Dark Entry
Dark Entry is told in both the present and the 18th century and based loosely on New England Native American folklore and the author’s significant knowledge concerning matters based in the paranormal and metaphysical. Dudleytown, Connecticut is a deeply wooded area, settled in colonial times and later eerily deserted and still considered hopelessly cursed. It is here that Sandy Lawrence, with the help of her best friend, chooses to hide, escaping her abusive partner. What follows is a tale of lingering evil spirits, redemption, things that go bump-in-the-night: things that Sandy doesn’t believe in.
The concept of Dark Entry is enticing and historically curious, especially if those details based in myth and tradition had been fully explored. Oddly, the author chooses to deal with the mysterious history in a base, superficial manner, and the same writing style can regrettably be attributed to the entire novel. The concept is promising; the execution is lacking. The main character’s choices are questionable enough to suspend belief in the narrative. Sandy and her foul, truly unlikable partner are clichéd and flat. Sandy’s friend is the only character with common-sense resilience. The novel contains one cringe-worthy scene of abuse, which is left wanting by Sandy’s reaction to it. Kachuba’s dialogue is amateurish, stilted and flat, seriously impeding the flow of the story.
I had high hopes for the novel and was sadly disappointed.
