PortlandTown by Rob DeBorde

SYNOPSIS: Welcome to Portlandtown, where no secret is safe---not even those buried beneath six feet of Oregon mud. Joseph Wylde isn’t afraid of the past, but he knows some truths are better left unspoken. When his father-in-law’s grave-digging awakens more than just ghosts, Joseph invites him into their home hoping that a booming metropolis and two curious grandtwins will be enough to keep the former marshal out of trouble. Unfortunately, the old man’s past soon follows, unleashing a terrible storm on a city already knee deep in floodwaters. As the dead mysteriously begin to rise, the Wyldes must find the truth before an unspeakable evil can spread across the West and beyond. Rob DeBorde's Portlandtown is a supernatural western, a fantastic blend of horror, magic, and zombies sure to excite even the most demanding genre fan.

REVIEW: Before I began to read Portlandtown, I was beyond thrilled and could hardly wait. Simply because the book takes place less than a couple hours from my home and that the author resides there as well. Although the book didn't quite thrill me as much as I had hoped it didn't quite disappoint either. It took me a couple days to really get into it and for me that is not normal. At first, I was completely confused; the book kept jumping back and forth between characters. Though as I read further on the transition between each one became smoother. I must say though, several things still have me confused, mostly with all the characters except for the antagonist, The Hanged Man. It’s quite apparent that this man is evil and no good in anyway. As for the rest of the characters you are left trying to figure out how and why most of them have what I guess you can call supernatural powers. Through the first two hundred and some odd pages I found myself bored. It wasn’t until the last hundred or so pages that it began to pick up and I found myself not wanting to stop reading. Although, many questions were left unanswered for each character, I found them pretty well written. The grand kids, Kick and Maddie, are quite the pair. Their constant bickering and picking on one another offer humor to this book. Joseph, who stood out as the main character to me, is quite remarkable in more ways than one. Overall, this book was okay to me. It wasn’t the greatest thing I have ever read though it definitely wasn’t the worse. And with the way it ended, I have no doubt that there is going to be at least a second book to follow if not more. And I’ll be sure to read it, only because I am curious to see as to what is going to happen next.

 

~2 DIAMONDS~

Reviewed by: BRANDY