By: Jake Halpern
and
Peter Kujawinski
Published: September 2015
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 913
Edition: eBook
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
From the very first time I heard of and read the synopsis of this novel, I have been wanting to read it. I kept searching for it in bookstores and I couldn't find a copy of it.
A couple of weeks ago, I did find a copy but it was a hardbound one and by now, you probably already know how I'm not a fan of hardbound books -- they're expensive and ridiculously bothersome to read from.
So I got the eBook copy!
When it comes to reading eBooks, I tend to finish the book a lot faster. Probably because even when the lights are already out and I'm in bed, I still get to read it... Until the sun comes out and I'll force myself to put my device down and get some sleep. I'm so sorry, eyes!
AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS OF DAY COMES FOURTEEN YEARS OF NIGHT.
DON'T GET LEFT BEHIND.
On Marin's island, sunrise doesn't come every twenty-four hours -- it comes every twenty-eight years. Now the sun is just a sliver of light on the horizon. The weather is turning cold and the shadows are growing long.
Because sunset triggers the tide to roll out hundreds of miles, the islanders are frantically preparing to sail south, where they will wait out the long Night.
Marin and her twin brother, Kana, help their anxious parents ready the house for departure. Locks must be taken off doors. Furniture must be arranged. Tables must be set. The rituals are puzzling -- bizarre, even -- but none of the adults in town will discuss why it has to be done this way.
Just as the ships are about to sale, a teenage boy goes missing -- the twins' friend Line.
Marin and Kana are the only ones who know the truth about where Line's gone, and the only way to rescue him is by doing it themselves.
But Night is falling. Their island is changing.
And it may already be too late.
Will I recommend this book to people? Yes.
Was it worth the excitement you felt for it? Yes.
Was it a great book? No... But it was good.
As I've said, I was super excited to read this book. So my expectations were quite high.
But you know what? The book met those expectations!
I couldn't put it down since I started reading it. It's just one of those books that's so well-written and has such an intriguing plot that you just want to continue reading until you finish it in one sitting.
This is a surprisingly short story for a standalone (I've read that the authors are currently writing a spin-off series and are thinking of writing a sequel but not in the near future). Especially since a lot of world-building was required, it being a fantasy novel.
I admit that the story took a downhill turn after a certain point in the story. That's probably because it's such a short story and not everything was cleared up.
But I applaud the authors for putting it all there and being able to tie everything up by the end of the book.
I love how their writing is simple and straight to the point. As I've said before, books don't necessarily need to be written in a poetic way or be filled with mind-blowing metaphors. So long as the reader gets lost in the words and feel like they belong in the world you've created (albeit it being a really scary world), it's a good book!
This is a story about survival, friendship, and trust.
We get to go on a dangerous and scary adventure with three 14-year olds.
That thought alone gets me scared.
But surprisingly, these 3 young people are smart and brave enough to handle whatever horrors they discover in their once peaceful and happy town: Bliss.
After rescuing Line from being trapped in that cliff or canyon he fell in, Marin and Kana try to run back to the docks to join their parents and the entire population of their little town into boarding furrier boats that'll take them all to the Desert Island where they will all be staying for the next 14 years.
The Day has ended and Night has befallen on their island.
Nobody is allowed to get left behind in the island during the Night. Nobody knows what happens to the island during those 14 years of darkness.
If the thought of that doesn't freak you out, something is wrong with you!
After cleaning out the houses and decorating them with specific details, setting the table, and leaving the doors to the empty houses open, the twins start to wonder if they're somehow preparing the houses for someone else to live in.
That creeped me out.
When the 3 of them get left behind and they found a note that contained just one word written on it, I got goosebumps.
When the 3 of them were sleeping at the mayor's chambers and heard footsteps when they know that it was only the 3 of them left on the island, I hid under my blanket.
All kinds of crazy and creepy things happen! Trust me.
The story is gripping and although you'd get a little scared at times, you still want to continue reading because you want to know what'll happen to our protagonists and what kind of curiosity is going on in their island during the Night years.
However, as we neared the end of the story, I got a little disappointed. I just thought that maybe it'll go in a different direction? I don't even know what I was expecting. But certainly not that.
Again, it's probably because the book was so short and we didn't get to read more about what lurks in the island during Night. It all felt a little forced and mediocre by the end.
But aside from that, it was a great book!
I loved the characters!
Especially Kana, the twin brother of Marin.
He seemed the wisest of the 3 of them and the one with the most thoughtful heart.
Marin and Line are what I'd expect 14 year olds will be like if they're really put under the same circumstances that they did in the book.
You'd like to hate them for being stupid at most times but really, you can't blame them.
I really enjoyed it, honestly.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is like me who's mostly afraid of scary books and movies but is sometimes in the mood to read something creepy just to make life a little more interesting.
What's scary in this is the not knowing what lay in the island during Night years. Also, the ever present fear in all of us of not wanting to be left by the people we love and being stranded on an island with no way out.
Don't expect ghosts and horror creatures.
It's the whole idea of 14 years of darkness that's scary.
Happy reading!
