Cold Weather Zombies?

 

TITLE: Winter People

AUTHOR: Jennifer McMahon

PUBLISHER: Doubleday

PUBLISHING DATE: February 11, 2014

PAGES: 336   

SOURCE: Own Library

FROM GOODREADS: West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter. 

Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that has weighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished. In her search for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked into the historical mystery, she discovers that she's not the only person looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

MY THOUGHTS: I ended up reading this as it was the January selection for an on-line horror book club I participate in. I've had it on my shelves for years and was glad for the motivation to finally pick it up.  

The book features two distinct timelines which collide at the end.  In the early 1900s, we are following Sara and her family.  When Sara was a child, her mother died and she was raised by her father, and a mysterious woman who lived in the mountains known as Auntie.  Auntie was a practitioner of alternative healing and medicine although many people considered her a witch.  This is where the reader is introduced to the "sleepers."  Deceased individuals who have been ritualistically brought back to life.  

In the current day, we meet Ruthie, her mom and sister.  Ruthie has just graduated high school and wants nothing more than to leave West Hall. She returns home from partying one night to find her mom missing and her six-year-old sister Fawn home alone.  Ruthie now has more responsibility than she ever dreamed and she and her sister start looking for their mother.  What they find and learn along the way may lead back to Sara.  Throw in a bunch of other characters, a lot of drama, some eeriness and evil child who may be more victim than actual evil and you have an atmospheric read perfect for a January read.

I have to say this book kind of started off slowly and it wasn't until about 45% in that I felt it picked up.  I really enjoyed the dual timelines and eventually became really invested in the activities in both. I also felt there were too many characters thrown in at first but at least they all played a part in the end.  I was pleased with how everything wrapped up and have to admit that this was a good choice for a book club discussion.  If you are wanting a more atmospheric horror tale, and I honestly think it's a stretch to call it horror, then this definitely an option to consider.  I felt like my rating is a strong 3.5 but for Goodreads purposes, I'm rounding down to 3 instead of up because it just doesn't hang in comparison to some of my other 4-star read.

MY RATING: 3 PAWS