The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

Title: The Marbury Lens

Author: Andrew Smith

Pages: 368

Genre: YA/ Teen Horror

Source: Book It Forward ARC Tours

Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.

There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them.

Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind.

Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay.

But it’s not. [via Goodreads]

Oh my, this book scared the bejesus out of me!  I thought this would be more of a fantasy, sci-fi type of read and instead I was taken into this maniacal, twisted world that gave me nightmares.  I am serious!  I still think about this book and I read it over a week ago. 

Jack lives in two worlds - he lives in our world and he also lives in Marbury.  Just thinking about Marbury brings me chills.  Jack who is kidnapped by a sadistic, murdering rapist - and then the visions of Marbury begin.  Marbury with its desert-like facade, demons, flesh-eating beetles and dismembered bodies.  Marbury which is almost like an addiction for Jack.  When he is in the real world (or is it real?) dreams of Marbury and finding his way back there. 

There was so much going through my mind when I read this.  Where the heck did this Marbury stem from?  Was it something like The Matrix, was Jack dead, was he hallucinating or high?  This book made me paranoid and it was just a hot mess.  But I still found myself riveted to its pages.  The premise and its cover were what originally captured my attention but once I actually started reading it - Mr. Smith's writing, Jack and his terrible ordeal, Marbury itself - were just so disturbing that I could not put it down.  (I'm a masochist, I know).

I have never read anything like this book before.  It was truly disturbing - and I say that in a good way! It was unpredictable, action-packed and just plain Awesome!

I do have to forewarn though, this is a very dark book and although it is geared for young adults - I'd recommend it for an older crowd (as within its pages you will find profanity (and lots of it), an attempted rape, dismembered corpses and even cannibalism).  I'm just saying. 

My Rating: