The Weeping by O'Dell Hutchinson

Heath is going to live with his uncle for the summer after an unfortunate car accident that killed three of his friends and left him with a pin in his hip. As a result he’s also now suffering from depression and anxiety. His uncle is putting on a production in a recently renovated theater, the same theater in which there was a fire 20 years prior that killed Catherine. As Heath improves he starts questioning his sanity, because  There is the small fact that he’s now seeing a girl in a burned white dress and hearing things that aren’t there. (To read the actual synopsis: Goodreads)

Last year I saw O’Dell was looking for beta readers for a book that sounded so fascinating. I hadn’t done any beta-reading in awhile, but had always enjoyed it so I signed up. When I saw it was being published and a tour was taking place, I signed up immediately. I just had to share The Weeping with you all!

The book opens up with the death of Catherine. As gruesome as this sounds, I think that’s one of my favorite parts of the entire book. It’s a creepy opening that is terrifying and just so fascinating. Throughout the book we uncover little hints and clues to just what happened to Catherine, this is what most fascinated me about The Weeping.

Heath is the sort of guy that once was popular, well-liked, and likely a bit jerky. You know how you can just tell? I don’t want to be mean and say ‘he’s better off’, because fictional characters (that we as readers never really meet) died for him to become who he is in The Weeping, but I really enjoy his character. He’s human. He’s insecure, he’s still kind of snappy/jerky, but there’s a reason for it. He’s recovering from the tragedy with the help of his new friends.

The Weeping appeals to me in so many ways, it perfectly blends the eerie with teenage drama and an added bit of mystery. I’m a huge fan of ghost stories and I also love books that delve into the whole big, sometimes-neglected “issues” pile. So, let’s face it, those two being combined I was destined to love it. And I did! The Weeping has potential to appeal to so many different genres.

I received my copy of The Weeping from the publisher/author in exchange for my honest opinion.