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Red Eye
Dark Room
The camera never lies… Darla and her dad are looking for a fresh start. But when they wind up in affluent Saffron Hills, Darla stands no chance of fitting in with the beautiful, selfie-obsessed teens at her new school. Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she starts having visions. The gruesome snapshots flashing into Darla’s mind seem to suggest she’s going crazy… until she realizes they’re actually a horrifying glimpse into the future. With a killer on the loose, can she make sense of what she’s seeing before it’s too late?
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2015
About the author
Tom Becker
51 books86 followersTom Becker grew up in a market town in the northwest of England, dreaming of becoming a writer. He won the 2007 Waterstones' Children's Book Prize with his first novel, Darkside, and has continued to blur the lines between history and fantasy in brooding adventure and horror stories such as The Traitors and While The Others Sleep. He has also published an adult novel, The Cold Tap, on Kindle under his real name, Tom Beckerlegge. Tom lives in London with his wife, baby son, and a horde of shadowy creatures that he keeps confined within the pages of his notebook. He can be found on Twitter at @Tbeckerlegge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
July 23, 2015
2.5 stars
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Little Tiger Group and NetGalley.)
This book wasn’t scary, and it didn’t hold my attention at all. I didn’t really care what happened to the characters, and I just wanted this to finish. I have to admit that I didn’t guess that but even that didn’t really interest me.
Overall; not for me.
5 out of 10
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Little Tiger Group and NetGalley.)
This book wasn’t scary, and it didn’t hold my attention at all. I didn’t really care what happened to the characters, and I just wanted this to finish. I have to admit that I didn’t guess that but even that didn’t really interest me.
Overall; not for me.
5 out of 10
July 14, 2017
very mysterious, keeps you guessing till the very end.
October 6, 2015
This one just wasn't really my cup of tea, I just wasn't in the right mood. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it's a pass.
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
August 10, 2015
THAT TWIST.
July 23, 2015
(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)
Actual rating - 2.5
I think this one is my least favourite in the red eye series so far. I found a lot of it dull, and I just couldn't wait for it to be over.
There was one thing that I didn't see coming, but it didn't change what I thought of the book overall.
Actual rating - 2.5
I think this one is my least favourite in the red eye series so far. I found a lot of it dull, and I just couldn't wait for it to be over.
There was one thing that I didn't see coming, but it didn't change what I thought of the book overall.
December 15, 2020
Summary
When Darla's dad, Hopper, makes another bad business deal and wakes her up in the middle of the night to flee their trailer, she is not even surprised. It is such a regular occurrence that she doesn't even bother unpacking whenever they move to yet another new place.
They end up in Saffron Hills next, which seems to be full of beautiful rich kids that she has no chance of fitting in with. But that doesn't stop her from trying to save them when she starts having visions of their murders. The longer Darla is forced to stay in Saffron Hills, the closer she becomes to unmasking a murderer and becoming their next target.
Personal Opinion
Another great Red Eye series book that I loved! This one was an addictive slasher story with some unexpected twists, quite a few murders and a small town setting.
Also the way the killer chose their victims was a bit different than most of the other slasher stories I've read.
Despite Darla being more on the mousy side, I did connect with her and had no problems picturing the story through her eyes.
Sasha really stood out as one of those love to hate characters for me.
Overall it was one of my favorites of the series and a great slasher read!
When Darla's dad, Hopper, makes another bad business deal and wakes her up in the middle of the night to flee their trailer, she is not even surprised. It is such a regular occurrence that she doesn't even bother unpacking whenever they move to yet another new place.
They end up in Saffron Hills next, which seems to be full of beautiful rich kids that she has no chance of fitting in with. But that doesn't stop her from trying to save them when she starts having visions of their murders. The longer Darla is forced to stay in Saffron Hills, the closer she becomes to unmasking a murderer and becoming their next target.
Personal Opinion
Another great Red Eye series book that I loved! This one was an addictive slasher story with some unexpected twists, quite a few murders and a small town setting.
Also the way the killer chose their victims was a bit different than most of the other slasher stories I've read.
Despite Darla being more on the mousy side, I did connect with her and had no problems picturing the story through her eyes.
Sasha really stood out as one of those love to hate characters for me.
Overall it was one of my favorites of the series and a great slasher read!
August 3, 2015
3.5 Stars
Welcome to the Dark Room where all the ‘Selfie Slayer’ will get you. This was one of the most anticipated horror reads I had lined up for 2015. There was just so much promise.
So does it deliver?
There is that amazing prologue. It’s like the opening scene to a great horror movie. Actually I’d probably say that Dark Room is very scenic/visual. You do get that feeling that you’re reading a film, only with the time to become involved in the story. I really like that and think this is a compliment. The first death is, well I want to say brilliant but I’m not sure that’s the right word. It’s gruesome, vivid, striking. Bang! There is no return from this point. I loved it.
I have a ‘but’… about halfway through I figured out the killer. I was hoping I guessed wrong but after I then passed 200pages I was pretty much set in stone. Now the particulars I didn’t get but I wanted to be wrong about the who.
Dark Room is not for the faint of heart. It’s rather graphic but if you’re willing… I say go along for the ride, maybe leave the camera at home.
Welcome to the Dark Room where all the ‘Selfie Slayer’ will get you. This was one of the most anticipated horror reads I had lined up for 2015. There was just so much promise.
So does it deliver?
There is that amazing prologue. It’s like the opening scene to a great horror movie. Actually I’d probably say that Dark Room is very scenic/visual. You do get that feeling that you’re reading a film, only with the time to become involved in the story. I really like that and think this is a compliment. The first death is, well I want to say brilliant but I’m not sure that’s the right word. It’s gruesome, vivid, striking. Bang! There is no return from this point. I loved it.
I have a ‘but’… about halfway through I figured out the killer. I was hoping I guessed wrong but after I then passed 200pages I was pretty much set in stone. Now the particulars I didn’t get but I wanted to be wrong about the who.
Dark Room is not for the faint of heart. It’s rather graphic but if you’re willing… I say go along for the ride, maybe leave the camera at home.
August 18, 2015
Stripes Publishing took on YA horror this year with their new series Red Eye, which has resulted in four very entertaining books so far this year. Tom Becker’s Dark Room is the fifth, and last for this year, and it adds to the series with a great murder mystery, which I enjoyed very much, though I did have a big problem with its villain. As a warning, I won’t be able to discuss what made the antagonist so problematic for me without giving away their identity. So I will warn you now there will be a massive spoiler and before I head into my discussion of the murderer, I will give another spoiler warning. So if you don’t want to know, you’ll know when to stop reading.
Let’s start with the positive. I really liked Darla, our main character. I thought she was interesting and believable and I especially loved how conflicted her feelings towards her dad are. Her father, Hopper, is not quite father-of-the-year material—he’s an alcoholic grifter, who’s had to cut and run to stay out of trouble more than once. Yet for all his faults – and Darla is all to aware of his faults – Darla loves her father deeply and she wants nothing more than to have a normal, stable home life with him. She oscillates between love, anger, disappointment, and hope and I was really rooting for her to get that happy ending of the white picket fence in the end.
When Darla and Hopper land in Saffron Hills, it is the gazillionth time Darla has to start over in a new place and a new school and, understandably, she’s not looking forward to making new friends. Thus the way she falls in with Sasha and Frank was a pleasant surprise to Darla, but to me too. I really liked Sasha and Frank. Sasha is wonderfully cynical, hiding her vulnerable heart under a layer of darkness, while Frank is the ultimate good guy, best friend. But they also typify the weird division in Saffron Hills. It seems as if its inhabitants are either filthy rich or those who work for the filthy rich, there doesn’t seem to be an in-between. There is a stark division between the privileged and the not-so privileged, with a side-order of the right/wrong side of the tracks, and it was interesting to see how Becker uses it and which characters did and did not realise their privilege or lack of it.
Becker’s treatment of Leroy Mills was also an interesting reflection of this. He is positioned to be a natural suspect for being the Angel Taker, yet this is highly reliant on his existence on the fringe of respectability, not on his actions, at least not at first. I loved the balance between him being scary and actually very well-meaning. Becker is adept at showing us how people are never just one thing. The Picture Perfects – Saffron Hills’ West Academy’s five King and Queen Bees – are shown to be far more than just the shallow sides they present to the world. For example, Natalie McRae isn’t just a self-obsessed beauty queen, but she’s also highly insecure and desperate to live up to her mum’s expectations.
Dark Room focuses on the darker side of social media – the obsessive instagram selfies, the mean Plain Girls stream, and the anonymous blog talking about the Angel Maker murders – yet it seems more a comment on the nature of the users than the tools themselves, since the Angel Taker doesn’t actually seem to be using them to select his victims. Some of the twists in the story were surprising and while I figured out the identity of the Angel Taker long before Darla did, I did get their motivation wrong. And that is where I have to head into spoiler territory. So if you don’t want to be spoiled on the killer’s identity, either skip till the last paragraph or click away.
