The Pact by Brandon Reeder [Book Review]

I was lucky enough to meet Brandon Reeder on Twitter, and he offered me a copy of his debut book, The Pact, in return for an honest review. The premise sounded really good, so I agreed 🙂

I’m so glad I did! I got two things out of this book: One, a really good reading experience, and Two, a chance to correct some proofreading errors his previous proofreaders had missed. I was really happy with both of these opportunities, because I love helping authors, especially indie authors, succeed!

So let’s get to it!

The Story

Cole, a high school student in Eden, Indiana, is maybe not a typical teenager, but he definitely has his vices. He drinks, parties, does drugs and deals in order to make ends meet. He’s pretty successful, actually, at that last part, so he is able to afford a nice vehicle, a Harley, and other things that make his teenage heart happy.

The one thing he doesn’t have is the girl of his dreams.

Katie broke up with him months ago, and he still misses her. So when she gets cornered by a group of people outside his favorite bar, he doesn’t hesitate to jump to her defense. This action jump-starts the rest of the story, because those people? Are Satan-worshipers, and they’re now out to get him.

Can Cole defend his town and his own life, before The Pact between his beloved town and The Devil destroy it?

What I thought of The Pact by Brandon Reeder

Cole is relatable. Not in the way that I’ve done drugs like him, or fought witches like him, but he’s so Human. He makes mistakes, he feels things, and he is loyal to those he cares about. Cole gets scared, to the point that Katie actually has to talk him into doing what he needs to do. I really appreciated the fact that even though Katie dumped Cole, she still considered herself his friend, and was there when he needed her.

One thing Brandon pointed out to me after I posted this review, is that the story is meant to read as a little choppy in places. Cole is addicted to drugs and drinks heavily, so his description of things seems a little fragmented in places. I noticed a little bit of that, but not enough to make the story hard to read or enjoy.

Characters

One thing I would have liked to see in this book is a little more “fleshing out” of the characters. Cole could have used a little bit more of his backstory given, so we could connect with him a little better. I was able to connect with him, but writing about Cole going through his grandfather dying, or his breakup with Katie, would have been a good addition to the story.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would, with conditions. I’m not sure if this book is classified as horror or not, but I didn’t find it all that scary. So if you grab this book looking for a horror novel, you might be disappointed. It was, however, very good, and set up for a sequel. I can’t wait to read that!

Writing in The Pact

This book was pretty short, so I don’t want to say too much and risk ruining the story, but it was really enjoyable, and I hope you give this new author a chance, and show him how wonderful the book community is! I’ll be posting an interview soon (I hope, Brandon?), so be looking for that as well, and get to know this author a little bit better!

Conclusion

I don’t give star ratings on my reviews, because I don’t think they add any quality to my opinion. I recommend this book, with a few conditions. Don’t expect a horror novel. This book is more of a supernatural thriller than a horror novel. 

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