After a tragic accident leaves her without her father—and without her right eye—twelve-year-old Lydia Ramirez is forced to start over in the small town of Relic’s Rest, Ohio. New house. New school. New problems. Lydia doesn’t want to be here. She doesn’t want new friends. And she definitely doesn’t want to deal with her cruel cousin. But Relic’s Rest has secrets. Dark ones.
Whispers of a witch named Adeliza Barrow still linger in the town’s history—a woman accused, betrayed, and punished long ago. Most people say it’s just a story. Until Lydia finds the grave. And wakes something that should have stayed buried. Now, children are in danger.
A shadow moves through the town. Scissors whisper in the dark. And Adeliza Barrow has returned to finish what was started—taking from children what was taken from her. To stop her, Lydia must face her fears, uncover the truth behind the legend, and find the courage to stand up for herself—and for others. Because in Relic’s Rest… Some stories don’t stay buried.
This was a rather strong and likable kid-friendly genre effort. The main storyline comes across as a rather effective use of the traditional storyline about a figure arriving in a town with a cursed background, slowly uncovering the truth, and being sucked into the madness that causes it is a quite familiar one, but it's handled well enough to get the appropriate elements established. We get an easy look into her tragic backstory that adds a solid bit of sympathy towards her as we know her history with her father and how she became disfigured. The arrival at the town gives her a chance to get introduced to the strange legends associated with the town, and she decides to follow through with the witch's grave, which sets the adventure in motion. There are some fun adventure setpieces in play here, focusing on the way it plays out, bringing about the various encounters with the different creatures as it leads into the final confrontation with the witch to finally end the hold it has on the town. This allows for a series of interactions that are character-building features, looking to help establish a sense of courage and friendship in children with a story that works rather nicely, leaving this with a lot to like.
4.5/5
Comments
Post a Comment