Spoilers beyond this point!
While the characters are ethnically diverse, there seemed a weird lack of LBGTQA* characters, which was a shame. There is also a somewhat problematic treatment of a trans character, which left me feeling uneasy about its use as a plot driver. The killer is revealed to be the same, returned to avenge themselves, managing to stay unsuspected due to having surgically changed their appearance from male to female. And this is where the trouble starts for me. Because it feels as if it is reducing the complexity of being transgender and all of the hardship transgender people encounter in their lives to simply deciding to change your sex from one to the other for expediency’s sake. In fact, the character doesn’t feel as if they actually are transgender, they just use it for disguise purposes. Also, having the trans character being the villain feels off and could be seen as a harmful stereotype. It left me really conflicted and a little annoyed, because Dark Room isn’t a bad book; I enjoyed it very much, but I also think good representation of diverse characters is important and this didn’t feel like it was. Make of that what you will.
Dark Room was an entertaining read, which I enjoyed very much, but for its problematic reveal at the end. Still, if you enjoy a good murder mystery horror story, you should definitely give Tom Becker’s Dark Room a shot. Even if it is not perfect, it is perfectly legitimate to like a problematic thing, and I liked Dark Room, despite its flaws.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
Let’s start with the positive. I really liked Darla, our main character. I thought she was interesting and believable and I especially loved how conflicted her feelings towards her dad are. Her father, Hopper, is not quite father-of-the-year material—he’s an alcoholic grifter, who’s had to cut and run to stay out of trouble more than once. Yet for all his faults – and Darla is all to aware of his faults – Darla loves her father deeply and she wants nothing more than to have a normal, stable home life with him. She oscillates between love, anger, disappointment, and hope and I was really rooting for her to get that happy ending of the white picket fence in the end.
When Darla and Hopper land in Saffron Hills, it is the gazillionth time Darla has to start over in a new place and a new school and, understandably, she’s not looking forward to making new friends. Thus the way she falls in with Sasha and Frank was a pleasant surprise to Darla, but to me too. I really liked Sasha and Frank. Sasha is wonderfully cynical, hiding her vulnerable heart under a layer of darkness, while Frank is the ultimate good guy, best friend. But they also typify the weird division in Saffron Hills. It seems as if its inhabitants are either filthy rich or those who work for the filthy rich, there doesn’t seem to be an in-between. There is a stark division between the privileged and the not-so privileged, with a side-order of the right/wrong side of the tracks, and it was interesting to see how Becker uses it and which characters did and did not realise their privilege or lack of it.
Becker’s treatment of Leroy Mills was also an interesting reflection of this. He is positioned to be a natural suspect for being the Angel Taker, yet this is highly reliant on his existence on the fringe of respectability, not on his actions, at least not at first. I loved the balance between him being scary and actually very well-meaning. Becker is adept at showing us how people are never just one thing. The Picture Perfects – Saffron Hills’ West Academy’s five King and Queen Bees – are shown to be far more than just the shallow sides they present to the world. For example, Natalie McRae isn’t just a self-obsessed beauty queen, but she’s also highly insecure and desperate to live up to her mum’s expectations.
Dark Room focuses on the darker side of social media – the obsessive instagram selfies, the mean Plain Girls stream, and the anonymous blog talking about the Angel Maker murders – yet it seems more a comment on the nature of the users than the tools themselves, since the Angel Taker doesn’t actually seem to be using them to select his victims. Some of the twists in the story were surprising and while I figured out the identity of the Angel Taker long before Darla did, I did get their motivation wrong. And that is where I have to head into spoiler territory. So if you don’t want to be spoiled on the killer’s identity, either skip till the last paragraph or click away.
Spoilers beyond this point!
While the characters are ethnically diverse, there seemed a weird lack of LBGTQA* characters, which was a shame. There is also a somewhat problematic treatment of a trans character, which left me feeling uneasy about its use as a plot driver. The killer is revealed to be the same, returned to avenge themselves, managing to stay unsuspected due to having surgically changed their appearance from male to female. And this is where the trouble starts for me. Because it feels as if it is reducing the complexity of being transgender and all of the hardship transgender people encounter in their lives to simply deciding to change your sex from one to the other for expediency’s sake. In fact, the character doesn’t feel as if they actually are transgender, they just use it for disguise purposes. Also, having the trans character being the villain feels off and could be seen as a harmful stereotype. It left me really conflicted and a little annoyed, because Dark Room isn’t a bad book; I enjoyed it very much, but I also think good representation of diverse characters is important and this didn’t feel like it was. Make of that what you will.
End spoilers
Dark Room was an entertaining read, which I enjoyed very much, but for its problematic reveal at the end. Still, if you enjoy a good murder mystery horror story, you should definitely give Tom Becker’s Dark Room a shot. Even if it is not perfect, it is perfectly legitimate to like a problematic thing, and I liked Dark Room, despite its flaws.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2015
If you want to read the review in a neat magazine layout, you'll find it here at our blog YouthCultureDenmark.com
Lead:
Due to the uninspiring cover and the toe-curling slogan ‘Are you ready for your close-up?’, I almost skipped this novel. The only reason I changed my mind was the overall positive reviews on Goodreads. Now, I’m really glad I gave it a chance, because ‘Dark Room’ isn’t horror at all, but über good YA mystery that doesn’t disappoint a bit. In fact the wonderfully creepy atmosphere and excitement that hung in the air at night in gloomy, southern Saffron Hills, was absolutely to die for!
Synopsis:
Present time, South Carolina. 17 year old motherless Darla is fleeing from town to town, lead by her alcoholic dad, Hopper — a disillusioned guitarist and a scammer who tries to impress every single waitress on their way. That is, when he has enough money to buy Darla food in diners.
One evening, Darla and Hopper spontaneously and accidentally end up in a place called Saffron Hills. It’s obvious that Hopper knows the town and has second opinions about staying, but when he successfully forces an old friend in the town – a crook that has turned into a money making real estate agent – to offer them a temporary house, he thinks they’ve finally struck gold.
For the first time in years, Darla gets her own room. They’ve even got a new sweet artist neighbor called Annie, who likes Darla from first sight. Right away Darla forgives Hopper for leaving their trailer park in the middle of the night, until Hopper also tells Darla to go to high school in Saffron Hills.
Darla has never had any good experiences in a classroom, and even before starting school, Darla get’s ridiculed by the popular, rich and beautiful teens at the local mall. A guy walks straight towards her, puts his arm around Darla and takes a picture of them together, without even asking.
When Darla’s bullied by the same kids and their even more arrogant model-like friends at the new school, she teams up with Sasha, the schools hardrock-loving punk girl and her faithful friend Frank. But the verbal war between the two cliques doesn’t last long, because Natalie – one of the beautiful bullies – gets brutally murdered.
A killer’s on the loose in Saffron Hills.
Misleading cover art
We all do it. Judge books by their covers. Nothing wrong with that. Publishers know it. The cover is the gift wrap of the product, so it better reflect the story inside. That is, if you wanna attract the right readers.
The ‘Dark Room’ cover follows the RED EYE series all right, but let me be honest, it’s absolutely horrible! The cheap an unambitious 70ies style of a camera with an evil-looking clown in the lens. It looks anything but YA.
Worst of all, it’s easily mistaken for a novel like the blood spattering SAW movies, when what’s really inside is a story similar to Wes Craven’s fantastic ‘Scream’ movies. And there’s a REALLY. BIG. DIFFERENCE.
‘SAW’ is for hardcore horror fans, who doesn’t suffer from night terrors, no matter how violent, realistic and bloody the torture scenes are becoming. ‘SCREAM’ is for teens who likes to hide behind pillows and jump in their seat throwing popcorn all over the floor and the sleeping dog, because of a Boooh at the exact right moment.
‘Dark Room’ is plain and simple young adult mystery at its best – with popcorn-throwing Boooh’s, of course.
The only thing that counts is living in the moment
Because ‘Dark Room’ is the kind of mystery that unfolds bit by bit, it wouldn’t be fair to analyze each and every step. Let me just say the plot was thrilling and almost impossible to predict. Also the characters and the universe in itself was very credible and well built up.
Even though Darla as the protagonist is a scared little mouse we hardly get to know, it still worked for me, because it’s written in a way that made me feel like I was Darla, or rather like she was me. I had to relate to Hopper, Sasha and the other very charismatic main characters, and maybe for the first time, I didn’t miss a strong protagonist, because the story is so intense, that the only thing that counts is living – and surviving – in the moment.
A beautifully drawn YA cover showing the strong points of this book — the wonderfully creepy atmosphere and excitement that hangs in the air at night in gloomy, southern Saffron Hills — would have attracted so many more mystery reading teens and done this story an incredibly big favor.
But apart from that, ‘Dark Room’ was great entertainment!
