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Alone
When her mom inherits an old, crumbling mansion, Seda’s almost excited to spend the summer there. The grounds are beautiful and it’s fun to explore the sprawling house with its creepy rooms and secret passages. Except now her mom wants to renovate, rather than sell the estate—which means they're not going back to the city…or Seda's friends and school.
As the days grow shorter, Seda is filled with dread. They’re about to be cut off from the outside world, and she’s not sure she can handle the solitude or the darkness it brings out in her.
Then a group of teens get stranded near the mansion during a blizzard. Seda has no choice but to offer them shelter, even though she knows danger lurks in the dilapidated mansion—and in herself. And as the snow continues to fall, what Seda fears most is about to become her reality…
As the days grow shorter, Seda is filled with dread. They’re about to be cut off from the outside world, and she’s not sure she can handle the solitude or the darkness it brings out in her.
Then a group of teens get stranded near the mansion during a blizzard. Seda has no choice but to offer them shelter, even though she knows danger lurks in the dilapidated mansion—and in herself. And as the snow continues to fall, what Seda fears most is about to become her reality…
277 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2017
About the author
Cyn Balog
20 books876 followersCyn Balog is a normal, everyday Jersey Girl who always believed magical things can happen to us when we least expect them. She is author of young adult paranormals FAIRY TALE (2009), SLEEPLESS(2010), STARSTRUCK (2011), TOUCHED (2012), and her most recent release: DEAD RIVER (2013).e. She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and daughters.
She also writes under the pen name Nichola Reilly. Nichola Reilly is Cyn Balog's post-apocalyptic fantasy-writing alter-ego. The first book in her series, DROWNED, will be releasing from Harlequin TEEN sometime in 2014, followed by a sequel, BURIED, in 2015.
She also writes under the pen name Nichola Reilly. Nichola Reilly is Cyn Balog's post-apocalyptic fantasy-writing alter-ego. The first book in her series, DROWNED, will be releasing from Harlequin TEEN sometime in 2014, followed by a sequel, BURIED, in 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
October 11, 2017
If there is one thing that Cyn Balog is famous for it is writing stories that are completely bizarre in the most perfect way. I can always count on getting something completely unheard of and something that more often than not, will throw me for a loop and make me think about it long after.
When I saw that her latest was a horror book, I knew, just knew I needed to read it and without a doubt would love it. And I absolutely did love it. It gave me chills, it made me think and it left me with an unsettling feeling I absolutely adored. It was everything I expected from this author writing in this genre and it was so much darn fun. I highly recommend it if you want a fast paced, easily read in one sitting horror story that will leave you reeling and wanting more and even slightly unsettled.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
When I saw that her latest was a horror book, I knew, just knew I needed to read it and without a doubt would love it. And I absolutely did love it. It gave me chills, it made me think and it left me with an unsettling feeling I absolutely adored. It was everything I expected from this author writing in this genre and it was so much darn fun. I highly recommend it if you want a fast paced, easily read in one sitting horror story that will leave you reeling and wanting more and even slightly unsettled.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
March 21, 2024
There's a special excitement to novels where the story isn't what it appears to be. Deception is hiding somewhere in the narrative, but where? Is the main character fooling themselves, or is someone else doing it? Is the conspiracy so broad that we're too close to the story to detect it? YA novels such as We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera, and After the First Death by Robert Cormier outwit us to chilling effect; storytelling doesn't get much better than when the big reveal blows readers' minds. Cyn Balog's Alone follows that pattern in the early going as fifteen-year-old Seda waits out a northeastern snowstorm in the Bismarck-Chisholm House, a huge mansion with a dark history. After her mother inherited the place, which had belonged to her aunt and uncle (who used it to host murder mystery parties), Seda, her two younger sets of twin siblings, and their parents packed up and left Boston to go assess the isolated mansion. They were going to sell it, but Seda's mother is so enamored of the place that she's kept them here for weeks. Seda's exasperated father took off and hasn't returned, and it looks like the marriage could be over. Seda doesn't trust herself or her mom these days, and she fears they might never return to Boston.
When a pack of teenagers stranded in the snowstorm approach the Bismarck-Chisholm House, Seda wants to turn them away. Her mother isn't normal, and Seda has known for years that she herself has psychological problems. Her twin brother Sawyer didn't survive to birth; Seda absorbed him in utero, and his voice intermittently invades her mind urging her to do bad things. Upon seeing the teens who've come for sanctuary from the storm, Seda gets the feeling something terrible is about to occur, and Sawyer is rarely wrong. But Heath Hunter is friendly, coaxing Seda out of her shell. He and his friends play along when Seda's mother volunteers to set up one of the house's old interactive murder mysteries for them to solve. Seda, her siblings, and the newcomers will divide into teams and compete to figure out the answer before midnight. Seda is secretly thrilled at spending some time alone with Heath in the spacious house, but Sawyer was right to warn her. An actual murderer is spilling blood in the gloomy corridors of the Bismarck-Chisholm House, but who is it? Is the killing spree linked to Seda's own weird, veiled history?
Alone had serious potential. The atmosphere isn't captivating, but a layered murder mystery in a spooky mansion could be exciting, especially when the main character is keeping secrets. The reason I rate Alone only one and a half stars is that I'm not sure the story makes sense. Plotlines crisscross so often that its hard to keep them untangled, and I'm not convinced the author succeeds in doing so. Nevertheless, there are surprises in store for unsuspecting readers, and Cyn Balog camouflages them well. This book isn't my favorite of its type, but I like it well enough. Fans of Nova Ren Suma's The Walls Around Us might find enjoyment here. As for me, I'd certainly try another of Cyn Balog's books.
