By Jenni Beaver–During the last four days I have had one thing going through my mind. “Just one more chapter.” I’ve been reading—and I have been enthralled with—Steven James’s Blur, the story of Daniel Byers, a sixteen-year-old Wisconsin student, who, over the past few weeks, has been seeing “visions” of a girl named Emily Jackson. Let me explain.
Emily Jackson, a girl who was deemed invisible by almost everyone around her, was found in the local river. Face down. Dead.
Daniel, the son of the sheriff, accompanied his father to her funeral, and even though he hadn’t known Emily, he felt a sense of responsibility for her. Maybe if he had paid more attention to her, then she wouldn’t have been lying in the casket. Those thoughts plagued his mind as he made his way through the line and to the open casket. He saw the young girl, skin blue and pale, and just as he was about to walk away, the unthinkable happened. She opened her eyes.
Now, I am not the type of person who enjoys ghost stories of any kind. However, as a loyal reader of Steven James, I decided to give Blur a chance. During the first few pages I was underwhelmed and couldn’t help but think I had made a mistake. Maybe I should have just stuck with James’s traditional FBI and police thrillers. I have just one thing to say… I was very wrong.
This story isn’t just about a ghost or the supernatural. This story is about acceptance and finding your way through this crazy, messed up life. As a teenager, I can certainly relate to the characters presented in this story. As you flip through the pages, these characters become real and their stories captivate you with every word.
The suspense is insane! I couldn’t put the book down, because it seemed that with every end to every chapter, there was another unanswered question, and I just needed to keep reading to figure out what would happen next. There were twists and turns, just like James puts in his other thrillers, but this time, all of this intense adventure was happening to a group of teenagers. It was a crazy adventure and a thrilling ride that I can’t wait to go on again with book two of this trilogy, Fury.
A little disclaimer for all of you who are anxious to read the book: things aren’t as they appear. That goes for every piece of the book. Nobody is who you think they are and nothing is what you think it is and this story is just one mind-bending twist. With that said, I wouldn’t recommend reading this book unless you like a little bit of a scare, because some of the things that you’ll read make you want to keep a nightlight on as you drift off to sleep. After all, I don’t think you want to be caught by surprise when Emily Jackson shows up in your room ripping a necklace through her neck.
If you like a little bit of suspense, agony, thrill, and adventure, make sure you pick up Blur by Steven James at the local Barnes and Noble. It’s a wild ride, but well worth it once you get to the final page and all of the pieces fall together.
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