(Thanks NetGalley and Little Tiger Press for the e-ARC of this novel)
Lead:
Due to the uninspiring cover and the toe-curling slogan ‘Are you ready for your close-up?’, I almost skipped this novel. The only reason I changed my mind was the overall positive reviews on Goodreads. Now, I’m really glad I gave it a chance, because ‘Dark Room’ isn’t horror at all, but über good YA mystery that doesn’t disappoint a bit. In fact the wonderfully creepy atmosphere and excitement that hung in the air at night in gloomy, southern Saffron Hills, was absolutely to die for!
Synopsis:
Present time, South Carolina. 17 year old motherless Darla is fleeing from town to town, lead by her alcoholic dad, Hopper — a disillusioned guitarist and a scammer who tries to impress every single waitress on their way. That is, when he has enough money to buy Darla food in diners.
One evening, Darla and Hopper spontaneously and accidentally end up in a place called Saffron Hills. It’s obvious that Hopper knows the town and has second opinions about staying, but when he successfully forces an old friend in the town – a crook that has turned into a money making real estate agent – to offer them a temporary house, he thinks they’ve finally struck gold.
For the first time in years, Darla gets her own room. They’ve even got a new sweet artist neighbor called Annie, who likes Darla from first sight. Right away Darla forgives Hopper for leaving their trailer park in the middle of the night, until Hopper also tells Darla to go to high school in Saffron Hills.
Darla has never had any good experiences in a classroom, and even before starting school, Darla get’s ridiculed by the popular, rich and beautiful teens at the local mall. A guy walks straight towards her, puts his arm around Darla and takes a picture of them together, without even asking.
When Darla’s bullied by the same kids and their even more arrogant model-like friends at the new school, she teams up with Sasha, the schools hardrock-loving punk girl and her faithful friend Frank. But the verbal war between the two cliques doesn’t last long, because Natalie – one of the beautiful bullies – gets brutally murdered.
A killer’s on the loose in Saffron Hills.
Excerpt from ‘Dark room’
Distracted, she went back over to her desk and picked up the photograph. As Natalie stared at it, the room suddenly went very cold. Her face was red and there was a cluster of pimples on her forehead. But that wasn’t why the sweat had frozen on her skin. Behind Natalie’s shoulder, through the open closet door, there was a pale, blurred oval in the shadows.
Another face.
The photograph fell fluttering from Natalie’s fingers. She backed slowly away from the closet, and felt her back bump against her desk. Scrabbling through her things, she snatched up a pair of scissors, her hands shaking as she held them out in front of her.
“Who’s there?” she called out.
Misleading cover art
We all do it. Judge books by their covers. Nothing wrong with that. Publishers know it. The cover is the gift wrap of the product, so it better reflect the story inside. That is, if you wanna attract the right readers.
The ‘Dark Room’ cover follows the RED EYE series all right, but let me be honest, it’s absolutely horrible! The cheap an unambitious 70ies style of a camera with an evil-looking clown in the lens. It looks anything but YA.
Worst of all, it’s easily mistaken for a novel like the blood spattering SAW movies, when what’s really inside is a story similar to Wes Craven’s fantastic ‘Scream’ movies. And there’s a REALLY. BIG. DIFFERENCE.
‘SAW’ is for hardcore horror fans, who doesn’t suffer from night terrors, no matter how violent, realistic and bloody the torture scenes are becoming. ‘SCREAM’ is for teens who likes to hide behind pillows and jump in their seat throwing popcorn all over the floor and the sleeping dog, because of a Boooh at the exact right moment.
‘Dark Room’ is plain and simple young adult mystery at its best – with popcorn-throwing Boooh’s, of course.
The only thing that counts is living in the moment
Because ‘Dark Room’ is the kind of mystery that unfolds bit by bit, it wouldn’t be fair to analyze each and every step. Let me just say the plot was thrilling and almost impossible to predict. Also the characters and the universe in itself was very credible and well built up.
Even though Darla as the protagonist is a scared little mouse we hardly get to know, it still worked for me, because it’s written in a way that made me feel like I was Darla, or rather like she was me. I had to relate to Hopper, Sasha and the other very charismatic main characters, and maybe for the first time, I didn’t miss a strong protagonist, because the story is so intense, that the only thing that counts is living – and surviving – in the moment.
A beautifully drawn YA cover showing the strong points of this book — the wonderfully creepy atmosphere and excitement that hangs in the air at night in gloomy, southern Saffron Hills — would have attracted so many more mystery reading teens and done this story an incredibly big favor.
But apart from that, ‘Dark Room’ was great entertainment!
(Thanks NetGalley and Little Tiger Press for the e-ARC of this novel)
July 31, 2022
Ever since her mother's death, it's just been Darla and her dad, Hopper. They move from town to town, often doing moonlight flits to avoid angry people that Hopper has cheated out of money during one of his scams. After the latest move, they find themselves in Saffron Hills, a town that Hopper seems to know but won't elucidate on, but Darla hopes they could finally put down roots. Hopper basically blackmails an old friend to be allowed to rent an abandoned house by the river, where the nearest neighbour is artist, Annie.
Many of the teenagers at her new school are good-looking enough to be models & Darla feels alienated. She manages to make friends with two of the less popular kids Sasha & Frank. Sasha is a rich kid but is in a state of rebellion, dressing goth & dyeing her hair whilst Frank is just well, Frank. Things start going wrong when several of the popular, rich, good-looking kids end up dead, murdered in fact, whilst Darla starts having strange visions where she sees the murders from the point of view of the killer & before they happen. The cops become suspicious of someone who keeps managing to find murder victims - you see it's not the first time a killer has been in Saffron Hills & the fact that Darla & her father roll into town just when the murders restart is the mother of all bad timings.
Darla is an OK main character, she is rather timid to be begin with but through what happens she does eventually become stronger & more able to stand up to people. Hopper is a bit of a drunken lech sad to say & sometimes I wanted to shake some sense into him - flirting with your daughter's teenage friends is not cool. Sasha is typically spoilt & only thinks about herself, whilst Frank is quieter but there's a bit of under-the-surface animosity between him & Darla over Sasha's friendship. Not sure why as she is a rubbish friend.
I started off suspecting one character early on but when something happened to them partway through the book it did throw me a bit. The only other character that I half suspected really didn't fit the profile until the ending when I thought "Oh no, we are not going where I think we're going are we?". Yes, we did. This book would have been 4 stars if it hadn't have been for that ending. Without giving it away, there was absolutely no lead up as to why the killer would have done what they did & it just all felt...wrong & just a bit lazy. It's well written up until that point & I did enjoy reading most of it, but the ending spoiled it for me & I can only award it 3 stars.
Many of the teenagers at her new school are good-looking enough to be models & Darla feels alienated. She manages to make friends with two of the less popular kids Sasha & Frank. Sasha is a rich kid but is in a state of rebellion, dressing goth & dyeing her hair whilst Frank is just well, Frank. Things start going wrong when several of the popular, rich, good-looking kids end up dead, murdered in fact, whilst Darla starts having strange visions where she sees the murders from the point of view of the killer & before they happen. The cops become suspicious of someone who keeps managing to find murder victims - you see it's not the first time a killer has been in Saffron Hills & the fact that Darla & her father roll into town just when the murders restart is the mother of all bad timings.
Darla is an OK main character, she is rather timid to be begin with but through what happens she does eventually become stronger & more able to stand up to people. Hopper is a bit of a drunken lech sad to say & sometimes I wanted to shake some sense into him - flirting with your daughter's teenage friends is not cool. Sasha is typically spoilt & only thinks about herself, whilst Frank is quieter but there's a bit of under-the-surface animosity between him & Darla over Sasha's friendship. Not sure why as she is a rubbish friend.
I started off suspecting one character early on but when something happened to them partway through the book it did throw me a bit. The only other character that I half suspected really didn't fit the profile until the ending when I thought "Oh no, we are not going where I think we're going are we?". Yes, we did. This book would have been 4 stars if it hadn't have been for that ending. Without giving it away, there was absolutely no lead up as to why the killer would have done what they did & it just all felt...wrong & just a bit lazy. It's well written up until that point & I did enjoy reading most of it, but the ending spoiled it for me & I can only award it 3 stars.
July 5, 2024
I was not expecting this at all. I loved the plot twist and it was soo unexpected, I love these series so many plot twists x
October 20, 2020
Trigger warnings: death, blood, gore, violence, death of a friend, murder, suicide (in the past), death of a parent (in the past), parent with addiction issues, .
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "basic". Like, it was a perfectly fine teen slasher story. But there was also essentially nothing to make it stand out from any number of 90s teen slasher movies. It was fast paced and very readable. But the characters had almost no distinguishing characteristics, the writing was just okay, and I guessed who the murderer was very early on in the piece.
And then you get to the plot twist, and YIKES.
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "basic". Like, it was a perfectly fine teen slasher story. But there was also essentially nothing to make it stand out from any number of 90s teen slasher movies. It was fast paced and very readable. But the characters had almost no distinguishing characteristics, the writing was just okay, and I guessed who the murderer was very early on in the piece.