When a pack of teenagers stranded in the snowstorm approach the Bismarck-Chisholm House, Seda wants to turn them away. Her mother isn't normal, and Seda has known for years that she herself has psychological problems. Her twin brother Sawyer didn't survive to birth; Seda absorbed him in utero, and his voice intermittently invades her mind urging her to do bad things. Upon seeing the teens who've come for sanctuary from the storm, Seda gets the feeling something terrible is about to occur, and Sawyer is rarely wrong. But Heath Hunter is friendly, coaxing Seda out of her shell. He and his friends play along when Seda's mother volunteers to set up one of the house's old interactive murder mysteries for them to solve. Seda, her siblings, and the newcomers will divide into teams and compete to figure out the answer before midnight. Seda is secretly thrilled at spending some time alone with Heath in the spacious house, but Sawyer was right to warn her. An actual murderer is spilling blood in the gloomy corridors of the Bismarck-Chisholm House, but who is it? Is the killing spree linked to Seda's own weird, veiled history?
Alone had serious potential. The atmosphere isn't captivating, but a layered murder mystery in a spooky mansion could be exciting, especially when the main character is keeping secrets. The reason I rate Alone only one and a half stars is that I'm not sure the story makes sense. Plotlines crisscross so often that its hard to keep them untangled, and I'm not convinced the author succeeds in doing so. Nevertheless, there are surprises in store for unsuspecting readers, and Cyn Balog camouflages them well. This book isn't my favorite of its type, but I like it well enough. Fans of Nova Ren Suma's The Walls Around Us might find enjoyment here. As for me, I'd certainly try another of Cyn Balog's books.
November 22, 2017
Alone by Cyn Balog is altogether thrilling, curious and strangely beautiful. Balog goes beyond authors to create a story that leaves readers puzzled, relieved, frightened, traumatized. The plot is unheard of. The writing style is quick paced and slow to climax; a paradox yes, a mistake no. The characters are disastrous and unknowingly on their way to their fate. The feelings provoked are doubt, sympathy hatred for things unseen. This chilling tale starts with the disturbing infatuation of a mother who inherits and old mansion, affecting her children’s contact with the outside world, especially her teenage daughter, Seda. Through Seda’s eyes we are trapped within the creaking rooms and dusty exterior of this place she fears she must now call home. All is sad, but quaintly uneventful until a group of friends lose their direction on their way to a winter resort. When these teens enter the mansion seeking safety, it is without pause that they enter a faraway, yet so close universe where fun is mixed with fear, and life becomes death.
Seda’s mom is a horror film teacher so what more of a blessing than to inherit a haunted mansion from her grandparents? With initial plans to sell the old, creepy dwelling, Seda’s mom becomes increasingly infatuated and turns what would become a historical monument for sale a home for her family. She loses her reluctance to put the home up for her comes at the cost of her husband and she is left to raise her three children on her own, but she seems perfectly beside herself with the idea.
She comes up with quirky ways to keep her two twins and her teenage daughter entertained like hide and seek games and deliciously exorbitant meals each night. This way, she is able to extend the length of their stay in the home, tucked well away from the rest of the world with little human contact other than a ski resort miles away.Inspired by the paranormal horror thriller movies from back in the day, Seda’s mom risks the unity of her family to chase a spooky ideal that cannot be found, so she decides to create it herself.
Seda is an awkward and lanky girl with troubles of her own. Her little secret is her imaginary “friend”, a potentially dangerous voice living in her veins and speaking in her ind, taking control of her with every opportunity. While it’s normal for small children to have an imaginary friend, Seda’s has stayed with her and if anything has turned into an enemy on its way into infecting her mind and contact with the world around her. She tries to hush the voice and longs to return home to Boston and live a real teenage life once again with slumber parties, boyfriends, and college applications. As the months tick by it becomes increasingly hard for Seda to keep in contact with her friends from high school and she furrows deeper and deeper into her own mind, forgetting what it feels like to breathe outside of this new universe of fear and horror. She spends lots of time alone wandering about the house, as there is little to do outside in the freezing blizzard cold.
Everything goes just as it should – banal, solemn, isolated until Seda runs into a group of teenagers one day in the forest who have lost their way to the ski resort. It is with their appearance in the house that the mansion truly does become exactly what Seda’s mother was hoping for – a paranormally haunting disaster.
The reader has to wait and make it through more than half the book to finally make it into the very core of the novel – a solitarily stifling murder mystery. The eerie tone of Balog’s writing leads the reader into a game of “who killed killed whoever got killed.” And who is the one tugging the stings of this puppet show? None other than Seda’s overwhelmingly fun, yet completely twisted mother. This late plot is what really saved the book. The beginning was slow with very little happening, which caused me to think the book was simply going to be static with little to no development. However what bothered me about this was that it almost seems as though the book should be separated. The writing style, pacing, and chain of events changes quickly and almost abruptly from a girl battling her internal demons to a girl and a group of lost teenagers unknowingly playing the characters in a fanatic murderous game. These two parts could have been woven much tighter together, therefore improving the overall quality of the story. Each part by itself I enjoyed but together, they were just too different and need polishing for greater fluidity. The spooky tone remains the same which draws both parts of the book together but that is not enough with a book which is supposed to be a murder mystery, entailing that there is action, which is not the case in the first sixty percent.
The story is told through Seda’s point of view which I loved because gave me the chance to enter her world and experience life in the mansion, and feel the voice inside her being awakened as the days become darker and more enclosed. Seda doesn’t think of herself as likable, pretty or capable of ever again being a normal teenager. The ways he describers herself and views herself in comparison to others is almost heartbreaking because it shows the affects that an absence of human contact can have on an individual’s perceptions of him or herself.
This book was scary and immensely curious. It was unlike any thriller I have ever picked up before. The tone, writing style, characters, events – everything – was unexpected and, while not as satisfying as I would have hoped, given the strange ending, left me with goosebumps and heart-pounding questions and possibilities, never to be confirmed, always to be pondered upon. A book that leaves you thinking about it, even after you turn the last page; even after you close the book and put it back on the shelf; even as you open your next read. This is exactly what I look for in literature, something that makes me feel. Little does it matter what it makes me feel. The point is, it makes me feel.
Seda’s mom is a horror film teacher so what more of a blessing than to inherit a haunted mansion from her grandparents? With initial plans to sell the old, creepy dwelling, Seda’s mom becomes increasingly infatuated and turns what would become a historical monument for sale a home for her family. She loses her reluctance to put the home up for her comes at the cost of her husband and she is left to raise her three children on her own, but she seems perfectly beside herself with the idea.
