Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Repossession by Sam Hawksmoor (Review)

Genre:YA Science Fiction, Thriller, Mystery
Publication.Date  March 1st 2012
Pages:499
Published By:  Hodder Children's Books   | 
WebsiteSam Hawksmoor

The Repossession - Goodreads
My review copy:Finished copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Where to get:


34 kids missing. Vanished without a trace.

Believing she is possessed, Genie Magee's mother has imprisoned her all summer encouraged by the sinister Reverend Schneider. Beautiful Rian, love of her life, sets her free, and their escape washes them up at Marshall's remote farmhouse downriver. But why are there newspaper clippings of the missing kids pinned to Marshall's bathroom wall? And should they believe his stories about the experiments at the Fortress, an underground research station nearby?

Genie meets Denis. Missing two years now, but hasn't grown an inch. Rian is haunted by Renée, who insists she's not actually dead. Soon they discover the terrible truth about Reverend Schneider and worse, Genie is next ... and Rian can't do a thing to prevent it.

The Repossession is just the beginning.
(Goodreads)




Genie, the fifteen-year-old bride of the devil.
"If I've got one prayer." Genie added, "it's for Reverend Bastard Schneider to have drowned and taken all his disciples with him. Far as I'm concerned, God is just an excuse to make people miserable the whole time."
 "Whatever magic she possessed it was amazing. She had sent herself right into that building and walked the floors. What a gift to have. He'd heard that some First Nation shamans had it, but always considered it was a myth; and this girl just slipped right into it with no help or stimulants. Extraordinary.










    The Repossession was absolutely amazing! It's mesmerizing, clever, captivating, in short it is everything you could possibly hope for in a book. At nearly 500 pages, it's a pretty hefty book, but don't let that discourage you from picking it up. Trust me, you'll breeze through the pages in no time! It took me one day to finish it (although, I admit, I did stay up till 3:00 am to find out what happens next). Combining the elements of science fiction, mystery and supernatural, it is definitely one of the best, and most fascinating, debut novels I've ever read.

     The Repossession tells the story of Genie Magee, a teenage girl from Spurlake, BC, who - after predicting her grandmother's death - gets imprisoned in her bedroom by her mentally deranged mother and the wicked Reverend Schneider, who accuses Genie of being possessed by the devil. Haunted by weird visions, verbally and physically abused by the Church of Free Spirit devotees, Genie is confused, scared and desperate to escape. Thankfully, she has someone she can always count on. Rian, her beloved boyfriend, will do anything it takes to protect Genie and make her happy, even if it means ripping out the window with a rope attached to his best friend's car (Western-style -> totally bad-ass, baby!) and leaving town for good.This, however, is only the beginning of their many troubles and adventures. They're about to uncover the mystery behind the disappearances of 34 local kids, and its connection to the Fortress, an underground research station nearby that is secretly carrying out experiments with teleportation device. They will also learn the hard way that fighting a well-funded, powerful organization is border line suicidal, even if you have special powers of your own and an adorable little pig for a sidekick.

     This book is a perfect example why I love YA books written by male authors so much. They're simply fabulous. You just don't get this awesomeness anywhere else. The Repossession is so well-researched, and written with such remarkable care for details (especially when it comes to the scientific background), it is simply mind-blowing. Sam Hawksmoor not only managed to capture the unique, slightly eerie atmosphere of rural British Columbia, but he also did a great job depicting the inner workings of a small, secluded town, where everyone knows each other, people are very protective of their secrets and don't appreciate outsiders meddling in their business. My heart belongs to BC, and reading The Repossession made me feel all warm and fluffy inside, as, thanks to many nuances scattered throughout the book, I was able to travel in space and revisit all my favorite places (even Hastings Street is mentioned once! Although I wouldn't exactly call it a favorite place of mine :P).

     Any way you slice it, it's a great and enjoyable piece of literature that just works on so many levels. The science fiction elements are all believable and terrifyingly real. The love story between Genie and Rian is sweet and charming, their devotion and readiness to do anything it takes to protect each other - truly heart-warming. The pacing of the story is great, too. The tension builds up slowly but surely, leading to an action-packed, not-exactly-a-cliffhanger ending that is sure to send you clamoring for the next installment. There's not a single thing I didn't enjoy about this book. The characters are wicked awesome, especially Rian, who is just the sweetest guy a girl could wish for. He's understanding, giving, warm, protective and funny. To Genie, he is a knight in a shining armor, someone she can trust, who will always be there to make sure nothing bad ever happens to her. I loved them as a couple. Their relationship seemed very natural and genuine. In that sense, they reminded me a lot of Todd and Viola from Chaos Walking Trilogy.