And then you get to the plot twist, and YIKES.
June 23, 2026
I did like this quite a lot, and it would have made it into my top three red eye books, as it was well paced and kept you hooked.
However it followed the far too common trope where the serial killer is a trans woman and whilst I think that it was done well enough, with she/her pronouns used and the killer’s insistence that her old male self is dead, instead of the all too common pronoun switch by the narrator and insistence that the killer is still a man and it was a disguise, I just really hate the villainisation of trans people, especially trans women. Honestly, 0 points for creativity, this silly little transphobic trope has been done too many times.
The pace was good and it was very well written, which is defo what I look for in a book, but the interactions between the protagonist’s dad and her friend didn’t seem plot relevant. Despite Darla’s insistence that her dad isn’t a predatory guy, he (well into his 30s) still goes out drinking with a 16/17 year old, who he hit on in a shop. I feel like there was a lot of misogyny sprinkled in, especially in chapters with a male pov, and maybe that was the character but I fear it’s the author.
However it followed the far too common trope where the serial killer is a trans woman and whilst I think that it was done well enough, with she/her pronouns used and the killer’s insistence that her old male self is dead, instead of the all too common pronoun switch by the narrator and insistence that the killer is still a man and it was a disguise, I just really hate the villainisation of trans people, especially trans women. Honestly, 0 points for creativity, this silly little transphobic trope has been done too many times.
The pace was good and it was very well written, which is defo what I look for in a book, but the interactions between the protagonist’s dad and her friend didn’t seem plot relevant. Despite Darla’s insistence that her dad isn’t a predatory guy, he (well into his 30s) still goes out drinking with a 16/17 year old, who he hit on in a shop. I feel like there was a lot of misogyny sprinkled in, especially in chapters with a male pov, and maybe that was the character but I fear it’s the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2015
When Darla moved to Saffron Hills with her dad she was hoping for a fresh start. But she soon realises that her new class mates are image obsessed and part of the selfie In crowd. The book is a mix of teen parties and horrors of a serial killer on the loose. Just who is going to be the next victim- and who is the killer? At times you may think you have it figured out- but the book will take another twist. The book is mainly told from Darla’s perspective- but does go over to the victims. You can imagine the horror music playing along with the chilling scenes. A fairly quick read- but enjoyable.
I would read more by this author and would like to thank Net Galley for a copy of this book.
I would read more by this author and would like to thank Net Galley for a copy of this book.
Read
June 24, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Transphobia
Faked suicide by hanging recounted
Blood & gore depiction
Death of a parent recounted
Death of a friend
Murder (serial killer)
Context : When a young boy was caught murdering a young girls, his father helped him avoid charges & escape the country by faking his suicide; he had so-called 'gender reassignment surgery' so he could return and resume killing in 'disguise' (as a woman).
Transphobia
Faked suicide by hanging recounted
Blood & gore depiction
Death of a parent recounted
Death of a friend
Murder (serial killer)
Context : When a young boy was caught murdering a young girls, his father helped him avoid charges & escape the country by faking his suicide; he had so-called 'gender reassignment surgery' so he could return and resume killing in 'disguise' (as a woman).
January 30, 2024
plot twist at the end was kind of weird but as memory serves i really enjoyed this! hopper was annoying though can’t lie
July 28, 2015
Actual rating: 3.75 stars
This is an excerpt from my review of Dark Room. Read the full review here: https://bibliomad.wordpress.com/2015/...
"I clean up the bloody corpses before the guests come round,” Walter replied, deadpan. “Mom insists.”
A spine-chilling horror story with a modern twist, Tom Becker’s Dark Room is written mostly from Darla’s point of view, only ever switching to another character moments before their death. In my opinion, this method is very effective, for it gives you an insight into other people’s minds, before swiftly cutting it off with a bloody murder. There’s also the aspect that once you’ve figured out who’s speaking, you’ve also figured out that they’re next to be slaughtered.
Personally, I very much enjoyed this book – much more than I was expecting. I have never been the biggest fan of horror, testing the waters every now and again by watching American Horror Story, for example. But this book took me by surprise, and – whilst thoroughly creeped out – I was still able to appreciate the story and the plot line Becker had crafted without feeling sick to my stomach. This is something you do not always come across in the horror genre. Plenty of books, films, and TV shows within this genre incorporate gory scenes with no real purpose other than the scare the audience.
Becker does not do this.
Instead, he has created a detailed story line, in which many people could be the murderer. There are times when we’re certain of who it is, times when we think things are a little strange, and this is all pieced together for a great ending to a great book. If you read carefully, you’ll spot a few aspects of foreshadowing from Becker’s hand, which really helped me understand the novel and the murderer’s motives a lot more. It’s also really great to read a scene, and pick up on the backlash of previous moments of foreshadowing.
However, of course, there were a few little things I didn’t like about the book.
Firstly – whilst, granted, not a part of the book – the synopsis for this novel is terrible; it doesn’t do the book justice, and it places more emphasis on Darla trying to fit in to this ‘in-crowd’, which this book is not about, and nor is Darla. Furthermore, not once is the murderer called the ‘selfie-slayer’ in the book – the synopsis, and the cover, give the impression that the victims are murdered through a camera, which (despite cameras being a big part of the story) is not the case.
Secondly, I didn’t like the inclusion of Darla’s visions. They weren’t particularly well written, they didn’t appear realistic, and, unfortunately, I think they were only in the book so as to ensure Darla was the one who found the bodies. As I see it, it would’ve been interesting to not have the visions, and just have the point of view switch. I don’t think it should have been Darla finding the body every time, either. On the first occasion, yes, very effective. On the second occasion it wasn’t her, anyway. But on the third, and progressing from there, Darla seemed less and less haunted by seeing a dead body, mangled and mocked into different positions. There wasn’t enough emphasis on Darla’s reactions to these findings, rendering her either empathetic, or simply not developed enough.
Moreover, and truly unfortunately, the end felt a little rushed. The penultimate chapter was the general conclusion to the book, and it was written speedily, as if Becker was in a hurry to end the book. At some points, I had to go back and reread a few lines because it went by so quickly. Becker did manage to pull it back towards the end of the scene, though, which I am very pleased about.
My final issue with this novel is a common dislike of mine, and includes when authors do things like this!!! Or this??? In their books. And this time, Becker did this: “Okayyyy.” Bleugh. I hate it when people write like this! I don’t know if anyone else feels the same, but to me it just appears childish and sloppy.
Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives with this book. For example, the character development of Darla was astounding. As readers, we witness her in Chapter 1 as a mousy little girl who’s afraid of what her daddy might do next, but in the final few chapters she is badass! I really like Darla as a protagonist, and her developing a ballsy attitude really shone through in an enjoyable light.
Next, the plot twists. God, I love a good plot twist, and this book contains plenty of them. Becker writes in a way that implies things. He gives you the information to work out who the murderer is on your own, before snatching it away and telling you you’re wrong. And I love that! My favourite plot twist occasion was during Frank’s point of view. At that moment, my mouth literally dropped, and for a brief moment, I thought it was he who was the murderer! (Spoiler,it wasn’t.) And the plot twist at the end with Walter! I won’t ruin it for you, but let me tell you this: wow.
Finally, big round of applause to Becker, because Walter is an amazing villain! The prologue started the book with a bang, and Walter Walter Walter was all I was thinking for the rest of it. The complexities with Walter’s story, along with how it linked to other people was really well executed. And the originality of the murderer’s methods was really fresh and unique to read.
Overall, I awarded this book 3.75/5 stars, because of everything I’ve mentioned taken into consideration.
You can find the book here: Goodreads | Amazon
(Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to send a big thank you to NetGalley for this book, and also to everyone at Little Tiger/Stripes Publishing, as well as Tom Becker himself.)
This is an excerpt from my review of Dark Room. Read the full review here: https://bibliomad.wordpress.com/2015/...
"I clean up the bloody corpses before the guests come round,” Walter replied, deadpan. “Mom insists.”
A spine-chilling horror story with a modern twist, Tom Becker’s Dark Room is written mostly from Darla’s point of view, only ever switching to another character moments before their death. In my opinion, this method is very effective, for it gives you an insight into other people’s minds, before swiftly cutting it off with a bloody murder. There’s also the aspect that once you’ve figured out who’s speaking, you’ve also figured out that they’re next to be slaughtered.
Personally, I very much enjoyed this book – much more than I was expecting. I have never been the biggest fan of horror, testing the waters every now and again by watching American Horror Story, for example. But this book took me by surprise, and – whilst thoroughly creeped out – I was still able to appreciate the story and the plot line Becker had crafted without feeling sick to my stomach. This is something you do not always come across in the horror genre. Plenty of books, films, and TV shows within this genre incorporate gory scenes with no real purpose other than the scare the audience.
Becker does not do this.
