“Sometimes, you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”- Dr. Seuss
Christopher Renna’s bio on several websites mentions that authors such as Stephen King, inspire him. He writes dark, chilling horror novels that mesh with our everyday life stories. Darkness on the horizon is a coming-of-age horror novel. It is dark, gloomy in some places, and filled with gory details.
The novel revolves around the life of Morgan Fischer and his friends Jonathan and Ava. Facing a difficult time at home with an ignorant and drunkard father, Morgan finds his haven when Jonathan and Ava move to his town. But there is something that seems different. Something that Morgan can’t put his finger on. Is their friendship strong enough to face these differences? How will Morgan’s life change, and will he be able to survive these changes?
Morgan Fischer, as a character, has received his due in the book. The author has faithfully invested efforts in developing his main character. Morgan’s growth has been depicted well in the book. His strength and determination stand out when he strives to be independent of his drunkard father. The character does find himself in multiple difficult situations, and the author has used those situations well to depict his character’s mental strength.
Unfortunately, both of my favorite characters Jonathan and Ava, seem to have received the shorter end of the stick. The characters had so much potential, but the author failed to do them justice. Even though they were side-characters, they play a pivotal part in Morgan’s journey, and as a reader, I would have appreciated an opportunity to understand them better. I firmly believe they were treated superficially as characters.
I liked the plot of the novel, but I wish the author had written it better. The book failed to hold my attention for long. And I only ended up completing it because it was an ARC, and I had promised a review. The book had so much potential. It could have made for a better book.
I would give this book 3/5 stars. A sequel follows it, titled Before the Sun Rises, in case it interests you. You won’t be missing much if you decide to give this book a skip. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you would want to buy the book, here is the link: https://amzn.to/3bi4875