Falter Kingdom

August 8, 2016
A stream-of-consciousness narrative fuels this confusing tale of a teenager who becomes possessed by a demon after undergoing a local rite of passage. When high school senior Hunter Warden "runs the gauntlet" by venturing into the abandoned tunnel called Falter Kingdom, something takes up residence in his body, causing a variety of weird phenomena to occur in his presence. While Hunter waits for an exorcism, he becomes something of a celebrity among his friends, alternately loved and feared for his swiftly deteriorating condition. But as Hunter gets to know the demon, which calls itself "H," he questions his purpose in life and whether he wants to be cured. The premise of Seidlinger's (The Laughter of Strangers) first book for teens has potential, but the story suffers from a lack of focus and an increasingly unclear internal monologue, which is studded with lines rendered in bold type for little discernable reason. Hunter is hard to connect with as a character, and when his thoughts and viewpoints become interchangeable with those of H, it muddies the waters further and robs the tale of emotional strength. Ages 14âup.

July 1, 2016
A teenage boy is possessed by a demon.There is a tunnel near the park where the local high school kids smoke, drink, and canoodle. The most daring teens run through the tunnel and come out possessed by a demon. The tunnel is called Falter Kingdom, and one afternoon, disaffected senior Hunter finds himself hanging out by the tunnel with his friends. (Absent racial cues, readers will likely infer that he's white.) After a couple beers, Hunter runs through the tunnel, contracting a demon that goes by H. Hunter could get an exorcism, but he likes the spark H brings to his life, despite the demon's villainous motivations. Told through Hunter's first-person, present-tense perspective, occasionally addressing H as "you" and other times adopting "we" as the demon digs in, the novel sets up an interesting idea but does very little with it. Hunter is an unappealing protagonist, with little apparent ambition or investment. His possession muddles his motivations and characteristics, but everyone around him is so flat and his relationships so attenuated, there's little emotional resonance. The novel thuds on and on, hitting the same brooding note over and over, and when the violent climax finally comes there's simply not enough on the line for readers to care. An ennui-soaked misfire. (Horror. 14-17)

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August 1, 2016

Gr 10 Up-Jaded senior Hunter Warden is existing, not living, disconnected from his friends, his commandeering girlfriend Becca, and his parents, who try but are perpetually absent. An afternoon's delinquency finds Hunter and several classmates at the entrance to Falter Kingdom, a darkened concrete tunnel with a sinister and long-accepted reputation. Those who enter the tunnel run the risk of catching a demon. Fueled by alcohol and boredom, the protagonist "runs the gauntlet" and begins experiencing symptoms of a haunting. Hunter ignores his predicament until Becca finds out, mobilizing with her priest to prepare Hunter for exorcism. But the more time he spends with "H," the more reluctant he is to give the demon up. Seidlinger's tale isn't gory horror but a perceptive commentary on the life and loss of identity of a lonely teenager whose solace comes from Internet surfing and a parasitic demon. While some action is in the form of familiar scary movie tropes, the majority of it takes place in the shared head space of Hunter and "H." This might bore some, but the spirit's slow invasion and subtle manipulation as an understanding companion are creepy. VERDICT An unsettling title for mature readers who prefer supernatural suspense that takes a backseat to the psychological.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

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