Instead, he has created a detailed story line, in which many people could be the murderer. There are times when we’re certain of who it is, times when we think things are a little strange, and this is all pieced together for a great ending to a great book. If you read carefully, you’ll spot a few aspects of foreshadowing from Becker’s hand, which really helped me understand the novel and the murderer’s motives a lot more. It’s also really great to read a scene, and pick up on the backlash of previous moments of foreshadowing.
However, of course, there were a few little things I didn’t like about the book.
Firstly – whilst, granted, not a part of the book – the synopsis for this novel is terrible; it doesn’t do the book justice, and it places more emphasis on Darla trying to fit in to this ‘in-crowd’, which this book is not about, and nor is Darla. Furthermore, not once is the murderer called the ‘selfie-slayer’ in the book – the synopsis, and the cover, give the impression that the victims are murdered through a camera, which (despite cameras being a big part of the story) is not the case.
Secondly, I didn’t like the inclusion of Darla’s visions. They weren’t particularly well written, they didn’t appear realistic, and, unfortunately, I think they were only in the book so as to ensure Darla was the one who found the bodies. As I see it, it would’ve been interesting to not have the visions, and just have the point of view switch. I don’t think it should have been Darla finding the body every time, either. On the first occasion, yes, very effective. On the second occasion it wasn’t her, anyway. But on the third, and progressing from there, Darla seemed less and less haunted by seeing a dead body, mangled and mocked into different positions. There wasn’t enough emphasis on Darla’s reactions to these findings, rendering her either empathetic, or simply not developed enough.
Moreover, and truly unfortunately, the end felt a little rushed. The penultimate chapter was the general conclusion to the book, and it was written speedily, as if Becker was in a hurry to end the book. At some points, I had to go back and reread a few lines because it went by so quickly. Becker did manage to pull it back towards the end of the scene, though, which I am very pleased about.
My final issue with this novel is a common dislike of mine, and includes when authors do things like this!!! Or this??? In their books. And this time, Becker did this: “Okayyyy.” Bleugh. I hate it when people write like this! I don’t know if anyone else feels the same, but to me it just appears childish and sloppy.
Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives with this book. For example, the character development of Darla was astounding. As readers, we witness her in Chapter 1 as a mousy little girl who’s afraid of what her daddy might do next, but in the final few chapters she is badass! I really like Darla as a protagonist, and her developing a ballsy attitude really shone through in an enjoyable light.
Next, the plot twists. God, I love a good plot twist, and this book contains plenty of them. Becker writes in a way that implies things. He gives you the information to work out who the murderer is on your own, before snatching it away and telling you you’re wrong. And I love that! My favourite plot twist occasion was during Frank’s point of view. At that moment, my mouth literally dropped, and for a brief moment, I thought it was he who was the murderer! (Spoiler,it wasn’t.) And the plot twist at the end with Walter! I won’t ruin it for you, but let me tell you this: wow.
Finally, big round of applause to Becker, because Walter is an amazing villain! The prologue started the book with a bang, and Walter Walter Walter was all I was thinking for the rest of it. The complexities with Walter’s story, along with how it linked to other people was really well executed. And the originality of the murderer’s methods was really fresh and unique to read.
Overall, I awarded this book 3.75/5 stars, because of everything I’ve mentioned taken into consideration.
You can find the book here: Goodreads | Amazon
(Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to send a big thank you to NetGalley for this book, and also to everyone at Little Tiger/Stripes Publishing, as well as Tom Becker himself.)
October 15, 2015
https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/201...
I’ve been participating in the #redeyereadalong on Goodreads, and this is the last book in the series, read during the week 26th October 2015 – 31st October 2015.
I joined in the readalong with mixed feelings as I am a bit of a novice horror reader – I tend to be a trifle scared of reading frightening stories – but astonishingly I have found it really fun and totally enthralling throughout. I whipped through those pages reading five books in super quick, heartbeat time! There have been moments when certain passages I’ve read have turned my stomach, or left me hugging my duvet for comfort but it has been such a positive experience overall. So thank you so much to Chelley who blogs at Tales of Yesterday and Heather from Heather Reviews for including me in this readalong.
My overall favourites are without a doubt, Frozen Charlotte from week 1 and this final book Dark Room from Week 5! So the best were first and last as far as I was concerned!
My review:
Dark Room certainly started off dark and sinister and that’s a fact. The Prologue tells the tale of Walter West, a rich young chap, but don’t be fooled this, he is no sweet boy next door! If you are friends with Walter West and you’re young and pretty, don’t pop over to visit, well not unless you want to be viciously murdered.
In Chapter 1 we are introduced to the main protagonist a sixteen year old girl called Darla whose life has been hard, with a capital H, she certainly hasn’t had a fairy-tale existence. Her dad hopper is a drunken, hopeless fellow who runs from one unhappy experience to another. Her mother Sidney killed herself. Darla runs away from yet another bout of trouble with her dad Hopper to Saffron Hills. She finds that Saffron Hills has its fair share of beautiful people, is obsessed with looking good, and is home to the Miss Saffron beauty pageant. Not exactly a place to make Darla feel at home as she is a fairly plain looking girl.
There are a bunch of mysteries to solve in this book so at times it came across more like a murder mystery than a horror story. Though there are elements of horror in Dark Room, the visions that Darla experiences are certainly horrible, and this sense of terror is amplified by Darla having no control over these frightening and disturbing visions. As the story unfolds she starts to try to take control of these visions, but more about that later…
Darla meets with her artistic neighbour Annie, who befriends Darla and Hopper. Annie is a fascinating character too with a hidden aspect to her personality that is revealed later in the novel.
When more beautiful kids are killed Darla’s personality changes, she becomes this courageous kid investigating, trying to stop another murder from being committed. That’s when I really started to love Darla, undoubtedly she is the best character in the book, the one that you can’t help but root for.
Photography is used in a creative way as a device in this book, to reveal the next murder, but is also used to suggest the nastiness of the beautiful crowd. In one particular scene TJ takes a selfie with Darla to ridicule her and other plain girls like her. Natalie, Gabrielle, Ryan, TJ, Carmen are beautiful on the outside, but inside they are mean, unlikable, thoughtless bullies. That is not a criticism of the book, the beautiful kids are meant to be portrayed this way, a message is intended to come across. Beauty is more than outward appearance it is what you hold in your heart. The cruel message finally gets through to one of the beautiful kids, who eventually turns over a new leaf.
Darla’s friend Sasha is an interesting but flawed character. She is pretty but in a non-conformist, punk style of way. She is also quite unlikable, and comes across as pretty uncaring, and glib, until one of the kids who she is secretly fond of in the beautiful clique gets murdered. Frank appears to be Sasha’s errand boy, but even Frank has a side of him that is kept a mystery.
So a very intriguing story, full of mysteries, secrets, it kept me wondering, guessing… I guessed the murderer then I changed my mind, then I guessed again… Lots of excitement.
The ending was good but perhaps a bit far fetched so instead of a 5 star read I’ve reduced it by half a star!
Would I recommend reading this?
Absolutely, if you can stomach it! The murders are visually gruesome, made me flinch in parts but nevertheless I found Dark Room very absorbing. So go out and get a copy… Just don’t do any selfies for a while…
Warning: Not For Younger Readers.
My rating:
4.5 stars
I’ve been participating in the #redeyereadalong on Goodreads, and this is the last book in the series, read during the week 26th October 2015 – 31st October 2015.
I joined in the readalong with mixed feelings as I am a bit of a novice horror reader – I tend to be a trifle scared of reading frightening stories – but astonishingly I have found it really fun and totally enthralling throughout. I whipped through those pages reading five books in super quick, heartbeat time! There have been moments when certain passages I’ve read have turned my stomach, or left me hugging my duvet for comfort but it has been such a positive experience overall. So thank you so much to Chelley who blogs at Tales of Yesterday and Heather from Heather Reviews for including me in this readalong.
My overall favourites are without a doubt, Frozen Charlotte from week 1 and this final book Dark Room from Week 5! So the best were first and last as far as I was concerned!
My review:
Dark Room certainly started off dark and sinister and that’s a fact. The Prologue tells the tale of Walter West, a rich young chap, but don’t be fooled this, he is no sweet boy next door! If you are friends with Walter West and you’re young and pretty, don’t pop over to visit, well not unless you want to be viciously murdered.
In Chapter 1 we are introduced to the main protagonist a sixteen year old girl called Darla whose life has been hard, with a capital H, she certainly hasn’t had a fairy-tale existence. Her dad hopper is a drunken, hopeless fellow who runs from one unhappy experience to another. Her mother Sidney killed herself. Darla runs away from yet another bout of trouble with her dad Hopper to Saffron Hills. She finds that Saffron Hills has its fair share of beautiful people, is obsessed with looking good, and is home to the Miss Saffron beauty pageant. Not exactly a place to make Darla feel at home as she is a fairly plain looking girl.
