The Vines | Christopher Rice | Book Review

PLOT: 3/5
CHARACTERS: 3/5
WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5
CLIMAX: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3/5

The southern plantation estates have always held and retained the charm of the olden ways.

If one can manage to look past its dirty past, there is indeed an aura to these estates.

Spring House in the state of New Orleans in the United States is one such restored old plantation mansion which has stood testimony to the brutal treatment meted out to the slaves who once laboured in the plantation.

But it is not just the past which is dark, the present is also marred by the dark forces which lurk beneath its soil.

In the present day, the forebodingly beautiful mansion is owned by Miss Caitlin Chaisson.

On the night of her birthday, after all her guests have left, Caitlin finds her husband in the arms of another woman, making out in their bathroom on the first floor.

Caitlin shell shocked and depressed, having just witnessed the wreckage of her marriage decides to take her life in the mansion’s gazebo.

But before she knows and realizes, something in her dripping blood has awakened the sinister force which lies beneath the soil and before she can help it, her husband is gone and the woman with whom he was caught cheating is driven mad.

Blake, an old-time friend of Caitlin’s and Nova, the young daughter of the mansion’s caretaker decide to embark on a journey of revealing the mansion’s evil force but what they don’t know is that the evil looms large on them too.

In their quest to unravel the mystery, both Nova and Blake will face situations which will forever change the course of their life.

So what will happen to Caitlin, Nova and Blake? How the mystery connects itself to the mansion’s dreaded past? What will become of the other woman? Will the mystery ever be revealed? How many more lives will be taken?

To know this and much more about the sinister mansion and its past and present, go grab a copy of The Vines today itself.

What I liked about the book are its theme and plot. The perfect combination of history and mystery does an excellent job of keeping the readers engaged at all times.

It is fast-paced and filled with enough thrill to keep one hooked.

The end though unique is not quite as expected. In fact, one may even find the end a bit disappointing.

The characters too are not so impressive and just come across as insignificant beings shadowed by the mansion and the whole larger than life theme.

Nevertheless, The Vines is quite a good read and I, therefore, recommend it to lovers of history and horror combo.