needed earlier on to both explain the towns loathing of him and to up the mystery/horror aspect sooner.
The historical aspects of Draw the Dark were fascinating though. Ilsa explores how Prisoners of War were brought to the States for labor after WWII, and the kinds of problems that created in communities where the PW's were German and the town had a large Jewish community. She also talks a fair amount about the histories of Unions and a lot of the strife that caused both in towns and between religious groups. I had no idea PW's were so common across the rural United States as labor forces and it opened up some really intriguing bits of history for me.
In the end I didn't love Draw the Dark as much as Ashes, it had some engrossing moments, a lot of intriguing history and some characters that grew on me but I felt like the story just didn't sell me on Christian's paranormal drawing skills. Also I felt a bit confused by his relationship with Sarah (she blew really hot and cold for no apparent reason), and by his age which might have been a total lapse on my part early on but really screwed the story up for me.
From Goodreads:
"The things I draw: They tend to die."
There are things the people of Winter, Wisconsin, would rather forget. The year the Nazis came to town, for one. That fire, for another. But what they'd really like to forget is Christian Cage.
Seventeen-year-old Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy. Ever since, he's drawn obsessively: his mother's face...her eyes...and what he calls "the sideways place," where he says his parents are trapped. Christian figures if he can just see through his mother's eyes, maybe he can get there somehow and save them.
But Christian also draws other things. Ugly things. Evil things. Dark things. Things like other people's fears and nightmares. Their pasts. Their destiny.
There's one more thing the people of Winter would like to forget: murder.
But Winter won't be able to forget the truth, no matter how hard it tries. Not as long as Christian draws the dark...
Draw the Dark had a much slower beginning than Ashes and it took me awhile to get my head around the story. For instance, somehow I missed that he was 17 and thought he was 12 until page 134, which was pretty confusing when I realised he was much older than I was picturing. That being said, by about the midway point my interest was peaked and I was starting to have a hard time putting the book down.
My one iffy point on the story was how everyone so easily accepted what Christian was able to do. If it's not the whole town condemning him as evil, over some very loose reasons, then it's a doctor/psychologist who's immediately convinced he can draw people to death. Though, just like Ashes, Bick makes a strong effort to explain the whole thing in scientific and medical ways, I just didn't feel she was as successful or that her characters would believe it as easily as they did. Also I felt like a more thorough description of the death of his teacher was needed earlier on to both explain the towns loathing of him and to up the mystery/horror aspect sooner.
The historical aspects of Draw the Dark were fascinating though. Ilsa explores how Prisoners of War were brought to the States for labor after WWII, and the kinds of problems that created in communities where the PW's were German and the town had a large Jewish community. She also talks a fair amount about the histories of Unions and a lot of the strife that caused both in towns and between religious groups. I had no idea PW's were so common across the rural United States as labor forces and it opened up some really intriguing bits of history for me.
In the end I didn't love Draw the Dark as much as Ashes, it had some engrossing moments, a lot of intriguing history and some characters that grew on me but I felt like the story just didn't sell me on Christian's paranormal drawing skills. Also I felt a bit confused by his relationship with Sarah (she blew really hot and cold for no apparent reason), and by his age which might have been a total lapse on my part early on but really screwed the story up for me.
October 29, 2010
Sometimes first impressions can be misleading. When I first took a look at this book, I have to admit that I passed it over in favor of other flashier titles that were out there in the YA categories on NetGalley. I kept coming back to it though- the idea of the book just sounded interesting. I have to keep reminding myself that sometimes some of the best books can be the most unassuming.
Christian would like to tell you that he's just your average teenager, but that'd be far from the truth. From a young age he's always been thought of as different. One of his first teachers hung herself because of what she saw in one of his drawings. His aunt suffered a horrible car accident after he drew something for her in a fit of anger. His parents mysteriously disappeared, although he doesn't think he had anything to do with that. So it's no wonder that most townsfolk view him as a freak. You see, he can't help but draw & many times his drawings show people an uglier side of themselves they'd rather ignore. When Christian finds himself in trouble for graffiti drawn on a barn belonging to the richest man in town he discovers that he's uncovered something truly ugly- something that the town's been hiding for years. Nazi prison camps, murder, & a door without a doorknob, Christian is about to discover that his peculiar talent might actually help save him rather than hurt him.
