The Blogging of a Book Addict

I read this book on Wattpad thanks to the recommendation of a good friend of mine. I went into reading with managed expectations: my friend had said the book was good, it had an intriguing blurb, and it was published and available for sale online and in stores, but it was still a relatively unknown book by a relatively unknown author, so I wasn't necessarily expecting a masterpiece.

While I wouldn't call The Cellar a masterpiece, it was a thrilling, riveting ride that I found myself unable to put down, and I enjoyed it immensely. The characters, while perhaps not as well-flushed out as they could have been in some instances, were intriguing and fun to read about, and the storyline itself was ridiculously dark, horrifying, and creepy (and I like ridiculously dark, horrifying, and creepy things, so it was perfect).

My biggest complaint about this book is the main character, Summer, and her boyfriend Lewis. They both seemed two-dimensional to me for a large portion of the novel, and, as I said to my friend, they have actually a rather creepy and codependent relationship. I'm assuming that the over-the-top nature of their romance came from the author's desire to paint a picture of a teenage couple head over heels in love, and I can accept that, but the relationship bothered me in that it did not feel entirely healthy.

Additionally, there were some issues with flow, grammar, and spelling, but I feel like most of those probably came from the Wattpad version I was reading being the unedited and unpolished version, so I can forgive that as well.

What I did love about this book was the psychological thriller aspect that the author repeatedly attempted to tap into. The chapters told from Clover's perspective were fascinating and just the right amount of horrifying, and the author managed to make things violent and bloody without being too disgusting to read, a difficult balance to find and one that I completely respect her for. By the end of the novel, you manage to feel a little bit bad for Clover, even while you're hoping horrible fates befall him, and I absolutely adore a villain with depth.

All in all, if you're in the market for a fast-paced and intriguing thriller, check this book out. It may be an unknown book from an unknown author right now, but I have a feeling that might not be the case for long.