A psychological horror story unlike any other, Ryan Hill’s Barking Madness explores the psychology of teenagers in today’s world while also analyzing the psychology of a person experiencing a supernatural event, and does so with vigor and passion. Here is the synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Rosetta Harper is plagued by nightmares of a masked man. With her father’s new career move, her family has just relocated from Florida, to the small New England town of Ashwood, a quiet town and close-knit community where you know your neighbors, and trouble is a word unspoken. But soon after her arrival, both Rosetta’s world and the worlds of her classmates come crashing down.
Michael hates his family and feels alone and unloved. He only finds comfort when he’s with his friends, but even they get on his nerves. Everything about Ashwood and his life bores him, until Rosetta Harper moves into town. With her as a new classmate, Michael finally gets the excitement he was looking for, but it may be at too high a cost…
Overall this is a great story. The author does a marvelous job of bringing to life the struggles of the average teenager, and showcase the mindset teens have when facing larger than life problems. The only criticism I have would be that the novel could have benefitted from less lengthy chapters. The story was strong enough to stand on it’s own, but in several instances the story would delve into too much detail, and would have been better off leaving things to the reader’s imaginations.
I did enjoy this story. It was an edge of your seat thriller with characters the reader can either identify with or can associate with people close to them. The small town life these teens have mixed with the supernatural and psychological horrors of the story make this a fascinating read. I will say as a word of warning that this book does delve into mental illness within the story, and showcases how teenagers sometimes view it. While true to today’s world, the less than politically correct viewpoints of the characters at time could be triggering to those who struggle with mental illness. Despite this, the story was a fun, intense thriller with a heart-pounding conclusion you guys won’t want to miss, so be sure to check out Ryan Hill’s Barking Madness, available now!
Rating: 8/10
http://www.pulsepub.net/barking-madness.html
