It Begins (The Unseen, Part 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Richie Tankersley Cusick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2005

Out walking alone one rainy night, Lucy becomes convinced that someone—or something—is following her. Spooked, she ducks into a cemetery to try and lose her stalker. Panicking in the darkness, she slips and stumbles into an open grave—only to discover she is not alone in there. . . . Lucy manages to escape, but she doesn’t get away unscathed. She begins having terrifying visions and dreams—and she still can’t shake the feeling of an unseen presence, always watching, waiting. . . . Who was the girl in the grave? And what has she done to Lucy?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–Lucy is sure that someone is following her when she stumbles across a bruised and bloodied girl who passes on her psychic abilities just before dying. Now the teen is tormented by visions indicating that the killer is stalking her. Her only confidant is Byron, the murdered girl's handsome, brooding brother. At the end of part one, however, the two are involved in a car accident that leaves Byron dead and Lucy found clinging to life by her stalker. In the second installment, Lucy escapes after three unconscious days of captivity, but now must deal with the loss of Byron and an even stronger feeling of being haunted by someone, or something. So far, there are hints at a tortured, ancient soul with a vampirelike appetite and an ability to take on any physical form that he desires. While the author effortlessly builds suspense, the real mystery is why this is planned as a four-book series. Too much of the plot consists of Lucy braving one harrowing experience after another, often in a predictable sequence. Flat characters plague the books, with a new friend and romantic interest to replace the old ones when they die. While there's nothing new here, these books will likely appeal to Cusick's devoted fan base.–Emily Rodriguez, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
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About the Author

Richie Tankersley Cusick is the author of numerous horror novels, including The House Next Door, April Fools, and several Buffy the Vampire Slayer books. She lives in Lenexa, Kansas.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Speak (August 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142404632
• ISBN-13: 978-0142404638
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #472,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Mysteries
  • #49 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Horror

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Yet Addicting, July 8, 2006

By 

prydain16 "~C" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Begins (The Unseen, Part 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm not going to bother writing an in-depth review because I know that not many people will read this review. This book isn't exactly a hot seller.

But if you are into supernatural tales, I would highly recommend this series. The books are not long and they have a writing style that is aimed to appeal to a younger audience, yet the story is also quite dark and has undertones and subtext that older teens and adults could appreciate.

The books are fastpaced, interesting, and actually creepy. I read lots of adult horror novels and books but I still found this book series fascinating. The story pulled me in and I read each book in a matter of two or three days, and that was only because I forced myself to put the book down - every chapter ends with something that makes you want to keep reading.

While reading these books, I am able to perfectly imagine everything that happens as though I'm actually seeing it. The characters are interesting and you care about what happens to them, which makes you feel more into the story when something bad may happen to them. And the stories are able to be creepy because you don't really know what's happening, you don't know who the villain is. The atmosphere is just very well constructed.

So basically, I'd HIGHLY recommend this if you're looking for a fast read and you like suspense/horror. If you have negative feelings about the story based on other reviews here and the plot, then don't read it. If you think it's gonna be bad, it probably will be. But I bought it without knowing a THING about it and now this series is one of my favorites. I enjoyed this more than any Stephen King novel, but hey, maybe that's just me.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As a series?, August 27, 2005

By 

Maryssa (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Begins (The Unseen, Part 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I really liked this as a book...it's hard to find anything to read in between Buffy books and a few scattered titles...but according to the back cover, this isn't just a short trilogy - several books are planned for a series. It's original and captivating. Lucy has lost her mother and gone to live with an uncaring aunt and step-cousin in an all new area when she witnesses the death of a girl she can't save. As things get supernatural, she accepts help from a mysterious student who she develops a rare connection with. BUT, the end to the first book comes violently and abruptly with more loss all around, and it doesn't seem there are any characters left to make any further books anything other than Lucy, crazy and walking around alone and talking to herself. Which doesn't sound too interesting.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars UNexpected, July 28, 2010

By 

booknerd11 - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Begins (The Unseen, Part 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was definitely not what I expected. Usually, you will find me reading some tragic love novel or something about vampires for young adults, so when I saw that this was a 'horror' story, I was a bit intrigued. Excited to read something different, I jumped into this story with an open mind, and I was not disappointed. Sure, the dialogue is a little jumbled at times and it seems that every other word is italicized, but the story line was really interesting and I just couldn't put it down! My favorite thing of all is that it had a really gripping cliffhanger. I give this 4 stars because it held my interest throughout the whole story,and it really did send chills through me at times. I'm leaving out the fifth star only because there aren't any WOW moments, but I'm sure the next book will. I have already ordered the second, third, and final book to the series and I can't wait to read them! (: