Official Review: The Affected by James Mc Nally
- Bluebird03
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Official Review: The Affected by James Mc Nally

4 out of 4 stars
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In a small quiet town, people are suddenly disappearing. Some have been murdered; however, the majority of them are simply present one moment and have vanished in the next. In The Affected, Trevor Burnette and his wife, Krista, live in this mysterious town, along with their young son, Demy.
Recently, a few of the townsfolk report having seen a stranger. They describe this newcomer as a man resembling Colonel Sanders and dressed completely in white. And, oddly enough, when this gentleman approaches a local resident, he simply touches his finger to the ear of that person. Immediately, the resident hears a humming noise (often described as a siren call) and suddenly behaves as if in a trance. Next, the resident, who appears to be following instructions, kills someone (more often a family member). What is the significance of the ear maneuver? Who is this often elusive and unassuming stranger? And, exactly what is behind the disappearance of so many families?
I liked that McNally introduced only a few characters at a time, chapter by chapter. This made it easy to follow the plot and to become fully acquainted with each new person. Also, I enjoyed that the author developed his characters thoroughly. As with most people, many of the characters showed different facets of themselves throughout the story. I enjoyed watching them go through the different trials and guessing how they might handle certain situations.
Books in the horror genre are not ones that I typically prefer; however, the description provided was convincing. Pleasantly, this story captivated me from the start and continued to hold my interest. Consequently, I consumed this novel in just a few sittings. The story, while labeled in the horror genre, was not continuously graphically gruesome. There were several secondary plots to draw the reader in. Also, the numerous interesting relationships and characters provided lengthy periods of respite from the more sinister parts. It seemed that even the more macabre scenes were toned down a bit and were not as disturbingly graphic as some books listed in this genre.
Based on these reasons, I award The Affected by James McNally 4 out of 4 stars. Admirably, I could find nothing to dislike about this book. Also, the novel was well edited. This story should appeal to fans of the horror genre. If, like me, you do not devour this genre on a daily basis, you may still want to give it a try. The relationships and characters are engaging, and the storyline is an interesting one.
Readers who cannot abide horror stories will want to steer clear of this one. If you are looking for a cozy mystery, this one is not for you. While there is violence, there is no strong language that readers would find offensive. Obviously, this would not be suitable for younger readers, as the story is not for the faint of heart. Also, there are occasional references to more adult-oriented themes. However, I certainly recommend this story for readers looking for a thrilling page-turner and interested in expanding their reading horizons.
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The Affected
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- Juju15
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- Kibet Hillary
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I'm glad that the plot and characters are well developed, and also that the horror elements were tempered. Thanks for pointing this out. Reading this book may not be a harrowing experience, after all. Great review!Bluebird03 wrote: ↑27 Apr 2019, 18:26 I liked that McNally introduced only a few characters at a time, chapter by chapter. This made it easy to follow the plot and to become fully acquainted with each new person. Also, I enjoyed that the author developed his characters thoroughly. As with most people, many of the characters showed different facets of themselves throughout the story. I enjoyed watching them go through the different trials and guessing how they might handle certain situations.
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- Ellylion
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Great comments! I was glad that the author didn't make the story all about the gore. Instead, he delves intoJuju15 wrote: ↑01 May 2019, 05:02 This sounds like a page turner! I like how the author didn't introduce all the chararters at once creating tension in the story. The fact that it is not very gruesome really says that it relies on the quality of the writting and not on the scary factor that many horror books resort to. I am adding it to my bookshelf! Thank you for your great review(-:
relationships of several of the characters. Thank you so much for stopping by, Juju15, and for your comments!

- Bluebird03
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Since I had not seen many horror movies lately- or read many selections in that genre, I surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I hope you enjoy the book- let me know. Thank you so much, Kibetious, for stopping by and commenting.

- Bluebird03
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You are definitely correct, Elizabeth- "effective creepiness" is the calling card of this genre. Thank you so much for commenting!ElizaBeth Adams wrote: ↑01 May 2019, 06:16 Creepy! I don't read or watch much from this genre, but the whole ear touching, siren call concept effectively creeps me out, which is what a good horror story is supposed to do. This one is not for me, but I will keep it in mind to recommend to others. Thanks for a good review.

- Bluebird03
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I agree, it really was not the harrowing experience I had feared I might encounter.Dentarthurdent wrote: ↑01 May 2019, 08:02I'm glad that the plot and characters are well developed, and also that the horror elements were tempered. Thanks for pointing this out. Reading this book may not be a harrowing experience, after all. Great review!Bluebird03 wrote: ↑27 Apr 2019, 18:26 I liked that McNally introduced only a few characters at a time, chapter by chapter. This made it easy to follow the plot and to become fully acquainted with each new person. Also, I enjoyed that the author developed his characters thoroughly. As with most people, many of the characters showed different facets of themselves throughout the story. I enjoyed watching them go through the different trials and guessing how they might handle certain situations.

- Bluebird03
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If this is your genre, then I think you will definitely love this one. Thank you so much, Ellylion, for stopping by and for your comments!

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- Bluebird03
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Yea, I'm not a typical horror genre fan either, which is why I was so pleased with this one! Thank you so much, kdstrack, for your kind words and for stopping by!