Bick manages to write a solidly entertaining book that crosses over several different genres & succeeds at thrilling the audience. Many readers will be surprised to discover that the USA hosted several Nazi prisoner of war camps instead of it being something Bick cooked up for the book. (I've always been aware of other types of internment camps, but not these.) This helps bring a much needed level of realism to the book that makes the more fantastical & supernatural elements of the book that much more effective.
The characters in the book are wonderfully written & many readers will be glad that Christian doesn't spend the majority of the book angsting or being emo about his predicament in life. That frees up a lot of time for him to wonder exactly what is going on with him & give the reader a nice look into his past & current ways of thinking. The only downfall is that the book does take a while to get started & some readers will have to give the book a little for it to establish itself. Once the book gets started the pace of the book picks up very quickly & you'll find yourself frantically reading just to find out what exactly will happen next.
I'll warn the reader- Bick leaves the book open-ended enough to where she could very, VERY easily write a sequel or three if she chose to. (I hope she chooses to.) This book was far better than I could have ever hoped & when I finally reached the last page, it was with a little bit of regret- I really wanted to know what would happen with Christian, his talents, & everyone around him.
(ARC provided by Netgalley)
Christian would like to tell you that he's just your average teenager, but that'd be far from the truth. From a young age he's always been thought of as different. One of his first teachers hung herself because of what she saw in one of his drawings. His aunt suffered a horrible car accident after he drew something for her in a fit of anger. His parents mysteriously disappeared, although he doesn't think he had anything to do with that. So it's no wonder that most townsfolk view him as a freak. You see, he can't help but draw & many times his drawings show people an uglier side of themselves they'd rather ignore. When Christian finds himself in trouble for graffiti drawn on a barn belonging to the richest man in town he discovers that he's uncovered something truly ugly- something that the town's been hiding for years. Nazi prison camps, murder, & a door without a doorknob, Christian is about to discover that his peculiar talent might actually help save him rather than hurt him.
Bick manages to write a solidly entertaining book that crosses over several different genres & succeeds at thrilling the audience. Many readers will be surprised to discover that the USA hosted several Nazi prisoner of war camps instead of it being something Bick cooked up for the book. (I've always been aware of other types of internment camps, but not these.) This helps bring a much needed level of realism to the book that makes the more fantastical & supernatural elements of the book that much more effective.
The characters in the book are wonderfully written & many readers will be glad that Christian doesn't spend the majority of the book angsting or being emo about his predicament in life. That frees up a lot of time for him to wonder exactly what is going on with him & give the reader a nice look into his past & current ways of thinking. The only downfall is that the book does take a while to get started & some readers will have to give the book a little for it to establish itself. Once the book gets started the pace of the book picks up very quickly & you'll find yourself frantically reading just to find out what exactly will happen next.
I'll warn the reader- Bick leaves the book open-ended enough to where she could very, VERY easily write a sequel or three if she chose to. (I hope she chooses to.) This book was far better than I could have ever hoped & when I finally reached the last page, it was with a little bit of regret- I really wanted to know what would happen with Christian, his talents, & everyone around him.
(ARC provided by Netgalley)
September 28, 2013
Review for this HIGHLY RECOMMENDED book is below the PSA. The PSA does not reflect this book or the author (who is lovely)
Draw the Dark is gritty, original and unnerving. I'm going to be honest with you. It's been a couple of months since I've listened to the audiobook. I hate myself for procrastinating this review. However I really liked this book and want other people to read it so I'm reviewing it anyways.
Christian Cage is a bit of an outcast. After both his parents disappear, he turns to art as a coping mechanism. He draws obsessively, painting and re-painting the walls of his bedroom, continuing to draw the mother who left him behind. However, his drawings seem to be something more than just pictures, especially when he starts drawing memories and feelings that aren't his own. While working in a nursing home, Christian discovers the last remaining Jew in Winter, Wisconsin and begins to draw a dark history that the town has tried to forget.
