DIREWOOD

Aja searches for her missing sister after strange happenings hit their small town.

Aja and her slightly older sister, Fiona, are the only Chinese American family in their mostly White town of Glenn Hills. Aja can’t stand the pressure to conform and live up to the intimidating role model her sister is. Then Fiona’s birthday party is ruined by strange, voracious bugs; an unearthly fog; and blood-red rain, and everything changes. The next morning Fiona is gone, and soon other teens go missing. When Aja hears a creepily seductive voice calling to her from the window, she follows the creature, vowing to rescue Fiona from him, and is drawn into the foggy world of vampire Padraic. The ordinary 1990s small-town America setting strongly contrasts with the graphic horror elements. Explorations of fitting in, the faces one shows to society, sisterly bonds, friendship, and social pressures are well developed. While the central mystery is predictable and genre fans will find the horror elements rather familiar, the themes of freedom, choice, and what separates monsters from humans are intriguing. Those who enjoy insta-love stories and vampire lore will be satisfied with those elements, but ultimately, the rushed, anticlimactic ending disappoints.

An uneven read, although one filled with atmospheric creepiness and gore.