Well, be scared... Or not really. "Seven-X: Terror to the Seventh Power" is an entertaining enough short novel, with an interesting enough premise that, unfortunately, fails to deliver on its promises.

And all starts well enough. We have reporter Eddie Hansen, who is investigating some death row victims who seem to have been shipped to a secret institution, even though officially they have been executed and their bodies disposed of. Eddie got the information from a friend that went to investigate the place and disappeared and he thinks he can make loads of money with this investigation. Pretty soon he seems to discover secret dealings in the place, and strange things seem to be happening, while the 'owners' of the place keep telling him they are dealing with demon possession. Till here, all good. A mystery, a place out in the middle of nowhere, some demons (maybe)...

However, the delivery lacks and the plot is weak. After the good introduction, and Eddie's arrival to Uphir, we just get Eddie doing silly things, making risible mistakes, and shouting for no apparent reason at every corner.

The problem is that there is no clear character development. Forget all the secondary characters that are just there to further the plot. Center on Eddie Hansen. It is difficult to believe his journey, because there is no clear explanation of why what happens, well, happens. We see him shouting, or fighting, getting angry, but not why, and his explosions of anger make little sense if we don't really see why they should be happening. It all seems quite random, just to further the plot. And the demons... Don't start with the 'demons', because there is not a moment you will believe there are demons in the story, apart from reverend Billings telling you once, twice, or a million times, that there are demons in the story.

A big part of the problem resides in the writing. Mike Wech tries to make all easy to read and fast-paced, with videos, audios, blogs, and phone conversations to further the plot. However, along the way, the author has forgotten that just conversation a book don't make, and that we need some description, even some actions and situations. The book is basically Eddie talking to himself or to people, but with conversation that are shallow and have little meaning. Instead of Eddie analyzing the situation or describing things, it is Eddie saying: 'I'm gonna get lots of money, there is a secret here'. Once, it's fine, it's acceptable. But when he says the same thing on page 5, 24, 50, 57, etc., it becomes also repetitive.

On top of that, some moments it seems the book is preaching to the reader. Instead of making the reader wonder and discover, there it comes a sentence of the bible or some long diatribe by reverend Billings about demons. It makes the reader detach from the story and it feels like being hit on the head with a book... Hmm...

seven x by Mike wech.
Eddie Hansen is a free Lance reporter. he is given a tip off about a prisoner Annette Dobson who is said to be in the uphir behavioural centre. he goes to investigate. this book is his diary of what happened while he was there. his girlfriend melody receives the file.
Omg a eerie spooky and gory read. I just couldn't put it down. wanted to know what happened. fantastic. 5*.

A hauntingly original tale that manages to expertly mix creepiness with mystery and unforgettable characters.

Eddie Hansen, an investigative reporter, gets a tip that the execution of death row inmate Annette Dobson was a cover up. Annette, "The SIDS Killer", was transported to a behavioral health center outside of Dell Texas. In hopes of finding Annette and exposing the truth, Eddie voluntarily commits himself in order to expose what he believes to be illegal and unethical experiments on unwilling patients. As Eddie digs deeper into his investigation, what he finds is an evil so malevolent his own soul may be in danger.

Wow! This novel was insane and seriously creepy. Seven-X is written from the protagonists POV through his recovered journal entries, video diary, and recordings while in the behavioral center. Eddie believes he will be exposing a large corporate cover up but instead finds himself in the middle of a paranormal rehabilitation experiment in which the patients are suffering from demonic possession. Seven-X is one of those novels that builds up (e.g. The Exorcist) with each horrifying experience revealing a deeper decent into darkness. I read this in one sitting but even after I finished it I couldn't stop thinking about it. This novel was frightening not because it was overly graphic but because it slowly builds more like a psychological thriller...which I love.

Eddie Hansen discovers that there is much more to the behavorial center. Eddie's experience is written, recorded and videotaped about what he sees. He is unable to believe the information given to him in the beginning. He decides to voluntarily commit himself to find/see the truth. There is more than one would expect in this novel.

The novel is horror, mystery, thriller, and much more. The characters in the novel are well written. I was so deeply enthralled with the story that I could not stop reading it unless I had to. There is the "good vs. evil" plot in this story that is communicated to the reader subtlety. Do people have the evil insides the self as suggested by the novel? I don't know. Read this fantastic novel, you won't be sorry!

In what reminds me of a "Shutter Island" meets "The Exorcist", a beleaguered reporter, scrambling to salvage his life after a bad relationship, seeks out an almost mythic psychiatric facility, which he believes is a conduit for still-alive death row inmates who have secretly escaped execution. He has agreed to pose as a patient to find out the story behind the facility and those murderers he believes are housed there unbeknownst to the rest of the world.

Expecting to navigate the facility fairly easily to obtain his story, he instead finds himself challenged at every turn, in a place that isn't found on any maps, and has a crazy, malevolent aura that extends far outside the boundaries of the hospital. As he delves deeper into the mystery, he begins to question his own sanity, and is assailed by forces that shouldn't exist. Increasingly, the goal isn't to get his story, but to escape with his mind intact.

I couldn't put this one down, as I had to find out what would happen. There was a palpable sense of dread and foreboding, and I found myself saying out loud to the main character, "oh no! don't go in there!", "what are you doing? get out of there!" as the scenes were set up well, and the psych facility began to reveal itself in all its horrific splendor. I found myself thinking about it long after I finished the book.

I am glad that I was given the chance to read this book. From page one, I knew I was in for a treat. It has something for everyone. This is one of those books that as you read it, you are looking over your shoulder. Demonic possession, horror, psychiatry, etc, it is all here. Please do yourself a favor and pick up this book. :I will be reading more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I quite enjoyed this book about a reporter who goes undercover in an asylum to find out the truth about disappearing death row inmates.
The story was fast paced and quite tense and atmospheric, well written with easy to understand language and a solid plot, the only reason I gave four stars instead of five is that I found the ending unsatisfactory and wanted to know more about what happened.
All in all, definitely worth a read if you like horror, demons and possession.

Wow! An intense, kept me on the edge of my seat read. This was my first time reading a book by Mike Wech and I was not disappointed!