Review: The Sacrifice Box

The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another review is forthcoming. :)
I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. I really liked the main protagonist September, a.k.a. "Sep." He's a lot like I was in high school: nerdy and kind of awkward, but endearing and sweet. I personally think that the book would have bee more compelling if he had been the first person narrator. I could relate to some of what he went through, with trying to keep his grades up, wanting to make something of himself even though some people around him didn't care about school, and trying to care for his family amid challenging situations.
I thought the momentum of the book was a little slow to pick up, but it got more interesting about 1/3 of the way through. The suspense of the book was well done, and the description of the dark, creepy atmosphere was excellent. My only criticism is that I found myself not caring very much about the minor characters/friends of the book. I was invested in September and his Mom, but September's friends: not so much. I wanted to feel invested in them, but I didn't. Mario, September's adult boss, was an interesting character, though, as was the school principal.
Overall, I would give the book a B/B-. I realize, though, that I'm not the target audience. I do think high school teenagers who enjoy horror/suspense would really like the book, and I would recommend it for that age group. As an adult, though, I just happen to prefer books that are a little bit more character driven, in addition to having an intriguing plot.

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