Book Review: The Merciless by Danielle Vega

Title: The Merciless
Author: Danielle Vega
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: June 12th 2014
Pages: 279
Format: Hardcover
Source: Won
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Horror

Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned

Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.

Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.

Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls . . . unless she wants to be next . . . .

In this chilling debut, Danielle Vega delivers blood-curdling suspense and terror on every page. By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us?

HOLY HELL, what the eff did I just read? My mind is blown right now, I am incapable of correct speech. I feel like Sofia right about now. Shocked as hell.

When I won a copy of The Merciless, I was like okay it's Mean Girls with a dash of Evil Dead (remake), I can deal. I was proven wrong. The Merciless is one big horror story and it is NOT intended for weak stomachs. I had to put the book down a couple of times because those scenes were brutal; this DEFINITELY needs to get made into a movie. What can I say I love gore and blood (but not in a creepy way y'all.)

Anywho, Sofia, the main character, is someone who has not had it easy. She meets new friends at her new school who seem nice but then that changes in a flash. Believe me when I say they were plenty of times I wanted to shake Sofia. I was just like stop being a chicken and beat the bitch up. But then I was like "well, wait if I was in your situation I wouldn't know what to do either."

I did not sign up for this Danielle. I signed up for a quick, light read and instead got scared shitless. You had me hiding underneath my covers while reading The Merciless. Bravo.