Severed
This novel travels back in time to when Grandpa Jack was twelve years old, some forty years ago, after his grandson hands him a note that he had received from a stranger. This note reminds grandpa of a dark secret that he has been hiding, a secret no one is aware of. It is now, that grandpa slowly begins to reveal what transpired when he was a teen.
Jack is hopping aboard a freight train with his sights set on meeting his father. Jack has had a wonderful childhood but Jack has just realized that he is adopted. Finding an old picture of his biological parents, Jack feels betrayed by his adopted family and wants to see where his roots began. Jack is elated that his father is the famous Brakeman, as Jack now knows where he obtained his musical talent. I was questioning the timeline of this event as I wondered how long Jack knew he was adopted. Did Jack just find this out about the adoption and decided to run off and locate his father? Had Jack made any plans for this trip? Did Jack expect his biological father to welcome him with open arms or did Jack have plans if things didn’t work out between him and his father? It just seemed like a big trip for a young boy to take without any planning.
Jack gets an advance course in reality when he runs into some other domineering individuals on the train, to them they see someone they can take advantage of. Jack meets up with an individual named Sam. Jack takes to Sam, for she seems to knows this new world that Jack has stepped into. When an older man introduces himself to this duo, I see where this novel is headed. They find comfort in the wisdom and resources of the older man but what the teens don’t realize is that this man is a not actually who he says he is. This man preys on little children, for they provide a tasty meal for him and Jack is next on his plate.
I didn’t think this novel was at all chilling, until the very end. The ending provided some excellent illustrations and was where the excitement intensified. I was disappointment as I was hoping for some suspense and intense action to be taking place throughout the novel. I did enjoy the illustrations as they were very detailed and I loved the intensity of a few of them. I was glad that I had picked up this deluxe version with all seven issues in it, as I don’t think I would had continued reading this series if I had to read them one at a time.
I am going to use this novel as my American Horror Story in Halloween Bingo as this novel begins in Jamestown, NY in 1916. Â Jack is trying to make it to Chicago, IL to locate his father but along the way, he visits other U.S. cities.