She comes up with quirky ways to keep her two twins and her teenage daughter entertained like hide and seek games and deliciously exorbitant meals each night. This way, she is able to extend the length of their stay in the home, tucked well away from the rest of the world with little human contact other than a ski resort miles away.Inspired by the paranormal horror thriller movies from back in the day, Seda’s mom risks the unity of her family to chase a spooky ideal that cannot be found, so she decides to create it herself.
Seda is an awkward and lanky girl with troubles of her own. Her little secret is her imaginary “friend”, a potentially dangerous voice living in her veins and speaking in her ind, taking control of her with every opportunity. While it’s normal for small children to have an imaginary friend, Seda’s has stayed with her and if anything has turned into an enemy on its way into infecting her mind and contact with the world around her. She tries to hush the voice and longs to return home to Boston and live a real teenage life once again with slumber parties, boyfriends, and college applications. As the months tick by it becomes increasingly hard for Seda to keep in contact with her friends from high school and she furrows deeper and deeper into her own mind, forgetting what it feels like to breathe outside of this new universe of fear and horror. She spends lots of time alone wandering about the house, as there is little to do outside in the freezing blizzard cold.
Everything goes just as it should – banal, solemn, isolated until Seda runs into a group of teenagers one day in the forest who have lost their way to the ski resort. It is with their appearance in the house that the mansion truly does become exactly what Seda’s mother was hoping for – a paranormally haunting disaster.
The reader has to wait and make it through more than half the book to finally make it into the very core of the novel – a solitarily stifling murder mystery. The eerie tone of Balog’s writing leads the reader into a game of “who killed killed whoever got killed.” And who is the one tugging the stings of this puppet show? None other than Seda’s overwhelmingly fun, yet completely twisted mother. This late plot is what really saved the book. The beginning was slow with very little happening, which caused me to think the book was simply going to be static with little to no development. However what bothered me about this was that it almost seems as though the book should be separated. The writing style, pacing, and chain of events changes quickly and almost abruptly from a girl battling her internal demons to a girl and a group of lost teenagers unknowingly playing the characters in a fanatic murderous game. These two parts could have been woven much tighter together, therefore improving the overall quality of the story. Each part by itself I enjoyed but together, they were just too different and need polishing for greater fluidity. The spooky tone remains the same which draws both parts of the book together but that is not enough with a book which is supposed to be a murder mystery, entailing that there is action, which is not the case in the first sixty percent.
The story is told through Seda’s point of view which I loved because gave me the chance to enter her world and experience life in the mansion, and feel the voice inside her being awakened as the days become darker and more enclosed. Seda doesn’t think of herself as likable, pretty or capable of ever again being a normal teenager. The ways he describers herself and views herself in comparison to others is almost heartbreaking because it shows the affects that an absence of human contact can have on an individual’s perceptions of him or herself.
This book was scary and immensely curious. It was unlike any thriller I have ever picked up before. The tone, writing style, characters, events – everything – was unexpected and, while not as satisfying as I would have hoped, given the strange ending, left me with goosebumps and heart-pounding questions and possibilities, never to be confirmed, always to be pondered upon. A book that leaves you thinking about it, even after you turn the last page; even after you close the book and put it back on the shelf; even as you open your next read. This is exactly what I look for in literature, something that makes me feel. Little does it matter what it makes me feel. The point is, it makes me feel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2018
this was honestly not what i thought it would be at all.
things the blurb doesn't mention that i feel were pretty important:
-seda has a voice in her head, her dead twin that she absorbed in the womb named Sawyer. presumably she has some mental illness that causes this, and he has told her to hurt herself and others throughout her whole life, but it's never actually discussed because she told her mother he was just an imaginary friend. i'm kind of sick of authors using mental illnesses and not actually doing any research about them just so they can use them as scare factors.
-this mansion seda and her family lives in used to be a sort of haunted house. people would stay there and solve a murder mystery during their stay, so the whole house is decorated in a really macabre way. this added a cool atmosphere, but it wasn't what i thought it would be at all because the blurb didn't mention it.
-seda has 4 younger siblings that are literally barely there. same with the teens that get stranded - literally only heath is focused on because seda likes him. no one else gets any characterization beyond "Bitchy Teenager"
and that ending - BIG SPOILERS here on out - what the fuck? what kind of mother uses the dead twin of her daughter as a scary halloween game in order to sell a property? that is a terrible mother. and the fact that they were all actors? and heath was a guy in his twenties preying on a 15 year old? i get that it was a big twist ending but it sucked. and like i said before, i'm done with authors using mental illnesses as the last big scare, because this ending with seda saying she'll do what sawyer wants from now on was just depressing. i wanted her to get help, not whatever this was.
this just wasn't as advertised and really disappointing
things the blurb doesn't mention that i feel were pretty important:
-seda has a voice in her head, her dead twin that she absorbed in the womb named Sawyer. presumably she has some mental illness that causes this, and he has told her to hurt herself and others throughout her whole life, but it's never actually discussed because she told her mother he was just an imaginary friend. i'm kind of sick of authors using mental illnesses and not actually doing any research about them just so they can use them as scare factors.
-this mansion seda and her family lives in used to be a sort of haunted house. people would stay there and solve a murder mystery during their stay, so the whole house is decorated in a really macabre way. this added a cool atmosphere, but it wasn't what i thought it would be at all because the blurb didn't mention it.
-seda has 4 younger siblings that are literally barely there. same with the teens that get stranded - literally only heath is focused on because seda likes him. no one else gets any characterization beyond "Bitchy Teenager"
and that ending - BIG SPOILERS here on out - what the fuck? what kind of mother uses the dead twin of her daughter as a scary halloween game in order to sell a property? that is a terrible mother. and the fact that they were all actors? and heath was a guy in his twenties preying on a 15 year old? i get that it was a big twist ending but it sucked. and like i said before, i'm done with authors using mental illnesses as the last big scare, because this ending with seda saying she'll do what sawyer wants from now on was just depressing. i wanted her to get help, not whatever this was.
this just wasn't as advertised and really disappointing
September 14, 2017
Mini-review: This is the perfect set-up for a chilling tale -- an isolated mansion in the mountains, a lonely teenage girl with an oblivious family, and an unwelcome group of visitors trapped by an impassable blizzard -- and Balog puts its familiarity to good use, gradually building tension, manipulating reader expectations (through clever use of classic horror references), and subtly winding from one possible horror to another. She sets up several possible endings, yet still manages to end with a shocker. This mix of Clue, The Shining, and a host of other horror and slasher films could have been cliched--instead it felt surprising.
