Morbid Curiosity

Leblanc has a knack for writing horror that is accessible to both the young and old. In Morbid Curiosity she once again creates real characters who the reader can really hold on to. The ride is a fun one, and as always her use of the language is interestingly simplistic yet beautiful. Short Summary: A set of twins, Haley and Heather, have had a bad year... their father passed away and their mother mentally shut down after his death. They have been sent to live with their grandparents and now have to not only adjust to the death of their father and mother's new insanity, but also a new school, new friends, and an entirely new lifestyle with their Grandparents. When the popular girl in school asks them to hang out with her they gladly accept... when she starts talking about Chaos Magic and what it can do to change your life, they are interested. But soon Heather is afraid that they may be in over their head and Haley is not behaving the way she normally would. If you (like me) hate snakes, be forewarned... they are in this book by the hundreds... creepy crawly things that send shivers up my spine. The simplistic writing style that Leblanc uses makes this an easy book to fly right through. The characters are fairly well defined, though I would have liked to have felt more from the twins on the recent loss of their parents, that aspect felt rather brushed over. Mark, their art teacher, who is the first to consider that something may be going on... reacts rather strangely to the whole affair. It was rather odd to me that he immediately believed in the power of Chaos magic, rather than just worrying that the girls were into some cultish behavior that might lead them down the wrong path. And I was a little surprised that he never "called home" to discuss his fear that the girls were "in a cult." I also would have liked a little more info on our bad guy... his transition from the opening scene to the final scene would have been and interesting trek to follow. Unfortunately I can't place together how the one became the other. I have some guesses but nothing in the book supports them as either right or wrong. Who is this book for? I would say for the 12 and up crew (maybe older depending on reading level) there is a bit of lust, but it isn't overt or overly graphic. There is no sex, and I don't recall any over the top profanity. As far as violence, there is some (it's a horror novel after all) but I didn't find it gory. Probable movie rating would be PG-13. Also this novel follows along with LeBlanc's "the good guys and bad guys all get what they deserve in the end" leading to slightly Hollywood-esque endings. Still this is a fun and light read, if you are looking for something that won't strain your mind, and will entertain without grossing you out, give this book a try.

With each of Deborah LeBlanc's books, we are learned with new rituals and unique people. There are very few writers who are so able to bring us right into the heads of the folks in their books. It's this ability that really separates 'Morbid Curiosity' from the mundane. As far as the story, well, this one reminded me somewhat of 'Ginger Snaps' meets 'Carrie' -- only in that it centers around several young women. For me, though, this was one of the most difficult reads of Deb LeBlancs because...well...to quote Indiana Jones: "Snakes? Why did it have to be snakes?" Shivers!

1. You're looking for genre schlock. 2. You only like spook fluff. 3. Your reading preference is the dull and mundane. 4. You don't want to become involved with characters/plot. 5. You're looking for a mindless escape. 6. You don't read books whose characters stick in your head long after you're finished. 7. You don't want to get hooked by a page-turner. Otherwise, grab a copy and get started! LeBlanc knows how to please readers. She's not an authentic Cajun for nothin'! What you get between her covers (LOL) is complete satisfaction...no matter if you just want the pants scared off you or you enjoy reading books that completely draw you in. This author's characters are eerily real, the action starts immediately and sustains through the last page, and the twists and turns are believable. I was doubtful about a plot involving twins since I am a twin, but was glad to find Morbid Curiosity's main characters were real. LeBlanc, with her psychic sensibilities, has pulled off another good one. Write on!

Two identical twins have lost almost everything. Their father has died, their mother is insane, and they have been moved to a small town with their grandparents where they just don't fit in. But then the school's most popular girl offers to show them a way to be more popular. They are surprised by the invitation, then surprised to learn the girl lives in squalor, and finally surprised to discover she has a history like theirs but gained her status through chaos magic and that she wishes to teach them. By being twins it is possible their power will be greatly increased. They will make a spell and create a sigil, a symbol of the spell that needs to be fed strong emotions like pain, fear or sex. Right at the start the two twins feel differently about what is going on. One feels they should get all the power they can while the other thinks they should just leave it all alone. But one can't leave it alone and gains some power. At a local fair, they meet the man behind their new friend's powers. He is a master of chaos magic and offers even greater teaching and power. But the twins continue to widen their differences. While the one delves deeper into the darkness and revels in it, the other becomes even more sure that it should be left alone and stopped. But neither twin really knows what is going on. The master's plans are different from anything they can imagine and soon things become very desperate. Will anyone survive? Can the master be stopped? Is there any turning back from chaos magic? You will have to read the book to find out. This is not a book for people who do not like snakes. Snakes and snake imagery figure very prominently throughout the book. But if snakes don't bother you then you will probably get caught up in the spells and characters. I, for one, would have liked a little more background. Just how did the master become so knowledgeable? We know a little of his past but not how he rose to power after being stricken down. I was also a little put off when a teacher did some research into chaos magic. His reaction was not that the girls might be involved in something dangerous, but that chaos magic is real and true. Other than that the book moves nicely and the action keeps up right to the end. If you like tales of black magic then you might like this one. Check it out.

Deborah Leblanc is my new favorite author and Morbid Curiosity definitely does not disappoint! I loved it and can't wait for her next novel! Morbid Curiosity A House Divided Grave Intent Family Inheritance