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Whoa! What a way to start a book! A bloody multiple murder in a convenience store in a small Kansas town (what is it about these small Midwestern towns?) starts a chain of events that only get amplified by a huge F5 tornado that rips through the town. What follows can only be described as murder, mayhem, and a general bloodlust. The town is quarantined and there’s no way out…

If you love Stephen King’s earlier horror books, then The Waking Dark may be for you. Don’t read it at night; it is way too scary for that. The Waking Dark is the kind of book that is almost impossible to put down. Set aside some daylight hours to read this book. This is one intense read.  

One of the reasons I loved this book was the attention given to character development. I think this is what sets this book apart from other young adult books in this genre. The characters are well-fleshed and each brings their own background into the story.

I loved the teenagers in this book. They all had such interesting backgrounds and they each represented a different aspect of teenage life. There’s Jeremiah West, or West as he is called. West is a manly football player with a secret love. He is definitely conflicted about his love for Nick and takes precaution to hide this relationship. Cass is West’s casual platonic girlfriend. Cass is set to become the class valedictorian until a horrible babysitting incident. Daniel is the Preacher’s son and he must watch his father battle addictions and other personal demons. Daniel is by far one of the more interesting characters as he is a father figure to his younger brother Milo. Jule Prevette is the niece of the local meth runner gang. No one messes with her family. Jule lives in constant fear of her junkie mother’s parasitic boyfriends. Then there’s Ellen King, an angelic girl who talks to God until her downfall. Now her background is very interesting. Lastly, there is Grace Tuck who holds an understandable grudge against Cass.

The Waking Dark is a dark and creepy book about a town that’s gone horribly wrong. Be prepared for a bloody thrill ride.

I’m glad to have discovered this author and I am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Wasserman’s books in the future.

Rating: 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a review copy of this book. 

Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.