Well, be scared... Or not really. "Seven-X: Terror to the Seventh Power" is an entertaining enough short novel, with an interesting enough premise that, unfortunately, fails to deliver on its promises.
And all starts well enough. We have reporter Eddie Hansen, who is investigating some death row victims who seem to have been shipped to a secret institution, even though officially they have been executed and their bodies disposed of. Eddie got the information from a friend that went to investigate the place and disappeared and he thinks he can make loads of money with this investigation. Pretty soon he seems to discover secret dealings in the place, and strange things seem to be happening, while the 'owners' of the place keep telling him they are dealing with demon possession. Till here, all good. A mystery, a place out in the middle of nowhere, some demons (maybe)...
However, the delivery lacks and the plot is weak. After the good introduction, and Eddie's arrival to Uphir, we just get Eddie doing silly things, making risible mistakes, and shouting for no apparent reason at every corner.
The problem is that there is no clear character development. Forget all the secondary characters that are just there to further the plot. Center on Eddie Hansen. It is difficult to believe his journey, because there is no clear explanation of why what happens, well, happens. We see him shouting, or fighting, getting angry, but not why, and his explosions of anger make little sense if we don't really see why they should be happening. It all seems quite random, just to further the plot. And the demons... Don't start with the 'demons', because there is not a moment you will believe there are demons in the story, apart from reverend Billings telling you once, twice, or a million times, that there are demons in the story.
A big part of the problem resides in the writing. Mike Wech tries to make all easy to read and fast-paced, with videos, audios, blogs, and phone conversations to further the plot. However, along the way, the author has forgotten that just conversation a book don't make, and that we need some description, even some actions and situations. The book is basically Eddie talking to himself or to people, but with conversation that are shallow and have little meaning. Instead of Eddie analyzing the situation or describing things, it is Eddie saying: 'I'm gonna get lots of money, there is a secret here'. Once, it's fine, it's acceptable. But when he says the same thing on page 5, 24, 50, 57, etc., it becomes also repetitive.
On top of that, some moments it seems the book is preaching to the reader. Instead of making the reader wonder and discover, there it comes a sentence of the bible or some long diatribe by reverend Billings about demons. It makes the reader detach from the story and it feels like being hit on the head with a book... Hmm...
The best: the start; it is easy to read
The worst: the plot is non-existent; I like my novels with some character development; does Wech know what description means?, this looks like a script, not a novel; it all becomes repetitive after the umpteenth moment Hansen is seen shouting or scared.
If you like the genre: read Stephen King; his writing can be a little bit long-winded, but he is almost always fun (hello, "It") and he has a very particular writing style that can be quite seductive; Natsuo Kirino is actually more mystery, but her books have that touch of grotesque this one lacks (like, cough cough, "Grotesque"; English edition censored); "The Terror" by Dan Simmons or "The Ruins" by Scott Smith are also entertaining options, even if far from great. Or watch any episode of "Supernatural" which is a great show.
5/10
(Original English Version)
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