As a reader you're never sure what's real or what's imagined. Christian is a questionably reliable narrator who doesn't even trust his own memories or judgement. The book is set very much in the real world, with interesting World War II history. In all the books I've read or movies I've watched I've never encountered this slice of WWII history (and for me that alone is enough to recommend the book). The book reads like a dark contemporary, yet there's fantasy underlying the story. This blending of the real and the unreal is what makes this book for me. The book is creepy and unpredictable, and you're never quite sure what's going to happen next.
This story is weird, Draw the Dark is a very good book that's probably hard to place, genre-wise, because it has a foot in so many different worlds (I'd probably call it magical realism if I was forced to choose). The only real problem I had with this book was the ending, which was very open-ended. In some ways it feels like there should be a sequel, but at the same time the choose-your-own-interpretation ending kind of fits the book even if it leaves you wanting answers. If you're looking for something original then Draw the Dark should fit the bill.
Narration
Remember how I said it'd been a couple months since I'd read the book? Well please forgive me for not remembering specifics. I liked the narration, it suited the book and I looked forward to long drives where I could spend time with the story.
For this review and more check out my blog Galavanting Girl Books
Draw the Dark is gritty, original and unnerving. I'm going to be honest with you. It's been a couple of months since I've listened to the audiobook. I hate myself for procrastinating this review. However I really liked this book and want other people to read it so I'm reviewing it anyways.
Christian Cage is a bit of an outcast. After both his parents disappear, he turns to art as a coping mechanism. He draws obsessively, painting and re-painting the walls of his bedroom, continuing to draw the mother who left him behind. However, his drawings seem to be something more than just pictures, especially when he starts drawing memories and feelings that aren't his own. While working in a nursing home, Christian discovers the last remaining Jew in Winter, Wisconsin and begins to draw a dark history that the town has tried to forget.
As a reader you're never sure what's real or what's imagined. Christian is a questionably reliable narrator who doesn't even trust his own memories or judgement. The book is set very much in the real world, with interesting World War II history. In all the books I've read or movies I've watched I've never encountered this slice of WWII history (and for me that alone is enough to recommend the book). The book reads like a dark contemporary, yet there's fantasy underlying the story. This blending of the real and the unreal is what makes this book for me. The book is creepy and unpredictable, and you're never quite sure what's going to happen next.
This story is weird, Draw the Dark is a very good book that's probably hard to place, genre-wise, because it has a foot in so many different worlds (I'd probably call it magical realism if I was forced to choose). The only real problem I had with this book was the ending, which was very open-ended. In some ways it feels like there should be a sequel, but at the same time the choose-your-own-interpretation ending kind of fits the book even if it leaves you wanting answers. If you're looking for something original then Draw the Dark should fit the bill.
Narration
Remember how I said it'd been a couple months since I'd read the book? Well please forgive me for not remembering specifics. I liked the narration, it suited the book and I looked forward to long drives where I could spend time with the story.
For this review and more check out my blog Galavanting Girl Books
July 19, 2016
Christian is a great protagonist, someone who can keep a reader's sympathy while he flails around out of his depth. He's trying to prove himself like any normal teen, he has a hard time fitting in, but if he could just learn how to use his abilities, he could be the most powerful of any of them. He's a genius who hasn't come into his own, but somehow his genius makes him more relatable. Maybe it's because he's very aware of how "weird" he appears to everyone else, or maybe I just have a fondness for quirks. Either way, Christian makes for a great combination of everyman with powerful potential with a voice that genuinely sounds like a teen.
The term "page-turner" has become a cliché, but it fits Draw the Dark. The writing easily carries you forward as the mystery slowly unfurls. Bick has clearly paid attention to the writer's advice of "tension on every page." It's not just the big whodunnit question that propels the reader through, it's all the little missing details. The small clicks are just as satisfying as the big ones, all the pieces adding together to make a much more complex picture than you might initially expect.
The beginning and the ending felt like they came from a different story, one which we only get a short glimpse into before it's swept aside and all questions it raises are ignored. The pace and tone are different, too, and while the opening helps us delve into Christian's head right away, it seems more like a gimmicky grab than a necessary part of the story. Past the first couple of chapters, though, the real story begins to take hold, the narration finds its footing, and we're into the page-turning part.
