Something, book I in the Wisteria series, by Shelby Lamb is a dark, adult, horror and paranormal novel. And when I say dark, I mean pitch black dark.
Even though most of the characters are aged 16, I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone under 18. The novel is meant for mature audiences and is high in adult content. There is also lots of profanity, so if you don't like it, read at your own caution.
"Bella gasped, delighted, glancing at the red Happy Birthday Bitch written around two fondant boobs and a fondant ass with the exact butterfly tattoo she had on her butt."
Something by Shelby Lamb juggles four main characters, but the main main character is Aubrey Golding, an obsessive emo with suicidal intentions. Aubrey is constantly over-obsessing about her ex-boyfriend, Nathan, who ditched her three months prior. It is interesting to see the obsessiveness and how she struggles with and how Nathan suffers from it. Still I felt it was a little overdone at times.
Other main characters include Bella, a narcissistic 16-year-old looking to make her name in the porn industry, and 15-year-old Kendra who is pregnant with twins.
What do all the characters have in common? They all talked to or mingled with Aubrey, who has recently picked up a book called Something from the local library. As the book progresses, Aubrey shares bits and pieces with the other three main characters.
"Vines bordered the edge of the first page, vines that wiggled and swayed as if they were alive."
I liked how Lamb kept giving the reader bits of information that the characters themselves were unaware of, like creatures hiding in the darkness, pages moving, horns appearing and more.
"She hobbled toward the bathroom…not noticing the long, outstretched arm that slid back under her bed. Pale as a sheet, except for the dark veins, it had barely missed her ankle."
A few things about the narration bugged me a bit, sometimes I felt that the author's personal views of her characters entered the narrative, disrupting the flow, and sometimes I felt certain parts could be skipped, particularly with several dialogues and some day-to-day descriptions. Similarly, some of the scary parts could have had shorter sentences instead of "then" and other linking words. There were also a few slightly gross, albeit needed, scenes.
There were also some character discrepancies in Aubrey. Sometimes she was a bit mature or seemed grown up, at others she was like a 10-year-old.
On the other hand, among the things I liked about Something was Shelby's use of thought-provoking similes and imagery throughout.
While I'm usually not a fan of love triangles, Lamb's triangle is well-crafted, maintaining suspense.
I liked how the author made me like and dislike Aubrey at the same. Just like Aubrey's conflicting world, the reader is made to feel conflicting emotions about her. While I often pitied her, there were times when she irritated me. In her fit of rage, I was totally rooting for her though.
"She closed the door, not noticing the strange, horned creature sitting by Aubrey's sleeping body, hunching over her like a dark, ominous cloud.
That night, while everyone slept, a pale, smooth and slender hand placed a gift box down on the doorstep. He had found Aubrey once again.
He always would."
Normally, Something is not a book I would have picked up, but I'm glad I got out of my reading genres and read this.
Something is a quick-paced, scary novel with short chapters and several lives intermingled, making the book interesting at all times. Highly recommended.
"I can smell the Demonolib curse on you."
Overall rating: 4.75 stars
Note: I received a free copy of Something from its author Shelby Lamb in exchange for an honest review.
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