Kathy Reviews: The Faustian Host (Apocalypse Signs) by Dave Becker

ASIN #: B007KNLFAY

File Size: 309 KB

Page Count: 221

Copyright: March 14, 2012

Publisher: Dave Becker

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Plymouth Rock is bleeding. Day has turned to night. Hundred-pound hailstones level buildings. The small town of Clement seems cursed, and the residents know who's to blame: the new kid, Tony Marino.

After losing his family and his home, 14-year-old Tony is forced to move from Florida to Massachusetts to attend Kalos Academy, an unconventional school for gifted children. Strange things begin to happen the day he arrives, and soon stories of plagues, monsters, and mystical objects surround him. Refusing to believe superstitions, Tony struggles to explain the occurrences logically, until he comes face to face with a satanic cult determined to bring about the end of the world.

Kathy's Review:

I've read a few of these types of books so far for review ... seemingly normal kid has some traumatic event happen to him/her, finds himself enrolled in a school for special kids, discovers he has powers he never knew he had. Makes friends with a few misfits, tries to catch the eye of the popular girl, another kid is out to get him for no apparent reason. Yep, here we go again.

Tony's uber-religious grandma passes, leaving him an orphan - oh and then his house is destroyed by a meteor. (Traumatic even? CHECK). He's taken to Clement, Massachusetts by his godparents, the Browns, whom he has never met to this point. He's accepted into Kalos Academy, which is highly prestigious and has very high standards for their students. Tony appears to be an average kid with average intelligence but he is accepted nonetheless. When he starts school, he befriends Jubie, described as a nerd, Erica, who is a bit out there, and admires Katie, the beautiful popular girl (CHECK and CHECK), but seems to have an immediate enemy in jock Dan (CHECK).

The difference here is The Faustian Host is well written, the dialogue is appropriate for the teenaged characters, and it's actually entertaining to read. There are unexpected twists, some historical and biblical flavor, and the plot moves at a quick pace. The characterization is also quite good. Tony's character is a bit of a smartass, but deep down he is lonely and wants to fit in at his new school. When the finger of blame is pointed at him for the disturbances around town, he is isolated and wondering about his past.

Like the other books I've read, The Faustian Host is intended to be the first in a series, and leaves many unanswered questions for the reader to ponder until book two. This is definitely a series I would continue with, and I think teens and adult readers of the fantasy genre alike would find this one right up their alley.


*An ecopy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.