Title: Vanished From Dust
Author: Shea Norwood
Genre: YA Paranormal Mystery
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
This book is the first in a series.
A CHILL RUNS THROUGH HIS SKIN AS THE PHANTOM APPEARS.
HE SEES THEM EVERYWHERE . . .
Eric Stark is not insane. Or at least he doesn’t think so. He wishes everyone in Dust, Texas, felt the same way. But that’s not going to happen since the whole town thinks he’s crazy. Why didn’t he keep his mouth shut?
No one understands. Eric is alone as he battles his sanity in a town of tormenters. Suddenly a new friendship emerges after the new kid, Kyle Barrett, moves to town.
Eric reluctantly reveals his secret. Is it a curse or a gift? He isn’t certain, but with Kyle by his side he finds the courage to seek the truth.
They soon realize that something sinister is descending on the residents of Dust.
Is it caused by Eric’s phantoms or is it something else? Is it connected to the mysterious death of hundreds of townspeople over sixty years ago? One thing is certain—only Eric and Kyle can save them.
They set out on a heart-pounding adventure and find themselves transported to a disturbed and deserted version of their small southern town. They quickly discover that this new world has mysteries of its own to uncover. What they find could prove more than they bargained for, and it only leads to more questions. Eric and Kyle must face a horrifying fact—they may never get out alive.
“We’re gonna die here,” Kyle muttered.
“I don’t believe that,” Eric said. “And neither do you.”
Will they survive their encounter with these dark and mysterious beings?
Will they find a way back home?
Or will they be lost forever?
The Vanished from Dust series is perfect for anyone who craves a hair-raising thriller packed with mystery and suspense. This paranormal story for young adults can be compared to Stand by Me, mixed with Odd Thomas, and a twist of The Dark Tower.
Vanished from Dust is an interesting, suspenseful YA paranormal mystery novel with a few surprising twists. I was eager to read it from the moment I read the synopsis, and needless to say, I wasn’t dissapointed.
Eric, our protagonist, sees things that can’t be real. The other people in town think he’s insane though, and they try to stay as far away from him as possible. All, except Kyle, the new kid in town, who wants to befriend Eric, and who convinces his new friend they must get to the bottom of this mystery and find out the truth about Dust, about the hundreds of town people who disappeared in mysterious circumstances over sixty years ago, and about how it’s connected to the phantoms Eric sees now.
Their search for the truth has them trapped in a disturbed, deserted version of Dust, where nothing is what it seems, and danger lurks around every corner. This version of Dust is slightly reminiscent of Silent Hill, and brought back all the memories I had from playing that game. The author manages to paint a vivid, scary setting and describes it in such detail the reader can easily imagine what’s happening.
I had goose bumps several times while reading, not because I was afraid, but because I did feel a thrill. The book starts out a little slow, which isn’t a bad thing though, it gives the reader time to connect with the characters. But once the first few chapters are done, the pace picks up significantly and races on until the end. A great book, recommended to mystery fans and young adults.
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