Immediate reaction: That was such a pure and perfect reading experience, I don't know what to do with myself.
Immediate reaction: That was such a pure and perfect reading experience, I don't know what to do with myself.
October 30, 2017
So this is going to be one of those reviews which is hard to write because almost anything I say could give the entire thing away. Seda and her family, which consists of her mother and two sets of twins, move to a remote run-down home in the mountains which was previously used as a murder mystery B&B. That is important because all the creepy plots only add to the atmosphere of the dilapidated residence. Seda's father had no desire to stay on and left the family to return to Boston. Seda is lonely and feels totally out of place. Seda is also haunted by her twin, which she reported absorbed in her mother's womb.
One night a car full of teens breaks down and Seda finds them holed up on the property. They are eventually invited in to stay by Seda's mother and since Seda's birthday is right around the corner, a murder mystery party ensues - but is everyone who dies acting?
This was a quick read and I think it's really suited to a shorter novel. It was also a great read for the Halloween season. However, it is one of the books which the entire time you are reading it you have a constant "WTF?" look on your face. I even asked my husband at one point if I looked as confused as I felt. I never really felt a huge attachment to Seda but I did feel for her being stuck in the middle of nowhere with her mother and a bunch of young kids.
To say there is a twist at the end is probably the understatement of the year. The problem I had is a good friend of mine had read the book right before me and while she was careful not to spoil anything, the ending I had dreamed up was much different than the one which actually occurred. That being said, this book ALMOST got 4/5 and probably would have if I had enjoyed the outcome a tad better. However, it was a solid enjoyable spooky read for the Halloween season.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the published in exchange for an honest review.
One night a car full of teens breaks down and Seda finds them holed up on the property. They are eventually invited in to stay by Seda's mother and since Seda's birthday is right around the corner, a murder mystery party ensues - but is everyone who dies acting?
This was a quick read and I think it's really suited to a shorter novel. It was also a great read for the Halloween season. However, it is one of the books which the entire time you are reading it you have a constant "WTF?" look on your face. I even asked my husband at one point if I looked as confused as I felt. I never really felt a huge attachment to Seda but I did feel for her being stuck in the middle of nowhere with her mother and a bunch of young kids.
To say there is a twist at the end is probably the understatement of the year. The problem I had is a good friend of mine had read the book right before me and while she was careful not to spoil anything, the ending I had dreamed up was much different than the one which actually occurred. That being said, this book ALMOST got 4/5 and probably would have if I had enjoyed the outcome a tad better. However, it was a solid enjoyable spooky read for the Halloween season.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the published in exchange for an honest review.
November 7, 2017
When Seda's mom inherits a creepy old mansion full of secret rooms and passages, Seda isn't thrilled to be leaving her home in Boston, but her mother swears it's just temporary. As more and more time passes, Seda's mom decides she wants to renovate in order to find the perfect buyer for the house, which means they'll be living there longer than expected.
As winter sets in and a blizzard hits, a group of teens ends up stranded during the storm, and ends up staying with Seda and her family. When her mom decides to set up a murder mystery for them to complete to stave off the boredom, Seda's nightmares may just become reality...
I was really intrigued by the premise of Alone, especially because I always want to read creepy books around Halloween! I absolutely loved the atmosphere that Alone created. It was dark and creepy, and I felt a definite eerie vibe as I was reading it, which a lot of books fail to do for me, so I was thrilled with that aspect of the book!
I really enjoyed the beginning of the book and the set up, and I absolutely loved the last 40%, but I did feel like there was a period of the book from 30-50% or so of the way in that it felt like not much was happening, and I was waiting for the main plot to start. Despite that, the book is short and engaging, so it's super easy to binge read!
I won't spoil anything, but I absolutely loved the ending of the book, though I do have a few unanswered questions! I like that though - not everything needs a black and white ending. Overall, I loved the book and rated it 4 stars! I've had Unnatural Deeds by the same author on my to read list for a while, so I'll definitely have to get to that one soon!
Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and Cyn Balog for an advanced copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review. Alone is out today, so be sure to check this one out!
As winter sets in and a blizzard hits, a group of teens ends up stranded during the storm, and ends up staying with Seda and her family. When her mom decides to set up a murder mystery for them to complete to stave off the boredom, Seda's nightmares may just become reality...
I was really intrigued by the premise of Alone, especially because I always want to read creepy books around Halloween! I absolutely loved the atmosphere that Alone created. It was dark and creepy, and I felt a definite eerie vibe as I was reading it, which a lot of books fail to do for me, so I was thrilled with that aspect of the book!
I really enjoyed the beginning of the book and the set up, and I absolutely loved the last 40%, but I did feel like there was a period of the book from 30-50% or so of the way in that it felt like not much was happening, and I was waiting for the main plot to start. Despite that, the book is short and engaging, so it's super easy to binge read!
I won't spoil anything, but I absolutely loved the ending of the book, though I do have a few unanswered questions! I like that though - not everything needs a black and white ending. Overall, I loved the book and rated it 4 stars! I've had Unnatural Deeds by the same author on my to read list for a while, so I'll definitely have to get to that one soon!
Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and Cyn Balog for an advanced copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review. Alone is out today, so be sure to check this one out!
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August 31, 2018I loved how spooky it was. I liked how I went through this book really quickly however I did not like the ending. Yes it did shock me but I just thought it was for little kids ending.
