A haunting, deeply disturbing, original work
I have never read anything quite like this book. It is incredibly disturbing, with its central character, Dette Chambers, being fixated on death. She believes that she is cursed and, seemingly, causes the deaths of many others. However, whilst death never really leaves the pages, the book also contains a love story. Dette and a would be author, Zach, meet in a cafe. To put it simply, he forces himself into her life, becomes fascinated with her journal and in doing so the two fall in love. The character of Dette, once so cold and detached from life, must confront her inner demons as the romance develops. In this way, she is able to control her obsessive addiction in regards to death, and be reawakened.
One of the most original books that I have read in a long time. It is many things all at the same time: disturbing, dark, sad, but also emotional, passionate and, in a perverse way, uplifting. A story of a developing relationship, bound with almost supernatural elements. A big surprise and well worth a gamble on.
Rachel Anderson, A LoveReading Ambassador
| Primary Genre | Horror and Supernatural Fiction |
I certainly enjoyed reading this book and would be interested to read more by this author. I can understand it must have been a very difficult novel to write, as it looks at many universal questions regarding life and death.
Dette Chambers' Death Journal is probably one of the most unusual books that I have ever read. I found it quite slow starting, as it is very difficult to warm to Dette, the main character, but I was intrigued to find out how and if she would develop throughout the book. Upon meeting Zac, who will eventually accompany her on her journey, she has to reassess who she is and whether she really is the monster she considers herself to be at the beginning of the book. The more I read, the more I needed to know how the story would pan out. This is a really dark book, and at times an uncomfortable read, but I think it appeals to people who like vampire type books as well as readers who are open to discovering something really different and at times extremely challenging.... Read Full Review
