Review: After Obsession by Carrie Jones

Title: After Obsession
Author: Carrie Jones
Format: Hardcover ($17.99 US)

from the jacket copy:

ALAN

There she is. The dream rushes back to me. We were falling, clutching at each other, with twisting darkness all around us. . . . The girl looks up at me and I realize I've stopped walking and am staring at her. I see something in her eyes, something like recognition.

AIMEE

And in that second, I know, absolutely know, that something in my life has changed irrevocably. This is the guy from my dreams. Right here. And we are going to have to do something, save something, together. I just don't know what.

TOGETHER

Alan and Aimee have just met, but already they are bound to each other by something they can't quite name. Something that rattles the windows, haunts the waters . . . and threatens to tear them apart before they get a chance to find out what their connection means.

After Obsession reminds me a lot of Cryer's Cross -- same kind of deal -- the town is haunted by some mysterious being that possesses individuals and drives them insane. The only difference is After Obsession is double the length and takes twice as long to get into. I will admit that by the time I was halfway done I would have rather gouged my eyes out with a cafeteria spork that continue reading, but I pulled through, and I am way glad I did because after the shaky and slow beginning, I really began getting close to the characters, and -- hallelujah -- the action started to pick up.

The subject matter, and how it has to do with missing people and dead people shrouded in 
mystery, is one of my favorites. Not knowing how the book will turn out is something I really love, and with the story being so mysterious, it allows for plot holes, which I am not going to point out.

Alan is one of my least favorite names in the world -- it sounds so '50s -- but his character was really awesome. Aimee was also awesome, and a redhead. Alan kept calling her Red (which doesn't compare to Carrots, from Cynthia Hand's Unearthly books, but still made me go D'awwwwww). Their relationship was one of my favorite aspects of the book. I am pretty sure it's a standalone, but I'm going to bite my tongue. You can never be too sure (*cough cough* The Pledge *cough*).

The summary of the book inside the flap is very vague, and that's good, because I read the Goodreads summary which told a lot more (it was kind of spoilery) after I finished it, and if I would have read that before the book it would have ruined the book completely for me. So, guys, don't read the goodreads summary if you plan on reading this!

One thing that didn't quite click until I had read the book was the title. After Obsession? What did that mean? If you look at the back of the hardcover edition of the book, it has an explanation of what that title means. Basically, there are four stages of possession. Obsession is the third and possession is the fourth. Therefore, if you look at the one that is AFTER OBSESSION, you get possession, which I think the book should've been called.After Obsession is an action packed book, but beware the first half! Don't lose yourself in the boringness. I promise it'll be worth it. 

Four Owls