Okay spoiler part. I loved the characters and loved the siblings. However I did not like the ending. I thought it was boring that it was all a surprise party for her sweet 16 birthday. I mean I was a little impressed but I was bored. I thought it was just a quick way to roll up the plot. Also I’m super confused if Seda’s father is dead or left. How she described him on the floor bleeding. Also how her crush was in on it and she told him private details of herself. Also he wrote this for a paper. I mean I was super pissed and a little impressed. I don’t know it just wasn’t my cup of tea.☕️
Okay spoiler part. I loved the characters and loved the siblings. However I did not like the ending. I thought it was boring that it was all a surprise party for her sweet 16 birthday. I mean I was a little impressed but I was bored. I thought it was just a quick way to roll up the plot. Also I’m super confused if Seda’s father is dead or left. How she described him on the floor bleeding. Also how her crush was in on it and she told him private details of herself. Also he wrote this for a paper. I mean I was super pissed and a little impressed. I don’t know it just wasn’t my cup of tea.☕️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2018
3.5 stars
Mostly predictable, but I liked the ending.
Mostly predictable, but I liked the ending.
December 21, 2023
I am a grade A scaredy cat. I can barely watch a horror film at home, even with the volume turned down, lights on, and my dog buried in my lap. Needless to say, I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this book. Needless to say, I am so glad I did read it.
This was a creepy and haunting read that I couldn't put down. A twist on The Shining, it certainly holds up to that name when almost every chapter has me left with my jaw dropped. The pacing is solid throughout, and it flows along until about the last quarter, when the real spooks start. And that ending? Mind. Blown. I had to text my friend (who like me isn't good with scary) and tell her the whole plot, just to talk to someone about it.
I've never read Balog's work before, but if they're all this peculiar and entertaining, then I will definitely be checking it out.
This was a creepy and haunting read that I couldn't put down. A twist on The Shining, it certainly holds up to that name when almost every chapter has me left with my jaw dropped. The pacing is solid throughout, and it flows along until about the last quarter, when the real spooks start. And that ending? Mind. Blown. I had to text my friend (who like me isn't good with scary) and tell her the whole plot, just to talk to someone about it.
I've never read Balog's work before, but if they're all this peculiar and entertaining, then I will definitely be checking it out.
February 23, 2022
Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!
I've been wanting to read something by Cyn Balog for years, but never had the chance until Alone popped up on my library's Hoopla. I went into this book not knowing much about it, but seriously hoping for a really creepy horror experience, something I feel I don't get nearly enough of in YA.
Seda lives in an old mansion with her mom and siblings. It was never supposed to be a permanent residence, but her mom is seeming less and less like she's actually going to leave. There are entire wings of the house that are burned out and shut off with tarps and her mom refuses to let it go except to a very specific type of buyer. I felt for Seda and her family immediately. It's obvious that all everyone but Seda's mom wants is to go back to their normal lives.
On top of everything else, Seda is dealing with increasingly violent messages from her dead twin brother's voice in her head and doesn't know how to handle them. Seda is a delightfully unreliable narrator and her imaginary friend is extremely unnerving. I didn't love her as a character, but I did love never quite knowing what was real and what wasn't.
Everything goes completely off the rails when a group of stranded teens decides to take shelter through a storm and her mom offers to put on a murder mystery to occupy everyone and it seems like she's way too good at it. I feel like I can't say much about this book without spoiling anything, but it was definitely the horror I've been looking for!
Alone is an extremely fast-paced horror story that has a bit more to it than your standard YA horror book. There were twists and turns that I NEVER saw coming and I'm so excited that Cyn Balog was able to pull it off. I could definitely see this as a horror movie. I definitely recommend this for lovers of YA looking for a great creepy read.
I've been wanting to read something by Cyn Balog for years, but never had the chance until Alone popped up on my library's Hoopla. I went into this book not knowing much about it, but seriously hoping for a really creepy horror experience, something I feel I don't get nearly enough of in YA.
Seda lives in an old mansion with her mom and siblings. It was never supposed to be a permanent residence, but her mom is seeming less and less like she's actually going to leave. There are entire wings of the house that are burned out and shut off with tarps and her mom refuses to let it go except to a very specific type of buyer. I felt for Seda and her family immediately. It's obvious that all everyone but Seda's mom wants is to go back to their normal lives.
On top of everything else, Seda is dealing with increasingly violent messages from her dead twin brother's voice in her head and doesn't know how to handle them. Seda is a delightfully unreliable narrator and her imaginary friend is extremely unnerving. I didn't love her as a character, but I did love never quite knowing what was real and what wasn't.
Everything goes completely off the rails when a group of stranded teens decides to take shelter through a storm and her mom offers to put on a murder mystery to occupy everyone and it seems like she's way too good at it. I feel like I can't say much about this book without spoiling anything, but it was definitely the horror I've been looking for!
Alone is an extremely fast-paced horror story that has a bit more to it than your standard YA horror book. There were twists and turns that I NEVER saw coming and I'm so excited that Cyn Balog was able to pull it off. I could definitely see this as a horror movie. I definitely recommend this for lovers of YA looking for a great creepy read.
August 20, 2021
2⭐ | NARRATION 😐 = Okay | Narrated by 📣 Emmy Lysy
🔦FEATURING
❐ YA Horror
❐ A scavenger hunt
❐ A twin absorbed in the womb
❐ A murder-mystery hotel
Despite having a few intriguing aspects at play; I still found the writing in this to be clunky, and disjointed. Which only served in making this feel like it was more for pre-teens than young adults. The story floundered horribly for about the first eighty percent and didn’t engage me, at all, until the very end. I thought the ending was fairly good...but unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly enough.
🅒🅐🅦🅟🅘🅛🅔 3.36/❿
🔦FEATURING
❐ YA Horror
❐ A scavenger hunt
❐ A twin absorbed in the womb
❐ A murder-mystery hotel
Despite having a few intriguing aspects at play; I still found the writing in this to be clunky, and disjointed. Which only served in making this feel like it was more for pre-teens than young adults. The story floundered horribly for about the first eighty percent and didn’t engage me, at all, until the very end. I thought the ending was fairly good...but unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly enough.
🅒🅐🅦🅟🅘🅛🅔 3.36/❿
October 30, 2017
Received from: SOURCEBOOKS Fire
Received Via: NetGalley.com
Why this book?
