Jared Duval wants Lydia Moran to stop bullying him. He also wants
the football captain to like him, even just notice him. And, to know why is he having vivid and scary dreams.
Adrian Cole needs to stay fit for soccer, keep his grades up, study harder. He also misses his mother, who died in a car incident. Aside from all of that, he’s looking for a relationship. The substitute teacher is stunning but why would she be interested in him?
Jessica Barlow craves for her mother’s love. Ever since her dad left them, any affection Bertha has for her daughter is hidden far beneath the verbal and physical abuse, smoking and alcohol.
Will life change for them?
Hopps Town is small, so it's doubtful. But a chance encounter after the school’s Halloween dance with a seemingly lost girl makes change possible. In pursuit of the runaway girl, they come across an abandoned shack with a well outside. They lean in and all make a wish…
Jessica wakes up to her mother happy and making breakfast. Stunned at
this change in attitude, the young girl heads off to school, prepared lunch in
hand (she can’t remember when that last happened) in a daze. Is this real?
Adrian’s head is filled with his father’s chastisement of how
important going to college is, but these thoughts are soon discarded when he finds a note in his locker. Who
is it from and why do they want to meet him?
The nightmares that Jared experiences intensify but
unexpectedly, Tom, the handsome football star has suddenly noticed him. Jessica
loves her ‘new’ mom and Adrian's new relationship is turning out better than expected. Did those fanciful wishes they made at the well actually come true?
And then Adrian and Jessica encounter the same supernatural occurrences
that Jared has. They are dismissive and unsure of what they've seen and felt, but soon become scared as the
realization that the wish bestowed upon them comes at a price.
There is something obviously evil that granted their wishes –
but what has the death of a disgruntled man back in the late '70s to do with this evil entity and can Jared’s
aunt really help the three teenagers get rid of this supernatural being?
The author’s introduction to Hopps Town and its inhabitants
is a great beginning. He has managed to entwine some chilling and horrific
moments without it being cliché. The emotions of the teens as they
experience an abusive mother or peer bullying are real and expressive. His characters
are believable as are the episodes of hearing haunting voices and seeing frightening images that plague them.
With novella’s, there is a tendency to be short with
descriptions or moments and they can have a slightly disjointed feel. There are elements of this in the book, but Lucid has managed to say a lot in a limited number
of words and the overall premise of the book hasn't been lost. And whilst I wished the story could be expanded – more tension created, more dialogue to really get behind the characters -Lucid has still created a
story that is exciting, filled with unsettling moments and believable personalities.
As a YA book the language used is fairly suitable, it skims issues that teens face - sexuality, bullying, acceptance - with some positivity given to these situations but there is a lot of negative attitudes too. However, falling under the genre of horror, it perhaps shouldn't be expected to be teaching lessons of acceptance etc., - the main focus is the battling of evil spirits!
Overall an enjoyable story that is a good grounding for the
next installment. It will keep the reader fairly engaged and for them to look forward to what happens next in Hopps Town.
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