Draw the Dark - Book Review

Draw the Dark
by Ilsa J. Bick

What is it about:
There are things in Winter, Wisconsin, folks just don't talk about. The murder way back in '45 is one. The near-suicide of a first-grade teacher is another. And then there is 17-year old Christian Cage.

Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy, and ever since he's drawn and painted obsessively, trying desperately to remember his mother. The problem is Christian doesn't just draw his own memories. He can draw the thoughts of those around him. Confronted with fears and nightmares they'd rather avoid, people have a bad habit of dying. So it's no surprise that Christian isn't exactly popular. What no one expects is for Christian to meet Winter's last surviving Jew and uncover one more thing best forgotten--the day the Nazi's came to town.

Based on a little-known fact of the United States' involvement in World War II, Draw the Dark is a dark fantasy about reclaiming the forgotten past and the redeeming power of love.

What did I think of it:
I fell in love with Bick's Ashes trilogy and while waiting for the release of the last book, Monsters, I decided to try one of Bick's other books.

And I am glad I did.

Draw the Dark is a beautiful and intriguing story.
The mix of history and the paranormal is done really well and I was drawn into the story from the start.

Christian starts seeing scenes from the past in his dreams and during his waking hours as well. Intrigued and confused by what he sees he starts digging into the past only to discover that there are those who'd do anything to let the past stay buried.

I was very intrigued by the glimpses into the past. Bick used historical fact to create a really suspenseful story of her own. The fact she chose a rather little-known part of history made the story even more interesting.

The way the story is set up makes for some intense reading. Little bits of information are revealed in intervals each giving away a little bit more about what happened so long ago and I couldn't help to keep trying to guess the whole story. The past events have their impact on the present time and I think Bick did a wonderful job of connecting the past and present storylines with each other.

All in all this is a really suspenseful and intriguing read that shines a light on the darker side of human nature and I'll reread this book for sure. I will also most certainly check out other books by Bick.

Why should you read it:
It's a really interesting and intriguing Paranormal YA read.