By Reviewer: DianneTitle: Solitary
Author: Travis Thrasher
Primary Audience/age group: Young Adult
Genre: Christian Horror
# Of pages: 392
Publisher: David C. Cook
Year of Release: 2010
Part of a Series? Yes, 1 of 4
Rating: 3 (View Scale)
Recommend? Yes
Description: From Amazon:
“His Loneliness Will Soon Turn to Fear….
When Chris Buckley moves to Solitary, North Carolina, he faces the reality of his parents’ divorce, a school full of nameless faces—and Jocelyn Evans. Jocelyn is beautiful and mysterious enough to leave Chris speechless. But the more Jocelyn resists him, the more the two are drawn together.
Chris soon learns that Jocelyn has secrets as deep as the town itself. Secrets more terrifying than the bullies he faces in the locker room or his mother’s unexplained nightmares. He slowly begins to understand the horrific answers. The question is whether he can save Jocelyn in time.
This first book in the Solitary Tales series will take you from the cold halls of high school to the dark rooms of an abandoned cabin—and remind you what it means to believe in what you cannot see.”
Review: Chris and Jocelyn are both searching for a faith that neither possess. Chris has rejected God as he believes that his father’s faith is the cause of the breakup of his parents’ marriage. Jocelyn knows of the faith of her parents and seeks reassurance from a God that she doesn’t know. She feels that there is something sinister at work in the small town of Solitary and has felt that evil has been stalking her ever since her parents died in a car crash when she was six.
The story moves quickly, with much of the action taking place in Chris’s mind. You can feel the frustration that Chris experiences as no one will talk about what is going on in the town, and Chris concludes that he can trust no one. The mysterious warning notes that show up in his locker, the unearthly cold that surrounds him in the woods around his house, the strange deserted cabin in the woods and the feeling that he is always being watched all serve to put him on high alert. There is hope, as Chris considers the Bible that his father gave him before the move…Maybe that is where to find the answers… The questions abound and answers are elusive…even at the end, which leaves plenty of loose ends to be tied up in a sequel…
Rating: 3 for violence
Positive: Chris is very respectful of his mother’s feelings and is very protective of her. He has made a pledge to himself to always respect girls. Chris also has a protective instinct which comes to the fore when he steps in to defend a younger student whom he doesn’t even know who has been set upon by bullies in his high school. Chris is totally dedicated to Jocelyn and completely loyal to her.
Spiritual Elements: Much Satanic activity was implied even though there was no overt reference to Satan. The smell of sulfur, a demon dog with glowing eyes, the total absence of any indication of the celebration of Christmas, the strange message from the pastor that counsels “Don’t fear darkness…Fear the light that tries to burn it out.”, a group of people wearing red robes attending a bonfire at night…all indicate a satanic presence. The faith of Chris’s father is a thorn in Chris’s side throughout the book, but in troubled times, Chris considers what he knew of his father’s faith and wonders if it might provide some guidance. Jocelyn’s parents were Christians before their deaths and Jocelyn is comforted by that fact. She also finds answers in the Bible that Chris gave to her.
Violence: There are repeated incidents of bullying throughout the story, even to the extent that Chris is knocked out, gagged, tied up and dumped in the hole underneath an abandoned cabin in the woods. Chris is attacked and bitten by a “demon dog” when trespassing on a neighbor’s property. Jocelyn is physically abused by Wade, a “step-uncle” with whom she lives. He slaps her across the face and she shows up later with a bruised face from a beating she received at his hands. There is another incident where Wade attacked her, tearing her blouse, and hinting at attempted rape. She denied that she had been raped.
Language: None. There is the mention of hell, but in reference to the place, and not used as a profanity.
Sexual Content: There are a number of times when Chris and Jocelyn kiss and one incident of Jocelyn reaching for Chris’s belt buckle, but he rebuffs her. Jocelyn’s aunt lives with Wade, who refers to himself as Jocelyn’s “step-uncle”, but is not married to him.
Other: Chris’s mother drinks heavily on a number of occasions, to the point of being incoherent or passing out. Chris and Jocelyn attend a party after a school dance where students are drinking beer.
Recommendation: I would recommend for high school and up due to the subject matter.
