No one who lives on the beautiful little island of Raven's Point knows of the island's dark history, of the evil that was born there. Why would they? They've got too much going on in their lives to worry aboutmassacres hundreds of years ago. Jane Romano's brother, Elijah, is in a coma. She spends most of her time trying to keep her parents from completely losing it. Friends? Fun? Not anymore. And maybe never again. Tavia Burrows is trying to get it through her head that Elijah, her first love, first kiss, first everything, is never coming back to her. She has college to think about. And maybe even a new boyfriend. If she can survive the next few weeks on Raven's Point. Seth McFadden is new in town. He's noticed Jane noticing him. He's not planning on doing anything about it, though, because he has a secret that he knows would make a girl like Jane run away from him. Soon Jane, Tavia, and Seth will be forced to learn the truth about their island's violent past -- and their part in it. They are going to have to face the evil that came to life in the place they call home, or Raven's Point and everyone on it will be destroyed. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Metz (the Roswell High series) imports a number of horror-novel conventions for this dark, violent potboiler about an age-old evil coming to life on a small New England island. Character introductions come fast and furious in the opening chapters: high school sophomore Jane; her big brother, Elijah, who has just awoken from a coma; Tavia, whom Elijah dated before the accident that put him in the hospital; Seth, the bulimic star athlete whom Jane likes; Andrea, who also likes Seth; plus embattled parents, creepy nurses and an unsettling school custodian. Strange things begin happening almost immediately: Tavia discovers that she can summon animals, Seth sees the ghost of a boy he accidentally killed, and Jane time-travels. A mother plots to kill her daughter, first trying out her weapon on her own wrist, and a father takes gasoline and match to his house and family in order to rid them of a rank odor that only he can smell. Slowly the author lays out the connection between these events and witch trials held on the island centuries ago. There is an almost constant onslaught of gory imagery and gratuitously disturbing themes-cannibalism, animal torture, gang rape, more. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 6-9-When inhabitants of Raven's Point begin to exhibit bizarre and violent behavior, several teens try to find out why. They soon discover that an evil being is feeding off of the residents and becoming stronger every day. Visions from the past and a bit of historical research reveal that a similar situation plagued the town during the Colonial era. The characters must use this information, as well as their own newfound supernatural abilities, to figure out how to save the people they love. Many contemporary teen issues are woven into the plot, including bulimia and sexual awareness, as is the theme of good versus evil. Although promising, all of these elements result in a cluttered book, and the characters aren't developed enough to engage readers. Descriptions of the strange behaviors keep readers interested, but are not smoothly integrated into the narrative. The evil is so nebulous that it seems more of plot contrivance than a logical force. However, there's plenty here for youngsters who love the "gross" factor, including a woman who cuts off her hand with a power saw. Fans of Metz's series fiction, such as "Roswell High" (Simon Pulse), will probably look for her latest novel.-Molly S. Kinney, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information