This is an entertaining and traditional horror story that leads you to think you know where it's going, then surprises you with amazing twists that you weren't expecting at all, melding into a fantasy tale full of entertaining details. The events are so unexpected, it's difficult to mention much about the book without giving anything away!

It seemed to be geared toward a young adult audience, despite a few curse words, here and there. I think it's a very promising first installment in a series which is sure to be just as entertaining, and just as full of the unexpected. If you like a horror novel with creepy monsters and feel-good redemption, this one is for you. ( )

SMALL THINGS will keep you on your toes. It has elements from both the horror and the thriller genre, but also has romance highlights. A well-written intense plot with likeable, fleshed-out characters will leave you wanting to read the author's next book. Well done, Mr DeRouen.

*I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

mall Things is a cross between thriller and a horror story, with a touch of fantasy and magic, set in small-town America. The story is a quality read and well paced. The suspense is skilfully manipulated by the author, rising like tentacles of velvet steel to capture the reader and draw them in. As the title implies, small or ordinary things are used drive the plot forward, and the plot is well constructed and realised. Joe DeRouen is adept at raising and sustaining tension. This book will not disappoint.

The story opens strongly as Shawn, a 15 year-old whose best friend Tanner has just drowned in a local lake, is attending his funeral. Tanner's sister Jenny believes a monster attacked him. Shawn is not so sure - but he has a sense that something has been following him. Soon we are seeing flashes from the monster's point of view (the viewpoint is often varied but at well-chosen intervals), stalking Shawn and Jenny in search of a talisman of great power, which is wanted by an ancient evil... there are some memorable scenes. One action sequence particularly stood out for me, which is when Shawn is chasing through town on a stolen motorbike trying to catch up with the monster who is stalking Jenny. If this one doesn't get your pulse pounding, then I'm not sure you really had a pulse in the first place.

I think if the things I've noted below don't bother you, you are in for a very solid, enjoyable read - just don't read it on a dark night! Or you'll be checking outside your window. And under your bed. And in every shadow...

For me - and this is largely a matter of taste - there were a few false notes down in the detail that moved this book away from being a grip-you-by-the-throat thriller and catapulted me out of the action; a few moments where I rolled my eyes: 'of course', where the believability factor went down the proverbial drainpipe. For example, the scene of digging up a grave on a dark stormy night. It was well written and presaged a fine plot twist, but I felt I had been there before too many times. Raining? Stormy? Main character in the hole while the bad guy forces him to dig? Move on, please. Monster has just threatened/attacked you and you go wandering around town late at night, or take your girlfriend to a deserted park for a little romantic time? That would be a little stupid, don't you think? There's a random sex scene between minor characters and the epilogue seems oddly chosen.

The characterisation of Shawn and Jenny felt a little lacking. With more depth I might have connected more with them as people. Shawn especially moves quite suddenly from an 'average' teenager to a more mature-sounding character with knowledge of the occult and a bloodline (no more detail for fear of spoiling), which is an integral part of later events.

However, don't let these foibles put you off what is a mighty fine debut novel. If scary is your thing, this one is for you. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review and I look forward to the next volume in this series. ( )