Unpretty

Title: UNPRETTY
Author: Sharon Carter Rogers
Publisher: Howard Books
September 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4165-6649-6
Genre: Inspirational/suspense

Lehigh. West Virginia, is facing the insidious threat of a sadist cult bent on eliminating all “unpretty” things in the world. (from the back cover)

Eight people are killed when a bomb goes off at the Conklin Art Gallery when a Michelangelo exhibit is on display there. Aspiring artist, Hummingbird Collins, is the only witness to see the bomber and now she is receiving threatening cassette recordings fill with the ramblings of a madman.

The madman, known only as Number 26, leads a cult known as the Michelangelus Movement, which has been known to kidnap and torture people for use in their bizarre artistic experiments.

Hummingbird is afraid to speak, but eventually she does share her news with her brother, a police officer, Detective Buck Barnes, and another friend, Ready Robinson. But then Hummingbird is abducted. Will her family and friends have any idea where to look?

UNPRETTY is a rather scary book based in the world of art, and cults. I am not really into books this frightening being a member of the “chicken club” so I really can’t say that I am the best person to review this book. As a quote says in the beginning of the story, “There is a monster at the end of this book. Oh, I am so scared! Please do not turn the page. Please, please, please…” (Jon Stone)

I found the reference of characters by numbers instead of names rather confusing. I also thought the faith message was rather weak. UNPRETTY is not really a book I recommend, but then again, I am not a fan of this genre. Discussion questions and a reading guide are included at the end of the book. 336 pages.