The Merciless ~ by Danielle Vega – 3.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, High School, Horror, Peer Pressure, YA

 This is just one of a few YA books that are generating alot of buzz out there. Here’s my thoughts:

Sofia Flores is used to be the new kid in school. Since her mother is an Army medic they move frequently and now they’ve landed in Friend, Mississippi. She’s shocked when the most popular girl in school, Riley, takes her under her wing. Even better, a sweet, good looking boy named Charlie takes interest in her. What could go wrong? Unfortunately plenty. Riley, along with her two minions Alexis and Grace have decided that a former member of their group Brooklyn is possessed and needs their “help”. Will Sofia be able to prevent a tragedy, or will she play whatever game it takes to be popular? So, first the cover. Loved it! I mean it’s pink with an upside down pentagram and crucifix. Brilliant design! I also liked the plot. It was kind of Mean Girls/The Craft meets the Exorcist. It also kept me guessing throughout most of the book about whether or not Brooklyn was really a demon. The best part of the book was the ending which truly lived up to the promised “twist”.  I finished it in two hours because I couldn’t put it down. My poor husband would wander into the room wanting to talk and I couldn’t even look up. I just kept waving him out. The violence is extremely explicit but I’m a Stephen King fan so except for an incident with a cat near the beginning this wasn’t an issue for me. So, what was the problem? Really weak and unlikeable characters. Riley is a religious psychotic and Grace and Alexis are her sheep. Sofia does nothing but wring her hands and remain undecided about whose side she’s on. And then there’s the attraction between her and Charlie. I believe there can be love at first sight, but the way this was written just didn’t work for me.  It seemed as though the author or her editor thought “Oh! YA fiction. Must throw a romance in there.” There are several loose threads. Like what exactly were the circumstances behind Sofia’s grandmother’s stroke and why is her mother so anti-religion? Are they connected to what happened at Sofia’s previous school? There’s a bunch of things that are thrown in or alluded to and then dropped. This may be because this is the first book in a series. I’m not sure. I will say that despite the fact that it drove me a little crazy at times, I’m intrigued enough that I want to read the next book. And yes. There’s already a movie in the works. By the people behind Pretty Little Liars no less.