Seemed interesting
What I thought
This book didn't really leave an impact on me. I'm forgetting it already, but I remember the twist was just really messed up. Especially because one guy seriously what an ass! I also didn't feel creeped out all.
Received Via: NetGalley.com
Why this book?
Seemed interesting
What I thought
This book didn't really leave an impact on me. I'm forgetting it already, but I remember the twist was just really messed up. Especially because one guy seriously what an ass! I also didn't feel creeped out all.
January 18, 2020
Holy. Crap. I was speechless after closing this book. And I’ve been procrastinating writing this review because I really don’t know what to say. All the things I want to say will give away too much so I can’t say any of it! There are so many twists and turn in this book, the atmosphere is creepy, yet again I had to turn lights on while reading it . . . I mean dang! I really have nothing bad to say about this book. I read it in one day and I had the shivers after finishing it. My husband is a horror freak. His DVD shelf is filled with horror movies that range from classic Dracula and Frankenstein to Nightmare on Elm Street to random old-time movies that no one but other horror freaks have ever heard of. As soon as I was done with Alone, I told Ivan that he needs to read it. I really wish I could say more in this review and it feels so incomplete, but all I can say is that this is a great book and you should read it. Ok, let me try: Seda is a character I enjoyed, the twins were funny, Mom sounds cool, and the story was fascinating and page-turning. That’s it, I can’t say anymore! This is the perfect book for that teen that you’re trying to get into books. Horror freaks will love this book. I would recommend Alone to pretty much everybody!
March 24, 2022
I bought this book on a whim in 2017 and it’s just been sitting unread on my shelf ever since. I almost purged it without reading it because the cover is so meh. I’m so glad I decided to give it a chance! There’s much more to the plot than what’s mentioned on the back cover. This book is deliciously dark and gothic. The ending was MESSED UP and I loved it. I went back and read the last few pages again because I couldn’t believe what I’d just read. I definitely didn’t see those twists coming!
August 17, 2017
Keep your eyes peeled for this one, children. Keep it at the top of your TBR if you enjoy subtle terror, unreliable narrators, and a unique setting: an almost dilapidated mansion in the middle of nowhere that used to be a murder mystery hotel.
And I did not predict the ending; that was one big surprise.
And I did not predict the ending; that was one big surprise.
January 14, 2022
3.5 stars
This is a YA horror book. It did not scare me as I’m used to haunted house scares. It was easy to read. It reads really YA, but the fact did not really bother me much. It was interesting the setting is at the old “Murder Mystery Hotel”, also the protagonist has her twin brother in her head, who she thinks was absorbed in their mother’s womb. The brother sounds like a psychopath.
I liked the ending with a little sour taste, but I think the plot was well thought out and I did not mind about the bad taste in my mouth after all.
This is a YA horror book. It did not scare me as I’m used to haunted house scares. It was easy to read. It reads really YA, but the fact did not really bother me much. It was interesting the setting is at the old “Murder Mystery Hotel”, also the protagonist has her twin brother in her head, who she thinks was absorbed in their mother’s womb. The brother sounds like a psychopath.
I liked the ending with a little sour taste, but I think the plot was well thought out and I did not mind about the bad taste in my mouth after all.
April 7, 2019
Seda’s mother moves the family into a run down, secluded mansion at the top of a mountain which has no WiFi or cell phone access. The crumbling house used to be a murder mystery B&B. Additionally, Seda hears a voice she calls Sawyer and believes he was her twin who died in the womb (insert rolling eyes meme).
ALONE has one of the worst mothers in the history of YA. At first I thought she had to be mentally ill, schizophrenic perhaps, to have taken her daughter out of school and moved into the house with 4 kids under the age of six. She was always cheerful and playing games with the kids, promising the house would sell. I knew Seda was mentally ill, which is my default position when someone is hearing voices that tell her to harm herself or others. Worst Mother decides to play of her daughter’s likely schizophrenia by having college aged actors pretend to be Sawyer and other victims and perps in an effort to show the house has murder mystery potential. Worst Mother doesn’t seem to care that her sixteen-year-old daughter kisses twenty-something Heath.
There are so many reasons not to read ALONE including it’s mostly tell not show. Skip it.
ALONE has one of the worst mothers in the history of YA. At first I thought she had to be mentally ill, schizophrenic perhaps, to have taken her daughter out of school and moved into the house with 4 kids under the age of six. She was always cheerful and playing games with the kids, promising the house would sell. I knew Seda was mentally ill, which is my default position when someone is hearing voices that tell her to harm herself or others. Worst Mother decides to play of her daughter’s likely schizophrenia by having college aged actors pretend to be Sawyer and other victims and perps in an effort to show the house has murder mystery potential. Worst Mother doesn’t seem to care that her sixteen-year-old daughter kisses twenty-something Heath.
There are so many reasons not to read ALONE including it’s mostly tell not show. Skip it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2018
Such an odd book.
For the first 150 pages, I was so freaking bored, I was about ready to toss my Kindle across the room. The entire beginning and middle of the book is nothing but Seda's internal ramblings about her insecurities, the weird twin brother that she "ate" in utero, and how much she hates the "bug mansion."
The ending, which I guess is supposed to be creepy, is actually just weird. What kind of mother is this woman? Highly, highly implausible story. In fact, it's almost like two separate stories...and they don't really play well together.
I had high hopes for this one...the description sounded so promising. Unfortunately, I'm just disappointed and a bit disenchanted with this author.
Meh.
For the first 150 pages, I was so freaking bored, I was about ready to toss my Kindle across the room. The entire beginning and middle of the book is nothing but Seda's internal ramblings about her insecurities, the weird twin brother that she "ate" in utero, and how much she hates the "bug mansion."
The ending, which I guess is supposed to be creepy, is actually just weird. What kind of mother is this woman? Highly, highly implausible story. In fact, it's almost like two separate stories...and they don't really play well together.
I had high hopes for this one...the description sounded so promising. Unfortunately, I'm just disappointed and a bit disenchanted with this author.
Meh.
May 16, 2019
The ending had me in total disbelief! It was a twist that I wasn't expecting!
