This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Ken Stark doesn't only write horror, but he mostly does. Why? Because when it comes to shining a light on the best and worst of mankind's nature, nothing works better than a dark backdrop. And if it happens to give a few people nightmares along the way, he'll take that as a bonus.
Arcadia Falls came about when he asked a younger reader what kind of book she'd like read next and she responded, "Something scary, with a monster, and some kind of mystery." In deference to younger readers (or, more specifically, to the parents of younger readers) he kept the language clean, but he doesn't believe in an age limit when it comes to dolling out the nightmares.
Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite
Something isn't quite right in Arcadia Falls, and it's up to a group of teenagers to solve the mystery. Some nerds, later joined by some unlikely additions, find out that something is influencing people's memories: the whole town seems to have forgotten about people who went missing in the past. When the little brother of one of the group disappears, things become personal. A teacher seems to know more than he wants to admit at first, but once he decides to cooperate with the group of friends, he also finds out more than he bargained for. Something is hiding in the middle of the old town - a part of Arcadia Falls nobody seems to visit, and nobody seems to care about. The deeper the friends get into the old part of town, the more danger surrounds them. Will they eventually also be forgotten? Or will they discover the truth?
Horror novels these days are often a disappointment. They lack plot and substance. They have flat characters and silly endings that just make you shake your head - if you even have the will to make it to the end of the novel. Fortunately, Arcadia Falls by Ken Stark is neither disappointing, nor lacking, nor boring. And it has an ending you can be fairly happy with, i.e. it's not weird and doesn't make you think "What the heck did I read that for?" The story develops slowly, which gives you a chance to actually get to know the characters and their surroundings. That's good because it makes you care about what happens. If you don't care, then there's no excitement. But you don't want these people to die or suffer even though it's a horror story, so you can imagine it doesn't come without suffering and death.
I had a lot of fun reading this novel and cheering the unusual group of heroes and heroines on during their rather perilous quest to rid their home town of an old curse/haunting - whatever you might call an infestation of horrible creatures that feast on people and then erase other people's memories. I was actually waiting for one of the usual horror novel pitfalls that make you want to throw the book against the wall and wonder why the author was allowed to publish the novel, but none came so I was pleasantly surprised. It's a solid horror novel that's suitable for teenagers and adults alike as there is not that much gore, no excessive swearing and no sexual encounters (yes, good books can shine without all of that).
