Reviewers Helping Authors

Darkroom
by
Poppet

I am not going to review this book in the same manner I have others. With others, I choose my words carefully with poise and precision. With Darkroom, I am just going to write down the way it made me feel while reading it, the different emotions that went through me. I feel this is the only way I can do justice to this work by Poppet. I am not going to give a lot away about the contents of the book because I want the reader to go on the roller coaster ride I took from the very beginning.

Darkroom is not for the weak hearted and is one hundred percent for adults. It is a very dark read with a villain I have never encountered in any other book I have read. While the character Victor is a vicious sadist, that 'does the will and work of God', and is called Vengeance, that results in torture and certain death for his female victims, until he comes across an 'angel' named Shauna. He becomes a nightmare in her life, popping up whenever he feels she needs to be 'disciplined' to the point of insanity. And in order to make her love him, so he can have her completely in her real life, he has to find a way to be Victor, her savor that rescues her from Vengeance.

This book only took me two days to read. I could not put it down. It stirred up a lot of different emotions in me. On one hand I wanted to hate Victor so much, and I did for the pain he inflicted on Shauna as Vengeance, but yet after the torture was over, he was Victor who nursed her back to health. I feel he truly came to love Shauna and I felt good that they were a couple.

Poppet has shown great brilliance in Darkroom. She knows how to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. She knows how to put the reader into the story, allowing him/her to feel what the characters are feeling and experiencing. She knows how to bring out the worst fears and nightmares the reader could ever have. This book is not for the squeamish because it is very violent, graphic, sexual, and just plain DARK. I feel Poppet has done what she has set out to do and that is to scare the crap out of whomever dares to pick it up to read. So, reader beware! For me, I loved it! My genre is usually paranormal/fantasy but i totally enjoyed it! It also takes the reader on a adrenaline rush, not knowing what the next page or paragraph holds. You think the story is going in one direction, and predictable, when !wham! you get smacked in the face with a turn you never seen coming. I actually found myself talking to myself while reading this book. And when I can do that, then it is a fantastic piece of work! I also feel she is giving the reader lead way to interpret what Victor/Vengeance is and why he is the way he is. And I will not reveal anything close to the end. Let it be a surprise, a disappointment, a tragedy, justice, whatever you see it to be.

Poppet, you have outdone yourself, and I look forward to more of your work. Thank you for giving  me the opportunity to read and review this book. I recommend it one hundred percent and I can say with assurance, anyone who picks it up to read it, will not regret it!

I give Darkroom Five Stars *****

Reviewed
By

Nora Barteau
http://norachipleybarteau.blogspot.com/