Cover Image: Hell: The Possession and Exorcism of Cassie Stevens

Hell: The Possession and Exorcism of Cassie Stevens

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Member Reviews

Great book, I enjoyed the premise a lot, lots of jargon to get through but I don't feel it takes away from the story or understanding what's going on. I enjoyed the side characters a lot, even the treacherous ones.

At times it was creepy and I had to pause, but writing was GREAT! Really loved the dialogue and descriptions, so look forward to reading more by them!

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I liked certain aspects of this book but I didn't like others. The story was 100% predictable but there were some good fresh ideas in there as well. I liked the characters but following so many in one book is difficult for me to do. The horror scenes were well described but were not scary. I guess I'm just kind of torn with this one.
At the end of it all I'd say this book was good but not great.

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It's seldom that I come across a book that cause me to have disturbing dreams. This is one of them. Lewis spins his story and envelopes your imagination in such a way that makes you want to stop reading out of fear yet compels you to continue. Read this book, if you are brave enough.

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A young girl dies, and is revived 20 minutes later... only to find that in those 20 minutes, her life has been changed forever. She straddled two worlds during that short time, and left the door open for an evil entity to accompany her back to the world of the living. Slowly but surely, her life begins to change...and not for the better. Suspenseful, slightly superior writing, though probably more geared towards teen and YA readers.

** I thank the publisher and/or author for allowing me to read this novel as an ARC, without recompense, in exchange for my honest review. **

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*thank you to Netgalley and Tom Lewis got a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 stars.

I can honestly say that this book held my attention the whole way through. It was a bit different to how I'd imagined but it wasnt worse. The story tells of Cassie and her life and leads up to the Exorcism at the end. I had expected it to get to that part sooner but the story was paced nicely so it didnt end up bothering me much. The story was interesting enough as it is. I was disappointed though with the level of horror. It felt bland and I did expect it to be creepy. So if you are one of those people who likes horror stories but with only a little creepiness, then this book is perfect for you. But if your like me and love to be given actual nightmares (though that's pretty rare to actually happen) then I'd say skip this because its not actually scary even though it does have a good story.

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This book was fast paced but the plot was not very scary, or even creepy. I found the characters to be 1-dimensional and not very interesting. The entire story felt 'distant,' and could not immerse myself. The story felt like it was being told 'at you' rather than feeling part of the story as the reader.

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I ended up DNFing this pretty soon after starting it. It became quickly obvious that it was going to be one of 'those' books. You know, the ones where the authors write to a particular stereotype and it grates on your nerves a ridiculous amount?

For example: Goths must be into Bad Things, because they are Goths. Or being interested in Bad Things (aka: learning more about the occult) means that you will soon become a Goth. And did I mention that Goths are obviously Bad? Yes, bad with a capital B.

That was enough to annoy me right there. However, the general feel of the writing in the book was also simultaneously inexperienced and overly moody, so I called it quits before I ended up raging at the book.

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Cassie Stevens changes from a happy, friendly teenager to a depressed teenager. She becomes attracted to three Goth classmates. They have her become go to Black Mass even though Cassie isn’t sure she wants to do it. She goes along thinking she can always back out from it. She feels a presence in her. Her personality changes, she lashes out with and without any provocation. She’s rude and uses language one doesn’t normally used. One night after a fight with her mom, she sneaks out to be with her goth friends. There is a terrible car accident. A little girl dies in the other car and Cassie dies in the car with her friends. Before she dies, she sees a black shadow. After the doctors revive her, she sees shadows, hears voices and loses control of her own body. She has decided this is due to a demon in her — she is possessed. Cassie ends up in a mentally ill hospital where the doctor is sure she just needs to deal with her problems. She is visited by a childhood friend who believes her when she tells him that she is possessed by a demon. He goes and talks to a priest asking him to help Cassie. Will the priest perform an exorcism? Will Cassie survive?

A fascinating novel that explores what a possession and exorcism is. It shows what Cassie goes through. The story moves at a quick pace but gives you a spooky feeling. It is well written. This is a horror story that focuses on the main character. It makes it a great story to read!

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Man! That was a good book!
Cassie Stevens is a typical, petite girl at a Catholic School who's life is pretty unremarkable. She has two parents that love her, a family dog, a best buddy and she gets good grades. A painful loss causes her life to slowly spiral downward and what was once unremarkable gradually becomes terribly, horribly remarkable. Cassie begins hanging out with kids who are leading her down a dark and dangerous path. The "disturbances" begin. Classmates and teachers begin to fear her. She keeps seeing a shadowy presence in her peripheral vision. The colors of her world flatten. The sounds dull. She's scared.
Then one horrible night a tragic accident claims lives. Cassie dies....but she is revived and from that place in death comething has come back with her and her life becomes a living hell.
Dogs she doesn't know fear and hate her. She loses memories and time. In her dreams she revisits that place she saw in death, that place she knows of as Hell, and in her waking hours it keeps popping up in the corner of her vision. "Evil hides in the periphery".
This books keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. You do not know who is going to win this g battle and what (or who) the collateral damages will be. I am not Catholic, but I believe that the author knows this subject very well and it appears to be well researched. The writing is spot-on and the characters are well fleshed out, real and easy to empathize with. Thank you netgalley for letting me read and review this book. I hope to see this on film one day. #netgalley #hell:thepossessionandexorcismofcassiestevens

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This was a chilling supernatural tale, although it did follow the predictable formula of the non believing doctor wanting to prescribe medications, and the priest who is losing his faith before turning into a hero. I still enjoyed it. Cassie was an average girl, up until she lost her dad. Before that, as the coach's daughter she liked to watch the games, and was friendly with the players. Things changed for Cassie after his death, and she took up with a different crowd. Dying her hair black and dressing Goth and getting into trouble. Cassie's new friends don't just look the part, they are playing with Satanism and Cassie is along for the ride.
After a car crash something is different. Cassie was dead before they miraculously revived her but something evil from beyond the grave wants her back.

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