Watch

by Cass J. McMain

Before he knew about the bruises, he knew about the cheating. And before he knew about the cheating, he knew about the blood. He’d seen Edgar with blood on his hands before, after all. But there had been more and more of it – and Edgar had seemed less and less concerned about hiding it...

Some people inherit the strangest things.

Corky inherits her Uncle Moony’s diary, she finds he had a strange and frightening obsession about his brother… a brother with his own disturbing practices. Moony watched Edgar as though his life depended on it. Edgar watched his brother right back. But Edgar disappeared, and now nobody has seen him for years.
Corky can’t decide which one was crazier. Now that Moony is gone, who will be forced to take up the next watch, and who will be watched? What has she really inherited?

Paperback

First published September 27, 2014

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark, different take on vampires.

[Kath Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a different take on the vampire story and a very good read it is too. Corky is summoned to her uncle's deathbed and is given a silver cross and a mirror and on his death, inherits his collection of vampire books. Amongst them is a leather-bound diary in which her uncle records his fears about his brother - her absent father. He suspects him of drinking blood after seeing him do it as a child and in adulthood he follows him and sees things which harden his suspicions.

I found the writing style very accessible, varying between the points of view of Corky, her cousin and her young nephew Scott, and quotations from her uncle's book. This is miles away from the Dracula classic vampire story and because of that, it's all the more plausible. I found it fascinating.

[Jill Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a weird book this was... I don't even know how to describe it, other than to say that it felt like there were several different stories going on at the same time, with interconnected characters, and no resolution to any of them in the end. The writing was fine - I finished it, after all, and relatively quickly even for me - but it looped over and around the different characters' perspectives in a meandering way that left me with a puzzled frown throughout. The book blurb describes it as a tale about an obsessive fraternal relationship and a bizarre inheritance. It is, but it's more about a broader concept of family and the quest for self identity than anything else, particularly about the bizarre, painful relationships of and among fragile, somewhat battered, people. Altogether odd, and the obsession mentioned takes things in a very weird direction that permeates the book in a way that still has me shaking my head. I'm really not sure what to make of this one...

My review copy was provided by NetGalley.

[Katie O'Rourke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little over a year ago, I wrote a review for Cass McMain's first book, Sunflower. Her second book, Watch, seems like a departure, plot-wise. It certainly is a bit darker. But, readers will be treated to the relatable characters and amazing dialogue that are McMain's specialty. She is even able to write interesting conversations between children, without ever making it feel like you're reading YA.

Watch opens on a realistic family drama: Corky visits her dying uncle who is sharing family secrets before he goes. It's hard for her to make sense of his ramblings, which she first dismisses as a product of dementia. After his death, she reads his journal and is forced to confront what seems impossible: he believed her father was a vampire. Was he simply mentally ill or could there be some shred of truth there?

As Corky delves deeper into this mystery, she encounters an underground society of "Sanguinarians" who appear to be normal human beings whose fascination with vampires leads them to act out a sort of vampire culture. In an attempt to make sense of her family history, Corky is exposed to a part of the world she never knew existed and she learns that it's impossible to know a person's secrets by looking at them from the outside.

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Watch" by: Cass J McMain. Interesting, kind of dark, family drama that deals with the question Are there really vampires? Are there people who enjoy drinking blood and those who enjoy giving the blood. This story starts off with Corky visiting her dying Uncle Moony. He has a collection of vampire books to give to his niece, and one journal that he wants to make sure she gets. Due to her Uncle's dementia his family just says that he is rambling.

Corky is drawn into this mysterious world of "Sanguinarians." A vampire culture that apparently runs in the family. People who seem normal but follow the vampire lifestyle. Corky is curious, and enters into the cult of vampires. Will she learn about her father? Will her nephews become entranced in the world of vampires? Do vampires really run in the family? If you enjoy reading about vampires and suspenseful books you'll enjoy this.

[M.A. McRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vampire theme, but not a vampire book as we've grown to expect. This is an intelligent, realistic book - no fantasy about it. I was drawn in from the very start, and stayed that way until the somewhat creepy ending. Well written and impeccably presented.