October 26, 2023
the plot twist for this book was soooo good i was on my toes the entire time!!
June 21, 2018
I liked the premise of this book. It was a unique story line. The ending was chilling with a twist.
November 16, 2017
It almost reminded me of a movie I watched as a Teenager. I thought I creepy house, feelings of dread and a group of teenagers? Yes, please! That was until I read it.
Ok so don't get me wrong this book wasn't bad...BUT....it takes quite a few pages to get to the really good parts, about 60% in. I understand what she was trying to do but I think instead of focusing on how creepy the house was, the characters needed more of something. There is a part in the book that explains that Seda has an inner voice. I felt that wasn't explained enough and didn't really go anyplace. I will tell you the Twist at the end totally had me like, WHAT!?!?! but I also felt it needed a lot more build to get to that end. It was shocking and I still can't stop thinking about it. I actually read it like 3 times. I just felt it was really missing something.
I am adding a spoiler at the end of this post. So if you read the book feel free to read the spoiler, I am only adding it because I need to explain what annoyed me about this book. It has so much potential and just when it was getting good it was over. I felt like 30% of the book could have been the build of house and character but I wanted more of Seda and the teens that come to the house. Maybe even adding more to the creepy factor of the house and the rooms being so odd.
Overall I liked it, it wasn't the best book ever but I enjoyed it. I really thought the end was like WOW and I wasn't really expecting what happened. I do recommend even just to read the end. :)
Here is a sort of spoiler....
Ok so don't get me wrong this book wasn't bad...BUT....it takes quite a few pages to get to the really good parts, about 60% in. I understand what she was trying to do but I think instead of focusing on how creepy the house was, the characters needed more of something. There is a part in the book that explains that Seda has an inner voice. I felt that wasn't explained enough and didn't really go anyplace. I will tell you the Twist at the end totally had me like, WHAT!?!?! but I also felt it needed a lot more build to get to that end. It was shocking and I still can't stop thinking about it. I actually read it like 3 times. I just felt it was really missing something.
I am adding a spoiler at the end of this post. So if you read the book feel free to read the spoiler, I am only adding it because I need to explain what annoyed me about this book. It has so much potential and just when it was getting good it was over. I felt like 30% of the book could have been the build of house and character but I wanted more of Seda and the teens that come to the house. Maybe even adding more to the creepy factor of the house and the rooms being so odd.
Overall I liked it, it wasn't the best book ever but I enjoyed it. I really thought the end was like WOW and I wasn't really expecting what happened. I do recommend even just to read the end. :)
Here is a sort of spoiler....
Thanks for stopping by to check out my review.
Have a great day and Happy Reading!
This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life
November 6, 2017
I thought the premise of this book was really unique and interesting. I didn’t find it so much scary as creepy. I was creeped out the whole time while reading this book. I didn’t expect the ending at all which was a huge reason why I did end up liking the book. I also liked the fact the the story didn’t drag, it was just the right pace. As always short chapters with cliff hanging endings in thrillers or horror book always make me happy, so I was glad that was a characteristic of the book.
I didn’t find myself connecting with any of the characters, which usually frustrates me, but in this case I think it was because I didn’t want to. I didn’t genuinely like any of them, I was questioning their every move and motive the whole time, especially Seda. I wasn’t a fan of Seda as a narrator at the beginning, but about a quarter of the way through I completely understood why she made the best one.
Overall if you are looking for a solid, creepy book this should definitely be a contender. It kept me at the edge of my seat most of the time, and I really enjoyed the ending. I love when a book can shock you, and this one did just that.
I didn’t find myself connecting with any of the characters, which usually frustrates me, but in this case I think it was because I didn’t want to. I didn’t genuinely like any of them, I was questioning their every move and motive the whole time, especially Seda. I wasn’t a fan of Seda as a narrator at the beginning, but about a quarter of the way through I completely understood why she made the best one.
Overall if you are looking for a solid, creepy book this should definitely be a contender. It kept me at the edge of my seat most of the time, and I really enjoyed the ending. I love when a book can shock you, and this one did just that.
December 18, 2017
Seda's mom inherits a house from her aunt and uncle. The house is unique and has a storied history that runs back multiple generations. Her deceased aunt and uncle used the house as a Hotel Murder House. They would put on Murder Mysteries with their paying guests every weekend. When the family moves in, there is blood and fake dead bodies in every room. Her mom plans on cleaning it up and selling it and moving back to Boston. When a snow storm hits, a group of teenagers are stranded and her mother invites them in until the roads are clear. It is around Halloween time and close to Seda's birthday and her mom decides to through a murder mystery party for her and her brothers and sisters, and the stranded guests.
Once the mystery begins, things take a turn for the worst. They find different things in the house. Is that fake blood or real blood?
There is a nice twist at the end. And I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
~April
Once the mystery begins, things take a turn for the worst. They find different things in the house. Is that fake blood or real blood?
There is a nice twist at the end. And I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
~April
January 21, 2024
WHAT THE WHAT.
STFU.
You did it again. This author is 3/3.
I thought the twist was one thing then BAM.
THEN BAM. I fucking can’t.
Oh my god.
STFU.
You did it again. This author is 3/3.
I thought the twist was one thing then BAM.
THEN BAM. I fucking can’t.
Oh my god.
June 15, 2024
um wtf.
this book started off pretty good and thought it was gonna be interesting then it went down hill SO fast.
It was very cringy. The plot and the ending was so bad.
Like this mom needs a life.
this book started off pretty good and thought it was gonna be interesting then it went down hill SO fast.
It was very cringy. The plot and the ending was so bad.
Like this mom needs a life.
March 12, 2018
"Welcome to the most haunted mansion in Allegheny County. The legend of this home says that no one has ever been able to live here through the winter without succumbing to the disorienting effect of Solitude Mountain."
I liked the idea of this house and all these siblings locked in it for months - so much they rarely bathe and completely lose track of what day it is. They have little to no connection to the outside world other than random shopping trips to the market that is 10 miles away. As the weather turns, their trips are less and less frequent. The house is a dead zone for cell phones and no landline.
