Monday, September 01, 2014

Review: Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

From Goodreads: There is a right way and a wrong way to summon her. Jess had done the research. Success requires precision: a dark room, a mirror, a candle, salt, and four teenage girls. Each of them - Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna - must link hands, follow the rules ... and never let go. A thrilling fear spins around the room the first time Jess calls her name: "Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. BLOODY MARY." A ripple of terror follows when a shadowy silhouette emerges through the fog, a specter trapped behind the mirror. Once is not enough, though - at least not for Jess. Mary is called again. And again. But when their summoning circle is broken, Bloody Mary slips through the glass with a taste for revenge on her lips. As the girls struggle to escape Mary's wrath, loyalties are questioned, friendships are torn apart, and lives are forever altered. A haunting trail of clues leads Shauna on a desperate search to uncover the legacy of Mary Worth. What she finds will change everything, but will it be enough to stop Mary - and Jess - before it's too late?

My Rating: Slightly higher than 3 hearts, but not quite 3.5 hearts

Thoughts on the Novel: Hillary Monahan's Mary: The Summoning was a book that I have mixed feelings about because although I liked some aspects of it, other parts could have been improved upon.

Here is my list of pros and cons about Mary: The Summoning: 

Pros:
  • I liked that Monahan created a background for Mary. She wasn’t just some ghost, but a girl with a history, which made me want to know why she became so full of fury that she eventually became Bloody Mary.
  • Although Mary: The Summoning was full of horror scenes, they weren't too frightening. While some people might be disappointed by that, I was actually content about not having to worry about whether Mary was coming for me. If you’re a scaredy-cat but want to read a horror novel, I would suggest giving Mary: The Summoning a try.
  • I loved what happened to Jess at the end. She totally deserved it! 
Cons: 
  • I thought there was a lot of telling rather than showing in Mary: The Summoning. For example, before we even really get to know Shauna and her friends, we’re told about their personalities and group dynamics.
  • Shauna and her friends weren't very memorable.
  • I would have liked to know more about Mary’s background. Three letters addressed from Mary to her sister just weren’t enough since they only painted a brief picture of her life.
  • I wasn't too pleased that by the time story ended, Jess’ motives for wanting to summon Mary remained unclear. I had thought that Mary: The Summoning was a standalone, but Goodreads confirms otherwise. Honestly, I'm extremely surprised that one book wasn't sufficient for the overall story arc.
Mary: The Summoning will be released tomorrow by Disney Hyperion. 

Comments About the Cover: It’s so creepy looking! 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Disney Book Group) for free via NetGalley. 

6 comments:

  1. Hmm, I really don't think I'd particularly enjoy this, even though it sounds exactly like my kind of thing. But when I read horror, I like it to be really scary, or what's the point? And unmemorable characters certainly don't help matters.
    Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

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  2. Oh man, I've been waiting for this one FOREVER, but I'm super put off by the fact that it's not that scary. That's... completely not what I was expecting. I might still read this just because it's fall and I like to read scary things around Halloween, but if I can find something legit scary (WHY is there such a lack of thriller YA books?!) I'd probably reach for that first.

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  3. I can't read this one Z. I just can't. The Bloody Mary myth/legend/nightmare is one that has always scared the life out of me, and I know even if this version isn't overly scary I'll still have trouble with mirrors for weeks and months afterward ;-) Hopefully book two delves a little deeper into Jess's motives for summoning Mary in the first place, and is the type of sequel that improves up on the first book!

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  4. Like Jenny, the Bloody Mary thing used to terrify the heck out of me. Despite that, I'm still really interested though, especially if it isn't horrifyingly scary :P I do like the sound of Mary having an actual background story too.

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  5. OMG I used to play this "game" with my friends when we were young all the time. We'd always scare the bejeezus out of ourselves, haha! That said, I am disappointed that this wasn't more scary, contrary to you. I mean, this is exactly the kind of book that should be scary in my mind. I am also a bit dismayed to hear that this one isn't a standalone, and I haven't even read the ending like you have. This really seems like the perfect idea to create a standalone book.

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  6. I can't do horror. And even though you claim that for those who don't do horror, I am not certain that I could even do this one. Even though I am SO SO intrigued. I like the idea of being scared, but actually being scared. Thanks for the review, I'm curious about this one.

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