BOOK REVIEW: "Whitby After Dark" by Stella Coulson

Lenore Lee wants nothing more than to make new friends in her new town of Whitby, Yorkshire, and to forget about the disturbing dreams that hold her captive at night. But what she discovers in Whitby, might be even more disturbing than the dreams. Dreams which may hold the key to her survival in the hidden world of the Supernatural…

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

A novel starring a teenager who is an outcast might not seem so original at the outset. But even from the first page you know this book is going to be different. Lenore is plagued with nightmares that seem very real, and turn out to be just that.
She gets dragged unwillingly into the world of the supernatural that exists in Whitby [the town made famous in Dracula by Bram Stoker] and faces horrors unimaginable.
While the story is original and very entertaining, I found that the star of the book was Lenore and the rest of the characters.
Lenore is very similar to how I was during my high school years, with some added problems. But she's a good lead; she's strong and determined with a good heart. A great heroine for readers out there today.
The story's darkest parts, in my opinion, come from Lenore's stepfather, whom you learn to despise right off the bat. The themes get much darker than the normal paranormal story would, and that's something I feel I need to warn readers about, as a lot of reviews don't. Sexual abuse is prevalent and could be difficult to read about for some. But Ms. Coulson wrote it as eloquently as possible so as not to be vulgar or hurtful. She also didn't play down the abuse, or use it to make you pity Lenore. It is dealt with expertly and professionally.
I think that, while this was a bit short, it read very well and will definitely make you want to read the next book immediately.

4/5--an excellent book that weaves reality and horror together seamlessly.

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