     All in all The Repossession is a must-read YA novel. Well written, rich in detail of both character and world building, it's a unique blend of many different genres - from science fiction, to mystery, thriller and supernatural, with elements of teen romance and drama. Smart, dark and graceful, this story is sure to send chills down your spine, make you ponder the events described in it, and wonder just how plausible they really are.








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About the Author
Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.
She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.
You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

22 comments:

roxanne s. sukhan said...

The cover of this book totally rocks!

Lexie said...

Fantastic review! I'm not gonna lie, watching that trailer actually frightened me. Yes, I am alone in a room at night, but still. That's awesomely creepy.

I really love the sound of this. It seems so incredibly original and horrifying, and I've heard nothing but good things. Definitely one I'll have to check out.

Evie said...

@Tinkerbell I love the cover, too! And also the book looks like it's been dipped in a blue pain - the tips of the pages are all blue, it looks totally awesome! :) Whoever designed the paperback did a wonderful job!

Evie said...

@Lexie Thanks for the comment, hun! It's not actually all that horrifying. I mean, sure it has its really creepy moments, and a couple of times I got a goosebump, but mostly it's just extremely enjoyable, captivating read :) I highly recommend it!

Lalaine said...

I just cant wait to read this book!!! I have this sitting on my shelf, sounds so good. thanks for the awesome review Evie.x

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Bonnie said...

This definitely sounds like one of the most unique YA books that I have heard about in a while. It does sound incredibly creepy - but in a really, really great way!

Thanks so much for writing such an awesome review of it and bringing it to my attention! :D

Evie said...

@Lalaine - Oh, you should pick it up asap! :) I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it a lot! Thanks for the lovely comment <3

Evie said...

@Bonnie Yup, it's creepy, but in a great way :) The beginning especially - very mysterious and dark, with the girl being locked up and accused of being possessed, it was really.. creeptastic:P Later on it turn more into sci-fi/adventure/thriller! I highly recommend it! <3

Amy said...

This book sounds really creepy and awesome!! It definitely sounds like my type of book. Fab review!!

Evie said...

@Amy thanks for the lovely comment, gal! :) If you like creepy books, you'll definitely love this one!

Jim said...

Great review of a fab book! Agree that the atmosphere is amazing.

Wendy Darling said...

Sci fi + romance + creepy = right up Wendy's alley. :D Love the review, Evie--I can't wait to read this!

Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

Wendy Darling said...

Sci fi + romance + creepy = right up Wendy's alley. :D Love the review, Evie--I can't wait to read this!

Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

Evie said...

@YA Yea Yeah :) Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! :) Have you read the book yet? If so, I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did!

Evie said...

@Wendy Hiiiii, Wendy~! Glad to hear that The Repossession sounds like something you'd enjoy! I know I did! Thanks so much for commenting on my review <3

Anonymous said...

This sounds great. I really want to read more books written by male authors so this sounds like a good one. Great review!

Kelly said...

You had me at adorable little pig for a sidekick! A must read for me now!!

Jaime Lester said...

I had never even seen the cover of this book until I checked out your review page. The cover drew me in immediately and then I read the synopsis and I was immediately intrigued. After reading your absolutely glowing review, I don't know how I am going to be able to wait to read this. And I love the picture of the kitty cat. That is EXACTLY how I look and feel after I finish a good book. Thanks for this review, and all of your other reviews. You are always my go to reviewer because your reviews usually mirror how I end up feeling about a book after I finish, so I have learned to completely trust your opinions. That makes me really want to have this book in my hand NOW. I am a huge fan of male YA authors. Their views are so different and it is nice to have that change. Thanks again!

Gaby said...

This actually sounds like a really good book. If I had just seen the cover I would not have picked it up but I am so glad I read the summary :)

gracelo said...

I LOVE hefty books! The cover looks perfectly creepy, just the way I like my books c: And the blurb, oh the blurb. Can anything sound better than that? In a nutshell, how I feel: Wow. I feel my TBR shelf growing . . .

Sabryy said...

Nice review! I can't wait to read this book, is definately on my TBR list.

aliaa said...

This book has been on my TBR pile for so long! Can't wait to read it!
Great review.

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