I also loved the kids complete mellow attitude toward horror movies and I love that they were so laid back about guts and gore and fake blood - because they have grown up around it. Their mother has spoiled all the scares and fear behind even the scariest plot line so even jump scares don't get these kids anymore.
But I'm still oddly disappointed with this story. I just read too much horror maybe...I had so much more of an elaborate ending in mind that the simple ending was too easy and I was left hanging. I'm with Seda....
I liked the idea of this house and all these siblings locked in it for months - so much they rarely bathe and completely lose track of what day it is. They have little to no connection to the outside world other than random shopping trips to the market that is 10 miles away. As the weather turns, their trips are less and less frequent. The house is a dead zone for cell phones and no landline.
I also loved the kids complete mellow attitude toward horror movies and I love that they were so laid back about guts and gore and fake blood - because they have grown up around it. Their mother has spoiled all the scares and fear behind even the scariest plot line so even jump scares don't get these kids anymore.
But I'm still oddly disappointed with this story. I just read too much horror maybe...I had so much more of an elaborate ending in mind that the simple ending was too easy and I was left hanging. I'm with Seda....
November 24, 2017
Fifteen year old Seda Helm, her 4 siblings (2 sets of twins) and her mother, an author and college professor, are spending the summer at an old mansion that her mother inherited from an aunt and uncle. It used to be a murder mystery hotel with it's many secret passages and many, many guest rooms. It was fun at first exploring the old place, but now winter is setting in and Seda's mom has decided she wants to stay and renovate the old place. Seda is missing all her friends in Boston and wants to go home.
During a bad snow storm, with snow fast accumulating into many, many inches, a group of young teens arrive at the mansion due to the fact that they piled up their vehicle in a snowbank and was trying to find shelter. Seda saw them before her mother and put them in the carriage house. She didn't want her mom to know they were here. But, once her mother did see them she invited them into the mansion and that's when the "fun" begins.
What happens? Will someone die? How will this story end.
I won this ARC copy from Goodreads giveaway. It was a very intriguing story that kept me on my toes. You will enjoy this book, I know.
During a bad snow storm, with snow fast accumulating into many, many inches, a group of young teens arrive at the mansion due to the fact that they piled up their vehicle in a snowbank and was trying to find shelter. Seda saw them before her mother and put them in the carriage house. She didn't want her mom to know they were here. But, once her mother did see them she invited them into the mansion and that's when the "fun" begins.
What happens? Will someone die? How will this story end.
I won this ARC copy from Goodreads giveaway. It was a very intriguing story that kept me on my toes. You will enjoy this book, I know.
November 8, 2017
Twisted!
I had no idea I would end up liking this story and all its craziness as much as I did, with how slow the first few chapters were and me not really being pulled in by the main character. But once things started to pick up and the situation went awry, I became well-investigated and needed to know if my suspicions were accurate, especially about Seda. I knew she wasn't all the way there, but I did not see her remarks toward the end coming.
Before I get into why this dark and twisted story ended up entertaining me, I have to address the fact that there were just too many siblings. I mean, I like kids but for a book of this nature, it was way too many for me. I couldn't keep up with who was who and by the time the mystery was underway, I'd forgotten all about them. As for the mother, she needed to have some senses knocked into her. She was just not realistic and wasn't as concerned about her children's best interest as she ought to be. Children shouldn't be uprooted and brought to a place like that, I don't even care if she would eventually sell the place. I just strongly feel that she should never have done such a thing. And I also can't believe she didn't figure out the severity of Seda's mental state. That very reason shows how detached she was.
Anyway, back to the overall plot. I had suspected the group of teens from the moment Seda spotted them before the blizzard, and when they just happened to get stranded nearby it became even more clear to me something was up. But I had no idea the mother was going to bring up doing such a game in celebration of her teen daughter's birthday, and when scary things started happening I began second-guessing myself. Was it all real? Or were they all messing with Seda? I had to wait until the very end. And boy was that an ending, especially when the truth was revealed and that book cover made sense at last. I honestly had no idea it would play out like that and I love how the story ended with me having questions. One thing, in particular, I'm curious to know is what will happen once the mother knows?
Overall, great writing and interesting concept. Although it started out slow, I was still intrigued by the story for the most part and it held my attention in the sense that I wanted to figure things out and understand Seda's character better. I recommend reading this if you're looking for a spooky psychological thriller with a twisted ending.
I had no idea I would end up liking this story and all its craziness as much as I did, with how slow the first few chapters were and me not really being pulled in by the main character. But once things started to pick up and the situation went awry, I became well-investigated and needed to know if my suspicions were accurate, especially about Seda. I knew she wasn't all the way there, but I did not see her remarks toward the end coming.
Before I get into why this dark and twisted story ended up entertaining me, I have to address the fact that there were just too many siblings. I mean, I like kids but for a book of this nature, it was way too many for me. I couldn't keep up with who was who and by the time the mystery was underway, I'd forgotten all about them. As for the mother, she needed to have some senses knocked into her. She was just not realistic and wasn't as concerned about her children's best interest as she ought to be. Children shouldn't be uprooted and brought to a place like that, I don't even care if she would eventually sell the place. I just strongly feel that she should never have done such a thing. And I also can't believe she didn't figure out the severity of Seda's mental state. That very reason shows how detached she was.
Anyway, back to the overall plot. I had suspected the group of teens from the moment Seda spotted them before the blizzard, and when they just happened to get stranded nearby it became even more clear to me something was up. But I had no idea the mother was going to bring up doing such a game in celebration of her teen daughter's birthday, and when scary things started happening I began second-guessing myself. Was it all real? Or were they all messing with Seda? I had to wait until the very end. And boy was that an ending, especially when the truth was revealed and that book cover made sense at last. I honestly had no idea it would play out like that and I love how the story ended with me having questions. One thing, in particular, I'm curious to know is what will happen once the mother knows?
Overall, great writing and interesting concept. Although it started out slow, I was still intrigued by the story for the most part and it held my attention in the sense that I wanted to figure things out and understand Seda's character better. I recommend reading this if you're looking for a spooky psychological thriller with a twisted ending.
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