(This review may contain spoilers).
Ideally, I’d give this book 3.5 stars. I did enjoy this book and found it a fairly easy read, but I was a bit disconcerted when it suddenly switched from first person perspective to third and then randomly back again.
For a book that I’ve seen and read so much about, it took me a very long time to actually read this. I was intrigued by the way the book started and it didn’t take me long to start to like Arnie, even though he was acting in ways so completely out of character.
While this book did move a bit slowly in parts, when the action occurred, it was pretty major. There were parts of this book that were very disturbing to read – and outside of Dennis and Arnie, there weren’t too many characters I liked. It was easier to see why Dennis was so affected by Christine, but less so when it came to Leigh, for instance.
While I didn’t like the switch from first person to third, it did allow me a glimpse into how the other characters viewed Arnie’s obsession with Christine, as well as Arnie himself. I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him, especially when it felt like he was trying to reach out for help and no one was around.
I didn’t like Christine. Yes, the car was a character in her own right. And at first, I actually felt a small sense of sympathy for her. At first, it seemed like she was lashing out to protect herself and her owner. Like a dog trained to bite to protect his or her owner. It wasn’t until someone who was (relatively) innocent was killed by her that my own views of the car changed so drastically.
I did like the slow build of this book and I felt that, despite the supernatural elements, there was a lot of realism in the actions of the characters, particularly towards the end. While there were some disappointing aspects to the ending, it did make a lot of sense and I felt that was true to life as well.
I’m not sure I’d read this book again, but I would, in the future, read other books by this author, especially as I do enjoy the horror genre.
Ink of Blood 