Origins of Evil

The Merciless III: Origins of Evil by Danielle Vega

Ok, first I need to say that I didn't mean to title this post the same thing as part of the title, but honestly, nothing fits quite as well.

This is a prequel, so it should give an idea as to why the events in Merciless happen. This is about Brooklyn, who is the girl that the other girls try to perform an exorcism on. The ending felt rushed to me; like the author took too much time with other stuff and had to throw things together at the end. It was also grotesquely graphic, and I found myself cringing several times. I mean, a girl falls with a fork or spoon in her hand and the author describes the handle sticking out of the girl's eye. I have a thing about eyes, so that was particularly unsettling.

I am sure you're thinking, based on what I have said so far, that I disliked the book. That would be an inaccurate statement. I liked it, it was just too much for me in some instances. It is still worth the read, and I am looking forward to the fourth and final book in the series, which comes out in twelve days (though I will likely wait for it to come out in paperback before I make the purchase).

Anyway, Brooklyn, the girl who is so evil that her "friends" want to exorcise the demons out of her. Brooklyn has a good heart. The book starts with her in a school basement, having started a helpline to help people.  Just before she leaves, she receives a call from a female claiming that someone is hurting her. Curious, she calls 911 and reports it, but nothing is done. Turns out the call comes from a church, and Brooklyn decides to check it out on her own. She ends up meeting and kinda falling for the pastor's son. She also befriends the pastor's daughter, who has strange cuts and bruises on her back.

Now this is what I mean by the ending seeming rushed. The meeting and befriending of the pastor's children takes up half the book. At that point, we still don't see why Brooklyn is evil. That doesn't happen until the last forty pages or so, and it is not 100% believable. Read it yourself and make your own opinions.