PLAYLIST and GIVEAWAY
The Unwanted
(Black Water Tales Book 2)
(Black Water Tales Book 2)
by JeanNicole Rivers
The Unwanted is the second book in the Black Water Tales by JeanNicole Rivers. Also available: The Secret Keepers.
The Unwanted is currently on tour with Xpresso Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt, a playlist, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
In the remote, eastern European town of Borslav there is St. Sebastian orphanage, a place where people discard their unwanted children. For the American, Blaire Baker, it’s the perfect place to volunteer her services. Paired with a cheerful volunteer nurse, Blaire is enthusiastic about the possibilities, but is quickly discouraged when she encounters the nefarious nature of the staff and the deplorable conditions of the facility and the children.
Upon arrival, one of the children informs Blaire, “There’s something in the basement.” It isn’t long before strange things begin happening, including Blaire’s flashbacks of the accident that killed her parents. The children soon suffer injuries that Blaire, first, fears may be the deeds of the callous workers but she soon thinks the abuse may originate from a source that is less than human, something unwanted.
The unwanted is coming but in order for Blaire to fight it, she must dig into St. Sebastian and herself in search of truth. Blaire wants nothing more than to help the children, but when discovers the tragedy that happened in the basement and learns that the same evil forces are still at work, it will be Blaire who needs help … There’s something in the basement.
Book Video
Excerpt
Click below to read an excerpt.
Praise for the Book
"This book is creepy, keeps you glued to the pages. I normally do not read this type of book, but I am so glad that I did. If you like, suspense and scary tales, this book is a MUST READ!!!!!" ~ Nubia Loya
"Each chapter ended on a cliff-hanger, making it nearly impossible to put this book down. Between the cliff-hangers at the end of each chapter and all the stakes/tension throughout the story, this novel is a page-turner! The ending was completely unpredictable, as was what Blaire dug up about the orphanage and the true evil that infected the place. I highly recommend this book to fans of horror and pulse-racing thriller novels!" ~ April Wood
"The writing was fantastic, I loved the visuals that the author painted and how she went straight for quick, easy descriptions to really draw me into the world she was creating. [...] I found myself completely wrapped up in the mystery of the old place and the author didn't overdo the scares or draw out the fight scenes. This haunting tale pulled me right in." ~ Reader's Hollow
" ... while this says it's book 2 in the Black Water Tales books, it reads fine as a stand alone. I did feel I missed something when Blaire referred back to the curse but it doesn't take away from the overall story here! I will definitely check out book 1 though, because this author captured my attention with this book, and if the writing in this is anything to go by, then I'm in for a treat." ~ Natalie @ BookLoversLife
"This is a definite must read for fans of creepy tales. Its highly enjoyable, utterly captivating, and totally horrifying!" ~ Pretty Little Book Reviews
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Blaire Baker is a teacher from the small town of Black Water, which is said
to be cursed, along with all its inhabitants. She accepts a volunteer post at St
Sebastian orphanage in the small Eastern European town of Borslav and is
accompanied by Travis Wells, a nurse, who is also a volunteer with the same organization.
St Sebastian is housed in a derelict building where it has become custom for
people to leave their "unwanted" children. Even though Blaire has
left Black Water behind, she's been warned by her aunt that she "can't
escape the curse". And if the strange workers, children, and townspeople of
Borslav are anything to go by, her aunt may just be right. But the biggest
question is, what's behind the door leading to the basement?
This book is very slow to start and, unfortunately, the pace doesn't pick
up until the very end. I felt totally removed from the action, didn't get the
sense of being there, and felt no emotion for the characters or their
situations. I couldn't even keep track of the workers or children, as no one
has a distinctive personality. The references to Blaire's past bullying and her
parents' deaths are irrelevant and unnecessary to the story, their only apparent
function being to somehow link this story to the town of Black Water.
The writing is overly verbose, with awkward sentence structure, clunky
metaphors, numerous editing errors (including the use of where for were, you're
for your, decent for descent, passed for past, unto for onto, poured for pored,
scrapping for scraping, dual for duel, Boslav and Boraslav for Borslav, ambers
for embers), and the unnecessary use of archaic words that only serve to further
distance the reader from the action. The author also uses so many creepy
metaphors that you don't realize when the creepy stuff is actually happening.
The story is told in the third person from Blaire's point-of-view, but the
author occasionally slips into Travis's point-of-view from one paragraph to the
next. There are also some major inconsistencies: the story is set in an Eastern
European country, yet everyone speaks English, including all of the children in
St Sebastian; the reports Blaire finds read like stories - even including
speech - but who had the information to write these reports, much less write them
in such a fashion?; Travis is a nurse but doesn't even realize he is sick; Blaire
takes the lift up but has to call it up again when she goes back to it a minute
later.
I love horror and I was so looking forward to reading this book after
reading all the glowing reviews. I even bought the first book, which I probably
won't read now.
Sorry, but I just didn't feel this one.
Playlist
Check out the author's specially selected playlist to go with this book.
About the Author
I was born in the tiny, but lovable town of Centralia, Illinois, which has a two screen movie theatre, one high school and still celebrates May Fete, so I had no choice, but to develop a fantastic imagination. Since childhood I have been writing everything from short stories to songs, but I have always aspired to compose a novel. BlackWater Tales: The Secret Keepers is my first novel and the first book in what will be a series of thriller novels.
Philosophy was my study in college and I received a Bachelor of Arts in the subject from Florida International University. Writing is one of my most favored artistic pursuits, but my love for the arts does not stop there, I am also a vocalist and actress and participate in local theater in Houston Texas.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win signed copies of The Secret Keepers and The Unwanted by JeanNicole Rivers OR a $20 B&N gift card (US only).
Links
