CommonBookSense: Book Review: Barking Madness (Ryan Hill)

Barking Madness

By: Ryan Hill

Genres: Coming Of Age, Paranormal, Thriller

RECOMMENDED FOR READERS 17 AND UP DUE TO STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS, DRUG USE, AND MILD VIOLENCE.

"My life is crumbling away before my eyes while I do nothing to prevent it. I have visited too many funerals, for too many friends who haunt my dreams. Everybody dies eventually, right? No, everybody dies young when they befriend me. Was I born to die young? I don't think so. I'm the only one here with the nerve to stay alive. I can't be left alone. Not with that hollow man, the one who hides his face. That's what he wants, me to be alone, because once I'm alone he's going to kill me!"

Seventeen-year-old Rosetta Harper is plagued by nightmares of a masked man. With her father’s new career move, her family has just relocated from Florida to the small New England town of Ashwood. A quiet town and close-knit community where you know your neighbors, and trouble is a word unspoken. But soon after her arrival, her world and the worlds of her classmates come crashing down.

Michael hates his family and feels alone and unloved. He only finds comfort when he's with his friends, but even they get on his nerves. Everything about Ashwood and his life bores him, until Rosetta Harper moves into town. With her as a new classmate, Michael finally gets the excitement he was looking for, but it may be at too high a cost.

**WE WERE GIVEN A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR THE FOLLOWING HONEST REVIEW**

I don't even know where to begin with this book. I guess we should start with the book itself...I found this book to be very stiff. If you've never read a stiff book, then you probably don't know what I'm talking about. A stiff book is one that doesn't really flow properly. Instead of envisioning smooth characters, you see boxy and awkward beings. You could compare it to the first and thirteenth seasons of Family Guy (for example), the first season doesn't look so bad upon first glance, but when you put season one and season 13 beside each other, you realize that season one is really rough looking... It loosens up around 30%, but around 35 the awkward, stiff dialogue and forced story-line make a return. The concept behind the book was good, I mean, who doesn't like a demented monster wold running around in their head?? And that one little twist that confuses you, as well as Rosetta.

Onto the characters; I have a strong dislike for them. Rosetta, the main-main character is my least favorite character, seriously, I borderline hate her guts. She is such a bitch! (I was given permission to use that word, so do not fret) I mean, my GOD, she uses people and has little to no regard for their feelings or the trouble they go to to do what she asks. She is selfish, and mean. Think of her as one of the rude popular girls that turns their noses up at anything nice in the world. And she's a total whore/slut. Sorry, it's true. Where are her parents??

Okay, so, Micheal (a.k.a Mike). I don't understand him. And, quite frankly, I was ready to hate him after he said he 'loved' his dog, but didn't care if she was hit by a car/lived another year. I think that Mike may have not been a very thought out character, because in the beginning of the book he said he was sad to see his dog deteriorating in front of his eyes and was worried that she wouldn't live another year? Am I missing something?

I feel as though I would have liked the book more if I didn't hate the characters. Because of my instant dislike of Rosetta, I had to REALLY focus on the plot/words of the book. If I adored the characters, I don't think it'd have mattered much.

I made it to 49%, I was 13 pages away from 50 (which is half of over 600 pages, so there ya go. I basically read a whole average-sized book). I honestly would have finished the book, because I am genuinely curious about the ending, but this morning was my deadline for this review (set by my mother), so I had to write it.

Anyway, the links to all the things will be below.

Don't let my review stop you, read this book, when you get past all of the bad things (which is very few), it's actually a really interesting book.

Have you guys seen the changes...I mean, you're here, so you must have. What do you think?? Is it too girly? Mom said no, but I dunnooo. And our logo changed, how about that? Why don't you tell me what you guys think in the comments?

Keep your noses in the pages and I'll blog you later, my lovelies.