There are a bunch of mysteries to solve in this book so at times it came across more like a murder mystery than a horror story. Though there are elements of horror in Dark Room, the visions that Darla experiences are certainly horrible, and this sense of terror is amplified by Darla having no control over these frightening and disturbing visions. As the story unfolds she starts to try to take control of these visions, but more about that later…
Darla meets with her artistic neighbour Annie, who befriends Darla and Hopper. Annie is a fascinating character too with a hidden aspect to her personality that is revealed later in the novel.
When more beautiful kids are killed Darla’s personality changes, she becomes this courageous kid investigating, trying to stop another murder from being committed. That’s when I really started to love Darla, undoubtedly she is the best character in the book, the one that you can’t help but root for.
Photography is used in a creative way as a device in this book, to reveal the next murder, but is also used to suggest the nastiness of the beautiful crowd. In one particular scene TJ takes a selfie with Darla to ridicule her and other plain girls like her. Natalie, Gabrielle, Ryan, TJ, Carmen are beautiful on the outside, but inside they are mean, unlikable, thoughtless bullies. That is not a criticism of the book, the beautiful kids are meant to be portrayed this way, a message is intended to come across. Beauty is more than outward appearance it is what you hold in your heart. The cruel message finally gets through to one of the beautiful kids, who eventually turns over a new leaf.
Darla’s friend Sasha is an interesting but flawed character. She is pretty but in a non-conformist, punk style of way. She is also quite unlikable, and comes across as pretty uncaring, and glib, until one of the kids who she is secretly fond of in the beautiful clique gets murdered. Frank appears to be Sasha’s errand boy, but even Frank has a side of him that is kept a mystery.
So a very intriguing story, full of mysteries, secrets, it kept me wondering, guessing… I guessed the murderer then I changed my mind, then I guessed again… Lots of excitement.
The ending was good but perhaps a bit far fetched so instead of a 5 star read I’ve reduced it by half a star!
Would I recommend reading this?
Absolutely, if you can stomach it! The murders are visually gruesome, made me flinch in parts but nevertheless I found Dark Room very absorbing. So go out and get a copy… Just don’t do any selfies for a while…
Warning: Not For Younger Readers.
My rating:
4.5 stars
June 11, 2017
http://www.my-bo0ks.over-blog.com/201...
J’étais très curieuse de découvrir Photophobia. Il faut dire qu’entre le résumé et la couverture, le suspense est de mise.
Darla et son père prennent un nouveau départ, ou du moins c’est ce qu’elle croyait. Avec son père, elle mène une vie bien compliqué où mensonges et secrets sont au quotidien. Les voila arrivés dans une nouvelle ville seulement, Darla a de terribles visions dans lesquelles elle est dans la peau d’un meurtrier qui s’attaque aux jeunes du campus. Alors qu’elle tente de comprendre d’où lui viennent ses visions et qui s’en prend aux jeunes de la ville, Darla découvre que toute la ville cache des secrets… Mais rien ne reste secret très longtemps...
Je n’ai pas pour habitude de lire des thrillers, mais Photophobia m’avait beaucoup intriguée. Ici, suspense et mystère sont au rendez-vous. Il faut dire que Tom Becker, l’auteur, nous plonge de suite dans son univers. La recherche du coupable nous tient en haleine et les hypothèses sont nombreuses. Pour ma part, je n’aurais jamais deviné l’identité du meurtrier et les raisons des visions de Darla.
Je n'ai pas eu de coup de coeur ni rien, mais j'ai tout de même bien aimé ma lecture. Frissons et frayeurs garanties. C’est donc gagné pour Photophobia.
J’étais très curieuse de découvrir Photophobia. Il faut dire qu’entre le résumé et la couverture, le suspense est de mise.
Darla et son père prennent un nouveau départ, ou du moins c’est ce qu’elle croyait. Avec son père, elle mène une vie bien compliqué où mensonges et secrets sont au quotidien. Les voila arrivés dans une nouvelle ville seulement, Darla a de terribles visions dans lesquelles elle est dans la peau d’un meurtrier qui s’attaque aux jeunes du campus. Alors qu’elle tente de comprendre d’où lui viennent ses visions et qui s’en prend aux jeunes de la ville, Darla découvre que toute la ville cache des secrets… Mais rien ne reste secret très longtemps...
Je n’ai pas pour habitude de lire des thrillers, mais Photophobia m’avait beaucoup intriguée. Ici, suspense et mystère sont au rendez-vous. Il faut dire que Tom Becker, l’auteur, nous plonge de suite dans son univers. La recherche du coupable nous tient en haleine et les hypothèses sont nombreuses. Pour ma part, je n’aurais jamais deviné l’identité du meurtrier et les raisons des visions de Darla.
Je n'ai pas eu de coup de coeur ni rien, mais j'ai tout de même bien aimé ma lecture. Frissons et frayeurs garanties. C’est donc gagné pour Photophobia.
July 29, 2015
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book will be published on 10th September 2015
I didn't really know much going into this book, apart from it was about a serial killer and selfies? What? I was intrigued. I thought it would be ridiculous, but it was surpringly nothing like what I expected. It was dark, creepy and chilling. I could see it being a horror movie, I could picture the gory details of every murder scene so clearly in my head. It has to be one of the creepiest books I've ever read.
Full review on my blog:
http://originalbooker.blogspot.co.uk/...
This book will be published on 10th September 2015
I didn't really know much going into this book, apart from it was about a serial killer and selfies? What? I was intrigued. I thought it would be ridiculous, but it was surpringly nothing like what I expected. It was dark, creepy and chilling. I could see it being a horror movie, I could picture the gory details of every murder scene so clearly in my head. It has to be one of the creepiest books I've ever read.
Full review on my blog:
http://originalbooker.blogspot.co.uk/...
September 3, 2015
I requested this book initially because of the photography element, as it is a passion of mine, but I also enjoy reading about it. I was wary as it is pitched as Horror, and I am not the biggest fan of that, but I was actually disappointed. It wasn't scary in the slightest and I wanted some. However, this book was very visual and easy to read, so I can't complain there. The killer was predictable and there weren't many moments that surprised me, unfortunately.
September 12, 2015
Holy crap this book scared the life out of me but it was absolutely amazing! This is a definite top book of 2015 for me!
July 23, 2017
Ma chronique 3,75/5 : http://enjoybooksaddict.blogspot.fr/2...
August 7, 2018
So first in this book i wanna read One piece and the bible but here i am talking about this book.
(Boku no pico is best)
SO WHAT I THING ABOUT THIS BOOK: It isnt a holy grail like the bible or fortnite which is way beettr than PUBG but at school we had to choose a book i personaaly wantd to read hunger games because in my opinion catness looks like an anime girl and i like anime my favourite anime is boku no pico it is very interesting and the ploat is very good then this book has the word bitch and that is not holy like the lord and saviour TACHANKA. BEst boi and gorl i also like the anime the simpsons bart is tsundere and lisa is a yandere but homer and marge do yaoi every night so magie could have a friend in me. Here is my favourite part from the book, "Anime bitches, I look at her tiddies
Then I take her home and we count up these fifties
I come to your city, I sneak in yo chimney
I tickle her kidney and then I watch Disney
I love me some hentai, I go on XVIDEOS
Bitch, I'm Dbangz, stick my dick in your Cheerios
Bitch, I'm Dbangz, I might fuck my computer
I whip out my dick, then pull up on my shooter
I tickle your booty and then I get neutered
I know I'm a loser, I tickle your tumor
I find me a bitch that got no sense of humor
It's Lil Cumstain, I'm the booty consumer
I take off her shoe and then do the maneuver
And if she act tough, I might whip out the Luger
You know I'm with Kia, I go to IKEA
She soft like a cheetah, she from Costa Rica
Hey lil' mama, come through, get respected
She take off her shoe, I take out my erection
I suck on her middle toe, don't use protection
Kid call me "Papi", I teach her a lesson
I only eat ass, it's a pussy oppression
You swear that she loyal, your bitch in my mentions
I whip out my dick, paint her face like Picasso
I suck on her toes, then I'm out like El Chapo
I look at her bootyhole, eat it like tacos
I respect on women, she better not swallow
She touch on my cockpit, I put it on auto
"Suck toes and eat ass!", that's the DBongo motto
I cuff me a Kia, then write her a song
She take off her shoe and I take off that thong
I whip out my dick, she said, "Baby, what's wrong?"
"Girl, nothing, I'm bout to smash like I'm King Kong"
"Papi go harder", I nutted a while back
Bitch, I'm Dbangz, I ball hard like the Wildcats
He talking bout Troy, she take out her toy
'Cause my dick was too small for her to enjoy
I meet with the mom, yeah, Kia so bomb
I whip out my weenie on pornhub.com
Swag, swag, swag."
