Source: Hard Copy from Public Library
Publisher: Graymalkin Media
Pulication Date: Oct. 13, 1995
My Format: Hard Copy
Page Count:192
Report Card
Characters- B
Character Development- N/A
Setting- C
Plot- B+
Ship- D
Tone- C
Star Factor- B
Overall Grade- B-
Review
Characters
I really like Jackson. He's pretty much a typical 15 year-old boy. He's away from his parents with the "cool aunt" Dr. Cawley, and he's looking to have some fun but of the anthropological variety. A boy after my own heart. :) He's adventurous and wants to do the right thing. He's eager to throw himself into danger to save his new friends as well as his aunt. He's also quick thinking.
Alma is another fun character. She's not quite as wily as Jackson and is a lot more cautious about what she's doing after she learns about Ramid (as Dr. Cawley dubbed the creature). She worked well with Jackson.
I think my favorite character is Dr. Cawley herself. She's the aunt I wish I had. She gets to travel the world looking at these amazing artifacts and studying people and cultures. She seems to lead a very colorful and adventurous life.
Character Development
There really is none here. This story is much more plot-driven than character. They don't really have time (the story takes place over about a week) to change all that much.
Setting
I love all things British, so this story sort of fed into that. I've always been fascinated by Stonehenge. So this book gets points just for the locale. I do wish he'd sprinkled in a few more details about the location though.
Plot
The thing that makes this stand out for me is how the plot/story was done. It's actually wuite scary to think about. It's the kind of story that's just above Goosebumps (due to the body count), and could easily be a stepping stone to more horrific stories. It's hardly Stephen King, but I could actually see King doing a similar story, with much more gore and language, of course. :)
Ship
Again, there really wasn't much there to go on. Jackson and Alma worked well together, but I see them continuing to be just friends, especially since Jackson was just visiting. However, they did have some friendly chemistry.
Tone
This story is clearly meant to be a child/YA horror, and you sort of have to take it for that. If you're reading it as an adult, or even older teen, this story isn't scary at all. It's the type of book that makes you wonder what if. What if there really is some monster out in Stonehenge eating people? As an adult, I'm not too worried about it. :) But a younger person might run with the story.
Star Factor
I truly enjoyed The Doomstone for it's unique take on the mythology of Stonehenge for kids, which isn't all that common.
0
