A seductive, paranormal thriller, The Killing Jar by Jennifer Bosworth is a tantalizing story filled with mystery, horror, and a dash of romance.
“I try not to think about it, what I did to that boy.”
Seventeen-year-old Kenna Marsden has a secret.
She’s haunted by a violent tragedy she can’t explain. Kenna’s past has kept people—even her own mother—at a distance for years. Just when she finds a friend who loves her and life begins to improve, she’s plunged into a new nightmare. Her mom and twin sister are attacked, and the dark powers Kenna has struggled to suppress awaken with a vengeance.
On the heels of the assault, Kenna is exiled to a nearby commune, known as Eclipse, to live with a relative she never knew she had. There, she discovers an extraordinary new way of life as she learns who she really is, and the wonders she’s capable of. For the first time, she starts to feel like she belongs somewhere. That her terrible secret makes her beautiful and strong, not dangerous. But the longer she stays at Eclipse, the more she senses there is something malignant lurking underneath it all. And she begins to suspect that her new family has sinister plans for her…
Bosworth sucks readers in immediately with Kenna’s deadly ability, and the burning desire to uncover the mystery of her power — and her mother’s secret past. As each new layer peels back, more mysteries unfold — which just keeps you eagerly reading, on the edge of your seat. I was captivated by the multi-faceted intrigue, but its the characters themselves who really give the story a heart and make you care about them, and about what happens next.
The result is a slow-building reveal with a fast-paced feel — the mystery and characters fueling the plot along to its dramatic and deliciously twisted big reveal. The descriptions are lush and seductive, with Bosworth’s descriptions enticing readers just as life at Eclipse entices Kenna. Equal parts mystery and horror, The Killing Jar is more than just a paranormal thriller. The story encapsulates the basest human desires — for eternity, for power, for lust — and the lengths we’ll go for the ones we really love.
The Killing Jar is in stores January 12th.
Novel Novice 
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