Kaylee Cavanaugh is a completely normal teenager - or at least she tells herself that she is. Yes, she has severe panic attacks that leave her screaming bloody murder... But that's all they are, right? Right? Yeah, when they happen she sometimes sees a strange grey mist that envelops some random
person, and then Kaylee is 100% certain that they are going to die. But that's just delusion. It can't…mehrKaylee Cavanaugh is a completely normal teenager - or at least she tells herself that she is. Yes, she has severe panic attacks that leave her screaming bloody murder... But that's all they are, right? Right? Yeah, when they happen she sometimes sees a strange grey mist that envelops some random person, and then Kaylee is 100% certain that they are going to die. But that's just delusion. It can't be true, can it?
But it's real enough to land her in the psych ward...
Pros:
The writing is pretty good! I found it pleasant and easy to read, and it drew me into the story quickly. The author is great at invoking an atmosphere, making you feel with her characters and stringing you along with suspense.
The heroine is a nice breather from the usual vampires/faeries/angels/demons etc - thumbs up for the author, it's not easy to find something that hasn't been done to death (pun intended) in YA fantasy by now! And despite her unusual trials and tribulations, Kaylee is a believable and likable teenage girl - with all the usual flaws and crushes and occasional bitchy sarcasm. (Hey, she's a teenager, cut her some slack!)
The scenes in the mental ward were disturbing, haunting, depressing, and I really felt horrible for poor Kaylee - but even more so for the mysterious girl who also seemed to have some supernatural gift. I would've liked to read more about her! (Maybe she'll be in one of the novels?)
I finished the whole thing in one go - it's short! - and then immediately went on to read the first "real" novel of the series, so yes, this prequel got me hooked! In retrospect, I appreciate this glimpse into Kaylee's darkest hour, it gives more depth to her character.
Contras:
This novella is more of a teaser. It's a good start and I heartily recommend it if you're planning to read the novels anyway, but it cannot stand on its own: it brings up a million questions and answers almost none of them. It feels like it's missing something to truly take the step from teaser or short story to novella. From some of the other reviews, it sounds like it was available for free for a while - and as a freebie to wet your appetite it makes perfect sense to me! But at the time I'm writing his, it costs $2.51, and that seems a bit too much for what it is.
There are a few minor errors, like people being empty-handed at the beginning of a scene and suddenly holding a purse at the end, or a girl sitting down and then falling from a standing position. They made me go "huh", but didn't really distract me from the story too much.
All in all, I enjoyed reading it a lot!
