Review by Booklist Review
Suspenseful and delightfully disturbing, Barlow's debut chronicles Jack Harper's childhood growing up with a Satanic-cult leader for a father. Cyrus treats Jack well on the surface, but it becomes clear later that he is selfish and out for his own gain. While she ages from 7 to 17 during the novel, the narrative is very childlike throughout, showing Jack's innocence and curiosity giving way to righteous anger and then uncertainty as she struggles to find her own place in the world. Barlow initially paints Jack's house as one of mystery and wonder anyone would love to explore, but as Jack struggles with the expectations placed upon her, everything takes a dark, twisted turn. Jack's heartbreak is impossible not to empathize with when she learns the truth behind Cyrus' plans and questions the gospel she grew up believing. This is a promising beginning to the Jack Harper trilogy that will leave readers anxious to find out more about Jack's future and whether or not her new-found powers finally bring her peace.--Carrie Rasak Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Impressive and arresting prose drives this vivid debut, which launches the Jack Harper series. Jack is seven years old when church leader Cyrus first manipulates her into killing a man with the promise of bringing him back to life. When Cyrus keeps his word, he sets in motion Jack's 10-year grooming as a murderer and a linchpin of the cult's success. However, Cyrus's ability relies on an imprisoned creature with the ability to resurrect the dead, and a mysterious box that tells Cyrus the names of those who have decided to betray him. Despite Cyrus's unrelenting insistence that "devolution, chaos, and the downfall of innocence" are to be sought in the name of power, Jack's innate morality overwhelms her conditioning when Cyrus shows her a group of innocent children intended to be sacrificed. Prompted by what she's seen, Jack must figure out how to defect before the box provides her name to Cyrus. Barlow's gorgeous writing will easily propel readers through the rest of the series. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A teen becomes an apprentice to a murderous fanatic with an incredible power in this supernatural novel. Jack Harper was 7 years old when she first killed a person. In his mansion's basement, Cyrus Harper instructed his adopted daughter to use a butterfly needle on Roland James' neck, bleeding him out. And yet later that night, Roland was alive and well. Cyrus has a power, coming from a secret source, that can resurrect the dead, heal the sick, or simply rejuvenate the weary. He's decided to raise Jack alongside his own son, Alex, while building an organization dedicated to "devolution, chaos, and the downfall of innocence." By destroying innocence, Cyrus may "ascend" beyond the mortal confines of humanity. Throughout her teen years, Jack learns finer things, such as playing the piano, but also how to kill remorselessly. She comes to learn that Cyrus' power draws from a living being locked in a hidden basement chamber. Eventually, Cyrus wants 17-year-old Jack to help oversee his burgeoning flock of devotees that he assembles from the needy and homeless. She sees in action a monstrous supernatural force that disintegrates those who have betrayed Cyrus. Jack has never imagined turning against her father figure. But his ultimate plan to destroy innocent life is so shocking and violent that she decides she must stop him. In this series opener, Barlow breathes life into an exceedingly dark fantasy that should leave readers terrified of the outcome. Key to Cyrus' power is an oblong red box that coughs up black stones marked with the name of whoever has pivoted from the cause. The author's delightful game, then, is to help her protagonist outmaneuver this box. Jack, meanwhile, uses heroin to forget the faces of her victims. The prose captures the dismal truth of being in an abusive relationship with lines like "Reality was a bit like a funnel, and all of it led to Cyrus." Thankfully, Jack meets a wise woman named Margaret Whilhelm, who says: "There are things in the world that make you more you than your origins." A savvy finale adds several new pieces to the game board, making the sequel unmissable. A darkly imaginative thriller featuring plenty of sharp characters and emotional complexity. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
