When local girl Misty is found dead in an underground bunker, the town is thrown into a whirlwind of panic and speculation. Times are tough, but the spaced-out farmer community pulls together as one, trying to uncover who’s guilty.Thrown smack in the middle of the chaos is a group of teens: local troublemakers, but with good hearts. Although they’re innocent, the local law enforcers believe … believe otherwise, and the true killer is lurking far too close for comfort.
Will the four be able to uncover the truth before one of them pays the price for Misty’s death?
more
Sketch is the fifth work I’ve read from Didi Oviatt. It tells the story of a group of young adults in Montana in the early/mid 20th century, just on the border of historical fiction for me — a perfect blend of setting, scenery, and the past. I’d consider it a lengthy novella that reads quite quickly, perhaps 2 hours on average. The kids are young, poor, and in need of guidance. They live off the land, have troubles with their parents, and refuse to admit their feelings for one another. It is, after all, nearly 80 years ago when life was quite different. Then… the serial killings start happening again.
Michael and John are brothers. They are raw, rugged, and tough. But not as much as Chloe, Michael’s secret crush. In a fairly opening scene, she kills, skins, cooks, and eats a snake. Steven enters the picture, and he’s a bit aloof. We know John has a thing for Misty, but when her father comes looking for revenge, readers learn Misty has gone missing. Is one of the group responsible? The sheriff and a few other law protectors get involved, then we start seeing the violence happening in this very tiny town which doesn’t even show up on a map. Now that’s the way to start telling a gory story – all the essentials for a dramatic confrontation and fearful denouement.
We’re quickly dropped into the scary search for Misty. When we find her body, scattered and dismembered, you know for certain — without a doubt — you’ve entered the world of Didi Oviatt’s marvelous imagination. In most of her previous works, readers are treated to that criminally insane killer who thirsts for blood. But she pushes it even further this time when we watch the visceral murder scene of two characters — one we could’ve guessed, another that was a shock. Oviatt clearly shows us why her antagonist stayed in hiding since the killings began over a decade ago. How could anyone not figure it out? Clever is her killer who knows what not to say.
When I pick up an Oviatt book, I’m guaranteed a thrilling adventure / killing spree with the finest finesse and balance of drama, dialog, and murder during the high points. You swiftly turn the pages. You briefly skim something that seems non-essential because you just HAVE TO FIND OUT what’s happening, then you’re forced with your tails between your legs to return because you know you missed a clue five lines earlier. Don’t do it! Read every word and enjoy the boiling as it explodes. Unfortunately, it’s so good that it’s too hard to slow down; she makes you thirst like the killer for your own solution.
Add to it, in this case, a setting when there were no cars in Montana, people took the law into their own hands, and murders went unsolved for longer periods of time. Wow, this was a ride. And what the killer keeps in his/her little jar of mementos is sickening. But of course, it’s brilliant. I enjoyed this latest edition from Oviatt’s startlingly vivid imagination. I’ve got one more book to finish reading all of her work, and I’m very curious to see how it compare — it’s a different genre, so that’ll be something to look forward to this fall. Congrats on another winner!
Love, love, love Oviatt’s writing! This was an awesome little thriller that was both gruesome and emotional. The characters were wonderful to follow down this suspenseful path! All I know is I need more by the author after reading this one!
WHOA! Alright, I knew Didi Oviatt was a fabulous writer but Sketch blew me away! It’s the perfect blend of suspense mixed with an interesting setting and time frame. This is a bit of a longer novella, but I think it was the perfect length to let me really immerse myself in the story.
This is quite a gory read, which isn’t a criticism from me at all. I was absolutely on the edge of my seat. I absolutely love how scary this killing spree ends up being. Didi Oviatt really knows how to write antagonists and keep them menacing. I mean, let’s be honest here, I am just as impressed with every character written in this book. They are so fleshed out and real, it made this book feel even more thrilling.
Short, intense, and addicting – those are probably the adjectives I think best describe Sketch. This is a mature YA novel, with gruesome scenes, not for the faint of heart, but definitely for lovers of the psychological thriller genre! I figured I was picking up an awesome novel when I agreed to read this one, and Didi Oviatt didn’t disappoint at all. Highly recommended!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from R&R Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Find this review and more on my blog: https://www.jessicabelmont.wordpress.com
Sketch, by Didi Oviatt, is a fast-paced suspense novella that kept me riveted until the last thrilling, on-the-edge-of-your-seat ending. Mrs. Oviatt sets the background to a sleepy hamlet marshalled by an inept Sherriff blind to an age-old crime that’s reared its lurid head again. When Missy Crawl, a local teenage girl, goes missing and her gruesome remains found in the woods, suspicions abound around the Hound brothers.
I love how the author invests the readers’ emotions in the main characters, Michael and John Hound, Stephen, and Chloe, four teens about to endure unimaginable horrors. Mrs. Oviatt plops the reader into the family lives of these four and opens our eyes to their flaws and deepest desires. So, when fate forces them into the path of evil, I found myself on the edge of my seat rooting for each.
In the melee to find Misty’s killer, the author skillfully throws the reader into each characters’ head as they race through dark woods toward danger, not knowing what awaits. Mrs. Oviatt is not afraid to delve into the serial killer’s sadistic mind or cringe-worthy, gory murders. The author captured the pinnacle of fear and suspense that had me biting my lips and flinching as the killer taunts and terrorize his victim.
The author has created memorable characters you will bleed for and a maniacal killer you will hate. I’d love to see this as a novel, know the whys and how’s of this lunatic’s evolution. Perhaps Mrs. Oviatt has a part two of the novella up her sleeve. I hope so and highly recommend this fast-paced, suspenseful story that will literally keep you turning the page and wanting more until the very end. Mrs. Oviatt, thanks for another great read!