 Daphne, Anne, Shirley, and Mary are four little ghost girls trapped in an abandoned orphanage, passing the time by playing a game called “Bones", which will determine who will narrate that evening’s frightening tale. But the four young spirits aren’t the only spooks living in the orphanage. The girls must also watch out for the evil Headmistress, who is quite ready to punish any of the girls by placing them in the horrifying “Red Room".
As the evening tale begins, a young musician named Devin, along with his rock band Torn, are playing on stage on a Friday night to a modest crowd. Along with his gorgeous girlfriend, Cheryl, and his arrogant and annoying friend, Cody, Devin and his band are about to hit the big time, thanks to an eerily haunting song. Only one problem, when the new tune is played, what follows are dire consequences.
Wicked Dead: Torn, a recent installment in the Wicked Dead series, was written by masters of horror Stefan Petrucha (also known for his work on the award-winning Nancy Drew Graphic Novels) and Thomas Pendleton (a pseudonym of a critically acclaimed horror author for adults). The book’s prime audiences are between the ages of 12 to 15, or simply people who are young at heart and like these kinds of adolescent horror stories.
Wicked Dead: Torn lacks as it pertains to character development, which, probably, has more to do with the book’s length than the literary skills of the two authors. Be that as it may, the story did feel a bit rushed (likely, a prerequisite for young readers with a short attention span - no offense man). The plot does have a couple of highlights (one of which includes Devin’s meeting with his grandmother), and the conflicts within Wicked Dead: Torn, especially the internal ones, add to the heightened tension as the story progresses.
Final Analysis: Wicked Dead: Torn might be best suited for the young reader looking to browse through a book with little complexities.
This Reviewer's Rating:    2.5 / 5
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