Obsession follows protagonist Shion, a loner-type teenage boy struggling with his relationship with his parents, his friends, and keeping his magic abilities secret. To make matters worse, he’s quickly becoming a suspect in the gruesome murders plaguing the small town—especially because he’s been drawing them before they happen. Just as I’ve dropped that little-big bomb on you, Roffe thrusts readers into wanting to unravel the mystery, in a way that reminded me of the styles found in classic Goosebumps novels. Against the backdrop of a less-than-ideal school attended by Shion, his only two friends, and other characters in the novella, the story ventures into other imaginative alternate realms all while intertwining emotional turmoil with social issues. [...more on What Sleeps Beneath...] While the reader is not sure whether they should trust Shion, the amount of action, unexpected plot turns, and emotional depth contribute to a compelling and cohesive reading experience. What’s more is that while I was able to breeze through each cinematic-like detail with pleasure and ease, I was also able to pick up on details and things about the novella’s characters, exposing ideas about how people adapt to extraordinary circumstances of every kind—death, especially.

I was intrigued by this book as I enjoy fantasy and horror, and this book is supposed to be a fantasy and horror book. It seemed compelling, but it lacked details in my opinion. The book is written in first person. I was a bit confused when one chapter suddenly switched the point of view to another character. It felt unnecessary. I wish there had been more explanation of the magic system. Its fast paced and doesn't really explain things. At first I found it difficult to like the main character and the inner monolog.

I wasn't a huge fan of the writing, but the story is really interesting. It is incredibly fast paced and doesn't completely explain things in an outright way. WIthin the first few pages it is immediately difficult to like the main character and the inner monolog.

There is a ton to unpack in this book. I LOVE the attention to detail that Ang gives his encounters but I would have liked a map at the beginning of the story to have a visual of the locations that the characters move to and from for proximity. I also felt that a list of the characters and their traits would help with emotional engagement from the perspective of the readers because I felt disconnected. That being said I'm fascinated by Shion's world and would love to know more about his magic, school, and the guards! A prequel on the school alone would be epic! ( )

Wow - did not see that ending coming - but I loved it! The diverse cast of characters being themselves appealed to me. The underlying themes addressed in this book really resonated with me. So many of the issues addressed in the world of the book's society are pertinent to what's going on in our own society at the moment. Looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.