4 out of 4 stars
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Ever since Twilight, the vampires in literature have enjoyed a renaissance where their reputation has little to do with brutal bloodshed and more with brooding romance and a hilarious dose of sparkle. However, if you are already sick of this trope and in search of the grotesque facet of this otherworldly species, One Night’s Stay will rekindle the visceral fear that Dracula instilled in us a long time ago.
On the first day of October, at sunset, thirteen guests drove their black cars to check in at Sunrise Inn motel. Located thirty miles away was Flags Dale, a town whose people were eagerly preparing for the annual harvest festival. Unexpectedly, what those folks harvested was no ordinary crop. The real feast occurred as the night slowly crept up on the unsuspecting guests. Out of those thirteen, only one was invited, and the rest were lured to become mere livestock for a clan of bloodthirsty creatures. Would they survive the night, or would they eventually find out they were destined to be drowned in cold blood?
At first, it was difficult to determine the core genre of One Night’s Stay. After some consideration, the most apparent answer was horror mystery. Everyone in this story had something to hide, and sometimes the supposed good guys had secrets more sinister than the baddies themselves. As the events unfolded, you would continuously question what awaited our poor victims’ fates: would it be freedom or a trap carefully laid out to devour their souls? The number of secrets decreased as the body count increased. Consequently, you would find yourself on the edge of your seat waiting for the final battle between the silver bullets and the razor-sharp fangs. Despite the chills crawling down my neck, I could not put the book down.
The protagonists of the story were not caricatures often seen in exploitative slaughtering genres. Their backgrounds, characteristics, and major flaws were fleshed out fully and consistently. Each of them might harbor a unique dark side but in this particular night, they reunited to fulfill one single goal: survival. I admired their strength and determination to rationalize and persevere in such a foreign and dangerous circumstance. Because they were no good Samaritans, it was more heartwarming to see them sacrifice their well-being and safety to protect others. These were the necessary ingredients for sympathetic and engaging characters. As a result, you would relate to and root for at least one of them.
One Night’s Stay utilized many elements of suspense and action to either heighten or ease up the tension, eventually paving the way for a climactic showdown. While the storytelling style was fast and straightforward, there were twists and turns at every corner. Despite having numerous shooting and chasing scenes, the novel was not a mindless horror flick. C.B. Collins presented some interesting introspection as he questioned the purpose of surviving when you had nothing worth fighting for. In the end, the story chose to offer no judgment. Instead, it reflected a dim ray of hope and some wicked karma, which managed to pry out a reluctant smile after all that terror.
Although the book had some minor spelling mistakes and a mix-up over the characters’ names, it was well edited. In my opinion, the exposition of the supernatural origin could have been meticulously spread throughout the final chapters instead of being hastily stuffed into a few pages. The part did its job in the story, but there was room for improvement.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. One Night’s Stay is obviously not for the folks who are easily spooked. However, to the loyal fans of mystery and horror genres, this will create an indulging experience in a chilling lonely night.
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One Night's Stay
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