(Boku no pico is best)
SO WHAT I THING ABOUT THIS BOOK: It isnt a holy grail like the bible or fortnite which is way beettr than PUBG but at school we had to choose a book i personaaly wantd to read hunger games because in my opinion catness looks like an anime girl and i like anime my favourite anime is boku no pico it is very interesting and the ploat is very good then this book has the word bitch and that is not holy like the lord and saviour TACHANKA. BEst boi and gorl i also like the anime the simpsons bart is tsundere and lisa is a yandere but homer and marge do yaoi every night so magie could have a friend in me. Here is my favourite part from the book, "Anime bitches, I look at her tiddies
Then I take her home and we count up these fifties
I come to your city, I sneak in yo chimney
I tickle her kidney and then I watch Disney
I love me some hentai, I go on XVIDEOS
Bitch, I'm Dbangz, stick my dick in your Cheerios
Bitch, I'm Dbangz, I might fuck my computer
I whip out my dick, then pull up on my shooter
I tickle your booty and then I get neutered
I know I'm a loser, I tickle your tumor
I find me a bitch that got no sense of humor
It's Lil Cumstain, I'm the booty consumer
I take off her shoe and then do the maneuver
And if she act tough, I might whip out the Luger
You know I'm with Kia, I go to IKEA
She soft like a cheetah, she from Costa Rica
Hey lil' mama, come through, get respected
She take off her shoe, I take out my erection
I suck on her middle toe, don't use protection
Kid call me "Papi", I teach her a lesson
I only eat ass, it's a pussy oppression
You swear that she loyal, your bitch in my mentions
I whip out my dick, paint her face like Picasso
I suck on her toes, then I'm out like El Chapo
I look at her bootyhole, eat it like tacos
I respect on women, she better not swallow
She touch on my cockpit, I put it on auto
"Suck toes and eat ass!", that's the DBongo motto
I cuff me a Kia, then write her a song
She take off her shoe and I take off that thong
I whip out my dick, she said, "Baby, what's wrong?"
"Girl, nothing, I'm bout to smash like I'm King Kong"
"Papi go harder", I nutted a while back
Bitch, I'm Dbangz, I ball hard like the Wildcats
He talking bout Troy, she take out her toy
'Cause my dick was too small for her to enjoy
I meet with the mom, yeah, Kia so bomb
I whip out my weenie on pornhub.com
Swag, swag, swag."
January 13, 2020
Lots of creep but not enough horror.
The first chapter started off incredibly with a twist I hadn't predicted to be coming, it was a great and luring first chapter, enough to let you know it will be a fun story to unfold.
The whole of this book was creepy, from the visions Darla kept getting of the killings, to the killings themselves, to trying to imagine as you're reading of the creep murderer in the town they live in. It's certainly made it fun solving everything that was happening and who was doing it.
I was really expecting more horror and gore within this story, that's one area that lacked and would certainly have improved the story so much as it would have added an element to it that you're expecting when you read it.
It was written in a fun mystery type way, you followed Darla along on her journey to finding who the killer was and why she was getting visions constantly. You knew of the origin story of the original killer and then had to figure out who the new killer was, with a kinda plot twist on who it actually was near the end.
One thing that I found predictable was who was going to be killed from the first introduction to the characters in the book you kinda get the idea who will be gone by the end, though there are some surprises I will say that, not all are as you'd expect.
If you've ever watched the Scream tv series I totally got that kinda vibe whilst reading this book and even found some of the characters felt the same or similar to those in the show. I kept constantly thinking of the show while reading every chapter of this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book and have been enjoying this series so much, each book offers a new type of horror and creep factor. I thoroughly enjoy them. None of them are too scary or disturbing but have enough to creep you out.
https://apapergirlapapertown.wordpres...
The first chapter started off incredibly with a twist I hadn't predicted to be coming, it was a great and luring first chapter, enough to let you know it will be a fun story to unfold.
The whole of this book was creepy, from the visions Darla kept getting of the killings, to the killings themselves, to trying to imagine as you're reading of the creep murderer in the town they live in. It's certainly made it fun solving everything that was happening and who was doing it.
I was really expecting more horror and gore within this story, that's one area that lacked and would certainly have improved the story so much as it would have added an element to it that you're expecting when you read it.
It was written in a fun mystery type way, you followed Darla along on her journey to finding who the killer was and why she was getting visions constantly. You knew of the origin story of the original killer and then had to figure out who the new killer was, with a kinda plot twist on who it actually was near the end.
One thing that I found predictable was who was going to be killed from the first introduction to the characters in the book you kinda get the idea who will be gone by the end, though there are some surprises I will say that, not all are as you'd expect.
If you've ever watched the Scream tv series I totally got that kinda vibe whilst reading this book and even found some of the characters felt the same or similar to those in the show. I kept constantly thinking of the show while reading every chapter of this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book and have been enjoying this series so much, each book offers a new type of horror and creep factor. I thoroughly enjoy them. None of them are too scary or disturbing but have enough to creep you out.
https://apapergirlapapertown.wordpres...
September 30, 2015
Part of me doesn’t actually want to write this review, because it means that I’ll be closing the gap in the #RedEye series which has brought us 5 very different, individualistic and great books that have lent a tremendous hand in reviving the horror genre in YA. I’ve been involved with Stripes Publishing from the start in promoting this series, but I didn’t expect to become this attached to all the books and the ride I’ve been on since January of this year. As a firm lover of all things horror, I couldn’t be any happier to be part of the efforts that Stripes Publishing and all these amazing authors have been involved in, to bring back the horror genre in reading. There are very few true horror books out there, especially in the YA category; most that are marketed as such involve paranormal elements such as vampires or wolves or fairies that push the boundary into fantasy, but the #RedEye series has been great in focusing simply on the paranormal and pure, simple horror without added elements to take away from the real story.
Enough of my rambling, I just felt like I had to get that all off my chest *holds back a choke* it has simply been a pleasure, tis all. Now, onto the review we go!
At first glance, this book isn’t what you’d expect, I feel like I should kinda put that out there. Given the premise of the book, the cover art, and my own imagination, I had an idea in my mind of how this book would go and that revolved around this “selfie slayer” character. Essentially, death by selfie. By vanity. But let me just say, that the selfie slayer itself isn’t actually a character and truth be told, I’m relieved about that, because as open minded as I can be, I won’t lie, I don’t think I could seriously get on board with a villain going by that aesthetic - it would feel waaaaay too cheesy for me and ruin the horror vibe I’m expecting.
That aside, I really enjoyed the way this book turned out and I’m glad it didn’t go as I had it planned in my head, instead it was better. We have a strong host of characters but even more so, a plot driven story that was well balanced in how it gave enough time to both characters and events. Character development is so vital in every story, and especially for me, I think in horror genres even more because so often it can happen that characters are blurred into the background in order to give more screen time to actual events - but I felt like Becker did a wonderful job in Dark Room to keep both at the forefront and getting to see Darla develop cinched this book for me.
Getting to see a lot of what happens through Darla’s point of view and alternating swiftly with other characters moments before their death, worked really well for this story I felt. It meant that the story didn’t fall too heavily on just one perspective and instead we get glimpses of the to-be-victims, almost as if we’re seeing the premonition ourselves as to who will die next. I enjoyed this aspect and I’m glad Becker did it in such a well thought out manner.
I’m not much of a fan of gore in movies or in books to be honest, slasher isn’t really my thaaaang, so I’m glad that in Dark Room at least the buildup to the story and events was more sinister rather than blood-soaked, gore just for the sake of gore just really puts me off anything and everything. Instead I enjoy the subtle buildup of horror, the air and atmosphere which really hackles your chains, and there’s a whole lot of that in this book.
As you’re reading this, you’re inevitably going to start guessing as to who the murderer is, it’s a given. But let me just tell you, just when you think you’ve got it figured out, you’ll be wrong, again and again. Becker misleads you so often, making you think subtly as to who it might be, only to be like, HAAA, GOTCHYA, WRONG AGAIN! Frustrating? Perhaps, but works so well for this story and really does keep you on your toes. That being said though, once you find out who it is, if you flip back through the book and re-read it (I did this actually and went through so many chapters) only to find hints of foreshadowing that foretold the end to this book. I applaud you for this Becker, well played.
There are a few things that I felt could have been improved to really give this the 5 star rating I wanted it to have, and that revolves around the ending, and partially Darla’s premonitions. I feel like the promotions and her reaction to them, the way she deals with them could have been handled somewhat better, a little bit more development on that aspect of her character would have made all the difference. As for the ending, the final 1/4 of the book felt somewhat rushed to me, with things playing out quicker than I wanted it to. Pacing it out would have worked wonders for the final conclusion.
Nonetheless, as the final book in the #RedEye series, I really did enjoy it and all the other books too. The reviews for the other books from this epic series can be found here: Frozen Charlotte, Sleepless, Flesh and Blood, Bad Bones
There’s also an author interview and guest post with the author Tom Becker, which can be found heeereee and just for your benefit, some extra links which I know you’ll want to click, so just go ahead and do it.
The other books in the #RedEye series can be found on this site, and for an extra special treat, check out the Terror Tree site where all 5 authors from the series will be discussing their books and much much more!
