Publisher:
Simon and
Schuster
Release
Date: 30th
January 2014
Edition:
UK proof,
review copy
“I’m
not a bad person. But I’m not who I used to be, either...”
When
thirteen-year-old James discovers a homeless man in an abandoned house, the course
of his life changes dramatically. Hoping to find a ‘cure’ for a dark curse inflicted
on the man, the pair embark on a journey together not knowing that what they
discover will impact them both in ways they never imagined...
A
gripping and haunting story about loss and hope from a talented debut author.
Perfect for fans of Patrick Ness and David Almond.
The
Dark Inside is
a gripping and atmospheric debut from Rupert Wallis. I was intrigued from the
first page to the last.
Not even three hundred and
sixty pages of Rupert Wallis’ writing made me less in love with it. He has a
grainy, dark and haunting about his prose that carries through every sentence
that also has an undeniable quality to it. It’s gorgeous. It really suited the
sense of a quest for James and Webster and the ambiguity of what they were
searching for – physically and metaphorically, especially when questions of God
and the afterlife came into the forefront.
So many intriguing topics were
brought under a vague and roving spotlight in The Dark Inside, and yet not a single one was preachy, in your face
or dominating in any way. Each topic contributed to questions of good and evil,
what makes you human, forgiveness and all that jazz in a way that bridged the normal
between contemporary, psychological thriller and paranormal, but it never sunk
into one category which I liked. But most off all I loved how nothing was black
and white; it’s all grey.
The villains being seen as people rather than
objects and plot devices was refreshing. I loved watching the relationship
between Billy and his ma unfold. They weren’t doing evil things for evil
purposes, they were doing them to save themselves, to help each other, to prove
themselves. It made them real and added a dimension to the story that isn’t
usually present. I really enjoyed it.
Though it sometimes took me a
while to get back into the story, The
Dark Inside is a beautifully written debut and I think that Rupert Wallis has
a strong future ahead of him.
Huge thanks to S&S for
sending me a copy for review! Make sure to keep an eye out for my stop on the
blog tour next week!
Sophie
This certainly sounds intriguing. I really enjoy "darker" (but authentic feeling) stories when done right. The Dark Inside is definitely going on my wishlist.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first review of this I've read - and now I need to have it, I love the sound of The Dark Inside. Fab review :)
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