The term "page-turner" has become a cliché, but it fits Draw the Dark. The writing easily carries you forward as the mystery slowly unfurls. Bick has clearly paid attention to the writer's advice of "tension on every page." It's not just the big whodunnit question that propels the reader through, it's all the little missing details. The small clicks are just as satisfying as the big ones, all the pieces adding together to make a much more complex picture than you might initially expect.
The beginning and the ending felt like they came from a different story, one which we only get a short glimpse into before it's swept aside and all questions it raises are ignored. The pace and tone are different, too, and while the opening helps us delve into Christian's head right away, it seems more like a gimmicky grab than a necessary part of the story. Past the first couple of chapters, though, the real story begins to take hold, the narration finds its footing, and we're into the page-turning part.
June 14, 2013
Draw the Dark is a beautiful and intriguing story.
The mix of history and the paranormal is done really well and I was drawn into the story from the start.
Christian starts seeing scenes from the past in his dreams and during his waking hours as well. Intrigued and confused by what he sees he starts digging into the past only to discover that there are those who'd do anything to let the past stay buried.
I was very intrigued by the glimpses into the past. Bick used historical fact to create a really suspenseful story of her own. The fact she chose a rather little-known part of history made the story even more interesting.
The way the story is set up makes for some intense reading. Little bits of information are revealed in intervals each giving away a little bit more about what happened so long ago and I couldn't help to keep trying to guess the whole story. The past events have their impact on the present time and I think Bick did a wonderful job of connecting the past and present storylines with each other.
All in all this is a really suspenseful and intriguing read that shines a light on the darker side of human nature and I'll reread this book for sure. I will also most certainly check out other books by Bick.
The mix of history and the paranormal is done really well and I was drawn into the story from the start.
Christian starts seeing scenes from the past in his dreams and during his waking hours as well. Intrigued and confused by what he sees he starts digging into the past only to discover that there are those who'd do anything to let the past stay buried.
I was very intrigued by the glimpses into the past. Bick used historical fact to create a really suspenseful story of her own. The fact she chose a rather little-known part of history made the story even more interesting.
The way the story is set up makes for some intense reading. Little bits of information are revealed in intervals each giving away a little bit more about what happened so long ago and I couldn't help to keep trying to guess the whole story. The past events have their impact on the present time and I think Bick did a wonderful job of connecting the past and present storylines with each other.
All in all this is a really suspenseful and intriguing read that shines a light on the darker side of human nature and I'll reread this book for sure. I will also most certainly check out other books by Bick.
January 12, 2011
A dark & creepy story about a 17 yr old boy with strange "powers", along with a great murder-mystery from 1945. I don't think this is YA--except for the protag being a 17 yr old boy, the story reads like a suspense novel, with some added creepy paranormal goodies. So if you're not a fan of YA, don't let that deter you from this story--it was a good one, with barely any teen angst.
I might have given it 5 stars, but for the 1st & last chapters. They were about his missing parents & a "sideways place", and when you read the 1st chapter, you assume you are going to get some answers about that stuff, but then they are barely touched on during the book, until you get to the last chapter and are like WTF? I really didn't know how to take the last page--she has left herself open for a sequel, and I'm hoping that was the point, otherwise I'm pissed about the ending.
I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley. No goodies (other than the story) were acquired by me.
I might have given it 5 stars, but for the 1st & last chapters. They were about his missing parents & a "sideways place", and when you read the 1st chapter, you assume you are going to get some answers about that stuff, but then they are barely touched on during the book, until you get to the last chapter and are like WTF? I really didn't know how to take the last page--she has left herself open for a sequel, and I'm hoping that was the point, otherwise I'm pissed about the ending.
I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley. No goodies (other than the story) were acquired by me.
