Alone by Cyn Balog

I picked up this book because of the cover. It looked creepy and spooky and just slightly scary, a great book to read when getting pumped up for the Fall. I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was though. I loved this book!

It’s all about a girl named Seda, who moves with her family to the middle of nowhere to a run down mansion that belonged to her Aunt and Uncle, who recently passed. They plan to stay long enough to fix it up and find a buyer, but it turns into a much longer stay than they anticipated and they end up stranded there during a snow storm. Seda’s former Aunt and Uncle ran a Murder Mystery Hotel, so the whole place has a creepy “The Shining” vibe going on. It’s a HUGE house, and it’s only occupants are Seda and her siblings (2 sets of twins) and her mom, who writes horror novels for a living. One day a group of kids show up, looking for shelter because their car broke down during the snow storm. Seda’s mom decides to entertain everyone by throwing a scavenger hunt party, breaking them up into teams and giving them clues to follow. But along the way things start to seem a little too real. People disappear and then dead bodies start to turn up. Seda is eventually left alone to unravel what exactly is going on. Her family is probably all dead, and someone is after her too. She’s snowed in and can’t leave this horrible place she calls “Bug House.”

I was on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t put this book down. I thought I knew what was happening but then there was a twist, blowing my theory to pieces. In the end it reminded me A LOT of a Goosebumps book. It’s scary, there is a twist and you think the story is over and everything is good, but then there is another twist and it leaves you wondering what the heck just happened. It was very well done in my opinion, and when this book comes out in November, I definitely would like a physical copy!

This was a pretty quick and fast-paced read. I love how Balog created this family: a 16-year-old trying to cope after being ripped from her life in a big city, a mother who is a bit flaky but overcompensates by caring a little *too* much, her four siblings who are obsessed with horror movies. It was the perfect setup for a spooky isolated horror story, and Balog writes this one incredibly with great twists and surprises along the way. This was a great scary story for a teen who's not quite ready for the likes of Stephen King but might want something similar.

As soon as I began reading about Seda, our protagonist, and her predicament of being stuck in a rundown, spooky hotel on a mountain top, my immediate thought was, "Stephen King - light". Not long into the story, the author does indeed give a shoutout to the famous horror story master. I found the story delightfully disturbing with many quirky characters that readers will readily identify with on a personal level. The reader follows Seda on a compelling journey through the horrors of teen angst and much more.

While the grisly details of a King novel are left to one's imagination with this tale, I found it to be an interesting look into the adled mind of a seemingly sympathetic adolescent character.

I'm not sure if it was me, but this was a quick read.  I could have read it in a sitting, if I had the mental capability (and time) for it.  So if you like quick reads, this definitely fits that.

Okay, so for the actual review...

I loved it.  Honestly -- I'm a big horror book fan, and this really has it all.  The creepy house in the middle of nowhere; the main character who doesn't know if she's crazy or not; the mother who's a little out there; the siblings who are normal and so cute.  (Like, you're just WAITING for one of them to get it...)  Spoiler: They don't.

Seda is a great character.  She's 16 and not only going through all the normal teenage angst, but she's also dealing with the fact that she thinks she's crazy.  (Not a spoiler, this is pretty much known as the basis of the book.)  And everyone knows that when you put someone who might be crazy in a secluded house during a snowstorm, nothing good can come out of that.

The plot was well-done.  Not only did Balog add a twist to the end, she actually added THREE.  There were things I did not expect, even when I thought I'd actually figured it all out.  (Honestly, this is what always makes me give her a little nudge in the rating factor.  I love a good book that completely surprises (and shocks!) me.)  That being said -- and I won't spoil you! -- I freaking love this book solely on the last 20 pages or so.  Not that the rest of it isn't awesome, it is!  But the last pages really make it stand out.

Other things I loved?  The fact that Balog calls out King's The Shining.  There are several characters who comment that "Bug House" is actually like Overlook Hotel.  I love that it doesn't take itself seriously, and she comments within the story her homage to King.

I also loved that Seda's mom is a horror fanatic and college professor.  I mean, how cool is that?  She's definitely the prof. I would have wanted at college!

Overall Recommendations-

Definitely read this...if you like horror.  If you're not a horror fan, or murder-mystery, you won't enjoy it.  So if you prefer sappy romances, don't go near this book.  This book will eat your romance for breakfast and burp it up for lunch.

I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

This book was not what I was expecting at all. Very different, very interesting. This isn't the type of book that you can rush through that it for sure, if you miss a part of it you can become very confused; at least that is what I believe. The main character Seda (awesome name by the way) begins to question everything around her, especially if she will survive living I that creepy house that she swears has an evil presence. There are so many interesting directions that this story takes the reader in that you are not sure which way is up. Interesting read and I look forward to reading more of Cyn Balog's books. I enjoy finding books that I would not think I would ever read and I am glad I gave this one a chance.
Than you NetGalley and Cyn Balog for allowing me to read and review this book.

I started reading this book ready to be completely creeped out and engrossed in the mystery of the Bug House. Throughout this novel I just felt a little unsatisfied with the "creepy" elements. I was also bothered by the main character, she is really described as a loner, not knowing how to interact with people especially boys, but then her past before the move is explained and I failed to see the problem of why she was like that. I could've just been me as awkward characters are never my favorite. I did like the stories of the rooms though and how they worked into the scavenger hunt. The twist ending was interesting and I definitely saw a few clues along the way. However, the last two pages were probably my favorite part of the novel as well as the most shocking to me. Overall, it was a good read, not my favorite, but good.

I really wanted to read this book. And I really wanted to like it. I even put the book I was in the middle of on hold as soon as I had the chance to read this one. Now its in my DNF pile. I tried, and just could not get into it, I will try again, but this one just wasn't for me. Sorry:(

This was a thrilling and captivating read from beginning to end. <i>Thank you netgalley for the arc for an honest review, it was fabulous!</i>

I couldn't put this one down, it was suspensful and scarier than heck to read and it drove me crazy, thinking I knew what would happen just for it to change at the last second and that made it even scarier.

Definitely a must read for anyone who loves a good horror story.