Author: Laura Kasischke
ISBN: 978-006-200-4789
Laura Kasischke is already an award-winning bestselling author in the US and I can see The Raising making her big in Oz as well when this book celebrates it’s Australian release on June 1st 2011 .
Past, present and perspective provide a patchwork point of view of this haunting story that is sure to capture your imagination, your heart and in the end will have you gripping the edge of your seat waiting for the next shocking revelation.
The Raising contains some gripping elements of college life, urban legends and the folklore surrounding death throughout the ages and across the world.
It all begins with a tragic accident! The gorgeous small town sorority girl killed in a single vehicle accident with her boyfriend driving.
Flash forward to the next semester when Craig returns to the small college town to begin the rest of his life, start moving on and go back to classes.
The next 400+ pages is a fantastical journey through an erratic timeline and the lives of all who have been touched by this tragedy. We look back to learn what lead Kasischke’s characters to be in that accident and we travel forward to discover the effect this tragedy has had on everyone touched by the accident and involved with Craig and Nicole.
Plot twists begin very early on when it becomes clear that all of the reports of the accident contain incorrect details according to Shelly Lockes, the witness who was first at the scene of the accident. Once the plot twists start they come at you thick and fast, right up to the very last page.
A lot of the storyline centres around sorority life, the rituals and the elitism. As an Australian I have no concept of the American sorority other than that which is portrayed in American movies and The Raising fit quite well with the preconceptions I have formed, and the ease with which urban legends seem to spark up around them and the whole lifestyle of campus living.
Laura Kasischke has written a haunting modern ghost story that is a big part mystery, part thriller and then there’s the part the meanders off looking like it’s heading in the direction of vampire tale.
Many of Kasischke’s characters have a large stake in the circumstances of the accident and all of them start moving on with their lives and trying to work through their grief in their own way. It soon becomes apparent that moving on doesn’t necessarily take you any further from the heartache and the consequences of a tragedy like this one.
The singular strands of all these characters sometimes seem secondary to the weave of the main story and make you wonder if they have any relevance. Once things all fall into place you discover that every detail is integral to the final tapestry that is The Raising.
So many things I want to say and go into but I can’t bring myself to risk ruining a single twist or discovery that will take your breath away if you are left to discover it for yourself.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!