Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall
| Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: Alex Mitchell
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| Summary: A chilling and atmospheric thriller from an award-winning writer, with a shocking twist ending. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 272 | Date: August 2015 |
| Publisher: Hot Key Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1471404870 | |
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When Dougie invites Heather on a camping trip with his friends, she gladly accepts in order to get closer to him. But, when they disturb what seems to be an ancient pagan burial site, Heather fears they've unleashed a vengeful spirit. There is something out there in the darkness, and it won't stop until the teens are all dead.
A year has passed, and Heather knows that she was lucky to escape Black Cairn Point alive. But, Dougie is in a coma, and unless he comes out of it, he can't prove Heather's innocence...
McFall, as an award-winning author, definitely knows how to tell a story. The book is split into two different narratives, both told by Heather and tightly interwoven throughout the course of the story. The first narrative, titled Then, takes place on a camping trip to Black Cairn Point, on the Irish Sea coast (not far from Glasgow) where Heather has gone on a camping trip with her friends. The other narrative, Now takes place a year after the events at Black Cairn Point, and shows Heather in a lunatic asylum, being treated by Dr. Peterson. Dougie is comatose after what happened and Heather is sullen, rebellious and uncooperative. The two narratives perfectly show the changes in Heather’s personality, almost making the two of them seem like two different people.
The characters are well-written. Heather, is a 16-year-old hoping to study archaeology. She has a crush on Dougie, a close friend who is hoping to study archaeology at the same university as Heather. Coming along for the ride is Emma, Heather's best friend, whom Heather is growing quite disdainful of as she's in a rather shallow relationship with Darren, a brawny, alcoholic labourer. Third-wheeling on the trip is Heather's other friend Martin, Darren's polar opposite.
The more paranormal side of things is also set up very well. It is described in the same way as found-footage films such as The Blair Witch Project, with emphasis being placed on what is not seen rather than what is seen. This makes the story much tenser and leaves the reader wondering what is actually causing the events.
The book is very well written, with a twist ending to shock anyone.
Further reading:
Choker by Elizabeth Woods – a similarly tense teen thriller with just as much shock value.
The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon – a more historical teen thriller with similarly dark fantasy themes.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall at Amazon.com.
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