Black River - Ruby Jean Cottle

 

Black River is a small town where everybody knows everybody else.  Dusty lives with her younger sister, Opi, and her father, but prefers the company of books to people, choosing to close herself off after her mum left.  However, one morning, she wakes with her book on the floor and dirt on her feet.  With no recollection of what has happened, she begins her day, but it quickly becomes apparent that something has changed - Dusty has changed.  And she's not the only one.  What exactly has happened and can Dusty learn to control her new emotions before there are deadly consequences?

The remote location of this book is perfect and sets the atmosphere wonderfully: a small town, the mountain on the edge that leads to trails that disorientate; the misty eeriness and the feeling that somebody/someone is always watching... it creates that sense of mystery and gives an ominous feeling from the very beginning when Dusty and Opi go foraging for mushrooms.

Dusty is a character that readers will warm to: she prefers her books to people, she's a bit of a loaner, and she's inwardly struggling since her mum left.  Once she begins to change, she has no choice but to explore her emotions and face what is happening to her.  And this is done well: the idea of vampires is revealed slowly and subtly, diving into the effects and changes in detail - this is a vampire story with depth and secrets.  It looks at the difficulties of keep something so mammoth from your family and the consequences of needing to feed without causing harm.  

Family relationships are explored in various guises, as well as friendships and romance.  This is an atmospheric novel that will draw you in and haunt you in the best way.  It's more than just a vampire story; it's an immersive YA that will sink its teeth into you and won't let you go.

Black River is out now.