Thank you as always to Stripes Publishing and all the wonderful authors involved in this series, who have done a wonderful job in bringing this fresh and exciting series to the table and I implore you all to pick these books up, perfect in time for Halloween ;)
Finally, follow @Stripesbooks on twitter for more dosages of horror.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Enough of my rambling, I just felt like I had to get that all off my chest *holds back a choke* it has simply been a pleasure, tis all. Now, onto the review we go!
At first glance, this book isn’t what you’d expect, I feel like I should kinda put that out there. Given the premise of the book, the cover art, and my own imagination, I had an idea in my mind of how this book would go and that revolved around this “selfie slayer” character. Essentially, death by selfie. By vanity. But let me just say, that the selfie slayer itself isn’t actually a character and truth be told, I’m relieved about that, because as open minded as I can be, I won’t lie, I don’t think I could seriously get on board with a villain going by that aesthetic - it would feel waaaaay too cheesy for me and ruin the horror vibe I’m expecting.
That aside, I really enjoyed the way this book turned out and I’m glad it didn’t go as I had it planned in my head, instead it was better. We have a strong host of characters but even more so, a plot driven story that was well balanced in how it gave enough time to both characters and events. Character development is so vital in every story, and especially for me, I think in horror genres even more because so often it can happen that characters are blurred into the background in order to give more screen time to actual events - but I felt like Becker did a wonderful job in Dark Room to keep both at the forefront and getting to see Darla develop cinched this book for me.
Getting to see a lot of what happens through Darla’s point of view and alternating swiftly with other characters moments before their death, worked really well for this story I felt. It meant that the story didn’t fall too heavily on just one perspective and instead we get glimpses of the to-be-victims, almost as if we’re seeing the premonition ourselves as to who will die next. I enjoyed this aspect and I’m glad Becker did it in such a well thought out manner.
I’m not much of a fan of gore in movies or in books to be honest, slasher isn’t really my thaaaang, so I’m glad that in Dark Room at least the buildup to the story and events was more sinister rather than blood-soaked, gore just for the sake of gore just really puts me off anything and everything. Instead I enjoy the subtle buildup of horror, the air and atmosphere which really hackles your chains, and there’s a whole lot of that in this book.
As you’re reading this, you’re inevitably going to start guessing as to who the murderer is, it’s a given. But let me just tell you, just when you think you’ve got it figured out, you’ll be wrong, again and again. Becker misleads you so often, making you think subtly as to who it might be, only to be like, HAAA, GOTCHYA, WRONG AGAIN! Frustrating? Perhaps, but works so well for this story and really does keep you on your toes. That being said though, once you find out who it is, if you flip back through the book and re-read it (I did this actually and went through so many chapters) only to find hints of foreshadowing that foretold the end to this book. I applaud you for this Becker, well played.
There are a few things that I felt could have been improved to really give this the 5 star rating I wanted it to have, and that revolves around the ending, and partially Darla’s premonitions. I feel like the promotions and her reaction to them, the way she deals with them could have been handled somewhat better, a little bit more development on that aspect of her character would have made all the difference. As for the ending, the final 1/4 of the book felt somewhat rushed to me, with things playing out quicker than I wanted it to. Pacing it out would have worked wonders for the final conclusion.
Nonetheless, as the final book in the #RedEye series, I really did enjoy it and all the other books too. The reviews for the other books from this epic series can be found here: Frozen Charlotte, Sleepless, Flesh and Blood, Bad Bones
There’s also an author interview and guest post with the author Tom Becker, which can be found heeereee and just for your benefit, some extra links which I know you’ll want to click, so just go ahead and do it.
The other books in the #RedEye series can be found on this site, and for an extra special treat, check out the Terror Tree site where all 5 authors from the series will be discussing their books and much much more!
Thank you as always to Stripes Publishing and all the wonderful authors involved in this series, who have done a wonderful job in bringing this fresh and exciting series to the table and I implore you all to pick these books up, perfect in time for Halloween ;)
Finally, follow @Stripesbooks on twitter for more dosages of horror.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
May 10, 2021
Darla O'Neill has grown up moving from place to place with her grifter father, until they wind up in Saffron Hills, where her father blackmails his way into a rental. Darla doesn't fit in with the rich, snooty kids at the high school, though she does find friends of sorts in Sasha and Frank. However, her popularity doesn't improve when she starts receiving visions of students being murdered...and often the one who discovers the body. What is the connection between these murders, and the murder of a pageant beauty queen 20 years earlier?
This was an enjoyable slasher-style horror thriller with shades of Point Horror and Fear Street. There's no explanation given as to why Darla starts receiving these visions. It's really just a device to frame a traditional murder mystery thriller. I love a thriller that contains ties between the past and present, and this book did a great job with that angle. There were a couple of really good plot twists along the way. However, the book is lacking in likable characters. Sure, it's nice to see snotty teens get gutted, but it has more impact if we like them, you know? Even Darla's friends aren't all that likable.
The fact that was very problematic. I'm not sure how that would be received now, even if this was only published in 2015. However, I really enjoyed the 90s YA horror vibes this one sported, and the storyline really kept me engaged. Finally, a real winner after a long row of duds!
This was an enjoyable slasher-style horror thriller with shades of Point Horror and Fear Street. There's no explanation given as to why Darla starts receiving these visions. It's really just a device to frame a traditional murder mystery thriller. I love a thriller that contains ties between the past and present, and this book did a great job with that angle. There were a couple of really good plot twists along the way. However, the book is lacking in likable characters. Sure, it's nice to see snotty teens get gutted, but it has more impact if we like them, you know? Even Darla's friends aren't all that likable.
The fact that was very problematic. I'm not sure how that would be received now, even if this was only published in 2015. However, I really enjoyed the 90s YA horror vibes this one sported, and the storyline really kept me engaged. Finally, a real winner after a long row of duds!
December 30, 2018
I absolutely love this book, my favourite redeye book and frozen charlotte is after. This my second time reading this book, I stole it from the school library and I don’t intend to give it back. #sorrynotsorry. I read this book in January, and I only started goodreads mid year that’s why I’ve only read 50 books. The story reminds me of I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST WEDNESDAY by Anthony Horowitz where people were killed by what they loved, geography teacher stabbed by Eiffel Tower.
I need to look for books written by Tom Becker. Page 254 reminds of Jennifer’s body where she goes off with the band singer and leaving her “plain” friend alone. The editing of book isn’t amazing at one point flash is used instead of the word flask. But whatever that’s okay.
“Saffron hills is my canvas and if been painting red over it,” what a lit imagery. The plot twists in this book are amazing. Transgender surgeries, although they bring happiness, gives murderers and criminals a chance at a new identity. Something I never thought of TIL now. Authors don’t seem to show the grief of characters and show the imprint death leaves on people well in books, so I intend to be lit at that when I become an author.
I need to look for books written by Tom Becker. Page 254 reminds of Jennifer’s body where she goes off with the band singer and leaving her “plain” friend alone. The editing of book isn’t amazing at one point flash is used instead of the word flask. But whatever that’s okay.
“Saffron hills is my canvas and if been painting red over it,” what a lit imagery. The plot twists in this book are amazing. Transgender surgeries, although they bring happiness, gives murderers and criminals a chance at a new identity. Something I never thought of TIL now. Authors don’t seem to show the grief of characters and show the imprint death leaves on people well in books, so I intend to be lit at that when I become an author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2020
'Click.....click.............click!'
Darla and her Daddy Hopper find themselves in Shady Pines where her Mum ran away from. Life is never easy with her Dad but she's hoping this time it sticks. Until she starts having scary visions of someone murdering the good looking kids from her high school! Now everyone thinks the new girls a freak who keeps finding bodies..... Who is the Angel Taker? Is is Walter West back from the dead or does someone have a vendetta to settle??
Horror is not something I read often
....or at all tbh but thankfully this wasn't scary at all apart from the murder scenes.....in fact this book is super tame I found it a bit boring in places and its pretty average until someone gets murdered, then goes back to been average again. Its an ok read though. Has a bit of a twist at the end and that surprised me. It was a bit predictable though and made me think of a B rate teen slasher movie. Think Scream but not as good and you have the basic storyline. Good for me though, the horror wimp!
Darla and her Daddy Hopper find themselves in Shady Pines where her Mum ran away from. Life is never easy with her Dad but she's hoping this time it sticks. Until she starts having scary visions of someone murdering the good looking kids from her high school! Now everyone thinks the new girls a freak who keeps finding bodies..... Who is the Angel Taker? Is is Walter West back from the dead or does someone have a vendetta to settle??
Horror is not something I read often
....or at all tbh but thankfully this wasn't scary at all apart from the murder scenes.....in fact this book is super tame I found it a bit boring in places and its pretty average until someone gets murdered, then goes back to been average again. Its an ok read though. Has a bit of a twist at the end and that surprised me. It was a bit predictable though and made me think of a B rate teen slasher movie. Think Scream but not as good and you have the basic storyline. Good for me though, the horror wimp!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews