Book Review: Sightings by Mark Lukens

My first book review! I both wrote out the review and shared it on Amazon and Goodreads, and I also did a voice-over video.

Rating: 4/5

I’m a little torn about this review because there was a lot that I liked and a lot that I didn’t like. I really loved the story, but I thought that the writing was very amateurish, and I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending.

First, the plot. Film student John is obsessed with ufology, and wants to make a documentary capturing evidence of alien visitation. He has for help his friends Veronica and Drew, and a girl named Fran, who’s family has experienced alien abductions. Frank takes John and his friends to her family’s cabin in the woods, the place where her mother was abducted. Once there, strange things start happening.

This was definitely a fun book. It was creepy, it was creative, and it kept you wondering what was going to happen next. It also had the feel of a “found footage” film due to the documentary element and the fact that John always kept the camera rolling. I’m a fan of found footage horror so I enjoyed this. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who likes sci-fi horror.

My main issue is the writing. I feel a little mean calling it “amateurish,” but that was the word that came to mind. It got better as the story went along, but the beginning especially felt a little off.

Then there was the ending. With a story like this, I expected that some things would go unexplained. It adds to the air of mystery. But some things didn’t make sense within the context of the story. I can’t explain without offering spoilers. Basically, I was thinking, “If the explanation is this, then why did this other thing happen in the story?” The ending was also kind of confusing, and not in an “air of mystery, there are still some things unanswered” confusing. I just wish that more things had been explained better.

All in all, a very enjoyable read and I’m glad I read it, but as far as quality goes, it’s not a prize-winner. Still, fans of sci-fi/horror should check it out.