Review : The Faustian Host by Dave Becker

Summary (from Goodreads)

Plymouth Rock is bleeding. Day has turned to night. Hundred-pound hailstones level buildings. The small town of Clement seems cursed, and the residents know who's to blame: the new kid, Tony Marino.

After losing his family and his home, 14-year-old Tony is forced to move from Florida to Massachusetts to attend Kalos Academy, an unconventional school for gifted children.

Strange things begin to happen the day he arrives, and soon stories of plagues, monsters, and mystical objects surround him. Refusing to believe superstitions, Tony struggles to explain the occurrences logically, until he comes face to face with a satanic cult determined to bring about the end of the world.

Personal Thoughts

I honestly didn't know what to expect when I went into The Faustian Host. I think the fact that I went into the book without any expectations really contributed to my enjoyment of the book, since I found myself being truly immersed in the story.

When Tony's sole guardian, his religious grandmother, passes away, he's taken in by the mysterious Browns. Soon, Tony finds himself moving from Florida to a small town in Massachusetts. His parents enroll him at a special school for extremely gifted kids like him and strange things start to occur. Moreover, his school mates begin to believe that he is cursed and that he is behind the strange occurrences.

Tony was a character who was very different from the usual main characters that I read about. For one, he was a boy. Most of all, though, he was so honest. In fact, I would say that he was blunt. He never thought before answering and he loved to refute the points of others. He never went down without a fight. He was someone who thought logically, so whenever anyone offered a supernatural explanation to the mysterious occurrences in his town, he would just laugh it off. At times, he tended to be harsh, rude and downright ungrateful, especially to his new guardians Mr and Mrs Brown. However, his relationship with them grew over the course of the story and in my opinion, he began to love them, although it isn't mentioned in the story. He could be an infuriating character, but I found myself enjoying Tony's character. The main reason has to be because he was so refreshing. Truthfully, I believe that the author did a very good job at capturing his personality.

The secondary characters in The Faustian Host were delightful. They were a very odd group of characters. It was great to see the growing friendships between them and Tony, especially since they had different personalities and opinions. They were constantly clashing with each other, but that just made the book realistic, because clashes often occur between friends. There's a slight romance in the book, but I didn't really feel for it. I suppose it's because I didn't get Tony's attraction towards Katie, beyond her good looks of course. I thought the book would have been okay without the romance.

The plot was intense, entertaining and action-packed. I was dying to know the reason why odd things were happening in the town. Also, I was yearning to learn more about the creepy, Kalos Academy. At times though, I felt like some parts were too rushed. Nevertheless, I liked that the book had plenty of action scenes. Plus, the author did a great job at keeping the suspense a major aspect throughout the book. The book was easy to read and the plot line itself was intriguing and exciting.

Overall, I thought that The Faustian Host was a great read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series when the next books come out. I recommend the book to those looking for an exciting and action-packed story !

Rating

Cover : 3/5

Plot : 3/5

Characters : 4/5

Writing : 3/5

Big Thanks To Dave Becker For Providing Me With A Review Copy.