Diary of the Gone by Ivan Amberlake

When The Blackwells move to the town of Olden Cross, Fifteen year old Callum's life is not the best for him. He is bullied, haunted by dead people and not to happy about the move. But he does makes some friends.

Soon his friends begin to disappear and so does "The Diary Of The Gone". It is a diary that has a mind of its own, nothing good seems to come out of that diary. Will Callum be able to figure out what is going on? What (if anything) is the connection to the disappearances and the diary? Will he be able to face "the Gone" and save his friends?

A well written short story. I really liked Callum. He is an average teen, bullied, just wanting to fit in and have a happy life. The story is very original, not your usual ghost story. The pace is swift, exciting and captivating. A definite all night read!

I also liked the cover, very eye-catching. I feel that young-adult as well as adult readers who love a great ghost/paranormal story will enjoy Diary of the Gone. I highly recommend to all. ( )

This book was reviewed for Bit'N Book Promoters.


Diary of the Gone is the second novel I've read by this author; the first being The Beholder, which was also very good.

The author, Ivan's, strongest ability is his description. No doubt about that. He has a way with words and manages to set a mood simply by describing the scenery and that's not as easy as it sounds.

This novel was creepy, mysterious and original. The idea that the dead visit the main character, Callum, before passing on to the next world is very unnerving. Especially when you're put in his shoes. It's a curse, passed down to him and there are many side stories which connect at the end so you fully understand why things are the way they are. Why he has this ability. Why the swamp came to be, and why it mysteriously grows bigger each year. What happened to the boy who was killed many years ago. Who is kidnapping characters and why. It's a maze of questions and the book constantly keeps you on your toes.

Callum is a likable character. He's strong in many ways but also weak in other ways. He's bullied by the principal's son and is quite an introvert. He finds it difficult to talk to girls and the way he reacts, the way he is written, makes it very believable that he is a fifteen year old boy. I enjoyed being in his shoes and following him around.

The book had a build up of impending doom. You could feel it and it gave you chills. The scenes with the shadows (the dead) visiting Callum while he's writing in his diary to send them away, are very chilling even though very little actually happens. It's the way that it is written that makes you uncomfortable and that just shows the skill of the writer.

There were a few errors in the novel, such as grammar, but there was also the dialogue, the way it was written, which showed that the author is not a native speaker. I know he plans to fix that anyway, and to be honest, it never deters your enjoyment of the novel; the errors are that minor.

I love the cover, even more so than The Beholder's cover. I know the designer of the cover and he did a grand job. It's very eye-catching and quite pretty despite the fact it is ominous.

The flow of the plot is smooth and each chapter gives you something new to look forward to. Questions to ask and something to fear. The novel is actually a novella really but it feels a decent size. Everything that needed to be covered, is.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, urban fantasy and spooky stories. It isn't graphic but it is a little dark. Plus the twist near the end is definitely worth waiting for.

I preferred this novel to The Beholder, just because I liked how creepy it was. It was simple, short and sweet, with decent, well-formed characters; the mystery was well concealed and not predictable- I didn't guess what the twist was and I'm fairly good at that. It was just an enjoyable novel, and an interesting concept. I liked it a lot. So because I liked it a little bit more than Ivan's other novel, it has to get a higher mark. I gave The Beholder 4.5 out of 5.

It only makes sense that this should get full marks. FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS. ( )