After Dark - James Leck

Title: After Dark
Author: James Leck
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publication Date: Aug 1, 2015
Available Editions: Hardback, for review EBook.



Netgalley Synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old slacker Charlie Harker is stuck in the sleepy town of Rolling Hills for the summer, helping his mom renovate his great-grandfather's creaky old inn. It's not entirely dull, thanks to Charlie's new neighbour Miles Van Helsing, who insists there's paranormal activity happening in Rolling Hills. Charlie chalks it up to Miles being the town nutcase. But many townspeople are falling prey to a mysterious illness, and wisecracking Charlie quickly gets wise?: there's something sinister going on in Rolling Hills.

Review:

In all honesty I didn't expect much from this book, I thought it would lose me and follow a ridiculous route but, I was wrong. Thankfully I had the right to read this book before its publication date, I did read it before its publication date but I've only just gotten to its scheduled slot. In return I had to write a 100% truthful review.

I have to admit that once I was past the ordinary part of Charlies life at the beginning of the book and we finally got into the weird and wonderful of the main story I got really into it and enjoyed it. I loved how we knew Charlie before he went to Rolling Hills even if it was a brief chapter, it added a little more to his character. I also loved the pace of the book, how the sinister thing happening doesn't happen slowly at first and then all at once. Finally, to keep this section short, I loved the characters as a whole, they were all different but they always seemed to be perfect for each other despite all of their differences.

Bringing characters into it I'll only talk about 5 of the characters, Starting with Charlie, he's the 15 year old main character, he's very sarcastic and he is often looked over and taken for granted throughout the book. He's wise and I wouldn't mind having him as a friend. Miles is what I would call the local nut job, but once you get to know him he's actually not so much as a nut job as you first think. He seems really smart and loves to investigate which gets him in trouble all of the time. He is sometime reckless with his actions which also gets him in trouble. Lilith is Charlie's sister, she loves to do everything Charlie doesn't like wear pyjamas that allow her skin to breathe and learn martial arts and eat vegan food. Johnny is Charlie and Lilith's older brother, he's a movie star and a Model and adored by many people for his star as a Vampire hunter. Unlike everyone else he somewhat enjoys and laughs at Charlie's sarcasm which makes me smile. Elizabeth is the daughter of a rich man, she dries a porche and becomes somewhat the only sane friend Charlie has in Rolling Hills. I can picture her being very pretty and elegant and I'm not 100% why I think that.

I had nothing wrong with the book, I actually laughed way more than I thought I would if at all and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to admit I was so into the book that by the end when I swiped and the page didn't turn I felt my heart drop to my toes. I hope that there are a few more books that lead on from this one as I really did enjoy it.
I award it a 5 and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a laugh or just something a little different to what they normally read.