At the Edge of the Forest
At the Edge of the Forest
By Amy Cross
The Sexton’s musings (spoilers are likely)
This one is set up in parts where one of the characters first person POV dominates. It is in their voice. I think this is one of my favorite set-up styles for a book. There is no question as to whose experience you are emersed in. It's a good set-up. There is never any question as to who you are dealing with. Makes for a very easy, uncomplicated read.
Rita Bone (Sister to Shannon)
Oh Rita. She is sympathetic and pathetic all wrapped up into one package. Not 100% sure how old she is, but she is definitely older than she acts. I mean what person in their late teens needs their big sister to make them dinner before she goes out. Just eat a pop-tart and shut up! I recommend the brown sugar and cinnamon, personally. She is awkward when interacting with people, though it seems her mind is able to process adult things but when in practice she just fails miserably. She runs off emotion which makes her an easy target for Alice. I'm also not sure her relationship with Shannon is all together healthy. I'm all for sisters being close but it almost seems to be an obsession for her. She keeps talking about how Shannon and she were going to leave together and get their own place. Do adult things. But what about their separate lives. Shannon does not strike me as the type of person that wants to babysit her little sister for the rest of her life. I can't blame her for that. This, of course, does not mean that they can't be close. It just means that they are not going to end up spinsters living in the house at the end of the lane that children won't walk past. What happens to Rita is awful. The influence that Alice has over her is almost total. Even though she has glimpses of her own mind, thinking that whom she is interacting with is not Shannon. Somewhere deep inside she knows. The last part that Rita takes part in, ends with her death. She describes what she is seeing and feeling. It's rather intense. It really is too bad that she has to die knowing that her sister is alive. She also knows that she came back for her so there is that small kindness. There are some bloody parts during this part, so be aware.
Brian Carter (Hopeless romantic, coma survivor, kidnapper, murderer, deal maker)
Brian is quite the character. He is most definitely a sociopath but he also seems to have some sort of moral compass because he actually knows the difference between taking the young girls and eliminating human garbage from the face of the earth. He is one of those characters that I don't know whether to shake his hand or dig a six foot hole for him. Regardless I can appreciate him dealing with Mason, the drunk that likes to murder small children with his truck. Now I would like to see him deal with the judge that keeps letting him off, because honestly, he's worse. The other interesting thing is that Brian seems to have his own mind when it comes to the control that Alice has. She just makes it so that he does not feel and guilt or remorse for what he is doing. The very things that she feeds off of (high emotion) are the things that she removes from him. It's just kind of ironic to me. It is sad that everything that he does was for a woman that did not reciprocate his love. When the veil drops it gets kind of ugly. Turns out she remembers not being attracted to him and then like a switch goes off all of the sudden she is madly in love with him. It would be disconcerting for sure. He actually turns out to be an okay guy. Misguided for sure but he at least is trying to make things right, or as right as he can possibly make them.
Shannon Bone (Older sister to Rita, aka Glenda (all will be explained))
We travel back in time to find out what really happened to Shannon and it's not pretty. Prior to her disappearance she and her friend Glenda really have not done much with their lives. Sounds like Shannon really wanted to, but she's gotta get the hell away from her alcoholic mother and her trailer. She seems to be relatively intelligent so I question why she is still hanging around her mothers stoop at the age of 26. Going to bars looking for losers. Losers like Mason. Losers like Dave, who is abusive and the reason why Shannon is aka Glenda (apparently the friends look very similar). Oh yeah and after Shannon does all that for Glenda she ends up going back to the dickhead asshole that she was running from. Some day the people in this world are going to see her story on one of those true crime documentary shows like “Evil Lives Here” or something. Shannon has been the only one to resist the charms of Alice (not that a 300+ year old teenager is all that charming). This is why Alice is so desperate to get her hands on her. Turns out that this will be Alice's undoing. We start the book thinking Shannon is dead but turns out that she is very much alive and kicking. She's just made some very bad decisions.
Edward Collins (Researcher, forest ranger extraordinaire)
Edward has a small but pivotal part to play. This is the first time that we really get a description of the creature. Ed believes that it's trying to reach out and communicate with him. He also believes it to be peaceful but he could not be more incorrect on this. His first clue should have been the retreat of every other living thing in the area. Like the entire forest. Animals know, it makes me wonder why we are so stupid. This thing is a predator. Unfortunately Eddie's ignorance and lack of instinct gets him eaten. At the time our creature is only a child so imagine the damage it could do as an adult.
Enola (in search of something, sensitive, fortune teller)
Rita goes to Enola as a last ditch effort to figure out what happened to her sister. Enola is in fact the real deal and gives her some info that turns out to be good. Unfortunately by the time Rita checks it out, Shannon is not Shannon but Glenda. As Glenda and Shannon switched ID's. Oh yeah and we find out that she is the real deal because of the influence of the forest. Honestly her help could have been invaluable had Brian not listened to that bitch Alice and killed her. He didn't even want to. Weak as water he is!
The Forest and Alice, the creature
You can't forget the forest and the creature that is within. Afterall not all characters have to be human. Sometimes the environment is a character all in itself. The creature has a direct influence over the forest. I suppose she has had plenty of time to hone her abilities. Were talking 300+ years. A 300 year old teenager who acts like a 5 year old throwing temper tantrums when she does not get what she wants. Talk about an entitled little shit! It's interesting that she still has the stature of a child. She, of course, is twisted in appearance beyond belief but you can still tell. She is also very emaciated which makes her easy to carry as Shannon picks her up at one point. I suppose this answers the question of if a child does not become an adult than what do they become? Well hears an answer for you. Her back story is tragic and her parents running off of pure emotion make the worst decision they ever could make for their child. So much suffering. Can you imagine being one of her victims? Being tortured and injured to the point where you should be dead but you are not because you are in the forest. It's a bloody awful prospect.
Closing thoughts:
You know there is one thing that springs into my mind and that is through this whole story everyone is warned to stay the hell out of the forest. And what do all these dumbass people end up doing? Going into the bloody forest! Shit even people who have warned others not to go in end up going in. It makes my head hurt. I suppose if they hadn't then she would have just kept on killing or rather had her minion of the time doing it.
I have to say this is a unique story. It would make a very interesting movie. You have all of the elements right there at your finger tips. Wouldn't have to change a thing. An interesting monster with an interesting back ground. Decent characters. I'd watch.