March 22, 2016
Draw the Dark by Ilsa J. Bick is a creepy fiction model about a boy named Christian who can see other people’s past experiences in dreams and do things unconsciously with no recollection of ever doing it. Naturally, that is never a good thing. Christian ends up painting anti-semitic symbols on property that doesn’t belong to him and other mischievous activities. Throughout the story, Christian tries to get help, but nobody can believe his stories because of how absurd they are. I can relate to this because I’ve been trying to tell people a story, but it’s too far-fetched for them to believe it. It can get spectacularly frustrating because when one is trying to tell the truth and nobody believes them it creates a feeling of isolation. This book started off immediately with action, rather than having a slow beginning like most other books. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading books containing action with a sense of eeriness.
January 3, 2019
This book had a compelling concept, but failed to do anything with it. I was very disappointed by the use of stock characters and cliched horror themes. The entire plot was completey predictable, and the characters had no personality outside of their staple character-types (loner-boy, popular girl, sheriff, psychiatrist). We learn almost nothing about the sideway places that made me want to read this, and the worst part was that this was not scary at ALL. Horror needs atmosphere and description, and despite the art-heavy plot we don't really get any. We also don't get much suspense. Epic Fail.
Pace: fast, easy
Characterization: dramatic, stock types
Story Line:
Frame: contemporary, high school, small town, Wisconson
Tone: dark, nightmarish
Writing Style: conversational
Pace: fast, easy
Characterization: dramatic, stock types
Story Line:
Frame: contemporary, high school, small town, Wisconson
Tone: dark, nightmarish
Writing Style: conversational
December 1, 2017
I was so incredibly disappointed with this book. I got to 68% of the book, well over half way through, and it never got any better from the beginning. There were some interesting elements to it: the sideways place and the town’s history in particular. But in the end, I was so bored and done with the book. I hate leaving books unfinished, but this one felt like homework, and we all know how that feels.
My main complaints are the writing style and lack of plot development. The writing style is awkward, and it explains every single detail of what’s happening in his life and plenty of dialogue that should’ve been left out. For the plot, it mainly appeared disorganized.
I ended up dnf-ing the book.
My main complaints are the writing style and lack of plot development. The writing style is awkward, and it explains every single detail of what’s happening in his life and plenty of dialogue that should’ve been left out. For the plot, it mainly appeared disorganized.
I ended up dnf-ing the book.
May 27, 2011
I loved this book. It was a supernatural, history mystery. The characters are engaging. The story stays tense without being melodramatic and the plot resolution wraps up loose ends nicely while still allowing the readers imagination to fill in the blanks. I learned some things I didn't know about past, foreign prisoners of war on American soil. I love it when a book teaches me something new, while also telling a great story.
The ending also lends itself to a sequel. One can only hope it is forthcoming.
The ending also lends itself to a sequel. One can only hope it is forthcoming.
October 17, 2012
So many unanswered questions. It seemed like the author didn't know what kind of story to tell. At first all we read about was the forbidden door and then poof it's gone until almost the very end and by that time it doesn't even fit with the story anymore. The door is only one example of things that were not consistent with this book. One of MANY!
October 22, 2012
One word, weird. Weird writing style, weird story, weird characters, this was just all around wierd. I didn't much care for it, except the nice little twist at the end about the murderer. I thought it would be a nice Halloween read, but it was really just a waste of time. I wish I could draw myself into the past and unread this so I could get back the time I wasted...
October 24, 2017
I "broke up" with this book because I already didn't like the setting or the plot with this book. I felt that the main character was not a right fit and I couldn't imagine anything good and it just felt off. I didn't like how there was a different dimension and it was just too confusing to follow and it wasn't hooking me in.
September 23, 2011
I couldn't read past the first ten pages. Don't see why everyone's pissing themselves over it, it just seemed condescending and poorly written to me. Or maybe I'm wrong. Whatever, I don't really care.
May 30, 2014
This book was confusing because it seemed like the author wanted to incorporate 3-4 different stories into one. The main story was good, but then she added some other things in there that it really could have done without.
December 13, 2014
I stopped at page 170. I just couldn't subject myself to it anymore. While the writing was decent, nothing made sense. Random info kept being force fed to the point where it actually made my head hurt. I hate giving up on books, but this is one I just can't finish.
February 2, 2013
long and drawn out. i think this should be a adult book,
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